I just lost it over parking

[tallinmanchester]

I live near a post office and a woman just rudely parked outside my drive and was on her way into the post office when I shouted out the window that I'd like her to move her car.

Do you need access to the drive was her reply.

That's not the point, it's called being respectful and I said she should park down the road - literally loads of space like 20 yards further down (quiet residential road).

She got aggressive. I got aggressive. Words were had, she stormed off... I went outside but she obviously knew I wasn't letting it go and she came back and moved her car - together with name calling - which I returned.

Thing is, I don't know why it bothers me. I feel out of sorts at the moment with lockdown and my fuse is really short.

People parking in front of my drive are pissing me off.

But why do I feel off - is it because I'm stuck at home all day working and not getting out much?

People should not park outside someone's drive.
I have actually known school mums park on people's driveways

@SkedaddIe

"And how do you expect the returning occupant to get on their drive 🤷‍♀️"

By calling my mobile number on my windscreen. Or by finding an on street parking space like the rest of us. Whichever they prefer @ivfbeenbusy

Just to be clear I won't park across a drive unnecessarily, but I will do it if there aren't any reasonably close spaces (and when the law is in my favour.)

I think that's reasonable

Why on earth should someone who has bought/rented a house with a drive have to park on the street because some lazy cow can't be bothered to walk? You make it sound as though you're doing them a favour by leaving a number!

@SkedaddIe

I park in front of drives if it's the only space available, but never if there's a car in the drive or a garage at the end of a drive.

But it's not a "space"!

Quote from the relevant part of www.gov.uk. Slightly abridged as there's a lot in this section, but link for anyone who wants to check

Rule 243
DO NOT stop or park:
near a school entrance
where the kerb has been lowered to help wheelchair users and powered mobility vehicles
in front of an entrance to a property
except when forced to do so by stationary traffic.

I think the "in front of the entrance to a property" says it all....

I get blocked in most days.

Some days i roll my eyes and tut some days I’m out there shouting. I think it depends how they’ve done it, how near it is to me needing to go out and just how many twats have done it that day.

I don’t know what goes through peoples minds

Technically, I am doing them a favour by leaving them a number. And it's a courtesy I give precisely because they may have paid slightly extra for the drive or the property. (A cost that they're likely to recoup when they sell the property)

I treat people how I'd like to be treated and I've been on both sides of this issue but I've never had an argument like OP.

The problem imo is that the guidance is unclear and outdated so it fuels the territorial and often unlawful behaviour of drive owners.

I don't wish to be all 'eleven-erife' about this but I once had my front gate totally blocked by a builders van as I was trying to exit it as I was having a miscarriage.
The fuckers actually argued with the paramedics who arrived in the ambulance.
At the time my mind was naturally enough all about the misc. but when I look back it was jawdropping. The 'builders' were my new neighbours who were doing a self build. We never got on really.

Skedaddle is on the wind up now.

@donquixotedelamancha

the statute you quoted actually states

If a person, without lawful authority or excuse, in any way wilfully obstructs the free passage along a highway he is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding

That's why you can't block a drive with a car physically in it.

A empty drive is perfectly legal

And it's a courtesy I give precisely because they may have paid slightly extra for the drive or the property. (A cost that they're likely to recoup when they sell the property)

Ahh! Yes. I have been repeatedly told this when asking people to stop parking across my driveway. Truly a bonkers reply.

If you have never got pissed by people parking over your drive, you obviously were not put in a position of missing doctor’s appointment for a sick child or from picking up your own child who was left waiting. How lucky for you, it still doesn’t give you any right to block others.

A empty drive is perfectly legal

It really does depend on the council by-laws for your area. It is not ‘perfectly legal’ in my council area for instance.

That's why you can't block a drive with a car physically in it. A empty drive is perfectly legal

As I mentioned in that post I am aware that such a distinction is often made but my impression is that is not supported by case law.

I'm not proclaiming expertise, I have certainly read guidance suggesting otherwise but perhaps, as you say, it's a council thing.

Do you have any citations showing that this is the case or do you just choose to believe what suits you?

I'm not proclaiming expertise, I have certainly read guidance suggesting otherwise but perhaps, as you say, it's a council thing.

Yep! The senior parking managers confirmed to me it doesn’t matter at all if a driveway is empty or not. And no, ticketed Parker would not get off in court.

It is always a good thing to not spread false information. I have seen the ‘empty driveway’ argument mentioned on many threads across different forums. It is not true for all.

