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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be annoyed at people who park inconsiderately on pavements?

58 replies

lushaliciousbob · 23/09/2015 18:26

This is something that's been getting me annoyed recently. I've no idea if they are parking legally or not, but I've been taking my relatives twins out about 3 times a week recently, to give their mum a break. Side by side twin buggy. We walk about an hour in total, mostly through a park.... but leading to the park I have to walk on the road at least 5 times each time we are out! The buggy isn't even that wide tbh. It annoys me so much ... but not really about me... but because I have no idea how someone in a wheelchair copes. it's really not fair! So are people actually allowed to park on the pavement? even when it's blatantly obvious that a wheelchair / pushchair can't go through!

OP posts:

sproketmx · 23/09/2015 18:31

Yep pavement parking is allowed. allowed we have to do it on bin day so the lorry can get thru. I dont have any issues though if someone shouts up to me that they need it moved to get past with their bin etc. It's just a minor inconvenience that kinda has to be done. We've got the truck and the transit in the garden so the two cars have to go outside

Original poster

lushaliciousbob · 23/09/2015 18:36

Thanks sproke I didn't know if it was allowed or not! Didn't think about bin day really! Only that on bin day I also have to move lots of bins to get passed :D

OP posts:

Junosmum · 23/09/2015 18:43

It's I'll if it totally blocks a public access way - a healthy walking person, not a pushchair or wheelchair, which seems unfair to me. I always try to leave a good gap.

sproketmx · 23/09/2015 18:45

Yeh. I think it's illegal in central London but never heard of it being illegal anywhere else. I live in a council estate village built in the 50s and 60s so there wasn't much consideration put to parking. A lot of my neighbours have turned their gardens into driveways too but must have 2 or 3 cars so can't fit them all in.

FattyNinjaOwl · 23/09/2015 18:45

It annoys me when I can't get past with my tandem, and its definitely not bin day because its my flaming street!

What annoys me more though is people standing in the middle of the pavement, having a conversation, leaving no room to get past and calling me a selfish cow when I say excuse me! (Yes I retaliated and called her a silly bitch who needed to fuck off and not be so fucking ignorant)

Oysterbabe · 23/09/2015 18:46

I don't know whether it's illegal but it should be. Long stretches of my walk into town will have to be on a busy road because there's not enough room to push a pram along the pavement. It's just wrong. I'll double yellow the lot when I rule the world.

Straightjacketneeded · 23/09/2015 18:46

This is a pet hate of mine, round where we live it happens all the time not just on bin day. Personally i will not risk the safety of me and my child by walking on the road just because someone cant be arsed finding a better parking spot, my solution is to shove my buggy through if it will go and if it scratches the car then so be it maybe they'll learn to be more considerate to pedestrians next time!

Original poster

lushaliciousbob · 23/09/2015 18:54

So glad it's not just me. I often see builders etc... parking on a pavement when there is plenty of room on the road to park. If I see them I glare at them, and make it obvious I'm struggling to get passed. The worst are the backs of shops, where there is a driveway (little shops) to fill vans, the vans park halfway in the garage but the rest across the pavement. So annoying! It's hard pushing a double buggy with 2 toddlers!

OP posts:

Twowrongsdontmakearight · 23/09/2015 19:06

Many years ago I had my car towed away in Central Manchester as it was half on the pavement. I'd done it because it was a narrow road but got towed anyway.

SixtyFootDoll · 23/09/2015 19:10

It is illegal. Most officers give some leeway if pedestrians can get by.
When I was in uniform I'd apply the double buggy test. If one wouldn't be able to get through, I'd give a ticket.

PastaLaFeasta · 23/09/2015 19:20

I hate this too OP, loads of car do it on one road we walk down and it's fine if its 50% on the pavement but often cars are almost entirely parked on the pavement with just the tyres on one side on the road - as in right next to the bleeding curb. Workmen doing it on our road is insane as its a main road. I once asked a workman to help me with passing the vehicle and walking into the road with a buggy and small child. He didn't know what to say the gormless twat so I had to grab buggy and child while looking for a safe time to run out around the van.

I also hate people blocking the pavements and the fact that excuse me has become an insult. The teen girls at the bus stop or coming out of the takeaway places are the worst but they are often polite if you ask to pass or bump into you. Some school mums less so, two walking side by side and wavering all over the pavement. I almost passed them with the buggy but would've hit her bag so said excuse me. Aparently I was completely unreasonable because the woman on the opposite side believed there was plenty of room for me to pass and no need to say excuse me. I did say there wasn't actually any room and I didn't want to hit her friend's bag with the buggy. She shut up. I know this is horrible to say but they were larger ladies too, it does make a difference to how easy it is to pass. I did get the rage a lot on the school run last year and having a buggy may be part of it as I feel calmer this year and we don't use it so much. Even single buggies take up a lot of room, people with doubles must hate it round here as the pavements are narrow and bumpy.

sproketmx · 23/09/2015 19:25

Not illegal here. But I live in scotland. It has been queried before and the community police even said ut wasn't illegal at a planning permission meeting

PigletJohn · 23/09/2015 19:51

If you think it's hard with a buggy, you should try pushing a wheelchair with an adult in it. Unless you are very strong you won't be able to lift it up and down curbs without risk of the person falling out.

