Trouble at the school gates!!

bjork

Not the teachers or the students but down right unruly bad mannered parents.


It stated parents are "driving carelessly" and "parking in a dangerous manner" in bus lanes and on footpaths in close vicinity to the school.

The letter also claimed the traffic warden, who works in the area, has been subjected to verbal abuse on a number of occasions from a small minority of parents.

"Instances have occurred where the lollipop lady have been verbally abused by parents and also has had parents not obey her duties helping your children cross the road safely to school.

"Gardai have been present outside your children's school in the morning and afternoon in the last school year and have verbally warned parents about the dangers they are creating outside the school.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/lollipop-lady-verbally-abused-by-parents-dropping-children-off-at-school-gardai-say-30947464.html via @Independent_ie





Now the Gardai have to waste their time with these idiots. It happens outside virtually every school in the country.

Why so many driving to school? Why be an obnoxious idiot when you do? Have newer schools factored in cars when building?

The Peanut

We introduced a walk to school initiative in our school for this reason. Parents park back in designated spots - between 250-500m from the school - to ensure this doesn't happen. Kids were all given be-safe bibs in an attempt to get them to exercise and learn the rules of the road. Kids are very positive about it and love the walk.

The worst that happens is they get wet, like must of us would have.

Edit; should say it isn't the biggest school in the world - about 200 kids - so it's feasible to do it.

K4t

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5CjD5A8UDQ

Menas

Have these people never seen the Desperate housewives episode about the school drop?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA2VsGKFFko

kirving

Verbal warning is useless. A ticket and penalty points for every single driver dangerous parking would solve a lot of it.

shruikan2553

The problem isnt people driving, the problem is people being absolute ***** and thinking they are the most important person and are only holding others up for a "second", I lived outside of a school on a one way street, the idea of pulling in to get out of the way is about as existent as them pulling out when having sex.

Issue tickets for obstructing the flow of traffic or something. It's the only thing some of them will understand and if they dont well then at least money is being made.

The_Valeyard

I know on one of the roads to work, the whole thing is blocked with parents parking wherever the f*ck they want, blocking the road and in some cases, parking the car on the road, letting out their kids out of the car, walking to the school gates and then going back to the car!!! Some then even try a U-turn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

El Weirdo

Instances have occurred where the lollipop lady have been verbally abused by parents and also has had parents not obey her duties helping your children cross the road safely to school.

If that's a verbatim quote from a letter written by a teacher in that school, I'd be more worried about the standard of education the kids are receiving.

foxy06

You should see Bray. 4 schools on one very narrow road and two more schools about 400 metres also. it is complete mayhem. I like to walk them but on mornings like today I drive but have to leave very early to get an actual parking spot. I hate mornings.

Meathlass

I work in a building which shares its grounds and single entrance with a secondary school. Staff can drive in but parents generally just double park outside blocking the main road, the entrance and the flow of traffic. Trying to get out at 6pm is almost as bad as they double park blocking views of the road while waiting for their darlings to come out of study.

anncoates

Would love to walk my kids to school but not possible because it's along country roads about 2 miles away.

Maybe I'm lucky, nobody seems to park like a cnut there.

The Peanut

anncoates wrote: »

Would love to walk my kids to school but not possible because it's along country roads about 2 miles away.

Maybe I'm lucky, nobody seems to park like a cnut there.

I'm in a similar position and that's one of the reasons I think that most people here have bought into improving the parking. We don't have a stressful drive to get there and we're not facing a traffic-heavy drive to work or home afterwards.

Parents in the bigger towns and cities are probably more stressed from traffic; still needs to be improved upon though.

snubbleste

El Weirdo wrote: »

If that's a verbatim quote from a letter written by a teacher in that school, I'd be more worried about the standard of education the kids are receiving.

Ah no. It's from a Garda.

Menas

anncoates wrote: »

Would love to walk my kids to school but not possible because it's along country roads about 2 miles away.

Maybe I'm lucky, nobody seems to park like a cnut there.

There is a small primary school about 100 yards from us. It is always over subscribed so 99% of the students are from the catchment area - it within a few streets of the school.
But still every morning, rain or shine, the yummy mummy brigade DRIVE their little precious darlings the 100 yards to school.

Have people forgotten how to walk?

seamus

Parents on the school run qualify as temporarily insane. They do things they wouldn't dream of doing in any other scenario.

As a parent I actually understand the "rest of the world can bite me", mentality, but that doesn't mean I condone it or partake in it.

