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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

White line but no dropped kerb, anyone else had this?

85 replies

eastegg · 08/08/2019 22:39

Long time mner but first time on AIBU. Basically I'm pretty sure I'm not but wanted to vent!

Parking outside my child's nursery is in an unrestricted residential road. I don't always drive but sometimes have to. Been going there for the best part of 10 years and have 2 years to go. Never had much trouble parking but it's got busier recently.

I sometimes park in front of a house which recently had a white line appear in front of what would be a driveway if it had a dropped kerb. But no dropped kerb. The white line is different from the ones you normally get with a dropped kerb; a bit thinner and much nearer the kerb. I've been ignoring it because there's no dropped kerb.

Today I was later picking up than normal. When I came back to my car owner of house in question took me to task over parking outside her house. Said she'd paid for a dropped kerb and is just waiting. Did I have no respect etc. Did I want to see her 'authorisation ' whatever that means. I said it's not a dropped kerb and how was I supposed to know what the council have promised her. Think I was a bit too soft at one point and said 'now I know you're getting a dropped kerb...' although I don't think I finished the sentence. Generally though I stood up for myself, and didn't apologise. She ended up shouting and swearing as she got back into her car.

Grrr. Her entitled attitude has really got to me. At one point she said 'I don't want to see your car again ' like I was a naughty child. I'm also annoyed that she was distracting me while my wayward toddler was on the pavement next to a busy road.

I almost certain she hasn't got a leg to stand on. I want to park there again but don't want confrontation and don't want to spoil what have been 10 happy years going to nursery.

Anyone had similar?

OP posts:
Original poster
eastegg · 09/08/2019 20:31

I'm sorry holly I'm blocking what? You're very clear about your view about me but not at all clear about what I'm doing wrong, like many on this thread.

I'm parking on a road. I'm not blocking access because there is no access.

OP posts:
YouJustDoYou · 09/08/2019 20:39

It's illegal to drive over a raised curb. So until the work is done, if it was even planned in the first place, no one should be parking there anyway. They can make it look like a drive all they want, but the law is the law and you weren't breaking it.

VivaLeBeaver · 09/08/2019 20:43

You are blocking access though, you are blocking access to an in use parking space. That space may be "not allowed" but you can't argue that you're not blocking access. If you left your car there they can't get theirs out.

You could park further away and walk.

fedup21 · 09/08/2019 20:53

Can you do a diagram? Are you blocking the access to where her car is parked?

Pipandmum · 09/08/2019 20:54

I put a dropped curb in and it required permission but I hired the contractor to do the work. Then afterwards the council contracted road people to put the white line on.
You are allowed to park on the white line if it’s not blocking the driveway. The owner can park there blocking their own drive if they want. The white line is not legally enforceable but the rules of obstruction do apply.

tomboytown · 09/08/2019 20:57

what do you mean by drive? Any space outside a house which could be used to park a car?

Yes, if you park blocking any space outside someone’s house that could be used to park a car I’d think you were wrong.
If you park anywhere blocking someone in, I’d think you were wrong.

Pipandmum · 09/08/2019 20:59

But if the curb isn’t actually dropped the fact they actually have a car there is irrelevant. It’s not a driveway if the curb isn’t dropped.

OddBoots · 09/08/2019 21:00

I'm a little confused by what you posted, where you parked would you be blocking in the covered car?

HollyGoLoudly1 · 09/08/2019 21:17

I sometimes park in front of a house which recently had a white line appear in front of what would be a driveway if it had a dropped kerb

What would be a driveway This is from your OP. You describe it yourself as a driveway, albeit without a dropped kerb. As I said before, I personally don't care about the technicality of the kerb, I would still count it as someone's driveway, so therefore this is what I assume you are blocking if you are parking in front of it. If I am wrong, maybe a diagram would help as a PP said. I can't imagine why the resident was so annoyed unless you were blocking her access in some way.

Original poster
eastegg · 09/08/2019 22:30

For those who are asking for clarification, the whole area in front of her house is a gravel square just big enough for one car, and whenever I've been there there's been a car there with a cover on it. I sometimes park on the road outside her house so yes, blocking in the covered car if you want to put it that way.

When the woman turned up yesterday she was driving another car which she stopped in the middle of the road in order to berate me.

