DESPERATION AND FRUSTRATION (There ought to be a law about that!)

Member Name: indigojade

Product:	There ought to be a law about that!
Date:	09/01/02 (1072 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: taking children to school by car is easier than walking

Disadvantages: creates a nation of unhealthier, unfitter lazy children, blocking residents driveways creates bad feeling

This is probably going to be more of a rant than an opinion, but I feel that it just has to be said and hopefully some people may think a little about what they are doing!

My rant is about parking, not just any kind of parking, but in particular the way parents/guardians or carers park their cars when delivering or collecting their children from school.

The majority of children will live within walking distance of their school and yet I see their parents deliver them to school everyday come rain or shine. Driving short distance is environmentally unfriendly, not particularly economical on your car, and is also reducing the amount of exercise your children will get in their day, thus helping to create unfit, lazy children, who will constantly want to be driven here, there and everywhere!

When I was at a day school, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, it used to take me 20 minutes to walk to school - no great distance really, it certainly woke me up and I could chatter to my friends on the way there. I sadly see children being brought to school by car who live less than 5 minutes walk away. Ask your parents if they walked to school, chances are they did, I know my father used to walk 5 miles to school and back every day, it never did him any harm.

I live four houses away from the school my son attends, as you can imagine from 8.30 am until 9.30 am and 3pm until 4pm the traffic situation on the close is almost unbearable, with parents dropping their children off for nursery/infants and senior school. The school is situated on the end of the close, which means that parking is at a minimum.


People appear to have no regard for the residents of the houses at all. They will park across your driveway despite cars being parked on them, completely ignoring signs requesting people NOT to block their driveways.

The other morning there was a school field trip - a lot of parents brought their children to school in the c
ar as usual. I managed to get my car off the drive, after asking someone to move their car from across my drive, on reversing off the drive, I noticed someone had nipped into the space the previous occupier had vacated. Once again I got out and pleasantly asked them to move, which they did with bad grace and I went off on my travels. Realising I had forgotten something I returned home to find one of the cheeky sods had parked on my drive! Needless to say I parked across the drive and left the car there for an hour, creating much blue air from the person who had parked on my drive. When explaining that they were trespassing on my property, they became very abusive, claiming that I didn't own the road - which I hadn't claimed to own anyway - I merely pointed out that I did own the driveway attached to my house.


Don't get me wrong I am not the kind of person who will make someone move if I am not going anywhere, but there are times when I need to get off the drive so I have no hesitation in moving someone. I can't believe the amount of abuse I get for asking politely. I have regularly been told to f**k off and wait. Someone even suggested to me that I should take the car off the drive before 8.30 am and park on the road if I am going out, then I would be able to with no problem. Why should I have to? One person even told me I shouldn't have moved here, as I should have been aware of what the traffic situation would be like. Yes that is a fair point, although why should I have to consider the selfishness of others when choosing my home? IT is not so much the volume of traffic that gets up my nose, as the way some people park their cars, albeit for five minutes.

Not only do they block people's driveways by parking across them; they park dead opposite, with the road being so narrow, it is impossible to get on or off the drive. I have even seen people parking directly on the corner of the roads, thus making it difficult if n
ot impossible to get off the close anyway. They drive like lunatics, no consideration for people walking on the pavements with children or for those crossing the road. Many is the time I have heard crunches and twangs from wing mirrors crashing and there have been several accidents and shunts from impatient and inconsiderate drivers. Not only does the way people park create a nuisance for residents of the close, but it is also difficult and dangerous for the children to cross the road. It is difficult for them to find a 'safe' place to cross, as there is little or no space between the cars to be seen by oncoming drivers.

SO please please please, all you parents/guardians THINK about the need to drive to school to pick up your charges. Would a ten-minute or less walk really hurt? I am all to aware of the potential dangers of children walking to school alone, they are a prime target for bullies, there is the problem of not enough lollipop ladies/gents to help children cross the road, and the danger of children being snatched on their way to school. I am not saying send them on their own, accompany them by all means. It would certainly affect your pocket, although in a positive manner - less petrol consumption, less wear and tear on the car and it may even help you feel more healthy having that little bit of exercise everyday. How about letting your children take the school bus? Many of them now are free or heavily subsidised, I'm not talking about letting very young children take the bus, but those of above 11 need not be taken by car. This will also help the child gain some level of independence and hopefully you will be able to remove the 'mums/dads/grans taxi' from the rear of your car.

If you HAVE to drive your children to school, perhaps you have a fair distance to travel or are not on a bus route, consider a 'school run' with other local parents. You can all take turns taking the children to and from school. This h
as other advantages in that you will make friends, your children will make friends, you will save money on travel costs, and save people like me getting abuse from inconsiderate drivers/parkers.

Finally should you take your children by car
~ THINK about where you are parking. If there is a car on the drive DON'T block it in, especially if there is a sign requesting you not to.

~SLOW you driving down, remember there will be children crossing the road to and from school, as well as other harassed parents trying to get to school on time.

~ IF there is no where to park, don't just abandon the car anywhere, think about leaving the house five minutes early and parking away from the school and walking a little way, it doesn't hurt HONEST.

Finally, if someone does ask you to move your car, do so with good grace, courtesy doesn't cost anything, remember they may have to get to work too.

All the best and safe parking.

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