andy smith says

It's the same all over. You should see the Primary School at 3pm. There are two guys (whom I could name) who park on the double yellow lines every day. The double yellow lines are meant to stop the kids buses being blocked, but these morons just ignore them. I have been down there at 2.40 and they are sitting there so it is not as if there is no other option. The same attitude applies to other areas in Dalry.

mhairi reid says

I agree with you Andy I have stopped using the school carpark due to these drivers that think they can park where they want. They also drive down the area that is for staff only when children are crossing the road, is it going to take a child being hurt before anyone takes any notice.

David Robertson says

The same incident occured at 0930 this morning with Wiseman lorry stranded mid road outside Co-op.

Gordon Davidson says

I found out this morning that the driver of the Ford Estate had removed it after Three and a Half Hours!! Surely some positive acton needs to be taken. I seem to recall places where, if you parked in the wrong place, a large self-adhesive poster was stuck on the windscreen on the driver's side. It read "You have parked illegally, please do not do it again". The adhesive used also made the removal of the sign very difficult. Perhaps the Co-op could try this method since the Powers that be cannot be bothered!

Iain McMillan says

Just agreeing with others that the standard of parking in Dalry is terrible.

Drivers just abandon their cars where ever they want. They have no excuse, they know the rules and they choose to ignore them.

Nearly every time I drive through the cross there will be a car parked in the bus stop, one parked on the double yellows at the kings arms corner and at least one in the loading bay out side the co-op.

Drive past St Palladius primary at 3pm and there will be cars parked on the zig zags. Don't these people realise these zig zags are there to protect their children?

Also a growing trend is these thoughtless drivers who park on the pavement. These people cause problems for both pedestrians and other drivers. Any parent trying to get round Dalry with a pram must have a nightmare. Two drivers who are continually guilty of this practice are the people who park outside the pheonix grill bar and abids kebab shop. In both cases there is a perfectly good car park just yards away.

Solution? Get an army of police and traffic wardens and hammer these people. Hit them in the pocket, its the only way they will learn.

D G says

Haha I am actualy parkd on the pavement right now reading what looks like nothing but a bunch of old farts complain bout isues that dont realy exist, just get on with life and if people want to park the pavement/loading bay/ yellow lines just deal with it n live your own life fs

Gordon Davidson says

DG, how would you feel if you were 3 hours late finishing your shift as a Delivery Lorry Driver because idiots stopped you unloading quickly by parking in the space reserved for you?

Billy Long says

DG you need to grow up, rules are rules if you don't like them I would like to tell you they are there for a reason and you are just not a fit enough person to hold a full driving licence. Your attitude sticks of pure selfishness and you deserve to have your car scrapped and your licence taken off you.

Sandra Scott says

Parking in Dalry is certainly a problem. I have complained on more than one occasion about the people who park on the double yellow lines in Main Street, I have seen 7 cars parked on them at times. Also the people who park on pavements forcing people to walk on the road. One other point, the amount of drivers who drive through the red lights on Roche Way is a disgrace. I have nearly been knocked down because of them. Time the police and traffic wardens came down hard on these thoughtless people, a few weeks of bookings and fines might help.

andy smith says

DG's that sure of himself/herself that he/she cannot even use their real name. A coward and an idiot. Willing to get at others and criticise yet remain behind a veil of anonymity - that tells you everything you need to know. Ignore DG and their pathetic small minded rantings he/she will go away. People like them are not strong enough to stand up and be counted.

iain speirs says

Yes Andy, behind you all the way my friend and also agree with you about Dalry Primary, there are several neighbours of mine who drive down to the school and abandon their cars both in the morning and in the afternoon, I have had on several occasions stopped youngsters running out between cars at the 2 Zebra crossings and being knocked down, I have also reported my concerns to the police and saw them driving down one day and left, they never even stopped to get out their car to watch where all the lazy gets abandoned and double parked their cars etc. I have also reported the parking problems of all the lazy gets to the school too and still sod all is done, it is only a matter of time until some wee innocent person gets seriously hurt, also all the lazy gets who park their cars well on to the pavements, how are you supposed to get a pram etc passed?

Marshall Wales says

Selfish parking is not a new thing in Dalry it's been going on for years some people would take their cars into the shops if they thought they could get away with it. But as long as we have people with the vision of DG it won't change in the near future. I still think they should have closed New Street to all traffic [except buses and loading / unloading ] from the Cross to the old P.O. corner. Maybe when the cctv is up and running the powers that be could use them to catch these people and issue them with a fine.

Karen Walker says

I am the chairperson of Dalry Primary School Parent Council and we have repeatedly asked parents to adhere to the highway code rules when parking in the school, the school even has its own junior road wardens and they ask the parents to watch where they park, the results from both - we are ignored!

