[Closed] School Run driver runs into teacher

One of the most dangerous places to not be in car is around schools it seems. The local one to me had parents stop in the no stopping zone and boot the kids out to run across the road.

Sitting on the bonnet was a stupid move to make in an already confrontational situation. Not a justification for the reaction but it was guaranteed to inflame the situation and draw some reaction.

The sentence was correct, but the teacher should know he dealt with the situation badly.

I’m more surprised that the vehicle in question wasn’t actually an SUV, a white SUV with a private plate.. but no.. it’s a “normal” Golf.

Right sentence too, Teacher should have dealt with the situation better and once given the driver instructions should not have sat on the bonnet... it was only going to end bad after that point.

Lived somewhere with a large school at the end of the road for years - I am amazed there aren't more incidents - the attitude of some of the drivers is just staggering.

Occasionally stationing a copper outside the gates handing out fixed penalties would seem like easy money.

The teacher didn't really sit on the bonnet though, he was just standing on the spot and got pushed onto the bonnet as the driver continued to move forward.

Let's not forget that the driver could have wiped out one of those cycling kids too.

School entrances are quite often hazardous, the worst are often where the entrance is on a dead end so driving parents are then reversing to turn around just where kids are crossing the road... I've done some school safety work. Sometimes some parents have got involved to try and encourage other parents to drop their children off a little further away where it causes much less danger, but there are always the entitled who insist on driving down the dead end road to drop off right next to the entrance, too dangerous to let them walk those few yards... it's a vicious cycle.

What if the teacher hadn't stood his ground, the car would driver would have come into the car park and there would have been no consequence. At least the driver got a jail sentence for their selfish behaviour and the issues around school drop off is being discussed again. Police / traffic enforcement / councils need to get a grip and send out a strong message about dangerous parking and the fact it won't be tolerated.

Occasionally stationing a copper outside the gates handing out fixed penalties would seem like easy money.

You'd think so. The local school is on my road and I see this sort of thing every day. Except when they station a copper in high-vis when amazingly everyone seems to remember what the zigzags and pavements are actually there for. Which makes it worse, because it's not safety of other peoples kids that's the decisive factor for them, it's that they might get a bollocking or a fine.

I'd go for a copper in plain clothes, or make it law that people can be summarily fined for eg stopping on the zigzgs on the basis of photo evidence. And then put a Go-Pro in the end of the lollipop lady's stick.

The school near me is famed for having the most pupils arriving by bicycle but has a massive problem of parents driving onto school grounds.
They've spent thousands on barriers and have teaching staff out each day directling traffic and have sent repeated letters etc.

Why cant car people just not be dicks?

Despite the warnings issued to parents about driving their cars onto the school car park someone still did it at my Mrs's school.

Child was hit and had their arm broken.

For the record: Audi suv

The teacher didn't really sit on the bonnet though, he was just standing on the spot and got pushed onto the bonnet as the driver continued to move forward.

He clearly sits on the bonnet, their is a timegap between when he sits and the car starting to move again.

Don't get me wrong, the driver got what he deserved, any normal person would have just gone "oh ok" when being told they couldn't use the staff car park. But sitting on the bonnet was a stupid move escalating the situation, the teacher would also have ended up sprawled on the floor if the driver had reversed.

Shouldn’t have sat on bonnet but stupid parent deserved 10 months of sore bottom and no pudding.

Used car as a weapon? Should be banned for life to protect the public if you have a weird mental state.

Yes he sat on the bonnet. How very dare him.

The teacher didn't really sit on the bonnet though, he was just standing on the spot and got pushed onto the bonnet as the driver continued to move forward.

He clearly sits on the car

Some comments on social media (actually a lot of comments) seem to be directing blame at the teacher for sitting on the bonnet

From that point on it is hard to see any other way this ends.... the driver has to either go forwards or backwards...

WTF are people really that entitled about driving cars?

People feel entitled to have their kids attend school.
For many parents dropping them off by car is the only way to drop them off and get to work afterwards but this hasn't been taken into account. The school has loads of parking, its badly planned parking but that's by design. Even if you wanted to cycle to the school it's built on a particularly dangerous road ... there's no parking I know of so

What if the teacher hadn't stood his ground, the car would driver would have come into the car park and there would have been no consequence. At least the driver got a jail sentence for their selfish behaviour and the issues around school drop off is being discussed again. Police / traffic enforcement / councils need to get a grip and send out a strong message about dangerous parking and the fact it won't be tolerated.

