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)

[Tomnooktoldmeto]

Just a thought could you contact the school and bus company and ask for the pick up point to be moved further along perhaps even to their houses so you don’t get blocked and they don’t drive?

[JinglingHellsBells]

Talk to the school who can talk to the bus company and arrange another pick up point.

The little snowflakes will either have to walk to the B road where they bus can wait or their parents can drop them off there. But it's dire that as we tackle climate issues, and obesity, parents are driving kids 300 yards to a bus.

[TheNoodlesIncident]

@Bluetrews25

Excellent diagram.
Chain it off as a PP suggested.
Has anyone said penguin bollards yet?

@JudgeRindersMinder 'Fraid it's not you...

(people in the situation of the poster whose DD is supposed to wear sports leggings that are £27.50, in your shoes I'd tell the school to jog on; I'm buying leggings I can afford)

Or just let the girls wear joggers, since that's acceptable for the boys? Why can't the girls wear a unisex comfortable garment if the boys are allowed to?

In OP's situation, I'd want to put something in along the front of her property that stops people parking there, like trees in pots or boulders painted white. It says Don't Park Here without uttering a single irritated word (although the idling engines would annoy me more than just the parking, there's no need for that.)

[Justilou1]

Jeebus… I’m so sick of the “What about the children” brigade. These are highschool-aged kids, not four year olds. These CF’s have no right to be parked on the private road at all. That is the entire point of a private road in the first place. I’d be interested to find out the insurance and liability issues if there is an accident - especially if @HopkinsLeftLeg has given permission for one of these cars to park there, and implied that it is okay for the others as well by not telling them to FOTTOSOF, which she is legally and logically entitled to do.

[Dixiechickonhols]

I understand the bus itself only drives along and stops on nearby B road. If you will one day have older kids or are thinking of selling OP a nearby bus stop in a a rural area can be a plus. I know we looked at a barn conversion when dc was 9 and seller was keen to point out secondary school bus stopped at top of lane - it would be a big plus to some buyers.
If 2 out of 3 are neighbours so entitled to use private road easiest is to just ask them not to park across drive. There’s nothing they can say in their defence. If they see you getting ready/not leaving house they may not realise it’s an issue for you. Still rude to be doing it.

[Dixiechickonhols]

When you speak to them you could ask why they are doing it. If it was just kids cba to walk then the parents would drop and leave so op wouldn’t have any problems with cars parking.

[pelosi]

@whosaidtha

Car 2 isn't doing anything wrong. However car 3 is absolutely blocking your driveway and I would first go out and speak to them. If that fails I would park across my driveway to stop them blocking me in.

Yes, they are, leaving an engine idling is an offence under Section 42 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. The Act enforces rule 123 of the Highway Code, which states, “You must not leave a vehicle engine running unnecessarily while the vehicle is stationary on a public road.”

[Higgeldypiggeldy35]

Isn't it illegal to park and leave the engine running? It's very polluting and extremely bad for your health and the health of anyone in the car. I'd personally be petty and park my car's on the road to stop them doing it. Or buy some cones or something . Technically you don't own the road but it would massively pee me off, more so because they are selfish lazy thoughtless fuckers for leaving the engine running and blocking your drive.

[Bollocks989]

Can you drop the curb and include any frontage in your driveway and park across it yourselves?

[pelosi]

As you don’t own the road, it could still be said they are affecting you.

[Justilou1]

@pelosi - it’s a private road, not a public road. That act does not apply.

[Higgeldypiggeldy35]

Parking and leaving your engine running is called idling and is illegal. www.ageas.co.uk/solved/your-car/car-idling-is-it-illegal-to-leave-my-engine-running-in-cold-weather/

[Dixiechickonhols]

It’s not a public road. It’s private and some of the car drivers live there so are entitled to use the road.

[HopkinsLeftLeg]

There are a lot more replies than i can keep up with. but some pertinant points:

1. the private lane is owned by another local land owner, not involved here, not living that close to any of this.

1. other neighbours in houses up the lane couldn't get out onto the b road either - the whole lot would be blocked in without B road access if they tried to get out. same for bin lorry and fire engines etc.

1. i waited for them to move, grumpily, but no i didn't beep my horn... i was so shocked i wondered what was going on. next time i wont be so polite.

1. thank you for the diagram compliments

[julieca]

Honestly, no offence is being committed here.
Idling stationery on a private road is not illegal. The police will not be interested.
If you want to get out of your driveway they should move and let you get out.
Having to close your curtains to get dressed may be annoying, but it is not anything you can do anything about.

[Dixiechickonhols]

You mention needing to shut curtain to change now op - maybe don’t! Sight of me in my greying bra would move most people along.

[pelosi]

[quote Justilou1]@pelosi - it’s a private road, not a public road. That act does not apply.[/quote]
Yes, hence my follow up post.

I’d say this is a grey area, as OP isn’t the owner of the private road and is being affected by the pollution/noise.

Annex 4 of The Highway Code states that references to ‘road’ “generally include footpaths, bridleways and cycle tracks, and many roadways and driveways on private land (including many car parks)”.

[LittleGwyneth]

I am so proud of you for your diagram. That is the best I've ever seen on MN. Well done.

[Shade17]

In reality though, even on a public road you’re only likely to face action for idling if you continue to do so after being asked to switch off by an authorised person.

[debwong]

@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?!

I agree. That is crazy.

[NewlyGranny]

I would be tempted to follow them home, park across their driveway and sit there doing emails or something for half an hour with the engine running!

[MacMahon]

What are they parking on? Road, pavement, verge etc. and what is between your house wall and their car, if anything?

I'm wondering about strategic planting of some kind.

This would also annoy me. I'd be leaving my car in the way as PP suggested.

Finally, I have been that teen stood out in all weathers on an isolated road waiting for the school bus. Is there any scope in approaching the parish council or similar for a bus shelter?

[pelosi]

Also, when lots of people are using a private road, it can become designated as a highway with public right of way, and this is what’s happening on OP’s road, people in the area are accessing and parking on the road.

[BlueMongoose]

If it is a private lane, they ought not even to be on it, never mind parking on it. Could you put cones out?
Even on a public road people are not supposed to park across driveways.
We have a school near us. People park all along the (public) road, but never across our drive end, so it's fine (except when they have their engines running for half an hour).

All the same, I could have done without the (female bovine) going to the school one morning who bawled out a builder's merchant delivering to our house when he blocked the road (unavoidably) for no more than a minute and a half, working like stink to unload as fast as he could before pulling in so traffic could pass.

[BlueMongoose]

@julieca

Honestly, no offence is being committed here.
Idling stationery on a private road is not illegal. The police will not be interested.
If you want to get out of your driveway they should move and let you get out.
Having to close your curtains to get dressed may be annoying, but it is not anything you can do anything about.

Driving onto a private road could be illegal....never mind idling on it.