AIBU parking thread

[TastingTheRainbow]

Parking thread with a difference in that I am the one that parked inconsiderately and am now blocked in BUT I have a reason.

I am a midwife and was called out to an (unplanned and unexpected) home birth early this morning. Midwife 1 arrived before me and parked across the drive of the person giving birth. I arrived second and parked behind midwife 1 therefore blocking the neighbours drive.

Neighbours drive was empty so not blocking any car in and as it’s a typical new build estate there was no where else to park except miles away and when carrying heavy oxygen tanks etc. that’s not possible. Not very considerate granted but from what I understand it’s not illegal to block an empty driveway and in an emergency situation acceptable. I put a note in the windscreen explaining midwife on emergency call and left my phone number to call if it needs moving.

Have come out now and a car has parked behind me blocking both me and midwife 1 in (as I’m blocking her).

Not had a phone call from anyone asking me to move and have knocked on the house that the drive belongs to and there is no answer.

AIBU to think that while it’s annoying when you’re drive is blocked if you’re neighbour needs emergency attendance AND there is a note explaining this that you just put up with the inconvenience for a short time and don’t stop 2 midwives from attending to their other patients now.

Ps. If the house is owned by a mumnetter and you’re blocking in a black corsa, please let us out.

No, YANBU.

Emergency situation and you left contact details; they didn't bother to contact you. Hope it gets resolved quickly.

hmmmm im torn on this as really, parking across someone's drive is unacceptable, full stop. However, if there are any mitigating circumstances, yours is ot and if you put a note with phone number, I'd find that acceptable. Are you sure the note is fully visible?

Obligatory diagram hastily drawn in my diary while still sat in my car wondering what to do.

Whoops diagram didn’t post.
Note definitely visible, it’s in the rear window and they are parked VERY close behind my car.

Erm I’d say both BU, you shouldn’t have blocked someone’s drive but equally the neighbour shouldn’t have then blocked you in.

if mw 1 moves right up to other car touching bumper surely you can multiple turn out or bump out?

I think anyone blocking a medical professional on an emergency call where there is clearly a note to that effect AND a phone number is an asshole.

Of course you wouldn't choose to park across someone's drive but for all you knew this was a life or death situation involving a labouring woman - what the hell were you supposed to do - park half a mile away and stagger back carrying oxygen tanks?

I'd call the non-emergency police number and ask for advice.

you'll probably find them come running out if you touch their bumper (gently) a few times to get out.

Sounds like you parked too close to midwife 1.

Sounds like you did the best you can. People park so inconsiderately that they probably didn't even look at your well reasoned note on your windscreen. Probably not even one of the residents.
Definitely reasonable to do what you did in the circumstances. I live in a tiny cul de sac where our neighbors wth adult children park anywhere because they don't give a sh*t. The DD parked across our drive, whilst our cars were on it, the night I went into labor... DH would not let me go round & release hell... Insisted I get to labour ward etc... Basically nothing surprises me any more.
Sorry you're blocked in and hope you get out asap so you can continue your amazing work. Congratulations to the new parents!

Why didn’t you park next to the wall? You should have blocked in others at the birth house rather than inconveniencing others. I work incredibly long hours, have a hidden disability that causes excruciating pain and would be severely pissed if I came home to that. If I came home from a night shift in the middle of the night I wouldn’t necessarily check for a note on the windscreen either either. The owner of the house is probably in bed. You will need to wait until they’ve slept to get your car out.

Personally, I would have done the same as the neighbour (or black car owner) but I wouldn't have called the number as I wouldn't have to interrupted just in case it was at a critical moment.

Personally, I would have left you my number so that you could do you job without me asking you to move your car and then contact me when you are ready to go.

I'd rather be slight inconvenienced and my neighbour and baby saved.

No difference if you were in an ambulance.

Try some other doors as it may not be the neighbours car.

The problem is you don't know the neighbour's circumstances. I've recently had an operation so if you'd parked so that I would have had to park miles away I'd be screwed because I can drive short distances to get to the doctor's but still can'r walk very far. I also wouldn't have thought to look at your rear windscreen.

Can you post another note through their door?

It was an emergency. This was a woman who didn’t know she was pregnant. Giving birth at home, unattended with no equipment. There was no time to carefully drive around looking for a better option.

I am parked too close to midwife 1 yes in order to limit how much of neighbours driveway I blocked and make sure they could still get on it. They could get 1 car on still as my car is only a tiny corsa and they have a double drive.

Definitely can’t get out as I’m close to midwife 1’s car and they are millimetres behind mine. Plus all along side where I’ve labelled building site are lorry’s and HCV’s.

Now waiting for police, midwifery manager has just phoned them as we’ve had to phone saying we can’t get back.

I don’t understand why you didn’t park parallel to the other midwife’s car or the one in front of it.

Could bit be one of the builders cars? Have you tried asking over there? Seems unlikely is neighbors car if their drive was empty when you arrived. I have to say that my neighbour is so pissed off with people parking over her drive that she would just immediately block, or call someone to block and wouldt look for or read any notes.

Maybe they didn't see the note, have you tried knocking on the neighbour's door?

The blocking car does belong to the neighbour, the father has confirmed that. Couldn’t park parallel to midwife 1 or car in front as that the building site gates and would have blocked access to the whole site.

Whose is the car in front, by the wall?

YANBU at all. It's an unfortunate circumstance but maybe the neighbour didn't see your note.

YANBU! you left a note and it was an emergency. Same as blocking in an ambulance, in my opinion.

Does the front car belong to the birth house? Get them to move theirs, then midwife 1 can move, then you can get out?

I suspect the neighbours didn’t see note and just blocked you in and went to bed after night shift. I wouldn’t park there and take a look around the other car for a note.

Car in front by the wall belongs to lady who has just given birth. Plan is to give the police half an hour to attend and if not here to get a taxi back to labour ward and deal with the cars later.

Those talking about hidden disabilities and operations are missing the fact that the neighbour COULD get onto his drive. It’s a double drive, a corsa can’t block the whole thing. Yes it’s blocking a second car getting on and made it harder to get back off but he could have got onto his drive no problem.

Google search tells me it’s not illegal to block an empty drive but it is illegal to block a car in and prevent access to the highway. Hoping that means the police can arrange for the car to be moved and let us out. Have been knocking on and off for nearly an hour now and no answer. Not sure if he’s home or awake but it he is he can see us in our uniforms so posting a note won’t tell him anything he can’t see.

YANBU I think you just have to go and batter the door till they answer, then when they finally do come out tell them you have another emergency to attend so they must let you out immediately and give them your note