OMG .. a car would have pulled into the parking to drop off their kid ... the world would end, meteors strike the earth, cats and dogs living together ... you know the whole biblical armageddon. ??

The situation is just set up to fail...

WTF are people really that entitled about driving cars?

I can with a little inventive illegal riding on footpaths get him as far as the canal... and from the canal only a few times we have to get off and push to get around roads with no paved area.... (as it happens just down from this school) then I can get to the other side but I have no idea how we get from Mytchet to the event by the airport without an 8yr old riding on terrifying roads.

I actually started off determined to cycle... spent ages on google street view and still can't find a safe way to get to this event... SO I'll probably have to DRIVE or not go (OMG)

If we do drive then we will doubtless drive on to Swinley after so he can get some actual exercise... and then DRIVE home ... but I doubt you ever felt so entitled as to DRIVE to Swinley..

Teacher fanned the flames somewhat by sitting on the bonnet, a lot of people would get annoyed by that, cars arent cheap and some plank trying to make a point by sitting on mine would annoy me too...

...i wonder what wouldve happened to the driver if they'd reversed away from the teacher instead?...still a good result as the teacher would've ended up on their arse again only in that scenario you could make a case that you were retreating from the aggressor?

Trying to park in school car park = dick move
Sitting in bonnet in already tense situation = dick move
Driving when someone sits on your bonnet = dick move

Driver at fault for trying to park. Teacher at fault for potentially damaging someone’s else’s property. Driver at fault for causing injury by frankly dangerous driving. Teacher had other options and the driver had many, many other options

Sit on my bonnet and I will push you off myself - without moving the car. However, I choose to drive responsibly around schools - it’s not hard, even with frustrated other road users and inconsiderate stopping and parking. Just chill, there are huge members of unpredictable children about.

The school near me is famed for having the most pupils arriving by bicycle but has a massive problem of parents driving onto school grounds.
They've spent thousands on barriers and have teaching staff out each day directling traffic and have sent repeated letters etc.

Why cant car people just not be dicks?

Why don't you stick a sign up saying they are free to park on your drive ??

OH conveniently gets teachers parking at Jnr's school ... but most parents (or me) don't.
When I take him we cycle and a load of people are asking why we have to be such dicks cycling through the park and illegally on footpaths...as you can see we are not the ONLY complete dicks, this is just part of the route - where are the police when you need them... just look at that cyclist illegally cycling on the footpath to avoid death.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/ @51.3111209,-0.5616086,3a,75y,347.89h,95.12t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1skFKkcyfCjTCOTwNzhpXaeg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

He did well to find a teacher that was working. 😀

He clearly sits on the bonnet, their is a timegap between when he sits and the car starting to move again.

It was definitely triggered by the car nudging his legs though, and possibly directly caused by the nudge. Which is apparently how the evidence in court described it (fuller report in the DM of all places - didn't want to link, but check it out yourselves). I don't think any blame can be placed on the teacher for the incident - apparently this driver had driven around him before when he tried to stop him. You can't really anticipate somebody being a complete nutter like that, not even somebody that entitled.

Steve - stay on the canal and ride it all the way to the back of the airport. Brings you out Ively road. I work right by airport and commute from Bracknell.... Sometimes I go the long way through swinley and pick up canal and ride all way round. Very few roads.

He didn't sit on the bonnet. He stood in front of the car with his back to the driver, who then moved forward, putting him on the bonnet, before flooring it.

Dick move is putting it mildly. Jail-time sounds fine and dandy in that situation.

just down from this school) then I can get to the other side but I have no idea how we get from Mytchet to the event by the airport without an 8yr old riding on terrifying roads.

From Mytchett, stay on the canal and skirt around Ash Vale/Aldershot until you go under the A325. From there you can take a very quiet access road/track which takes you to the airport perimeter (near BAE). Then take the road inside the airport (quiet at the w/e) to the Village Hotel.

