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)

[Staffy1]

If it’s a private road surely they shouldn’t be in it anyway? I thought that was only for use by people who lived on the road and they certainly shouldn’t be parking in front of your driveways.

[julieca]

@BlueMongoose two of the three people live on that road. They have as much right as the OP to use that road. It is not the OPs personal road.
Also if you start to try and stop those who don't live on the road using the road, then expect retaliation against any visitors to your house. This could get silly quickly.

[julieca]

@Staffy1

If it’s a private road surely they shouldn’t be in it anyway? I thought that was only for use by people who lived on the road and they certainly shouldn’t be parking in front of your driveways.

Two of the three do live on the road.

[julieca]

@BlueMongoose driving on a private road is illegal! So anyone living on a private road can never get deliveries or visitors? No bin lorries or ambulances?
That simply isn't true.

[Moanranger]

I haven’t read every single post, but surely this should be taken up with the school? It may be possible for the bus to pick up these 2-3 much closer to their own houses, eliminating the need for these people to loiter near your house. The school should at the very least be informed of this.
Also in total agreement with those aghast at inability of 11-12YO to walk 500 yds - I despair!

[julieca]

Whether the children should walk is frankly no one else's business.

[Penistoe]

So they were parking in front of the grass? Can’t you fence that off so they can’t use it to turn around? Then park your cars to stop them parking in front of the drive.

They will then park in front of the grass but will have to drive out onto the B road and turn around to go back up the lane. Or decide to walk.

[julieca]

@Penistoe OP wants to stop people being on the road at all.

[Plantstrees]

@julieca

Whether the children should walk is frankly no one else's business.

What a selfish comment. Of course it is! We are all impacted by climate change and the cost of the obesity crisis so everyone should be contributing to a better world.

[julieca]

OP does not want to contribute to a better world. She just does not want cars in front of her house.

[Dixiechickonhols]

School bus will be run by council transport dept unless it's a private school. The bus isn't coming onto the private road. Op could try and get stop moved further down B road but like I said earlier proximity to school bus can be seen as a plus to housebuyers so could backfire. I suppose the school could issue a be considerate when dropping kids off at bus stop email but probably will have nil effect. OP going out at bus time daily and making them move each time probaby most effective.

[julieca]

Making people move every day will stop them from blocking her driveway. It won't mean she has no cars waiting outside her house, which is what she wants.

[Pluspoints]

Top diagram, OP

I would contact school and ask them to put a generic note in newsletter not to sit idling when waiting to pick up kids as some people have complained. It is bad form to sit idling anywhere.

[liveforsummer]

@ElftonWednesday

Nice comments about children being driven around.

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

Huh? Literally millions of adults have to walk or get public transport to work. Do you think every adult in the country has a car (and somewhere to park it if they work in a city)?

OP just ask them next time to stop before your property as you need to be able to get your car out to the road. I doubt there's much else you can do as they are present in their cars so not essential blocking (in that they can move if asked)

[ivykaty44]

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.

Your solution is for the OP to provide a car park? confused

perhaps go that one step further and invite them inside for breakfast and a cup of tea...?

[fumfspos]

They should not be blocking your driveway. There's no issue with them parking in the middle on the road between the driveways. They can do that if they want.
I would either park my own car(s) on the road in front of the driveways until the other people get out of the habit of doing it, or I would drive out every single time at that time of day and beep the horn until they move. If not enough room to get out even after they've moved, I'd just get out of my car and go and speak to them and tell them to move.

In fact, you'd probably just be better off going and speaking to them tomorrow morning and telling them not to block your driveway as you Ineed to get in and out.
If they then continue to block start with the suggestions above. Be as annoying as possible until they get the message.

[ivykaty44]

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

46% of London households don't own a car and as this is the best place for public transport in the country and it rains more than most places in this city - apart from Manchester (which also has a similar rate of cars per household to London) and the Mancs seem to survive putting on wet weather gear

[liveforsummer]

@ivykaty44

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

46% of London households don't own a car and as this is the best place for public transport in the country and it rains more than most places in this city - apart from Manchester (which also has a similar rate of cars per household to London) and the Mancs seem to survive putting on wet weather gear

Here in Edinburgh everyone avoids taking the car if at all possible - traffic is horrendous and parking is extortionate. It's a truly last resort which is why places on train and bus routes outside the city are in such high demand.

[pelosi]

@julieca

OP does not want to contribute to a better world. She just does not want cars in front of her house.

I live in a congested part of London but still don’t want cars idling outside my house,

[pelosi]

[quote julieca]@BlueMongoose driving on a private road is illegal! So anyone living on a private road can never get deliveries or visitors? No bin lorries or ambulances?
That simply isn't true.[/quote]
That’s different, all those people have implied consent to enter. I, as a randomer, would not have consent.

[TheUndeadLovelinessOfDemons]

DS 14 takes a telescopic brolly, no need for a coat. Mind you, he only ever feels the cold when the rest of us are boiling.

[julieca]

You don't need consent to be on a private shared road.
It is legally private with a public right of way.

[julieca]

"A private road is often established because an individual needs to gain access to land; such a road can cross another person's property. A private road can be used by the general public and is open to all who wish to use it, but it primarily benefits those at whose request it was established. Unlike highways that are cared for by the public at large, private roads are maintained at the expense of the private individuals who requested the road."
legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Private+Roads

[Anonymous48]

Whether they are waiting for their kids at the bus stop, how far they've had to drive to do so, etc., to me is irrelevant. You don't park across someone's driveway, full stop.

[julieca]

Those homemade signs people put up about a private road with no right of access are the equivalent of someone putting cones on the road outside their house. Totally meaningless.