It is scary to think that I have been a “school run mum” for the last 18 years. I have been the mum who walks their kids to school, been the mum that drops them at Breakfast Club so I get to work on time and the mum that has to drive them to school and then head straight off to work, but one thing I am sure of is that I always get the kids to school on time and safely.
We currently walk / scoot to school as it would be ridiculous taking the car as we live less than a 10 minute walk from the school, but I am increasing nervous of our safety on this walk, despite having a Lollipop lady (or Lady Pop as we call her) to guide us safely across the road.
We live in a semi-rural location and very often cars use the road we have to cross as a rat-run and cut through our estate to save all of 2 minutes on their journey. There have been many occasions when even the Lollipop lady has gone a little white as they speed up and down the road.
My main worry though is, and I hate to say it, other parents of children that attend our Primary School.
Last week, one mum drove into the school gates, and out again, whilst visibly texting on her mobile phone. If a child had run into the road, which has happened before, she would never have stopped in time.
Yesterday, the kids were scooting as normal and Eliza was knocked clean off her scooter when another parent opened the door without looking. Thankfully she had just a grazed knee and dented pride, but it could have been so much worse.
Then there are the ones that cannot park! Our school carpark is oblong shaped and parents can park pretty much all around it, although some areas have had to be coned off as parking there causes blockages. I have seen cars bumping up onto the pavement, narrowly missing walking children, cars parking alongside the cones causing blind spots and even those that just stop in the middle of the road and literally kick the kids out of the car.
There is one road into and out of the school and cars park both sides which causes its own problems and last year there was a head-on accident as neither car would get out of each others way.
My final gripe is one I am fighting the local council to change. We have a single yellow line that stops people parking in the area where the Lollipop lady patrols but after 4pm parking is allowed. Our new headteacher has started running lots of after-school clubs for the kids which run from 3.30-4.30pm which are fabulous, however, we have a great big transit van that parks on this single yellow line without fail at 4pm everyday and with all the will in the world, you cannot see to cross the road and oncoming cars cannot see if anyone is trying to cross the road.
Please, if you drive to school, do it safely!
Ugh, this sounds just like our school. It saddens me that (some) parents do not strive to set a positive example for the children.
At our school, parents think it is acceptable to park on double yellow lines (because they are only dropping off their kids). Err, hello! Aren’t we all?
Good luck with the Council – I know they are a tough institution to crack!
It is just so dangerous – I have seen so many near misses. That combined with the overflowing dog waste bin right outside the school and the mums that stand at the entrance and smoke as you walk past makes my blood boil!!
I’m not surprised that you’re worried. Have you tried leaving a note for the van driver to tell him or her about the kids and ask them to park somewhere else?
Good luck wit the council, keep fighting!!
What you have said appeals to most schools its just nightmare come home time. There is a 20mph speed limit near our and well I don’t think that anyone ever takes any notice of it at all.
I completely agree that the parking around schools is ridiculous – our school work with the police who regularly patrol the area and deal with dangerously park cars and sill drivers! They even name and shame licence plate numbers on the newsletter!
It annoys me the bad parking at our school: parents parking in the bus stop and on the zigzags – no excuse for it. Thankfully we avoid walking past any parents parking though most of the time due to our route through a park and down a pathway into school.
Honestly some people, I would have thought childrens safety would be paramount at a school. No wonder you are annoyed.
Helen x
My Daughter has not even started school yet but i am dreading stuff like this happening.
People on phones whilst in their cars really rally winds me up, but texting whilst driving, wow that is a new kind of idiocy x
I hate ending up driving through the school run time, we live in a area surrounded by schools and its crazy.
Recently the school has had the lines put outside and it has made a huge difference. We have three Lady Pops!
We live a 2 minute walk from a primary school (where my son used to go) and about 5-6 mins from another one. We know school run traffic all too well. The disregard some parents have for the children is insane. The council installed double yellows down our street as far as our house, to stop the parking – but then… where do they go? It’s quite the nightmare. There have been times when parents parked on both sides of the road (before more double yellows) and if you had a huge lorry or similar driving down, the road would be completely blocked and lots of tempers fraying.
I know our old lollipop lady had several times where drivers RAN the red lights at the crossing just outside the gates… so, so selfish!
Wow, that was some rant from me for a Monday morning, and I don’t even have to do the school run any more!!
the cars on the pavement parking wind me up so much it is dangerous
Oh that’s so bad that she got knocked off of her scooter- I would have been really cross. People are crazy on the school run, always in such a rush…
oh the joys of school runs , i have to walk 5 at the moment will be another added come october when baby comes , it can be lovely on warmer days so im enjoying those while i can
I have been doing the school run for almost 16 years! The driving / parking drives me potty! e total unawareness of some people is shocking! Kaz x