Edit: Don beat me to it 🙂

This is from the media reporting "He then revved his engine before and Mr McCarthy turned away. As he did so, Schoeman edged forward, knocking into the teacher’s legs and causing him to sit on the bonnet."
It would seem the judge accepted this as truthful saying "'You took matters into your own hands by nudging him."

He did well to find a teacher that was working.

I wonder how long it took to find a working ambulance driver after he got injured?

Why cant car people just not be dicks?

You know it’s just people who can be dicks? Bike people can be, and regularly are, dicks. Motorbike people are mostly dicks, and pedestrian people... have you walked down a busy street lately? Other people being dicks are available. Lots of people being dicks for lots of different reasons, you dick.

@stevexc you sound like a child making excuses, grow up.

Steve - stay on the canal and ride it all the way to the back of the airport. Brings you out Ively road. I work right by airport and commute from Bracknell.... Sometimes I go the long way through swinley and pick up canal and ride all way round. Very few roads.

Thanks .. do you have a route you could share in some way ... I looked at following the canal down to Government Road then tried finding a way ... like Camp Farm road but street view seems to lead me into roads I'd definitely not want to ride with a 7yr old...

I used to commute (for 2 months) to Farnborough by bike.... but a completely different route that there is no way I'd go with the kid.

Even driving round the roundabouts up by B&Q is scary... and the first time I cycled I ended up on roads I'd not even feel great driving on... let alone cycling... and it took me a few tries to find a safer route..and we will need to be at registration at 9am... so I'd planned on an hour to cycle based on 14-15 mph and stops... and bits we have to get off and walk...

I'm afraid I'm not seeing that video in the same way as the majority of folk here. The teacher turned his back on the car, the car nudged him in the back of his left knee forcing him down onto the bonnet of the car. He had about a second (where I personally would be sat there thinking "WTH just happened?" as I tried to extricate my hands out of my pockets), before the car driver floored it, pushing the teacher further onto the bonnet.

The teacher was there, doing his job to keep the kids safe. Driver deserves everything he gets in jail for being a knob end.

Sorry, but that's how it looks to me.

You know it’s just people who can be dicks?

Yes, but being in a car seems to generate an extra sense of entitlement even in otherwise nice normal people. Not only that, but being a dick in a car has potentially much higher consequences than being a dick doing most other things.

Of course the NbRA* are just going jump on this as part of their campaign and say this wouldn't have happened if the teacher was armed.

"National board Rubber Association

Yeah saw that [url=

The Metro FB feed[/url] and was amazed/appalled at all the number of folk commenting that the teacher got what he deserved!

Apparently if someone touches your car it is perfectly reasonable to attempt to kill them.

I imagine the same people would lose their shit if the story was "Teacher Ignored Safety Rules - allowed in Car Which Hit Pupil"

Trying to park in school car park = dick move
Sitting in bonnet in already tense situation = dick move
Driving when someone sits on your bonnet = dick move

+1. The teacher made that situation a whole lot worse with his behaviour, however the driver thoroughly deserved to go to jail.

The parking situation at my kids school is ridiculous, people arrive up to an hour early in the afternoons, just to get a parking space next to the gate, others just double park, park in local residents drive ways, etc.

One of the teachers at our kids school also got nicked for speeding recently, on her way into school (about 300m from school in same road) doing 50mph in a 30mph zone.

As I have said before we need some properly hard hitting information films putting cars and car people back in their box.

It wont happen whilst our politicians are in the pocket of car/transport industry.

I live literally next door to that school. Most of the parents are idiots. But, they do park on the side roads to pick up their kids.

Sorry Steve, but your last point adds nothing to this particular situation.

I drive past a (primary) school to get home from work, it is after school finish, but the number of cars still parked at the side of the road is still high (and every side street near it). The school was renovated a few years ago, and part of that was to re-do the staff car park. An off road waiting area would have been easily within the realms of design possibility to reduce risk to the kids for crossing the (fairly high use) road, between parked cars, and near industrial units so large lorries coming and going past. This wasn't done, which is a missed opportunity to help alleviate the problems for parents who have no choice but to drive kids to school. That doesn't mean, however, that those same parents can do whatever they want or park wherever they want because they are in a car.

As I have said before we need some properly hard hitting information films putting cars and car people back in their box.

It wont happen whilst our politicians are in the pocket of car/transport industry.