I now take the view that if someone parks half on the pavement, you are entitled to try and squeeze past. It would be a pity if their wing mirror got bent back or the car scraped.

KatoPotato · 23/09/2015 20:06

My big back buggy wheel left a remarkable big black scuff on a huge white stupid fridge freezer of a car on the pavement today... Shame

StormyBlue · 23/09/2015 20:09

Well, if it isn't illegal, it should be. I only really became aware since having DC but on several occasions I have thought "what the hell is a wheel chair user supposed to do?". Seems silly that most buildings have to have wheelchair access but not the pavements needed to get there!

sproketmx · 23/09/2015 20:21

What the he'll are we meant to do on bin day then? Park on top of each other. Seriously I have no probs with someone shouting up to my window for me to move it. There has been occasions where I've had too much to drink or once was in the bath and chucked them the keys. On Tuesdays everyone gets their cars away from the lorry after the tail swing incident. If someone needs it moving I'm happy to move it. Maybe councils should put in more parking like we had our meeting for but was vetoed coz the councul don't want to spend the money on it

Original poster

lushaliciousbob · 23/09/2015 20:30

The problem is though, someone in a wheelchair doesn't have the choice, you having a car is a choice. Just because it's bin day, doesn't mean you should block the pavement for people to get past. Tbh it pisses me off as someone who uses a buggy... but for someone in a wheelchair how do you think that makes them feel? And besides, saying that someone can shout up to you to move it?! really? ! so what about someone in a wheelchair on their own (electric wheelchair) who can't get close to someone's door because of a step, to ask them to move their car? Or how much time do you think that adds to their trip to the supermarket? I'm not really blaming anyone, I was probably ignorant too, but I think it's more that people need to be made aware of this.

OP posts:

Scremersford · 23/09/2015 20:30

YANBU I nearly got hit by a car trying to park on the pavement when I was walking recently!

kathybump · 23/09/2015 20:34

Illegal or not, you all know that causing deliberate damage to someone else's property is illegal yet it's ok to bend the rules because you've been inconvenienced?

TenForward82 · 23/09/2015 20:38

Sometimes it's a choice between parking in the road (and making it difficult for cars to pass) or parking half on the pavement (and making it difficult for pedestrians to pass). I try to leave a good gap too.

MythicalKings · 23/09/2015 20:43

You get parking tickets in these parts or pavement parking. Quite right, too.

ShadowLine · 23/09/2015 20:45

See point 244 in this link www.gov.uk/waiting-and-parking/parking-239-to-247

If I'm reading this right, parking on the pavement is illegal in London, but not explicitly illegal outside of London (although not approved of).

We get lots of parking on the pavement where I live. Generally they park half on half off and leave room for a pedestrian to get past, but there is one irritating car round the corner from our house that often parks entirely on the pavement, which is almost exactly the same width as the car.

sproketmx · 23/09/2015 21:09

There isn't anyone in a wheelchair near me. There is a shit load of families most with three or more kids who struggle with the stupid fortnightly collections as it is without some erse blocking the road on a Tuesday so the bins don't get emptied which has also happened before. It's one day a week. The whole village is emptied on the same day. 90% if not more of the village know each other and know who lives where and who's cars who's and can just shout up if hey want I moving. I trust my neighbours enough to fling my keys at them and have them shift it it I'm not able to. All I'm saying is sometimes it's nesessity. We asked for them to cut into the green a bit in front of our houses and provide parking but they said it wasn't cost efficient. We used to park on the green but they put boulders round it to stop us. It's a no win situation so everyone has to get on and make the best of it.

Salmotrutta · 23/09/2015 21:17

It may not be illegal just now to pavement park in Scotland but I believe a new law is about to be passed?

About time too - winds me right up.

Like shops who stick notice boards out right in the middle of the pavement.

Starkswillriseagain · 23/09/2015 21:20

Illegal in london, not in other places. In my area parking is on the pavement, the lines are there to show it, but the pavements here are double the size of others and you could easily get a couple of buggies side by side on them with ample room.

pedestrianliberation.org/2010/08/30/are-vehicles-allowed-to-park-on-the-pavement/

You should leave room for wheelchairs according to legislationand common courtesy but it's not have to.

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