My very own CF parking thread!!

[Hiphopopotamus]

My anger at the situation is ever so slightly mitigated by the fact that I get my very first parking thread!

My DH and I are heading out this morning. We’re picking up our niece to take her out for the day. She has a fairly chaotic home and for us it’s important that when we say we’re doing something with her we follow through, as other adults in her life let her down a lot.

So...we go to get the car out of our driveway. We have gates across the drive so it might not be obvious that there is a car there. However, directly outside it is a dropped kerb, and it is our drive. I open the gates to get the car out this morning, and a car is parked right across it! It’s impossible to manoeuvre around it and we’re properly blocked in.

What do we do? We have no way of knowing who the car belongs to - it could belong to anyone on a fairly big street. It feels early to knock on doors on a Saturday morning (I have no problem waking up the CF, but I would feel bad waking up the innocent! ) but we genuinely have no idea what to do. We’re already going to be late for DN as we were supposed to leave 45 minutes ago.

I would post a picture on my local fb page. That seems to get things noticed.

DVLA have the address of where the car is registered - not necessarily the owner. If you are saying there is a telephone number linked to the address, the owner isn’t home to answer, as they are parked outside the OP. Mobile numbers aren’t linked to cars or addresses AFAIK.

I would be livid! We had new neighbours that within days of moving in had blocked our car in the drive on Christmas Eve and I wanted to go to midnight mass.

I had no qualms about waking them up at 11:15 pm and making them move the car. They've never blocked me in again.

Usually if I get blocked in I sit with my hand on the horn and when they come out I NEVER say please or thank you. It's my drive they shouldn't block me in.

I would try to set the car’s alarm off.

Good luck OP

I love the ‘taxi to niece’ suggestions, as if that hadn’t occurred to OP 😂

That would give me the rage. DH has called the police before and they do come and get people to move. We obviously live in a fairly quiet area for crime! We live near a school and every September we get people blocking our drive. Once DH gets hold of them, they don't tend to do it a second time!

Parking myself here for updates.
I don't care if I'm a CF and should bookmark.

Another vote for "hand on horn" and set of their / your car alarm..... it's not as if it were 5 a.m.
If you get enough neighbours together you might be able to shift it... or someone might have a 4x4 with a towbar.

Oh I'm raging for you!

This used to happen to me all the time - people assuming because there were gates there wasn't a car behind them. Lean on your horn, whilst your DH knocks on doors.

How frustrating for you OP, I really hope you can locate the offender and get to your niece. Would you be able to offer tomorrow as a day out instead (assuming you can get your car out?) if this continues much longer?

If it’s not in gear you can push it out the way. You just need to get a few adults behind it.

After this is over get an official parking sign and attach it to your gates. Something like this.

Did you find the owner?

We’re on the way!! Two hours after planned. I went up and down the street and eventually found the owner. By the time he moved his car he was very aware of how angry I was! 😂

I bet! Glad you got it sorted! Who was he and why had he parked there?

Hurray! Hope your DN enjoys her day out. You sound lovely, OP.

What the hell was his explanation for abandoning his vehicle in front of someone’s driveway?

As many local fb sites as possible. More chance of someone seeing it who knows the owner and a lot of people to identify them to.

I hope you get moving soon OP & have a good day with your niece.

Oh just seen your update!

Glad you’re on your way.

Please dont lean on your horn or set the alarm off. PPs are saying it's not that early but not everyone has a Mon-Fri 9-5 job and people work night shift 7 days a week and sleep through the day. Speaking from experience, I can ignore the vast majority of daytime noise but alarms are made specifically to not be ignored and it can really affect others who are also innocent.

What on earth made him think this was Ok? He could at the very least have left a note in his car saying where he was.

You've been far too reasonable. A parking thread resolved in such a short time. Hmmm

@MsMD that was absolutely my thought.

I was really trying to find a solution whereby I could avoid disrupting the whole street for one persons actions. Especially as we’ve not long moved, and this would be our introduction to a lot of our neighbours. And I know people are saying that 9.30 wasn’t early but we live in the London commuter belt with people who work long hours Monday to Friday. I know I would be fuming if I was woken up on my one precious lie in if the week by repeated car horns and alarms. To the poster who asked why we phoned 101 first, that was why. It was 8.30 when we discovered the car there and I was trying to find a way to get in touch with the owner without impacting anyone else.

What did the owner say OP?

I would continue knocking on doors and then sit peeping your horn until someone appears.
Unfortunately it could be someone who doesn't live/isn't visiting in the street. They might have parked and gone off shopping somewhere.
You could try 101 again. This is ridiculous that you're blocked in.