Yesterday, I show up 25 minutes early to get a curb parking spot to pick up my daughter. Some parents were there earlier than me to get that choice parking spot. So, there I am, parked legally at the curb and I see that cars are lining up in the actual roadway, (blocking the curb parkers in) as if it is a loading zone. This is the rear side of the school so the teachers and principal are out monitoring the parking situation in the front to keep that flowing properly.
I get out of my car to go pick up my child at her classroom and when I get back to my car, I am blocked in because of the parents that are "parking in the actual street" as if it is a loading zone. These lazy parents don't want to park their car's in the lot across the street. Instead, they stop in the roadway, and block the cars legally parked curbside, while they wait for their respective kid's to come to their car.
--Hope that all makes sense.
This agitated me because I got there 25 minutes early to park. There is plenty of parking across the street in the lot. After I got back into my car, I had to wait for these parent's children to get to their cars before the parents move.
Last year, I would show up an hour before school let out to get a choice spot in front and I would be driving home and there was one mom that actually waited at a "stop" sign, in the roadway, until her child came to her car. So I left an hour early to do things right and these other parents leave at the last minute to park in the roadway?!
Last year, the school principal, in the middle of the year asked parents not to do stop in the roadway. Not only that, it is illegal and the police had to show up to stop this behavior because I assume they had complaints. Of course, once the police were gone, parents were back to the same behavior. The principal pretty much ignores it, I think.
Yesterday, I even saw a police car again, but this was a bit after the traffic had subsided. (Yes I was stuck there that long trying to get out of being blocked in.) And our law enforcement has to spend their time enforcing the law for these rude parents.
I don't want to "tattle" but it's not fair to me that I show up 30 minutes early but then get blocked in by the rude moms that show up 5 minutes early and use the actual roadway as a loading zone.
Should I say something to the principal? I do suspect he knows this because I am betting it goes on every year. Should I not say anything at all? My daughter is too young or I would ask you if I should just join the "roadway parking club". Should I phone a complaint to the police department, or perhaps say something to the school administrative staff? Thanks for reading and replying.
Update: Many, many parents use the lot across the street, including myself. I wasn't feeling well yesterday so I wanted to minimize my walking. Sometimes I even walk to pick up my child.
@Mamazita, thanks for suggesting I am "lazy" because I didn't use the lot across the street. Again, I didn't feel well so I didn't have the energy to park in lot that the law-abiding moms use and instead, lazy mom that I am, left early so that I could legally park at the curb to have a choice parking spot. Shame on me... I wasn't wasting time in my car waiting. I was reading a great book!
Update: My question wasn't where to park. I was describing the situation, to you, and assuming that is where I do want to park on "certain" days, what should I do to try to make sure I am not penalized for doing things the "right way" while other moms basically break laws?
Another update: It may sound odd but I never want to be late picking up my child. I always want to be at her door when she gets out.
Update: We are practicing riding bikes to the school too, I hate to worry how that might work with these moms that park in the roadways, block cross-walks, etc.!
@Sandy: I pick my child up at her classroom door. I sometimes park in the parking lot on the back side of the school. Or I park on the curb, like I did yesterday. Or I have even parked/waited in my car at the front of the school--per school policy. I have walked to the school. But really, as soon as that door opens, if I am not there, technically my child is unattended because there are kids scattering everywhere and parents are walking all over, etc. But back to my question: I parked legally on a public roadway, adjacent to a public sidewalk that is adjacent to the school. Parent's cars stopped in the roadway, not pulling over to the side, but in the roadway, and they wait for their children to come to their car. Thus, I am at the mercy of when their child gets to their car before I can leave because they have parked alongside my vehicle blocking me in.
@Gamma G: Where I parked is not a curb on school property. It is a curb on a public roadway, adjacent to a public sidewalk. Again, I was blocked in by parents who were using the flow traffic portion of the roadway as a "loading zone". This has nothing to do with school property. This is the actual public roadways and I left 30 minutes early to get a choice parking spot on the public street, next to the public curb sidewalk. Along came some cars and blocked me from moving and pulling away the curb into the flow of traffic because they have stopped.
