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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

... to be fiercely territorial about my - clearly labelled - allocated parking bay outside my house?

124 replies

PygmyValkyrie · 15/09/2011 10:07

I've recently noticed that parents on the school run at the school opposite my house have begun to use my neighbours' parking bays as an overspill for the car park.

The first time it happened, I went out and had a word. The guy apologised but looked completely disinterested, then remained there to make a phone call and smoke a fag whilst eyeballing me through my kitchen window after I'd gone back in. My neighbour then came home to find the guy, finally, just leaving.

I've contacted the school, who said they'd send a text message (really? Is this what goes on these days?) to parents to remind them not to do this, but already I've seen it happen again. Doing what everybody always seems to do in this situations, I took a photograph. I am now the proud owner of a photograph of a stranger's car, that I have no idea what to do with.

I've emailed the council. I doubt they'll help, but I'm fuming and I've got to try something.

Is this the behaviour of a normal person, or am I losing it?

OP posts:
Ormirian · 15/09/2011 12:13

If it's only parents parking there, does it really matter? it will only be for a short time morning and afternoon.

if it really bothers you contact the school and get them to issue a reminder to please not park there.

lurkerspeaks · 15/09/2011 13:03

I take it all of you saying it is alright / only for a short time/ would be quite happy to lend your driveways out?

If so then please do so because as another poster has said the parking around schools is atrocious. If all of you who are so generous allowed people to use their driveways the parking situation would be ameliorated somewhat.

Why should anyone be inconvenienced by selfish, inconsiderate people trespassing on their land just because they happen to live near a school. The laws don't vary just because a plot of land is within 300 yards of the school gates.

CurrySpice · 15/09/2011 13:06

I live very near a school. A school that my kids don't go to. The parking is atrocious and often causes me real trouble getting out of my drive to collect my own DC.

It's mildly irritating I agree. It's not worth getting so het up about that you're considering clamping people, confronting them, taking photos, phoning the council. Especially when it's not even your own space

Now people who park dangerously on beds / yellow lines / zig zags, that really gets my goat. The rest I am a bit meh about tbh

Original poster
PygmyValkyrie · 15/09/2011 13:10

I know it's not very clear from the original post, but two of these four spaces are mine. They are part of our house.

OP posts:
CurrySpice · 15/09/2011 13:15

No no OP I think you've made that clear Wink :o

RogerMelly · 15/09/2011 13:19

one of my neighbours often parks on my drive and his house is on the opposite side of the road and to say it annoys me would be a complete understatement!:o

Original poster
PygmyValkyrie · 15/09/2011 13:36

Are you sure, CurrySpice? Are you sure I don't need to put more emphasis on the fact that this is our property? :p

TBH, the whole thing about next door is that it seemed a bit off to take the attitiude "nobody had better park in my space, but bollocks to the neighbours". That's all. I don't even know them that well, but I thought I'd show a bit of solidarity. They get home at all sorts of funny hours themselves. When I spoke to that one guy, my neighbour got home and found him there. Oh, yes he moved out the way; but only after he'd finished his fag and telephone conversation. My neighbour was not best pleased.

I actually find it strange more than anything. I would never park in somebody else's drive/bay. At the very least it is rude.

OP posts:
Eglu · 15/09/2011 13:43

It would drive me mad too. Our school recently got the community police officer to come down regularly as parents kept parking on the yellow zig zags and letters home were not having an effect.

You could try something like that, either ask the school or council.

CurrySpice · 15/09/2011 13:49

No OP could you just clarify...are two of the spaces actually yours? Wink

It is rude and annoying I agree. Just not enough to raise my blood pressure since it hasn't actually affected you iykwim

Meteorite · 15/09/2011 13:55

YANBU. I'd find it really annoying too. A polite email to the school might help.

ragged · 15/09/2011 14:00

Can you paint the tarmac in large letters "PRIVATE PROPERTY" on the spaces and put up notices to reiterate the same? I think I'd feel pretty sniffy about it, too.

Sending a text is pretty standard practice for our school, btw, I don't see anything wrong with that.

Whizkidwithacrazystreak · 15/09/2011 14:02

Sounds like you could have some spare time around the drop off times so why not capitalise on it by putting bollards up and charging drivers?

NearlyNotYoung · 15/09/2011 14:04

You could slip a "Private Property - do not park here" note on the windscreen (I think you can buy them in packs over t'internet).

School pick-up is hilarious at our school...Grin only because I can walk and therefore watch with great amusement as parents try to park directly outside the school (and yes, over peoples drives and on yellow school markings) rather than a couple of hundred yards down the road. The traffic jams caused as they try and get in and out of the road are great fun too - would love to video it all and stick it on telly; there have been near fisticuffs as well sometimes...

