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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to block in school mums parking on my driveway?

895 replies

Applepiesmum · 23/03/2023 10:49

i live down the road from a school and during the school rush parents park everywhere it normally worse in the afternoon at 3pm

I work from home and usually park in the visitor pay outside my house so my partner can park on the driveway he gets home 3.30-4pm

however recently people have been parking on my driveway last week I caught someone pulling in knocked on their window and they argued with me saying they need to pick up their child eventually they did move but moved to where they were just half way blocking my drive way and halfway blocking my neighbor so no one could access it!

I didn’t bother confront them again but in future I’m just thinking to block them in… is that too petty

I have reported it to the school but all they’ve said is they’ve already asked parents not to block residents in so I’m not sure what else to do.

(if I did block anyone in it would only be for 30 minutes to cause a bit of stress and a lesson learned)

OP posts:
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6
DarkDarkNight · 23/03/2023 18:13

I used to live near a school and have people park over my drive and not attempt to move when I was going out to do the school run myself. So entitled it’s infuriating.

Block them in, I wouldn’t give it a 30 minute time limit. Just don’t answer the door.

Itsneverwhatitseems · 23/03/2023 18:14

mummyh2016 · 23/03/2023 17:53

@Itsneverwhatitseems is it a case of they applied for a reception place and they didn't get a place or they moved to where they lived now after that?

No applied, but didn’t get the places
She tried for all three of them, and was never offered a place at the local school.
She works near to where she lives but has to drive her kids to school, driving past the local one.

gloriousmulch · 23/03/2023 18:16

I’d probably use cones or a wheelie bin rather than physically block people in, but you’re not unreasonable to consider doing so

youshouldnthaveasked · 23/03/2023 18:16

Tinypetunia · 23/03/2023 10:51

Blocking someone in could lead to a very aggressive situation, so I wouldn't. You say 30 minutes just to cause inconvenience, but what if the parent has an appointment somewhere and they can't get to it?
Can you put a bollard or similar to stop the parking?

Noel Gallagher GIF by AbsoluteRadio

Then they can wait, they wouldn’t do it again!

SeeYouNextTLol · 23/03/2023 18:17

I can’t believe entitled arseholes who park across drives. Use your fucking legs! Although this ‘visitor’ parking is very interesting as it sounds very public to me.

User79853257976 · 23/03/2023 18:18

I see, so other residents should be able to use if if they have more than one visitor on occasion.

kirstj8123 · 23/03/2023 18:18

YANBU - 100% block them in but not for 30 mins for the rest of the day. Don’t answer the door until afternoon school pick up.
It’s your property and you can do as you like on it - they are trespassing which is made worse when they have the front to be rude and argumentative when challenged. You would only have to do it once or twice to send the message across the playground that your drive is out of bounds.

TrashyPanda · 23/03/2023 18:18

I don’t understand why England doesn’t just have the “all kids go to the nearest school” rule that Scotland does. It makes so much sense. And saves time and money.

Whichnumbers · 23/03/2023 18:19

How do you expect me to pay my bills when I'm doing a minimum wage job in the local shop?

why would you take a minimum wage job? be better to empty wrap round care or an alternative to driving to the school. It really not healthy for children to be inside a car due to the fumes so its much better they are outside as less pollution - any alternative would be better for their long term health

lieselotte · 23/03/2023 18:21

TrashyPanda · 23/03/2023 18:18

I don’t understand why England doesn’t just have the “all kids go to the nearest school” rule that Scotland does. It makes so much sense. And saves time and money.

In Brighton they did the opposite and had a lottery scheme so kids who lived 2 mins from their local school had to be driven across town. Ludicrous policy, supposedly in the name of fairness but a disaster from an environmental perspective (and they have a Green MP!). I don't know if they still do it, and I don't know if it's done anywhere else, but going to your local school certainly helps to reduce traffic,

Although I would have thought that in Scotland some kids have to travel a very long way to get to school!

Richhandcream · 23/03/2023 18:23

SoTiredOfAllTheSh17 · 23/03/2023 17:40

why don’t you park across the drive then when he’s home move it onto the drive then he parks across the drive

a) because they don't need or want to.
b) because it's illegal to park across a dropped kerb, even if it's one for your driveway

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 23/03/2023 18:23

Itsbytheby · 23/03/2023 17:44

I think it's a bit selfish to hog a parking space all day just to save your DH a space in the evening. To me that kind of makes you lose the moral high ground.

That said, parking on someone's drive is absolutelly CF'ery. I think though that you should give them a warning/ tell them not to do it before blocking anyone in.

It's not "hogging" if the visitor spaces were created for the use of the homeowners.

Whichnumbers · 23/03/2023 18:24

@Tinypetunia the cf could get a taxi or an uber to their appointment

AuntMarch · 23/03/2023 18:25

QuertyGirl · 23/03/2023 11:59

@idonttalkaboutthat

Have you tried him on a scooter?

