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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

A parking one!

374 replies

holidaysareoverated · 29/07/2015 10:02

We have put in a new driveway and the council have dropped the kerb outside. However, they have failed to remove the markings that there used to be a parking space there. The markings are a bit of a mess as the old markings are there alongside the guides the council have put there to show where they are moving the parking space to.

A young girl has come along, parked her car, put her headphones in and walked off in the direction of the town centre. I didn't have time to run out and stop her and the headphones meant shouting after her wouldn't have done any good.

Would I be unreasonable to request that the council send a warden out to give her a ticket?

There is no way that she could have missed that she was parking across our drive. It's large and has a big car parked on it. There were 2 parking spaces there and our drive is bang in the middle... she has parked her small Fiesta in the middle too. So right over the dropped kerb with no attempt to leave any room for access. Had it still been a parking space she would be effectively stopping another car from being able to park there. If she had parked at the beginning or end of the bay we could have still got off our driveway.

So What would you do?

OP posts:
flanjabelle · 29/07/2015 13:55

Op I think you need to think about what needs to happen now. if you have no one else to pick up toddler, what are you going to do?

If I were you, I would report and try to get towed, but they may not come in time. Do you have funds for a taxi? It seems very unfair that you have to pay out for this woman's stupidity, but it may be the only option.

Call 101 now and ask for advice, explaining your situation.

Original poster
holidaysareoverated · 29/07/2015 13:55

Sorry but why the hell should I have to pay for a taxi? I think that would make me a bit of an idiot to pay for a taxi to save some stranger from having to pay out.

OP posts:
ApologiseForAnotherDay · 29/07/2015 13:56

I'm of the opinion parking over the dropped kerb is a twattish thing to do, get her towed. Hope it's not causing you too much stress OP Flowers

Original poster
holidaysareoverated · 29/07/2015 13:59

I can only get out by driving up the pavement...... how is that an ok thing for me to do? Not by just crossing the pavement briefly but by full on driving up the road on the path. That would be the case however I had got into my driveway.

Are some of you not reading my posts?

Imagine if I posted to say that I had driven up my road on the pavement and knocked someone over... would you defend me as I had only done it to save some idiot girl from having to pay financially for her own stupidity and lack of sense?

OP posts:
MintyChops · 29/07/2015 14:00

I would call now and get her towed, don't leave it any longer in case they are busy and can't get to you in time for the nursery run.

ProcrastinatorGeneral · 29/07/2015 14:00

How is driving backwards, around a corner and up the pavement even remotely legal and doable?

The stupid idiot in the fiesta has fucked up, a hefty bill may make her less of a wally in future.

TheSkiingGardener · 29/07/2015 14:01

Time to get her towed so they have a chance of doing it in time. Her problem, not yours.

MakeItRain · 29/07/2015 14:02

I think you should report it now, in good time before you need to head out. Chances are you'll have to wait anyway, and if she does come back just call again and say she's moved it.

Original poster
holidaysareoverated · 29/07/2015 14:03

I am finding it stressful actually. I DONT want to have to get her towed but equally I don't want to bend over backwards or do anything stupid myself in order to save her purse.

I actually think some of the responses on this thread are stressing me out more as they are annoying. Some people seem obsessed with me being able to get out of my driveway. I CANNOT get out without being an irresponsible idiot.

OP posts:
Blamenargles · 29/07/2015 14:10

I would get her towed.
Do people not look around when they are parking. I always get out and have a look round once parked to double check in not blocking anything and have left enough room of other cars to get in and out of parallel parking.

Lj8893 · 29/07/2015 14:15

Just call and get her towed already. I'm fully in support of you op but you are increasingly getting stressed at everybody's responses and I don't really know what you want anybody to say now!

Hopefully she will return before she is towed and you can tell her what was about to happen and she will learn her lesson without the hefty price tag!