I would not find it amusing if I lived there though, so I do sympathise with you PygmyValkyrie, especially if you need to go out/come home at that time of day. School are powerless to help, unfortunately and the council don't really seem to care.

NearlyNotYoung · 15/09/2011 14:09

Whizkidwithacrazystreak "capitalise on it by putting bollards up and charging drivers?" Excellent idea!

Original poster
PygmyValkyrie · 15/09/2011 14:09

Actually - so nice of you ask, CurrySpice - two of them are, yes.

I can see the point about it not affecting me, but the schools have only just gone back. So far I've seen this happen everyday that I've been home in the daytime - and I'm not even going out of my way to look for it. What I'd like is some way of stopping it from happening in the future - I'm not looking for vengeance on the people who have already parked there.

But it is still annoying to see. Even if it is only next door. I hate to see people taking advantage, whatever the circumstances.

OP posts:
Original poster
PygmyValkyrie · 15/09/2011 14:14

I should get all the neighbours to club together and we'll put in a Pay and Display meter.

That would be the first time I'd actually be pleased to see one.

OP posts:
PeppaPigandGeorge · 15/09/2011 15:09

YANBU. Even if it's only 20 minutes morning and afternoon, it would irritate the hell out of me if I wanted to come home at that time. Why should you have to wait 20 minutes to park in your own space?

The school could ask parents not to park there, but they can't enforce it. The Council won't be able to do anything either - as you might have mentioned, the bays are part of your house. The Council have no power to enforce parking issues on private property.

I'd go with bollards if it really bothers you. Just make sure you get the type that open up quite wide - otherwise if you just put a "stick" type of bollard in the middle of each bay, people can (an will) get in between them and park half in one space, half in the other.

Lizcat · 15/09/2011 15:25

I have a beautiful private tarmac carpark behind my business premises that cost me £25,000. My premise is 100 yards from the local secondary school. Every day hoards of people park in my car park, some even sit in the entrance of my car park for up to 15mins and then get angry if asked to move. I am consistently polite point out that it is a private car park and that unless they are coming to us they can not park there. I am considering bollards and locking them all in as we have a surgery 2.15 to 2.45pm and then at 5 to 6pm. So I think I might lock the bollards at 3.05pm and unlock them at 4.45pm.

TakeThisOneHereForAStart · 15/09/2011 15:54

See if they sell clamps on ebay OP! You could make a fortune.

And I'm sure I saw someone on here say their private street was being used so the residents bought some very sticky and hard to remove labels reminding drivers not to park there and stuck them on windscreens, which worked quite well I think.

ragged · 15/09/2011 15:57

You're missing a trick, Lizcat: sell them weekly parking permits!!

mathanxiety · 15/09/2011 16:06

YANBU. Put out lawn furniture on your spots to guard them. Or nick some traffic cones from somewhere and set them out. A PITA of course but there is no other way to send the message as there will always be parents who think they are the exception to the rules or polite requests.

This is what people did in the US snowbelt city I lived in when they shovelled three feet of snow out of their precious street parking spots. Nobody would dream of parking in a marked spot.

Anniegetyourgun · 15/09/2011 16:13

Not exactly a parking issue, but I once saw two cars going in opposite directions outside a school, having dropped the kids off, when the drivers recognised each other and stopped for a chat. In their cars. In the middle of the road. A queue of other cars had built up behind each of them before one of them finally said "I'll call you later" and they drove off.

Couldn't they have just, like, waved?

PGTip · 15/09/2011 16:24

School run parents can be vet inconsiderate (and yes before anyone flames me I do the school run in a car every day). They seem to think they can park where they like as they are dropping their dc off. Bet they would be the first to complain if someone parked in their space! If you live by a school then yes you have to accept increased traffic you do not have to accept rudeness and ignorance from inconsiderate adults.

scaryteacher · 15/09/2011 16:25

Superglue notices to their windscreens pointing out it is private parking or carry on blocking them in. I had one woman park up the side of my house, by my kitchen, which was separated from next door (her childminder) by a fence, and she was most abusive when I asked her to move, and even crosser when dh parked behind her and then went for a long walk. I will not drive his car, so she had to sit there til he came back. Shame.

ExpensivePants · 15/09/2011 16:28

Tbh, if I wasn't home it wouldn't bother me. They could park on my drive for all I care!

This is hysterical. If the OP isn't home, maybe she should hang her key on a string by the letterbox. Then the waiting parents could pop in and have a coffee while they're waiting. After all, if she isn't home...