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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Am I being a complete git to smile? (parking)

45 replies

emmanana · 31/10/2010 21:27

We live a few miles from central London, in a street 2 mins walk from the tube/station. We have a dropped kerb/driveway and a garage, but despite this we regularly get selfish people blocking the drive, then hopping on a tube, thereby making useless 2 spaces on our property for hours/overnight. There is no resident permit scheme, and the parking charge of £5 a day at the station is obviously too much for some..
The space between the parked cars on either side is small, meaning Supermarket delivery vans/parcel deliveries have to stop the traffic, when delivering our orders. Nightmare trying to get everyone/everything out of the car, then having to go park half a mile away, especially as my DM can drive, but only walk short distances. Coming home from work a few hours ago, although our drive was empty, but someone had blocked it again. I noticed they had left the interior light on.
Fast Forward 4 hours. They have been trying to start the car for the last 30 minutes......Karma......

OP posts:
bubbleschimp · 31/10/2010 21:29

yadnbu!!

Original poster
emmanana · 31/10/2010 21:35

I would love him to knock, asking to jump-start.
" Oh I'd love to, but My car is two streets away, some selfish person prevented me using my driveway"

OP posts:
MumBarTheDoorZombiesAreComing · 31/10/2010 21:36

PMSL, is it raining Blush

BattyBarmey · 31/10/2010 21:52

Lol.

Mowiol · 31/10/2010 21:58

Or better still - go out and say "I'd love to help you jump start to free up my driveway but, you see, I had to park several streets away because of you"

Then laugh in his tsupid face.

Mowiol · 31/10/2010 21:59

Stupid - obviously Blush

ShinySoloSparklySolo · 31/10/2010 22:02

Yessssssssssss!!!

No, YADNBU Grin

newwave · 31/10/2010 22:03

If it were me the next time a tyre or two would be flat (air let out) and if that did not work a nail would be in the tyre.

edam · 31/10/2010 22:13

poetic justice is always satisfying. Grin

Wish the council would hurry up and paint the yellow lines they've been promising on our street. Ruddy commuters appear to think it's a car park and that stuff in the highway code about not parking on junctions or corners doesn't apply to them.

Maisiethemorningsidecat · 31/10/2010 22:17

Karma is indeed a wonderful thing...Grin

CerealOffender · 31/10/2010 22:25

you need to go out to point and laugh

Teaandcakeplease · 31/10/2010 22:32

You're not being a git to smile Smile

I'd end up leaving snippy notes on their windscreens if that happened to me often.

toomuchmonthatendofthemoney · 31/10/2010 22:36

stand on your doorstep with a nice steaming hot cup of coffee, give them a cheery wave, then slam the door with as much gusto and satisfaction as possible.

do you have a "no parking, access required 24 hours sign" up anywhere? if not, can you do so? just something to maybe nudge the attention of early morning sleepy parkers.

the really selfish ones will ignore it anyway of course, where tippex on the windscreen is the next course of action.... only joking, would never do that .... [hgrin]

BaggyCoconut · 31/10/2010 22:36

Emmanana - YADNBU

Our road is continuously full of college students, so we have to park two roads away. Its a nightmare.

Have you petitioned for residents only parking?

I do not know if it changes from area to area, but here we just need to get 20 people to sign a petition, and it will go in front of the board. We have been told in our case it will basically definately be granted, so that is what we are doing Grin

If no one else has started one down your road, maybe you should? We only moved in at the start of the year, and are suprised that the neighbours are all up for it, but no one thought to make the first move about making it happen.

edam · 31/10/2010 22:59

I'd love residents parking but our residents association is dead against it. Although they all moan about all the parked cars, some of the old dears claim yellow lines would spoil the look of the road. It's a 1970s cul de sac FGS. Confused

We only have all these cars dumped on us all day because the streets nearer to the station got residents parking. So we get the cheapskates who are too tight to pay to park all day.

whatdoiknowanyway · 01/11/2010 08:12

Why not just leave polite note on windscreen pointing out they are blocking drive and asking them to park a few inches further forward in future?
We have similar location and this usually works for us.

TheSkiingGardener · 01/11/2010 08:15

Isn't blocking a dropped kerb an offence? In which case there should be some caped crusader of justice you can call!

Sandinmyshoes · 01/11/2010 08:42

I think you need to call your council to check as you're close to London... but afaik you can call them to report parking at a dropped kerb and get them to enforce it... worth a google.

Pixel · 01/11/2010 09:00

Unfortunately residents parking isn't always the answer either. We have a lot of it around here and people get very fed up that they've had to fork out £100 for a permit but still aren't guaranteed a space near their house, especially bad in areas where a lot of the houses have been converted into flats and sometimes there just isn't a space. It's also a pain when friends/relatives visit as they have to make sure they have special vouchers (and pay for them in advance etc).

Of course you probably won't have to worry as you have a drive anyway but it might be why some of your neighbours are put off.

Oh and YANBU. I know someone who reversed into a car parked across his drive. The owner couldn't make a fuss because she was illegally parked in the first place.

custardismyhamster · 01/11/2010 10:41

Insurance wise, if you hit a parked car, it's your fault-EVEN if they are illegally parked.

I work in motor claims y'see

Pixel · 01/11/2010 10:45

Ah well, he was lucky then. Tbh he was so annoyed at being blocked in again that he was past caring.Grin

cupofcoffee · 01/11/2010 10:52

YANBU. Did they move the car yet?

ChaoticAngel · 01/11/2010 12:59

YANBU

Original poster
emmanana · 01/11/2010 14:03

Left for work this morning - car was still there. If it's still there this evening - I'll be ringing the police to ask for removal; Although I am always a little wary of doing something like that as I don't want a brick put through my window. Not that I live in an area where that kind of thing normally happens; but if they're arsey enough anyway to not give a shit for others, a £250 tow/store fee from the Police may just flip 'em over the edge.
I did put a note on the windscreen:

Thanks for blocking our driveway. It is illegal to park in front of a dropped kerb, and your Extremely selfish actions have caused us , and my disabled mother a lot of trouble.
If this car is here when I return in a while, I have no choice but to call the police and have your vehicle removed. I have also made a note of your registration. Next time you block the driveway - I'll ring the police straight away...

OP posts:
FindingGuysMojo · 01/11/2010 14:19

how fab - did you stand on the footpath & laugh at them openly? You could wave some jump leads for extra effect. or would that piss karma off?

Don't you know any friendly local traffic wardens you can tip off re parking over your dropped kerb? They are always looking for quota fillers aren't they?

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