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?

I’d continue parking there just to annoy the entitled twonks. Pavements aren’t designed to be driven over, so if he wants if to be a proper driveway he needs to go through the proper channels and get it done (and paid for) properly.

The man is rude and is in the wrong but I think you are being petty and needlessly lazy. Just arrive a bit earlier or park further away. If they are doing up the house its much easier for them to be able to use the front of the property even if they haven't yet got a dropped kerb. I think you are being nasty continuing to park there.
The man is also nasty.

When I see a paved garden (ie no dropped curb so not a drive) I would park across it if no car on there (and nowhere else to park) but wouldn’t if a car was actually on the garden.

However, yes report it to council. They will get a letter reminding them they need to apply for a dropped kerb and could be liable to a fine if they don’t.
If I faced aggression I would report that too. This will also draw attention to their kerb.

In areas of limited parking, people shouldn’t get away with parking on their gardens without a vehicular access. They want to have their cake and eat it - have orivate access to parking, but not pay the cost that comes with it. They want to deny access to street parking,t hat they have no right to deny.

In areas which aren’t busy, it usually isn’t a problem or issue. But when parking is limited and people struggle to find a space, it’s right that the rules should be enforced against those who park across genuine dripped kerbs and those who try to deny street parking to others, by parking illegally on their gardens.

The biggest problem is how dim some people are and how convinced they are that living somewhere means the street parking outside their house is only for them, or that a dropped kerb isn’t needed to park on a garden. Often they aren’t so dim, just aggressive and determined to have what they want, never mind the rights and wrongs or legality of it.

It's not a drive though, only a dropped kerb makes it a drive.
Otherwise it's a patio ....

I would carry on parking there is you need to and remind him it is illegal to driver over the footway if there is no dropped kerb.

Go earlier and there might be othe spaces available?

he might be wrong but I couldn’t be bothered with this level of stress and aggro every day just to make a point.

Over to you @Droppingthekerb

YABU

This. I hate it when people park in front of our drive and block me in. I never do that to anyone else - ever. I just find it disrespectful to park in front of people's driveways.

So for the majority here that say OP is rude for parking on a street, you will all be happy that everyone and anyone can just knock their front walls down put their car on it and tell you "don't park over my drive"
and you will all be okay with that and go find somewhere else to park. 😳

Most people would adhere to this?

School parking is a scourge.

Op YANBU if this is real.

For context: I lived opposite a school for years (with a dropped kerb, with H marker) this did not stop dickheads from blocking my drive (or actually parking ON my drive!) the only time I confronted someone about it is when they blocked me in as I was on my way to taking one of my dc to the drs. Every other time I rang the council and they would send a warden to ticket.

It is NOT ok to intimidate someone into not parking on a public highway. The OP has as much right to park where she parks, on the public highway, as the occupier of the property does (which would stop other people parking there... easy fix). The occupier does not have the right to tell anyone not to park there.

Report them to the council, but personally I'd avoid parking there as I wouldn't want my kids to be subjected to the tantrums of 2 grown men who should know better.

On another note, ask the school about using their car park, in our school you need a drs note to verify your issues but they will accommodate, even without a blue badge.

The op says she's got mobility issues, it's not laziness.

We live opposite a private school, living close to a school definitely has its advantages. It also has disadvantages, which is mainly parents who think their child is superior to the other children.

Most new school years, we will have some woman who’s always in a rush trying to park on our driveway drop the kids off, and then get agreived/aggressive if the dog goes out into his garden, to see what’s going on, before she has got back to her car.

We have a lovely relationship with the headteacher so it’s not a problem for us now.

The person you are parking outsides house, probably is fed up, it’s taking months for the council to come and drop kerbs at the moment, even though they’ve got your money.

The lady two streets away has paid the council to do the kerb, then she got the driveway done, and the kerb is still not done, this lady has mobility issues, requiring a wheelchair and still she is waiting on the council.

Im sorry I’ve waffled, but surely parking outside someone’s house who is volatile/has unresolved issues is not a good situation for your children to be in, or you.

I'm intrigued, does the house owner have to drive his car over a kerb stone? Can't be doing the car any good <totally misses point of thread>

It’s 10 minutes online, most people can find the time if they want to.

www.express.co.uk/life-style/cars/1005838/parking-driveway-dropped-kerb-pavement-fine-bill

Well they've not had time to return to the thread it seems so who knows?

Thanks for all your replies and for voting. Sorry to not return sooner, I have been working and didn't have access to a computer. I've only ever started a handful of threads and never had this many responses so I was quite shocked when I just logged on.
To clear up the disability point, I have mobility issues as I'm waiting for a hip replacement but I don't qualify for a blue badge.
The thing this thread has been most useful for me has been highlighting that it's not worth exposing my kids to this and I take that on board 100%. I am quite a stubborn person and when someone comes after me I dig my heels in. In this case if the neighbour (who I think may have bought and done up the property to rent out) had asked me nicely at the start rather than screaming at me in the street I probably would have just left it.
After today's altercation I'm definitely minded to park elsewhere - I usually do tbh and have only parked there a handful of times in the last couple of weeks. I was just so annoyed after the smug rubbish that was being spouted about street parking that it got my heckles up and I wanted to make a point. I can see that's petty and small-minded though. I wish I was one of those people who could just let things go and not get wound up.
I appreciate all the perspectives and will try and be the bigger person and not expose my kids to unnecessary disputes. I find it interesting this was a 50/50 YABU/YANBU split too.

Stealing a phrase from wise mumsnetter on another similar post, ahem, 'It's not a drive, it's a patio with aspirations!'

He is very much on the wrong about it being a drive, no drop kerb no drive. But I wouldn't block him in, just report to the council. Either he will get a dropped kerb or he will park on the road where you currently are parking, but either way you won't be able to park there. That said, if he does get a dropped kerb you can park across as long as you aren't blocking anyone on the drive.

You're just being a dick. They could park their car on the road if you'd like and take up another space that takes away one space from the parents wanting to park up.

I live on a street where there's a school at the end of the road, and it's absolutely infuriating when parents park over my drive (which does have a dropped kerb). I've been late dropping my own son to nursery. I've missed my train. I've been late getting back when WFH because I can't get on my drive and the road is gridlocked so I can't park somewhere else.

This is their homes. Whether the kerb is dropped or not, why would you purposely cause people an inconvenience? I can't stand such a lack of consideration for other people who aren't really doing anything wrong as such. No, you might not be committing an offence or doing anything illegal, but it's just inconsiderate and rude.

But OP isn't parking in front of a driveway, if there's no dropped kerb it isn't a driveway. If people park in front of your driveway and block you in, they are doing so illegally. That's completely different.

But I do think it's just not worth the hassle parking there (unless there are absolutely no other spaces to park).

It's not illegal for me to mow my lawn at 8am on a Sunday morning but I don't do that because I'm not a twunt.

You’re behaving like a massive dick, OP.