Parking fine while picking up children

emma-uk

We receive regular letters from my sons school asking parents not to park on the solid white lines and zig zags outside, across peoples drives and even on the neighbouring houses drive! They never listen though and when challenged the language that comes out of their mouths is disgusting. They might think it's acceptable using that language around their own kids but not mine or others and children have been around when its been kicking off. I live 1/4 of a mile from the school and we're the only ones that walk, all the other families down my road drive. My 4 year old will quite happily walk the 2 miles to town in the coldest of weather.

Coupon-mad

iammumtoone wrote: »

That is a very valid point. I don't know anything about parkng regulations but would assume like you say the car has to be observed for a period of time with no one returning for a ticket to be issued.

If that is the case I would be interested to hear from the motoring experts if 9 minutes of not returning to the car would be seen as a reasonable time frame to appeal?

Yes because:

- the 'assisted alighting exemption' is for the time taken to escort a disabled, elderly or young passenger safely to premises nearby - so 4 mins to walk him to the classroom, one minute of handing him over and 4 mins to walk back to the car doesn't sound excessive if the school entrance is a longish driveway with the classroom towards the back.

- no-one is saying he CEO was wrong to issue the ticket. If he/she saw no sign of loading/unloading or assisting a passenger for those 9 minutes, you can see why the ticket was issued. But a correctly-issued ticket doesn't necessarily = a payable ticket. There are almost always grounds for appeal!

- notwithstanding the above, all Council PCNs should be appealed and almost everyone wins at adjudication. The OP would just need to appeal through the 3 stages and attend the adjudication, showing themselves to be an honest & reliable witness who was involved in assisted alighting in those minutes. There is no reason for a person to pay a PCN when they were exempt.

- a lot of the angry stuff here about 'parking near school entrances' is talking about dangerous parking, or parking on zigzags which is a complete no-no during the hours of operation. But the OP was merely on a single yellow so I had no clue why he got such rubbish 'advice' (a flaming) at first, except that he posted on the wrong form board.

prowla wrote: »

I would assume that loading means being at the vehicle and actively putting things in or taking them out, rather than leaving the car to go and wait for someone.

But this wasn't a loading exemption. This is a different exemption (assisted boarding/alighting) and there are several exemptions which can apply on a single/double yellow - even if some posters on the motoring board seem to be of the opinion that 'yellow lines = a red route' and that people who park there should be shot.

emma-uk wrote: »

We receive regular letters from my sons school asking parents not to park on the solid white lines and zig zags outside, across peoples drives and even on the neighbouring houses drive! They never listen though and when challenged the language that comes out of their mouths is disgusting. They might think it's acceptable using that language around their own kids but not mine or others and children have been around when its been kicking off. I live 1/4 of a mile from the school and we're the only ones that walk, all the other families down my road drive. My 4 year old will quite happily walk the 2 miles to town in the coldest of weather.

All very true - but this was merely a single yellow where people can park if involved in exempt activity.

marlot wrote: »

Speaking as a primary school governor, the mayhem outside our school is terrible. Children and parents find it hard to cross the road safely, because inconsiderate parents have parked their cars on the sight lines (marked by single yellow lines). Parents shouting at each other. Drivers on their mobile phones. Drivers stopping on the zig-zag lines, even.

We teach the children courtesy, kindness and to care for each other. They then leave the school to parents having a free for all. I'd put the parents in detention if I could.

The school has little power alas. Whenever a local resident complains, I point out that the school does put notices in the school newsletters - and that if it is a problem they should inform the police and/or the council.

The school should ask for the lines to be made clearer as no-stopping zig-zags then. Ask the Council Highways Dept to extend the zig-zags & re-mark the other lines.

Single yellows are OK to park on when involved in escorting a child into or from premises. Not waiting with a child - which is not exempt - but we don't know that from the OP and will never know as he's PPR'd!

iammumtoone

Thank you Coupon-mad thats very interesting.

My initial thought was it was a single yellow because its in a residential area so the council are trying to stop the school parking whilst at the same time allowing the residents to park there in the evening outside school hours. But I take your point maybe they should have put double yellows, the residents would have nowhere to park but at least it would be clear to everyone and you wouldn't get situations like this.

When I go on the school tun tomorrow (walking) I will be looking to see if we have any single yellows, I don't think there are, sure it is just doubles and the zig-zags.

WTFH

Out of interest, who pays the costs for all these appeals made by people who have broken the law and parked dangerously/illegally?

Does the money come from the magic money fairy, or does it come out of council/government funds, which means either services are cut back or taxes are increased.

GwylimT

At the end of the day you chose to park illegally, if there are literally no other parking spaces within in miles and you don't want your child to be outdoors in the winter then shouldn't you have considered this before choosing this school?

The only time I have ever driven mine to school is when my son had a broken leg and his crutches were slipping on the ice, funnily enough none of my children had died from being outside in the winter, I'm assuming you also wouldn't allow him to go shopping with you or play in the snow because of the cold?

Lum

WTFH wrote: »

Out of interest, who pays the costs for all these appeals made by people who have broken the law and parked dangerously/illegally?

Does the money come from the magic money fairy, or does it come out of council/government funds, which means either services are cut back or taxes are increased.

Given that the vast majority of appeals find in favour of the person appealing, your post is already starting out on an incorrect assumption.

If you are concerned about the cost of the appeals, your ire should be directed at the people issuing the tickets in the first place. These days parking enforcement is often outsourced to companies like NCP.

John1993_2

emma-uk wrote: »

My 4 year old will quite happily walk the 2 miles to town in the coldest of weather.

With people like the OP, I'm surprised that we don't have some sort of obesity crisis in our children.

Oh, hang on...

Iceweasel

99 posts and still counting.

This topic has touched a nerve.

Like I said earlier - 2nd only in peoples' minds/list of complaints to dog mess on the pavement.

How to be a pariah - park outside a school - get a ticket - and ask for assistance with appealing it.

I actually wish the OP good luck.

If there are genuine extenuating circumstances then of course they should get it cancelled.

If not - then it's burning at the stake I think.

Mojisola

joey298487 wrote: »

My son goes to a school where there is very little car parking spaces.

i went to pick him up to day and there were no parking spaces. Rather than let my four year old walk miles in the cold ( as it was freezing today) i parked for 9 min on single yellow lines causing no obstructions.

i got a ticket. When i came back there were packs of parking people nailing people on the school run.

Will you park there again?

lincroft1710

joey298487 wrote: »

Rather than let my four year old walk miles in the cold ( as it was freezing today)

Which is what we had to do all the time in the 1950s/60s, and they certainly did in the 1940s/30s/20s etc. Wrap him up warmly, the sooner he gets used to the English autumn/winter weather, the sooner he'll be able to acclimatise.

And don't worry, the cold didn't kill us off and we didn't catch colds by being out in the cold.