The only way it can be curbed is actual enforcement. Garda at the gates, every day for a month and then one random day a week after that. Be brutal and inflexible, handing out fines all over the place. The sight of Mary from the church getting cuffed against the side of her Qashqai because she lost the head with the Garda would scare everyone else into line.

Asking them nicely to stop it will not work because if they were nice people they wouldn't do it in the first place.

RacoonQueen

There is a petrol station about 400m, if even from a school I pass. I remember one day letting a car out of the petrol station. Traffic was heavy and crawling. About 15m from the school gate a kid gets out and yer man does a u-turn. I mean seriously. WTF? It was a secondary school, could the TEENAGER not walk a few hundred metres on his own?

Shiraz 4.99

We have a bollarded off drop off lane & they park in that.
We've a roundabout in the car park to facilitate cars dropping off & leaving & they park in that.
I've given up.

thelad95

This was a big problem in my local primary school and guess what happened? A child was knocked down. Thankfully he survived and for a few weeks, things calmed down. More children were walked to school by their parents and a scheme was introduced where teachers would help students across the road. Cars parked sensibly and people actually practised common courtesy in letting others out etc.

However, things are back to being as bad as ever and it's only a matter of time before there is another incident. What's the worst is the Mammys who live literally five minutes walk away but still drive up to the school in their Landrover to pick up their little shíts, clogging the whole place up and often doing stupid things like U-turns in the school gate (which children are coming out of) and parking in the middle of the road.

El Weirdo

snubbleste wrote: »

Ah no. It's from a Garda.

So I see. To be expected then, I suppose.

The Peanut

RacoonQueen wrote: »

There is a petrol station about 400m, if even from a school I pass. I remember one day letting a car out of the petrol station. Traffic was heavy and crawling. About 15m from the school gate a kid gets out and yer man does a u-turn. I mean seriously. WTF? It was a secondary school, could the TEENAGER not walk a few hundred metres on his own?

I've noticed a teenager driving a car from one end of our village to the school bus stop; no more than 1km. His mother then walks down later on the same day and collects the car.

Do parents not realise the damage they're doing to these kids. It is sending out all the wrong messages on so many levels.

Vel

Trigger Happy wrote: »

There is a small primary school about 100 yards from us. It is always over subscribed so 99% of the students are from the catchment area - it within a few streets of the school.
But still every morning, rain or shine, the yummy mummy brigade DRIVE their little precious darlings the 100 yards to school.

Have people forgotten how to walk?

I used to think like this before I had kids, and honestly I would much rather we could walk our son to school, and we do when we can, but currently he gets dropped off by his father on his way to work. Both of us work and I think many parents are in the position that they are only able to drop the kid on their journey there.

For those who don't work, live close by and where there are no other extenuating circumstances for why they can't bring their child by foot, other than laziness, then yeah, they should all be burned at the stake!

andyman

El Weirdo wrote: »

If that's a verbatim quote from a letter written by a teacher in that school, I'd be more worried about the standard of education the kids are receiving.

You'd be more worried about the education than the kids watching these parents ignoring basic child safety protocols and dishing out abuse to the people trying to keep children safe?

seamus

Vel wrote: »

I used to think like this before I had kids, and honestly I would much rather we could walk our son to school, and we do when we can, but currently he gets dropped off by his father on his way to work. Both of us work and I think many parents are in the position that they are only able to drop the kid on their journey there.

For those who don't work, live close by and where there are no other extenuating circumstances for why they can't bring their child by foot, other than laziness, then yeah, they should all be burned at the stake!

I don't have any major issue with that except for the necessity of dropping them at all. My secondary school was literally on my Dad's way to work - he drove right by the gates every morning. The rule was that if you could get your arse out of bed and ready by 8:15, you could have a lift. Otherwise he was gone.

I think in six years I managed to make that lift about five times. The rest of the time I made my own way there. Because I was old enough to do so.

In primary school from the age of about 8, I took myself off to school every day. A 25 minute walk mostly through estates, but some main roads. My mum would drive on rainy days, but literally only for half of the journey (through the estates), not to the school gate.

The problem in this day and age is excuses. You don't have to drop your child off on the way to work. If your child is 8 or older and you live less than 2km from the school, then they're old enough to get themselves to the school gates. There is no good reason to drive them there.
Take pity on them if it's raining or cold, but otherwise send them off to school in a group of four or five and they'll be fine.

