Was my friend BU about this person parking over her driveway?

[cantbebotheredtoday]

I went to visit my friend the other day, call her H. As I was coming up to her house I noticed a car was half over her driveway, so as my friends car was parked in the driveway I had to park half in and half out her driveway, the back of my car was sticking out onto the road since the other car was blocking me from getting into the free space in her driveway.

Anyway, as I was getting out my car, a woman with her daughter (she had just picked her up from school and that's why she had parked there) came up to me, looking quite flustered and said "I'm really sorry, I'm just moving." I just replied it's okay as I hate confrontation and she had apologised.

I get to my friends door and H comes to the door and was like, "look at that woman parked over my drive" I told her she had apologised, H then proceeded to go up to the woman and say, "could you watch where you are parking in future as people can't get in and out my driveway" the woman replied that she had said sorry and H then said, "that's not the point, it's my driveway!" And stormed away. The woman then apologised again.

I'm just wondering if I am being unreasonable in thinking my friend was being a bit unreasonable. The woman had apologised and was affronted, I just think my friend over reacted but maybe I'm wrong. Personally unless I needed out of my driveway, it's not something I would get upset or worked up about. But I also wouldn't park over someone's driveway, partially or not.

Thoughts?

Friend was being perfectly reasonable.

If I were her I would just park across my driveway all the time to prevent idiot parents like Yellowfish doing so. I wouldn't even be using up a perfectly good parking space with my dropped kerb then.

1. there is very limited on and off street parking at most schools. Consequently, it's often just a case of stopping where you can

It's only a case of "stopping where you can" if you believe yourself to be entitled to stop at the school. My question to you was why shouldn't parents park sensibly a distance away from the school and then walk?

1. Properties having drives attached are one of the main reasons for the shortage of parking/stopping locations near schools, as on street parking that would otherwise exist simply isn't there. The owners of said properties therefore bear partial responsibility and need to contribute to ameliorating the parking problems.

Oh behave yourself YellowFish !

There is no truth in the first part of that statement and no logic in the second.

I have lived in my house for over 20 years and there are two big factors that have affected parking around here. The first is the increase in size of the school, so more pupils and more cars.

The second, is the increase in numbers of parents driving their children to school. Most are not cheeky fuckers. But a significant minority are both lazy and cheeky. They believe they have the right to park in the 5 roads around the school itself. The impact of the tiny number of new dropped kerbs added in these 5 roads since the school was built is negligible.

There are plenty of roads parents could park in safely and considerately. But like you, they think they have a right to park at the school

We get this - neighbours visitors make ABSOLUTELY certain they don't block ANY part of THEIR drive - so park across ours instead and block it. I tell you it gets effing annoying - and it happens again and again. If I lived near a school and had this happening every day I'd be out there with a tin of bloody nails...

At least the school hours are at set times so you know that you won't have access to your drive at certain times during the term so you can then make alternative arrangements, whether it be parking off site or arranging a taxi

Why shouldn't parents dropping children off make alternative arrangements like parking slightly further away or arranging a taxi, @yellowfish?

There are two main reasons why I think drivers should feel free to park over drives in certain circumstances

1. Many simply have no other option- there is very limited on and off street parking at most schools. Consequently, it's often just a case of stopping where you can

What about the option of stopping a bit further away from the school?

2. Properties having drives attached are one of the main reasons for the shortage of parking/stopping locations near schools, as on street parking that would otherwise exist simply isn't there.

Why would it exist? The strong likelihood is that the drive owners would be parking on the street, frequently with more than one car, so there'd be even less on-street parking available.

The owners of said properties therefore bear partial responsibility and need to contribute to ameliorating the parking problems.

In any other context, car drivers bear full responsibility for ameliorating parking problems. Try parking in a meter parking slot without paying and claiming that it's the responsibility of the owner to ameliorate parking problems by not asking for payment. Why is it different for people who live near schools?

2. Properties having drives attached are one of the main reasons for the shortage of parking/stopping locations near schools, as on street parking that would otherwise exist simply isn't there. The owners of said properties therefore bear partial responsibility and need to contribute to ameliorating the parking problems.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Many simply have no other option

they can walk, take public transportation or ask someone to give them a lift. They can move closer to the school and get a house with a drive, so they can happily park on their own drive and don't need to drive to school.

Why is it that parents doing school run by definition have no other option but those blocked in at the exact same time by definition have tons of other options?

Properties having drives attached are one of the main reasons for the shortage of parking/stopping locations near schools, as on street parking that would otherwise exist simply isn't there. The owners of said properties therefore bear partial responsibility and need to contribute to ameliorating the parking problems.

If we are in, we generally have to park two of our three cars on the road at school time now. We've got a three car drive but can't get the back two off if anyone parks opposite. It's a funny angle and a narrow road. We also like to make sure we can get out if we need (or heaven forbid, want) to.

So we have to take up two spaces that would otherwise be available.

Properties having drives attached are one of the main reasons for the shortage of parking/stopping locations near schools - I would think parents driving kids to school is the main reason. Make alternative arrangements.

Having been a Civil Enforcement Officer
(traffic warden) for 5 years (2007 - 2012) I covered schools on an almost daily basis and I can definitely say it was always the same parents parking over driveways as they thought they had a "right" too 🤦 and it was those that would turn up 45 minutes before pick up time because they wanted to get a space! Just park 5 minutes away and walk!!!!
Blocking someone in their drive is an offence, just don't do it!!

no one's getting any remotely sensible answers out of yellowfish. don't feed it.

Quite agree. How would she feel if she could not get out of her drive? This has happened to me, someone parked across my drive despite cars being there (so obviously in use) and I was late for an appointment. It should be a traffic offence

It should be a traffic offence

It is an offense.

It varies when it's not in use, but if cars are blocked you should call the police or parking enforcement.