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?

[ApolloandDaphne]

@BlueEyesWhiteDragon we are going to need a new thread!

[HyacynthBucket]

Don't worry about him and his kids, OP. They will have been cosied up at home for hours now. Your only concern is what to do about the car if he does not come back and ask you to let it out. He may be waiting for it to get dark to come back and break in via your gate, so what about parking the truck there again overnight? That would mean there was no point in damaging your gate. Longer term, will you alert 101 or someone about the dumped car that is blocking your access? Take plenty of photos including the note he left and his car reg. plate. Thank you for keeping us so well entertained, but hope it has not been too stressful. I would hate this hanging over me all day or weekend.

[GrasssInPocket]

@GilbertsLuckySocks

Both driveways have gates at either end and both say private property/dogs running loose.

The above is a direct quote from the original post. 0/10 for reading comprehension.

[BlackAlys]

@GilbertsLuckySocks

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?

I think you are spectacularly missing the fact that he was warned @GilbertsLuckySocks.

OP's responsibility is to her home, land and business. The Dad's responsibility is to his DC and therewith the care of his DC.

He was warned.

[TheSunShinesBrighter]

Oh OP, only 50 or so posts left on this thread... Please return and assure us that this poor poor single man and his bereft DC have been able to return their warm home after their long cold day of torture!

[QueenOfCakeandCoffee]

Any new op?

[Mountainpika]

If he comes in the morning, stroll out wearing an outrageous dressing gown, fluffy slippers and a fag hanging out the corner of your mouth. Just for the hell of it.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

@HaveringWavering

the CF car isn’t obstructing the Forestry Commission gate

*@SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius* I think it is, unless the drive where CF is parked is wide enough for other vehicles to pass CF’s car. The forestry track access is further up the drive.

@HaveringWavering - yes - you’re right and I’m wrong - I had misunderstood the OP, and hadn’t looked properly at the helpful diagram she posted. I am a numpty.

[SoupDragon]

The simple solution here was for OP to open the gate when she saw the man kids had returned, but she didn’t. And they couldn’t knock on her door because she’d let her dogs out. So she continued to watch them.

No, the simple solution was to have moved when she politely told him it was private. Or to have knocked and apologised (the dogs aren't by the front door).

[atlastifoundit]

Did you enjoy the worried look on the kids faces, OP?

Their only reason to look worried would be because they have just realised that their dad is a dickhead.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

@GilbertsLuckySocks

The dad shouldn’t have parked there, despite the polite old woman telling him it’s private land, there’s no signage to back up her claim, so of course he’s going to ignore it.

Polite old woman locks him then sniggers behind her curtain when he returns, unable to get out again.

That’s all the gist of this story.

From the very FIRST post on this thread, @GilbertsLuckySocks:

”…he says there are no signs he thought it was a parking spot. I say they are on the gate…”

There IS signage.

[TokyoSushi]

I can only think that he must be fairly local and has had somebody else pick him up...

[TwoLeftSocksWithHoles]

I can't seem to post a link but search on YouTube...
"farmer moving car with forklift"

[GilbertsLuckySocks]

@SoupDragon

Man was wrong to park there.
OP was wrong to refuse to let him out again when he returned.

That’s as simply as this whole drama can be explained.

[ifonly4]

Here we only have an hour before it's dark, so surely he's not expecting to knock on the door after that point, as I certainly wouldn't be answering the door in a rural location when dark.

My fear is, I start work early in the morning and won't see the end of this thread. Can you leave a note on his car asking him to come back at 9.30am so I can see the outcome on my break just after that!

[lannistunut]

Aboslutely have to placemark to see how this one gets resolved

[BedknobsNoBroomsticks]

OP you are not in the wrong. The guy was a CF who thought that he didn't need to listen to you so if the children are upset then they only have their dad to blame.

Do not open the gate tonight

[caughtinanet]

@Bigassbeebuzzbuzz

That's a point op if hes happy to leave his car there could it be something more sinister and hes checking the place out? I might be reading too much into it though.

Just a tad of reading too much

He's either a clueless fool or a deliberately selfish knobhead, he's not a cunning criminal playing a long con to steal the farm machinery by sneaking his car inside the perimeter. Or maybe he is and there's a gang of tiny robbers hiding in the footwells

[BlackAlys]

@GilbertsLuckySocks "Polite old woman".

[chaosrabbitland]

i hope dragon starts a new thread my 49 year old soul cannot take the torture of not knowing whats happening next , the suspense of not knowing will gnaw away at me for weeks

[eddiemairswife]

Nobody has suggested he might have Special Needs and/or Mental Health Issues.

[Biblionerd]

[quote GilbertsLuckySocks]@SoupDragon

Man was wrong to park there.
OP was wrong to refuse to let him out again when he returned.

That’s as simply as this whole drama can be explained.[/quote]

Man was wrong to park there. Man was wrong to not apologise profusely and ask for the gate to be opened when he returned to his car, especially as man was told it would be locked in. Man has created this entire problem!

[OnTheBrink1]

Most actual car parks have a lock in time on the gate. If you are late then sorry, kids or not, you are not getting your car out until morning. No one will be watching from the window, no change of getting your car back.
This is private property which the man knew full well and decided to leave his car anyway.
Gates locked until morning. You have no obligation to look out of the window op. If it’s still there in the morning and he hasn’t knocked, call the police and get them to contact him to remove his car.