If blocking access means blocking any possible access whether legal or not, I could just go and knock my front wall down, leaving a space big enough for a car between my house and the pavement, and then insist that no-one parks on the road outside my house thereby annexing it for myself. What complete nonsense.

OP posts:
rachb2019 · 09/08/2019 23:26

Sounds to me like she wants the benefit of a drive on the cheap without getting the kerb dropped and is probably damaging the pavement (and her car) every time she bounces over the kerb.

Where I live if the council see you using the pavement in lieu of a dropped kerb to access a makeshift driveway they put bollards in to prevent it - given her attitude give the council a call...

DeeCeeCherry · 09/08/2019 23:39

My neighbour painted white line himself, and he also painted it longer 5han normal white line. He was a complete nightmare, parking obsessed. He's dead now so all his posturing re parking doesn't matter at all

Deelish75 · 09/08/2019 23:47

Sounds like she’s hoping people will see the covered car in her front garden , choose not to park there for fear of blocking her in, meaning she ends up with parking on the road outside her house and it will always be there for her - very cheeky fuckery. The sprayed white line on the road sounds suspicious- if she’s done that herself would that be criminal damage? Please speak to the council and find out what is going on - I bet they know nothing about it.
I had a similar incident last year, a man told me that the council bay I was parked in was no longer in use, he was just waiting for the kerb to be dropped therefore I needed to park somewhere else. I refused and told him to report me to the police/council for parking illegally. I got called a bitch for that.
Some people are just gobshites 😡

Deelish75 · 09/08/2019 23:48

Oh and the council parking bay is still where it was and the kerb was never dropped.

Original poster
eastegg · 10/08/2019 05:49

deelish I think you've got it spot on.

The covered car acts like a deterrent to stop people parking on the white line. I 'm also pretty sure she's sprayed it herself. Why would the council paint a line that looks a bit like an H bar but different? It's not marking it out ready for lowering, I've seen those sorts of marks and it's not like that either.

I will contact the council thanks.

I actually do believe her about paying for the dropped kerb and I think that's why she's so angry. She's paid for it, they haven't done it so she feels entitled to it. She should be bothering the council about it though not me.

OP posts:
Likethebattle · 10/08/2019 13:00

Maybe her kerb work can’t be done because some entitled cf parks there?

MrsKittyFane1 · 10/08/2019 13:26

Why should I give in to her demands if it's a safe and legal space?

Have another think about it OP.

OtraCosaMariposa · 10/08/2019 14:15

We all have dropped kerbs in this street. No white lines.

Because drivers have the common sense to realise that if it's clearly someone's drive, you don't park in front of it.

idril · 10/08/2019 14:27

Not sure about the white line but assuming it means nothing, it's a public road. Until she gets the dropped kerb, you can park there. Doesn't matter if she thinks she has exclusive right to that bit of road - she doesn't.

Collaborate · 10/08/2019 14:38

Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

Just because some entitled arse who thinks they should have exclusive right to park on the public highway in front of their house thinks no one else should ever be allowed to park there, doesn’t mean you should do what they say.

Floralnomad · 10/08/2019 14:43

I’ve not read the whole thread however if there is no dropped kerb then she is illegally crossing the pavement to access her drive and you can block her drive if there are no parking restrictions on the road . In our area , and I’m assuming most others , you have to apply for permission to drop a kerb and then use an approved contractor but it’s something that you arrange and pay for entirely so you would know when they are coming . The contractor that you employ off the official list sorts out any permits etc when you book them .

Original poster
eastegg · 10/08/2019 17:09

I am thinking about it mrs kitty, and I think the only good reason to give into her demands would be to keep the peace. I don't think her demands have any legal or moral basis. Do you?

OP posts:
Myimaginarycathasfleas · 10/08/2019 17:42

You've said there's a car on her drive, covered when not in use. You don't know when she uses it. Blocking her in is really aggressive and unpleasant behaviour. She was prepared to show you that she had paid for a dropped kerb so it's only a matter of time before you'll have to park somewhere else anyway.

Fraggling · 10/08/2019 17:53

I wouldn't park across what is obviously a driveway, drooped kerb or not.

It's a selfish thing to do.

I live in n London loads of tecnical non driveways that are driveways. Why be a sod.

georgialondon · 10/08/2019 19:46

I seriously can't believe how many people think the OP is in the wrong. There's no legal parking. There's no need to move elsewhere until there is.