Would you ask neighbours to stop doing this? (parking, with amazing diagram)

[HopkinsLeftLeg]

We live rurally. At the front of our house is a private lane, leading to small clusters of houses for around a mile along the road.

The school bus picks up kids at the B-road running along our house.

Diagram attached.

We've had issues with 1 neighbour parking on our land (yes, literally) and waiting for 10 mins until the bus picks their child up, turning on our grass, destroying it. Large boulders and sowing a load of replacement grass last summer put a stop to this, but we had a word with them, and asked them to park at the front of our house at drop off and pickup times, twice a day. It blocks our 2nd car parking space, and means i need to keep shutting the bedroom curtain to get dressed as they always arrive as i get changed for work , but we were also trying to be reasonable - there isn't anywhere else for parents to park, so don't mind it for 15min in the morning and 15min in the afternoons. (that's car 1 in my picture)

However, this morning we've found that other parents in the area are using the private lane to park with their engines running, while they wait on school bus pickups. Car 2 and Car 3, right outside our living room window with their engines running, blocking our main driveway meaning we can't get the car out.

DH and I agree that this is annoying but there's nothing we can do - we don't own the private road at the front of the house.

But this feels odd - the parents in question aren't people we know, but we know they are the closest 2 houses (literally about 200 yards up the road) and i can see this might be an issue for years and years to come, 2x a day as their kids are still young. No idea why they've started doing it now, maybe because they've seen car 1 parking at our house?

Would you park as these cars have done?
Would you say anything if you were us, bearing in mind we don't own the road and have zero legal support - the private land owner of the lane is not one of the cars doing this.

Are we being unreasonable to think this is a bit crap of the neighbours?

(I'm originally from the city so no idea of the rural ettiquette involved here)

[Leftbutcameback]

Highways law re: private roads is complex. They can be a highway with right to pass and repass without being adopted (which is what most people think of as a public highway). There is an excellent legal textbook on this, and another one on easements and rights of way, but I don't think it's helpful to get hung up on it. This would explain why the bus drives down it.

The practical solution is to work out what bothers you most OP. Is it the blocking, the idling, the loss of privacy? And then take appropriate action. Is there a reason the bus picks up outside your house when none of the children live nearby?

[Fink]

I've got dd in Year 7, so same age as these kids. I still like to walk her to the school bus stop, even though it's only up the road, because it's a nice chance to chat about the day. I am the only parent at this bus stop who walks with my child. Every other parent drives their child to the bus stop and waits with the car running until the bus comes. This is in a busy London suburb where the traffic is already terrible. I guarantee it will take all of these parents longer to drive their kids to the bus stop than walk, the ones who live furthest away live 0.3 miles away, about a 5 minute walk. With the traffic in the morning being the way it is that could easily take them 20 minutes in the car. Why do they do it?!

[DILevil]

That is awful that people were turning and and churn up your grass.
For the rest of the week I would park your cars where they park overnight, or sticking out of your drive so they can’t, they’ll soon get the message. Or as soon as they rock you as them to move as you need to leave, like now!

[Mamadothehump]

@HopkinsLeftLeg

the children are around 11-12 (first year of high school)

They should absolutely be walking themselves!!!
I'd go out and have a word with them. "Excuse me, you are blocking my drive. Please move your car and don't block it again". If they refuse, sit in your car with your horn going.

[Mamadothehump]

@pinkflask

I assume the parents are then driving on to work as soon as DC have got on the bus - it may only be a short walk but if you walk up with DC, wait with them, then walk back to the car it's a waste of time if you'd be driving that way anyway.

Still no - the kids walk themselves!

[hopjumpskipplop]

Did you beep your horn really loud and wildly gesture for them to move? Bloody cheek of it. I think to be known as the crazy lady of the village would work beautifully here.

Top marks on the diagram Op.

[SpeakingFranglais]

As someone who lives on the same street as three schools this is nothing compared to what some CF do.

Speak to them nicely once, and start taking photos and registrations and pass them onto the school, our schools are really careful to keep their
Neighbours happy.

Be warned though as soon as one CF moves on another will jump in their spot having seen it being done before.

[FangsForTheMemory]

That diagram is far too fancy and professional, what ARE you thinking of, OP?

[PooWillyNameChange]

Yeah this is a bit ridiculous. I live rurally and others also stay in their car at the bus stop (albeit in front of a church, I drive DD the 1.3 miles as Ireland is dark in winter and there are no pavements between here and there and its national speed limit roads). I don't understand it. I drop her at the bus stop and leave. It also makes it hard for me to pull up/ turn as the cars are blocking the only safe place to do so.

I'm not sure what I'd do though other than make it as inconvenient as possible for them (e.g. all park outside your house) or go out and have a word.

