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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Parent from the school opposite parking on my drive

387 replies

LemonJelly76 · 10/12/2021 00:34

I'm not letting on my actual opinion on this, but I am curious to know what others think.

I live opposite a primary school. I knew the school was there when I bought the house. Most days my car is not on my drive because I am at work, but I have on a couple of occasions come home to find a car there.
I haven't approached the parent on these occasions and have just parked elsewhere until they leave

This parent regularly uses the drive (must assume I'm not in) for 10-15 mins each morning and afternoon. There is usually other parking available, but further away

Driveway is a shared drive for 4 cars, I own one of the spaces and there is a Private Parking sign up across all four spaces which was there before I moved in.

YABU - it's fine because you're not using it most of the time
YANBU - they're CFs

OP posts:
Sally872 · 10/12/2021 07:37

I would not insist they never park there (I wouldn't know so little inconvenience and difficult to check) however if I come home I would ask them to move. I expect if they are asked to move more than once they will stop because of the inconvenience to them.

FiveGoldThings · 10/12/2021 07:38

Let their tyres down.

mogsrus · 10/12/2021 07:39

Parking on someone else’s drive is not a criminal offence ,but it does count as trespassing, which is a civil offence... you could also pursue a claim for nuisance behaviour on the grounds that the driver is
interfering with your use & enjoyment of your property .

EdgeOfTheSky · 10/12/2021 07:40

I hate all this business if reporting them to the school rather than dealing with it directly.

It’s your drive, they are on it, it is outrageous that you have had to park elsewhere when you get home.

Tell the driver! Wait for them in person, put a note on their windscreen, leave a sign in the larking space: Do not park here! I DO come and go at school drop off time, and this is my space. You are recorded on my ring doorbell!

Complain to the school by all means because it is their customers creating a problem. But in the end The school can do nothing but beseech. The council will do nothing about parking in a private driveway and neither will the police.

Gretaburley · 10/12/2021 07:42

I used to live near a school.
An old lady round the corner had a driveway and a mother took to parking there everyday.
My old friend got quite upset as sometimes visitors would drive away thinking she already had company when she was sat on her own.
A policeman lived further up and after finding out what was happening he waited for the mother to return to the car and gave her a telling off for her behaviour. She didn't park there again.

Roselilly36 · 10/12/2021 07:45

Totally not on, just leave a note on the car, telling them not to park there, if they carry on, report reg to school. I hate entitled people. Your dad sounds very sweet though.

rainrainraincamedowndowndown · 10/12/2021 07:48

I live near the primary, someone parks in front of my drive most of the time. Unless they are inconveniencing me, I don't mind it. It's not hours, only like 10/15 minutes and they are gone.

sixswans · 10/12/2021 07:55

Are they waiting in the car or getting out and wandering off?

daisypond · 10/12/2021 07:56

@rainrainraincamedowndowndown

I live near the primary, someone parks in front of my drive most of the time. Unless they are inconveniencing me, I don't mind it. It's not hours, only like 10/15 minutes and they are gone.
What they are doing is actually illegal, and you don’t mind?
lollipoprainbow · 10/12/2021 08:03

This would really piss me off! I can't believe the audacity of people, I wouldn't dream of parking in someone's drive while doing the school run. I would be leaving a very strongly worded note on the windscreen to embarrass them.

couchparsnip · 10/12/2021 08:05

It's a parking thread and there's no diagram?
Any chance OP?

TulipsTwoLips · 10/12/2021 08:05

I think it's cheeky whether you're using it or not. I'm not using my bathroom 95% of the time but I don't expect to come home and find someone in it!

pianolessons1 · 10/12/2021 08:12

you can get a clamp from Halfords quite cheaply. I'd put up a sign and clamp her next time. Make her wait an hour til you take it off.

Shade17 · 10/12/2021 08:14

you can get a clamp from Halfords quite cheaply. I'd put up a sign and clamp her next time. Make her wait an hour til you take it off.

Absolutely DO NOT do this.

dworky · 10/12/2021 08:16

YABU for not confronting them.

Tal45 · 10/12/2021 08:24

Would it be ok for someone to use your garden when you weren't using it? Or your house? No of course not so they shouldn't use your private parking space either. Some people are so entitled it's unbelievable!

SirensofTitan · 10/12/2021 08:26

@Yaya26

Could they possibly park there because if proximity to school and have one or more babies in the car that they leave there while dropping older child/children? Don't go mental Mumsnet! I'm only asking if that's a possibility. If not and if they aren't dissabled they are complete CFs.
OMG @Yaya26 if only I'd known that having a small child or disability meant you could park on anyone's drive you fancied 5 years of my life would have been sooooooooooooo much easier, in fact transfomed

When did that become a thing?

DappyApple · 10/12/2021 08:31

@Yaya26

Could they possibly park there because if proximity to school and have one or more babies in the car that they leave there while dropping older child/children? Don't go mental Mumsnet! I'm only asking if that's a possibility. If not and if they aren't dissabled they are complete CFs.
Still not acceptable, if the mother ‘did’ have young babies, shouldn’t be leaving them in the car whiles she does pick up under any circumstances regardless.

Also being disabled does not give you a free pass either.

This is a private parking space. Not a mother and child or disabled space.

sashh · 10/12/2021 08:31

I've had this a couple of times. I am able to block in.

I have also used the non emergency police number, they pulled up a mobile number and called the driver on my behalf. It's amazing how quickly someone will move their car after a call from a police switchboard.

I'd send an invoice addressed with their reg number care of the school saying you are charging for the parking.

honeylulu · 10/12/2021 08:32

Put a sign on her front and back windscreens each time. Stick with vaseline which will be a pain for her to wipe off but won't do any damage. Perhaps "PARKED LIKE A CUNT" but you may prefer something more polite.

Has anyone said penguin bollard yet?

PoppityInThe · 10/12/2021 08:32

YANBU

Block her in after morning pick up and leave it there until evening. I'd definitely skip a day of work for this! Tell her it's your husbands/brothers/cousins cats car and stuck there until at least 7pm.

Really odd she parked it there.

Lavender24 · 10/12/2021 08:35

I'd be absolutely furious. This is not acceptable.

Ragwort · 10/12/2021 08:37

Some of the suggestions here are so extreme, of course it's not alright, but the sensible thing to do first would be to leave a politely worded note on the windscreen next time your space is used.

ChargingBuck · 10/12/2021 08:50

I'm wanting to gather opinions as to whether it's unreasonable to ask this given its empty a lot of the time. Is it cheeky they do this or does it really matter if I'm not using it? I'm wanting to know what others think

Why? It's not our drive.
It's your drive - what do you think? What do you want to happen?

SamhainToImbolc · 10/12/2021 08:54

I'd be very cautious about actually touching her car, even to put a note on it. In case she claims you caused damage.

Certainly do not put vaseline on the windscreen and most definitely do not let down her tyres. If nothing else, what would be the point of that? She would be stuck on your driveway, with an undriveable car and you'd have a bill for new tyres and, quite likely, a visit from the Police.