To lock the jackass in (parking thread)

[BlueEyesWhiteDragon]

I live in a rural location which is very popular with walkers / bikers / horse riders etc. It's heaving today for some unknown reason as the weather is rubbish!

We have 2 driveways. One which was with the original cottage then a small bit of garden then a second which leads to the additional land we have. The second driveway the forestry commission have a ROW over as the track continues up into the forest. Next to that driveway is a footpath. Both driveways have gates at either end and both say private property/dogs running loose. (Diagram attached - not to scale!)

I have just had a straw delivery and so opened the second driveway gates to let the farmer in and trundled round the back to show him where to put them. He's unloaded and driven off and I've gone to lock the gates back up. Literally as he's driven off and I'm walking down a guy has pulled in the gates and parked up and 3 kids have jumped out and he started unloading their bikes.

I politely ask him to move as he's on private land and he says there are no signs he thought it was a parking spot. I say they are on the gate and it's clearly an enclosed piece of land that is not a parking space and he says he couldn't see them as the gates were open but he'll only be a few minutes. No problem, I say, I'll pop back and shut the gates in 5. Off I toddle.

I have returned and his car is still there and he has gone. He has left a note on the windscreen which says "had to park here no other spaces". I mean WTF?!

WIBU to shut the gates, padlock the fucker in, block the gates with my truck AND then disappear for at least 48 hours?

You’ve had your fun, now let him and his children get home

They might be home. It's not like they're sitting on the wall begging to get out. They haven't been near the car in hours. Besides the OP isn't stopping them getting home when they do show up. Soon as he goes to her door & actually speaks to her she'll open the gate.

What has being a lone parent got to do with it? Are single parents allowed to park where they like?

I'd put your truck back across the gate; he's likely to come back with a bolt cutter when it's dark rather than do the decent thing, that is knock and apologise profusely.

Theirs only one thing left to do - put the car on Auto Trader ... hehhehe

@GilbertsLuckySocks

You say you’re not intimidating, OP, but your behaviour is antagonistic and appalling to be honest.

Your ‘get orf moi land’ attitude makes entertaining clickbait for an online forum, but ultimately, a man potentially a lone parent is out with his kids on a weekend and you’ve deliberately prevented him from returning to his vehicle by unnecessarily blocking him in.

Then you sit there curtain twitching whilst they return and don’t know how to get their car out.

No doubt you’ve ‘taught him a right old lesson’. But now you have and I’m sure you feel really good inside, especially with all the keyboard warriors online indulging your attention seeking antics, do the right thing and put a note on his windscreen advising him to knock on your door so you can let his car out.

Yes, he’s cheeky, but you are just as bad. You’ve had your fun, now let him and his children get home.

He wasn't parked at the side of the road, he was behind a gate on a private road, blocking access.

This is no different to someone parking on someone else's drive, and arguably worse as if the FC or emergency services needed access, he is blocking it. There are two appropriate carparks within easy walk (one directly opposite) and they had bikes anyway.

Why on earth would he need a note to knock and have the gate unlocked? He saw her, he spoke to her, he knows where she is - he's a grown adult! Why on earth wouldn't you a) not be a dick in the first place, or b) knock on the door when you needed to get out?

It's 8 hours since OP's first post. Either something weird is going on or else Our Man the CF is playing a very long game.

@GilbertsLuckySocks
I think you're wrong, they've been back to the car twice! All he has to do is knock on the door... I expect they've cycled home.

In the meantime of course there is the issue of what happens if emergency vehicle access down the FC track is needed and there's a vehicle blocking it? Happens a lot despite notices saying please do not park in front of the gate. Although it should be common sense your sympathy is misguided however well intentioned.

@GilbertsLuckySocks

You park like a twat I assume.

It's private land, he was told to move!

