AIBU to park half on the pavement?

[elinorbellowed]

Outside my house, only blocking my own drive, room on the pavement for a pushchair/wheelchair to get past, room on the road for two cars to pass comfortably and safely.
I just CAN'T face trying to get it in the drive, which is approximately 10 cm wider than the car. I only passed my test last week and I've already scraped the bloody thing twice. It took me five minutes and A LOT of swearing to reverse it out this morning for the school run. Toddler DD has tonsillitis and was sobbing in pain in the back. Please tell me I can leave it there until 2.45? Am picking up new smaller car for me on Saturday, so I don't have to persevere with this beast for much longer.

(Although, how I will handle the shame if my driving instructor goes past I do not know...)

YADBU I'm sorry to say. I had a serious telling off by the Police once for doing that - parked outside a friend's house where we'd all gone for lunch. I've never done it again since.

Hmm, I thought it was totally illegal to park on the pavement, but apparently, as long as you're not in London, it's legal, but in the "should not" side of the highway code. bloody useless thing should contain ONLY the must not, it's illegal bits, rather than also haveing "should not" parts (OurplanetNeptune's post is what got me looking up that "in London" bit, check out rule 244)
www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_069860?CID=TAT&PLA=url_mon&CRE=highwaycode_parking

Also check out 243:
"DO NOT stop or park.. ?in front of an entrance to a property"

I don't think the traffic warden will care when if ticketing you that it's YOUR property.

That said, I don't think you're BU, just illegal. HTH :)

Yes move it.

Give the OP a break, only just passed and trying her best. Whilst it is wrong to park on the pavement sounds like you'll only be doing it today and tomorrow. Far worse driving offences committed than that........and she's tried to accomodate pavement users

Elinor its AIBU ... surely you expected these replies. if you are that vulnerable dont post and flounce.

anyways congrats on passing your test but like i said take the bull by the horns and when dp is home and kids settled/asleep drive around block and practice reversing into your drive.

simple aa.

zebdee- you take photos of cars parked incorrectly? That's odd behaviour.

It is not always illegal to park on the pavement. There are lots of narrow streets where it is impossible for other cars to drive through unless cars park partially on the pavement.

elinor- did you really expect anyone to agree?

It means that you have to find an acceptable place to park your car that might shock mean having to walk a bit further

Well if you read my post it isn't actually me parking on the pavement!

I don't think it's black and white, I do think it's acceptable to hump on the kerb on occasion, illegal or not if you're not obstructing the pavement. ALL the roads in my residential area do kerb humping, as there are quite a few places without drives and a high volume of traffic especially at school time.

You shouldn't be driving if you can't even park on your own drive- you will find yourself in far more hairy driving situations than parking/reversing off your drive so if it induces a meltdown I'd advise not driving until a bit more confident

as long as you don't ever complain about cyclists on the pavement, pedestrains walking in the road or be worried if your car gets scratched by a wheel chair - then no YANBU

But if you want people to walk on the pavements, cycle on the road and whell chair users to not scratch your car

then get of the pavement and park on the road.

I'd advise not driving until a bit more confident

Really? I'd advise the opposite, keep trying. Leave your car where it is until you feel calm enough (and the dcs are safe) to go out and try getting it in the drive.

No, I didn't expect agreement, but I didn't expect to be called lazy. I think that was unnecessary. And I'm not flouncing! (but I might now..)

I wasn't accusing you of kerb humping (Oo-er!!) YWF, simply saying that in some cases it is just unresonable and unnecessary to do it, and for the sake of a couple of hundred yards walk everyone might be safer.
The road I live in actually has authorised 'humping' spaces at various points, and even these are awkward for pedestrians as the pavement is too narrow to accommodate pushchairs etc and even pedestrians when there is overhanging vegetation from front gardens etc.

What's wrong with being a little bit lazy? My life revolves around finding ways to do as little as possible.

Try reversing onto the drive. It's far easier because of the mirrors.

YonWHaleFish, you have really helped me, thank you for your good advice. And thank you Yorkshire Princess. I don't feel very calm now, I feel stressed and shaky, which is why I didn't want to try again with ill girl in the back seat.
I do care about pedestrians, which is why I HAVE LEFT ROOM. I don't care in the slightest about my car being scraped by them.

On our road loads of people park half on the pavement. If they didn't they would have nowhere to park or they would block the road.

Depending on the street, I don't think YABU.

"I'd advise not driving until a bit more confident"

LOL. Yes, because the best way by far to gain confidence is to not drive. What a dumb comment.

I wasn't accusing you of kerb humping (Oo-er!!) YWF, simply saying that in some cases it is just unresonable and unnecessary to do it, and for the sake of a couple of hundred yards walk everyone might be safer.

Haha oooer! I agree completely with this statement.

Elinor you're welcome, good luck. It'll definitely be easier when you've your smaller car, and the more you drive, it'll become second nature

It's very common where I live to see cars parked partially on the pavement in housing estates, and I've never heard of anyone getting ticketed or told off by police for doing so.
My parents (who live 10 mins from us) live a few doors down from a pair of police officers, and these police officers and their family always park like the OP (they've got too many cars for the driveway).

So long as you're only blocking your own drive and leaving plenty of room on the pavement for wheelchairs and pushchairs (including double ones) to get past, I don't think it's a major problem.

But you really should practise parking in your own driveway.

What kind of street is it, OP?
My mum lives in a close and everyone has parked half-on half-off for as long as I can remember, I did myself for 10 years when I lived there.
I now park half-on half-off outside my own house, although we do have a grass verge so plenty of pavement space left.

I think the 'should not' in the Highway Code implies that it's not actually illegal (assuming you are outside of London), doesn't it?

People parked half on the pavement are the absolute bane of my life as I walk my boys (4 years old) to school with my side-by-side twin buggy (for their baby sisters). It's so annoying and yes, it's the overhanging vegetation from front gardens that makes it worse - brambles, holly, etc - my poor babies! live opposite a secondary school and every day the same inconsiderate parents park up and watch me sruggle past at picking-up time as I set off to the primary school. Arses.

Definitely keep practising.

Just to also point out that you could be fined for blocking your own drive, if a parking attendant walks past. (probably not likely, I suspect).

In some places there are parking signs telling to park half on the pavement. I used to live in such a road and there were markings on the pavement as well.
the pavement was wide and there were buses going through.

If there are no such signs you should park on the road.

Parkingwise, make sure that you get the car straight with your drive, then move forward (or in reverse) so that there is no risk of scrapings.

have you got parking sensors? If not, have them fitted - they'll help a lot until you're more confident about how big your car is. I don't mean that in a patronising way - it takes a while to adjust if you've been learning in a Corsa and now you're driving a big 4x4.