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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Parent’s Parking Across My Drive

129 replies

Dazedandconfused170 · 18/10/2022 15:29

Just wondering is there anything I can do about it or just suck it up basically

Whenever I work from home or am off (I now work part time), at 9 and 3 nearly every time a car parks across my drive when dropping off and picking up their kids from school. Different cars so not always the same one.

The drive can fit two cars on, so most of the time they aren’t blocking my car but blocking the rest of the space so no other car can get onto the drive.

I have asked a couple times politely when they got back to their car not to block it and they apologies and whatever. I did email the school just to ask if they can put a reminder in their newsletter because aside from this, they park on bends and on junctions making it so difficult to get around.

Obviously nothing has stopped but what realistically can I do, if anything

OP posts:
Strangestthings · 18/10/2022 21:43

YABU. You need to extend the dropped kerb to cover the entire drive. They are not doing anything wrong.

LindseyHoyleSpeaks · 18/10/2022 21:43

the dropped curb isn’t the whole length of the drive unfortunately

In which case, what a waste of a thread. Have you ever read the Highway Code, OP? Do you understand that you can’t just create a driveway by paving over your garden or whatever and then scream and yell at people who park perfectly legally in front of your PAVED OVER GARDEN? Good God - there’s a crazy woman who lives close to our DCs’ school. Literally graveled the whole of her front lawn, bought three Range Rovers and claimed she had a triple drive. Goes NUTS if someone blocks her access - except as it’s not her drive, and she didn’t apply to the council for a dropped kerb (or planning was refused - who knows?) they’re not doing anything wrong. Ha - maybe you’re her, OP! In which case, look forward to many more people blocking you - everyone thinks you’re as mad as a box of frogs.

Bunnyfuller · 18/10/2022 21:48

So actually the post title should be School mums park perfectly legally outside the house I bought that was near a school’ 😑😑😑😑

Yarnosaur · 18/10/2022 21:50

As someone so eloquently put it on a previous thread about a 'drive' with no dropped kerb: it's not a drive, it's a patio with aspirations.

DosCervezas · 18/10/2022 21:57

I wonder OP, when you ( and anyone else who gets hot under the collar about people parking in front of their house) go out in your car , do you ever perfectly legally and reasonably park on a public road in front of someone's house?
It happens, it's normal, it's part of life. It's not worth stressing about.

PuppyMonkey · 18/10/2022 22:00

It’s difficult to picture this, for those of us who are a bit thick like me.They park not on a dropped kerb, they aren’t blocking you in. But no other car can get onto the drive?Confused

i need a diagram basically.

Can you move over a bit on the drive so another car could use the dropped kerb?*

  • This suggestion may be irrelevant as no diagram to explain it properly.
Original poster
Dazedandconfused170 · 20/10/2022 23:20

LindseyHoyleSpeaks · 18/10/2022 21:43

the dropped curb isn’t the whole length of the drive unfortunately

In which case, what a waste of a thread. Have you ever read the Highway Code, OP? Do you understand that you can’t just create a driveway by paving over your garden or whatever and then scream and yell at people who park perfectly legally in front of your PAVED OVER GARDEN? Good God - there’s a crazy woman who lives close to our DCs’ school. Literally graveled the whole of her front lawn, bought three Range Rovers and claimed she had a triple drive. Goes NUTS if someone blocks her access - except as it’s not her drive, and she didn’t apply to the council for a dropped kerb (or planning was refused - who knows?) they’re not doing anything wrong. Ha - maybe you’re her, OP! In which case, look forward to many more people blocking you - everyone thinks you’re as mad as a box of frogs.

Wow calm down 😂

OP posts:
Original poster
Dazedandconfused170 · 20/10/2022 23:21

DosCervezas · 18/10/2022 21:57

I wonder OP, when you ( and anyone else who gets hot under the collar about people parking in front of their house) go out in your car , do you ever perfectly legally and reasonably park on a public road in front of someone's house?
It happens, it's normal, it's part of life. It's not worth stressing about.

I don’t ever block anyone’s access to park on their drive, no

OP posts:
NCAutumn · 21/10/2022 09:15

"I don’t ever block anyone’s access to park on their drive, no"

It's not your drive they're blocking though is it?

Overthebow · 21/10/2022 09:18

If you don’t have a dropped kerb then you don’t have a drive so they aren’t blocking it. They are entitled to park there and there’s nothing you can do. Apply for a dropped kerb and put in a proper drive then you can do something.

girlmom21 · 21/10/2022 09:24

They're not blocking access to your drive. You shouldn't be driving across the pavement without a dropped curb.

