The Parking Dilemma

My son's elementary school was built over fifty years ago.  When the campus was originally designed, they certainly didn't anticipate parking would become an issue.  Parking is tricky at dismissal to say the least. To be honest, there are a few things that do not help the parking situation.  Children that are supposed to take the bus are being picked up at the school.  Parents of walkers are picking up their children by car, instead of walking.  Before I go on, I will admit, I am guilty of the latter a couple of days a week because we attend extra curricular activities that begin a half an hour after dismissal.  Let me be clear, I have never been guilty of parking where I shouldn't.

To get to the general parking area, students have to walk through the school faculty parking lot.  Most days, if the general parking spaces are taken, parents begin to park in the open spaces of the faculty parking lot.  This has become a dangerous situation regarding the safety of children as they walk to their cars.  The Principal has sent out several reminders asking parents to refrain from using the faculty parking lot.  Then why are there still a group of parents that choose to not follow this request? 

I thought this problem was only at my son's school - parents blatantly ignoring requests by the Principal in the name of convenience. Then I had an afternoon with clearly too much time on my hands and entered a Google search, "parent parking at school".  Here are just a few of the headlines I found:

• School Parking: Fines For Parents
• Parents Lament - Lack of Parking at Schools
• Parents Fume Over School Parking Fines Threat
• Police Warn Parents Over Inconsiderate School Parking
• Pupils Stage Parking Protest In "Plea" To Lazy Parents

Call me old fashioned, but I believe my children learn by my example.  All children learn by the example of their parents.  Parents can talk to their children about following rules and good behavior, but doesn't it speak volumes when the parents themselves break rules and make poor choices?  Everything we say, do - or don't do, our children notice.  

Why do you think the parents continue to park in the faculty parking lot?  Are the parents simply lazy?  Are their children spoiled and they do not want to walk too far to the car?  Do they simply feel entitled and just not care about following rules?  To be honest, I am not even touching upon parents that zip through the crosswalk without yielding or stopping for children waiting to pass.  There are also the parents that park in the fire lane or create spots on the grass where they do not exist.  

I don't remember this being a problem growing up.  The parents seemed to follow rules better in the "good old days".

photo credit: The hills are alive* via photopin cc