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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to be fed up of people using my drive as a car park for the shop opposite?

179 replies

SweetTeaVodka · 14/10/2015 18:07

I live in a terrace directly opposite the a local convenience store of a larger national supermarket. The shop has a large car park directly behind it and a bus stop directly out front. We have people park on our often empty drive to pop across to the shop on occasion (happens once or twice a month), and more often to pull up along the dropped curb.

The parking along the dropped curb doesn't really bother me, but the driving right up onto our driveway does. Especially in the evening/dark rainy days when my whole lounge is lit up by their bloody lights. Poor DD gets excited because she thinks one of her grandparents or aunts has come to visit, and my anxiety disorder means I get a bit on edge in case it's guests I'm not expecting.

Today it has been pissing it down all evening. Three times this afternoon we have had people stop on our drive and go across to Tesco, the third lot was a carful of very noisy young people (typing that makes me feel old) who looked quite taken aback when I opened my front door and informed them that they seemed to have mistaken my drive for the shop car park (I was very wound up by this point and did swear a bit).

I don't think it actually saves much time or saves them from getting that wet when you account for the amount of time you generally have to spent waiting to be able to safely cross the road to the shop, compared to walking round from the car park at the back to the front.

AIBU to a) think it's actually quite rude to park on someone's driveway if you are not a resident or visitor of the property;

b) complain at the people who do this;

and c) considering blocking my drive with plastic cones and a passive aggressive sign and/or complaining to the shop manager about their customers

I accept that I may be U to get so riled by this and it is probably due to my anxiety issues, but I am home alone with toddler DD until DH gets home from work this evening and I needed to vent.

OP posts:
MrsToddsShortcut · 14/10/2015 21:44

Yarburgh. 100% Yarburgh.

I'd be careful about blocking them in, as sadly, I believe obstructing access to the highway is a criminal offence. I think restricting entry is the only way to go.

I still can't get over their brass neck though. Do they honestly think that because there's no car on the drive that it's just a big free for all?

My mind is well and truly boggled.

Fairenuff · 14/10/2015 21:46

The problem with blocking them in is that they can become irate

I thought that was the point of blocking them in Grin

Calaisienne · 14/10/2015 22:15

You don't want them irate when they know where you live.

Dionysuss · 14/10/2015 22:28

And have no way of leaving

HaydeeofMonteCristo · 14/10/2015 22:40

Yarburgh.

PigletJohn · 14/10/2015 22:56

How about a couple of large plastic urns flower pots, in white so they show up well, with large droopy plants in them.

Fill them with peat compost so they aren't too heavy for you, and put them at the boundary, at a distance and in a position where you can drive your car between them, but they look rather close. It will discourage people with larger cars. You can also drag a third one into the middle of the gap sometimes.

Buy one concrete planter, and put it out if you get anyone still trying to get in. It will be especially amusing if they bump into it thinking it is plastic.

KingJoffreyLikesJaffaCakes · 14/10/2015 23:34

Get some fake tombstones (loads around atm) and turn your drive into a makeshift graveyard.

BrideOfWankenstein · 15/10/2015 01:12

Just wanted to say yarburgh because I like the word. Grin

SushiAndTheBanshees · 15/10/2015 02:37

Just want to say your drawing is so cute - love the massive pink cars Grin

Kaekae · 15/10/2015 03:45

I would be fuming. I have problems with neighbours visitors parking across the drop kerb so I can't get in or out of my drive. It has caused endless disputes. I spoke with the highway section at the council and they have painted white lines I also had CCTV installed which has all helped to deter the situation.

ForeverLivingMyArse · 15/10/2015 04:11

Yarburgh

Is it a place?

spatchcock · 15/10/2015 04:34

Yarburgh. I love the pretty, yet functional wheelbarrow idea.

PennyHasNoSurname · 15/10/2015 06:35

What does Yarburgh mean!

NoMilkNoSugar · 15/10/2015 06:57

Yarburgh

I second the egg idea, preferably dropped from a bedroom window, then blame it on the seagulls. However unless your council is quite strict, I would just leave the wheelie bin at the entrance of your drive with a big fuck off sign which says 'this isn't tesco's car park pleb' .

Moln · 15/10/2015 07:16

Yarburgh.

Find it hard to imagine what goes through people's head that parking in a persons driveway is ok. Even if it were a massive sweeping one!!

