A woman has hit out at parents who pick their children up from school in cars. In a defiant post, she said she’s had enough of parents parking outside her local school for long periods of time, and causing parking problems. She wants to know why the children can’t walk to school to ease the problem. Though she wasn’t afraid to air her views, the outburst has caused a bit of a stir online.
Taking to social media platform, Reddit, the anonymous woman wrote: “Why do people park up outside schools 40 minutes+ before their children finish for the day?
“I’m shocked by the number of cars parked just after 2pm outside my local secondary and primary schools today. With catchment areas and the like, surely they can’t all live beyond walking distance – especially with weather like today 18°C and not a cloud in sight where I am).”
Hundreds of people have engaged with the post since it was shared, and they had all sorts of opinions. Her statement really has left people torn.
While some seemed to see where she was coming from, parents were also quick to defend themselves. It really stimulated quite a big parking debate.
One parent replied, saying: “I don’t have a choice. I have to drive to pick the kids up and, if I’ve finished work, I’m not going home for 10 minutes to then go back out. It’s easier to just go and wait at the school.”
Another added: “I’m in the exact same situation, although I only do the school run on Mondays and Fridays. I don’t live near my daughter or her school.
“It makes sense to turn up early and wait rather than go home for a few minutes and sit in traffic crawling. I don’t park like a d***head though and use AirPods and turn my engine off, unlike some other parents who sit there blaring music with the AC on full blast whilst smoking.”
Someone also also said: “Maybe they finish work at 2pm, and just go straight to the school rather than home and out again? I know mums who love a bit of time alone in the car because it’s literally the only time they get to themselves!”
Some people agreed with the woman though, and were keen to say why they thought the act was “selfish”. Many wanted to air their views.
One said: “Outside the schools around here the ones who turn up an age beforehand are sitting, not parked, obstructing the local roads, so they are already creating traffic problems. Also worth saying all of those schools this happens with are infant/junior with very small catchment areas. Everyone lives within walking distance for a child.”
Another wrote: “Have I lived in an alternate reality all my life? I went to a school eight miles from my house, we took the bus or got a train… why does everyone have to pick up their kids now?”
Someone else added: “To be fair, I live in Norfolk and our catchment area has an odd protrusion of about nine or 10 miles to catch a village not served by any other schools. But, what I honestly don’t get, is why people don’t just park like a five to 10 minute walk away? The kids would benefit, and it would make everyone’s life easier.
“My daughter’s school has a tiny car park at the front gate, then another about twice the size like 75m walk up the road in the opposite direction. Cars will be queuing to get into the road to the small car park having driven past the half empty one.”