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Original poster

Sick of my drive being blocked every single day

103 replies

ForeverLooking · 23/03/2022 14:34

This isn't the worst problem in the world, but it's really starting to piss me off.
Every single day without fail, my drive gets blocked by someone or multiple someones...workman, delivery drivers, people "quickly" visiting other houses, people pulling over to have a snack/talk on the phone. Obviously this doesn't inconvenience me all the time as I'm WFH, but very often I'll have to go out and ask the driver to move so I can get out, or so the taxi bringing my DS (who has SEN and needs to be dropped off at my door) can get in. People do, but it's often accompanied by eye rolls, huffing and puffing or "I will in a minute" or "I won't be long". My house is a cottage on the main road of a village, so I think its just a the most convenient place for people to pull over and access what they need. Yes I've got a full dropped kerb and there is parking a few yards up the road and plenty around the village. I know realistically there's not a huge amount I can do about it aside from seething quietly behind the curtains and going out to ask people to move -do you think people would respond to a sign by the drive asking for it not to be blocked? I have a feeling the "I'll only be a minute" crowd won't give a shit. Has anyone put a sign up and the situation got better?

OP posts:
godmum56 · 23/03/2022 17:05

to people who suggest a disabled space, that does not reserve it for the OP's child...any blue ebadge holder can park there....also to me that suggests that you are relinquishing your dropped kerb right. Not sure if bollarding the road is legal. If it was me I'd block my own drive with my own car.

LokiDoki75 · 23/03/2022 17:07

For those suggesting a blue badge bay, I’ve just been through the application process. I don’t know if this is universal, but I was told that bays are only allowed if you do not have anywhere else to park. As the OP obviously has a drive I don’t think it would be granted, but they might be able to offer something in the way of signage as there is a disabled child involved.

bigbluebus · 23/03/2022 17:09

Having seen the way delivery drivers park in our street, I very much doubt there's much you can do to stop the idiots. There is loads of space in our street to just pull up at the kerb side but for reasons unknown poor driving they can be seen abandoning vehicles diagonally across the road blocking the whole road or parking on the pavement at the t junction so that no one has a clear view to pull out

I went down a lane near our house the other day and someone was parked in a passing place on their phone. Fortunately there was no one coming the other way at the time. I think half the people on the roads haven't got the sense they were born with!

LittleOwl153 · 23/03/2022 17:11

Does your child have a blue badge... if he does see if the council will paint you a blue badge parking spot. Not fool proof as you will still get the chancers and other bb holders can use it but worth a try...

PollyPutTheKettleOnKettleOn · 23/03/2022 17:18

Can you get one of those collapsible bollards installed?

bumblingbovine49 · 23/03/2022 17:22

The thing is , if someone is actually sat in the vehicle or somewhere hey can see it, the driver will move once someone arrives who needs access to the drive or if someone wants to leave . This would only annoy me if the driver left the vehicle there unattended so it wouldn't bother me I the slightest if someone did it to make a call, have a snack etc but it would if they went away and couldn't be found.

balalake · 23/03/2022 17:25

A sign gives you something to refer to. If they cannot read it or ignore it, and it is an identifiable vehicle, complain to the company. Indeed if they cannot see it, they should not be driving, but as the police are so underresourced and in many areas useless, alleging a driver has poor eyesight will get nowhere sadly.

CloseYourMouthLynn · 23/03/2022 17:28

This happens to us every day and it boils my piss. We also have a shared dropped kerb with our neighbours and their many guests frequently block our drive even though there is parking directly opposite, they know we hate it but do it anyway.

OutIsay · 23/03/2022 17:29

Yeah we have a H bar. Taxi drivers still park across the drive (not coming to us). Drives me nuts.

XmarksDespot · 23/03/2022 17:30

Slap some mayonnaise on the windscreen. They won't be parking there again.

EvilPea · 23/03/2022 17:38

Another one checking in.
It’s that pit of your tummy feeling as you come home thinking “what am I going to find, am I going to get on my drive”

Had some woman completely berate me the other day. I just thanked her, for waiting whilst she continued berating me.