Mine loves that

I second this. I have a strap on my sons olds scooter - hes usually fine scooting to nursery but a bit too knackered on the way home so I just pull him along. Easier than pushing a buggy or dealing with a tired 3 year old not wanting to walk!

There's no bus and we now only live a 0.7 miles away so I didn't buy another car when mine died. The walk actually makes me feel pretty good to start the day.

lieselotte · 23/03/2023 18:25

Jumbojade · 23/03/2023 17:38

So you think the poor mum, who lives 2 miles from the school, should just leave 1/2 an hour earlier (in the pouring rain), with her 5 year old and younger children, to walk there in time? Seriously….

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It depends where you live, but it's actually only raining at school run time about three times a year. You'd be surprised.

2 miles might be a feasible bike ride, but even if you drive, you don't have to park 2 minutes from school, you could park a bit further away where there is space and walk the rest.

Also a lot of people drive their secondary school age kids to and from school and they definitely can walk 2 miles.

MRex · 23/03/2023 18:26

Maximum distance at entry to our school is under 1km, but some drive anyway. Despite the paid parking spots, they like to use resident bays and park across driveways. That's why the residents on our road like the parking enforcers. At the start of the school year two came, now just one comes every few days to keep on top.

Aprilx · 23/03/2023 18:27

Clymene · 23/03/2023 12:34

I think it would take some massive balls to call the police about being blocked in when you've dumped your car on someone else's property.

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It would take balls, but the only crime in the scenario is the one committed by the person who blocked the drive, not the person who parked on it. The parking on somebody’s else’s drive is extremely cheeky of course, but it is trespass, a civil offence not a crime, whereas blocking a drive is a crime, even one’s own drive.

OP would be better off finding a way to prevent somebody from using her drive in the first place, rather than doing something after the fact.

mummyh2016 · 23/03/2023 18:28

@Itsneverwhatitseems in that case depending on the age of her kids I'd expect her to get free transport for the kids to get to school if it's further than 2 miles. Has she looked into it?

Howdoyoulikeyourtea · 23/03/2023 18:31

lieselotte · 23/03/2023 18:25

It depends where you live, but it's actually only raining at school run time about three times a year. You'd be surprised.

2 miles might be a feasible bike ride, but even if you drive, you don't have to park 2 minutes from school, you could park a bit further away where there is space and walk the rest.

Also a lot of people drive their secondary school age kids to and from school and they definitely can walk 2 miles.

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Where do you live? I want to move there! It rains about 3 times a week at school time here, more in winter

Cosyblankets · 23/03/2023 18:31

Do you need a permit for the visitor bay?

PuttingDownRoots · 23/03/2023 18:32

TrashyPanda · 23/03/2023 18:18

I don’t understand why England doesn’t just have the “all kids go to the nearest school” rule that Scotland does. It makes so much sense. And saves time and money.

I'm in an area of England with fixed catchment areas.

Parents still have to drive, since the catchment area goes out a couple of miles. Which is why I'm sympathetic to their parking problems, but there is safe parking a few minutes away. But they won't walk that...

HecticHedgehog · 23/03/2023 18:32

Can you wheel clamp them if on private property? Put up a sign saying they'll be clamped and charge as much as you like to release them Grin

AuntMarch · 23/03/2023 18:33

lieselotte · 23/03/2023 18:25

It depends where you live, but it's actually only raining at school run time about three times a year. You'd be surprised.

2 miles might be a feasible bike ride, but even if you drive, you don't have to park 2 minutes from school, you could park a bit further away where there is space and walk the rest.

Also a lot of people drive their secondary school age kids to and from school and they definitely can walk 2 miles.

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As someone who does walk the school run, I would love to live where you do. It rained twice on the school run just today.

Imisssleep2 · 23/03/2023 18:38

I would be fuming in your situation.

Legally you cant block them on your drive. They can park on your drive and the police will do nothing as its a civil issue and you can block a driveway if there is no cars on it but you cant block a car on a drive.

I would do as someone else suggests and block your own drive if needed.

I too live near a school and drop off and pick up is chaos but never had anyone park on the drive that i know of, a friend asked if they could be didn't want others following suit so said no, i know I'm mean.

youshouldnthaveasked · 23/03/2023 18:42

lieselotte · 23/03/2023 18:25

It depends where you live, but it's actually only raining at school run time about three times a year. You'd be surprised.

2 miles might be a feasible bike ride, but even if you drive, you don't have to park 2 minutes from school, you could park a bit further away where there is space and walk the rest.

Also a lot of people drive their secondary school age kids to and from school and they definitely can walk 2 miles.

Show quote history

3 times a year 😂😂😂 from where did you pull this crazy statistic? It’s rai Ed every day this week at school run time for me, and I only do school run half of the time