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.

Same situation on my street, it’s the worst on bin day. I live in a family area so most people have 4x4s or people carriers. Some families have two cars so one will be parked on the pavement. There’s enough room to squeeze by if you don’t have a pram and are slim, not enough at all if you have a pram. I have to walk in the road often which I obviously don’t like doing with a baby... On bin day it’s like an obstacle course between the bins and cars on pavements. Some drivers are more selfish than others.

So far we have had "I have to park blocking the pavement because it is 25mins walk to the nearest road wide enough to park on", and "I have to park blocking the pavement because I work 40 miles away". Good luck getting a parking ticket cancelled with either of those excuses. This is no different.

For example one people carrier parks directly at the end of their drive on the whole pavement so you couldn’t even walk past let alone squeeze a pram past. They do it every day so DC and I have to walk in the road around it. I hate them so much, selfish twats. They only have one car so could use their drive but opt not to, instead just make everyone’s life difficult.

We are not in London and two of the adjacent local councils have brought in parking restrictions on pavements.

I understand it will be being brought in by our council this year.

Excellent news.

Our local roads don't allow space for cars parking on both sides of the road. On the roads where there are semi detached houses and therefore a little more space, they park on either side leaving room for buses to pass. Even if the buses do have to weave left and right.
On the roads where the houses are tightly packed then only one side of the road is used for parking. Everyone sticks to these basic rules and there is no problem. They even park close together to leave maximum number of parking spaces. Those with drives use them. Fancy that. Whole roads of people who aren't selfish lazy bastards blocking pavements or roads. Any car that can't fit parks on the next road.

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

I cycle, it's safe to do so. DH doesn't because it's not a safe route, particularly in the winter. He also works lates or on weekends and public transport isn't always available for the time he needs to get in or to get home.

Luckily we have a drive, and use it, but he would really struggle without the car.

I am someone who hadn't really thought through the issues wheelchair users would have until I had a double buggy, following twins. It was light and could bumped back but it was unsafe.
I never scratched anyone's car but I wouldn't blame others for doing so while trying to get through.

We have someone the does it on the end of our road on the fucking corner. Walking in the road isn't a sensible option as it's on the corner so I cant really see what's coming until it's right upon us. So what I have to do it turn round,cross the road,then walk on that side of the road, cross the road again. Luckily with the pram and 4 yr old this is fine, if it was someone in a wheelchair they would have to go back to the other end of the street as the car blocks the dropped curb. someone raised it on a local fb page and the owner just gave everyone abuse, cause he had the right to park outside his house apparently.

I could fill a novel with the number of times I've had to take my child on the busy road because if inconsiderate people parking so far onto the path you can't physically get passed. I'd dread to think of my poor wheelchair bound uncle doing that journey, he'd be hit by a car.
The thing that especially irks me is when people have drive ways but don't use them. That should be made illegal too. Imagine how many cars would be off the paths if drives were used

Try being a guide dog user and coping with pavement parking
I have friends and colleagues who's independence and safety is challenged daily because of these selfish tossers
Ye ye just walk in the road
Fuckwits

@jennymanara irony you wouldn't use bike to get to work because its unsafe but you don't/wont understand that full parking on the pavement which does not allow people to walk/push their buggy/wheel their disability item to use is dangerous/selfish etc think about this - I say again when you moved in you must have noticed that there wasn't any parking - I don't object (much) to vehicles having 2 wheels up on the edge PROVIDED that everybody who needs to use the pavement can do so safely & freely & can out of their house & cross the road safely & freely with out any obstacles hindering their way

enablemagazine.co.uk/campaigning-to-end-pavement-parking-in-the-uk-with-guide-dogs/

*Don't blame the council! It's the developers who build flats.

it still the council who shouldn't grant planning permission without adequate parking*

Ha. Our genius council had a policy of not allowing any parking spaces to be built with flats because then people would not have cars and would either use public transport or use bikes. What actually happened, of course, was that people bought the flats ( several developments) and parked their cars in the surrounding streets , where there was already pressure on parking.

