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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To bump this car out of the way?

392 replies

GenericUsername404 · 05/07/2021 15:09

Every Monday I need to get my van out to pick up my dc from school and take them to their club. Other days I use my car but on Mondays it’s kayaking so I need the van until a place in the kayak storage becomes available. My van is 20year old and very bashed.

Every Monday at 2.30 a brand new Volvo parks directly opposite my drive, in front of my neighbours dropped kerb. When they park here I can get my car out but not my van meaning my dc cannot go to their club which I have already paid for. I know they are inside the house opposite, I knock on the door but they don’t answer but then when I’m attempting to manoeuvre my van out I see them peeping out of the window. I put a note through the door a couple of weeks ago asking them not to do it after they still wouldn’t open the door. They put a note back through mine saying they were parking in front of their dropped kerb, they were entitled to and many others on the road did the same. This is true but I am the only house on my side of the street so no one else has anyone else opposite. I’ve also put a sign on my gate saying please do not park opposite

Having again had to carefully get the car out and not be able to get my kids to their club I’m thinking next week I’ll just bump it. I’m pretty sure I could get out with a couple of touches to their car but it would probably leave dents.

I’ve tried calling the police to say I’m blocked in but by the time they arrived neighbours friend had moved their car and when the police knocked they hid again 🙄

Btw I know I’m unreasonable and I almost certainly won’t do it. I’m just bloody pissed off.

OP posts:
HalzTangz · 05/07/2021 18:51

@GenericUsername404

Not to scale
Twat car is being a dick, they could easily park either side of their drop car to keep your exit clear
BumbleMug · 05/07/2021 18:54

I’d do a few things:-
1). I’d put a note through explaining that you only need to get the van out while they briefly move their car and that if they continue to block you leaving you’ll call the police back out and stand next to their car while you wait so they can’t sneak off without speaking to you before the police come.
2). You’re going to have to toughen up here and block their drive. It might only take one time. Maybe leave a note on your van explaining that they block you in, won’t come to the door to talk, so this has become unavoidable.
3). I’d nudge their car gently in a 48 point turn. Enough to make them sweat if they’re curtain twitching but not enough to cause damage.

But people blocking me in gives me the rage so no way would I pit up with this shit. Neighbour or not.

woodhill · 05/07/2021 18:54

@GenericUsername404

woodhill I have a white line on the road outside marking my driveway but it’s them parking opposite that is causing the issue.
I understand but I thought they were over their own driveway as well.

Sorry they are being so unhelpful

CharityDingle · 05/07/2021 18:56

@AntiSocialDistancer

New idea -

Reverse onto your drive, and when it's time drive off your drive onto the steep grassy bank at speed.

Drive van and flip it in such a way that it lands sideways on top their car. Climb on top of van and roar "I fucking told you, you bastards!"

I would go for this... Grin
HollaHolla · 05/07/2021 18:59

@GenericUsername404

Not to scale
I may be missing something, but how about at 2.15pm, you move your van, and park next to where twat car parks? It sounds like they are parking legally (blocking ‘your own’ drive is fine - or with the permission of the owner.)
TSSDNCOP · 05/07/2021 19:00

What about putting the kayaks out on the road over the neighbours drive, then putting the kids in the kayaks with sad faces pretending to row as they can't get their boats to the river.

AHobbyaweek · 05/07/2021 19:01

And BTW did read the thread but it wasn't clear if it was juts your van that wouldn't fit across your drive.
Any chance you can call the police just before they would arrive if it is very very consistent?

lollypoppi · 05/07/2021 19:02

@Fiddliestofsticks

Drive out as far as you can, stop, put your hand in your horn and sit there.
This is what I'd do and have done at my old house when someone blocked my drive. All ur neighbours might be looking out but usually someone comes out and moves their car. I would have thought they legally wouldn't be allowed to park there if you can't get out if it's too narrow. They are an arsehole though. I'd be very tempted to bump it and go. Realistically though Ul just end up forking out excess on ur insurance. They'll probably have a camera or something that wld capture it 😟
Taliskerskye · 05/07/2021 19:03

So the actual crux of this thread is your vehicle is too large to park in such a way on your drive that you can’t get it out.
I mean they could be kind and move the car but they don’t have to.
And if they decided to get rid of the dropped kerb what would you do then?

Treaclepie19 · 05/07/2021 19:04

@AntiSocialDistancer

New idea -

Reverse onto your drive, and when it's time drive off your drive onto the steep grassy bank at speed.

Drive van and flip it in such a way that it lands sideways on top their car. Climb on top of van and roar "I fucking told you, you bastards!"

