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This morning, a parent dropped off a child at the school gate and then proceeded to reverse a large delivery van across this pedestrian crossing.
When I asked him to stop and said that it was dangerous (there were still kids running across), he laughed at me and carried on. Any suggestions?
Did the van have a company name/logo on it? That's pretty ridiculous...
Was it the Asian food delivery van?
It's a hard one. You have to find a way to discourage people who live 5 mins walk from the school not to take their cars. I know one mum who lives at the bottom of montpelier park and drives to school.
The school ran a campaign about double parking last year and got the kids to design posters. The community police officer based at boroughmuir got involved and for a while they had police traffic wardens at pick up and drop off times. I've been caught up in the traffic agro there a few times when I've picked up or dropped off with my van and now I won't go near the place with the van unless I'm really running late back from work at the end of the day. Normally I'll park the van at home grab the bike and scoot up the road.
It's hard to not sound preachy to these car obsessed school runners and as you see them every day and some of them are your friends don't want to get into a "political" argument. I try the jokey approach with them... I'd love to see a the school do a sponsored cycle to school week or something along those lines. Maybe Mr SRD and I could try and slip that in while we do the cycle training.
The best thing is to lead by example and get the kids to cycle to school. I see more and more bikes at the school every year that goes by.
@anth - Yes it had a name. Not a big company. I did not take the reg number because I was trying to be friendly about it.
@recombodna - yes that one. hadn't noticed it before. chap driving perfectly polite, but insisted 'it was safe' and 'everyone does it' and clearly thought I was loony.
There is a plan for the kids to 'ticket' offenders, but if it is possible to have traffic wardens, that sounds better. My concern is that doubleparkers etc know they 'shou;dn't do it' but this guy honestly thought he was perfectly safe as long as he looked in his mirrors.
Thought so. He is one of my neighbours ( nasty new brick extension house.).
The danger is people tarring you with the cyclist loony brush.I was screamed and sworn at for a wee bit of double parking by a guy who clearly had had a bad day. I thought fair enough mate but no need to swear at me in front of the kids. BUT it did make me reconsider my transport options and parking style! I guess thats the problem people don't think it's such a bad thing.... A wee bit of double parking..... but when 20 or 30 cars/vans try and stop in that street it becomes a bit chaotic.
"I know one mum who lives at the bottom of montpelier park and drives to school"
I'd be stunned, but I've seen people doing similar things at the three schools near us. As well as driving to the newsagent on a Sunday morning for a paper. Taking as much time to drive from their house two doors down from me, park, buy paper, turn car round, park in narrow driveway, as I do to... erm... walk.
If he'd dropped his kid off at the first crossing, he could have turned right and gone up b'sfield ave!
Any idea how we can convince him that 'its not safe' and that there's a reason other parents don't reverse over the crossing?
Otherwise, next time, I'll be tempted to just get behind him and stay there in the middle of the road so he can't go anywhere....which is what I should've done this morning, only I was so flabbergasted I just left.
All this typing I'm gonna be late for the half day friday pick up...... where's me van keys?,........... :-)
Had a bit of a think about this one and I doubt the guy was actually doing anything illegal. If he was parked or stopped then the yellow lines and associated markings would have got him. However, given he was moving down a two-way street and the crossing is only "advisory" then there is little even a traffic warden could have done.
Don't care if it was not illegal, it was dangerous and unnecessary.
And it should be illegal if it isn't!
SRD - of course I agree that this was a ridiculous stunt to pull. I was just trying to think of a practical solution (that doesn't involve you lying on the road!).
Yeah it's probably not illegal but at that time of day it is irresponsible. Double parking there also seems to cause erratic driving.
I can't really understand why anyone (on a regular basis?), who presumable knows the road, would drive a long vehicle into a dead end.
@SRD, if I were you I wouldn't go behind a van when it's reversing. I've nearly been run over on more than one occasion in such circumstances.
SRD, there have been some problems at Sciennes primary gates. My wife takes people to task, but to get something major done talk to school head teacher, they can liaise with police if it is a persistant or dangerous issue - it worked at sciennes last time.
Although......not sure what happens longer term once the 'big stick' approach disappears - suspect numpty human nature reappears.
Thanks all for the advice. I have written the headteacher and will see what happens.
Crowriver - I hope it would not come to that, but...
Morningsider - thanks for the legal advice. I did look at highway code and note that it says nothing about reversing on crossings. Somewhat shocked thought to find that crossings are merely 'advisory'.
"Somewhat shocked thought to find that crossings are merely 'advisory'."
Not sure that crossing is 'proper' enough to be covered by the Highway Code, but surely "careless driving" would apply.
That whole layout around the school took a lot of campaigning.
At one time there was 'no chance' of the Viewforth Zebra - 'too important not to inconvenience the S&N brewery tankers.
Even harder for Grassmarket residents to get crossings, for the same reason.
The narrowings in front of BPS were originally planned to be wide enough for cars to pass!
SRD, Have you thought of reporting it to the company and mentioning that the child is probably not insured and that if someone were to be run over by this dangerous reversing, the insurance company would put the liability on the company.
Call the company and say you want their insurance company details as you were involved in an incident. Report to the insurance Co directly.
Definately speak/complain to the Head, as they attend PTA meeting and liase with the police. At our 'Primary 1' parents intro evening we were warned that inconsiderate driving and/or parking upsets the locals and the police would be called. The street now has Police no parking yellow cones on around school time.
The chap driving that van IS the company.
That's what I figured too.
the chap driving is the company ! well, take a pic of his company vehicle and distribute it liberally with a note of how uncaring he is.Local business is paramount to one man bands, even if he is the company then he prob is still not insured to carry children,any good traffic officer could string him up by the wotsits.
Possibly contact the local athourity, i did that once and managed to stop a huge hgv tipper firm running through our village at all hours, at all speeds,on pavements and jumping across school crossings, and not using their wheel wash , all within about a week ! But I doubt id ever aget a job with them if i needed it ! It was a supermarket being built elsewhere but they were using our village as a rat run,they actually were sliding backwards at the school crossing , cause the grot on the road was so bad ! They were a nationaly recognised firm , who ran coal during the miners strike, many truckers still refer to them as scabs, perhaps ex miners worked for the cooncil !
"the chap driving is the company ! well, take a pic of his company vehicle and distribute it liberally with a note of how uncaring he is.Local business is paramount to one man bands, even if he is the company then he prob is still not insured to carry children,any good traffic officer could string him up by the wotsits."
I think that may be taking it a a bit too far.
splitshift - will consider all tactics if it continues/ worsens, but for now, hopefully he'll wisen up. your case sounds positively anti-social.
yes, with a Y !
Imagine if you could see what his phone number is,and he got lots of calls to quote for non existant jobs............, but seriously none of that would work, dont want any "aggro" in the street, prob inform both the school and local plod, let them do their jobs, and see what happens, be safe !
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