AIBU to let guests/visitors to park across my own driveway??

[spancake]

We live on a quietish suburban street. We had a driveway put in a few years ago, which irritated our opposite neighbour, because she liked to park her car outside our house on our side of the road. She now parks outside her house on her side of the road, which makes it really difficult to get on and off our driveway sometimes, but we have always let it slide because we know she's an awkward character and we can do without the hassle. We just had a Sky engineer come to our house to fix the box, she was out so her car wasn't parked opposite, so quite reasonably, he parked the van on outside our house across our dropped curb. Whilst he was up a ladder, opposite neighbour pulls up in her car, parks outside her house (completely blocking the road) and tells the sky engineer that he needs to move his van because that's where she parks and he's blocking the road she has done this historically - just parked her car blocking the road if a guest has used our dropped curb, and gone in to her house without saying anything... AIBU to think that she doesn't get to say who can and can't park on my dropped curb, especially if she gets there afterwards and insists on parking in her normal spot. She does own her house and could in fact get a drive installed if parking was that much of an issue for her.

[spancake]

Good luck with that sleepsoftly, she'll be snapping around your ankles long before I will! I don't really have a problem with her or anyone else parking on her side of the street as awkward as it can be sometimes - I would just like to be able to allow my guests to park on my own dropped kerb without her shouting the odds or blocking the street because that's where she always parks

[MummaGiles]

Don't know about the dropped kerb parking laws but inconsiderate parking really gets my goat. People frequently park opposite our driveway despite there being a good 20 metres of space in front of their car where they could pull in and not block anyone. It makes it very difficult to get our car out, and pretty much impossible to get the car onto the drive, so we end up parking on street and having to move the car once they've gone.

[overthemill]

I looked them up because when we moved to current house neighbour used to tell us off for workmen parking op his dropped kerb and it really bugged me. So I am now the Queen of Dropped Kerb legislation. If it has a disabled person in house then it may be 'policed' more vigorously but the law is the same. You can't block access but you can park opposite. And interesting ( to me) that law is same fro eg hospitals and private driveways though I guess parking enforcement but more sharp for hospital than my driveway! So I know I can give eg permission for carpenter to block my driveway which has a dropped kerb. You do pay for getting dropped kerb when installed so guess it's fair enough.

[SeenSheen]

I'm amazed that people with driveways having already deprived the public if the space that creates the driveway, are also expecting the space opposite tone left free as well. Surely this should be a consideration when choosing the type of car they buy?

[spancake]

Not really seen - as our two cars that were parked on the road are now parked on the driveway... Simple maths we're saving a space. And like I said I'm not too fussed on her parking opposite, she could just try and be a little more considerate like I always bloody seem to be and not park like a complete arse.

[Lurkedforever1]

seen How by having a driveway have people deprived the public? For the majority of cases I'd suspect they are on private land that either you wouldn't pay for in the first place or you'd use for some other private purpose.
Likewise the access argument, if someone parks opposite my drive they'd block the access, however without a drive my car would be on my side of the road and stop them parking on the opposite side for a much longer stretch.

[PurpleHairAndPearls]

As a wheelchair user, I would love if people thought about us as well as other cars when parking, especially when dropped kerbs are involved.

I had to take a massive detour when trying to get to the local shop other day as the small road it was on, had a car over every single dropped kerb. It was so frustrating. It looked like people were visiting a house but I didn't want to knock on doors as I had my DD with me (who hasn't the strength to pull my chair over a non dropped kerb).

Quite often I go down a dropped kerb but have to travel on the road as the dropped kerbs on the "other side" of the rows are parked over.

And don't get me started on people who park, not only over the dropped kerb, but so far over on the pavement I can't get past their cars

I'm a driver too so I appreciate parking problems, but most of the time, people parking, have other options, the dropped kerbs are my only access. If I can't get down or up them, I can't travel in my chair, basically.

[SeenSheen]

By having a driveway you have ensured that that particular space is only available to you at all times and not available on a first come first served basis.

[SoupDragon]

By having a driveway you have ensured that that particular space is only available to you at all times and not available on a first come first served basis.

And ensured that one other space is always left free as they now have two cars in the space of one.

[SeenSheen]

It's all about timing isn't it. If you are looking for a parking space and 90% of the road is dropped kerbs with no cars in sight. It is somewhat irritating that the entire road must be left free for when they decide to return. In London this is a big deal.

[Lurkedforever1]

No seen. You don't get a driveway from public space. So it was never first come first served.

[SeenSheen]

The access to the driveway will be across a section of previously available road. Not the driveway itself - the access point.

[UterusUterusGhali]

Oh god I'm always parking on the dropped kerb of my patients; I tell them I'm blocking them in but they're not going anywhere anyway!

Didn't know it was illegal.

[ShadowStar]

Uterus - see overthemill's post at 10:42. It's legal to park over your patients dropped kerb when you're visiting them if your patients give you permission.

[WeAllHaveWings]

TMA 86 says:

86 Prohibition of parking at dropped footways etc

(1)In a special enforcement area a vehicle must not be parked on the carriageway adjacent to a footway, cycle track or verge where—
(a)the footway, cycle track or verge has been lowered to meet the level of the carriageway for the purpose of—
(i)assisting pedestrians crossing the carriageway,
(ii)assisting cyclists entering or leaving the carriageway, or
(iii)assisting vehicles entering or leaving the carriageway across the footway, cycle track or verge; or
(b)the carriageway has, for a purpose within paragraph (a)(i) to (iii), been raised to meet the level of the footway, cycle track or verge.
This is subject to the following exceptions.

(2)The first exception is where the vehicle is parked wholly within a designated parking place or any other part of the carriageway where parking is specifically authorised.
A “designated parking place” means a parking place designated by order under section 6, 9, 32(1)(b) or 45 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (c. 27).

(3)The second exception is where the vehicle is parked outside residential premises by or with the consent (but not consent given for reward) of the occupier of the premises.
This exception does not apply in the case of a shared driveway

To me that reads, its ok as long as the occupier has given consent it is ok.

[PrimalLass]

And ensured that one other space is always left free as they now have two cars in the space of one.

Not if they are expecting no-one to park opposite.

[SoupDragon]

They aren't.

[Tuskerfull]

And ensured that one other space is always left free as they now have two cars in the space of one.

Not if they only park one car on the drive...

[SoupDragon]

They don't. They park two.

[PrimalLass]

Other people were SoupDragon. Moaning about parking opposite a dropped kerb, that is.

[Andrewofgg]

UterusUterusGhali

I take it none of your patients share a driveway, then? I'd be more than miffed if I had a shared driveway and found I could not get on it because you'd blocked it!

[UterusUterusGhali]

Nope. Wouldn't do that.