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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Neighbours, driveways and stupid police.

257 replies

montysma1 · 09/09/2012 21:01

My driveway entrance is double width, leading into my largely monoblocked driveway, which extends to the full width of my house. The entrance and the driveway are accessed over the pavement which has a lowered kerb.

I am plagued by cars doing 3 point turns, either mounting the pavement (best case ) or more commonly, crossing the pavement and driving squarely right into my monoblocked garden as part of their turn. Its annoying when randopm cars do it.

More annoyingly, a woman who comes daily to a house 3 down from ours (I think she might be the granny and might be child caring), uses our driveways habitually for all her turns, and I mean, all 4 wheels in my garden, (head lights beaming into our living room if its dark). Tonight i actually had to sit in the road way waiting for her to reverse out ouf my drive before I could get in to park on it! She actaully drices right past the driveway of the house she is going into (as it is narrow), manouvers in my garden and drives back down the street to park at the house she is going into!

Phoned the police tonight who say this is neither a criminal or civil offence. They are sending a community officer tomorrow to assuage my ranting, although, I did point out thats its not me who is doing it, so why not visit her?

AIBU to phone thenm back and point out that they are talking crap and that the law seems to state "that it is an offence to drive a vehicle over a pavement unless to gain access to private property" As she is not gaining access to my property, nor has she permission to , then surely it is an offence to mount the pavemnt at my house let alone drive right over it onto my property.

My children play in the garden, and know nopt to even so much as oput a toe out onto the pavement. but they cant even be safe in their own garden as according to the police, its perfectly fine for random cars to swing in at speed, reverse and leave again. they said i should phone back if a car hits one of them!

OP posts:
DottyWottyDooDah · 12/09/2012 20:28

Makes more sense now, thanks op :)

I think leaving old bikes and scooters out is a great idea actually.

Also reinforces "children play here"

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 12/09/2012 20:44

Have a look on your local free cycle for any old bikes or scooters that you could get hold of!

PigletJohn · 12/09/2012 20:47

hee hee! make it an obstacle course!

RabidCarrot · 12/09/2012 21:04

Sorry not read whole thread.
OP could you put some lovely big plant pots around? And a note through the door that "granny" goes to pointing out that she is on Private property, also put up a sign saying PRIVATE, NO TURNING

DottyWottyDooDah · 12/09/2012 21:08

Or deckchairs! And sit out with a can of tennants glaring at anyone who dares even pass your driveway

RabidCarrot · 12/09/2012 21:14

I would visit the local taxidermist and get a little something to leave on the drive way...elephant maybe then wait for her to drive in and run out shouting "you killed fido" Grin

cfc · 12/09/2012 21:21

Poor op shouldbn't have to make her house look like where used children's toys come to die though!! I do think it's a great, if messy idea tohugh.

Also, asking someone to leave your land, and they don't, is trespass - so just tell her to leave and not use the drive to turn as your children are using their bikes there, then the next time she does it, she IS comitting an offence.

It is annoying. I hope it all sorts itself out OP. There's nothing worse than an aggressive family with time on their hands and a vendetta.

cfc · 12/09/2012 21:22

Read the thread rabid - if you can't be arsed, why should we in filling you in as to why your reply is moot?

PigletJohn · 12/09/2012 21:25

paddling pool, half full of water

one of those turtle-shaped sandpits

plenty of old bicycles with their scratchy metal pedals facing up.

if you position your own car carefully you can leave a gap that is just big enough for you to drive straight in by your usual route, with no swoopy turns over the paving.

PigletJohn · 12/09/2012 21:31

and a water butt, and several watering cans, handy for your planters. Perhaps a hosereel, as well. And your wheelbarrow for the prunings of the dead plants.

BlueberryHill · 12/09/2012 21:33

Love the water butt idea, it sounds like it is turning into Its a Knockout though

TunaPastaBake · 12/09/2012 21:34

Just scatter some tacks and nails across your driveway Grin

TwoIfBySea · 12/09/2012 21:43

In fact if you have a really naughty side I saw this in a film once:

When she is reversing, run out behind her, thump the back of her car as loudly as possible and quickly lie down behind the car. When she gets out start groaning and rolling about as if in pain while muttering about suing.

She'll never drive again let alone into your garden.

But then I am a very wicked person!

PigletJohn · 12/09/2012 21:46

I heard a story about an American cyclist who did that. Quickly lay down behind the car, screaming. Driver jumped out in panic, forgot to put the brake on, car rolled back and squashed cyclist.

TunaPastaBake · 12/09/2012 21:46

automatic sprinkler system - you get them to deter foxes etc - detects movement and sprays water here

Redbindy · 12/09/2012 21:59

Hammer some nails through a short plank of wood. Hide the whole lot is an old plastic bag and leave it on the drive (pointed ends up obviously).

Jux · 12/09/2012 23:39

I do sympathise with you. Though ours is very forecourt-like and I am relaxed about people turning in it, they can't actually get particularly close to the house, and dd never used it for playing, scooting or anything. We had 3 cars parked there at first, but now it's only two and even so there's not enough room for people to seriously take the piss.

Can you stick up a Private Property Trespassers Will Be Prosecuted sign? (I've always been rather 'taken' by those signs; for some reason they remind me of my childhood.)

You know those fake dummies that women used to make it look like they weren't driving alone? Could you get some of those and pose them around your garden?

Are you planning at some point I maths future to turn your front garden into an actual garden? You could start it off now by planting up the planters you've got and then scattering a few larger pots to mark the point at which your private property starts. That way, it wouldn't be money used to deal with this bloody woman, but money spent in the cause of your plans for your garden of the future.

redlac · 13/09/2012 11:46

Jux is inspired! You need to get a load of manniquins all doing catalogue poses! you could rig them up to start moving when she drives in!

RabidCarrot · 13/09/2012 13:14

This reply has been deleted

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bureni · 13/09/2012 13:21

Rendbindy, that criminal damage if the nails puncture the tyres, what if an adult , child or pet walks over the hidden trap?

JoshLyman · 13/09/2012 14:09

Can you park your lengthways or diagonally just inside the entrance or in some other position that basically means she can't make the turn?

Redbindy · 13/09/2012 16:54

Bureni - its private land, nobody is forcing anyone to drive or walk on it, however if they do they must accept any associated risks. Have you actually calculated the risk of injury? It might happen is not good enough. The plastic bag is not hidden, that's the point!
Just in case though OP, wipe your fingerprints off first!

ElsieMc · 13/09/2012 18:19

We have people using our driveway to reverse into on a regular basis. Generally I haven't got too steamed up over it until a family moved next door with four cars who expected to use my driveway as a turning area all day every day so I couldn't get in and out of my own home. Solved it by parking my car lengthways across the driveway for a week. Soon stopped them.

Op, you do need to take care. During the summer my youngest GS was playing in the garden when a car backed right into my garden and did not see him directly behind the car. We screamed at him and he got out, looked really shocked and apologised. Although some posters have told you who are overreacting, this incident tells you you are not.

UsedToBeAContender · 14/09/2012 13:53

Maybe a load of us can just go over to OPs house and wait for her the next time she tries it? I'm sure we could all be mightily persuasive. Grin

Very very annoying and dangerous. I hate people who just act like nobody can touch them or talk to them and the usual rules don't apply.

TunaPastaBake · 14/09/2012 14:11

Or we could all wait for her in the bushes and suddenly jump out wearing Scream costumes and give her a Shock and hope she doesn't have a heart attack

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