There's probably a really good argument for having the four youngest classes start @ 8am and finish at 1pm, as this would mean that those parents can leave an hour earlier and not clog up the roads when the rest of the world is trying to get to work. If they really have to drive their older children to school, then their older children can be early for school.

Hannibal Smith

We live between a secondary school and a primary one. Parents doing the drop were crazy. In the mornings I'm trying to get out of the driveway, they will happily and knowingly block me in. On the main road the sometimes parallel park, but if there's not enough room they'll just stick the nose of the car in the space so they back end is out blocking the road. Then there's the u turn to cause further chaos. The excuse that its 'just for a second' is BS. In that second other people with commitments just as important as the parents are trying to use the road too.

NSAman

What is wrong with these people?

In all the years in school (in rural and major towns) I got dropped to school a total of ZERO times. In the country I cycled to school from ages 7 onwards we lived 3 miles from the school. in the large towns and cities we lived between a mile and two miles from schools. We walked.

I see it every damned day, parents who need a good bloody walk themselves and lots of exercise driving instead of walking the kids to school. The local schools are literally within view of our estate we live in. There is one particular"housewife" who drives the kids every day. It would take a maximum of a 10 minute walk to get to school I say MAXIMUM. The same woman (who must be late 20's) needs LOTS of exercise and the kids are starting to look the same way..... shameful that parents cannot treat their kids to respect themselves and others.

Cu Baire

The Peanut wrote: »

I've noticed a teenager driving a car from one end of our village to the school bus stop; no more than 1km. His mother then walks down later on the same day and collects the car.

Do parents not realise the damage they're doing to these kids. It is sending out all the wrong messages on so many levels.

If the kid is driving I assume he is in Leaving Cert. In fairness have you seen the weight of the schoolbags these students are expected to bring to and from school everyday. Most of them need to bring more than one bag and no one could carry them for a km without causing spinal injury. Well maybe an Army Ranger could.

I agree about the horrendous driver behaviour outside schools though.

bjork

Are school buses still a thing?

or lockers?

snubbleste

Hey I'm entitled to escort my precious progeny in my chelsea tractor and plonk it wherever I damn please.

eviltimeban

seamus wrote: »

If your child is 8 or older and you live less than 2km from the school, then they're old enough to get themselves to the school gates. .

Well, if only that were true... but it wouldn't happen. My eldest is 8 this year and there's no way I'd send him the 1.8 miles to the school on his own. He's just too young. He has a younger brother anyway so I still need to drive them. By the time they are 11 - 12 (5th or 6th class) I can see them cycling, there's a good cycle route outside which is all the way down, lights to cross at, etc. But for now the lift is still needed.

However our school issued rules to say don't park here or there, which I abide by. There's a big green where we can park around and walk a little up the road to drop them in. It infuriates me when I see the moms pull up outside and stop / park OVER the painted lines saying "no parking" or park in the "Coach" parking spot. Why oh why? It takes seconds to walk up and it's safer, plus there is actually more space available and it's easier to get in and out from.

Giving abuse to a lollipop lady just takes the biscuit though.

NSAman

snubbleste wrote: »

Hey I'm entitled to escort my precious progeny in my chelsea tractor and plonk it wherever I damn please.

How is Tarquin?

The Peanut

Cu Baire wrote: »

If the kid is driving I assume he is in Leaving Cert. In fairness have you seen the weight of the schoolbags these students are expected to bring to and from school everyday. Most of them need to bring more than one bag and no one could carry them for a km without causing spinal injury. Well maybe an Army Ranger could.

Most of the other kids walk. Many cycle from miles around with the bags, no complaints. Let him cycle if they're too heavy. There are little old ladies walking the distances with 2 full shopping bags.

He's an adult at 18, treat him like one. They are growing up mollycoddled.

Cu Baire

bjork wrote: »

Are school buses still a thing?

or lockers?

Yes
and Yes.

But Leaving Certs unfortunately need almost all their books almost every evening and if they are taking a school bus then evening study is probably not an option for them.

bjork

eviltimeban wrote: »

Well, if only that were true... but it wouldn't happen. My eldest is 8 this year and there's no way I'd send him the 1.8 miles to the school on his own. He's just too young. He has a younger brother anyway so I still need to drive them. By the time they are 11 - 12 (5th or 6th class) I can see them cycling, there's a good cycle route outside which is all the way down, lights to cross at, etc. But for now the lift is still needed.

