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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:
Thread gallery
6
jac67 · 25/03/2023 08:38

I would park my car so far down my own drive that nobody else could fit in, thereby not parking illegally but stoping them taking the mick

Goldbar · 25/03/2023 08:43

LadyHaHaHeeHaw · 25/03/2023 08:32

No @premicrois , it's a private visitors parking bay for her house only
So unless you've got business at her house you shouldn't be using it
It's quite common now

OK, I stand corrected. If you own or have a legal right over the visitor space, then it is your right to have both spaces free for your use.

premicrois · 25/03/2023 08:52

LadyHaHaHeeHaw · 25/03/2023 08:32

No @premicrois , it's a private visitors parking bay for her house only
So unless you've got business at her house you shouldn't be using it
It's quite common now

The second post by OP says otherwise

LadyHaHaHeeHaw · 25/03/2023 09:10

Yes, I think so @Goldbar

LadyHaHaHeeHaw · 25/03/2023 09:27

It’s in her 5th post @premicrois

premicrois · 25/03/2023 09:35

LadyHaHaHeeHaw · 25/03/2023 09:27

It’s in her 5th post @premicrois

Right, but the second post says otherwise.

LadyHaHaHeeHaw · 25/03/2023 09:48

premicrois · 25/03/2023 09:35

Right, but the second post says otherwise.

Show quote history

I can't argue with you there Grin

Boysnana · 25/03/2023 09:54

That's true but your starting a war with someone you don't know. What will they do to retaliate is the issue.

Thatboymum · 25/03/2023 10:04

It depends I guess how you would feel about somebody parking you in on the visitor space that you hog that I guarantee isn’t just for your house as you say all so your precious dh doesn’t have to walk far to his house you know like the precious school parents who couldn’t possibly walk the kids a few steps further. I think you have very double standards here on this thread but my opinion of people who get homes around a school then moan is why did you take it as you knew this would be an issue every day it happens to every school in the uk just about it’s deff something I would consider and a huge reason I wouldn’t live at a school because school Parker’s are just selfish dicks and that’s never gonna change

Boysnana · 25/03/2023 10:06

Correct. It's a police issue if you stop someone usung the highway. But not if you stop someone entering their own driveway. Been there had that.

Driveway blocking isn't a police matter its a civil matter. Which cost money.

All these post saying block them or damage their car. Is fair play but be ready for the backlash. Not everyone would just not park there.

My previous neighbour would let our tyres down overnight throw bricks at our windows. Threaten us in the street. Punched my partner in the face numerous times. Police could do nothing as there were no witnesses.
They turned up where I worked and caused chaos in the store.
They smeared pizza over the car... I could go on.

Yes its ignorant of them to do it. But please be careful.

mylifestory · 25/03/2023 10:23

No.1 rule - Dont engage with them. Just block them in and leave. Inform Yr husband, tell him to deal with it when he gets back. Get a clamp, put signs up re clamp, use it.

Bignanny30 · 25/03/2023 10:32

Just a sign saying ‘no parking, private drive,’ may work and prevent further conflict. I had exactly the same problem myself when I lived in a street with a school at the end.

busymomtoone · 25/03/2023 10:46

Unbelievable the cheek of some people! I’d absolutely block them in , but as I read this it means you lose the visitors space so I’d also photo and send to school ( one school I know used to print the number plates of offending parents in their newsletter); superglue a note on their windscreen; “ accidentally” leave a handful nails at the entrance to your drive ( that you can easily sweep up) ; bollards. Basically full ballistic because the sheer rudeness and entitlement of this would make me see red!!

CaroleSinger · 25/03/2023 11:11

This is in the Daily Mail. And I appear to be famous 😂

angela99999 · 25/03/2023 12:10

I can absolutely understand the OP's frustration. We once had a rowing team park their landrover and towed boats directly outside our driveway when I had to go out to collect my children from school. I should add that it was on double yellow lines in a bus lane with no unloading signs.
I'd block them in, they're not entitled to be on your driveway and you can do what you want, short of damaging their car.
It isn't clear to me whether the visitors' parking bay mentioned is a public space on the road or a private space that belongs to residents. If it is the former then I would park my car in the driveway to block the entrance and move it out later.

