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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu to use a drop kerb to turn my car round

53 replies

StarofRoyal · 14/12/2021 16:15

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?

OP posts:
loudbatperson · 14/12/2021 17:16

It isn't something I could get myself worked up about if I was her, certainly not to the extent of taking photographs.

However, I don't really understand why you need to use a dropped kerb to turn around? Surely you just do a three-point turn on the road itself? Living in London I am used to driving down very narrow roads, but still, manage to turn without going onto the pavement.

Original poster
StarofRoyal · 14/12/2021 17:23

@Fuuuuuckit I suppose I could do a three point turn in the road I just didn’t realise I was wrong for doing as I did. I can’t go further on as it is a country lane which is very twisty so would be incredibly dangerous to go further on. I didn’t turn outside the school, I went sufficiently past to be away from parked cars etc.

OP posts:
GoodPrincessWenceslas · 14/12/2021 17:27

@Fuuuuuckit

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.

OP has already explained she was some distance away from the school and there weren't any children around.
JuergenSchwarzwald · 14/12/2021 17:57

@Badbadbunny

You should turn your car around on the roadway, not the pavement.
Ideally yes - I have a visceral hatred of people who park on pavements. But if the road is too narrow you don't have much choice - doing a 29 point turn isn't going to endear you to people.

Sounds ok OP, people reverse onto the dropped kerb by our house to turn round all the time, and we don't have a gate to stop them coming onto the drive, but they usually don't.

Blackkitty · 14/12/2021 18:14

Are you sure she doesn’t own the dropped kerb?
When I live there’s no pavement, just a road with plots of houses and I own the dropped kerb that leads into my drive. I hate it when people use my drive to turn around.

whatdoidonowffs · 14/12/2021 18:37

She probably paid for the dropped kerb herself and mistakenly thinks that means she owns it
Used to get this a lot when I worked for a water company people were most upset when we used to dig up “their” dropped kerb

Original poster
StarofRoyal · 14/12/2021 18:48

@Blackkitty the council owns dropped kerbs, just because you paid for it to be dropped doesn’t mean you own it. Do you think you can stop pedestrians walking along the pavement? What would you have them do if you own that bit, walk in the road?

OP posts:
RandomLondoner · 14/12/2021 18:52

I learn something every day on here. I had not idea it was illegal to turn as the OP did. I would have done the same. Not running over pedestrians is a fairly basic requirement of being a driver, I don't see why the law (or anyone else) would assume you'd be unable to avoid doing so, in this situation.

Chloemol · 14/12/2021 18:56

It’s part of the highway, she’s nuts and won’t get far if she complains to anyone

Chloemol · 14/12/2021 18:58

@Blackkitty

Are you sure she doesn’t own the dropped kerb? When I live there’s no pavement, just a road with plots of houses and I own the dropped kerb that leads into my drive. I hate it when people use my drive to turn around.
It’s not normal to own the dropped kerb. Round here it remains highways, you just pay them to drop the curb, you don’t own it, in fact I have never heard of any council giving up part of the verge/path or whatever they have dropped the kerb over. If you own the drop kerb then you must own the footpath or whatever behind it, hope you enjoy paying for those repairs!
Blackkitty · 14/12/2021 19:03

[quote StarofRoyal]@Blackkitty the council owns dropped kerbs, just because you paid for it to be dropped doesn’t mean you own it. Do you think you can stop pedestrians walking along the pavement? What would you have them do if you own that bit, walk in the road?[/quote]
Like I said there is no pavement for pedestrians to walk on. Our dropped kerb is on our property, constructed and paid for by the original owner who built the house. It’s included in the title deeds.

EmmaGrundyForPM · 14/12/2021 19:04

To be honest, I think you're both BU. Obviously she doesn't own the road, but why don't you just carry on in the same direction? You say the road becomes "incredibly dangerous" just past the school, but is it really? In what way? I think if you really need to turn your car round, you need to find a better place to do so.

Blackkitty · 14/12/2021 19:06

@Chloemol
I think we must be a special case. The house was built by the original owner who purchased a plot of land. There is no pavement, just an unnamed road.

AlternativePerspective · 14/12/2021 19:17

You’re breaking the law.

It is illegal to drive on the pavement. It is also illegal to park across a drop curb.

And doing so is causing an obstruction to people with buggies and mobility issues who wish to cross the road on the drop curb.

Soontobe60 · 14/12/2021 19:30

@Moonface123

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.
Leaving the engine idling whilst parked up is illegal. Speak to the school or your local PCSO, or maybe put a leaflet on the guilty cars whilst they’re sat in it!
Soontobe60 · 14/12/2021 19:30

@AlternativePerspective

You’re breaking the law.

It is illegal to drive on the pavement. It is also illegal to park across a drop curb.

And doing so is causing an obstruction to people with buggies and mobility issues who wish to cross the road on the drop curb.

No she isn’t.
toomuchlaundry · 14/12/2021 19:37

You'd fail your driving test if you turned in the road like that

HideousKinky · 14/12/2021 19:40

People turn in my driveway all the time and it doesn't bother me.
However DH doesn't like it but I've never understood why?

NoSquirrels · 14/12/2021 19:45

If you’re the fiftybillionth driver that day to turn using her dropped kerb, I can see why she’d be irked.

Are there other places to turn, or is it the case that pretty much all the school parents end up turning there?

NeedsCharging · 14/12/2021 19:46

You'd fail your driving test if you turned in the road like that

I think most drivers would fail their driving test if they had to take it again.
OP wasn't doing her driving test.
There were no children, oaps, mobility scooter users or small animals at risk. Whats the actual problem in using a dropped kerbs for thes than 30 seconds to turn around?

Soontobe60 · 14/12/2021 20:09

@AlternativePerspective
Apologies, I looked it up in the Highway Code, and stand corrected.

OP, it seems like the complainant is correct!

145 You MUST NOT drive on or over a pavement, footpath or bridleway except to gain lawful access to property, or in the case of an emergency.
Laws HA 1835 sect 72 & RTA 1988 sect 34

Original poster
StarofRoyal · 14/12/2021 20:54

The complaint wasn’t that I was breaking the law though, she kept saying I had driven on her property and I kept saying no I haven’t it’s part of the highway. She clearly felt it was ‘hers’ and she had the right to confront me and be aggressive.

OP posts:
NoSquirrels · 15/12/2021 00:51

@StarofRoyal

The complaint wasn’t that I was breaking the law though, she kept saying I had driven on her property and I kept saying no I haven’t it’s part of the highway. She clearly felt it was ‘hers’ and she had the right to confront me and be aggressive.
I think being technically in the right - for either of you! - isn’t really the solution/answer that will help.

Were you personally in the wrong? Probably not.

Is it really fucking annoying for her that school run parents turn in her access? Almost certainly.

Just don’t turn there again. Why be an annoyance if you don’t have to be?

DBI78 · 15/12/2021 01:00

It's pavement not her property. It is scary how many people drive up on path when kids are around.

Wingedharpy · 15/12/2021 01:31

Could it be that, in addition to having paid for the dropped kerb to be installed, she would have to pay for repairs to it, should it become necessary?

I don't know if that is the case but it may go someway to explaining her irritation.

That's why I get p'd off when cars/vans/bin lorry turn round along the dead end rear of our terrace, using our front of garage pull in space 'cos everyone else along the terrace built their garages too far forward.

The bin lorry managed to drive off taking 2 fence panels and half a concrete post with him one day after reversing.