There's someone near me that has a sign requesting people don't use their driveway as a carpark for the near by chiropodist. Had thought previously it was a little extreme as there couldn't be many who would. I stand corrected.

ChocolateWombat · 15/10/2015 07:20

So it sounds like the council will paint lines on the road, if it is an ongoing problem.
Start keeping a diary to send to them, as I expect they will want lots of evidence before they act. Camera/fake camera and signs can be a temporary deterrent.

Pipbin · 15/10/2015 07:46

Get a shot gun pointed up the drive from the living room window. When someone parks in the drive then just waggle it a little.

IamtheDevilsAvocado · 15/10/2015 08:07

We had this continually - drove us nuts!

we had a shared carriage drive for 3 flats... Opposite a 7-11 shop on a busy inner ring road.... And close to several night clubs. It quite clearly belonged to the house... Brick walls on both sides and a front wall with the house name on it... Still people thought it was OK to leave their car there.... Some would even front it out, saying they were visiting the people in flat 5...(who they couldn't name... It was us!).

Along with several people who lived opposite who didn't have their own spaces for their property - clearly they thought it was our problem and responsibility to remedy...

People's utter brass neck.....

Our solution :

We didn't want bollards/ chains as this would be a pita - it was a fast road and fairly dicey to stop to unchain driveways etc...

With repeat offenders, who we'd already left notices on their car previously, Sometimes we got together with other flats and completely boxed them in --and would laugh as we sneakily watched them trying to work out what to do.... Some of them were incandescent with rage... And had basil fawlty style meltdowns on the drive...

We put up a large official notice... Private car park. Absolutely no parking. CCTV in operation. Police will be informed. (even tho I suspect they would not be interested!). Gruntfuttock Hse Ltd take no responsibility for the safety of your car if it is left here. It will be assumed to be abandoned and treated accordingly. -eggs, superglued notices-

This stopped the vast majority of offenders-apart from the stupid bint opposite, she had a visit from one of the residents...this was after we left numerous notes etc. She honestly said 'what am I sposed to do, I've got no parking and I have to leave my car somewhere... She genuinely couldn't see it wasn't our problem and we were paying a hefty rent for our spaces... -

Osmiornica · 15/10/2015 08:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Bluewombler2k · 15/10/2015 08:45

Yarburgh, love it.

But...Yarburgh...cheeky blighters!!

StackladysMorphicResonator · 15/10/2015 08:49

what am I sposed to do, I've got no parking and I have to leave my car somewhere Shock Shock

Some people have more front than bloody Brighton!

And yarburgh, OP, it must be enraging! Get Tesco to stump up for a retractable penguin bollard.

aprilanne · 15/10/2015 09:05

its very rude but if you are in scotland its perfectly legal .the only reason i know this my uncle a policeman and told my mum once .we don,t have the same tresspassing laws as in england .

Pennybun4 · 15/10/2015 09:12

Block them in and when they throw a strop say must be another shopper and suggest they go back to Tesco and ask for an tannoy announcement to be made. How very dare they do this to original parkers, etc.

Sit back in your home with a gin and tonic and big bag of crisps, wave to them at intervals and pull pseudo sympathetic faces at them.

AnchorDownDeepBreath · 15/10/2015 09:30

Unfortunately it's not legal to use a stinger in the UK without police presence.

Tesco may well cough up for a bollard if you explain, because it'd be less costly than you sueing them to recoup the costs of a new driveway if their patrons ruin yours, and they will, eventually.

A sign could work, but be careful that it's not a threat, and make sure it'll be viewable at night...My concern would be that it'd only be spotted when someone's headlights illuminated it and then they are already in your drive, and they'll probably think; "I'll only be a minute..."

You could phone Tesco and ask them to do a loud tannoy announcement asking for that person everytime they do it, which would probably annoy Tesco enough that they'd want to stop people doing it too.

Otherwise, blocking them in is the best answer, although you will have to move the car eventually, once they've asked - or you'll risk them becoming annoyed and being stuck on your property, as someone has said. Also, if you do it for too long, false imprisonment may become an issue.

A bollard or a big planter/garden ornament might be the cheapest and most effective way, whilst you're waiting for Tesco to pay for a bollard.

MythicalKings · 15/10/2015 09:38

YANBU!