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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Parking on footpath

25 replies

26mcjrfm · 11/10/2019 19:43

We have a neighbour who lives a few doors down, who insists on parking her car fully on the footpath, leaving no gap whatsoever for pedestrians, pram, wheelchair users etc to pass. Even someone on foot could not walk past her car without treading on her grass or having to walk around the car on the road (impressive parking - there’s literally not a cm either side of the car on the pavement).

Now, I walk my dog daily and also push my baby in her pram, and I am forced on to the road every day. It winds me up so much. She has a driveway with space for up to 3 cars.

Bit of background - one morning DD (3) seen a cat outside and went out to pet it. The cat had walked down the street outside their house. We were petting it and my daughter and I were talking in normal tone. The bedroom windows were open, and next thing her boyfriend came to the door in his dressing gown and scolded us saying they were trying to sleep and did we mind getting away from the property. It was 8.30am and I understand wanting to have a lay on but we weren’t being noisy/shouting and were on public property. I was so embarrassed that I apologised and took my daughter home.

So, I already have my back up about the neighbours.

After countless times walking past the car on to the road, I called in one day and kindly explained that her car was obstructing the pavement and forcing me on to the road with a pram. She rolled her eyes but agreed to park in driveway. This happened for roughly a week but now she is back parking across the pavement. Like how difficult is it to park in your own driveway? Or even half on/off the path to give us some space (they’re wide paths).

I don’t want to write a note (it’ll obviously be from me) but I am tempted to write to a local counsellor as its driving me insane.

WWYD?

OP posts:
Venger · 11/10/2019 19:53

This is a problem around the DCs school where people doing drop off and pick up park across pavements. When residents and parents who walk to school complained the school sent out a text saying they'd notified the council and advice was to take a photo of any offending vehicles and contact 101 to report it.

MsVestibule · 11/10/2019 19:55

Tell her again. If she does it after that, ostentatiously take photos when you know she's around and if she asks why, tell her you're contacting the council and these photos are evidence.

I know you don't want to get into a ruck with your neighbours but she obviously doesn't care about that, does she?

26mcjrfm · 11/10/2019 19:56

It’s so frustrating, I tried to be nice about it and popped in and explained. I thought about leaving a note but decided the mature thing to do was ask her to her face. I feel like ringing 101 is a bit extreme? And I don’t know if it’s annoying me even more due to the cat incident!

OP posts:
Laiste · 11/10/2019 19:56

I have a feeling there's nothing much you can do.

I had a word with our local community police man about the parking fully on the pavement for primary school pick ups. I have to walk into the road too. No room for prams/wheel chairs to get past ect.

What happened? He came down to see it. Shook his head, sucked his teeth, and said 'yes, the drivers need a sharp word''. He took photos. He wrote down the no. plates. (It's always the same 4 or 5 vehicles.)

That was 8 months ago. Nothing has changed. Same cars doing the same thing. Police bloke stands near the school sometimes waving at the kids while seemingly blind to the pavement parking a few meters up the road Hmm

rant over

26mcjrfm · 11/10/2019 19:59

Yes maybe I’ll call in again. Honestly, she seems a right cow. Who tells a 2 year old off for chatting. (I just remembered she was 2 at the time). And we’d not even been there 5mins when BF came down. She obviously has very little patience. Ahhh, neighbours eh. I want to keep the peace as much as possible.

OP posts:
26mcjrfm · 11/10/2019 19:59

8 months ago Shock flip me, I can see already I’m not going to get anywhere with this haha

OP posts:
lynzpynz · 11/10/2019 23:25

www.livingstreets.org.uk/news-and-blog/press-media/scotland-becomes-first-uk-nation-to-ban-pavement-parking

We've just banned it up here apparently 😂!!

UnderperformingSeal · 12/10/2019 00:21

Be a shame if it started getting accidentally scratched by your pram, wouldn't it? No ideas here, sorry.

IsAStormApproaching · 12/10/2019 00:27

I would happily walk all over her grass. If she parked more considerate you wouldn't need to.
Is it possible to take the pram that way too?

TheSandman · 12/10/2019 00:30

www.livingstreets.org.uk/news-and-blog/press-media/scotland-becomes-first-uk-nation-to-ban-pavement-parking

We've just banned it up here apparently 😂!!

Any idea when the law comes into effect?