@livinglife&lovingit: I need to clarify: I get there early so that I can "legally" park on the curb and get out of my car to walk over to my daughter's classroom. The other parents, stop in the roadway, and wait in there cars, blocking traffic, creating an artificial traffic jam, blocking the "legal" curb parkers and people that want "go" need to dangerously pass the line of cars illegally stopping in the roadway and the "legal curb parkers" need to wait until the kids of the respective roadway blockers are in their cars.
@Carrie: Yes! When I was finally able to "get out" and I drove up the road and made a legal u-turn, I was driving back the opposit way and because the flowing traffic had to drive around those blocking the roadway, the road was so narrow and I thought my rearview mirror was going to have a collision with an oncoming rearview mirror!! Meanwhile, the police officer, parked on the adjacent road and sat in his car. Maybe he was drinking a latte and eating a donut. ;-)Okay that was bad...
Could the school stop the legal curb parked cars? It's a residential area so there are homes across the street that might utilize that parking on that public road. So that would penalize all the residents too. Further, why should people that legally park be penalized for those parents that choose to illegally block the flow of traffic to pick up their kid's from school?
There are about 217 days of school. Some days we walk. Some days we drive. I look forward to biking too, hopefully. I never utilized that area last year to park. Sometimes I drive and park in the lot. Sometimes, I have left nearly an hour early to be the first one there in the front of the school, like on a miserably rainy day--I don't have to get out of my car that way! But on Friday, I chose to park at the rear of the school. get a prime parking spot, and walk to my child's room. I was blocked from moving when I returned to my car. I really just wanted to know if I should do anything or nothing and just keep my mouth shut and deal with it?
This is just like the school we are at. I was scared when I saw two police officers there. I thought there was danger. They were there telling parents next time is an automatic ticket.
I also HATE the parents who hold up the driving line TALKING after their kids get into the car. MOVE IT PEOPLE!
You should first phone the police, then get involved with the school PTO or PTA and maybe you could all have a meeting together and get the input of all the parents on how to change the way things are, because clearly they are not working. This is how it worked when my youngest was in elementary school. And mind you, there were hundreds of students at this school, and parents would line up forever waiting for their kids. I live about 3 blocks from the school, and people were literally on my street, waiting for their kids. Just some info so you know how busy the school was. Anyway, the kids were not allowed outside, unless they were bus riders. The other kids, who had parents to pick them up, had to wait in the gym. If a parent chose to walk to the school and come get the child, that was fine. No kid was allowed to run outside to their parents car. EVER. So the cars would line up out front to pick up the kids, and the principal would walk up and down the line of cars, with a walkie talkie. He would be yelling the names of the kids into the walkie talkie, as it was being broadcast over the loud speaker in the gym. When the kids would hear their names, they'd go out to their parents car, and the line would move really fast. He'd keep yelling names and the car line would keep moving. If you were at the end of the line, you'd only be waiting like 10 minutes. It was the most thought out exit from school I'd ever seen!! They also made part of the street in front of the school one way, and had the police there every day monitoring it. After a while, the parents caught on. When we were new to the school, I broke one of the rules, and didn't know it, the principal walked out across the street and told me how it was. Oops!! Anyway, with some good implementing and parent involvement too, you could change this if you worked on it. Good luck on it!!
That does sound really irritating. You could say something to the administration, but I really don't know if the principal really has the ability to make this stop. Unless they have police at school EVERY day to give tickets, my guess is that bad behavior will continue. On this instance, I am actually glad that I work and my kindergartener goes to an after-school program. Therefore I don't have to deal with these evil car pick-up lines.
We have the same issues every year at the elementary school. It's beyond frustrating!
