Pavement parking Ban.

[itsallthedramaMickiloveit]

How would you be affected if there was a blanket ban on all pavement parking.

I'm not just talking about the inability to get a pram or wheelchair passed but a complete ban on any car on the pavement at all.

Where I live there is literally no where else to park, not two minutes walk away, not ten minutes walk away. All the streets are on street on pavement parking or on road parking with restrictions on hours.

I’m not saying this to defend myself, I live in one of the very few houses with parking. My side of the road for some reason the houses were built with front gardens, which are now obviously all used for parking, the opposite side of the road is on road/pavement parking.

Do you mean that there is ‘literally no where else to park’ within two minutes’ walk?

Yes, that is what I mean.

I live in an old mining town on the coast. The roads are barely wide enough for one car to be parked fully on the road - in fact every two weeks when the bin men come around, people are asked to park their cars on the pavement so the lorries can get around as safely and quickly as possible.

The nearest car parking area that doesn't have residents parking (so you have to live on that road to park there) is at least 2-3 miles away. But if the entire town was in the same situation (banned from pavement parking) it's not inconceivable to imagine that the nearest place might be in the next town over.

I also live in a town with no bus service and very poor rail service. So getting rid of the car and getting a bus is also impossible.

You'd need regularly spaced multi stories in some areas. That would be a major town planning construction project. You'd have to consider compulsory purchasing and demolishing some houses to fit them. It's not going to happen any time soon is it?

So given the choice of:

• have fewer cars per household
• park your car somewhere it can be accommodated and take a cab to your house.
• buy a house with enough parking for your genuine car requirements, or only have the cars your current house can accommodate
• demolish a load of houses and build multi storey car parks

You would choose the last option? Christ!

my husband works antisocial hours. There is no public transport on when he finishes work.

Once more, does that trump the needs of pavement users?

Your suggestions are just ridiculous.
The real option is carry on as normal and the odds are the law won't be changed.

Of course I wouldn't choose the last option. I'm pointing out it's not that simple. Our residential streets weren't built for modern life where people are expected to commute to different workplaces or to cope with the trend of things being increasingly centralised. It's no good turning this into a commuter vs pavement user, no one wants to screw anyone over they are just trying to get by.

@Iamthewombat to me yes.

park your car somewhere it can be accommodated and take a cab to your house.

Well I was trying to engage in a civil debate but this is quote possibly one of the most rediculous ideas ive ever read, that you even suggested it suggests you are just arguing for arguings sake.

I think it's a brilliant idea

You would choose the last option? Christ!

Your options are far, far too simplistic.

Lots of rural workers are reliant on their cars because there is no other way of them getting around. If you live somewhere without a bus or train service and you work an hour away, there is no other choice.

We have no cab service - there are taxis but you have to book them about three days in advance and they don't run on Sundays or in the evenings.

Not everyone can afford to buy a house with a garage or off-road parking. Or are you saying only rich people should be able to have cars?

I'm very lucky that we live somewhere with off-road parking for one car, so we can park the other on the road (not on the pavement!) but the vast majority of houses here don't have that.

Your options are far, far too simplistic.

Let’s hear your complex options, then. Oh yeah: it’s ‘let everyone park where they like and sod the pedestrians’.

Lots of rural workers are reliant on their cars because there is no other way of them getting around. If you live somewhere without a bus or train service and you work an hour away, there is no other choice.

You do have a choice. Live nearer to where you work. That’s what countless people do.

We have no cab service - there are taxis but you have to book them about three days in advance and they don't run on Sundays or in the evenings.

See above. If you choose to live somewhere that renders you dependent on a car, does that exempt you from any responsibility for blocking pavements, making everybody else’s life more difficult?

Would you be happy for the increased JSA and benefits that would need to be paid whilst we all waited and competed for the limited amounts of jobs in walking distance or on bus routes?

What about out of town workplaces?

You do have a choice. Live nearer to where you work. That’s what countless people do.

Having unlimited money must be really nice. If we moved nearer to work (whose work? DH and I work an hour apart so we already live in the middle) our mortgage would triple.

Anyway, you're not really arguing, you're just being obtuse and failing to realise that real life isn't as simple as you're trying to make it out to be.

If my town was being built today, I'm sure they'd make the roads wider and provide ample parking, but as it is, that's just not going to happen.

to me yes.

From the OP, when asked whether her husband’s requirement to travel to his workplace, which is not served by public transport at unsocial times, is more important than the rights of wheelchair users, buggy users, families and other people on foot to use the pavement, which the OP’s husband’s car is blocking.

And people say that parking on pavements is selfish!

This would effect us at all, pretty much no pavement parking happens here (old town so very narrow roads often with no pavement at all, if there is a pavement it’s less than 50ck wide).

Unsocial hours jobs are often very necessary jobs.

DH and I work an hour apart so we already live in the middle) our mortgage would triple.

I see. Everybody else should be inconvenienced by your car blocking the pavement so that you can save money on your mortgage? Tell that to a wheelchair user who can’t use the pavement outside your house.

It's easy for people with driveways and wide roads to say ban it. But what you are really suggesting is knocking down beautiful old houses or turning green spaces in car parks.

Get a bicycle instead. Easier to store and you’ll be fitter and healthier.

Getting a bike instead 😂 bloody hell what world do some people live in!

It's a no win situation. Where I live now we'd be ok. However, previous home think two up two down terrace. Very compact and area wasn't built for two cars per house hold. If every car parked on the road they would block vehicles. To say well park elsewhere wouldn't be helpful. It's the same a three mile radius. Infrastructure hasn't kept up.

It's easy for people with driveways and wide roads to say ban it. But what you are really suggesting is knocking down beautiful old houses or turning green spaces in car parks.

Nope. You need to cut your coat according to your cloth. If your house can’t accommodate your cars without parking on the pavement, you have fewer cars, or you park the cars elsewhere, or you buy a house where you can park without blocking the pavement.

It's easy for people with driveways and wide roads

Exactly this if those who were in favour of such a ban lived in a place like I and many others do they would realise that they are arguing from a place of privilege. If we could all have drives and wide roads it would be lovely but the reality is many parts of the UK simply don't due to when the houses and towns were consteucted.

Its fine though apparently everyone where I live should just give up their cars because we are all selfish.

Infrastructure hasn't kept up.

Not this again. You say you lived in a two up two down. What infrastructure would you recommend? Should your local council spend its budget for the next ten years excavating a free of charge subterranean car park?

You do have a choice. Live nearer to where you work. That’s what countless people do.

Work isn't spread out across all areas where people live, so you're idea is fundamentally flawed. Far too much centralisation for that.

If people moved nearer to work, it would make the house prices rocket (supply & demand - presumably no space to build new houses). And who'd buy your house that you'd need to sell to move if there were no workplaces near it? We'd end up building new homes and making already crowded areas even worse and then having loads of derelict ghost towns. The costs and environmental impact of that is a lot worse than making provision for cars.