Goodrich School drop offs

[Domitianus]

Gubodge Wrote:

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> A quiet corner of the car park would not be more

> appropriate, and certainly not safer, unless

> pavements/pathways were introduced. Crossing the

> entire car park with toddlers can be hair-raising,

> given that they are completely invisible to cars

> reversing out of spaces.

>

> As for Goodrich, the school had traffic wardens

> patrolling one morning a few weeks back. It has

> made no discernable difference in anything but the

> immediate term.

Worse than hair-raising, I say. Almost Satanically horrendous in its vile perils. Let's not forget the snake-pits, swinging boulders, low-flying bats and all the rest of the Indiana Jones style booby-traps that lie in wait for the unwary parents who has to lead his/her progeny more than ten feet in any particular direction!!!

I just despair about the world we have come to live in. When I was a nipper I was led across countless numbers of car parks in supermarkets and all sorts of other locations. Somehow or another my mother managed to keep control of me and my two brothers without us being crushed, knocked down, squashed, impaled, kidnapped or otherwise coming to harm. Come to think of it, in my entire life I cannot recall seeing or hearing of a child being knocked down in a car park. I am sure it does happen from time to time - it is almost inevitable that a child and a reversing car will one day share the same space at the same time - but to suggest it is some sort of looming threat that requires active measures to prevent is absurd!

[thebestnameshavegone]

Domitianus Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Gubodge Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > A quiet corner of the car park would not be

> more

> > appropriate, and certainly not safer, unless

> > pavements/pathways were introduced. Crossing

> the

> > entire car park with toddlers can be

> hair-raising,

> > given that they are completely invisible to

> cars

> > reversing out of spaces.

> >

> > As for Goodrich, the school had traffic wardens

> > patrolling one morning a few weeks back. It has

> > made no discernable difference in anything but

> the

> > immediate term.

>

> Worse than hair-raising, I say. Almost

> Satanically horrendous in its vile perils. Let's

> not forget the snake-pits, swinging boulders,

> low-flying bats and all the rest of the Indiana

> Jones style booby-traps that lie in wait for the

> unwary parents who has to lead his/her progeny

> more than ten feet in any particular direction!!!

>

> I just despair about the world we have come to

> live in. When I was a nipper I was led across

> countless numbers of car parks in supermarkets

> and all sorts of other locations. Somehow or

> another my mother managed to keep control of me

> and my two brothers without us being crushed,

> knocked down, squashed, impaled, kidnapped or

> otherwise coming to harm. Come to think of it, in

> my entire life I cannot recall seeing or hearing

> of a child being knocked down in a car park. I am

> sure it does happen from time to time - it is

> almost inevitable that a child and a reversing car

> will one day share the same space at the same time

> - but to suggest it is some sort of looming threat

> that requires active measures to prevent is

> absurd!

You can't underestimate the logic of the modern parent.

(Just park in the bays if there's nowhere else btw - it's not illegal, the only way you can get fined if an attendant actually sees your lack of children. Parents' cars aren't 'badged' - yet)

[zephyr]

TJ Wrote:

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> Goodrich school have been notably quiet on this

> subject.

> Anyone know who to contact there?

As Clare said above, what exactly do you think Goodrich can do. The staff there have no legal authority to move people off the yellow zigzags or away from the dropped kerbs on the corners. I have seen the head teacher out asking people to move along in the past but this is something the council or Police should be dealing with.

[Domitianus]

The Head could write to all parents about the issue, ask for their co-operation and observe that unless there is a significant improvement he/she will have no option but to ask the Council or Police to send officers to book those responsible. A bit of shaming and iron fist in velvet glove might just work?

[lilolil]

The head has written to parents before! There have been police, pcso's and wardens.sadly no one takes much notice! I wonder what it will take to get the message home?

[Domitianus]

Repeat visits from the various officials, I imagine. As has been suggested, a fixed camera and the automatic issuing of penalties on an industrial scale until people get the message? If parents start getting three or four penalty notices through the post they might start having second thoughts.

[malcol]

I agree with the previous posters, what more can the school do? They have sent very stern letters out to the whole school and they have stood outside on various mornings but to be honest it hasn't worked and should they really have to police the parents in this way? It's about time parents started to make a stand and confront other parents about their behaviour. It's no good having a moan on this forum. I have previously tackled a parent who nearly reversed into my child whilst we were crossing the road. The parent hardly batted an eyelid but it left me feeling guilty about any consequences it may have on my kid in the playground later on (her child was older and much bigger). Individually tackling this problem will probably just lead to heated arguments at an already fractious time of the morning. Collective action is needed. Any ideas?

[Loz]

I think James Barber is your man. Send in the ticket-writers. I would have thought a guaranteed set of tickets would have them there in no time.

Goodness knows they used to get to the Hamlets ground on a regular evening basis when people parked with their wheels on the pavement. It was like a nightly shooting fish in a barrel session.

