Oh so we live opposite a prep school and around the corner from the grammar school and drop off/pick up time is a nightmare. One of the biggest stressors in daily life was trying to drop my own child at her school the other side of town. So we’re used to the enormous SUVs facing off in the street . Plus there’s a pretty even gender split when it comes to ignoring the zig zags outside school and the double yellow. We have a mini…a small car.
But there was one afternoon a while ago when I spotted a middle aged man parked across our drive way, I could hear the engine idling. Parking across our driveway isn’t new, it’s the right apparently of a certain type of parent so I wandered down to the bins on our driveway to make it known I was around. He put his phone down & called out (for he was in a convertible), ‘Oh I’m sorry, shall I move. Do you need to get out.’
I was feeling kind so I said, ‘no, you’re fine. Not going anywhere just now, but would you mind turning your engine off, you know the fumes. The kids, the school.’ At which point he got v angry, shouted at me and sped off in a huff 🤷🏼♀️
"It's the right, apparently, of a certain type of parent" oh, this raises my hackles, too. And he shouted at you as well. I wonder what it is about calling men like him out that we're triggering in those moments...
There was also the time a woman reversed onto the driveway, blocking me in as I needed to get out to take my daughter to school. She was having a lovely time chatting with a gaggle of friends on our driveway when I came out. The thing is, I was midway through chemo, headscarf on & in no mood for her, ‘oh it must be so annoying when people do this.’ She got a withering look and a steely ‘could you move’ and later I went into the office. It was busy, lots of people, no one identified themselves so I addressed the entire office and they all looked v shocked and I was shaking, not obviously but it felt horrible, even though I wasn’t in the wrong.
It takes guts to approach someone, I almost said confront, but it’s not confrontation it’s asking a question, making a polite request
That sounds so stressful. I'd have been absolutely raging at the condescension too. I definitely identify with the way being in that situation makes me feel and I'm not facing the challenges you were at the time. Well done for making a point on a grander scale. Hope that they were receptive? I think so much of the time it really is thoughtlessness, and in pointing it out, we don't want to come across as busybodies or holier-than-thou but it's hard to find your voice, isn't it?
I’d like to see these monstrous gas guzzlers banned, at least within 1 mile of any building regularly used by children and ideally altogether. Most are virility symbols in any case, the bonnet height is steadily rising, especially in the UK, and is now high enough to render invisible a child as old as nine crossing the road in front of the vehicle. The one thing I would point out in slight mitigation is that it’s quite difficult to buy a small electric car, due to the need to accommodate a huge battery. We drive a 12 year old Nissan Leaf and would love to increase our range, a measly early-adoptor’s 150 miles at best, but it’s proving to be a difficult ask. But TBH I don’t think the kind of drivers you describe are mourning the scarcity of nippy runaround EVs. I think they are just sexist bellends.
Bellends! There you go, Miranda! Yes, I'm horrified by the volume of traffic close to our schools, too. I also wanted to get into the whole safety element of SUVs. Yes, people choose them because they're "safe" for the inhabitants (even though a 5-star NCAP rating is easy to find in many smaller cars) but increasingly unsafe for pedestrians, especially the vulnerable and ESPECIALLY children. They size of the grilles, oh my god I could go on. I hear you re the range of early electrics. I'm running my car until the mechanic tells me it's no longer sensible to pour money into repairs, but there is something to be said for the fact that manual petrol cars are generally easier and cheaper to fix problems in than electric / hybrid. My plan will be to get a similar sized used electric car when it finally kicks the bucket.
Being in the Midwest of the US, pretty much mostly SUVs or trucks here, not many cars. I completely agree with the whole idling thing, I don’t get it, not a law here to not do it, just the same thing, adds to the pollution and in general irritating. However, being 5’2” being actually able to tell how far away I am due to being higher up is great. I couldn’t see over the front of the car prior in a compact car 🤣
Yep, I imagine the vehicle landscape is very different in the US, Tracy! I'm similarly vertically-challenged and I have to pump the seat right up and have it as far forward as it'll go!
But not, my friend, a box-fresh SUV / hybrid / electric tank that you'll be leasing for the next three years before you swap it for another! And you're excused cos you don't live in a city 😘
The rage I'm feeling right now. Great piece x
Thanks, Wendy. xx
Loved this, agree idling is awful on many levels, I will be channeling your courage when next subjected to it xx
Oh so we live opposite a prep school and around the corner from the grammar school and drop off/pick up time is a nightmare. One of the biggest stressors in daily life was trying to drop my own child at her school the other side of town. So we’re used to the enormous SUVs facing off in the street . Plus there’s a pretty even gender split when it comes to ignoring the zig zags outside school and the double yellow. We have a mini…a small car.
