Taxi driver at school??? Where do we stand

trixychic

So I have question for all the taxi drivers out there.

This new school year started and a taxi shows up now for the 2pm pick up. A woman in the front obviously with a child in Junior infants.

Now this is a small rural school. School buses drop at 9am and collect at 3pm. 2 large bus eireann buses.

There is a small lay by at the front of the school with a small concrete divider separating the lay by from the road. It's a one way system up the lay by.

Now the school has asked all parents not to park in the lay by in the morning's and evening so as school buses can get in and out however there is one large space for A bus and several small spaces for cars in the lay by. At the 2pm pick up (due to no school buses) everyone parks in the lay by or uses it to drive through and turn back down the road to park along the ditch.

Now this taxi (a 9 seater Nissan primastar) has started this yr and has been pulling into the lay by, ignoring any spaces available, driving right up to the exit and sitting there... until the woman and child are in. He then drives off.

Many of the parents are getting quite ticked off. We have an autism unit and there has been days there are problems because the mums come out with the children but can't go any where cause of this guy blocking the road.

On Fri OH had to collect and was out with ds before the taxi was loaded. The woman asked did he want to get by to which he said "no I'm in no hurry". She responded by telling him how none of the parents should be parking in there and only buses are allowed. He stated it was a taxi not a bus and that there is no school buses at 2pm. There never has been unless schools get out early. She started getting agitated then saying he was wrong and all the parents should stop parking there before, walking off to the bus.

Is she right?? I was under the assumption that there are car spaces there, for us to use. We have never been told otherwise by the school. I also thought it was only 16 seaters up that can be classified as a "bus". Either ways the driver ignores spaces available most days and sits in the way. Surely this is wrong??? Going to talk to principal on Mon. Only got told tonight.

Bloods boiling a bit. OH never said anything. I usually collect. She came over picking a fight with him.

Sorry for the long post

pwurple

Trixy chic, I have read that a couple of times... Is the issue that the woman in the taxi is using a bus space and your husband wants to also?

No-one has spoken to the school about their parking spaces yet. That's the first port of call surely.

NormalBob Ubiquitypants

Maybe she has to park there? I know some taxi drivers are employed by the foster care system to drive kids to the school. They have to bring them to the door.

trixychic

pwurple wrote: »

Trixy chic, I have read that a couple of times... Is the issue that the woman in the taxi is using a bus space and your husband wants to also?

No-one has spoken to the school about their parking spaces yet. That's the first port of call surely.

No. The taxi isn't using ANY spaces. It sits in the middle of the exit. So no one can get out of the lay by until they have made their collection and driven off. They back up the entire place. There is a man driving and a woman in the passenger seat. She is the child's grandmother (I am assuming).

They never use spaces even if there are some available.... which there usually are when they arrive. They sit in the middle of the road in the exit of the lay by.

trixychic

NormalBob Ubiquitypants wrote: »

Maybe she has to park there? I know some taxi drivers are employed by the foster care system to drive kids to the school. They have to bring them to the door.

I could understand that.... if they were using the spaces!!! They are not. They are parking in the middle of the road in the exit.

There is normally a few spaces left in front of the gate.... but they will not use them. They sit in the exit and usually don't move until the child is in the car.

trixychic

trixychic wrote: »

I could understand that.... if they were using the spaces!!! They are not. They are parking in the middle of the road in the exit.

There is normally a few spaces left in front of the gate.... but they will not use them. They sit in the exit and usually don't move until the child is in the car.

Speak to the school and get them to talk to the driver.

trixychic

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Speak to the school and get them to talk to the driver.

It's my first port of call on Monday!!!

byhookorbycrook

Deleted User wrote: »

Speak to the school and get them to talk to the driver.

Unfortunately some people just won't listen and the school is powerless. I'd be inclined to ring the gardaí and get them to send up a traffic corps squad.

trixychic

Completely forgot I had my neghbours little one to collct today so.didn't get a chance to go into the school today. Funny enough though he wasn't there today. And actually if I think about it there has been whole weeks he's missed along with a few days. Then ilge thinks he can rock up and park where ever. Ignorance!!!

Sunny Dayz

Unfortunately things like this do happen in many school car parks. All you can do it make the school aware of it and get them to issue a letter to all parents setting out the rules of the car park. They had to do that at my son's school whereby people kept parking in the bus space or in the yellow box right in front of the school gates. although they may have to go again as one parent decides to park in the disabled parking space (I'm not aware of any disablement for himself or his kids).


I was on the road on Friday and got caught in another town at school quitting time. The car park was wedged with cars and the school bus literally had to stop in the middle of the street to collect the children. As a result, traffic couldn't move and parents were trying to get out of the car park but couldn't see out because of the bus...
*rolls eyes*

lazygal

We live beside a school and all traffic laws seem to be ignored by a lot of parents doing drop offs and collections. As the road itself isn't school property there isn't a lot the school can do about it. The school can't control the actions of those who use the roads to bring their children to school. The Garda -possibly traffic corps - would be a better bet.

Presumably this area isn't available at 3pm if there are busses parked - what do car drivers do then?

trixychic

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Presumably this area isn't available at 3pm if there are busses parked - what do car drivers do then?

