For a film crew to block my front door?!

[Lj8893]

I live in a small town and there is currently a blockbuster film being filmed right outside my front door. Its a period setting so they have done loads of set decoration all around, including blocking up some windows etc.

Yesterday my dp came home (I wasn't in) and our front door had a door shaped block wedged in front. He grabbed a crew or security member who moved it and he told them it can't be there as I am due to go into labour any day (I'm 39 weeks) and it is our only exit/entrance so for fire and health and safety reasons it can't be there, or we at least need to know when!

Earlier on he popped in from work, and it was there again. He repeated the same speech from yesterday and they moved it, and told him when its up it will only be for 2 mins max.

Its up there again, and has been for nearly 45 minutes!!! I have rang and left a voicemail for the assistant location manager (his number was put on a info leaflet through our door a week ago).

Essentially I'm trapped in my house, and yes I could push it out with some force but that's not really fair on me is it?!

Its actually starting to make me feel quite panicky now.

AIBU?! Or what should I do?!

The police/fire crew probably didn't know it was your only exit - they would have assumed you had permitted the door block, and that you had another exit. They may not have known you were due to give birth any day, either!

Bet if the fire crew had been asked 'is it OK to block the only exit to a home' they would have been VERY concerned.

Bet if the fire crew had been asked 'is it OK to block the only exit to a home' they would have been VERY concerned.

Exactly this.
I apologise for the 'flaming wet' comment, but that's just my tactful (hmm] way of saying FGS, stop negotiating with them and tell them it is unacceptable.
And it DOES smack a bit of being starstruck, sorry. A film crew blocked up your only exit for a blockbuster.
If a random Joe Bloggs from down the street fitted a false door so you couldn't get out and had to ram it open, would you have had negotiations with him or told him to go 'do one and get lost?!

Yes I guess they probably didn't realise.

However, I'm not going to keep justifying myself for something that I'm not at fault for. I hardly invited them to block my door.

Id be slightly more concerned if a random joe bloggs did it for no reason yes, you can't really compare that to something that essentially is bringing a lot of tourism and trade to my town. Not that that makes it any more acceptable but yes it did mean I was prepared to listen to apologies and negotiate something that would work for both parties. Especially when by this point my door was no longer blocked. Nothing to do with being starstruck at all. Now, the large crowds of people who have been standing in the pissing rain watching the filming....they are what I would call starstruck.

Jelly, they have finished filming so why are you keeping on attacking the OP? What do you want her to do?

Lj I hope the rest of your pregnancy goes well and there is no more drama on your street.

Off to google the director!

Id be slightly more concerned if a random joe bloggs did it for no reason yes, you can't really compare that to something that essentially is bringing a lot of tourism and trade to my town.

So, essentially with that sentence you're saying you're more acceptable to them blocking your door up if they're bringing tourism and trade/millions of quid to your town.
That does sound a bit starstruck and "it's a film crew so it;'s more acceptable."
No wonder film crews think they can do what they like (going by other stories on this thread.)
You shouldn't be negotiating with anybody blocking your one and only fire escape.
Just telling them to shift the damn thing, and somebody outside your front door to make sure you can get out just isn't enough. It shouldn't be happening at all.

Ok, I'm a little disappointed with the director.

Jelly, they have finished filming so why are you keeping on attacking the OP? What do you want her to do?

Sorry, I'm not attacking, or not meaning to. I just can't believe someone would be happy with someone stationed outside their door just in case.
Even if the block hasn't been back on (by sheer good luck.)
Yes, filming's finished. Which is why they probably thought they could mess OP around - doesn't matter, we'll be gone in a few days!

You are coming across as quite aggressive actually. Perhaps you don't mean to be but you are. The OP has done nothing wrong here. Why not let it go?

Nothing to with with sheer good luck!! In the "negotiations" I was told they had finished filming in our direction and so were more than likely not using the block anymore. I said that's fine obviously but would still like someone responsible stationed outside our door in case, so they could let me know if they wanted the block on in which case I could have said no it can't go on or if I was feeling generous I could have gone out for a bit so I wasn't trapped inside. So essentially by this point I was in charge of the block, which is completely reasonable I think regarding its my door!

How is supporting my local town and community being starstruck?! I'd be acting exactly the same if I was in this situation due to a street fair or carnival for example!

mokumoku Thankyou very much for your support. Hopefully the next bit of drama on my street will be me going into labour

I'm not being aggressive, I've actually apologised upthread if you see for the 'wet' comment', that was put out of sheer in response to the fact that someone would be happy with their fire exit being blocked up (which at that point, OP was happy as long as someone was stationed outside.)
I apologised for that, I could have been more tactful with my wording.
Others on the thread have shown shock and disgust too.
Why is pointing out the truth seen as being aggressive? All I have done is say that blocking up the only fire escape is actual criminal, dangerous and not open to negotiations such as chocolates and someone outside your door just in case you need to get out.
There's no way of sugar coating that.

and so were more than likely not using the block anymore.

