Realistically can anything be done to stop parents parking across driveway?

[Lefmry]

I live on the same street as a school. Every single day someone blocks our driveway and I’m at a point now where I’m getting super fed up of it! 😩 It is mostly the same woman, who on multiple occasions has been asked to stop but it’s like it falls on deaf ears and she feels entitled somehow to still park there.

I wouldn’t actually mind but my eldest has severe additional needs and will NOT walk any distance from the car to the house so it’s super important we are parked on the drive, which isn’t possible when she (or someone else) has swanned off to stand at the school gates to wait for her child. I mean, not like I need an excuse really, it’s my drive and I should be able to use it. The time the drive is blocked is ALWAYS when I’m getting back from picking up my son from school.

Realistically if I were to go in to the school with number plates, especially this one woman, is there anything they can do? Or anything anybody else can do? Sorry I know there’s worse problems to have but I’ve just had a baby 4 weeks a go, have a 20 month old, along with my eldest with ASD, I am trying my damn hardest every day and sick of arseholes making life even harder.

Do you like the word super? 😂

Had someone park in front of our drive blocking me in for 2.5 hours,

What's the point of it being an offence to block someone if there's nothing done about it?

Ridiculous!

She's probably on MN somewhere, possibly even reading this thread.

Can you block her in? She's only going to stop if she's personally inconvenienced.

Have you even read the thread?

My sister was blocked into my driveway a couple of weeks ago. She had just popped in to drop something off and had to get back to her dogs. I called 101 who said there was nothing they could do and it wasn't a crime. I thought it was illegal to block someone in. As I was blocked in too she had to get a taxi at @£20 to get home. Very very annoying. I just can't understand who would park over a driveway, with proper dropped kerb and block in two cars.

IHateTheM25 · Today 08:00

She had just popped in to drop something off and had to get back to her dogs. I called 101 who said there was nothing they could do and it wasn't a crime.

Either they didn't know what they were talking about, or they couldn't be arsed. It's punishable by a fine.

I kept saying it sure it's illegal to block someone in but she absolutely disagreed. It was very frustrating and I gave up in the end.

Resurrecting my thread after a horrific altercation with the SAMEEEEE woman again today. The last couple of weeks she has been fully using my drive to turn around on (our house is at the end of the road so one of the nearest to the school) I’ve only noticed her doing it when I’m back home and she’s late to dropping her children off.

I will admit I saw red. I opened the door and she was met with a very loud ‘Can you get off my f**king drive please?’ And I kid you not, this woman was absolutely VILE she truly believes that what she’s doing is fine, she’s doing no wrong and it’s okay as my car isn’t on the drive at the time (partner is off work today so he was out taking my son to school).

Luckily the head teacher was out today by the gates and witnessed the whole thing, including the using of my drive and her hurling abuse towards me, I know I swore once but she must have sworn at me 8 or 9 times. She was absolutely awful, I went back in and cried. She kept constantly saying what she’s doing is fine, that I’m currently not using my drive. Then she went on to say her daughter is having issues at the school, I feel for her but how is that my problem? I said my son has special needs but I’m not blocking or using peoples drives because of it when I take him to school?

Anyway the head teacher came over and tried to tell her she’s using private property because I sort of kept looking at him as if to say ‘is she for real?’ But she drove off and I shut the door. He knocked on the door afterwards to see if I was okay, I feel ridiculous but I’ve cried at the door to him. I apologised to him for swearing in front of the kids going in to school, he was extremely pleasant and said he knows she does this all the time and he’s told me to just go ahead and call the police next time she does it.

Anyway, you were all friendly and lovely when I first wrote this so wanted to write an update, also may help people in the future, you always feel like you’re the only person with a certain problem but you’re not. The way she spoke to me I am genuinely terrified to ever come across her again, we’ve very briefly had words before but it’s been very, very quick and just a ‘I’ll move ok’ but today she was unbelievably disgusting. I cannot believe there are people out there that think it’s okay to physically USE someone’s driveway. I’m talking she pulled on as though it was her house, not like only a few inches on it. I’m in disbelief.

Good for you for standing up for yourself. She sounds vile.

I would follow up with an email to the head saying thanks for checking on you but you would appreciate support from the school in solving this situation.