Sometimes I have people on my drive, on my grass, squashing my flowers. Chucking fag butts and rubbish seems a favourite as they sit their waiting

ProfessionalWeirdo · 23/03/2022 17:39

@Ionlydomassiveones

I think you’re being too polite. Put cones out (don’t know if that’s legal) and be bolshy (which is legal).
It isn’t, unfortunately. Cones can only be put out by police, contractors or council staff.
Ohsugarhoneyicetea · 23/03/2022 17:46

Report everyone who does it, its a £30 fine where I live and the local traffic wardens get there real quick to issue a ticket. You learn quick too not to do it when you have to pay the price.

Pamlar · 23/03/2022 17:53

I feel your pain. It is so frustrating. I have entitled parents from the nursery next door. Who eye roll and shout at me when I try and get in or out of my own drive.
Local authority is a good option. I do fantasise about smearing dog shite on the inside their door handles...

godmum56 · 23/03/2022 18:01

@bumblingbovine49

The thing is , if someone is actually sat in the vehicle or somewhere hey can see it, the driver will move once someone arrives who needs access to the drive or if someone wants to leave . This would only annoy me if the driver left the vehicle there unattended so it wouldn't bother me I the slightest if someone did it to make a call, have a snack etc but it would if they went away and couldn't be found.
i don't pay extra to have a house with a drive to have to ask permission to use it and to be told "oh I thought you worked all day" I won't be a minute" can't you park round the corner" and all the other shite.
Broads93 · 23/03/2022 18:54

I haven't had the shitty eye rolls/huffing since I started using the "you either move it now or I'll start removing windows from it" usually gets them moving pretty fast and they're less likely to try me again.

Herejustforthisone · 23/03/2022 20:27

My drive is long and is on the road to a snazzy private school. I drove home one afternoon and as I went to swing into my drive, there was a car parked on it in front of the gate. It was a fairly smart car but I wondered if it might be a Hermes driver so waited a moment. No one got out. I gave a little toot and saw someone turn round to look at me. Nothing happened. I got out to ask them to move and a man (school father) actually waved me away from his car as he was on the phone. On my drive. I’m afraid I went back and sat on my horn, not that it did any good. I couldn’t block him in as I’d have blocked the school road annoyingly. Gives me rage just thinking about it.

CakeAmbushAlert · 23/03/2022 20:32

@Herejustforthisone what a prick.

However, the other side of the coin. Ambulance parked at my friends house as paramedics attended to her Dad mid stroke. Round pop the neighbours, can you move your ambulance please, we need to run our daughter to town.

RoseMartha · 23/03/2022 20:47

I sympathise.

I live in a flat we have a car park, we dont have individual spaces but there is enough room for 1 car per flat, plus a couple of visitors.

Every school day I can guarantee several people will park their cars in the car park for the flats to take or collect their kids to or from the primary school up the road. Sometimes when I get home there is no where to park because it is full of school mums who live elsewhere.

Teeturtle · 23/03/2022 20:57

@TheGriffle

Talk about timing! This is my drive right this second. That Cavan is not delivering to me. He’s just sat there.
I can honestly say this wouldn’t bother me for a moment. Assuming that they are in the car and haven’t left it there.
PeterandSandy · 24/03/2022 14:39

we get this, despite having a dropped kerb and a huge sign. Some people dont look round when they park, some do and dont care.

Its very selfish, how would they like it, look round when you park.

Its an offence to block a drive. You can call the police and they will offer to look up the registration plate and call the person and ask them to move their car if they can get hold of them.

PeterandSandy · 24/03/2022 15:30

@Ionlydomassiveones

I think you’re being too polite. Put cones out (don’t know if that’s legal) and be bolshy (which is legal).
people move cones and bins. Some people dont care. Unless it happens to them of course.
Debbacat6 · 24/03/2022 17:38

Park your own car out there across ot FIRST THING then no one else can

Missingpop · 24/03/2022 17:51

Apply to the council for a no parking sign to be painted on the road outside your house or a disabled bay that would stop the inconsiderate shits once & for all

Jg65 · 24/03/2022 18:12

We’ve got a front door onto the lane that is right on the road, a few lazy neighbours started parking right up against the door as thru couldn’t be bother to walk a bit further and park sensibly, so we put notices up on the doors and they still parked there, Notes on the cars didn’t work, so I wrote a huge A3 poster and stuck in on very firmly, when they came out in the morning and it had rained the twat couldn’t get it off and winged and moaned but has never parked there again !!

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