Seagull97 · 25/03/2023 12:10

I am going to go against the grain here and say Yes, YABU. Presumably you KNEW that there was a school close by when you bought your house? What did you think would happen every morning and evening? And blocking someone in for 30 mins to ‘teach them a lesson’ is 1. Incredibly condescending and 2. Rather dangerous- what if a child is sick or there is an emergency? And before anyone says anything, yes, I once bought a house by a school. It was a pain in the arse, but it was my fault for not thinking about what happens at 8.30am and 3.30pm every day. I only ever complained to the school about dropped sweetie wrappers because it was my own fault for buying there. I learned my lesson and didn’t buy my next house near a school.

Viviennemary · 25/03/2023 12:14

If there is a shortage of parking spaces it is a bit selfish of you to park your own car in a visitors space if your drive is available.

TheGrimSqueakersFlea · 25/03/2023 12:14

@Seagull97 living next to a school doesn't mean it's alright for parents to park on the op's drive. Entitled parents are the problem here

loislovesstewie · 25/03/2023 12:18

Could someone please suggest then who should live near a school? And how far away would you have to live for it to be unreasonable? I'd be flipping cross if I could not park on my own drive for any reason, because it's my property.

mumsneedwine · 25/03/2023 12:19

Came home to find someone on my drive. So I parked behind them, as was the only place I could, and opened a bottle of wine. At 3pm. When they knocked on the door I told them I was really sorry but I couldn't drive as I'd had a drink. They threatened to call the police, so I offered to do it for them. I believe they picked up their car the next morning when dropping child at school (I'd gone to work).
Petty ? Extremely. But I was fed up of coming home and not being able to park on my own drive. Never happened again !

NewCarOldCar · 25/03/2023 12:44

Seagull97 · 25/03/2023 12:10

I am going to go against the grain here and say Yes, YABU. Presumably you KNEW that there was a school close by when you bought your house? What did you think would happen every morning and evening? And blocking someone in for 30 mins to ‘teach them a lesson’ is 1. Incredibly condescending and 2. Rather dangerous- what if a child is sick or there is an emergency? And before anyone says anything, yes, I once bought a house by a school. It was a pain in the arse, but it was my fault for not thinking about what happens at 8.30am and 3.30pm every day. I only ever complained to the school about dropped sweetie wrappers because it was my own fault for buying there. I learned my lesson and didn’t buy my next house near a school.

Can I have your address @Seagull97 ?

As by your own words when you are not using something that belongs to you it is fair game for anyone to use it.

I quite fancy a break away in someone else's house while they are out, eating their food , driving their car when they aren't using it etc etc...

Utterly ridiculous obviously. But do you really think the "well you bought a house near a school" applies here when the OP's problem is SOMEONE IS PARKING ON HER DRIVE??

stinkfaceison · 25/03/2023 14:05

We had Mexican house thief now we have British parking thief. 😆

fitzwilliamdarcy · 25/03/2023 14:10

And blocking someone in for 30 mins to ‘teach them a lesson’ is 1. Incredibly condescending and 2. Rather dangerous- what if a child is sick or there is an emergency?

Then they’ll learn not to do it again, won’t they?

Rosscameasdoody · 25/03/2023 14:20

Viviennemary · 25/03/2023 12:14

If there is a shortage of parking spaces it is a bit selfish of you to park your own car in a visitors space if your drive is available.

I would have thought the spaces were allocated to residents, not for the use of random cfs dropping their kids off at school.

Plumbear2 · 25/03/2023 14:23

Seagull97 · 25/03/2023 12:10

I am going to go against the grain here and say Yes, YABU. Presumably you KNEW that there was a school close by when you bought your house? What did you think would happen every morning and evening? And blocking someone in for 30 mins to ‘teach them a lesson’ is 1. Incredibly condescending and 2. Rather dangerous- what if a child is sick or there is an emergency? And before anyone says anything, yes, I once bought a house by a school. It was a pain in the arse, but it was my fault for not thinking about what happens at 8.30am and 3.30pm every day. I only ever complained to the school about dropped sweetie wrappers because it was my own fault for buying there. I learned my lesson and didn’t buy my next house near a school.

But blocking someone's drive is ok if you are picking up a child from school is it? What if the person in the house has an emergency and you are blocking them in? Or does it only matter when it's a school parent? There are businesses and a GP surgery next to a school where I live, parents are constantly blocking them in aswell. Should people not open a business or GP surgery next to a school aswell? Jesus the entitlement is astounding

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