[quote SkedaddIe]@donquixotedelamancha

the statute you quoted actually states

If a person, without lawful authority or excuse, in any way wilfully obstructs the free passage along a highway he is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding

That's why you can't block a drive with a car physically in it.

A empty drive is perfectly legal[/quote]
So how about the link I posted from the government's own web site, stating do NOT park in front of the entrance to a property? You can't pick and choose which rules apply when they aren't even in contradiction of each other!

Long post for clarity because I'm replying to different people and going around in a circle, plus my individual points are being taken out of context. I'm happy to be corrected but what I have been taught is...

Is it okay to block someone in?

Absolutely not. It's definitely illegal and can be criminal.

Is it illegal to block a drive?

Not by itself.

When is it illegal then?

If there is a vehicle in it as I said above. Or where there are specific bye laws prohibiting it as I and a pp discussed earlier.

What about the Highway Code?

The Highway Code is an advisory not a statute and it refers to the Highways Act 1980. It was was explained to me by my employer 15 years ago that this advisory was intended for drives and unadopted roads to public access property Eg libraries, hospitals, schools. NOT Mr & Mrs Smith at 67 Berry drive or whatever. Borough council bye laws are supposed to clarify but unfortunately people prefer to just read what suits them and stop there.

If everyone in the country dropped their kerbs nobody would be able to drive anywhere anymore. If you have a genuine reason why your property needs special access the council will paint a disabled bay, or double yellow or other road markings to lawfully prohibit parking.

Furthermore you have an issue that the council is sympathetic to but doesn't give you the right to prevent parking they will paint a single white line.

There also are areas with bye laws preventing all parking in front of all drives for example new build estates

What about morals?

This I actually agree with, parking across a drive should be a reasonable last resort. But I'm not going to walk for miles just so you can stake your claim to your little bit of Britain.

Plus I have never minded people parking across my own drive if they left a number to call. Because if I really need the drive I would call them. If I didn't need the drive I would park somewhere else.

I lived most of my life in London where parking space is often scarce. Politeness should go both ways. And I think it's rude to make everyone around you suffer so you can have your own little private oasis that you are not entitled to. Most of the people irl that have done this are usually very typical territorial bullies.

Example

@SkedaddIe you must be taking the piss surely. You can't be that entitled.

Jesus wept! They paid for their driveway so of course they're entitled to use it!

The truly batshit are out in force tonight...

Your link suggests that you can park close and have your space not used enforced. Kind of shooting yourself in the foot there. You are entitled-by law-to have the idiot parking over the drive told to get lost by having a yellow line painted. I would just bounce the car away if necessary. You can carry on, but you do NOT have the right to block someone’s drive if they are on it and tbh, you’re a fucking arsehole if you do. What are you on about, you can’t own your little piece? You’re not in Scotland. Damn right I have the right to the house I worked for and paid for, plus the drive it has. Would you accept people occupying your front garden? There is no difference, whether you use it or not., it’s your property, same as your car/pushchair etc. Nobody has the right to use it.

Arrogant bitch. Yanbu

Example

Surely that says the opposite of your point? I said it was an enforcement difference and that screenshot says the same.

I've never debated that you can usually get away with parking selfishly if there is no car on the drive and you aren't long. I even said that some councils go further and won't enforce in that situation- that doesn't make it legal.

Or right

I’m loving the jealousy of people who dare to have a driveway 😂

@tallinmanchester you are definitely not being unreasonable! There’s no excuse for parking across someone’s drive, especially if their only excuse is they didn’t want to walk a little further!

Can’t believe that anyone would think
ok to block a drive but it’s ok because they leave a number. So the person who owns the drive has to get out of car, phone the number (assuming got phone) and then sit and wait - hazards on causing an obstruction to access their own property. People buy houses with drives for a reason eg maybe they don’t want to unload their wheelchair in middle of street.
In our old house next door neighbours visitor parked across our drive. No idea why each house had a double drive and lots of other places to park. Unfortunately that day DH’s mother called him with an emergency and he reversed with his mind elsewhere. Yes his fault but she never did it again.

@SkedaddIe

"And how do you expect the returning occupant to get on their drive 🤷‍♀️"

By calling my mobile number on my windscreen. Or by finding an on street parking space like the rest of us. Whichever they prefer @ivfbeenbusy

Just to be clear I won't park across a drive unnecessarily, but I will do it if there aren't any reasonably close spaces (and when the law is in my favour.)

I think that's reasonable

No, it’s really not.

You park in the nearest space that doesn’t inconvenience anyone else. Even if it’s a mile away.

Don’t be such an entitled knob.