To keep parking in front of this "drive"?

[Droppingthekerb]

Sorry it's a long one. I'll start off by saying that due to mobility issues I do drive my children to school which is about 1.5 miles from our house. I do not however qualify for a blue badge.

There are several residential streets near the school where people park to take kids to the school. I imagine it is annoying for the people who live there but there are no restrictions on the road in terms of yellow lines etc and generally I'd say people are respectful of the residents. There are a couple of cars who park overhanging the yellow zigzags and some on bends but for the most part people park at the side of the road and don't block driveways. Dropped kerbs are marked with white lines so it is clear where it is ok to park.

I tend to park on the street one up from the school as usually it is quieter and there's more chance of getting a space. Until recently there was a house on the street that had fallen into disrepair with an overgrown front garden. Over the last couple of months there have been tradespeople coming and doing up the house and now the front garden has been paved over. About 2 weeks ago I parked in front of this house and a man came running out of the house opposite shouting at me that I couldn't park there as I was blocking a drive. I had my kids with me and told him I did not appreciate being shouted at in front of them especially as there was no dropped kerb so it wasn't a driveway. There wasn't a car parked on it either. He stormed off back into his house.

A few days later I saw the space was available and as it was raining there were a lot of extra cars on the school run so spots were at a premium. I parked there again and returned to a note on my car not to block driveways.

I don't park there every time as there are other spaces available often before I get to that spot but last week I was running late for pick up and noticed the space was free again - I was feeling a bit petty too by this point. However, there was a police officer speaking to drivers about their parking to ensure it was safe as it was near a school. I parked there and the police officer stopped me and said she'd had a complaint about people blocking the drive. I pointed out there was no dropped kerb and she immediately said, "Oh, you're absolutely right. Carry on."

This morning it was again the only available space but today there was a car on the drive and seemingly new residents. I parked up as usual to find the man from the house opposite screaming at me again in front of my kids that I was blocking the drive and now the new resident of the house coming out to join in. I tried to keep my cool but it is quite intimidating having 2 men shouting at you in public especially with young children. I said I needed to get the kids to school but they were misinformed if they thought it was a drive as it didn't have a dropped kerb and actually he was in the wrong for driving his car over the pedestrian footpath. Neither of them were listening though as they just kept shouting over the top of me.

When I came back to my car he had taken a photo of it and then a photo of me and told me he was reporting me to the police. I again tried to explain about the lack of dropped kerb and he flat out told me that was not true, that he had the right to create a driveway whereever he wanted and that actually parking on the street full stop (driveway or no driveway) was against the law and he should know because he is a lawyer. I told him he was speaking rubbish and to look on the council website as it is very clear.

Up to now I've parked in other spots if they have been available but AIBU to keep parking in front of this "drive" just to make a point because they have pissed me off?

As somebody with a dropped kerb, I can guarantee you that plenty of people driving cars are blind. They not only can't see the dropped kerb, but they also can't see the bloody huge garage with a bright red door and a HUGE SIGN that says "Do not park here or else you will be towed, Disabled access required 24/7". Thankfully my local council / police are VERY accomodating when I need to get my disability car out of the garage. It's almost a shame that I really do need to go out because I often miss the "where's my car?" scene. But not always 😀

That said, anyone else thinking what I am thinking - "Light the blue touchpaper and stand back" - the OP has disappeared without a trace. Wondering if the disability was the only thing they made up....

You say it’s intimidating having people shouting at you, but you’re continuing parking there, so you can’t be that bothered. The first time they said something to me, I would have avoided it like the plague, whether you can park there legally or not.

This situation will only escalate. What will you do if you come back to find they’ve blocked your car in?

The fact that the police were there clearly indicates that people aren’t parking considerately.

Stop trying to prove a point and stop exposing your children to this. Report them to the council if you must, but I don’t understand why you’re spoiling for a fight.

No dropped kerb no driveway and the council may put posts up if damaging the grass when they drive over the pavement...they did in our area

Maybe legally you are right, but you are a massively CF. As if anyone would be fine with this.

I hope they get their kerb dropped asap.

Your mobility issues are not relevant.

I live in an area where we all used to drive over the pavement without our kerbs being dropped. Eventually the local council dropped them all for a very small sum of money each. I don't remember anyone ever blocking me in or causing an issue - it's pretty obvious what people are using the spaces for so whilst I agree you're not in the wrong, just leave them to it and save yourself the hassle.

I wish someone would come round and stick a ticket on the cars parked in the front garden with no dropped kerbs

Mind you I wouldn't park there as I wouldn't want those two shouting at you but who thinks it is ok to drive over a pavement

God just make life easier for all concerned including yourself and park very slightly further away.