Do this!!
Treaclepie19 · 05/07/2021 19:05

@TSSDNCOP

What about putting the kayaks out on the road over the neighbours drive, then putting the kids in the kayaks with sad faces pretending to row as they can't get their boats to the river.
Or this 😂
FatCatThinCat · 05/07/2021 19:05

Next time maneuver as close to their car as you can and if they're watching you jump out and put on an oscar winning performance of 'oh shit I just collided with a volvo'. Then count the seconds until they come running out to see the damage (that you haven't done).

cissyandbessy · 05/07/2021 19:07

Can you park your car in the twat neighbours dropped kerb space at 2pm each week. Then get your van out by moving your own car and then putting it back on your drive. Bit of a faff but might make an entirely reasonable very visible point to your unneighbourly neighbours and make you feel like there's been a small win without having to bump the neighbours friends shiny car? Which would be satisfying but obv quite illegal.

Original poster
GenericUsername404 · 05/07/2021 19:08

taliskerskye if they didn’t have a dropped kerb it would be double yellow lines as it is further up the road where the house don’t have drives. It is difficult to get on my drive without a car parked opposite- as I said the police struggled to get onto it when there was no car opposite. I can do it in my Nissan Micra in about 20 manoeuvres but it would be impossible to do it in anything larger, can or not.

OP posts:
TSSDNCOP · 05/07/2021 19:08

@Taliskerskye Op has addressed that. There is no swing space for any car bigger than the Micra when a car is parked opposite.

And why in the name of the Baby Jesus and all the cherubs would a resident of a village in D or C with zero parking fill in their own dropped kerb?

Doris86 · 05/07/2021 19:09

The Volvo is parked on the other side of the road, and there is enough room to get your car out? Surely then there should be enough room to get a van out too, maybe just with slightly more maneouvering?

RandomMess · 05/07/2021 19:09

@Taliskerskye you don't get it do you??

They aren't allowed to park there, if it wasn't a dropped kerb they still couldn't park there. You aren't allowed to block someone else's drive!!

TSSDNCOP · 05/07/2021 19:11

This is like cancel the cheque on meth.

LittleNibbler · 05/07/2021 19:12

As a Cornwall-dwelling van owner, I do sympathise...it’s ridiculous that they won’t discuss with you at all, very petty. However I don’t think you can out a sign up telling people not to park opposite you IF it’s legal (jury seems to be out on that one?). Have you contacted the council? Maybe you need to sit there with your horn on? Or bang on their door and tell them it’s an emergency and if they don’t move you’ll call the police and do so, repeatedly until they get the message. The issue here isn’t that they park there, it’s that they just need to move it when you need to get out. Did you make that clear in the note you sent them or did you just say they can’t park there? X

woodhill · 05/07/2021 19:13

Will the traffic wardens not come down and fine them if they are parked illegally? Worth a try?

EleanorOlephantisjustfine · 05/07/2021 19:14

@warmfluffytowels

I would take photos of them parked across the dropped kerb (which is illegal) and make sure you include the numberplate. Then, ring the police about it and keep reporting every time.

The police will get sick of the calls and should go round and speak to them.

This is why the Police struggle to respond to real crimes, they are too busy dealing with absolute shite calls (like this would be). This is really not a Police matter. 20 years ago they may have responded to this. Nowadays they literally are running around like blue arsed flies being social workers and doing bed watches.

OP we have the exact same issue in our road. Sorry if I’ve missed it, but do you reverse onto your drive, if not why not. This would solve your problem about manoeuvring off in the morning.

LittleNibbler · 05/07/2021 19:15

People park like total dickheads around my way too. The other day there were two cars parked exactly opposite each other on both sides of a thin road, leaving Just enough room in the middle for a buggy or wheelchair. Cars were having to turn around and go back the other way, it’s ridiculous and selfish. Why happens if an emergency vehicle needs to get down? There is a village near me where people park all the time down a single track and emergency vehicles haven’t been able to get down there and despite lots of signage, people STILL FUCKING DO IT. Poor parking does my absolute tits in.

TSSDNCOP · 05/07/2021 19:16

Have you got the room to erect a ramp with a curved end, like a ski jump. Rev up the van, speed down the ramp and effect an airborne manoeuvre over the parked car. This will only work if the kayaks are inside the van or the drag will be too much.

CharityDingle · 05/07/2021 19:16

@FatCatThinCat

Next time maneuver as close to their car as you can and if they're watching you jump out and put on an oscar winning performance of 'oh shit I just collided with a volvo'. Then count the seconds until they come running out to see the damage (that you haven't done).
I was thinking the same. Added bonus if you can use sound effects, thud, scrape...
Inthesameboat2 · 05/07/2021 19:17

I don't understand why you can't park on the road somewhere highlighted above in red, or is the road not wide enough for cars to be parked on both sides at once? Same as with parking hanging ov we r your own drive.
You don't have to pull onto the steep bank but could park in the road next to the steep bank....sorry, I'm probably being dense, but I don't get it from your diagram.

You wouldn't be covering their dropped kerb as you'd be on the opposite side of the road, or are there always other cars parked on the other side at all times making you parking on your side impossible due to the road being too narrow?

To bump this car out of the way?