Because we all love a parking thread... AIBU to think you don't park an articulated lorry in a residential cul-de-sac?

[Taz1212]

So I arrived home this afternoon to find that I couldn't turn left into our cul-de-sac because one of the residents has decided to park his articulated lorry in a parking bay large enough for one additional car (a car was already at the top end of it). His top half is completely covering the path and his rear end is so far out into the road that you have to either reverse into the cul-de-sac or drive past it, turn around in the road and approach it from the other direction.

He's been parking a large work van in the parking bay for the past few weeks (against the rules in our title deeds which state no commercial vehicles are to be parked overnight in the parking bays) but the van appears to have morphed overnight into this monster.

I don't think there's anything that can be done- I don't know where they live, but AIBU to think this is a bit nuts?

(Will attach photos in the next post- have blurred them so you can't read the details but thought I'd separate the posts in case anyone does think they are identifying)

[Poledra]

Definitely call the company. When I was on mat leave, there used to be a refrigerated lorry which parked outside my house, leaving its refrigeration unit running. It could be there for over 2 hours I suspected the driver was in the pub a few doors along but had no proof. After a few weeks of this, I called the company, who were immediately apologetic, asked for the registration and assured me it would be moved. It was, within 15 minutes, and didn't come back again.

This is, by the way, the mother of all parking threads

[DoraGora]

Strikes me as typical modern behaviour. Act selfishly first and wait until somebody figures out what to do about it.

When asked, reply:

everybody else doesn't have a problem with it, and close the door.

[MaitlandGirl]

I nearly hit a fully loaded car transporter in the fog this morning - it was parked half on the road / half in the nature strip on the bend in our road.

Scared the ever loving crap out of me so I called the council and police. It was being moved when I came back from the school run.

I then called the real estate company (they're tenants) and complained to them - oddly enough they weren't happy.

Dangerous / inconsiderate parking gets right on my nerves.

[RobotHamster]

Oh bollocks. 101, obvs. Not 111. Clearly I've dialled it too often recently

[Taz1212]

I have a response to my email...

"Thanks for your email- I will certainly speak to the driver but it may also be something you want to discuss with your neighbour whom he is visiting. I am sorry I am not sure of her name but I imagine it is the responsibility of all the residents to manage where their guests park."

Good that they will speak to the driver but I have no idea as to which house he is overnighting "visiting" most nights and the company doesn't seem overly bothered. I'll probably leave it alone just now and hope he doesn't come back!

[PenguinBollards]

"Thanks for your email- I will certainly speak to the driver but it may also be something you want to discuss with your neighbour whom he is visiting. I am sorry I am not sure of her name but I imagine it is the responsibility of all the residents to manage where their guests park."

Cheeky gets! I'd be replying with "Thanks ~ after careful consideration I've decided I don't want to discuss this with my neighbour. I'd rather dicuss it with the police instead. Have a good day!"

[Taz1212]

Yeah, it was a bit of a fobbing off email, wasn't it? I'll see how annoyed I'm feeling later and possibly email them back. I know one of the neighbours is contacting the Council today and another one is contacting the factors so I'll maybe email the Council/factors with the photos.

I should put the original unblurred photos on some of those bad parking websites!

[MissMooMoo]

surely its the drivers responsibility to manage where he parks?! what a fob off.

[Taz1212]

Oh yes, I sent them the unblurred photos! I'm thinking of drafting an email that starts, "Thank you for your email. As it does not fill me with confidence that the issue will be resolved, I have decided it is necessary to escalate it to X, Y, Z..."



I'm really just hoping it doesn't happen again- I don't want this to become a regular occurrence. I wouldn't be bothered if it were clearly a one off, but he has been parking his works van in the parking bay for weeks now and I don't want him graduating to this instead!

[InstitutionCode]

How about, thank you for your email, please can you tell me which neighbour he is visiting, so I can do just that?

Then get the neighbours in turn to knock them up every 20 mins between 1am and 5am

Then inform the authorities anyway.

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Just email them back and say you've got Mumsnet on it... That'll put the shitters up them...

[sebsmummy1]

How about you turn the photos into a flyer and post them through everyone's doors asking if they know who the drive is and if he (she?) is visiting their house please be aware that he was blocking the road and causing a hazard and that in the future the police will be called etc etc etc.

[HellKitty]

Just sitting here, don't mind me

[justasingularity]

You need to set up a twitter account - don't use your own name - tweet photo of lorry and location to local police, council indeed anybody in authority they all have twitter accounts - it will get noticed v v quickly

[MayDivorceBeWithYou]

Yes just.. There's the you park like a c*nt twitter account too if you feel like spreading the angst

[Icimoi]

Stick one of these on his windscreen; not on the bit immediately in front of the driver (you don't want to delay his exit) but maybe in front of the passenger seat?

[ThisTimeIAmMagic]

YANBU. This put me off buying a house when I was younger the next door neighbour liked to park his articulated lorry outside the house not his own probably because he didn't want to block the light outside his own house He's a twat.

[Taz1212]

If it happens again I'll go down the Twitter and facebook route. It's a small wedding/event company so I don't imagine they'd want their social media image tarnished. I'm hoping it's a one off though.

In the meantime, I took DS to his swimming earlier and curiously there were loads of empty driveways in the cul-de-sac but all of the parking bays were full. No room for articulated lorries tonight.

[Lucked]

Yes e-mail them back and point out that they are wrong it is soley the drivers responsibility where they park, not their friends or family, as per the Highway Code. The one person who isn't responsible for solving this at all is youself so, now they are aware of this, you have every confidence it won't happen again.

I also suggest you get together with a few neighbours and completely fill the bay for a while.

[DisgraceToTheYChromosome]

HGV driver here. What you do is get the O licence number (green or blue disc lower left windscreen) and ring the local Traffic Commissioner, telling them the vehicle is being parked overnight other than in accordance with an operator's license.

PS: it's not actually an artic. It's something worse, a 26t rigid Moffat carrier. Very good at hitting things when turning.

[londonrach]

Popcorn anyone. I do love a parking thread.... (Hands around popcorn)

[Lweji]

"Thanks for your email- I will certainly speak to the driver but it may also be something you want to discuss with your neighbour whom he is visiting. I am sorry I am not sure of her name but I imagine it is the responsibility of all the residents to manage where their guests park."

Answer:
It's the company's responsibility to ensure their drivers behave correctly on the road when using company's vehicles, I'm sure.
But I will check with the police and the council parking unit just to make sure and call them if the truck is this badly parked next time for a consult.

[FruChristerOla]

Glad you found this thread, Disgrace, I knew you'd know!