@GilbertsLuckySocks - I think you missed the post where @BlueEyesWhiteDragon said she has expensive farm machinery, and the terms of her insurance say she has to keep that gate locked - as I asked a previous poster - should she risk getting expensive machinery stolen, and having to replace it from her own pocket, because she invalidated the terms of her insurance?

And I don’t know where you got the “Get orf moi land” hyperbole from - the OP said she told the man he was on private property, pointed out the signs on the gates, and when he said he was only going to be five minutes, she said she would come back and lock the gates then.

The CF man is 100% at fault here - I don’t see any justification for his behaviour whatsoever. He parked on private land, stayed there even when it was pointed out to him, despite there being a car park directly opposite with spaces in, and a second car park down the road, and in the full knowledge that the OP needed to lock the gates and was going to come back and do so in five minutes.

He has then failed to take the grown up path of knocking on her door, apologising, and asking her to unlock the gates - the solution to the issues he has caused is in his own hands, but he lacks the balls to take it.

The OP told him she would give him five minutes before she had to lock up. He left her a note to say he was parking there anyway.

If he knocks and asks, the OP has no intention of doing anything but unlocking the gate and letting him out. The OP cannot leave her property unlocked all day awaiting his deigning to take his car and go home.

For all we know, he just hasn't wanted his car back yet. The OP is doing nothing whatsoever wrong. And she really does not need to put herself out any further than she is already doing in order to protect this man from any inconvenience (while he inconveniences her) or embarrassment at his own choices and actions. From the evidence it's pretty apparent that he has thicker skin than a rhino.

@GilbertsLuckySocks

You say you’re not intimidating, OP, but your behaviour is antagonistic and appalling to be honest.

Your ‘get orf moi land’ attitude makes entertaining clickbait for an online forum, but ultimately, a man potentially a lone parent is out with his kids on a weekend and you’ve deliberately prevented him from returning to his vehicle by unnecessarily blocking him in.

Then you sit there curtain twitching whilst they return and don’t know how to get their car out.

No doubt you’ve ‘taught him a right old lesson’. But now you have and I’m sure you feel really good inside, especially with all the keyboard warriors online indulging your attention seeking antics, do the right thing and put a note on his windscreen advising him to knock on your door so you can let his car out.

Yes, he’s cheeky, but you are just as bad. You’ve had your fun, now let him and his children get home.

God you sound like a sanctimonious prick - I can imagine you being a CF who’d do this and think you can get away with it

@GilbertsLuckySocks

You say you’re not intimidating, OP, but your behaviour is antagonistic and appalling to be honest.

Your ‘get orf moi land’ attitude makes entertaining clickbait for an online forum, but ultimately, a man potentially a lone parent is out with his kids on a weekend and you’ve deliberately prevented him from returning to his vehicle by unnecessarily blocking him in.

Then you sit there curtain twitching whilst they return and don’t know how to get their car out.

No doubt you’ve ‘taught him a right old lesson’. But now you have and I’m sure you feel really good inside, especially with all the keyboard warriors online indulging your attention seeking antics, do the right thing and put a note on his windscreen advising him to knock on your door so you can let his car out.

Yes, he’s cheeky, but you are just as bad. You’ve had your fun, now let him and his children get home.

And it would have taken no effort at all from him to go to the OPs door and say sorry, I shouldn’t have left my car here please can you open your gate. A lone parent is still capable of ringing a door bell and apologising, it shouldn’t need a note to tell him that’s what he needs to do.

The OP needs to have her gate locked for insurance so has not unnecessarily blocked him in and whilst yes it’s given her a laugh on an online forum, she’d have locked him in regardless and he’s in the wrong.

@GilbertsLuckySocks

OP is just as much of a twit, by locking him in then curtain twitching at them whilst his kids worry about now to get home. That alone makes her behaviour pathetic and attention seeking. Let him and his kids get out, OP.

They are not there! Do you want her to find out his address and deliver the car back to him?

@GilbertsLuckySocks, what is wrong with you?

