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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Currently blocked in by police car

251 replies

lasangoles · 27/09/2020 17:41

Police are visiting someone on my street for some reason and have parked behind me in my very long narrow drive. Haven't asked if they can park there. Lots of space on the road to park however they would be on double yellows. If I needed to go anywhere, I wouldn't be able to move. No idea which house they're in. I need to go out in 35 minutes for a flu jab appointment. I know they could be dealing with a serious emergency but no idea why they're parked on my drive! WIBU to drive very slowly backwards and gently nudge their car off my drive? (Only kidding). Slightly miffed. Should I try and find them and ask them to move?

OP posts:
WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 27/09/2020 20:56

They literally spend their lives dealing with the worst and the saddest of society.

Indeed they do, and the vast majority do a wonderful job - but they are highly trained in order to do their job properly and they have to keep to the same rules as others, unless there is a specific job-related reason why not e.g. breaking the speed limit to catch a criminal. Obstucting a potentially vulnerable member of the public's access to and from their home rather than just stopping on a double yellow line (with blue light on if safer) is just incompetence.

GPs are often under a lot of pressure at work, but you wouldn't tolerate them swearing at a patient in the waiting room just because they're running late with their appointments and having a bad day.

Russellbrandshair · 27/09/2020 20:57

Wow the overreactions on this thread are hilarious. I think if one policeman was dealing with a knife wielding, 20 stone, 6 foot 5 life threatening maniac wrestler they probably would have called for back up rather than deal with it all on their own 😆
They should not have blocked you in- they are allowed to park on yellow lines and what if an ambulance needed to get to your house? Or you had to take someone to hospital? They are in the wrong and had other alternatives to park but didn’t use them. I would ring the station and politely ask them to move. You could have a work shift to go to or anything.

Trevorwhatever · 27/09/2020 20:58

Op I’d have been miffed too. Police officers are not above the law and need to abide by the rules the same as everyone else.

I had this happen to me a week or so ago. A police car was parked across my drive in the morning (had been there for about 2 hours) I had to leave for work but gave it a bit of time. After a while I went out and took photos of it and the number plate. They must have spotted me as they soon moved it then.

It’s not the first time it’s happened and it’s not acceptable. And I speak as someone who does have respect for the police as a whole, just hate the one rule for one and another for another crap. And believe me there’s plenty of officers that think like that within the police community.

frumpety · 27/09/2020 20:58

@CanyLeBon the other emergency vehicle could park on the double yellows that are all down the road or pull up on OP's long driveway behind the Police car, don't think anything the OP has mentioned would prevent them getting to her should they need to ?

SchadenfreudePersonified · 27/09/2020 20:59

@lasangoles

Also if they were dealing with a dangerous or heated situation it would hardly be a good idea for me to distract them by knocking on the door would it.
That's just what I was thinking when I read some of the replies - along with "knock on every door until you find them". Really? At the height of a pandemic, you would risk spreading a virus.

Sorry you missed your appointment OP, but I think it is highly likely that they didn't park on the double-yellows because they may have blocked the road or caused a hazard. And that they didn't knock on your door first and tell you, giving you the opportunity to get off the drive first.

Naive as I may be, I trust the police - I think most of them are good people doing a thankless job to the best of their ability - maybe these officers had to dash out of the car to attend a serious incident, and your drive was the most convenient safe parking in the proximity.

GlendaSugarbeanIsJudgingYou · 27/09/2020 20:59

OP has hardly been unpleasant about the police, Hearwego.

She's just a bit annoyed and having a moan.

Trevorwhatever · 27/09/2020 21:00

*Knock knock knock

Stressed looking police officer
yes is everything ok do you need help madam?

Op
Yes fine but could you just pop out and move the police car I need to nip to the pharmacy for my flu jab

Even more Stressed looking police officer
Em well yes but can you wait until Iv managed to subdue this 25 stone knife wielding steroid abusing bodybuilder, it's just he's trying his best to stab my partner Mrs.

Op
Yes no problem. see you soon officer. Good luck with the knife man!

Extremely worried looking police officer
Yes Thanks
As the door closes op hears officer shouting at the top,of his voice
Hang in there Dave I'm coming, just keep using that chopping board as a shield*

I’d be amazed he actually managed to answer the door 🤣

NeonBella · 27/09/2020 21:02

Hahahah I love that someone called you a grass!
Remember op, snitches get stitches...🤣

frumpety · 27/09/2020 21:06

Although parking up an ambulance doesn't mean you won't annoy someone, people have busy lives and an ambulance attending an emergency isn't immune from criticism or abuse.

