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AIBU?

To think that this isn't legal? (Parking thread!)

62 replies

SpaceDinosaur · 18/07/2018 09:04

Shamelessly inspired by Jenna's thread and diagrams but no way as bad of a situation. None the less...

My new home has off street parking for 3 cars. DH and I take two spaces and my DM comes over to look after DD when I work... also friends etc, you get the general idea, we use all three spaces. The amazing driveway was a massive selling point of the house.

We also live near to a Faith school. I mention faith because I fully appreciate that parents wanting their child to attend may need to travel further as it's the only school of its denomination for a very large distance. So these parents will more often than not drive.

We knew that school drop off and pick up times would be busy. We fully anticipated some cheeky parking. It's not a big issue to me if it's 10 minutes twice a day.

Earlier this week a vehicle parked over our drive, blocking two cars in, for almost 3 hours. I was livid.

So here is my question. The dropped curbs are not across the whole drive. But the parking blocked our vehicles from leaving. I was under the impression that blocking a vehicle on a property was not legal. AIBU?

Diagram 1 is the houses. The dropped kerbs are shown in red

Diagram 2 is how parents usually park as school drop off

Diagram 3 is what happened earlier this week.

To think that this isn't legal? (Parking thread!)
To think that this isn't legal? (Parking thread!)
To think that this isn't legal? (Parking thread!)
OP posts:
MikeUniformMike · 18/07/2018 09:07

Was the car parked across the entrance to your drive? Or was it across the road?

twinkletoedelephant · 18/07/2018 09:08

If it's not a dropped kerb then they can park there.

Our neighbors have this problem big drive but only a single drop... So cars park in front of the non dropped bit on the road . Actually both sides of the single drop bit. As they can.

Only way to stop it would be to get kerb droped the width of you drive

MidniteScribbler · 18/07/2018 09:11

But if the dropped curb doesn't go across the whole property, then you don't have a three car drive, you just have a paved over front garden.

SpaceDinosaur · 18/07/2018 09:11

Even though they were clearly blocking vehicles from leaving?

I get that it's ok to park if there's nothing being impeded but I was really under the impression that you couldn't knowingly block a vehicle from leaving

OP posts:
BreakfastAtSquiffanys · 18/07/2018 09:12

If they are across the front of your cars but not on dropped curb, I would say its legal.
Arseholish, but legal

TittyGolightly · 18/07/2018 09:13

But vehicles don’t have a right to leave if the kerb isn’t dropped next to them.

BreakfastAtSquiffanys · 18/07/2018 09:13

Theoretically you could leave if you moved the car off the dropped curb, then shuffled the next one back and forward then off the dropped curb. Etc
Ss as I said Arseholish

Skiiltan · 18/07/2018 09:14

I live opposite a primary school and have exactly the same problem. I have contacted the council about it but the simple fact is that unless there are double yellow lines on the road there is no law to stop anyone parking across your - or my - drive. A very large proportion of people are too stupid to notice that they're parked across your drive; the rest don't give a shit because it's not their drive.

StormTreader · 18/07/2018 09:14

If its not a dropped kerb then its legal. Without a dropped kerb then what you have is a tarmaced/paved front garden that you choose to park cars on.

Budgiegirlbob · 18/07/2018 09:14

This is what the Highway Code says
"Do not park
Where the kerb has been lowered to help wheelchair users and powered mobility vehicles
In front of an entrance to a property"

So it's a bit ambiguous really, it depends whether you count a driveway without a dropped curb as an entrance to a property. I suspect many people with view the dropped curb as the entrance, and not the raised curb.

TwoBlueFish · 18/07/2018 09:15

But they weren’t parked over the dropped kerb so you could get the cars off if needed.

Blobbydobbydobb · 18/07/2018 09:15

You can't park in front of a dropped kerb. You can park in front of a non dropped kerb even if your car is parked next to it.

Couldn't you have moved your other car, to let the middle one out if that was the one that you wanted to move?

Ultimately as a pp said you need to pay for the whole kerb to be dropped then no one can park there.

SpaceDinosaur · 18/07/2018 09:16

Thanks!

I'd never have blocked someone in like that because 1) I'm not an arsehole and 2) I honestly thought it would be illegal.

Off to apply to extend the drop. Which is a shame as it will undoubtedly impede the nice families who park courteously on the school run.

OP posts:
adaline · 18/07/2018 09:17

If it's not a dropped kerb, it's not a drive, it's just a paved over front garden that you've chosen to park on.

Anyone can park in front of a kerb in front of someone's house. It's only illegal if it's over a dropped kerb.

user1493413286 · 18/07/2018 09:19

I don’t quite understand how you couldn’t get the other cars out if the dropped kerb part wasn’t blocked.
It’s very unhelpful and I wouldn’t do it out of consideration but not illegal.

Skiiltan · 18/07/2018 09:19

Sorry... Correction... I just checked and it is technically an offence to park across a dropped kerb. When I contacted the council they made it clear their wardens wouldn't enforce this rule, so if someone blocks my drive it's just tough. I tried calling 101 once and the police said they wouldn't do anything unless something else about the parking was illegal (wheels on the pavement, etc.).

Doyoumind · 18/07/2018 09:20

Surely you could get the cars out but would just have to move the other cars on the drive to do so. The cars on the drive aren't completely blocked in.

If you live by a school, although it's annoying, you can't be surprised when people park in front of your house.

PitterPatterOfBigFeet · 18/07/2018 09:20

I agree it's probably legal if very obnoxious parking :(. I would just park there myself if it becomes a regular problem.

TittyGolightly · 18/07/2018 09:22

I don’t quite understand how you couldn’t get the other cars out if the dropped kerb part wasn’t blocked.

It’s like one of those sliding tile puzzles.

SpaceDinosaur · 18/07/2018 09:33

@Doyoumind I did say in my OP that I was aware that living on top of a school would have busy periods and people parking "interestingly"

Those of you who said I could get the farthest car out like a sliding puzzle, sounds like fun but the offending vehicle was literally so far on the pavement that the only way pedestrians could pass was by walking on my property... it would have been a loooooooong game.

OP posts:
OliviaBenson · 18/07/2018 09:33

They are parking legally I'm afraid. You could complain to the school in general terms about inconsiderate parking? It might get a message across to the parents.

GabsAlot · 18/07/2018 09:33

not illegal police wont do anything

my sister parked in front of a n ormal bit of road which someone had parked their caravan on their paved garden, it wasnt a dropped kerb but they went ballistic even threw eggs over her car saying it was their property and u cant block them in

nutters

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happypoobum · 18/07/2018 09:35

Sorry but I don't understand the diagram.

Are the cars on the other side of the road from your house? Is the purple line the road, or something else?

If the dropped kerb isn't being blocked, how come you couldn't get all three cars off? Surely you just remove the one that still has access and then the others can leave? Confused

Gromance02 · 18/07/2018 09:36

Just because something isn't illegal, doesn't mean it is inconsiderate and stupid.

ChimesAtMidnight · 18/07/2018 09:36

Skiiltan - Blimey ! the wardens here will ticket a vehicle even if it's only a couple of feet across a dropped kerb.

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