What does the government have to do with it? They're not the only people allowed to make films.

Then its just fake news.

Apparently if someone touches your car it is perfectly reasonable to attempt to kill them.

Depends on the car.

As I have said before we need some properly hard hitting information films putting cars and car people back in their box.

It wont happen whilst our politicians are in the pocket of car/transport industry.

Do people still believe this?!...its not a conspiracy, we're car dependent in this country because public transport is so crap particularly once out of the cities...then factor in the cost, a single person travelling a decent distance on the train is ok but once there's two of you (or more) you all end up paying the same and it quickly becomes cheaper for your group to get in a car instead where you pay for one tank of fuel between you not a tank of fuel each...then there's convenience issues, leaving when you want to leave not when the bus, train etc leaves...having some privacy in your own car and not having to sit next to Mr Stinky and his body odour or Mrs Chav and her three screaming brats...being able to stop when you like for food, toilet etc...i could go on but for me the only time public transport is convenient is when i'm drunk and cant drive, then my drunken self doesnt mind putting up with the experience.

@stevexc you sound like a child making excuses, grow up.

Wilburt you sound like someone who simply ignores reality. Rather like the school..

For millions they have no choice but to use a car to take the kids to school then drive to work.
Jnr's school (a mile away from the one in the post) fines parents if the kids are late ... so parents end up parking locally .. the local residents (who chose to live there) then set about hassling them and on occasions committing criminal damage to parents cars... we aren't allowed to drop them off we have to accompany them to the gate... (which means parking somewhere)...

Luckily OH is a member of the teaching staff and gets parking... but even so it's a cluster **** and even cycling to the entrance is hazardous...

The schools attitude is they need to start on time and how parents get their kids to school is their problem.. its not the councils problem except in issuing residents parking only... and the police are only involved when someone reports criminal damage

The school can afford a swimming pool, huge playing fields and nature areas... but it can't afford a place for parents to do a drop off??? Its a fundamental problem with Jnr's school and the Winston Churchill school... that there is no parking and many parents have no choice but to drive..

I personally cycle when I can ... but if I had to drop Jnr off THEN be at work I'd have no choice but drive.
That doesn't mean I can't see the fundamental problem that not providing drop off areas causes.
If this was a supermarket etc. they would be obliged to provide parking... it would be part of the planning permission ...

They are building a brand new school on the A320 ... again without provision for dropping kids off...
Instead thy have a designated green area into town which will be great for us but no use at all for anyone not coming from the town centre

As soon as the new school opens it will face the same problems... through lack of acknowledging that many parents will have to drop their kids off..

[i]Used car as a weapon? Should be banned for life to protect the public if you have a weird mental state[/i]

I agree! I mean THERE ARE TOO MANY CARS ON THE ROAD!! And it's increasing all the time! Surely one way to reduce this [i](slightly)[/i] would be to give lifetime bans to people like this. It would also be a bit of a deterrent surely!

As I said earlier Steve, THAT is the problem.
Forethought and planning would reduce these problems, and associated risks, massively.
But again, that doesn't excuse bad driving/parking/attitude on drivers part.

Well, I live next door Steve. What do you suggest the school does? Dig up the playing fields for parking? There isn't really any available space on site is there. Nearly all parents use the quiet roads to the rear of the school to drop their kids off.

steve - stay on canal from Mytchett, past Ash Vale, past Aldershot. Just under the A325 you leave the canal and take Shoe Lane, a very quiet access track. Take that up to Government House Road - push over this road (it will be quiet at the w/e) and turn right towards the Holiday Inn (ride on the path if need be). Just before the big roundabout turn left onto Queens Gate Road. Straight over the roundabout and follow the airport access road around to Fowler Ave. From there you can easily get to the back of the Village Hotel where the event starts.

Google Maps will show all those roads.

I wonder how long it took to find a working ambulance driver after he got injured?

Sorry I brought some humour to the tread.

Sorry Steve, but your last point adds nothing to this particular situation.

I drive past a (primary) school to get home from work, it is after school finish, but the number of cars still parked at the side of the road is still high (and every side street near it).[b] The school was renovated a few years ago, and part of that was to re-do the staff car park. An off road waiting area would have been easily within the realms of design possibility[/b] to reduce risk to the kids for crossing the (fairly high use) road, between parked cars, and near industrial units so large lorries coming and going past. This wasn't done, which is a missed opportunity to help alleviate the problems for parents who have no choice but to drive kids to school. That doesn't mean, however, that those same parents can do whatever they want or park wherever they want because they are in a car.

