Bloody parking again!

[Kelsoooo]

So, AIBU? I live on a 30mph main road. Six houses down from a bend in the road, double yellows from the bend to the other side of the neighbours to the left. All the houses have drives. My front garden is all driveway allowing both of us to park on the drive. The neighbour to the right also has a drive, which is rarely used since the passing of her husband eighteen months ago. I reverse onto my drive, as i said its a mainroad and reversing off - especially near the bend, is too dangerous. At 8am my husband leaves for work and there is a British Gas transit van parked over the entrance to RH Neighbours drive (there are no gates or walls between our drives but a clear boundary line). I go out at 12.30, BG Van is still there, so I have to pull out onto the main road, at one point having to rely entirely on hope as i couldnt see past the van to my right to see if cars were coming towards me (obviously I checked before pulling off but people dont slow down, and we are awaiting traffic calming measures). When i came home an hour later, a DYNOROD van was parked the other side of my drive. Meaning i had to drive forward onto my drive instead of reversing on, meaning later I'll have to reverse off, also meaning if they're still here at 5.30 my husband wont be able to pull on, or reverse, to my drive. I asked the BG and DYNOROD vans to move, either onto the neighbours drive or to the parking available about 100m away. BG man was very rude and said he'd move it when he was ready and not before. So AIBU to be so annoyed, especially because i need to go back out for milk but just dont want to reverse blindly off my drive, at their parking or to complain to BG? (This isnt the first time this month btw).

[Kelsoooo]

And i have photos and a diagram but can't figure out how to post them via android app.

[ThePants999]

www.facebook.com/britishgas/posts/10151460340880649

Particularly of note: "he shouldn't be blocking your drive or getting mouthy when you ask him to move!" So it sounds like they'll be open to your complaint.

[ElvishArchdruid]

Ooh a parking thread. I'd raise it with BG & get the reg number. Not ideal, but hopefully they'll do something about it.

[Coastalcommand]

I'm not sure I understand. Are either of these vans on your drive?

[EweAreHere]

Are they parked legally or not? I can't tell from what you've written if they're on double yellow lines or not...

[SocksRock]

Neither van was blocking your drive though? I have similar, live on a 30mph main road, bus route and we are the only ones with a drive. Meaning cars and vans parked right up to our APM. I reverse on always by taking up the whole road and pulling across both lanes. Much safer than trying to reverse out.

[MrsHathaway]

It sounds like you're generally very lucky and they've parked completely legally. Obviously one shouldn't be rude when driving a liveried van but I don't think they were in the wrong until that point.

[scruffmacduff]

Are they parked on the street but either side of your drive? If I've read correctly, it seems like they are not blocking you in but it's just that you would prefer not to reverse into your drive as you might not be able to see very well?

[hellsbellsmelons]

I'd get out there and take some photo's
Positioning, different angles, number plates, side of vans, etc....
Make it really obvious.

[Leggit]

Why did a van mean you had to drive on rather than reverse? Surely if the gap was sufficient to drive through forwards it would be equally sufficient to reverse through

[Kelsoooo]

Sorry thought id made it clear... The double yellows are where they are parked. And i can't reverse on, becauase they've parked so close to either side of my drive, id have to reverse across both lanes of traffic, instead of pulling forward on the road, and reversing up the dropped kerb.

[Kelsoooo]

Sorry thought id made it clear... The double yellows are where they are parked. And i can't reverse on, becauase they've parked so close to either side of my drive, id have to reverse across both lanes of traffic, instead of pulling forward on the road, and reversing up the dropped kerb.

[EweAreHere]

Well, if they're on double yellows, call the police non-emergency number, and tell them they're there and making it dangerous for you to enter/exit your drive.

[SantasLittleMonkeyButler]

Take photos of both vans, showing number plates & the double yellow lines.

Forward these to the relevant companies - preferably via social media (IME companies deal with social media complaints much more quickly).

Make sure that BG's complaint is accompanied with details of your conversation with their engineer.

For those asking - BOTH vans are/were on double yellow lines, both making it unsafe for OP to exit her drive into oncoming traffic.

[Grilledaubergines]

Neither vans are blocking the drive but it is just quite inconsiderate to leave you not being able to safely access/egress your driveway. Because they're not doing anything illegal I don't think you can do much more than appeal to their better nature. I have exactly the same situation although no bend in the road and it's a real pain. When I first moved here I had a couple of shamefully embarrassing rows which achieved nothing but made me look crazed. Now, I'm really polite and include a lot of 'I know you're so busy' and 'I appreciate it's a pain to ask you to move' but no-one ever refuses now and are usually very nice about it.

In an ideal world you wouldn't have these situations. But unless you have the budget for buying/renting a house in a wide back road, these are just some of the things w have to deal with.

Yanbu and yabu - it's just the way it is.

[Grilledaubergines]

And I have the yellow lines too - I think services like dyno and BG have special dispensation for x amount of time.

[Kelsoooo]

The diagram fails to show the fence over half my drive, husband reverses between my car and the fence.
So they are parking illegally, DYNOROD have left now, so I can reverse off to the left?

[Leggit]

Sorry but you are being U. There is literally no reason you could not reverse on to that.

[Kelsoooo]

I disagree, I reverse onto my drive every day, i know the angle i have to reverse at to ensure i dont hit the fence.

[ATruthUniversallyAcknowledged]

Ok. They sho Isn't be parked on double yellows, but I don't see how they're affecting you really.

Now it's just the BG van it could actually offer you some protection as you reverse on as cars will be slowing down to go past it, no?

[Leggit]

kelsoo me too, but sometimes, due to other people parking close by, I have to adjust thto angle slightly. It's not exactly difficult.

[Gazelda]

Report the BG van to BG for parking on double yellow lines. If he'd been there only a very short while then I'd say give him a bit of slack, but all day is far from reasonable.

Can you get DH to pick up some milk on his way home? Then you and he watch the road for each other while you rearrange the cars.

[donquixotedelamancha]

I'm assuming you asked him nicely to move? Doesn't matter why you wanted him to, he parked illegally and its basic courtesy. Given he had announced himself as a total dick, do your civic duty:

Email the photo of the van on double yellow's with the licence plate visible to the police. Also email BG as suggested.

[MrsJaniceBattersby]

I'd complain too .
They've made it a blind spot for you , it's dangerous

[Sugarlightly]

Do you really have to be in an exact position to know how to reverse on to your drive!?