What also annoys me is the people who park outside Carricks, this is illegal as they are parking on a double yellow line, a bus stop and opposite a junction. But yet nothing is done. I agree that parking in Dalry is a shambles and that more needs to be done to solve the problem.

iain speirs says

Karen have you ever took down any registration numbers of the cars illegally parked and have you ever reported it to the Police?

Also some of the biggest culprits regarding double parking and abandoning their cars around the school are Parent Council committee members and members of the PTA so if they are doing it then what chance do we have at ranting and raving about the general public for doing the exact same, seems like double standards to me, and why haven't the Parent Council approached the Police and School all together to get something done about it. All the drivers that are abandoned and double parked and parked on pavements should all be booked by a team of Police/traffic wardens, none of this move on rubbish as it won't work, hit them in their pocket and put points on the licences that would work for certain.

I personally have been walking down to the school and picking up my children for the last 6 months and have seen on numerous occasions very near misses, it is only a matter of time before some wee innocent person is hurt.

jeeni bee says

The parking issue is a symptom of over-reliance on cars - which is totally unsustainable - our towns and villages weren't designed as massive parking zones - they were designed for people to live and families to grow up in, and that is as it should be.

Instead of everyone blaming each other for and threatening to lock people up, why not just accept that we are all part of the problem, and step up to being part of a solution.

Maybe the parent council could consider a volunteer walking bus scheme - it's been done successfully in other areas - it cuts down on the parking problem, reduces dependency on cars and gives our kids a bit of well needed fresh air and exercise every morning - as well as a brilliant example of community solutions to their own issues.

andy smith says

Let's face it cars shouldn't be allowed in the school. The Council should open up the old grey building site as a car park and you then walk and pick up your kids. In response to Karen Walker if you go down to the school every day between 2.30 - 3pm the same 2 cars are parked on the double yellow lines at the bus bay. We all know who they are. Why don't we name them and shame them. Jeeni bee's point is spot on too many cars on the road.

Karen Walker says

The police have been notified regarding the problem and as far as I am aware have been down once drove round the car park then left again. The parent council and the school have tried many ideas to try and encourage parents not to park illegally, even the headteacher has gone out and spoken to the parents responsible but we can all see the results. We have a parent council meeting on the 24th March 7.30pm in the school if any parent would like to join us for this to be discussed further. I will take your suggestion of a walking bus scheme to the meeting Jeeni Bee and see what happens.

I have a child that attends the nursery in the afternoon and can I say that at 12.30 the parking is pretty bad too with parents coming through the no entry sign and parking in the drop off zone. The headteacher and depute have spoken to these parents also.

It may come to the school closing the car park to all parental traffic and this is something that I would be happy to see as the safety of the children who attend the school is paramount.

Iain I am aware that some of the culprits are indeed Parent Council and PTA members again I will ask them to lead by example and to park legally.

I personally am only at the school one day a week just now due to being at college and admit I do take the car with me, but in defensive I have a child who attends the nursery in the afternoon, but I do go down around 2.30pm to ensure that I have a parking space. Come August when I will be at the school every day I am not taking the car and will be walking both my children to school.

If you go down to the school after school hours to use the facilities at KA Campus the driving then is terrible the road signs are just totally ignored! So it is a problem in general not just at school drop off and pick up times.

I will again take these comments and suggestions to the Parent Council Meeting on 24th March, please note that these meetings are open to all parents/carers of children at the school and you are all welcome.

andy smith says

Here is what I am talking about. The idiots who are always parked at this spot. These are the 2 cars that are parked on the double yellow lines every day of the week.

Gordon Davidson says

This is New Street Loading Bay on Tuesday. Just a typical scenario!

Site Admin says

Andy, the photo you want to post with a comment about the member of staff that struggles to get out of their parking space due to the 2 cars parked on double yellow DID NOT COME THROUGH TO OUR MODERATION QUEUE for some reason. Please e-mail the photo to content@s1dalry.com and we can upload it on your behalf.

Billy Long says

> It is so obvious that the two cars' owner-drivers do not like authority telling them what to do so they break the rules and will keep doing so until they get hit with a parking fine for illegal parking. So unless the Police or a traffic warden does something then it will continue on a daily basis.

I am going to the local community council meeting tomorrow evening and I will bring the matter up. The meeting is in the Town Hall this Thursday 11 March at 7pm and the police are in attendance at every meeting with a police report. The more people who come to these meetings the merrier.

jeeni bee says

Guys - picking on individuals, fining and naming and shaming will NOT address this problem - it just makes space for the next person to park - please, please use your time at the community meeting to think about sustainable solutions that work for the community.

www.walkingbus.co.uk is just one idea. Look at Transition Towns for many many more.

