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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

about parking over my dive?

45 replies

shooblydoobly · 03/06/2011 13:04

I am not sure if I am BU or not. DH and I have had several discussions about it, and he is def more live and let live about everything than I am, so would value your opinions.

We live in a street with unrestricted parking, but near a busy shopping area. (small town)
There are quite a few driveways, but they are not very big, as the houses are not set far back IYSWIM.

I often come home (in the car) to find that someone has parked over our drive, and therefore I have to park down the road or round the corner, lugging DS/shopping/pushchair for quite a long way. Occasionally it is a neighbours car, but mostly randoms.

I do realise lots of people dont have the luxry of a driveway at all, so that is why I want to know if I should just let it go, and find something more important to worry about.

It just irritates me sometimes, as I was always taught that you NEVER parked over a driveway, out of courtesy, both my my parents and my driving instructor.

Will stop wittering, just honestly wondered what other people do/were told?
(Thanks if you read it all!)

OP posts:

Original poster

shooblydoobly · 03/06/2011 13:05

drive I live in quite an ok house really, not a dive

OP posts:

GooGooMuck · 03/06/2011 13:05

people should not be parking there, but I'm not sure what you can do about it.

On my street there are white lines painted over access points.

rainbowinthesky · 03/06/2011 13:06

It's legal as long as you have a dropped kerb and no car in your drive. I wouldnt do it though.

EverythingInMiniature · 03/06/2011 13:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

KaraStarbuckThrace · 03/06/2011 13:06

Have you got a dropped kerb to your driveway? If so, YANBU, and they should not be parking there.
Not sure what is the best approach though to deal with it. Certainly neighbours should not be blocking your driveway access and perhaps a polite note or word with them would help.

pregnantpause · 03/06/2011 13:10

YANBU but I cant see what can be done about it- its not worth falling out with neighbours and if its randoms then you have no control at all.

IgnoringTheChildren · 03/06/2011 13:13

I would never park over someone's dive driveway. Inconsiderate arses! Not sure how I would handle it (without getting OTT evil about it - possibly not the best way to manage the situation!)

Do you actually park on your drive or just use it as a way to keep a space out the front of your house? I you actually use your drive and a neighbour parked across it I would definitely ask them to move their car, however if you usually park across it yourself then they might think you're a bit cheeky IYSWIM.

GooGooMuck · 03/06/2011 13:14

I think it is worth falling out with neighbours to be able to park in your own drive, but you shouldn't have to fall out over it?

Is it obvious that it is a driveway? Maybe a please keep clear for access sign would help you out?

mrsravelstein · 03/06/2011 13:14

we get people parking over our drive all the time, drives me nuts.

so now i phone the council whenever it happens and request they send a parking warden around, it's usually within about 30 minutes, they will ticket them for parking adjacent to a dropped kerb. they don't usually repeat offend outside my house after that! (apart from one guy who, the 2nd time i got him ticketed, got very irate and told me that he was parking outside my house because it was 'convenient' for him, and he didn't see the problem!)

SardineQueen · 03/06/2011 13:20

Who do you ask for at the council mrsravel? There is a car parked on the pavement up the road at the moment and I'm feeling very annoyed about it. (Car entirely up and on the pavement, all 4 wheels, in the middle of it, not just two wheels on IYSWIM).

Original poster

shooblydoobly · 03/06/2011 13:20

We do have a dropped kerb, but usually park across our drive, as if you park on it, people park so close either side and opposite that you couldn't get off again! We have been effectively blocked in several time in the past because of it.
Think the drop was put in some time ago, and is quite narrow, unlike the more modern ones. We have been thinking about stumping up the 800 odd quid to get it extended by the council, but it is not really feasible at the moment.

OP posts:

IgnoringTheChildren · 03/06/2011 13:21

mrsravelstein - not so 'convenient' when you get a ticket surely!

Tiredmumno1 · 03/06/2011 14:02

We had a car blocking our car on our drive, as some lovely individual had parked over the drop kerb, it was evening so i called they local police station, they said it was a privelege to have a drive, and it was basically ok, for us to be blocked

Great huh

FireAndRain · 03/06/2011 14:11

YANBU, it must be so frustrating! As for people parking over a drive with a dropped kerb, if you have a car parked on your drive and someone blocks you in, then this is illegal as it is preventing you from getting on to the highway. However, if your drive is empty and someone parks over it, it's not illegal, just bloody annoying.

I'd ring parking services or your local police if it keeps happening with the same cars. When neighbours have done it to me, I've gone and knocked and asked ever so sweetly if they wouldn't mind moving their car as I couldn't get onto my property. They don't tend to repeat it!

FireAndRain · 03/06/2011 14:12

Oh and by ever so sweetly, I mean arsey but trying to hide it!

scurryfunge · 03/06/2011 14:14

FireandRain is right -they cannot block you in but you can be blocked off.

ZombiePlan · 03/06/2011 14:17

You need to get a white line put on the road in front of the dropped kerb.

BooyHoo · 03/06/2011 14:18

when i worked at my last job it was in town centre and the only parking that was free was on street parking outside houses. none of teh houses had drives or garden. the parking bit had a footpath between it and the houses and tehre were no dropped curbs. on my first day on man came out of his hosue and complained taht i had parked infront of his house. i was so mortified taht i had caused him inconvenience. i knwo legally i had a right to park tehre but tehre is such a thing as courtesy and not inconveniencing residents.

Greenstocking · 03/06/2011 14:22

A friend of ours solved this problem by shunting a flashy little sports car out of the way of his drive with his battered old landrover. .

People who park over other'd driveways are ignorant twats of the highest order and their cars deserve an accidental bump/scratch every time they do it.

Original poster

shooblydoobly · 03/06/2011 14:36

I think what partly irritates me is that several neighbours have 2 or 3 cars, fine, their prerogative, but the bloke over the road, who has 3, tries to line them all up where he can 'keep an eye' on them. He has no drive and lives in the upstairs flat.
I asked his girlfriend (very nicely) to move the other day, as there was a space literally one car down, and DH was about to get home with a car load of IKEA stuff. I literally opened the front door, and she wound the window down and said 'You want me to move don't you? It made me think 'If you didn't think you should park there, then why do it?'
So basically, it sounds like we need to stump up for the driveway, as even a white line would not give enough 'turning out room'.
OR
Put up with it.
Thanks for your responses, I do have more important things to worry about, honest! It's just always got to me.

OP posts:

diddl · 03/06/2011 14:48

What does having a car in the driveway have to do with it?

If your car isn´t in the drive, does that mean it´s ok to block you getting back in?

What if you have a garage-with a car in but it can´t be seen?

scurryfunge · 03/06/2011 14:51

Yes diddl. It is to do with blocking the highway or access to it.

lesley33 · 03/06/2011 14:54

YANBU. But I am surprised. Maybe its just because I live in the North, but I have never had someone park over our driveway.

headfairy · 03/06/2011 14:55

Get some cones/bins and put them across the entrance to your drive....

Ps, don't do that :o

Bloody frustrating op, I feel your pain. I have parking woes every day, but I would never ever dream of parking across someone's drive, whether there was a car there or not.

diddl · 03/06/2011 14:58

"Yes diddl. It is to do with blocking the highway or access to it."

So if the driveway is empty it´s OK to block it?

What if there´s a garage?

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