New council reversed that after a few years of stupidity but the nutty lot are now back in again with equally batty plans which are a triumph of the law of unintended consequences.

*Luckily we have a drive, and use it, but he would really struggle without the car.8

Again, I wasn't suggesting that nobody should ever drive. Just that if you cannot park legally within walking distance of your house, you should look at other forms of transport, not park illegally to the detriment of disabled people.

I suspect they will not bring it in places like the place I live. Because it would mean a whole large estate would be no cars. It would also mean DP could only leave the estate in a taxi.

What actually happened, of course, was that people bought the flats ( several developments) and parked their cars in the surrounding streets , where there was already pressure on parking.

I have heard of this several times. It's shockingly stupid planning.

And let's not get started about the schools and the medical care...

My current road has double yellow lines on it, if I needed to park directly outside due to mobility issues I wouldn't have bought it. I doubt her roads have narrowed or drive evaporated since she moved in. Parking blocking the pavement because you don't want to walk around the corner is not okay.

@Sashkin you're right that roads don't narrow and driveways don't evaporate, of course, but have you considered that mobile people do become immobile?

You're being very sweeping and sarcastic, but you don't really seem to be considering disability in your broad diktats.

I didn't say I agree with parking on the pavement, just that it's not practical to outlaw cars.

People park on the pavement on my road, but I drive a practical sized car, not a fucking Chelsea tractor, and I can park without wheels on the pavement and still leave plenty of room for cars and buses to pass.

Two buses can pass each other comfortably with cars parked on both sides of my road, but we have a single yellow on one side and a bay for 14 cars on the other - for 51 houses 🙄

Yet a less wide road round the corner has no parking restrictions, cars can park on both sides meaning it becomes single file, and buses also go down that road 🙄🙄

I didn't say I agree with parking on the pavement, just that it's not practical to outlaw cars.

Exactly.

The smuggery of "Cycle to work", "Park four streets away", "One vehicle per household", as if everyone is able-bodied, extremely fit and works 9-5 office jobs.

I live in an area where there’s no driveways or garages. Everyone has to park on the road with a resident’s parking permit. Some flats or conversions come without the right to resident’s parking - for which you have to pay the council- so they can never have a car. No one would dream of parking on the pavement. You would get an immediate parking ticket. That hedge is shocking. They are not allowed to grow over public paths- complain to the council.

What bugs me is the modern estates being built with such narrow roads that if cars are parked one side, there isn’t room for two cars to pass it. So if you’re driving along and meet a car coming the other way where there are parked cars, one or other of you has to pull in.

If it is made illegal, how stringently would it be enforced? It's illegal to ride bicycles on the pavement ...

If it is made illegal, how stringently would it be enforced? It's illegal to ride bicycles on the pavement ...

It is illegal , except in some marked spots, in my London Borough - tickets galore until regulars realised that it was being enforced. The Neighbourhood policing patrol carries out regular sweeps,

A car is stationary for a period of time if parked so rather more chance I of being caught than a bike in motion.

We have a similar issue here.A neighbour has been getting her driveway done up for the last 9 months, still not finished! Ran out of funds. Her next door neighbour got their front garden converted into a drive in a week...cost £3.5k.we have thought about it but just don't have the ££ to do it. We have one car while most neighbour's have 2 or more. Annoying as anything but we can't do anything about it. Our street is a mare for parking. 😞😩 we have 7 foot high hedges which we have had to let overgrow as we have a swarm of bees and wasps and a bee keeper friend advised us to leave well alone till they move on. Not pretty etc but it's better than being stung a hundred times! Our garden is fine apart from hedges needing cut!

you don't really seem to be considering disability in your broad diktats

Seriously, you think it’s only disabled people who ever park blocking the pavement, and people who complain about wheelchairs being impeded are being ablist??