Our school issued rules to say don't park here or there, which I abide by. There's a big green where we can park around and walk a little up the road to drop them in. It infuriates me when I see the moms pull up outside and stop / park OVER the painted lines saying "no parking" or park in the "Coach" parking spot. Why oh why? It takes seconds and it's safer, plus there is actually more space available and it's easier to get in out from.

Giving abuse to a lollipop lady just takes the biscuit though.

~


Why can´t you cycle with him instead of driving, especially when there is a good cycle lane? Depending on how young the youngest is, get him a seat for the back of your bike or not if he´s older

snubbleste

NSAman wrote: »

How is Tarquin?

He has the sniffles this morning.

Kaizersoze81

El Weirdo wrote: »

So I see. To be expected then, I suppose.

Your username makes sense now.

Cu Baire

The Peanut wrote: »

Most of the other kids walk. Many cycle from miles around with the bags, no complaints. Let him cycle if they're too heavy. There are little old ladies walking the distances with 2 full shopping bags.

He's an adult at 18, treat him like one. They are growing up mollycoddled.

I don't know the particular circumstances obviously but I have seen cases where bags weigh up to 30kg which is way more than your average 2 shopping bags unless the Christmas Turkey and Ham are in there:D.
Again I am only giving an example of why it might be acceptable behaviour, it is quite possible that it just a spoilt brat with a sense of entitlement and a clueless adoring parent.

bjork

Cu Baire wrote: »

Yes
and Yes.

But Leaving Certs unfortunately need almost all their books almost every evening and if they are taking a school bus then evening study is probably not an option for them.

There are more elearning books etc now than we ever had. If a 17-18 year old is too weak to carry their own school bag, how will they manage their laptop and briefcase when they start working. Does Mammy come along too?

vicwatson

I am sick of my sh1t asking people parking at our primary school (the sex shall remain anonymous for fear of being accused of sexism, but it's the same sex all the time), yes parking, not even dropping, in the "Keep Clear" sections outside the school gates, sick of asking them not to do it as they are there for the protection of the child when they come out of the gates so they have a clear view of traffic, I got laughed at and shoulder shrugging was enough for me to close my trap and now I say nothing, it's going to take a child to run out around those parked cars and be knocked down before someone will do anything about it. Its nuts. Its arrogance.

Stojkovic

Irish people dont adher to the rules of the road and cant use roundabouts properly so how the hell will the adher to any school drop-off system.

And they cant walk the kids to school in their pyjamas FFS !!!

The Peanut

Cu Baire wrote: »

I don't know the particular circumstances obviously but I have seen cases where bags weigh up to 30kg which is way more than your average 2 shopping bags unless the Christmas Turkey and Ham are in there:D.
Again I am only giving an example of why it might be acceptable behaviour, it is quite possible that it just a spoilt brat with a sense of entitlement and a clueless adoring parent.

I know the darling and it is definitely spoiling from Mammy.

I carried my schoolbag (admittedly lighter), sports gear, a hurley and shopping home after school. My mam couldn't drive so I had no choice. Not the safest especially when I cycled. I'm looking backwards now at being 40 and no back-related injuries.:D

I understand the point about bags but I really think it's a general problem with kids being over-parented. I can remember very few kids being dropped to school by parents. We walked, cycled and the very rural lads got buses. Parents, where it's safe to do so, need to stand back from this overly hands-on approach to parenting.

hoodwinked

yeah my daughter is in another school like this, 100m down the road there is a huge car park big enough for every parent in the school, outside the school is a small road with 4 off road "nose in" parking spaces next to a parallel parking bus space which is next to the entrance to the on-site teacher's car park.

like this

|||||_______{entrance}

yet people STILL park in both the bus stop and ON the footpath crossing in front of the teachers entrance, not only blocking the footpath for all the children who's parents use the car park, AND meaning the bus has to park on the road and those children have to weave between these muppets cars, it also means then the teachers cars cannot get in to their car park AND since somebody else double parked along side the bus stop/entrance parked muppet making the road one way it ALL gets blocked up, :mad: but hey their kid only got wet during the one minute walk from the school gates to the building so yay to them for saving their child the extra 2 minute walk in the rain! :rolleyes:

NeilHammer

I rarely get a chance to walk my son (junior infants) to school, We live in a quiet enough town but I work in Dublin so not normally at home for school runs.....
I took a few days off recently just to be able to do the school run and I was astonished by the rudeness and vulgarness of alot of parents outside the school gates!