ExitPursuedByABear · 29/07/2015 14:19

Are there any strong people around who could bump her car out of the way? This happened to me once. I had returned to work and found someone parked in my space. I parked next to them, which prevented them getting out and left a note as to where they could find me (a mere two minutes away) When I returned to the car park they had moved my car Shock Apparently you can bounce a smallish car and move it.

I was furious.

wowfudge · 29/07/2015 14:19

The one thing I haven't seen mentioned is that blocking your drive so you can't get your vehicle off it is an offence - call 101 OP and explain what the problem is. No point waiting until crunch time. Serves the stupid poor parker right.

VivaLeBeaver · 29/07/2015 14:20

Hope you've put a note under her wiper incase you don't see her when she returns. You don't want this being a regular thing.

tiggytape · 29/07/2015 14:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

kali110 · 29/07/2015 14:25

Do not stress yourself out.
If the car is still there now then ring up now and get it towed incase they can't get ouy in time for you to pick up your little one.
Sorry but she should not have parked there. You need to get out of your bloody drive!

Tophat90 · 29/07/2015 14:29

Logged in to contribute!

Please don't stress OP. You are perfectly reasonable to not want to risk trying to squeeze out (and also, squeeze back in again on your return, this time with a toddler in the back). The girl has been silly, and irresponsible. It's the kind of thing that you would keep on doing until you get caught.

It is not spiteful to report someone illegally parked across your drive!

Call the council/police for advice, have a Brew and get the girl towed! Please don't leave it till you need to leave, I can imagine them taking hours!

WhereYouLeftIt · 29/07/2015 14:38

I would definitely call ASAP and get her towed, as has been pointed out it could take a bit of time for the tow-truck to arrive. She is illegally parked, and from your description of what you would have to do to get around her - no way would I try that! Too risky, and for what? Her convenience? Fuck that for a game of soldiers.

And OP, ignore the 'spiteful' comments. They've been made by the ususal suspects.

flanjabelle · 29/07/2015 14:41

Just call 101 op.

FyreFly · 29/07/2015 14:47

How is it spiteful to tow a car that is not only parked extremely inconsiderately, but also illegally - she is a) parked in front of a dropped kerb, and b) blocking OP in, which is illegal.

OP should not also have to break the law (by driving on the pavement) to get out.

OP could get a taxi, however I have no idea what their financial situation is, how easy it would be to get one, and it is up to the OP to decide whether she wants to be out financially because of someone else's illegal actions. Would she be able to demand the expense back from the owner of the car? What if the car owner refuses to pay?

The last option is to ring the police and / or have it towed.

FWIW if someone blocked me into my drive, I would be calling a tow truck.

Original poster
holidaysareoverated · 29/07/2015 14:48

I've called 101 and they were great. They are going to try and track her down via the DVLA and ask her to come and move it. Otherwise she will be towed.

While I was on the phone someone else pulled up and tried to park behind her. The man got out and walked up and down looking around. I went out once I got off the phone and told him it wasn't a bay anymore.

He happily moved. But he also had a small car and managed to get in tight behind her but still within the bay lines. If she had parked where he tried to she wouldn't have blocked me in. So it's made me think even more that she is just an idiot.

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 29/07/2015 14:50

Great. Sounds like it's all sorted.

TheClacksAreDown · 29/07/2015 14:52

FWIW, when the residents parking got put in on my street a couple of years ago, you had to specifically request that they did not put parking bays across your dropped kerb. If you didn't request this, they would and I saw this happen to people. I asked what was meant to happen to those who had bays in front of their drives, the council said "we hope residents would be considerate" but they wouldn't be ticketed if they parked in a bay. So she may not consider she is doing anything wrong if the markings appear to show a bay.

BullshitS70 · 29/07/2015 14:55

Oh do update us OP. I want her towed!

Heyheyheygoodbye · 29/07/2015 14:56

Shock Clacks that sounds completely bonkers!!

OP well done for ringing, I hope it gets sorted quickly for you.