It's no good having the supposed moral high ground and continuing to park there if you come back to find your tyres slashed. I would leave these people alone and leave five minutes earlier to find a space.

There are loads of things that are technically legal, but that doesn't mean you should do them. I just think in this circumstance it's not worth having a one person crusade over, especially given the type of people that own the currently non drive.

There will be a dropped kerb there soon enough probably. I doubt you can ring the council, pay over the phone and they come within the hour.

How are you actually meant to know that a property's front might be used for parking (assuming there's no car parked there when you park)?
OP did say there was a car parked in the 'patio', 'drive', whatever you want to call it.

I was responding to another poster, where that wouldn't necessarily be the case.

Personally, I wouldn't park there, as I wouldn't want to risk damage to my car from unreasonable people; in the same way as I leave a light on when I go out at night, as I want to try to deter burglars - doesn't mean I think the burglars are right to do what they do, but it's me who would be affected, not them.

I agree with PP who said about people painting their own space, or in fact, people who are adamant that the space on the road nearest to their house is legally theirs; not to mention the 'delightful' people who believe that homeowners automatically get preference over 'lowly' renters. No problem at all with people making friendly agreements, but people who shout, scream and accuse you of doing wrong really get my back up.

Personally, I’d feel that in this situation I’d have to contact the council about illegal parking in a garden and crossing an un-dropped kerb. The garden Parker’s are the ones in the wrong here, not the OP. The law would be on her side.

I think I would drop a leaflet about it being illegal to cross the kerb without an official vehicle crossover being built by the council or their contractors and permission given for it.

And then, where possible I would park elsewhere and only park there if there really was nowhere else.

The law is on OP’s side. Principle is on her side too. But equally we have to pick our battles and there’s no point getting a scratched car or loads of abuse if you don’t need to. I would drop the leaflets off though, becaue I would t be able to resist pointing out ‘you’re wrong and I’m right’ and because this thinking about preventing people parking on the public highway or outside houses really infuriates me.

If they accosted me again, I would say ‘Please do call the Police. They will tell you that YOU and illegally parked without a drop-kerb access and I am perfectly legally parked on the highway and not blocking an official vehicular access’ and walk away.

I would repeat evertime, ‘Yes, please do call the Police.’ Or ‘Please call the Police - you’ll find I’ve spoken to them already and they know all about your illegal parking and confirm my right to park here’.

Definitely report them to the council, as others have said.

Why do so many think it’s ok to be a dick? It’s human decency to have consideration for others, legalities and rules don’t define morality (or ethics).

Out of interest, does anybody know if councils consider the impact on on-street parking when considering an application for a dropped kerb? Would they have a quota and then, after that, refuse any more applications if it considered that would leave too few first-come-first-served spaces for anybody on the street?

To what end? OP is a busy parent with mobility issues-who has time for all that?

She wants to piss the person off, so reporting them to the council is an easy way for her to do that.

most people on our street have created a drive but not dropped the curb. One person has done it.

We are trying to get ours dropped but workmen don’t respond and it takes ages.

it’s upsetting if someone parks over our ‘drive’ but it happens rarely as everyone on the street is in the same situation.

If everyone on our roads were to park legally on the road there would actually be no where for anyone else to park. So actually it does actually help on our street as it means we aren’t taking up road space.

tbh I'd report them to the local council for driving over the pavement - they're the ones breaking the law, not you

most people on our street have created a drive but not dropped the curb. One person has done it.

Have you had permission from the council to do that?
Round here, if there is no dropped kerb it's not a drive and the council have been putting bollard on the pavement to block the fake drives to prevent damage to the pavement

I'd be tempted to buy an old banger you don't mind getting damaged, tax and insure and leave it there for a few weeks. I might even creep back at night and turn it around sometimes just to really fuck their mind.

If I had spare cash I would definitely do this.

No dropped curb means you can park however if there is a car parked in the drive it is illegal to block it in and your can get fined and towed. My neighbour did this to another neighbour on the street after they repeatedly kept blocking their drive. Council clamped them and waited in the car until offending party paid. He was late to pick up the kids but also deserved it as it meant she couldn't drop hers off in the morning!

I wouldn't have parked blocking what looks like a drive even if it doesn't technically have a dropped kerb, as it is quite inconsiderate. Legally it sounds like you are right though, but is it worth the aggressive behaviour from the men as a consequence?

YABU. You know it's a driveway. You saw another car parked in the drive. You still parked there.

They're fairly pissed off already. Hence the shouting.