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?

I can imagine she is so fed up. I work in a care home on a school street and people often park in the ambulance spot despite the school continuously reminding them.

@Grumpelstilskin very mature. In what world do you live that my friend should dump me if I dare to disagree with how she handled a situation!? We're better friends than that so no worries there at all 

@Lweji no I genuinely wouldn't park over someone's driveway. I do see it as a selfish and entitled act, so wouldn't do it myself.

Im split down the middle with this one. I have a driveway and its one of the most annoying things ever to have someone park across it. But I also do the school run in my car with terrible parking options and am tempted to half block the odd driveway, I am only out of my car for under 5 minutes. I said 'tempted' as I havent actually done it yet, but you never know!

I’m sorry, i think that’s reasonable.
I had a person park in my parking space on and off for a few months. I got serious anxiety about not being able to park near my house with young baby. I ended up blocking them in (after numerous nice notes) and then telling them if they wanted car back they could ring police as they had no right to go on my land to get it back.
Obviously, I was never going to wait for that but after getting overly agitated by this (I knew it wasn’t reasonable) and it was sorted from then on!

I am only out of my car for under 5 minutes.

See the trouble is, that's what they all say. And if it is actually only 5 minutes, there's usually someone along straight after to bob into the 'vacant' spot. I've sat idling in my own gateway for one of these 5 minute drop offs to return many a time. I've been opening the gate as cars pull up and tell me "they'll only be a minute!" If the excuse is that they're in a hurry to work why can't they respect that I am too? And before someone comes to tell me to 'leave earlier' - I leave when my primary child goes through the school gate.

I haven't actually done it yet, but you never know!

And I'm sure if you are ever tempted you won't be surprised if you encounter an aggrieved householder.

Your friend was NU. I live near a school, near enough every afternoon someone will sit in their car blocking my driveway and it is so bloody annoying.

People are so rude too, recently we were sat in the car ready to go out and someone pulled up and blocked us in, I beeped the horn, she wouldn’t budge, I did it again and she wouldn’t budge, she only moved when I got out of the car and started towards her. Then she went and blocked my neighbours drive instead. We try to avoid going out between 2.30 and 3.30 because they arrive so early to get their spot and it makes it a nightmare.

People don't block my drive much these days as I have a reputation in the village for blocking people in by parking at a right angle right in front of them, blocking the pavement and half the road and going inside and refusing to answer the door.

So anyone who is a bit tempted to block a driveway beware that you might meet someone on the edge like me!

@NicoAndTheNiners wait how do you block them in?

School pick up parents seem to be universally amongst some of the most ignorant and self righteous I've ever come across. They don't care about access to properties, or even fellow parents. It's all for one and bugger everyone else.

Oh yes, I absolutely LOVE being tarred with the same brush as the selfish and entitled parents when I do my very best not to break any parking regulations

@cantbebotheredtoday. Like this, my car being the black one. I rely on someone else being in the space behind the drive blocker but there normally is.

Anyway, the fact she came back and straightaway assumed you were going to tell her off speaks volumes that she did not give one fig about where she had parked.
Your friend's reaction was spot on.
It's like when someone pulls out in front of you and you hoot or flash them and they THANK you! I'd rather they hadn't don't a stupid manoeuvre in the first place

Yes its a bit shit to shout at someone in the street, yes you should know if you move near a school you will have parking issues but sweet jesus!

I live next to a school and also take my car out every single term time night and park it over my drive. If i don't all the "just five minutes" people get angry at me for beeping and then make me late for work/appointments etc.

I genuinely had no idea people were so self entitled until I lived near a school.

I'm not sure why someone's need to go to the shops or wherever should automatically trump someone else's right to do the school drop off.

IMO there has to be a balancing of the needs of both parties, which would include an acceptance that yes, drives will be temporarily blocked at school pick up and drop off and pick up times. The drive owner could then plan accordingly by making other parking arrangements or arranging alternative transport if they require egress at these times.

Wtf Yellowfish? So my drive I've paid for( it came with the house) should be available for all CFs to use, and I should make alternative arrangements at school times? Really?

How about I decide I fancy parking on your drive/front garden from now on?

@YellowFish123 is just having a laugh, no normal human is selfish enough that that is their actual thought process.

@NicoAndTheNiners ahh okay that explains it. Good idea!

The drive owner could then plan accordingly by making other parking arrangements

Yes, in my case, that would probably involve parking in the middle of the road so that no car could get through, including those that had parked on or across my drive.
BTW, blocking a car in a drive gets a parking ticket or removal of offending car.

I bet those blocking other people's drives wouldn't be so happy if the reverse happened. Particularly as they were about to leave for the school run.

everybody in this scenario who parked like a dick wbvu. The person who assertively asked one of the bad parkers not to do it again, and refused to accept their lame ass wah wah excuses wnbu.

"I'm not sure why someone's need to go to the shops or wherever should automatically trump someone else's right to do the school drop off. "

bus, taxi, walk, let dc out of the car w/o parking up..... some people manage to do school drop off every damn day without even owning a car, can you imagine such a thing

School drop off time is also going to work time. I suppose that's not important.

Oooh, an idea. Why not ask drive blockers to drive the drive owners to work? Or the shops? Just get in the car as they have the doors open.

In the unlikely event that the drive-owner needs to rush somewhere important while their drive is out of use for a few hours, there is the option of public transport or asking a neighbour/friend for a lift.

My jaw has well and truly dropped! I can't get my car out (not me, we're too quiet and nowhere near anything to get blocked in), so I should PAY for public transport (which here is crap and the reason I have a car) or inconvenience a friend/neighbour?
What freaking planet do you live on?
What do you have to say to the lady earlier who had to call out an ambulance due to being blocked? She should have expected to be so inconvenienced?

I really have heard it all now. people who have drives and live near a school should sort lifts or use public transport so their driveways can be left free for selfish school run cunts to park across? u ok hun?

Yes the woman apologised but what was she going to do about her actions. No promise of not doing it again, or why she even did it in the first place (rather obvious why) so H is NBU i speaking out.if you had actually parked on Hs driveway only to find a car parked blocking you how would you feel. It is an offence no matter how apologetic you are.

For reasons best known to the local council, the dropped kerb for our driveway starts approximately halfway across the (single vehicle width) drive So legally I can't get cross with people who park up to the dropped bit but bloody hell it's irritating. I have knocked doors and got people to move (it's usually staff/visitors for the nearby care home) but I don't like to be doing that when I'm leaving for work at 6:30am. Would it be really hard for them to check their surroundings as they park? (clue - the answer is no, because it's something I always do when parking on a road).