Contact your local police neighbourhood team and ask for a PCSO to speak with her. Don’t swear at her again though, not because she doesn’t deserve it, but because you lose the moral high ground if you’re trying to get school and police to help.

Really though turning round on your drive when you’re out is probably something I’d ignore even though it’s irritating. At least she’s stopped parking in front of it. She sounds hideous.

Wow she’s a real piece of work! I haven’t read the whole thread, just your posts but I want to say I fully understand how annoying this is! I live nearish to a school (not even on the same road, but walkable distance) and get people parking across my drive all the time. It drives my oldest son insane, as he’s the only who mainly parks on our drive and can’t get on or off sometimes.

Last time it happened was an evening and the car was there for hours. I put a photo of it including (personalised) number plate saying “if this is your friend blocking my driveway please tell them they’re an idiot”. The neighbour they were visiting messaged me to apologise and said they’d had words. Hasn’t happened again since but we usually put a stern note on the windscreen.

The fact that your cheeky fucker isn’t deterred by you naming and shaming, outright demanding and taking photos puts her in another league.

I’d be putting strips of carpet gripper down on my drive at school pick up time tbh! Or a little sign saying “please beware of the nails and screws”.

She is still parking in front of it daily as of the last week or so. I truly thought she had stopped but she’s there every day again. I’m currently dealing with awful PND and just haven’t wanted to deal with it but like I said this morning I’ve seen red. I feel stupid and I’m annoyed at myself for swearing. I did apologise to her, although she didn’t deserve it. I said look I’m sorry for swearing, but what you’re doing is wrong and you’re doing it all the time. I then apologised for swearing to the head teacher afterwards too because it was in front of all the kids, I’m annoyed at myself for it but it was a heat of the moment kind of thing and I’m just so sick of it now.

I wouldnt usually advocate this, but its high time you starting throwing shit at her.

I mean literal shit. Dog, cat, your own - vandalise her car at EVERY opportunity.

She is a CF who needs a proper lesson taught to her.

I think I'd email the local police and report this.
It might come under threatening behaviour or trespass. The HT saw it all and even came to see if you were okay!
At least then her numberplate would be logged, or the police might be there at school drop off - if THEY were parked on your drive at school coming out time I wonder if she'd block them in...

talk to the police.
She is doing it all the time, and you can't get your disbaled son in and out of the car because she is blocking your drive. I cannot believe the police wouldn't be sympathetic.

The police do have the power to do quite a few things. They can call on her for a visit and give her a hard time. They can ask a PCSO to be there at school pick up and give her a hard time. They can fine her for obstruction.

After a close encounter with the police, she is more likely to give up.

Call the police every time. Make a big sign in bright colours that will fit on the entire windscreen and back windscreen that says ‘Blocking this driveway again. Police called. Put her name and address on the sign if you know these details and put parent at School Name.

Don't feel guilty op she's a prize piss taker and deserved it.

Report this aggression to the police and say that you are making a legal complaint against this woman. The headteacher is your witness. Of course you shouted back to protect yourself.

Butter, cooking oil, lipstick, all are very difficult to remove from windscreens and side windows, to the extent it can be impossible to drive the car home. Everytime. Just saying.

when a parent screamed and swore at my child in the park, the police took it very seriously.
So I would ask her to be charged with threatening behaviour. They probably won;t but they will talk to her, which might scare her off

I would 'trip up' with a large bottle of cooking oil in my hand if she blocked my drive.

Someone suggested letting the turning round go.

My gravel driveway was absolutely ruined by people doing goodness knows what on it. The metal chain that my late husband put up had bolt cutters taken to it.

The only reason that it no longer happens is that I’m now retired and I’m usually at home at pick-up time.

Nevertheless, I plan to get a gate installed at some point.

I'd suggest at this point it comes under harassment.
She's been repeatedly asked not to do this by OP and the school yet still chooses to.
I'd absolutely see if you have a local PCSO that can help you with this one.

So sorry you are having a dreadful
time, and that this awful
woman is such an arse.
An amazing/terrifying woman in our village starting posting photos of schoolrun parking offenders on the village Facebook page daily. It was absolute carnage and she got a lot of stick but was more effective than anything else I’ve seen in 10 years living across from a school. You are clearly not in a place to do this (I wouldn’t be either). But public shaming seems in order if police won’t help.