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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that just because there is no drop-kerb in front of my house....

70 replies

nikki1978 · 13/08/2010 10:22

... that is doesn't give people free licence to park in front of my fucking drive!

Arrgggghhh it drives me mad! There is no drop-kerb as there is access to the hydrant for the emergency services where my drive meets the pavement. We did request a drop-kerb and the council said no. It is bad enough that our car has massive scraps under the bumper but the fact that people are so bloody stupid that even though it is clearly a driveway and there is a car on it they still park in front of it. It is not even a busy road chockablock with cars! There are about a million other places to park. I am going out soon and yet again will have to knock on doors to figure out whose car it is.

My neighbours friends mainly seem to be the culprit. She always says "Oh sorry they do not realise it is a driveway as there is no drop-kerb". I feel like hurting people badly.

AIBU? Would the lack of drop-kerb flummox you too?

OP posts:
Original poster
nikki1978 · 13/08/2010 10:24

In fact the operson who is parked there now is halfway over my drive but has about 4 metres in front of the car to park (and has done all morning). So she/he is not just taking the piss and trying their luck, she/he is just that bloody stupid!

OP posts:
MorningTownRide · 13/08/2010 10:25

YABVVVVU.

It's illegal to cross the footway in a car when there is no dropped kerb.

You could be damaging utility plant under the footway and it's dangerous for pedestrians.

I kindly suggest you keep your gob shut.

peeringintothevoid · 13/08/2010 10:26

YANBU!

Hassled · 13/08/2010 10:26

Is there anywhere you can put one of those "Please do not park here" signs?

Monty100 · 13/08/2010 10:27

From what I understand, if you haven't got a drop kerb it means the council hasn't given you the right to keep the bit of road clear, it isn't your right. Soz!

ragged · 13/08/2010 10:28

What MorningTownRide said... but isn't it illegal to block access to a fire hydrant? Confused.

BuzzingNoise · 13/08/2010 10:29

if there is no dropped kerb then it isn't a driveway and people can park there, I'm afraid.

IMoveTheStars · 13/08/2010 10:29

Why do you have a driveway if you don't have a dropped curb? The council haven't agreed to it, so YABU.

Original poster
nikki1978 · 13/08/2010 10:31

No there is a driveway, which was always here with the house from 1930's. The council allow us to park here and always have. Besides if the hydrant is there should it not need to be kept clear for the emergency services?

OP posts:
Alibabaandthe40nappies · 13/08/2010 10:32

Presumably you don't have permission for the drive? Otherwise they would have put in a drop-kerb? What reason did they give for saying no?

IMoveTheStars · 13/08/2010 10:34

then the concil need to mark it as a no parking zone due to access to the hydrant?

SandSad · 13/08/2010 10:34

Ask the council to sort out the road markings if they won't drop the kerb. Especially if space needed for emergency services.

BuzzingNoise · 13/08/2010 10:35

is it just that no previous occupier has paid out for a drop kerb?
As it is, you have a hard-standing, not a driveway.

BuzzingNoise · 13/08/2010 10:35

is it just that no previous occupier has paid out for a drop kerb?
As it is, you have a hard-standing, not a driveway.

going · 13/08/2010 10:37

YABU. No drop curb means people can park there.

MorningTownRide · 13/08/2010 10:37

Ok, so no dropped kerb due to the hydrant, so the council allow you to cross the footway?

Ask them for a 'hockey stick' to be painted on the road. IIRC this would make it enforceable and people could get tickets for parking there.

AuntieMaggie · 13/08/2010 10:39

As I understand it as no drop kerb people can park there as long as you aren't parked in the drive and they're not stopping you coming out. However if there's no car on your drive then you have no argument.

Original poster
nikki1978 · 13/08/2010 10:46

Well I just spoke to my Dad to clarify as it was his house before us. We are opposite a steep hill and when it rains the water used to flood our neighbours driveway so my Dad never had the kerb dropped. The hydrant is not the issue apparently - not sure where I got that idea from. We can have it dropped now as the garage has been converted but it will cost £500.

I see where you are all coming from but legalities aside. I would see it as common courtesy that if there is ample space to park and it is clearly a drive - it looks exactly like all the others in the road so why it was never dropped in the first place is beyond me (possibly there used to be a hydrant there). I would just not park in front of it.

Oh and morningtownride "I kindly suggest you keep your gob shut", I kindly suggest you review your manners.

Thanks anyway all I understand that I am not exactly in the right but it is still annoying. Unless there are people going "Ooh look they have no drop kerb and are parking I am going to park there to piss them off" it seems a bit rude.

OP posts:
Original poster
nikki1978 · 13/08/2010 10:47

In my OP I said there is clearly a car there auntiemaggie

OP posts:
Clumsymum · 13/08/2010 10:48

But if your car is parked on your 'hard-standing', clearly you might need to get the car off onto the road. It wouldn't occur to me to block a car in on someone's drive (or hard-standing), dropped-kerb or not.

I can MAYBE see that they might not realise it's a driveway if your car isn't actually there.

If it's any consolation, Our neighbour's stoopid grown up kids constantly park across our drive, even tho we do have a dropped-kerb. Gets me really cross.

I don't see that YABU, personally.

do you have a fence that goes to the edge of your property? could you put a sign on the end fence post "Please don't block our access".

MorningTownRide · 13/08/2010 10:48

You will notice that I gave you a helpful suggestion too.

If you go ranting to your neighbours they may report you to the council and you may find a dirty great big bollard in front of your drive.

Original poster
nikki1978 · 13/08/2010 10:52

Agreed morningtownride but slightly rude comments when people are pissed off anyway tend to be annoying Grin

I won't rant to my neighbours it is just annoying. Most people don't do it, it really just seems to be friends of our new neighbours. My parents lived here for 25 years and never had this problem.

Thank you clumsymum, it is just about manners to me!

OP posts:
cat64 · 13/08/2010 10:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

HarderToKidnap · 13/08/2010 10:55

If I were your neighbour it would piss me off that I had pay £500 to drop my kerb and keep my drive clear, whilst you rely on everyone keeping out of you way. In fact I may even have whinged about that to my friend. Who may take matters into her own hands...

MorningTownRide · 13/08/2010 10:56

Fair enough nikki!

I've worked for a council Highways Dept and have seen this happen MANY times. I'm surprised the council know you're crossing the footway without sticking in a bollard.

Anyway, have a lovely weekend and I hope you'll put in a 'crossover'. It will make your house worth more.