Jonathan Kelk says

I'm guessing in the case of Dalry Primary the police may just say it is a private road and therefore not subject to their control - I might be wrong here but worth checking so you are ready.

I notice in the photo the cars are parked in a dangerous place, and well within the 10 metres of a corner/junction the highway code says you should not be, but they are not actually on double yellow lines (from what I can see in the photo - correct me if wrong, I don't know the road). Maybe the two drivers genuinely believe they are doing nothing wrong? I'm not justifying their actions, I'm just slow to judge people.

DAVID FIGGINS says

The problem with the co-op is that there is very little space left to park due to Smith street and the cross being unavailable at present - perhaps the loading bays should have time constraints for both drivers and deliveries at least until the car spaces are available again - the downside is that you chase customers away from the town centre - they spend elsewhere.

Billy Long says

Kilwinning is the same just now with all the disruption going around. We have to put up with it all because our town centres are being regenerated to try and make it a better place. When all the work is completed we hope it will turn to normality. However illegal parking is also causing obstruction too with delivery vehicles unloading at the Chinese takeaway in New Street or cars parked at the junction because some people won't walk to the RBS Cashline machine. The Co-op should employ people to uplift illegal parkers' vehicles and take them to a pound.

Iain McMillan says

Jenni bee said > why not just accept that we are all part of the problem

We are not all part of the problem. Those of us who can walk further than the length of ourselves are not part of the problem. Those of us who obey the traffic rules and regulations are not part of the problem.

The difference between the decent people in this world and the 'others' is that the decent people obey the rules (even if they don't agree with them) and consider what effect their actions have on others.

Billy Long says

It's like being in a school classroom with the majority of pupils obeying the rules and a disruptive few wasting it for everybody else only it is adults this time!

Billy Long says

Rules are there for a reason, just as laws are made for a reason. If we did not have them then it would be pure anarchy. By having rules or laws is a general conduct that we should try and live by. We all live together so we have to do our bit by trying to get on with each other so to make things go smoothly we need rules or live would be worse as people would think everything is a free for all do what they want never mind the others.

Billy Long says

I am going off-line for now because as your s1dalry.com local correspondent I have go and get ready and prepare myself to go to the local Dalry Community council meeting in the town hall in Aitken Street at 7pm to report what is happening. This is your chance to come to it and bring the problems of illegal parking at Dalry Primary school/Nursery Campus and at the Loading bay outside the Co-Op. Please do not rely on me to bring up your problems because I am NEVER at the school on a daily basis so I do not know the whole problem, and it would be a lot better if someone who goes near the school on a daily basis as a parent, member of staff or parents school council represents you all rather than myself. I will be going to the meeting and I will bring the matter up but it is much better if you all try and come to this meeting which normally only last 90 minutes.

jeeni bee says

If you own a car you are part of the problem - families now have 1, 2, or even three cars. Everyone who says they can't do without driving / parking cos they have 'somewhere to go' something to do' that are more important is prioritising their car. Where we live and our transport links simply cannot sustain the sheer bulk of motors that exist in our communities. By not coming up with new ways of working that put the use of cars at the bottom of a priority list we are all part of the problem.

andy smith says

Jonathan. I do not like judging people either. But face the facts they are parked on a corner, on double yellow lines, obstructing cars parked in parking bays and causing a hazard for kids to run between. If they do not know they are in the wrong then they should not be driving. Fact.

iain speirs says

This is getting very childish but those who park illegally and with no care for children like the eejit in the Subaru pic which Andy showed to u all deserve being booked and charged and it is a north ayrshire school so the road is surely council so police can come and book them but they couldnt care less, lets see what happens when one of our children cant cross the road due to these idiots the way they park there cars gets seriously hurt do u think the police wont be in attendance then!!!!! And while i am on a rant Jeeni bee(is this your real name) am just curious! and i take offence to your remark about if you own a car u r part of the problem i have a car and have always parked sensibly at the school this is about the school not the rest of the town this is a major problem which no one seems to be taking in, will be interesting to see what billy long has to say as he was attending the meeting in the town hall last night so hopefully Billy will put us a bit more in the picture as to what is going to happen.

Billy Long says

Jeeni Bee: The problem isn't really about how many cars does a family own, it is about illegal parking at Dalry Primary School and in the town centre. Most families have members who work away from home all day & night and not possible for them to use public transport. I have a car too Jeeni but I don't see why I am part of the problem. I use public transport or walk if I can but there's time that I really need to use the car because I have health problems. Why did you not go to the meeting last night as the subject was brought up at the local community council meeting? You did try to encourage others to go to it so why did you not come along to it? If you are so much the rainbow warrior environmentalist green who believes and cares so much about climate change then why weren't you there.? The problem is too many people moan about problems like this but too afraid to go and do something about it.