That is my point .... the situation has been CREATED ... like I said (and Ms XtC gets parking as she's teaching staff) but Jnr's school simply refuses to acknowledge the problem and plan accordingly...
There is no way a supermarket for example could get planning permission without parking...

That doesn't mean, however, that those same parents can do whatever they want or park wherever they want because they are in a car.

The fundamental reality is parents need to get their kids to school AND need to get to work on time.
We are in a very privileged position in that Jnr gets to bump someone off the waiting list for pre-school club ... and Ms Xtc gets parking and teaches in the same school...

When she was working as a supply teacher this was an absolute nightmare... We can't drop Jnr off until 8:20 ... by which time she couldn't get to whatever school in time. Parents parking round the corner (legally) were returning to find cars keyed or covered in brake fluid...
and the school has a huge amount of space that could easily be used for dropping off kids.

HOWEVER .... why don't schools do this... because then THEY are responsible of for the inevitable.
Better to shift the accountability and if a child gets killed then it's not THEIR problem...

An off road waiting area would have been easily within the realms of design possibility

Big enough for all the people who want to drive their kids to school? I'd be surprised given pressure on space at schools. If not it's pretty much pointleas

The schools attitude is they need to start on time and how parents get their kids to school is their problem.

Everybody seems to be missing the point and where the real blame lies

I reckon it was those 2 kids on the bikes fault, its impossible to prove if they hadn't have been there this might not have happened

So where is the school bus these days? Or does all this freedom to send your kids wherever mean that it's made it impossible to co ordinate public transport to get kids from places not near the school to the school in a safe and organised way.

Well, I live next door Steve. What do you suggest the school does? Dig up the playing fields for parking? There isn't really any available space on site is there. Nearly all parents use the quiet roads to the rear of the school to drop their kids off.

The parking by the tennis courts is wasted space... there is the crematorium opposite which is also council land... and there is a huge amount of unused space round the back along Inkerman way that's part of the school... they could easily create a drop-off area off Inkerman Way... but then they would be accountable ...

Sorry I brought some humour to the tread.

Sorry I forgot to put a smiley on my post - I thought obvious "ambulance drivers" jibe was obvious 😉

It was sad seeing the replies to tweets about this taking the "teacher sat on the bonnet" line.

It was sadder seeing the replies here taking the "teacher sat on the bonnet" line.

Sorry I forgot to put a smiley on my post - I thought obvious "ambulance drivers" jibe was obvious

Oh yeah! 😳

My kids are year 4 now and week in, week out I see selfish parking and we had one incident last year when a fight broke out after one parent confronted another about their parking on zig zags on a crossing.

I do my little bit by photographing any asshat parking and forward it to the head who passes them on to the police.

Unfortunately I have to drive to school (despite having a school within walking distance, our school is the catchment school and is *JUST* inside the 2 mile cut off point where transport has to be provided by the school). However I always park up well away from the school (and the Selfish of Range Rovers) and walk in.

Anyway, if someone sits on your bonnet, you reverse quickly and it's their own fault if they fall on their arse. Any idiot knows that.

What's wrong with that? At my old place parking was crap, but it wouldn't be acceptable to turn up late because I had to park further away.

The problem is it's up to you to leave early enough for work...so if you need to park further away then leave earlier. I've been there and done it...

You can't do that with school as you are not allowed to drop the kids off early...

Big enough for all the people who want to drive their kids to school? I'd be surprised given pressure on space at schools. If not it's pretty much pointleas

Unfortunately I have to drive to school (despite having a school within walking distance, our school is the catchment school and is *JUST* inside the 2 mile cut off point where transport has to be provided by the school). However I always park up well away from the school (and the Selfish of Range Rovers) and walk in.

There's always a choice Steve, leave home earlier, arrange flexible working (if possible for your employer) pay for a taxi drop off/pick up, use school buses (if kids are old enough). They may not be great options, but they are options.
And I'm pretty sure the blame lies not with the school itself but with the local authority (council) as they are the ones who design and build, although I could be wrong.

