Sometimes I wonder if primary schools have built-in magnets which attract cars to park as near as possible before the school opens in the morning and closes at night. The idea of parking an extra 100m away and walking a little seems to be alien to so many parents these days that it's causing real problems. It's not new this year but it also isn't any better.
Just over a week ago Carnoustie Drive had 3 speed humps and some school time waiting restrictions put in. Today parents who do walk to school almost erupted at Alan and me as we walked down the road at 3.15, looking at the pavements half covered by cars parked with two wheels on them, cars parked on corners so that seeing round them was difficult for other drivers, even one car parked with a child asleep in the baby seat and parent nowhere to be seen, presumably on the other side of the road waiting for another child to come out of school. Whatever happened to the Highway code, to common sense and to good manners? We'lldo what we can of course but it's going to take a rethink on the part of some parents before the issues are resolved. Meanwhile people have to walk on the road if they're pushing a pram or a wheelchair, children take their lives in their hands crossing between parked cars, and several people are describing it as an accident waiting to happen. No-one we spoke to seemed to think the school zone was an improvement at schooltime though the slowing down of cars during the remainder of the day was much appreciated.
Only time will tell whether efforts to reform people's parking habits will be successful.
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2 comments:
Maureen. The orchard estate suffers from three major problems, all caused by the inhabitants.
1. Inconsiderate and downright dangerous, selfish parking. Some cars are parked with almost all wheels on the pavement, making it impossible for even a fully mobile person to pass without stepping into the road. If you want to see an example of this, try an evening stroll down Mayfield Crescent, and look around the post box.
2. Youths with their little go-faster supper minis, tearing around the estate with illegal exhausts, sounding horns rather than getting out to call for their mates, and driving at speeds which I estimate at over 30mph.
3. Younger children, up to about 12, on scooters and bikes with absolutely no road sense. Every day in the summer I witness examples of this, even the paper boy drove across a car the other day, his attention taken by his ipod in his ears. Some of the youngsters around the aforementioned postbox will I am sure come to great grief soon.
Its only when you add these three problems together that you have the makings of a serious tragedy, which I hope never happens.
I have lived on the orchard for twenty years, but it is only in the last couple of years that I have noticed the increase in these problems.
Could you please, through this blog, tell us just exactly what the legal position is with regard to pavement parking, and whether some resources can be spent in trying to prevent the next sad headline.
I know you don't like anonymous postings, but in view of my comments I will have to remain so.
I'll certainly try to answer the points you make and don't mind this being anonymous at all - I quite understand your reasons in this case.
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