Turn a blind eye

I KEEP forgetting that it is the season to be jolly because of my daily crusade in a busy world to get my husband to work, my eldest to school, my youngest to nursery and me to work - all to deadlines.

But oh, the joys this morning, police handing out tickets to mums parked on yellow lines and keep clear signs as they frantically dropped their children off to school at Hartford Infants. Yes, I hear you all say, no-one should park on yellow lines. We all know this, but in a world where it usually takes two parents to work to manage to afford a mortgage, walking your children to school becomes one of life's luxuries. I know because I would dearly love to do it.

My angst really is that there are two empty car parks next to the school, privately owned. The MS Centre and St John ambulance that point blank refuse any cars to be parked by parents taking their children to school for 10 minutes twice a day. Why?

Does it make sense that parents then park illegally or on a busier road, putting children's lives at danger, blocking clear pathways for parents and children to cross the road? Where's the spirit in this?

The other day kids were kicking over the bins in my road. I can't do anything as I would be arrested, so I called the police. No one came; no one cared. My husband and I dutifully picked up everyone's rubbish. But it's more important to get money from parking tickets.

No one should break the law, but there are some things we could turn a blind eye to - we do for so many other things. Or should we working mums and dads give up work so we can walk to school and claim money from the state instead?

GINA CRUICKSHANK, Eagle Way, Hartford