Aibu to use a drop kerb to turn my car round

[StarofRoyal]

I’m afraid this is yet another school parking thread. School is on a long road so most people need to come in from one direction, turn around and go back the way they have come.
Today I turned my car round by reversing my back two wheels over the dropped curb access to someone’s house. They have gates across so I know for sure I didn’t access their property. As far as I’m aware whilst people are allowed to pave over the verge and have the curb dropped this does not make this part of the highway ‘theirs’.
The person living up the drive came out and ranted at me telling me not to do it. When I didn’t respond as she had hoped she walked all round my car (legally parked on the road) taking photos and then went into school, presumably to complain about me.
So am I unreasonable to think it is ok to turn my car around in this way?

That person is batshit yanbu. Always wonder why people like this decide to move close to a school.

They're batshit. They don't own the pavement, and surely they'd prefer you to turn safely than to crash into the street furniture?

Probably because it's an unsafe manoeuvre with children around to drive on the pavement.

YABVU to try to turn your car around by crossing the pavement at a busy time when DCs are walking along the pavement. Park further away and walk.

@AnkleDeep

YABVU to try to turn your car around by crossing the pavement at a busy time when DCs are walking along the pavement. Park further away and walk.

This is what I had done, there are several drives nearer school, this one is far enough away that there are never any children on that bit. That’s why I chose it. I was the car parked furthest from the school today. I also turned around before pickup so I could get my child and drive away.

YABVU to try to turn your car around by crossing the pavement at a busy time when DCs are walking along the pavement. Park further away and walk.

Its no more dangerous than the person living there driving in to their driveway
Should people with dropped kerbs never use them to access their driveway...which is the whole reason people have dropped kerbs in front of driveways unless I am missing something?

I would say it shouldn't be a problem unless you're holding up traffic. We have a similar road outside DCs primary and the amount of parents gaily swinging their cars around at a snails pace while there's a queue of cars waiting to get past always gives me a bit of an eye twitch.

Shes batshit, as you say she doesn't own the pavement. All she's done is payed for the kerb to be dropped so she can cross the pavement to access her house.
Its also not dangerous, same as anyone else crossing a pavement to access their property

Yep use of a dropped kerb/pavement area is fine. I love seeing big gated drive ways with no-turning signs on the wall. If I'm looking to turn at night I actually will use the dropped kerbs in front of those ones deliberately and hope my headlights are seen. That'll get them twitching the curtains.

Kerb.

Our school is on a country lane and other parents actually reverse onto peoples drives as there no pavement/ drop curb. I think that is lazy CF territory but I couldn't get upset over a public footpath ( assuming you was careful no kids around of course)

The CF are the ones blocking drives. The rest is just the deal you get buying next to school. People who live near schools seem to universally hate everything that comes with living next to a school which is bizarre in itself.

Batshit.

Don't pay any attention.

@dworky

Kerb.

This is the mumsnet I love, I get validation with terms like batshit and a lesson in SPAG 🤣🤣🤣

l live near a school, the traffic situation never used to bother me whilst my two were still at school, but now they have both left l do find myself getting wound up when l can 't park anywhere near my house at certain times, or the drivers park up early whilst l 'm out in the front gardening and leave radio on loud and engine reving for absolute ages, the fumes stink.

Did she install the gates because of people constantly using her drive and she's a bit sensitive about it?

Neighbour on my close (not near a school) had her new drive damaged by people using it as a turning circle rather than using the one at the end of the road. She's installed pop up bollards and placed her wheelie bins strategically.

You should turn your car around on the roadway, not the pavement.

@NeedsCharging

YABVU to try to turn your car around by crossing the pavement at a busy time when DCs are walking along the pavement. Park further away and walk.

Its no more dangerous than the person living there driving in to their driveway
Should people with dropped kerbs never use them to access their driveway...which is the whole reason people have dropped kerbs in front of driveways unless I am missing something?

Accessing your drive is the only valid reason for driving on the pavement though. When I was learning to drive, you had to turn in the road not drive on the pavement to do it.

I'd be tempted to do it all the more.
But I'm petty.
YANBU.

@Badbadbunny

You should turn your car around on the roadway, not the pavement.

Good point.

A whole load of drivers doing three-point turns during school drop-off time when there are loads of kids running about isn't exactly ideal either, though.

She may have paid to have the kerb dropped, and depending where you live cost can run into £100's. Bad driving can and often does chip kerb stones, so if she has paid for it then I think she's right to complain.

Also, why shouldn't she live near a school? She may have lived there a lot longer than has been the fashion for parents to drive their offspring to school.

Not quite on topic, but I think you should only be allowed to put a “No turning” sign on your drive if you never, ever find yourself forced to turn around using someone else’s drive 🙄

Does it matter? If it amnoys them it wont kill you to do ot further on next time

Accessing your drive is the only valid reason for driving on the pavement though. When I was learning to drive, you had to turn in the road not drive on the pavement to do it.

I have had a good Google and can find lots of info about obstructing a dropped kerbs and mounting a normal kerb when turning your vehicle around I cannot seem to find anything that states its illegal to turn around using a dropped key

However driving on the pavement is illegal unless entering the property so I suppose if you are a pedantic arse you could say its illegal. According to the info found though using a dropped kerb to U turn even if the police watch you do it is rarely if ever enforced.

I still think the home owner is being a dick

I literally failed my driving test for touching the dropped curb - not even going over it - as it is a dangerous fault due to risk of contact with pedestrians. You should only use a dropped curb if you need to to access property, and then with due care.

If you cannot turn your car without mounting the curb then you need extra driving lessons should find a safer place to turn, or carry on in the same direction until you find somewhere to turn.

Outside a school on presumably a fairly narrow road is incredibly risky. YABU.

She's a twat.....carry on