The thing we do every year (after the first couple of weeks of craziness have subsided) is we contact the school board. We take pictures of the mess (last year we took video) and then we send it to the school board, the principal and the administrative staff. We explain how its a hazard, etc.
Within a day or two there are district school officers out there writing tickets and making people move along.
Maybe you could try video taping it, and taking pictures and sending them to the school board.
Good luck!
How about you just use the parking lot that no one else does, walk across the street, get your child, walk to your car, and leave (since you're not blocked in and no one else uses this lot). Seems pretty simple to me.
You're going to have to be that mom. Get out of your car, write down EVERY license plate number of the cars in violation, take a copy to the principal, and then call the cops. Tell the principal you'll be doing this every day until he/she can set some rules and enforce them. Tell the police that you've notified the principal to no avail. Pester them to death. Get your friends to do the same. Guarantee if they get enough bitchy mamas calling and complaining they'll change something. Good luck!
That would annoy the *bleep* out of me! I would definitely say something to the school and it it didn't improve I'd probably program the non-emergency police number into my phone and call them on days that it's really bad....no one has to know it's another parent calling.
Our school is super strict about pick-up and you must follow the rules or the teachers/director will correct you immediately (the first day I did it wrong and I thought I would be called to the principals office! Talk about flashbacks! :)
We have dealt with this same issue every year for several years now. We park in the back parking lot at our school and it never fails that we will have someone block us in. I usually go complain in the office. We've had this happen every day this year and I finally complained to a staff member that was out helping kids cross and she said something to the people blocking us in. Friday was the first day this year that we were not blocked in. I am parking leagally in a parking place in a parking lot I don't care what your excuse is or that "it'll only take a minute", don't park illegally and expect me to wait on you!!! My life is just as important and nobody likes dealing with the mess up at the schools!!!! I definately say complain until someone does something!!!
If it is a consistent problem, ask the school about the rules and if they could enforce a better process for all involved. Our HS has a drop off zone for kids and you roll through, drop off your kid and roll back into traffic. During loading/unloading times, if you block the bus lanes you can be fined.
Um, why not just park across the street in the parking lot?
You are taking thirty-plus minutes out of your day just to save your self a few steps, and then you complain about the laziness of OTHERS!? If you have some kind of disability you should get a placard so you can park in a handicap spot. Otherwise it seems like a waste of valuable time to me, both literally and emotionally.
if you just go in and mention that traffic seems to be a problem and can something be done about it i don't think they'll think badly of you.
why not just park in the parking lot across the street where cars are supposed to be parked? you have plenty of time if you get there early, so you can walk across the street, right?
@ mamazita-HOW RUDE!!!!!
I really dont get how some people didnt understand your question. obviously some people just skimmed your question instead of actually reading it. I would talk to the principal, and the PTA. call the police if you have to, not only is it rude of the parents parking in the roadway, it is dangerous as well. they may not see a child about to step out of behind a car, or what if there were an emergency and a firetruck or ambulance needed to get through to the school but had to wait until cars were moved. people are rude.
I've been blocked in before and just honked until the idiot realtor who blocked me in looked up from his cell phone and moved. I absolutely know what you mean.
I agree with the suggestion to use the other lot. The only time I now park along the curb is when it's raining. Otherwise, I park and walk. Not as easy, but fewer hassles.
School parking lots are evil. Some of the worst drivers I've ever seen.
I'd probably just save some time, leave later and use the lot across the street. My conscience would not let me park in the road. And knowing my luck, I'd get towed. Because of course, the one time I try it, the rules would be enforced. You may want to send an email to the principal and explain you were trapped in your car because parents parked in the street. Have a solution for the problem too, that may help the principal.
Can I just say that I haven't read the comments, but you don't have to explain nothing to nobody. You were early, you got the spot you wanted with minimized walking, and you were legally parked. Lazy??? Who cares, I don't know what you do all day, you could be tired, sick, pregnant, who cares. I would also be upset, and yes I would continue to voice my opinion, they might need to get a gaurd or something out there. But you having to explain to me, no need. Idk what the wathera like where your from, butbi know I don't want to do extra walking in 110 degree weather like we have here. And kudos to you for being early, following the rules, and being there when your daughter comes out. I see allot of parents who make their kids walk to the car why they sit in the AC, or they make their kids wait cause their late. Now that's lazy.
