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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be furious at this school run parking nightmare woman?

327 replies

missced · 05/01/2017 15:54

So, excuse me while I try to calm down..... it has only just happened you see! Angry. Usual scenario,, busy residential street, school run parking at a premium. I always scrupulously avoid parking over residents driveway exits where there is a single dropped kerb. I have just been told off by some van driver's wife (house has four cars parked out front) for parking over part of their double dropped kerb. Their kerb is twice the size of everyone else's, no doubt to feed their car collecting fetish, but my point is, as I made politely to her, that I had left an exit for her. It just wasn't the one she wanted to use. I know tempers get inflamed at these times, but our local situation is terrible, and I try my best not to upset anyone. I used to live on the same road, it's a small community, and I don't want to be unreasonable but this woman was so condescending and entitled and told me off like a six year old with a toileting problem. If it was a question of access for pushchairs, wheelchairs or the blind it would be different. Why should she assume she can have two free spaces on the street outside her house when everyone else gets one? I am looking forward to tomorrow's parking battle Shock.

OP posts:
Designjunkie · 05/01/2017 18:44

It's all been said, but wow! The OP is rather confrontational and a touch aggressive to be looking forward to a rematch tomorrow. What a lovely start to the new school term and indeed the new year.

VivienneWestwoodsKnickers · 05/01/2017 18:45

I am hoping Mr Van Driver and all his van driving mates form a guard of honour, eating Yorkie Bars in a manly fashion

Love this!

multivac · 05/01/2017 18:48

multivac I can't see sexist. Rude, unreasonable, and a snob, yes, but sexist?

By defining a woman in terms of her husband; she may or not be a snob - it's difficult to tell with all the general unpleasantness.

multivac · 05/01/2017 18:49

Mind you, I'm increasingly convinced this is an entry in a 'who can get the most consecutive YABUs' competition.

Andrewofgg · 05/01/2017 18:57

OK Multivac you are right - in your correction of me and about the competition. She wins!

DodoRevival · 05/01/2017 18:58

The OP reminds me of the crazed woman who had children in the same school as mine went to. The roads around the school were narrow one way roads. One household next to the school put up cones and tape across their drive. I recall quite vividly crazed woman getting out of her tank car and screaming (no exaggeration) about it being illegal for them to do so, and she had CHILDREN to collect from school and needed to park. She lived about a 15 minute walk from the school.

Janey50 · 05/01/2017 19:00

I must say I am surprised at how many posters here are saying that you should not park by a dropped kerb full stop. Where I live,every single time I go out,I encounter a cars parked against a dropped kerb,and it drives me mad. I am disabled,and have problems stepping up or down normal sized kerbs. I get thoroughly pissed off when yet again,I have to walk around the car and struggle with the normal kerb. On a few occasions,the driver has been sitting in the car and I have politely said something to them,only to be met with belligerence along the lines of 'I pay my road tax so I will park where I want' and 'There's no law against it,you can't do anything about it'. Is that true? Is there no law against it? I am not a driver so not particularly familiar with the highway code. I asked my neighbour,who is a driver,and he said he thought it was 'a courtesy' rather than a law.

JohnnyDeppsfuturewife · 05/01/2017 19:01

Only on first page but I have to say yabu. In my area people have to pay a couple of thousand pounds for a dropped kerb. Parking across one is just selfish.

nocoolnamesleft · 05/01/2017 19:09

You could argue sexist if you want - the presumption being that only a big strong manly man could possibly drive a van, so she must be the little wifey....

Lweji · 05/01/2017 19:09

Janey50

You've met twats. Most drivers are reasonable and they are the ones occupying all the available legal spaces. Grin

Designjunkie · 05/01/2017 19:12

Even if it is only a courtesy, why would you potentially block someone in or stop them from accessing their drive on the way home ? Is it so awful to park in the next street ? Some people are just plain lazy.

ApocalypseNowt · 05/01/2017 19:14

My 6 year old DNephew has a toileting problem. I speak to him very kindly.

Lagirafe · 05/01/2017 19:17

You shouldn't park over a dropped curb.
Someone did the same to me at the dentist today and I had a hell of a job getting out! Luckily there was a space free next to me so I could do a 100 point turn or I would have been stuck.

MissWimpyDimple · 05/01/2017 19:18

YABU walk to school

deadpool99 · 05/01/2017 19:21

YABVU - are you really saying that YOU parked across someone's dropped curb and you think they are in the wrong for being pissed off and telling you off ? Wow ! Also incredibly rude and snobby referring to someone as some van drivers wife. You deserve everything you got from her!

chickflick · 05/01/2017 19:22

Actually it is only illegal to block a drive if they have a car parked on it. If no car on drive then you can legally park anywhere including right across it. The dropped kerb entitles you to nothing.

chickflick · 05/01/2017 19:23

I personally would not do this though and think the law is wrong.

Lweji · 05/01/2017 19:24

Janey50

Here's the law (maybe you want to print it and carry it with you):

Rule 243
DO NOT stop or park:
(...)
where the kerb has been lowered to help wheelchair users and powered mobility vehicles

www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/waiting-and-parking-238-to-252

deadpool99 · 05/01/2017 19:25

I am also near a school and have to put up with our drive being blocked by inconsiderate parents on a regular basis. I am not a van drivers wife but my neighbour is (she's a lovely lady) and she has a double dropped curve with four veihicles (including van). Wondering if it's her.

anotheryearcomesandgoes · 05/01/2017 19:29

I live in a house with wide dropped kerb. The reason is that there is a listed tree to one side and another opposite and so you cant get off the drive if anyone parks even 10 cms over the dropped curb a you need to turn sharply as you come off the drive. Probably had 20 inconsiderate people last year park over the dropped curb

I left a note on 1 car. I heard her come back and say to her children. That is ridiculous they must be poor drivers if they cant get off their drive with me parked here. grrr

OverAndAbove · 05/01/2017 19:30

How do we know the woman isn't a van driver herself? Why must she be the wife of a van driver? Women are allowed to - and regularly do - drive vans. Just sayin'...

TheTantrumCometh · 05/01/2017 19:32

I was thinking the same thing OverandAbove

Original poster
missced · 05/01/2017 19:33

Hello all you lovely people, OP here, sadly not hiding behind a van or having been taken hostage, but here goes (((drumroll))))the YABUs have it and (((((((slurp))))) that's the sound of me sucking it up! I did actually apologise, and yes, the van driver is a man because I have actually seen him. The last comment about "tomorrow's battle" obviously didn't translate well as it was meant to be ironic. Wow, my biggest ever number of responses. Will retire to my clearly palatial abode (being ironic here again) and avoid all parking related posts in future (prepares for three mile walk to school tomorrow with sense of humour intact) :)

OP posts:
CaptainBraandPants · 05/01/2017 19:51

Op I've been reading thinking YA so U, but kudos to you for coming back to the thread and admitting you were wrong. Well done.

Lweji · 05/01/2017 19:56

Well done OP. :)