But there was one afternoon a while ago when I spotted a middle aged man parked across our drive way, I could hear the engine idling. Parking across our driveway isn’t new, it’s the right apparently of a certain type of parent so I wandered down to the bins on our driveway to make it known I was around. He put his phone down & called out (for he was in a convertible), ‘Oh I’m sorry, shall I move. Do you need to get out.’
I was feeling kind so I said, ‘no, you’re fine. Not going anywhere just now, but would you mind turning your engine off, you know the fumes. The kids, the school.’ At which point he got v angry, shouted at me and sped off in a huff 🤷🏼♀️
"It's the right, apparently, of a certain type of parent" oh, this raises my hackles, too. And he shouted at you as well. I wonder what it is about calling men like him out that we're triggering in those moments...
There was also the time a woman reversed onto the driveway, blocking me in as I needed to get out to take my daughter to school. She was having a lovely time chatting with a gaggle of friends on our driveway when I came out. The thing is, I was midway through chemo, headscarf on & in no mood for her, ‘oh it must be so annoying when people do this.’ She got a withering look and a steely ‘could you move’ and later I went into the office. It was busy, lots of people, no one identified themselves so I addressed the entire office and they all looked v shocked and I was shaking, not obviously but it felt horrible, even though I wasn’t in the wrong.
It takes guts to approach someone, I almost said confront, but it’s not confrontation it’s asking a question, making a polite request
That sounds so stressful. I'd have been absolutely raging at the condescension too. I definitely identify with the way being in that situation makes me feel and I'm not facing the challenges you were at the time. Well done for making a point on a grander scale. Hope that they were receptive? I think so much of the time it really is thoughtlessness, and in pointing it out, we don't want to come across as busybodies or holier-than-thou but it's hard to find your voice, isn't it?
I’d like to see these monstrous gas guzzlers banned, at least within 1 mile of any building regularly used by children and ideally altogether. Most are virility symbols in any case, the bonnet height is steadily rising, especially in the UK, and is now high enough to render invisible a child as old as nine crossing the road in front of the vehicle. The one thing I would point out in slight mitigation is that it’s quite difficult to buy a small electric car, due to the need to accommodate a huge battery. We drive a 12 year old Nissan Leaf and would love to increase our range, a measly early-adoptor’s 150 miles at best, but it’s proving to be a difficult ask. But TBH I don’t think the kind of drivers you describe are mourning the scarcity of nippy runaround EVs. I think they are just sexist bellends.
Bellends! There you go, Miranda! Yes, I'm horrified by the volume of traffic close to our schools, too. I also wanted to get into the whole safety element of SUVs. Yes, people choose them because they're "safe" for the inhabitants (even though a 5-star NCAP rating is easy to find in many smaller cars) but increasingly unsafe for pedestrians, especially the vulnerable and ESPECIALLY children. They size of the grilles, oh my god I could go on. I hear you re the range of early electrics. I'm running my car until the mechanic tells me it's no longer sensible to pour money into repairs, but there is something to be said for the fact that manual petrol cars are generally easier and cheaper to fix problems in than electric / hybrid. My plan will be to get a similar sized used electric car when it finally kicks the bucket.
Being in the Midwest of the US, pretty much mostly SUVs or trucks here, not many cars. I completely agree with the whole idling thing, I don’t get it, not a law here to not do it, just the same thing, adds to the pollution and in general irritating. However, being 5’2” being actually able to tell how far away I am due to being higher up is great. I couldn’t see over the front of the car prior in a compact car 🤣
Yep, I imagine the vehicle landscape is very different in the US, Tracy! I'm similarly vertically-challenged and I have to pump the seat right up and have it as far forward as it'll go!
I’m with you on this one and feel your rage. Utterly infuriating behaviour. I salute your boldness!
Thanks, Sophie!
Oh this is one of my pet peeves too! Standing with you ✊🏻
Respect!
I recently bought a 15 year old hybrid suv so I will be standing in the bold corner for the day 🫣
Totally agree with you though, definite lack of consideration amongst drivers 😊
But not, my friend, a box-fresh SUV / hybrid / electric tank that you'll be leasing for the next three years before you swap it for another! And you're excused cos you don't live in a city 😘
😂 that's true...the potholes here are gateways to other dimensions!!x
Hahahaaaa! That's hilarious 😂
Totally with you and good on you! X
Thanks, Susie! X
I need a dose of your feistyness 😊
Queen of wands vibes are high 🤣
I thought that too then i was like oh no this is your king coming out to play.
Yes! Let's go big.
Hi Lindsay, a bugbear of mine too. Standing beside you on this one! 🙂 x