Neighbours parking on pavements and overgrown hedges (photo)

[applesauce1]

I walk into town every day with my baby in his pushchair. Every day, I am met with this obstacle. One neighbour has this tree growing so low and wide that it would hit my baby in the face while in his pushchair, so I can't duck under. Possibly the same neighbour or their NDN has the white car, who always parks on the pavement. In the photo, they've left a generous amount of path compared to usual. Most of the time the car is much further onto the pavement than it is on the road.

The house over the road often has vans in who, without fail, park on the pavement. Usually, my best route is to either go around the van on the neighbours garden, or walk in the road.

I have a feeling people do this because it is a bus route. If people park legally, the bus driver just leans on their horn until someone comes and moves the car onto the pavement.

So my AIBU is, who should I be annoyed with? What would you do? Should I be annoyed at all? I can usually get a quite chance to push my baby in the road, but people drive very fast and often on the wrong side of the road (due to parked cars) on this estate, so I always feel vulnerable doing that.

Ah so parking on pavements in London is allowed if it is marked out. My guess is on my estate the council would just mark out one side of the pavement for parking.

Unfortunately, it isn't illegal to park on the pavement in the UK, apart from in London. However, if someone blocks a pavement, sometimes some police forces and councils will take action.

There have been several attempts to get the legislation changed in Parliament, but all have failed. So far.

Since the pavement does appear to be blocked in your case, it's worth reporting to your local police and to the council. Maybe you'll get lucky. The council will likely take action over the hedge.

@purplepoops My DP is disabled and can not walk that far. So sure I can walk 30 minutes, would realistically be longer as everyone would be trying to park in that area, then drive back and collect DP to go to work.
Realistically I would have to move. It would not be realistic for me to live here.

My sons in a wheelchair and often cant leave the house due to cunts parking on pavement
Aww you'll have to walk to you car.... poor you

@jennymanara - As long as the pavement is wide enough then yes. As stated in my early posts, parking is banned from pavements except in marked zones.

So provided that the pavement is wide enough to allow whole or partial parking, parking areas can be marked and signposted to show how to park in that area. These spaces, of course, will only be able to put on pavements where there still leaves enough rooms for other users, but do certainly help in areas with lots of narrow roads (such as mine).

Is it realistic that this will be law?

its all very well saying "park on one side on the pavement", as long as people can access the dropped kerbs.
but what if you need to access that part of the pavement to enter a house? so your in a wheelchair/got a buggy, how does that work?
I agree its annoying when you can't park where you live , been there.
but it doesn't mean its right to put people's lives at risk.

@Tinkercat107 Done! Thanks for the tip.

Its not about being able to park where I live. I am already used to parking on the next street or two if there is no space. It is about being able to park at all that is the issue I am worrying about.

This is how roads/pavements in my area, which is large enough, are marked out.

It makes sure, where possible, cars can still park.

Eliza9919 Mon 15-Jul-19 15:33:40
My pushchair is so heavy, I'm not fast at getting it up and down pavements or up the hill when in the road

Car parking issue aside, you need a different pram if you can't even push the one you have. Jesus Christ.

@Samcro Mon 15-Jul-19 15:38:47
Eliza9919
what about wheelchairs?
these threads always shock me. the amount of posters who think it is ok to park on a pavement, causing an obstruction and putting people at risk

Where did I condone obstructing the pavement?

I wish instead of building flats on every corner councils would/could afford to/be made to create more car parking areas.

Don't blame the council! It's the developers who build flats. Parking spaces cost money - flat owners are not prepared to pay this extra, but they'll have multiple cars, who fill up the designated parking spaces, then park all over the road. Councils can only impose parking requirements up to a certain level by law.

The bottom line is that we have too many cars.

@LoudBatPerson Marking it off would be fine. Tbh only people who block the pavements here fully are parents during drop off/pick up at school.
Everyone else keeps with the system of one side fully on pavements but still with enough space for pram/wheelchair and second side partially on a pavements with enough space for 2 parents with prams next yo each other. Seems to work for everyone including parents and disabled.

If you live in a large estate of terraced victorian housing with narrow streets?

Oh, funnily enough I actually do live in a victorian terrace. Most of south London is victorian terraces. And there is resident parking for a mile radius around my place of work (hospital). I either park some distance away and walk (if I'm working a shift where I'll be finishing late), or I cycle (anything up to ten miles is completely doable assuming no major health conditions), or I get public transport. Or some combination of the above (train then bike usually).

Did exactly the same when I lived in Gloucester, Hertfordshire and in Sussex, so no it's not a London thing. DM is in her late 60s and walks to work because the parking is so bad in her small market town, so not buying any public transport arguments either. It's a laziness thing that people want to park directly outside their houses and then drive to a car park directly outside their places of work or directly opposite the shops.

Maybe don't waste council time and knock on the homeowners door.

Or walk around the car.

Tinkercat107 Thank you just looked at www.fixmystreet.com/ and it's brilliant! How have I never heard that before.

I'm disabled and people parking like the OP's photo is a proper ball ache. Our parking wardens are pretty keen, but have had to tell motorists that parking with all four wheels in the pavement to avoid double yellows is not on. This happens at least once a week.

Eliza9919 the question was for you

@sashkin Thanks for telling me I should just walk 9 miles to and from work every day. And presumably DP should just give up work.

applesauce1 Mon 15-Jul-19 15:52:03
Eliza9919 Of course I can push my pushchair, but it is one of the heaviest (Silver Cross Wave) and so is difficult to manoeuvre quickly up and down kerbs when there is a car suddenly speeding around the corner towards you. I sustained lasting birth injuries (not foreseen) and would not have chosen such a heavy piece of kit had I known I'd encounter an issue requiring me to run uphill in the road with it.

You need to sell it and get something you can move quickly with then. Yes, people shouldn't obstruct the pavement, but they are, so you need to take all steps possible to ensure you in the road for the least amount of time possible.

The sooner the government bring in a one house, one car policy the better.

how on earth could that possibly work? Some households need 2 cars, some household need a van and a car.

Some folks are rich and have a collection! And the space for them, but still.

Or walk around the car.

amazing advice for any wheelchair user.

@sashkin Thanks for telling me I should just walk 9 miles to and from work every day. And presumably DP should just give up work

I suggested cycling. Should take about 40mins each way.

@NinjainFluffyPJs - I don't mind people who park on the pavement but ensure they leave plenty of room for all users, it is the ones who don't who infuriate me.

I do think a national ban, with pavement markings where there is enough space to park without obstructing the pavement, would be the best cause of actions, as it solves the problem of inconsiderate people, who feel their need to park trumps everyone (who are the minority, however, their actions do cause a massive problem)

And really, if you live 9 miles from the nearest parking space, think about giving up the car.

We only have 1 car. We have it because we need to get to work and my DP can not walk more than about 10 mins. Too far for any help, but too short to walk everywhere. I would be happy with 1 car per household. But that will never happen as it affects well of people.