Im in my early 30's and work in construction circles so my language would be offensive to most people alot of the time however around kids (not just my own) I would be careful as to what way I speak, but to hear 2 mothers hurling around the c**t word outside the school gate made me physically recoil! I actually said it to the two of them!!! holy god the language I got outta the pair of them infront of my son was horrendous! I told them both they would want to take a good look in the mirror at themselves and hope to god their kids didnt come out with that mouth full!!!

I was thanked by a few other parents and one of the teachers who said this was common place for these individuals!!!

Dont be afraid to politely point out to people in the wrong that they are a bad influence on your kids and their own

Neyite

I understand personal circumstances mean that its handier to drop children on your way to work, or that there are younger children that couldnt walk the distance.

But do you have to park right on top of the school gates? on pavements? on double yellow lines? on corners?

What the hell is wrong with finding a legal parking spot nearby, parking safely and legally and walking the rest of the way with the kids?

I swear, some of the lazy fcukers would drive into the classroom if they thought the car would fit!

snubbleste

Neyite wrote: »

I understand personal circumstances mean that its handier to drop children on your way to work, or that there are younger children that couldnt walk the distance.
But do you have to park right on top of the school gates? on pavements? on double yellow lines? on corners?
What the hell is wrong with finding a legal parking spot nearby, parking safely and legally and walking the rest of the way with the kids?
I swear, some of the lazy fcukers would drive into the classroom if they thought the car would fit!

Yes, yes, my little darling is far more important than you and everyone else.

Ave Sodalis

The Peanut wrote: »

I carried my schoolbag (admittedly lighter), sports gear, a hurley and shopping home after school. My mam couldn't drive so I had no choice. Not the safest especially when I cycled. I'm looking backwards now at being 40 and no back-related injuries.:D

Good for you. I carried my bag the mile home off the bus most days during secondary school. My bag was around two stone most of the time and that wasn't including sports gear. I spent years in therapy to fix my back. In fact, the person treating me told me that if it wasn't for the sports I do demand good posture, I should have been bent double.

I think the issue is more so with the way people park and drive as opposed to them actually parking and driving. Some of it is terrible and there needs to be stricter rules around it.

diomed

I live thirty yards from school gates that are at the top of our cul-de-sac road.
Morning school run puts Grand Theft Auto in the ha'penny place. :pac:

anncoates

Cu Baire wrote: »

If the kid is driving I assume he is in Leaving Cert. In fairness have you seen the weight of the schoolbags these students are expected to bring to and from school everyday. Most of them need to bring more than one bag and no one could carry them for a km without causing spinal injury. Well maybe an Army Ranger could. .

Have things changed that much since I went to school?

I was able to carry my books and stuff in a rucksack for about 2km , no problem.

Not challenging, just curious.

Cu Baire

anncoates wrote: »

Have things changed that much since I went to school?

I was able to carry my books and stuff in a rucksack for about 2km , no problem.

Not challenging, just curious.

Unfortunately yes and no reason for it. The digital revolution has not hit most schools yet.

eviltimeban

bjork wrote: »

~


Why can´t you cycle with him instead of driving, especially when there is a good cycle lane? Depending on how young the youngest is, get him a seat for the back of your bike or not if he´s older

Well I don't actually have a bike! And I'm dropping them on my way to work - I'm literally sprinting back to the car after I've dropped them as the school doesn't open its doors until 8.40.

Love your new album btw.

keithclancy

When going to work every morning some years ago, I saw the same woman every morning getting into her vehicle with her 2 kids and driving 250 meters up the road to the school, sticking the hazards on and then getting the kids out. She would then pull a u-turn and drive 250 meters back down the road.

Every single morning I would see this happen and I thought to myself

Those kids are going to have problems when they are older.

Shrap

Cu Baire wrote: »

If the kid is driving I assume he is in Leaving Cert. In fairness have you seen the weight of the schoolbags these students are expected to bring to and from school everyday. Most of them need to bring more than one bag and no one could carry them for a km without causing spinal injury. Well maybe an Army Ranger could.

I agree about the horrendous driver behaviour outside schools though.

With you on this one. I used to send my kids cycling to primary school, unless it was pouring. We live about 1 1/2 miles from it. Bags on the carriers. Now though, I bring them up and back from the top of the road where the bus stops because of the weight of their bags. Their backs are obviously what I'm concerned about but add to that the weight dragging out of the bag shoulder straps. I'm constantly sewing them on again and buying new bags, which at at least 30 euro a go is not good news. Plus, they're teens and one of them is always too late to walk.

The parking outside the school when I did drive was shocking stuff mind you. It's amazing how few people can reverse