.

What is that schools age range?

Senior school kids should be encouraged to make their own way, absolutely no need for the school run at that age.

You can't do that with school as you are not allowed to drop the kids off early...

Used to have more issues about parking/cars/arguments/traffic/car parks, than pretty much everything else combined when I was the Chair of Governors of a local primary. People can get very weird about it, and it causes no end of issues. I think its a combo of rushing, protectionism, kids, and traffic. Brings out the worst in otherwise regular people.

The fundamental reality is parents need to get their kids to school AND need to get to work on time.

Isn't that just part of the adjustment people need to make as parents?

There are no pre or post school clubs available at our local school, so we had to adjust our jobs to flexi and part time, as well as employing a childminder.

Our kids only get picked up once a week by car, and that's just so we can get them from school at 3:20 to a piano lesson 5 miles away at 3:30

the school has a huge amount of space that could easily be used for dropping off kids.

The closer you get to school, the more kids there are running about, so the greater danger there is that one of the little darlings will get squashed.

Seems likely that actively encouraging people to drive into school grounds would increase the casualty rate.

There are other options. I walked to school every day when I was a boy. At high school I had the choice of walking a couple of miles, cycling or catching the bus.

Frankenstein - Member
Shouldn’t have sat on bonnet but stupid parent deserved 10 months of sore bottom

Do you mean he deserves to be raped?

[quote=Edukator ]Those accusing the teacher of sitting on the bonnet need to watch more closely. The driver nudged the legs of the teacher before he sat down - assault with a 1500kg weapon.

Well quite - I thought there had been enough hints, but thanks for making the point explicitly though as clearly somebody needed to. The thing is, even for those who think assaulting somebody is equivalent to damaging property and even ignoring the failure to follow instructions, the driver has already committed careless driving and assault before the teacher sat on the bonnet. But then it's standard "driver entitlement" to think that nudging somebody with a car is insignificant.

To some extent I think even if the teacher hadn't been nudged all those comments are rooted in car as a status symbol thing, which results in people getting worked up if anybody even touches their pride and joy. Which is also where the thought process comes from that a cyclist coming close to a car and risking scraping it is just as bad as a driver coming close to a cyclist and risking knocking them off.

and how long is your drive to work after dropping off the kids???

retro83 - Member

Do you mean he deserves to be raped?

Go on, try and hide your need to be offended just a little bit

The tennis courts take 20/30 cars. The crematorium is in use, so full, most days. The unused land on Inkerman? You mean the little nature reserve area? Realistically to have a pick up area, you need several hundred spaces, so that will be the playing fields gone. Or, the idiot who ran the teacher over, could have parked on raglan road, Inkerman way, or in the Surrey pub, like every single other bloody parent does.

So where is the school bus these days?

When I were a lad, we had about a 25mins walk to primary school, (short legs). The journey to and from high school (5 miles away), was by bus. I honestly can't remember anyone getting dropped off by car. Mind you, that was...ahem... a few years ago now. 😉

While I think the driver deserved to be punished for this dumb move, it's not a jail worthy "crime" when the jails are overrun with real criminals. It's a big fine and long driving ban. That would give them some instant pain and remove them from the situation ever again.

but do you believe a ban would really keep an idiot like that off the road?

Isn't that just part of the adjustment people need to make as parents?

Both parents working full time is a reality for most unless you live off handouts...I personally don't think it's progress... but its the effect economics... our economy now functions with a baseline of 1.x parents working, prices and COL reflect it etc.

Your lucky to be in a position where you have a flexible employer ... but even that is probably a function of what you do. Many jobs just can't be flexi hours...

There are no pre or post school clubs available at our local school, so we had to adjust our jobs to flexi and part time, as well as employing a childminder.

So how does that work?? How do you have flexi-time for example if you happen to be a teacher at a school 10 miles away - who is going to take the class until you arrive???

Quite honestly my employer would simply put you on a redundancy list of you even mentioned flexi-time...and employing childminder would make the finances o the OH working to be negative...

We did this last year but paid a friend and because OH was working in a nursery had to pay for out of term childcare. Last year we made a loss on OH actually working.

wilburt - Member

As I have said before we need some properly hard hitting information films putting cars and car people back in their box.

