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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think our drive isn't a handy cut through to next door??

43 replies

TheCunnyFuntOfEastwick · 26/10/2012 10:36

We have a little drive, just big enough for 1 car, we have a Vectra which pretty much fills it, it leaves a small gap about a foot wide between the house wall and the back end of the car. Next doors drive is the same as ours, and there is a hedge inbetween the 2 drives, with a gap between the end of our garage and the hedge. Both us and NDN have our cars on the drives all day. NDN parents seem to think that it is ok for them to come down our drive and squeeze through the tiny gap between our house wall and our car, ending up behind NDNs car, instead of squeezing past NDNs car!

We have asked them not to do it, they said they'd stop. But they didn't so we asked NDN to tell them to stop. They're still doing it!! I think they think we can't see them doing it. Tbh this is just a rant really. There's not much we can do until we rip the hedge out and put a fence up instead! Hopefully this will happen next year. Grrr.
Rant over.

OP posts:
BlueberryHill · 26/10/2012 10:38

Could you put a plant pot with a holly or something spikey in it, in the gap for the moment?

MousyMouse · 26/10/2012 10:42

a bit of razor wire between your garage and the hedge?

TiaMariaandDietCoke · 26/10/2012 10:44

I'd second what Blueberry said - plant something in the gap and then be fiercely protective of it (until you rip it out to put your fence in!) :)

poozlepants · 26/10/2012 10:47

One of our neighbours used to do this when out walking his dog. Instead of opening the gate to the back lane he would cut through our driveway and squeeze through the gap in the hedge whilst his dog chased our cats round the garden. I never said anything as he was an arse and I didn't want to start a feud as he already had fallen out with half the street so I just parked my car right up against the hedge and the gararge door. I came out one day to find my wing mirror hanging off. I wouldn't have been able to prove it was him but noone else would need to get through. He was a policeman ffs. So DH had a garage clear out and piled a whole load of old timber in the gap. It literally saved him 0 seconds.
I think you need to put a potplant, wheelbarrow or a bin there to stop them.

FireOverBabylon · 26/10/2012 10:49

paint anti-climb paint down the wall where they're squeezing through?

oscarwilde · 26/10/2012 10:50

Coat the end of the hedge in something really sticky and smelly............ the postman probably won't thank you though - he/she's bound to be cutting through too

TheCunnyFuntOfEastwick · 26/10/2012 10:50

Depends on how much maintenance a plant would need, we've barely had time mow the lawn thus year never mind looking after the plants!

I don't think you're allowed to use razorwire are you? Anyway, that's not an option as there are a lot if cats round here and as much as I don't like them I'd hate to be responsible for slicing one to bits.

OP posts:
TheCunnyFuntOfEastwick · 26/10/2012 10:55

Poozle what an arse he sounds like! Shock

Tbf I've never seen our postlady squeeze through, ever, and I see her most days!

Anti vandal paint is a good idea until we need to go through :o

OP posts:
fluffyraggies · 26/10/2012 11:00

Just put something there.

Wheeley bin?

Couple of plastic chains across at chest and knee height?

A large plastic pot which looks like teracotta? (fill it with pebbles or gravel if you don't want a plant to look after)

A little potion of trellis opened out across?

fluffyraggies · 26/10/2012 11:00

Potion? [hgrin] Portion!

Startailoforangeandgold · 26/10/2012 11:07

Plant a Pyracantha (firethorn), yes it may need a bit or pruning, but you get white flowers in spring, red berries and birds in
Autumn and superb long spikes 365 days a year.

PumpkInDublic · 26/10/2012 11:09

Dress as a Zombie, hide in the gap and jump out. Say you were waiting for trick or treaters.

Startailoforangeandgold · 26/10/2012 11:11

Oh and you can train it up your house wall if the gap is small.
It's often recommended on crime prevention sites as its perfectly legal and spikes aren't.

This Confused me has having pruned a very very tall one, spikes or broken glass are no more evil.

Nuttyfilly · 26/10/2012 11:12

Plant some pampas grass, hope I spelled it right, the long thin leaves are like knifes!

fluffyraggies · 26/10/2012 11:13

How wide is the gap roughly? When you say squeeze is it literally less than shoulder width? Or are we talking a meter?

What about a concrete garden ornament to put in the way? Like a bird bath or a statue? You can trawl car boot sales for a cheapy. Not like anyone is going to see it much.

TeaBrick · 26/10/2012 11:14

Please do the zombie thing and come back and post about it

cornybeefhashtag · 26/10/2012 11:14

this would drive me demented!
can you park your car closer to that side so they can't get through?
or put oil down or something and then they'll walk it all over the house when they go in....Grin

Inertia · 26/10/2012 11:17

Get a big plant pot with a big spiky plant, and coat the pot with grease or antivandal paint so they can't easily move it.

DontmindifIdo · 26/10/2012 11:18

I'd start with talking to the NDN - tell them you don't understand why their parents insist on walking on your drive rather than theirs, but whatever the reason, could they tell them to stop?

Suggest there's been some scratches on your car, and you think it's from people visiting their house insisting on squeesing by the side of your car rather than theirs.

ShowOfBloodyStumps · 26/10/2012 11:24

You say you can see them, wait till they're halfway down, throw open your door and cheerily screech "oh thank god you're here, he's been in the cuffs for an hour now and they're chafing but we didn't dare start without you. Your ad was brilliant btw, can't wait to see how well you squeeze down a private back passage. Shall we?"

99% sure they'll avoid your front entry in future. 1% worried you'll have to follow through though.

ThatArtfulPussy · 26/10/2012 11:25

Don't plant pampas - unless you're sending a very different message to the neighbours! [hgrin]

DublinMammy · 26/10/2012 11:39

Artful!!!! I had to look that up.... God, definitely DON"T plant pampas, Cunny, unless, er, well up to you....

socharlotte · 26/10/2012 11:43

'Don't plant pampas - unless you're sending a very different message to the neighbours! '

omg we've got pampas! What have we been telling the world.Please enlighten me !

3bunnies · 26/10/2012 11:54

Well socharlotte lets say that you are more likely to encounter the people alluded to in Showof post. Hope you've got your car keys handy!!!

TandB · 26/10/2012 12:38

Put something in the gap. Like a sign saying 'what part of "don't come through here" do you not understand?'

We used to live in a cottage which was rented from the owners of the house next door. The original owners of both properties lived in a second cottage on our other side. There were gates between all three gardens because they had once been owned by the same people. The old owners used to walk through our garden to go and look at the building work in their old house. I word the gate shut and they cut the wire off!

I had to put about twenty plant pots in a massive pile in front of the gate before he stopped doing it. What also helped was our landlords pointing out that he no longer owned the house and cottage so was quite frankly being weird by letting himself in for a nosey.

He also used to tell his guests to park across our gate because he used to own our cottage. Despite having a drive that would fit three cars, space for two more in his gateway and there being no parking restrictions whatsoever on our road. The whole road would be empty except for one car blocking our drive.