An adult male, bigger and stronger than the single women OP, was told he had 5 minutes to move his car. He ignored that and left an entitled, presumptuous note claiming he “had” to park there and has not once approached OP to apologise nor request she unlock HER gates on HER private land to let his trespassing ass off HER drive

@GilbertsLuckySocks - I think you missed the post where @BlueEyesWhiteDragon said she has expensive farm machinery, and the terms of her insurance say she has to keep that gate locked - as I asked a previous poster - should she risk getting expensive machinery stolen, and having to replace it from her own pocket, because she invalidated the terms of her insurance?

And I don’t know where you got the “Get orf moi land” hyperbole from - the OP said she told the man he was on private property, pointed out the signs on the gates, and when he said he was only going to be five minutes, she said she would come back and lock the gates then.

The CF man is 100% at fault here - I don’t see any justification for his behaviour whatsoever. He parked on private land, stayed there even when it was pointed out to him, despite there being a car park directly opposite with spaces in, and a second car park down the road, and in the full knowledge that the OP needed to lock the gates and was going to come back and do so in five minutes.

He has then failed to take the grown up path of knocking on her door, apologising, and asking her to unlock the gates - the solution to the issues he has caused is in his own hands, but he lacks the balls to take it.

@GilbertsLuckySocks

You say you’re not intimidating, OP, but your behaviour is antagonistic and appalling to be honest.

Your ‘get orf moi land’ attitude makes entertaining clickbait for an online forum, but ultimately, a man potentially a lone parent is out with his kids on a weekend and you’ve deliberately prevented him from returning to his vehicle by unnecessarily blocking him in.

Then you sit there curtain twitching whilst they return and don’t know how to get their car out.

No doubt you’ve ‘taught him a right old lesson’. But now you have and I’m sure you feel really good inside, especially with all the keyboard warriors online indulging your attention seeking antics, do the right thing and put a note on his windscreen advising him to knock on your door so you can let his car out.

Yes, he’s cheeky, but you are just as bad. You’ve had your fun, now let him and his children get home.

Did you read the OP?

As someone else has pointed out, had he parked in B&Q's car park, been told that they were about to lock up, and left his car there anyway, they'd have locked the gate.

The OP has clarified several times that the gate must be locked. Even the Forestry Commission, who have right of way, don't get to insist that she leaves the gate open. It was necessary for her to lock the gate.

You have literally no evidence that this man is a lone parent.

He could have knocked on the door and apologised, he chose not to. She doesn't need to "advise" him to do that, he has always had the ability to do it, he has CHOSEN not to.

He thinks he is better than the OP. He thought he could outwit the silly little woman who asked him to move his car off private property, and park in one of the multiple public car parks nearby. He thinks he has the right to do what he wants.

The OP has done exactly the right thing, he can end this very easily if he chooses to swallow his pride.

I’m very invested in this now!
How absolutely ignorant of him.

@mm8989 not worth a response.

OP wanted to teach the family a lesson and she has. Then sits there watching out of her window when they return whilst his kids are probably scared about if they’ll get home now. Utterly pathetic behaviour.

You live in a rural area OP, take some responsibility and put up better signage if you want to avoid situations like this in future.

Carveries are going to do a good trade tomorrow, sadly I'm working.

Has he been back OP? If the dogs are no longer outside on your property, I can't believe he has't knocked on the door to ask you if you know who owns the land.

So it looks like the CF parker has found some Wi-fi then! 😉

It doesn’t matter what signage she has, @GilbertsLuckySocks - even if she had none, that does not excuse the man not moving his car when he was told he was on private land.

I hope there will be a part 2!

OP has deliberately locked someone into her driveway, then sat at her window watching them whilst they return, unsure how they’ll get out again. Did you enjoy the worried look on the kids faces, OP?

Nope legally OP is entirely entitled to, and required to by her insurance, lock the gate.

He's just to embarrassed now to come back.