To think the pavement is for pedestrians

[Whiskeyjar]

Why do people park their cars over the pavement? I genuinely want to understand this better as I think there surely must be an reason for this that I am missing. Example - I live next to a busy main road which is very long and I need to walk up this to access DS1's school and DS2's nursery. Since having DS2 I have walked everywhere with the pram and have came up against this problem almost every week- majority of the time it's different cars but some are repeat offenders. They don't just park slightly over the pavement but over enough that you can't pass with a pram which then forces you to have to cross the road which is really busy and no proper crossings on it. I get so annoyed that I'm being forced on to the road and putting my kids in danger because people do this- but why? What's the purpose of it? It's a wide road so if you parked entirely on the road cars would still pass with ease and even if they didn't, you could still do single file to get round a car that's parked? I have knocked on doors and asked people to move their cars on several occasions and never had any push back luckily. Is it just thoughtlessness?

[Digggers]

My son has disabilities and as well as using a wheelchair sometimes, he rides a specially made trike to help with exercise and independence.

Everyday as he cycles to school we find cars parked on the pavement that force him onto the road in order to pass them.

It’s not only children with disabilities that this effects, but anyone who uses a wheelchair or mobility aid, families with buggies and also visually impaired people who are forced onto the road. I don’t understand why anyone thinks it’s Ok to do this.

[adaline]

Well, I often walk to the next town, so I don't think it's a hugely unreasonable suggestion, always depending on the distance.

The next town from us is about about 27 miles away!

Are you really suggesting people (with kids and shopping in tow) should park the next town over and walk several miles home instead of parking outside their house?

[Defrack]

Are you suggesting a wheelchair should go on the road? Or anyone walk on the road because of your parking?

[adaline]

Are you suggesting a wheelchair should go on the road? Or anyone walk on the road because of your parking?

Where has anyone said that?

People are saying there are circumstances where people have no choice BUT to park partially on the pavement, because that's how the roads in their town are. There is nowhere else to go. But parking on the pavement doesn't necessarily mean blocking the pavement.

[ChocolateOrIDie]

i think everyone can agree that pavements aren't big enough, so maybe we should be directing our opinions at local councils who are the only ones that could change this.

[HolesinTheSoles]

I can assure you @HolesinTheSoles that I have NEVER parked partially or fully on a pavement - even although you obviously do.

Did you respond to me by mistake? I literally have never ever parked on the pavement. To be honest I'm so bad at parking I probably wouldn't be able to park on the pavement even if I wanted to (I don't)? I was arguing in favour of people NOT parking on the pavement.

[Goldenbear]

Car registration numbers are personal data as they identify an individual.

[adaline]

If there will not be enough space for vehicles to pass on the road, unless you park on the pavement where you want to park, you need to go and park elsewhere, not park partially on the pavement.

Again, as numerous people have said - what if there is nowhere else? Not everyone lives in towns with car parks, or nice wide streets with parking on both sides. I live in a town full of terraced houses and narrow roads - there is no off-street parking for about 95% of people. There's not enough road space for everyone to park without partially blocking the pavement, because the roads and pavements weren't designed for modern usage in mind.

People have to park (partially) on the pavement because there is literally nowhere else to go. The only car parks here belong to supermarkets and businesses, so you can't park there. You can't park on the next street over because it's laid out in exactly the same way yours is. There's no off-street parking because when the town was built, there was no need for it.

But parking on the pavement doesn't mean blocking the pavement - you can park partially on the pavement and still make sure there's room for buggies, wheelchairs etc. to get passed.

[shaggedthruahedgebackwards]

In the type of layout you describe Adaline then it would appear that parking partially on the pavement while leaving adequate space for wheelchairs, prams etc is the only solution

My guess is that the above scenario only accounts for a very small percentage of pavement parking though!

Would love to know why others do it

[Zandra123]

Didyouseetheflaresinthesky
So you think it's ok to damage property like that, wtf . My daughter is a medical prof who drives around visiting people in their homes, I'm sure she will park as carefully as she can, her wages are crap for the responsibility and she's gutted there's scratches on her car at the moment, but I'm sure she^ will still put the person who needs help first!
I get annoyed at inconsiderate idiots in many different situations, and I know not everyone is doing a job, but wouldn't dream of damaging other people's property!^

[MidnightAura]

Yanbu I hate this with a passion. People are terrible for it where I stay and there’s no need. Everyone has driveways and garages. If I’m out with my disabled grandmother or my baby niece I really don’t care if my bag or zip catches their car. Why should I be forced on to the road and putting someone’s life in danger because someone is too lazy to park properly. I stay near a school and nursery. Why should prams be made to go onto the road?