Parking across the street and walking back and forth will use less time than showing up 30 minutes early and then having to wait for traffic to clear.
I know exactly what you're talking about! My son's old school has a street on 3 sides and no parking lot, but the front is reserved for the buses. I would get there early and park so I didn't have to walk 3 blocks with a toddler, plus I like being there when he walks out of the building. Many times I got blocked in by people stopping in the street and making their kids run to the car! They had a couple people go out there early, and shoo away whoever was stopped in the bus zone, cross walk,etc but it wasnt enough. His new school is very strict and has PTO volunteers patrolling the load zone to make sure no one is parking too long. I love it :) I think you should go to a PTO/PTA meeting and see what suggestions they have and perhaps what you can do to help. I also think that taking pictures and video to present to the school board is a great idea. The other parents are being lazy and endangering their children. Theres nothing wrong with being "that mom" when you are helping keep the kids safe. Good luck
I do the same as you to pick up my Kindergarten daughter. I park on the back side of the school on a public road and walk across a private bridge (not school property) to reach the school's back gate and wait for dismissal. There have been some days where I get my daughter within seconds of arriving at the gate, but it takes me 15-20 minutes just to pull off the curb because people like to double park or just plain block traffic. Unfortunately, because this part of OUR school is private property and not the school district's property, there isn't much the school principal can do. Law enforcement may not do much about it either because, while there are laws being broken, they don't have the time to cite every parent breaking the law.
Another Mommy suggested photo documentation, which is a great idea. I would document every instance of parents waiting at stop signs, double parking, etc that directly affects you, and report it to the principal. Again, not really sure how much they can do about the situation. You can also call your PD's non-emergency number to find out if there is anything to be done to rectify this situation, but they may decide to just make that legal street parking illegal and cite everyone parked on the street legally or otherwise.
I wish you the best. And I understand completely as I am going through the same thing.
Can I just say parent pick-up is a nightmare. Seems like no matter what school, it is not a great system. Our prinicpal has rules for this and the aides outside will let the parents know if they are doing something wrong. I would definitely say something. And there is no reason you should have to get there an hour or even 25 monutes early. If it doesn't change, I would figure out a better solution for yourself. I avoid it at all costs and park on a side street just before the school and walk my kids the additional block.
Seems to me you'd save yourself a ton of stress if you use the parking lot, since no one else is, and let everyone else deal with the traffic jam.
I have gone thru the same exact thing many, many years and that is why I am so glad that they house we moved in to has my girls bused right thru senior year. Some people are so inconsiderate and it doesn't even help to say anything to them, so honestly what I would do it just call the police dept on their non-emergency line when you get back to your car w/your daughter and have an officer come to the school and issue a summons to the person who blocks you in next. It stinks that adults act like bigger lame-brains, but what can ya do....best of luck.
Sounds like the school needs to work up a car-rider pickup system like they do at our elementary!
Why not park in the lot across the street then you not have to deal with it.
Hi! I am not going to go through all the previous responses as I feel like I already have the gist of them based on your updates. Yes, I thought it odd that you might get there a whole hour early some days to get a prime spot as you could do more constructive things with your time if you showed up 15min early and just parked in lot across the street....although there's nothing wrong with using that time to read a good book...nothing AT ALL!! The point if your discussion is all of the illegal parkers. I totally agree...they are soooooo in the wrong!!! It doesn't matter what the situation is, they are parked illegally. Even though the school knows about it I don't know how much they can DO about it. It's a legal situation and the police should be notified every time.