Ummm,. (not being aggressive, honest!) just genuinely curious. How is THAT being in control of your own door?!
They haven't said they won't put it on again. Just they're more than likely not to.
But they might if they want to...
yes I know they've finished filming and this is now a moot point
It shouldn't have been done in the first place though and you don't seem to be getting that.

Because they agreed they would tell me if they wanted it on, and at that point I would have been entitled to say no sorry its not going on, or yep ok, Im going out now anyway, ill be back in an hour or whatever, I need it removed by then.

Of course it shouldn't have been done in the first place, that's what my whole point of my OP was about!!

Well actually reading the whole thread there were a couple of false promises and resolutions were reneged on by the film crew earlier on.

It was obviously (to me anyway) a case of 'yeah , yeah we wont do it again, very sorry' to 'psssst, quick they're not looking put it back up again' . Basically all they cared about was getting the filming finshed and as within schedule as much as possible and were just stringing you along.

Nobody would block my only exit for even a second , if they did it would soon come down one way or another and wouldn't be going back up except over our (I speak for my DH too) dead bodies.

We are not aggressive people at all but have reacted more strongly than OP to our drive being blocked let alone our front door !

But now apparently you are ok with them wantonly and repeatedly endangering life and limb (including that of your unborn child) because 'Hey' you might get some compo out of this.

The "promises" made before hand weren't from anybody senior.

How dare you try and put guilt on me saying I have put my unborn child's life at risk.

I think its disgusting that people are trying to blame me for what has happened. It was stressful enough trying to sort the whole situation out, if I had got myself any more worked up by arguing further, shouting out my window, removing the block etc etc than my adrenaline and probably blood pressure would have shot through the roof.

I was trying to get the best solution with the situation whilst trying to keep as calm as possible.

How dare you try and put guilt on me saying I have put my unborn child's life at risk.

Nobody's trying to guilt you, I certainly haven't and I don't think the other poster meant that too.
They have tried to fob you off though and you have just put up with it, and that could be potentially life threatening,
What would have happened if your DH wasn't home that day to forcibly belt the door block out of place and make him half an hour late to work in the process?
That must be some heavy wedge to block, and doesn't sound like something you'd have been able to do heavily pregnant.
Seriously, don't let them get away with it is what we're saying. This coming from someone who hates any kinds of scenes and thinks the compensation culture is ridiculous and out of hand (suing for falling over pavements, for example? Ridiculous money grabbers.)
Your predicament is a whole different scenario though - they blocked up an only entrance and said "they've more than likely finished doing it"
THAT is unacceptable. (From them, not you.)

That's how I read it from the other poster, I really do hope that's not what was meant.

I'm not letting them get away with it, I too hate our money grabbing compo culture but in this situation I think I am more than entitled to do so. They have completely taken the piss with me, and they now know that i have them at a disadvantage as I'm sure they don't want their film blackened by any form of media, local or not. After all, it was them that suggested a discussion regarding us talking to papers and compensation, not us.

Nothing to do with wouldn't dare , trust me. But l in fact stated they did so , over and over and you seem to see it as an opportunity for financial gain/compensation.
In fact upthread you stated (after they had already done it yet again a few times after your requests they desist) you had told them they were not to do it again without compensating you.
Not just a blanket 'Don't do it again' then.

Yes you have, as has Bahhh.

Telling someone they are wet (and if you apologise and then qualify it with a 'but' it is not an apology) is not on. Telling a very pregnant woman that she's risking her unborn child because of something beyond her control to begin with, that she has now dealt with, is a bloody awful thing to say.

Pointing out your own version of the truth (being as you weren't there) very insistently, is aggressive.

Telling a very pregnant woman that she's risking her unborn child because of something beyond her control to begin with, that she has now dealt with, is a bloody awful thing to say.

I have NEVER said that, anywhere in the thread, and wouldn't be so blunt.
I just said it was potentially life threatening if you couldn't get out. Which it was.

I didn't say you did.

Bahhh did though.

^In fact upthread you stated (after they had already done it yet again a few times after your requests they desist) you had told them they were not to do it again without compensating you. ^

Yes they wernt to do it again without compensating us and letting me know so I could either say no or remove myself from the house if it was convenient for me to do so.
They didn't do it again, so I forgot about compensation. Untill we got contacted by the paper and they (the film company) mentioned compensation.

So its all over now, what's done has been done and naturally we are still very cross, the film company are obviously abit worried about us talking to the paper/s (which I would never do if they hadn't contacted me) and want a discussion regarding compensation.

What do you suggest I do? Tell them not to worry and forget all about it? Who the fuck turns down money nowadays?!

You are both being aggressive to the OP, and saying that you're not doesn't change that you. She dealt with it, and it's all over now so why keep going on about it? Just back off, or have you nothing better to do than try to have an unnecessary argument with someone?

Time out both of you - return to your corners