As I said before the parking which is done illegally is done by people who don't care for authority telling them what to do. Now you think that if you are picking children up from school you would think that when driving on to the school campus you would park in a safe manner so you are not posing an accident risk to a child or anyone else. Best thing for to do is take note of the car registration plate then phone the police about it. The subject was brought up at the meeting last night, unfortunately there was a criminal incident that took place minutes before the meeting was due to start so they could not attend. However, the community council will write to the police again informing them of the traffic warden matter.

In large cities, if you illegally park your car your vehicle gets clamped then towed away and North Ayrshire Council should do this to all illegal car-parkers at their schools or elsewhere, I am sure that would bring in much needed revenue. The school campus road I think is classed as a public road owned by North Ayrshire Council and the highway code matters as the school premises are opened to the public after school hours to use the KA sports hall and all weather outdoor football pitch although the school has a right to enforce rules about parking. If it was a private road then a sign would have to be erected saying so and perhaps a gate that can be locked when the school is not in use.

jeeni bee says

Billy - the reason I wasn't at the meeting is because I am working in London - I hope that's ok with you, perhaps I should have written a note asking for time off.

You are probably quite right, best to lock them all up.

However, if that doesn't work - why not try a walking bus scheme - it's worked in quite a few places, kids like it, they get to spend extra time with friends and adults, and get some well needed activity.

Billy Long says

I think you have been excused if you really are working in London who knows. I do like the idea of a walking bus scheme, but lets be a wee bit realistic here, the climate here is much damper and colder than London so the first hint of heavy rain and the kids will want home the quickest way. The problem isn't how the kids get to and from school it is the lazy idiots who do not park in allocated parking spaces and park in places that pose a risk and cause an obstruction. The more people can able to walk the better. I think you need to here to see the problem on a daily basis than being in London to understand what the rest is saying here. I was talking about clamping cars not jailing people for a civil offence.

Iain Speirs, I am very glad you phoned me today. I understand the situation better now what's going on. I would like to see more concerned parents or staff contribute to this thread.

jeeni bee says

''Lazy idiots'' ''environmental green rainbow warriors'' ''if you really were working in london''<

I am born and bred in Beith, live and work in the Garnock Valley.

My work in London this week is with 12 children from developing countries (and developed ) who are in this country to lobby the government about the effects of our way of life on their countries, they include 2 working children from Bangladesh whose parents were killed in cyclone Sidi.

Climate Change means Bangladesh is literally sinking into the sea and that cyclones and other natural disasters are ever more frequent. (South Uist is sinking too - in case you think this doesn't affect us).

Every child here can tell you exactly what the impact of OUR way of life has on their country and life. Bangladesh as a country has banned plastic bags which were killing and polluting the marine life they rely on for food - we haven't!!

A walking bus is a simple way of reducing our reliance on the factors that contribute - doesn't take much effort, just a 20 minute walk, and I for one would gladly step up to help organise it if anyone needs help.

If caring about making a better place for kids to grow up in makes me an Environmental Green rainbow warrior then I am pretty happy to wear that label too.

andy smith says

I hate to harp on about this but here's an update that I hope will show the mentality of these drivers. One of them parked his car in the usual place on the double yellow on Friday. He then walked up to the shops in Main St and strolled back down with his paper. This was yesterday and this is what we are all up against. So it's not about ability to walk etc. As I said to Iain Speirs I saw a child run from out between these 2 cars and almost get knocked down last week. It is just a matter of time I'm afraid.

Billy Long says

Jeeni Bee: The problem on this page has nothing to do with climate change, it's more to do with changing the lazy attitude of the odd few drivers who don't stick to the rules and illegally park their cars at our local schools and the loading bay outside the Co-op in Dalry. I never criticised your walking bus idea as I think the more people who start to walk then the better. I think that you are the one that's going well off the subject to the problem that exists here (illegal parking) and has completely nothing to do with climate change. Climate change is a totally separate issue here. What we need here is practical solutions to illegal parking before there's an accident involving someone like a school pupil. If you want to start talking about climate change then start another thread. If you read Andy Smith's last comment we have got a serious issue about road safety here and something constructive has to be done than talking about other places that are sinking into the sea. I am worried about climate change here too Jeeni, but that is a different issue altogether. I know parts of Britain that is sinking into the sea like the East of England. More importantly I do not forget the problems we have here at home too. Good for you that you were born & bred in Beith and hopefully you can continue with the good work working with those kids.

jeeni bee says

Thanks for that advice Billy, I will take on board