[Amysdad]

Are we agreed then: a camera on Goodrich and every Southwak School zig-zag? Mr B, how do we get it done?

[cookie]

Send in the enforcement car with a camera on the roof. If word gets round that people are being recorded infringing zig zags and fined, the offending parents may start modifying their behaviour. Unfortunately I think that financial penalties will be the only deterrent.

[trinity]

I am not very familiar with the school but is it possible to open another entrance to the school in order to spread out the area over which people are parking.

I know that there are also walking buses to Goodrich. Could this idea be tweaked so that children could be dropped off at designated points on surrounding roads and walked into school from a short distance.

[TJ]

In a word, No.

These are 4 yr olds....

trinity Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I am not very familiar with the school but is it

> possible to open another entrance to the school in

> order to spread out the area over which people are

> parking.

>

> I know that there are also walking buses to

> Goodrich. Could this idea be tweaked so that

> children could be dropped off at designated points

> on surrounding roads and walked into school from a

> short distance.

[trinity]

A school entirely populated by 4 year olds?:-S

[TJ]

Ok - from the start, you're not familiar with this school or this problem, so what are you doing on this thread?

Yes, the school is from 4yrs+ and some parents have 2 children. amazing huh?

Opening another entrance. You will no doubt be aware that this is a very old school, and if an opportunity for a whole new entrance was needed, someone else in the last 130 years might have thought of it?

Do excuse my complete lack of patience..

trinity Wrote:

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> A school entirely populated by 4 year olds?:-S

[trinity]

TJ - not quite sure what the problem is. You seem to be a bit disturbed by something I wrote.

As a local mother who takes her children to school by car and whose school also has a problem with inconsiderate parking (not me I always park well away and walk in :)) )I thought I would make a couple of reasonable suggestions one of which I implement on an informal basis at my kids school.

I know a bit about Goodrich school and have passed it often but not at a time of day when the school run is on (as I am doing my own school run) so have no direct knowledge of the impact of the poor parking at Goodrich. Doesn't mean I can't have an idea and I am always keen to reduce the impact on cars in the neighbourhood.

I thought I was being helpful.

[ruffers]

I thought you were too, but then I'm not sure if I'm allowed on this thread as I don't have kids at the school. I've driven down that road though so fingers crossed eh? :))

[pepsi]

This thread isn't just for the parents of children who attend this school, it's about the impact the selfishness of a few has on many other people in the area. I didn't realise that there were "exclusive" threads in this forum!

TJ Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Ok - from the start, you're not familiar with this

> school or this problem, so what are you doing on

> this thread?

> Yes, the school is from 4yrs+ and some parents

> have 2 children. amazing huh?

> Opening another entrance. You will no doubt be

> aware that this is a very old school, and if an

> opportunity for a whole new entrance was needed,

> someone else in the last 130 years might have

> thought of it?

>

> Do excuse my complete lack of patience..

>

> trinity Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > A school entirely populated by 4 year olds?:-S

[intexasatthe moment]

I thought opening another entrance rather a good idea .

Actually ,come to think of it ,when my offspring went there a decade ago ,more than one entrance was open.

No doubt some security reason as to why no longer possible ( if in fact only one entrance now in use ).

[Ant]

They do open more than one entrance. There's a gate on Upland that's especially for reception kids, and there are two more gates on Dunstans. (One of which they don't open often enough, which forces me to lug a buggy up some very crowded steps. Grr!)

[Amysdad]

There are three gates; upland, goodrich and Dunstans. However Goodrich is the only one with a big parking bay outside it, marked by some jolly looking yellow zig zag lines.

[ruffers]

Maybe someone should tell TJ?

[Amysdad]

Maybe here's an idea; fence off the zig zag area and stick a permanent camera on it, then create a drop-off zone further down the street?

[Pecanpie]

trinity Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I am not very familiar with the school but is it

> possible to open another entrance to the school in

> order to spread out the area over which people are

> parking.

>

> I know that there are also walking buses to

> Goodrich. Could this idea be tweaked so that

> children could be dropped off at designated points

> on surrounding roads and walked into school from a

> short distance.

Heber uses a couple of entrences and it works well. Very sensible point i thought, lets keep our recreational rage for people who deserve it.

[sillywoman]

TJ Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> In a word, No.

> These are 4 yr olds....

>

> trinity Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > I am not very familiar with the school but is

> it

> > possible to open another entrance to the school

> in

> > order to spread out the area over which people

> are

> > parking.

> >

> > I know that there are also walking buses to

> > Goodrich. Could this idea be tweaked so that

> > children could be dropped off at designated

> points

> > on surrounding roads and walked into school from

> a

> > short distance.

Can the 4 year olds at Goodrich not walk then? I thought a modified 'walking bus' from nearby dropping off points was a great idea, but I don't have a child there either so apologies for being on this thread. No offense meant.

[Ann]

I agree Sillywoman. I regularly walked my children from Goose Green to St Anthony's from Reception onwards and home again.

It was not a problem for me or for tham.