[didyouseetheflaresinthesky]

Didyouseetheflaresinthesky
So you think it's ok to damage property like that, wtf . My daughter is a medical prof who drives around visiting people in their homes, I'm sure she will park as carefully as she can, her wages are crap for the responsibility and she's gutted there's scratches on her car at the moment, but I'm sure she^ will still put the person who needs help first!

I'm not walking in the road or pushing a buggy in the road to get round your car. If you don't leave enough space for me to walk through without scraping past your car then it's going to get scratched. If I can't get a buggy past your wing mirror without hitting it then I will force it through and your mirror isn't my problem. You park like a cunt, you expect damage imo.

[PinkFlamingo888]

If there are signs/markings to instruct you to park on the pavement then obviously this thread is not aimed at you. Stop deliberately being morons and acting like because you don’t have an issue no one else in the world should have one either. Obstructing a pavement is illegal. Fact.

[adaline]

You park like a cunt, you expect damage imo.

Maybe, but if you get caught you'd still be responsible!

[Defrack]

Jesus Christ how many times...

IF YOU PARK AND LEAVE ENOUGH ROOM THEN YOURE FINE.
IF YOU ARE INSTRUCTED TO PARK ON THE PAVEMENT YOURE FINE.
IF YOUR STREET IS NARROW AND YOU PARK ON THE PAVEMENT AND LEAVE ENOUGH ROOM THEN FINE.

THIS THREAD ISNT ABOUT YOU.

What this thread is about is entitled knobs that think they're special so park on the pavement and block the path, forcing pedestrians into potentially lethal situations by forcing us to cross where it may not be safe or walk in the road. THESE PEOPLE ARE KNOBS.and if their car gets damaged I'm not going to be shedding a tear for them. I'm going to be shedding a tear for the disabled person or the parent in a buggy that was forced onto the road by a inconsiderate Parker and then died. .

[Defrack]

And if that inconsiderate person caused a guide dog to pull it's owner into the road to get round it, they would certainly feel responsible for that person's death.

[Digggers]

Yes I agree, if you don’t leave enough room for my son’s wheelchair or disability trike to pass your vehicle safely, then you will end up with scratches on your vehicle.

And if you leave no room atall then I will take a picture of your car and send it to the police, Council, DVLA and our local Facebook group.

[ProfessorMoody]

So you think it's ok to damage property like that

Yes. If a car is parked so far up on the pavement I can't get my wheelchair past, you're damn right I'll scratch it when I power it through. I'm not risking my life by going into the road and it's a power hair with tiny front wheels, so if I bumped it down a kerb, I'd fall out.

My daughter is a medical prof who drives around visiting people in their homes

Then she should be aware of wheelchair users and not part like a twat.

Maybe, but if you get caught you'd still be responsible

Pretty sure I can't get "caught" for trying to get my wheelchair past a car parked on a pavement with no room for me to get through.

[Digggers]

It's infuriating as a charity for disabled children got my son his trike to try and increase his confidence and independence and yet he's continually having to rely on his mum to help him manoeuvre his trike on and off the pavement. He gets so upset and angry about it. It's not fair. Makes me mad thinking about the other people with disabilities far more challenging than my son and with less support that will actually just be unable to continue down a street safely because of this, and how that will affect their confidence and independence.

Why is your right to park your car near your house and not have to walk round the corner more important than disabled people’s rights to get out and about atall?

I don’t drive and have managed to live to the age of 44 including getting to work, buying food, bringing up two disabled children by foot, bike and public transport . Anyone who says they can’t manage without a car is wrong. And anyone who thinks that they have a right to park as close to their home as possible and will block pavements in order to do so is a selfish idiot.

[SoupDragon]

Anyone who says they can’t manage without a car is wrong

That’s rubbish.

[LaurieMarlow]

Maybe, but if you get caught you'd still be responsible!

All you'd be doing is trying to get through a space you're legally entitled to. So I don't think so, no.

You wouldn't be responsible for the driver's poor parking skills.

[Digggers]

Ofcourse it’s not rubbish

[LaurieMarlow]

So you think it's ok to damage property like that

If you think it's ok to compromise people's safety, then you can't expect those same people to care about your property.

[Defrack]

Yep agreed, we get caught doing what? Using the pavement designed for us while some knob stops us doing so?

[ForalltheSaints]

Make it an offence that carries penalty points. Make it easy to report it. Ban insurers from paying out for any damage, unless it is from a moving car.

It would disappear fairly quickly.