You're categorising "car people" in the same way others would do to "cyclists". That mk3 golf convertible makes me very dubious that the driver in the clip was any kind of car person. Same as the pensioner in the Vauxhaul Mokka who deliberately rammed me (on my bike) at the traffic lights.

Granted there is an over reliance on cars but people who like cars are no more or no less likely to use one aggressively. When I used to commute by bike the people who used to cut in or punishment pass were often mute when you caught up with them.

but do you believe a ban would really keep an idiot like that off the road?

[quote=nickc]Used to have more issues about parking/cars/arguments/traffic/car parks, than pretty much everything else combined when I was the Chair of Governors of a local primary. People can get very weird about it, and it causes no end of issues. I think its a combo of rushing, protectionism, kids, and traffic. Brings out the worst in otherwise regular people.

When I were a lad, we had about a 25mins walk to primary school, (short legs). The journey to and from high school (5 miles away), was by bus. I honestly can't remember anyone getting dropped off by car. Mind you, that was...ahem... a few years ago now.

Me too. It was a mile and a half. Probably 30-40mins or so with a bit of mucking about on the way. Everyone walked, mostly in groups of mates. This was junior school, so year 3 onwards, so our parents weren't encumbered with school runs on the way to work. We just went ourselves.

I walk my kids to school now, which seems ridiculous. They should be walking by themselves. No kids do though. I've gone bloody soft it seems.

When I was my sons age I walked to school with my little brother... now that is forbidden and you'd find yourself in front of child protection before you could blink...

Evidence? Has any parent ever been done for this?

[quote=stevextc ]This school has a huge amount of unused space and a drop off area the size of the ones at Heathrow would suffice and be a small part of their wasted space.

Sorry steve, I've ignored you before as I thought I needed to actually check the situation before commenting given you're clearly a local. So I'll attempt to answer lots of your points now. I'm not seeing huge amounts of wasted space at this school, where do you think there is some? Similarly the amount of parking looks just about sufficient for staff at a secondary school - there certainly isn't anywhere near enough spare to enable parents to use it, and nor do you want typical entitled driving parents mixing it on school property with kids cycling. The trouble with a drop off area is that it will just immediately become full of people parking, so unless it's big it won't do much good. As I wrote, typical schools don't have huge amounts of spare space, and if they do they don't have much money and land is valuable...

There does already appear to be parking on Inkerman way? What is the problem with that (apart from that the drivers presumably find it inconvenient to get to given it's dead ended)? The crematorium is an interesting suggestion, but I'm sure it's not all that simple to take land from there, and if it was land is valuable and councils don't have much money... What's wrong with the parking at the tennis courts?

Though all this is a load of whataboutery. Generally the reason problems occur isn't because it's not possible for drivers to do the right thing, but because they can't be bothered. We don't have a bad parking problem at our local school, but where people are idiots it's because they can't be bothered walking another 200m from the designated parking at the local Chinese restaurant which always has space.

What's more, the school in question is a secondary school. Kids don't need escorting into the school (I no longer escort my Y6 son). Either they can make their own way so avoiding driving altogether (how far are people coming from - our local high schools have kids walking/cycling from several miles away, it's 5 miles for us and there is a bus?), or there are plenty of places where parents can drop them off within easy walking distance, no need for a specific drop off spot.

[quote=stevextc ]I actually started off determined to cycle... spent ages on google street view and still can't find a safe way to get to this event... SO I'll probably have to DRIVE or not go (OMG)
If we do drive then we will doubtless drive on to Swinley after so he can get some actual exercise... and then DRIVE home ... but I doubt you ever felt so entitled as to DRIVE to Swinley..

I've driven much further than you to go to Swinley (far enough it really was impractical to cycle). I also often enough drive places that are within cycling distance. However it's not specifically the driving I have an issue with - it's the being an arse with driving there and parking when you get somewhere. I'm sure you're not going to be an arse so I don't see what you think the problem is.

Four bus tops within 100 metres of the school gates. About another four within another 100 metres. Just saying.

[quote=jimjam]You're categorising "car people" in the same way others would do to "cyclists"

It's not even that ... most of us choose to cycle....
When I have had an option I have not been a car owner at all...and out of these people vilifying "car people" how many own cars and choose to drive to some trails???