Justaboy · 27/09/2020 21:07

I don't think that 911 works in the UK?.

112 and 9 99 do

Least we don't have Amercian stylee police that can crash inot the house and start a gun fight like what hapened to that poor woman in Amercia the other week:(

phoenixrosehere · 27/09/2020 21:11

Really sad to see negative comments towards the police in a week when an officer lost his life and the service must be hurting

🙄

No one is exactly saying that all police officers are bad. It’s sad that a police officer lost his life, but why does it mean we shouldn’t say anything about a situation involving police officers who have nothing to do with the one who lost his life unless it’s positive?

skodadoda · 27/09/2020 21:14

@gnomeisland

Just to say I'm seriously impressed that you live somewhere that offers flu jabs on a Sunday evening!
Where I live flu jabs are being done on Sundays at local fire stations.
SarahJane109 · 27/09/2020 21:20

People keep writing to call 111, don't of course, as that is the health service. 101 is the non-emergency line for the police. My hubby works in the ambulance service though and both services are rammed most of the time... personally, if an ambulance / police / fire vehicle blocked my drive, I'd wait it out. They don't tend to do it to be difficult but because circumstances dictated it - and they are legally able to.

skodadoda · 27/09/2020 21:24

@lasangoles

I was very polite on the phone. I just asked if they were likely to be there for a long time as I had a flu jab booked and couldn't get out of my drive and needed to know if I should cancel it or not. I don't actually think that's too much of a big deal especially to ask on a non emergency number.
You did exactly the right thing OP.
CandyLeBonBon · 27/09/2020 21:32

@frumpety not if they needed immediate equipment from the stretcher, defib machine, oxygen etc. Ambulances carry life saving equipment that needs to be immediately accessible so a quick jog up the road is not practical in emergencies. The police car, by all accounts, should have parked on the double yellows. Emergency vehicles such as ambulance or fire service need close access.

CandyLeBonBon · 27/09/2020 21:33

Anyway, thankfully that wasn't necessary, but that is the reason road obstruction is a problem, and police officers should know better.

frumpety · 27/09/2020 21:35

@CandyLeBonBon good job no-one in the UK lives in flats then Wink

Alwaysinpain · 27/09/2020 21:40

@Honeybobbin

That's dreadful that you've had to cancel you're appointment! How on earth can it be described as a misunderstanding? I hope you make a complaint.
Are you serious? A complaint?! Because Police Officers blocked her in for a short while, when OP has zero clue if they're attending to something serious???

This reminds me of when that old guy got given an ASBO and a fine for complaining about an Ambulance blocking him in whilst saving a baby's life next door.

Seriously OP? You actually called 101? @lasangoles

Give your head a wobble

Alwaysinpain · 27/09/2020 21:44

@Hearwego

Did anyone think to dial 911 ?
This is an English forum. Dialing 911 would just make a funny noise down the phone!
Ilovelblue · 27/09/2020 21:47

@Afibtomyboy

Very early in season for flu jab.

Optimum is end of October / beg of November, and early in the day.

I've just had minee at my surgery this afternoon!
Ilovelblue · 27/09/2020 21:48

mine

IndecentFeminist · 27/09/2020 21:54

They're pushing flu jabs hard at the mo, we all had ours last week. Bar school age kids who have it at school in a week or so.

Original poster
lasangoles · 27/09/2020 21:55

@alwaysinpain it's nothing like that. I didn't call to complain. I called to see if they knew how long they were going to be there and if I needed to cancel my appointment as it is paid for and I don't want to waste the pharmacy staff's time. I also didn't want to cancel if they were only going to be 5 minutes.

OP posts:
Cadent · 27/09/2020 22:12

@Fluffalo

Why anyone would choose to work for the police, or indeed most public service jobs at the moment is a mystery, this thread proves why. Aside from the mystery late Sunday flu jab, it is extremely unlikely to need to shoot off with a seconds notice, and if so you phone 101 and they can radio through to them. It will take the same amount of time as gathering up your things. There are plenty of reasons why they might have parked there, they will have calculated it, and perhaps if it's a slim drive it's not obvious. Even if it is, they will have balanced the need to park quickly and perhaps strategically with causing a nuisance.
My local GP has been offering its elderly and shielding patients flu jab appointments on Sundays.

The rules are stricter - keeping 6m distance from others, and wearing gloves as well as masks.

I imagine it would be harder to maintain 6m distance in then usually Monday to Friday GP hours.

bitheby · 27/09/2020 22:20

For a parking thread, this one went disappointingly off the rails quickly as so many PPs seem to have had a total sense of humour failure.

Should've got some penguin bollards.

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