Entrance exams and camera cars and fines

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QUEENMA
Posts: 132
Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2009 3:05 pm

Entrance exams and camera cars and fines

Post by QUEENMA »

I know this is strictly not related but I thought I will write since I read someone else's post mentioning this.

Have any of you had a parking fine for a 'technically' parking your car in the wrong manner on the day of the entrance exams across Sutton?
On the day of the Wallington Girls exam, we parked our car on the woodcoote road and the left hand wheels of the car were raised on the curb as there was a car stuck right in the middle of the road on the opposite side - this was done in good faith to ensure free movement of cars in both the directions - given that it was such a busy day.Apparently a roaming camera car took our picture and we have been fined on technical grounds - I use the word technical because parking in that manner was not causing any obstruction or causing any danger - also pedestrian / wheelchair access was not hindered as those who know that road will know that the pavement is quite big and has a grass verge in the middle - so pedestrians can safely walk on the extreme left side of the pavement.Again - Iam not contesting the legality or technicality of the parking rules - but believe that the context needs to be taken into consideration as well.

What Iam angry about is the way the council is making money out of these 'anyway stressful situations'.Why have a camera car roaming exactly on the day and time when you anticipate huge parking problems and stressed parents trying to get to the venue on time etc and making silly mistakes when they think they are actually being helpful ?..Forget about facilitating parking arrangements for parents on such busy days,the cars purposely roam these areas to fine people on 'technical' grounds - how backhanded is this especially in today's economic condition.Wonder how much money the council made on these days?

Iam planning to raise this issue with the media / local councillor - does anyone else have a similar experience ?

Queenma
mad?
Posts: 5621
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 6:27 pm
Location: london

Re: Entrance exams and camera cars and fines

Post by mad? »

Sorry I have no experience to help you. However, if an issue such as this was raised in the media my first question was why on earth someone was driving to an entrance test?
mad?
scary mum
Posts: 8841
Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:45 pm

Re: Entrance exams and camera cars and fines

Post by scary mum »

Why wouldn't you drive. Even in Bucks where we have lots of GSs most people drive to the tests/school. I'm not sure what your point is. Is it that if you have to drive to a test you shouldn't be allowed to go to the school?

Bad luck with the fine OP. A good money making exercise for the local council :(
scary mum
mad?
Posts: 5621
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 6:27 pm
Location: london

Re: Entrance exams and camera cars and fines

Post by mad? »

scary mum wrote:Is it that if you have to drive to a test you shouldn't be allowed to go to the school?
Not at all. This is not a rural area but part of Greater London, where car journeys in rush hour take eons longer than public transport. In this context my view would be that if a school was so difficult to get to that one needed to drive then it was too difficult to get to to expect DC to do the journey twice daily. So i guess my question would be, if you have to drive to get to a school how are your kids going to get there in the London rush hour...because obviously it won't be by car. That said I had not considered that of course the OP may be considering moving depending on test results and that of course would make total sense. My DDs did not sit Wallingtons but of the tests they did sit the one thing they all had in common was a frequently re-iterated plea from the schools to all test takers not to drive, partly out of consideration to local residents but mainly for one's own stress levels which would go through the roof trying to get there on time and then looking for parking space. Having seen the grid lock within a half a mile radius of Tiffin Girls on test day it is clear that there are many parents who ignore that advice. Again I would stress that these were London/Surrey schools, where of course there is ample public transport and total road congestion. Of course it would be different in Bucks or elsewhere in the country.
mad?
QUEENMA
Posts: 132
Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2009 3:05 pm

Re: Entrance exams and camera cars and fines

Post by QUEENMA »

Why do people assume that everyone else's conditions are exactly like their's ?
Public transport is not the best mode of travel for a lot of people for a variety of reasons - Iam not going to get into the debate of public vs personal transport here nor am I going to be dragged into the discussion of walking vs driving to schools - I don't think that was the moot point anyway - the issue was about the council trying to 'catch' people on technical grounds on a day that was bound to have problems.

Queenma
worriedofwallington
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2011 1:19 pm

Re: Entrance exams and camera cars and fines

Post by worriedofwallington »

You want to get used to the fines as the camera cars are there after school most days. If you park legally you'll be fine, but parking on the kerb is illegal and you deserve to be fined, I am pleased that they have introduced them as perhaps this will stop inconsiderate and dangerous parking. Being stressed is not a reason to break the law....

The number of thoughtless parent who have no consideration for local residents is astounding on the days of the exam and at school pick up time I am shocked by how many parents feel it is okay to block driveways, so their darling doesn't have to walk a few yards, and when asked to move their cars so you can get out of your drive they give you abuse.

There are loads of parents who stayed in their cars for the duration of the exam so it does make you wonder how far they have traveled that its not worth going home while their child is taking the exam....
999 mum
Posts: 422
Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2010 12:02 am

Re: Entrance exams and camera cars and fines

Post by 999 mum »

You beat me to it worried of wallington.

Yes it is stressful for you if your child is sitting an exam that day. But do you know of the circumstances of all of the people who live around the school? TheIr situation might be even more stressful than yours and made worse because of the parking when they can't get in or out of their drive?

Queenma - Maybe if the only way that you could park was by parking illegally, you should have parked elsewhere. If that would have made you late, maybe you should have left earlier? Why blame others?
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: Entrance exams and camera cars and fines

Post by Guest55 »

Presumably the school was there when you bought your house?

Anyone living near a school (as I do) will know there are times when it gets very busy - this is balanced by the price hike you get living near a popular school.

I was nowhere near this school and live miles away but I think some comments are a bit insensitive. Noone knows why these people stayed nearby - you are assuming the worst of motives - please be more tolerant :D
999 mum
Posts: 422
Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2010 12:02 am

Re: Entrance exams and camera cars and fines

Post by 999 mum »

scary mum wrote:Bad luck with the fine OP. A good money making exercise for the local council :(
Maybe they were looking after the interest of the local residents.

(Not that I have views that match Huntlie's, but I can understand why these things can annoy her.)
ThreeKids
Posts: 199
Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2011 1:16 pm

Re: Entrance exams and camera cars and fines

Post by ThreeKids »

If they don't patrol and fine then the whole thing gets totally out of hand. It is one thing to buy a home near a school and expect some congestion etc, quite another to find that it becomes uncontrolled bedlam. WE drove to the Wallington Test. For us on a Saturday it takes about a third of the time that it would do by train - the result of less trains & buses on a Saturday, and clearer roads. I can see why, on a Saturday, more people would drive irrespective of the way in which they intend their daughter to get to school if she got a place and of course factoring in the fact that relaying on public transport at the weekend is a far less certain way of getting to the exam venue.

For anybody reading this next year - Woodcote nursery - where they encourage you to park for the open evening, has a massive car park, lots to look at and a very pleasant coffee shop to while away the time in.
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