Wait..I just remembered we DID have a similar problem and the school reacted to it. Due to high snow bankings a lot of cars were parked too far out into the road. It's a one way street and it was lined with cars to the point that cars passing by had to crawl through so as not to hit mirrors. Huge problem arose when the buses couldn't get through to go to the school. I was parked further up from where the buses turn in so I know my car wasn't in the way. (I had been parked in a section if the street that would've been in the way but realized the problem arising and moved before getting out of he car). The buses began lining up at the end if the street!! All he parents in the blocking cars just ignored them and were getting out of cars to go into the school! We all gather in the small gym and wait for dismissal. The principal came over the intercom and said NO children will be dismissed until ALL the blocking cars are moved. All the guilty parties were exposed when they one by one left the gym. So, I guess there is a way fir the school to help the situation after all!
Oh gosh does your child go to pineloch!? My son goes there and I have picked him up 2 times because of how awful it is!
I wouldn't say anything. They know its a problem.
Sounds to me like you need to complain to both the principal and the school district. They should enforce the parking regulations or come up with a better system. At my son's school there is NO curbside parking at all right along the school property. You have to park at the end of the block or on the other side of the ballfields and walk the block over to meet your child at the school. There is just no way for someone to leave a vehicle in the driving lane.
there must be other frustrated parents= go to the school board and the police and make a stink and it will get changed. The school won't want any public embarrassment - the situation sounds pretty unsafe.
Regardless of where you park and whether or not you are getting blocked in. The issue is they are parking in the roadway which is illegal and they are blocking some people in and that should be addressed. Without pointing out a specific person, you should complain to the school and they should address it in a bulletin to all parents and at all PTA meetings. Additionally, school officials should start walking up to the parked cars (those in the roadway) and say "I am sorry but you need to move on or go park in a parking spot. You can not wait in the roadway. As you are going by, IF you child is right here you can momentarily stop for them to get in but you must keep traffic moving." After a day or two of this, the police should be call and they shoudl start ticketing people (this should be mentioned at the time of the warning and in the bulletin so it is not a surprise).
I can't believe that the school allows this. At my daughters school no one is allowed to block the roadway in the drop off circle or out on the main road. This is so the school buses, and other cars can get through. They also have a patrol guard so no one can get away with it. I would complain, it sounds like a safety hazard to me.
Love DAZ's suggestion!! =o)
It is the beginning of school and sometimes it takes a couple weeks to get the kinks out of the carpooling line.
At the elemtary where I sub, we have an off duty officer who kindly guides people in the right direction.
Rather than spend an extra 1/2 hour in my car, I think I'd just park across the street and walk to get my child.
Hope you feel better soon.
I just re read your Q if the front of the school is where the teachers and principal are monitoring pick up, Why are you at the back of the school? t Our schools have the aides take the kids to the cars. Unless parents park in the lots and walk to the school they MUST stay in the car and have the aide walk the kids to the cars. My sons school asks for signs to hold up so they can tell at a glance which kid they need to walk to the car. My school the aides have walkie talkies and megaphones and call for the kid they need. Older kids are milling about but K-2 stay with teacher until the aide calls them and watches or walks them to the car. Ask your PTO and principal to make a change.
I'd show up 10 minutes late and park out front...
LBC
Hi E.,
I completely understand your issue! I would take pictures, document your experience and then go to the principal and school board if you have to. Safety is #1 priority and obviously that situation isn't safe for kids! I would do that and not leave the office until you feel satisfied with what they will do to remedy the situation.
One possible solution----police officer out in front and back of school directing traffic and moving it along. OR crossing guard with whistle etc to get parents going.....Let us know what happens and hang in there!
One other thing, if the parents block your way---you could honk or something until they get back to the car. Maybe they would be embarrassed enough to apologize and move it asap. Who knows.....GL
M
If you have your kid and are ready to go you need to tell them you are leaving and they need to give you space to back up and pull out Or are these unattended and they are double parking? I never tried to park in a spot that was going to be a nightmare to get out of. We were very fortunate to have the principal and other staff members keeping things moving. You can ask for that.