It's been illegal in London for years:

www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/legal/parking-on-the-pavement/

RainbowMum11 · 12/10/2019 00:39

Does that make a difference thesandman? London is not a nation (which I appreciate does come as something of a surprise, particularly for a great number of politicians), however Acotland is.

RainbowMum11 · 12/10/2019 00:40

Obviously that should be *Scotland - fat fingers!

puffylovett · 12/10/2019 00:43

Take photos. Post them on ‘parks like a twat in ’ Facebook page. Print off screenshots and all the comments, then post them through her door 😁

TheSandman · 12/10/2019 01:41

@RainbowMum11

Hi sorry I don't understand. I know Scotland is a (soon to be independent) nation (I live here). I was just surprised that London had banned parking on the pavements years ago. The 'first nation' bit was a cut and paste of an earlier URL.
Am I missing something?

RainbowMum11 · 12/10/2019 01:51

I think it just touched a nerve, apologies I misunderstood, the OP's post said that Scotland was the First Nation to impose the law, I took your post to read that it didn't matter because London had already had that law in place for many years - comparing one city to a whole nation.
I live in the East Midlands which is an area completely forgotten by everyone - the news mainly covers London or Scotland/Wales/Northern Ireland ; everyone else is irrelevant, it seems!

TheBouquets · 12/10/2019 01:52

I don't know London at all, I have not been there for many years. If parking on the pavement is illegal in London does that legislation work out? Or are cars still parking on the pavement?
I presume this could be rolled out everywhere at some time in the future.

WiddlinDiddlin · 12/10/2019 02:29

I'd walk across her grass then..

Except I wouldn't as I use a wheelchair, so I'd roll across her grass and maybe I'd need to turn back as I'd forgotten something and maybe then I'd realise I hadn't forgotten the thing after all and have to turn on the grass again... and, oh no I was right I did forget and turn around and.. oh wait THERE it is, ok turn again and...

Big power chair wheels do not do wet grass a lot of good :D :D shame that, if only the pavement were free...

lynzpynz · 12/10/2019 07:35

@TheSandmannot sure actually, assuming with immediate effect but tbh it's rife and they've cut policing so doubt it'll be enforced across the board and expect used as a way to increase council revenue or to deal with extreme problem cases. Good example of a law that's not enforced is parking across dipped kerbs here - happens all the time over my driveway but police say its council, council say its police and I get ignored whilst they pass the buck Hmm

lynzpynz · 12/10/2019 07:36
  • not sure actually that was meant to say
feelingchange · 12/10/2019 07:42

@TheSandman I live in Scotland and seem to have missed the news that we are soon to be independent. When did this happen?

To the op, start wheeling your pram through her garden bet she soon stops parking on the pavement! If she moans start wheeling it on the road ridiculously close to her car. But really I would contact the council.

Yugi · 12/10/2019 08:12

Parking on the pavement isn’t illegal in most of England isn’t illegal, but causing an obstruction definitely is. If a buggy or wheelchair can’t get past then they can be ticketed.

You could keep reporting it every time, if the pcso has nothing better to do they might come out and ticket. Around here you can report non-emergency stuff online so you wouldn’t have to phone.

44PumpLane · 12/10/2019 08:22

Another vote for walking on their grass of you're able to.

If caugtt and questioned just be honest "you use the pavement like a parking space and I'm not willing to compromise my toddlers safety by walking in the road. If you left some pavement I'd walk on that".

We have neighbours who when they first moved in used to park in the turning space in the road making it incredibly difficult for me to get off my drive without reversing past 7 or 8 houses, I mentioned it to them and because they are nice humans they got it immediately and stopped.had they continued I would have had no issues using their drive to turn around.

pointyshoes · 12/10/2019 09:51

I thought that although parking on pavements is illegal in some places, but not all, actually obstructing a pavement so people have to walk in the road is illegal in the UK. If you can check this is right, then maybe you have to report her to the police and hope they can have a word. Not ideal, but if you’ve already asked her ‘nicely’ and she’s taken no notice then you have to step it up a bit

CuriousaboutSamphire · 12/10/2019 09:56

If you can treck your pram etc over her garden then! Get other neighbours to do the same!

ChickenGoujonDestroyer · 12/10/2019 11:11

Of course use her grass - I would never cross the road in that situation
She has a 3 car drive I mean wtf why would she not just use it?! Weird. Shes a CF be a CF back and use her grass.

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