Normally, and that includes me, those that contribute to this column use it to have a go at the government or the council, in other words we use it to try to score political points.
This week I'm going to have a go at a group of people who are totally selfish, loud mouthed and often foul mouthed. I'm talking about the parents who do the school run.
Having had an email from a totally exasperated head teacher and having witnessed it myself at other schools, I can totally sympathise with her.
Issues include: Parking on the zigzag lines at a pedestrian crossing, speeding, dangerous U-turns and three-point turns, parking across residents' driveways, parking in residents' driveways, double parking and leaving cars unattended, careless and sometimes reckless driving, sometimes leaving to collisions, verbal abuse to school staff. Altercations and sometimes fighting between parents
What is wrong with these people? What sort of example are they setting to their children? As this affects mainly infant and junior schools, these children will be young and have impressionable minds.
Parking on zigzag lines can be especially dangerous as they impede the sight of people on the crossing, or about to cross to approaching motorists. It can and should be dealt with by the police and it can result in a £100 fine and three penalty points. More alarmingly, I've seen people driving on the pavements, nearly knocking people down in order to try and dodge the jams caused by selfish people.
Most schools do not have dedicated car parks, in most cases there isn't the land to do it. But given that these same people wouldn't normally behave in this way when going to the shops or other venues, why do they feel it is acceptable to behave like this when the school run? Teachers and school staff have a difficult enough job as it is educating and sometimes disciplining the children without having the extra burden of dealing with unruly and sometimes feral parents.
This behaviour is of course not confined to Brent, but I'm acting for the people who live and work in our borough. I shall be contacting the police and the parking department of the council to see what can be done, I'll also be writing to the government to see if we can increase the fine and points for parking on a zigzag to £200 and six points.
Verbal abuse of school staff and residents together with altercations between parents should be considered a breach of the police and those involved arrested and charged.
Unruly and unsociable parents watch out, we're coming after you.
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