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Are these cars parked and left unattended while the moms go get their kids from the school? Or are the moms sitting in the cars? At my school children are absolutely NEVER allowed to walk to their parents' cars. They can't just park and the kids walk down the street or across the street to them. We have a parent pick-up area and parents are to park in the lot and walk across the street to pick up their children from the designated area. This was a HUGE issue 4 or 5 years ago and it's been done this way for the past 4 years, at least. My principal was excellent about it and it alleviated a lot of the same stresses you're describing. At our school all of the parents picking up were blocking buses! Good luck to you... Annoying situation...
I get what you're asking without all the further clarification. You have every right to show up early for the good spots. I come to church 30 minutes early to get the good spot. You are allowed! And yes, it would totally irk me to be blocked in by people idling in the street...yes, they should go park somewhere legally, just like you did.
If it were me, I'd probably call the police every day and file a report. Believe me, if they started getting calls every day, they'd do something about it...start writing tickets, etc.
Haven't read the whole post but it usually gets better as people settle into the new year.
Sounds like a nightmare. It's true that parents who follow proper pickup procedure should not be blocked in, but it's really up to school to manage this logistical issue. Is this an elementary school? Public school? I'm hardly an expert on school pickup as my kids always took the bus, but I do work in an elementary in our district and I know the elementary and middle schools have strict pickup procedures. There is no curbside pickup, no parents going to classrooms. Parents picking up must park in the school lot and report to the cafeteria where children are released after the buses pull out. I realize this doesn't help you but perhaps a note to the principal or the superintendant of schools is in order. You shouldn't have to show up at school and hour early to pick up your kid, I can't imagine having that kind of time or using it in that way. In your shoes, I'd likely forget about the curbside parking and just use the lot so that you can get in and out. It may not seem fair, but if that's how it is and school won't send out someone to direct the traffic, you may just have to do what's going to be easiest even if it doesn't seem right.
People are rude. Yes, I think you should do something about it. I think its very dangerous for cars to be lined up in the middle of the road whether is a subdivision or side street. What about buses? They have a schedule to keep and they can't get near the school then all hell breaks loose.
My sons school has a pickup and dropoff location. At his last school you can only enter one driveway and are supposed to start filling in the parking spots in the first aisle. You are supposed to back in. The teacher is supposed to direct the parents out of the spots and they are to follow the driveway around to where the kids come out. The kid hops in the car and you follow the remainder of the driveway around and out. The buses have their own parking area in front of the school and the buses have the right of way.
Honestly, if it was me I would just park in the lot acrossed the street, than you are not at risk of getting blocked in. At my son's school, there is no curb parking allowed, only curb pick up and the driver must stay in the car to keep traffic flowing. I think this works best because those who do not need to go in to get their kids should not have to park and walk when they can just pull up and pull out in no time flat. JMO
My kids' school has a very particular plan about how to get the parents in and out of there as quickly as possible. There is a pick up/drop off zone in one of the parking lots, manned by no less than 4 teachers to keep things moving. I kid you not, they have all the kids out of there within 10 minutes, and this is a magnet school, so they have a significant amount of kids being dropped off (because if you don't live in their particular area, there is no busing available, and kids come from all over the valley to go to the magnet)
I definitely think that the school is responsible for coming up with a plan to manage the traffic they create.
BTW, I actually get there late, instead of early. I had it planned, to the minute, when I would need to leave. I was almost always the last car in line to pick up. I could get there early and wait in line for an hour, or I could get there late and end up getting my son in the car at the same exact time (well, within 3-5 minutes). Rarely, I'd get caught in construction or something, and the teachers had given up on the parents and taken the leftover kids inside, but I have no problem with that.
It sounds like the school needs to address the issues of pick up and drop off. Our school has 2 lanes for parents and no one is allowed to park on the curb, only pull up and drop off then move on out. I like this because that's what parking lots are for, parking.