[TheOrigRights]

@Dixiechickonhols

Roysette It’s absolutely chucking it down here today and freezing. A child in a blazer and shirt will be soaked to skin and cold all day. Standing in cold and wet is worse than walking in it. They may have to wait 20/30 mins - rural school buses won’t be on time. DD’s school is freezing at minute due to covid open windows policy - I assume staff are tolerating it as it’s better than covid and can wear own warm clothes - my teen is turning blue.
Not ops problem and they shouldn’t block drive but it could well be the issue. Obviously schools should have proper facilities to store wet weather gear/warm coats/wellies etc but lots don’t. So sitting in warm car waiting is obviously a thing hence 3 cars doing it. Then mum or dad drives off to work.

This is a pretty way out there suggestion I know but how about a rain coat and/or an umbrella?

[WowStarsWow]

How have so many posters appeared to miss that the people blocking the OP in are her (far away) neighbours? It even says so in the title. Blocking off the private road wouldn't help - these people live in the road! And no, they won't be replaced by new CFs if they are moved on - it's a private road so people won't have seen it being done before. They are doing it because they live in the road.

[Chipsinthewoods]

There is a private road/mews adjacent to our children’s school where the neighbours got organised and militant, messages via the school, then a bin baracade and then a big gate. There are still a few incursions from cheeky parents from time to time, I’m a Walker so no skin in the game, but can understand how annoying it must be. If it’s affecting your quality of life and ability to drive away from your home, I would get together with your neighbours and complain to the school and maybe the council… could they put markings on the road?

[ElftonWednesday]

If it's a single track road, are not other people who live down the end blocked in as well by people who have parked in it? Could you team up with them and put some polite printed notes through the door (to start with) to ask people to stop parking there?

[JinglingHellsBells]

I despair at the idea of kids that age not being able to walk 1/3rd mile to a bus stop.

I used to walk a mile to school and back, and the same when I came home of dinner, from age 7.
So 4 miles a day.

Maybe you need to put a sign on your garden with a NO TURNING or BLOCKING DRIVEWAY

[thebestnamesweregone]

That's taking the piss, I often can't get on my own drive for tossers on school run deliberately blocking it, same 6/7 offenders I have a bloody baby and it's often crap wet UK weather,
Gonna sell up due to it
Mind you an worried other potential buyers may be put off, unless they work or are out 7.45-4.45 and it won't affect them

[ChardonnaysPetDragon]

Very few adults put their wet weather gear on and walk to work or to get public transport in bad weather.

WTF? Of course they do. Do you think everybody drives to work or drives to the bus stop?

[Dixiechickonhols]

theorigtifhts but nowhere to store it so they have to carry it around all day plus all their books/binders. Binders are massive and a covid measure to replace exercise books. Some schools might have lockers and cloakrooms but lots don’t or if they did they don’t have access now due to covid. Mine opts to freeze/be wet as do all the other local children. People in offices can hang coat on back of chair all day or put wet brolly in loo at work but it’s not an option at school. Some work places have staff rooms and lockers. Still no excuse to block drive

[SixQuidGames]

@SE13Mummy

Are you at home when the extra cars are parking there? Perhaps you could offer the three vehicles use of your second driveway so they park on it properly, one in front of the other but on the condition they turn their engines off. It might be less convenient for them but may put a stop to the driveway blocking.

Why on earth would the OP want to offer her own land as free parking for strangers?

[ElftonWednesday]

WTF? Of course they do. Do you think everybody drives to work or drives to the bus stop?

Not everyone but most people do, outside London anyway. I didn't realised how many until the fuel crisis. I bet a lot of those people could walk.

[whynotwhatknot]

So 2 to 3 kids who ar ein secondary school cant walok to a bustop in their own road by themselves?

[ElftonWednesday]

I beg your pardon?

[JudgeRindersMinder]

Can’t believe it’s page 5 and no one’s claimed them yet….

I CLAIM PENGUIN BOLLARDS! 🐧 🐧

[StaplesCorner]

I thought it was illegal to have your engine idling like that whilst stationary, even on a private road?

[StaplesCorner]

Sorry ignore me, its not illegal on a private road. Damn.

How about the local PCSO I wonder if they'd be willing to get involved? Or is there someone who you normally talk to about the private road? I assume you all have obligations to maintain it as well as rights over it? Parish council?

Otherwise go out and tell them all to fuck off (that would be my first port of call because that's all CFs understand)

[tootootaataa]

@JudgeRindersMinder

Can’t believe it’s page 5 and no one’s claimed them yet….

I CLAIM PENGUIN BOLLARDS! 🐧 🐧

Beat me to it!

I love the diagram.

I would ask them to a) turn off their engines b) ask them politely to move if they had blocked my drive and I needed to get out.

The rest... not my business.