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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

It's a parking thread!

137 replies

KentMum2008 · 17/07/2017 16:41

It's not me who is potentially BU, and as yet the situation hasn't escalated, but it will....

We live in a small cul de sac, parking is an utter nightmare and consequently a few neighbours have had dropped kerbs installed. The neighbour opposite me had a dropped kerb installed today, but there's a brick wall across their garden and it's still turfed/covered with flowers in pots so until they've knocked that down they obviously can't park on their drive. The drive itself doesn't actually exist yet.

Another neighbour has just parked across the new dropped kerb. It was the last space at this end of the cul de sac. Said neighbour is 18, has just passed his driving test and works in a PRU. He lives with, and is a carer for, his disabled dad, who he takes out in the mornings, and brings home with him after work. I think he goes to a Day centre type place, but the dad is always with him in the car so he needs to park as close as possible. He's an absolute beaut of a young man, and wouldn't say boo to a goose.

Here's the issue. When Dropped Kerb lady comes home, she's going to flip that he's parked there. I heard her chatting away to the guys doing the work saying that she'll 'go to town' on anyone who parks there, even while the wall is still in place. I'm hovering in the kitchen because once she's back it's going to kick off, and poor lovely young neighbour won't know how to deal with her.

Is Dropped Kerb neighbour BU expecting people to leave the space free (and does the law regarding Dropped kerbs stand when there's not actually a drive in place?) or is Lovely Young Neighbour BU for parking there?

And AIBU for being absolutely ready to leap to his defence?! I'm pretty good in confrontational situations, rarely lose my rag etc and I'd like to think if it was my son and I wasn't able to help him out, someone else would be there, even if it was only for a bit of solidarity. The only other neighbour who is indoors is a really quiet woman, in 10 years of living here I've never heard her utter a word to anyone other than her cat and a hedgehog once.

Diagram attached, obvs. Not that it makes things much clearer but it's not a real parking thread without a diagram.

It's a parking thread!
OP posts:
gingergenius · 17/07/2017 19:20

A happy ending which has made me smile. Thanks @mangomay and best of luck to LYM XX

AtHomeDadGlos · 17/07/2017 19:23

You should park across it tomorrow. If only to come back on here and tell us what she does. Please?!

Original poster
KentMum2008 · 17/07/2017 19:27

DH has hinted that until the driveway is installed he'll park there if there isn't anywhere else. He's a git though. He said he's gonna call his mate John in parking and see if it's legal! He'll probably still do it though, and just move if she says anything. But like I said, he's a git Grin

OP posts:
Lweji · 17/07/2017 19:28

Great thread, as I spotted it at the beginning then had to work [grr] and have just got the news.

Still, posting to say Shock that you have to pay to get a disabled bay. WTAF?

Lweji · 17/07/2017 19:29

If there is no blocked car, then apparently it's legal, except in London and some specific areas. You should check.

Louiselouie0890 · 17/07/2017 19:29

I thought it was only illegal if they're already parked in the driveway or so I've read a lot of on here

Paperthin · 17/07/2017 19:33

Mango - you are a star ! its good to know that you are looking out for your neighbour who sounds as though he has had a tough time but has been trying to make a life for himself and his DDad. Heartwarming story x

WoofWoofMooWoof · 17/07/2017 19:34

Hopefully the rose bush will destroy the ball woof

I've just gone out and told them that if that ball lands in my garden one more time I'm going to pop it! Grin

Original poster
KentMum2008 · 17/07/2017 19:35

Woof that's exactly what I'd do. See, I'm a great neighbour Grin

OP posts:
PovertyJetset · 17/07/2017 19:40

Oh I your LYM sounds so nice! This was a nice thread to read. I wonder if we can get the LYM to meet with the EKL?

(Elderly Korean lady)

Original poster
KentMum2008 · 17/07/2017 19:43

I remember that thread! I want an EKL too, is that greedy?

OP posts:
Troels · 17/07/2017 19:51

No I have to placemark to see what she does when Mr Mango parks across the dropped curb

Original poster
KentMum2008 · 17/07/2017 19:53

Promise I'll update if he does!

OP posts:
Fletchasaurus · 17/07/2017 20:28

You are lovely op!! Flowers

malmi · 17/07/2017 20:34

I don't think the dropped kerb should mean anything until the driveway is installed. Its only purpose is for access and there's nothing to access yet. Otherwise, what if they never actually remove the wall and install the driveway?

You can't claim bits of road by getting the kerb dropped. Parking across the dropped kerb is not interfering with access in any way. I'd have no problem parking there.

PovertyJetset · 17/07/2017 21:20

We all need more EKLs and LYMs in this world. Sigh Halo

Original poster
KentMum2008 · 17/07/2017 21:25

The official name of the application is for a 'vehicle crossing'. So if a vehicle can't actually cross it, then it's fair game right? Grin

OP posts:
MipMipMip · 17/07/2017 21:27

Find out if you can park. If you can, get DH to. If you can't, report neighbour for doing it after 6.30 everyday. Grin

Original poster
KentMum2008 · 17/07/2017 21:39

Haha Mip that would be hilarious. DH is off work tomorrow so I'm sure he'll call John in parking and get the low down.

As a side note and not that I'm unhealthily obsessed with this or anything but our local councils website says the driveway must be at a right angle from the highway, and hers is definitely not. Well, where the driveway will go when they finally do it.

There's defo something a bit fishy going on round here. 14 households applied for a dropped kerb, at a massively discounted price (£116 instead of £320), they were all approved within days and the company doing the Dropped kerbs (same company for all 14) has finished 9 of them in the last week and a half. Nothing, but nothing gets sorted that quickly with our council. I reported a flickering streetlight outside DCs bedroom in January, it was fixed last month. I also suspect a neighbour further down has extended their drive to a double dropped kerb without permission because it's right next to a streetlight and approval says it should be 2m from the nearest streetlight. She didn't have an orange planning permission notice stuck outside like everyone else....

OP posts:
Original poster
KentMum2008 · 17/07/2017 21:39

Overly-invested neighbour of the week Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
KentMum2008 · 17/07/2017 21:43

*Approval guidelines

OP posts:
Louiselouie0890 · 17/07/2017 21:49

That's a good point if she's gna park across it. She doesn't own the dropped kerb she just has the access to her non existing driveway it supplies if I'm making sense. So if no one can park there neither can she

JohnLapsleyParlabane · 17/07/2017 21:49

Tomorrow we will need live updates from MrMango's mate John on all of these points!

Original poster
KentMum2008 · 17/07/2017 21:52

Yeah that makes sense Louise. She's currently parked across it! It would be hilarious if it turned out she wasn't allowed to. Cannot wait for DH to speak to Parking John in the morn.

OP posts:
RebootYourEngine · 17/07/2017 21:53

I would do what your dh wants. I hate smug people. Its not her dropped kerb so what can she do if someone else parks in front if it because if she reports them then she cant park there either because then people can report her.