ArcticSkewer · 21/10/2022 09:24

Oh honestly!

Glad I filtered to just op's posts!

So your complaint is ... people are parking legally on a public road and it's annoying?

RudsyFarmer · 21/10/2022 09:27

My advice is to take a photo and send the registration to the school in an email every single time. Honestly the schools get quite rattled if residents constantly complain and there are much more likely to sort it out than if you just stay silent and simmer.

jeaux90 · 21/10/2022 09:28

RudsyFarmer · 21/10/2022 09:27

My advice is to take a photo and send the registration to the school in an email every single time. Honestly the schools get quite rattled if residents constantly complain and there are much more likely to sort it out than if you just stay silent and simmer.

This. I'd do this.

pyjamafashionista · 21/10/2022 09:30

Get a sign that says no parking - access needed at all times.

RudsyFarmer · 21/10/2022 09:30

I’ve just seen the OP doesn’t have a dropped kerb on the area she’s discussing. Unfortunately I think the law isn’t on your side in that instance but for anyone else suffering similarly that would be my advice.

WombatChocolate · 21/10/2022 09:32

Again, you have a paved garden, not a drive. Without a drop curb, people can park there.

IF you did have a proper dropped kerb that people parked over, Ive heard of people of people printing out large A3 notices, saying ‘You are parked illegally across my dropped kerb and driveway. Your number plate has been photographed and passed onto the Police’ with a space on the paper to write the number plate details on.

Not only does this tend to stop people parking there again, other school Mums see it whilst going past and make a mental note not to park in that spot. Can be very effective.

The other thing is to pop out as people return to their car. Don’t say anything, but simply stand and take photos of their car and number plate whilst they are there. Stand for a good while and also do it while they are rent there and other parents are going past. Word quickly spreads that this person isn’t just someone who politely asks people not to park there, who can be ignored. This is someone taking action.

If anyone then tries to have a conversation and say ‘I was just 2 minutes’ or whatever, the only response would be ‘Legal action is being taken. I’m not prepared to engage with you about it’.

All this relies on you being around when it all happens. If you put signs in cars, and took photos for a couple of weeks, the problems would certainly subside.

Of course, when your kerb isn’t dropped, you have to accept people are parking totally legally and it’s first come first served. If you don’t choose to park there first, they are perfectly entitled to park there and you’d be u reasonable to ask anyone not to.

girlmom21 · 21/10/2022 09:37

pyjamafashionista · 21/10/2022 09:30

Get a sign that says no parking - access needed at all times.

For people to laugh at?

TrashyPanda · 21/10/2022 09:39

Do you understand that they can park there legally, as there is no dropped kerb?
the access to your drive is the dropped kerb - and the dropped kerb only.

HereComeTheGrannies · 21/10/2022 09:42

Unless they’re parking over the park of curb which is dropped then they’re not blocking access to your drive. They’re making it inconvenient but that’s not their problem, that’s your drive’s problem.

whoknew123 · 21/10/2022 09:44

Does your dropped kern extend fully across your double driveway? If not YABU, if it does you should legitimately request the police take enforcement action for blocking you in/out.

Whinge · 21/10/2022 09:45

I have asked a couple times politely when they got back to their car not to block it and they apologies

I'm surprised people have apologised. They're not doing anything wrong. Confused

fyn · 21/10/2022 09:45

You need to approach your Parish/Town Council and ask them to submit an application for a Traffic Regulation Order. A highways engineer will then come out and assess the issue to see what measures can be taken.

DosCervezas · 21/10/2022 09:48

I thought it had been established that it's not actually a drive being blocked, but the length of your home which you use to park multiple cars? Any driveway entrance, including my own would only be wide enough for one car width. Of course it is wrong to block these, but your definition of a driveway goes beyond this? People are entitled to park legally but should not block legal driveways. People are not entitled to create their own driveway the full length of their home and expect nobody to park at any point across it.

XCTX · 21/10/2022 09:50

Feel your pain, I live opposite a hospital and have it with nurses. I stand vigil by my shutters until they come back and tell them that access is needed at all times as I need two cars on my drive. I also put flyers in the windscreen and ring the council to send traffic wardens as its a permit only street

bit curmugeonly but I'm sick of it, most apologise but one turned round and said "but I'm a nurse" ... didn't quite know what to say!

Is your street residents only parking? could you petition the council to make it so? I suppose the saving grace is the school run impact, whilst annoying, is short - the nurses block my drive for 8 hours +