They tend to park further up the road at the church or shop. Bit of a walk though for some of the smaller ones. Again it's a very rural school.

trixychic

lazygal wrote: »

We live beside a school and all traffic laws seem to be ignored by a lot.....

I tell us living in a rural town it kills me to see ppl ignoring the rules of the road. Ppl parking across 2 disabled spaces to "pop in for just a min". Or not using indicators or looking before they pull out of a space. I know it's done every where but it really is such a problem here!!!!

Toots

Get on to the Gardai. There's a local school in an estate near me and some parents were causing complete chaos at drop off and collection times, making it nearly impossible for residents to get in and out of their homes, and generally causing a hazard for other road users. The school are now collaborating with the Traffic Corp and they've imposed a one way system around the estate, the gardai are there every morning to catch out anyone who tries to go around the wrong way. The difference it's made is unbelievable.

cruizer101

Sit on the horn, if they are blocking the exit as I understand you, just sit on the horn and don't let up til they move.

If you don't want to do that I'd definitely talk to someone in the school get them to have a word with this person.

Terrlock

Are they actually blocking the exit?

Would this not be a health and safety risk for the School, especially in the case of Fire.

lazygal

Terrlock wrote: »

Are they actually blocking the exit?

Would this not be a health and safety risk for the School, especially in the case of Fire.

A public road is an issue for the Garda or possibly the Fire Officer. The school can report it, but I've been told by the local school that it can try to advise and encourage parents regarding parking but cannot do anything about those who ignore their guidelines or the rules of the road. When there's a serious ongoing issue the school will usually wash its hands of it and its up to other road users to contact the Garda or similar.

BettePorter

Terrlock wrote:

Are they actually blocking the exit?

I think op means blocking the exit of the lay by.

Op I think I can picture what u describe .... we have something similar at our local school. If I'm right its basically like if in a petrol station forecourt a car pulls up to furthest pump and the car behind basically cant move til first car has pulled out and cant reverse cause someone pulls in behind too.

I find that picker uppers tend to try and park in the Same place everyday ( for the ease of the kids) so they then think they're entitled to that spot regardless of who its blocking ....( sure I'm in the car, if ur that badly stuck ill move)


There's an arrogant prick who arrives into our packed school car park at a minute to 3 and reverses into the disabled spot right beside the school door every single day ..... as if its reserved specially for him ( no disability whatsoever)

Op it is rude and inconsiderate of taxi guy and im sure a note home from the head wouldn't make one iota of diff..... hes prob of the opinion I'm only here a few minutes a day, like yourself, you can wait til I'm done.

trixychic

BettePorter wrote: »

I think op means blocking the exit of the lay by.

If I'm right its basically like if in a petrol station forecourt a car pulls up to pump and the car behind basically cant move til first car has pulled out and cant reverse cause someone pulls in behind too.

That's the best way of putting it. Thank you.

As for the "laying on the horn" bit, there are so many babies and kids with autism. Id cause distress amongst them all. I am not willing to do that.

Been so busy that I havent had much chance to do much about it this wk. I will have to tackle it next wk.

I'm also gonna ring around the taxi company's and complain when I find the right one. Driving me bonkers.

byhookorbycrook

lazygal wrote: »

A public road is an issue for the Garda or possibly the Fire Officer. The school can report it, but I've been told by the local school that it can try to advise and encourage parents regarding parking but cannot do anything about those who ignore their guidelines or the rules of the road. When there's a serious ongoing issue the school will usually wash its hands of it and its up to other road users to contact the Garda or similar.

That's a bit unfair. The school is powerless, take it from me. if the person tells the school to F off, they can't do anything.

BettePorter

Op have u considered given its the same taxi / same driver everyday since Sept that its prob a private pick up rather than a fare? Its prob his kid / grandkid hes picking up ..... so ringing taxi firms to complain may be pointless.

He may be just a private ignoramus using his taxi driver mentality of 'I can pull up where I like cause i'm in a taxi'
.

StringerBell

I am sure they are well aware of what hassle they cause, but has anyone properly confronted them about it yet? I don't mean physical threats or anything, but literally just gone up and said, you are causing a problem where there does not need to be one, there are plenty of spaces why do you always block up the entrance? It is extremely inconsiderate to the other people who use the school.

Go from their reaction, keep calm and don't swear at them or be anyway impolite. If they are still refusing to adhere to common courtesy I would report them to the Gardai, the school has basically no power over them and unless you are of the mind to take things into your own hands then putting the Gards on them is about the only option you have.

trixychic

BettePorter wrote: »

Op have u considered given its the same taxi / same driver everyday since Sept that its prob a private pick up rather than a fare? Its prob his kid / grandkid hes picking up ..... so ringing taxi firms to complain may be pointless.

He may be just a private ignoramus using his taxi driver mentality of 'I can pull up where I like cause i'm in a taxi'
.

Actually no i never thought of that. Thanks. Your right it is always the same taxi, same driver and he would be similar in age to her.

RainyDay

Has anyone considered the mad idea of saying to the taxi driver "You probably haven't noticed but you're blocking the rest of us every day - could you move somewhere else please"?

trixychic

RainyDay wrote: »

Has anyone considered the mad idea of saying to the taxi driver "You probably haven't noticed but you're blocking the rest of us every day - could you move somewhere else please"?

I suppose we haven't wanted to be too controversial. But will say something next wk.