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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

For asking learners to stop parking in front of our drive

99 replies

Limyleek476 · 14/10/2023 09:46

Hi everyone, I’m just after a bit of advice more than anything on what I could do or even should do?

We have a small drive that has 2 cars with a dropped kerb in front, for around 6 months we have had learners practicing reverse parking in front of our drive blocking it completely as the end house parks his car on the road. (They like to use that to reverse round)

this wasn’t an issue until a week or so ago when our child was Ill and 111 recommended taking him to AnE, we rushed and got in the car ready to go when a learner started reversing blocking us in. Long story short I explained the situation and asked them to let us pull of the drive, then they can carry on to their hearts content, all we got back from the instructor is that it’s a public road and he can do what he wants, we proceeded to be held up for 10 minutes before being able to pull off of our own drive.

is there anything I can do here? I know it’s a public road and they are sat in the car with the engine running once the manoeuvre is complete so not technically parking? 99% of the time we just ignore it but in a rare situation like that I’d like to know what my options are if any?

thanks in advance!

OP posts:

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 14/10/2023 09:48

Not a lot you can do about it but if the driving instructor worked for a bigger operation I'd certainly have complained. What an utter dick.

Thumbtacks on the road? Park at the end of your drive for a bit so they find a different favourite spot to practice?

RecklessBlackberries · 14/10/2023 09:49

That's such a rare situation that I wouldn't even bother wondering if I could do anything about it.

Healthandsocialcaremodule · 14/10/2023 09:49

If you start coming out to watch every time they do it they'll stop bringing them as the learners will hate it. You don't have to confront, just passively watching should put them off.

Healthandsocialcaremodule · 14/10/2023 09:50

I wouldn't mind tbf @RecklessBlackberries@RecklessBlackberries, but I'd lose all and any goodwill after refusing to let OP out with a sick child.

hellohellothere · 14/10/2023 09:51

The driving instructor was way out of order. Please complain if it's a franchise. Can you put a sign up? Agree with pp just stand outside and make them feel uncomfortable

Cheeesus · 14/10/2023 09:51

Yeah, park on the road yourself.

mumda · 14/10/2023 09:52

Healthandsocialcaremodule · 14/10/2023 09:49

If you start coming out to watch every time they do it they'll stop bringing them as the learners will hate it. You don't have to confront, just passively watching should put them off.

It's good stress practice for the test.

BIossomtoes · 14/10/2023 09:52

Incredibly misleading thread title. The instructor is the one at fault, not the poor learner.

RoomOfRequirement · 14/10/2023 09:53

I may have resorted to violence honestly. What a wanker.

Tinkerbyebye · 14/10/2023 09:54

they are not allowed to block you drive so you can’t get out, and i would expect a driving instructor to know that

If they are a company I would be phoning and complaining, if there is a next time i would report to the police as obstruction, but I would also lose iy with the instructor as my child would be the most important thing

including driving my car as close to theirs as I could to individuate them out of the way

Coldinscotland · 14/10/2023 09:57

Next time take a pic and put on their website review page...

Kinneddar · 14/10/2023 09:57

The instructor was completely out of order and if he is part of a company I'd complain.

Other than that I wouldn't give it any more thought. The odds of you having another emergency at the exact time another learner is doing that maneuver is minute. Plus the fact most instructors would be reasonable and move.

You're probably more likely to be hit by lightening or win the lottery than all those factors happen again

FrenchBoule · 14/10/2023 09:57

Driving instructor is wrong and would tackle him all guns blazing. He can practise reversing elsewhere that doesn’t involve going into private properties.

Needmorelego · 14/10/2023 09:57

So you asked the driving instructor if they could move the car because you needed to get your car out because you needed to take your child to A+E and they refused?
I would complain formally to the company the instructor was from or if they are an independent instructor I would slag them off all over Facebook (seriously I would).
I don't know if driving instructors are on some sort of register of instructors but if something like that exists then report them.
It doesn't matter if they were in the right or wrong but they shouldn't prevent a child being taken to A+E.

Warum · 14/10/2023 09:57

Regarding them doing it routinely, I am not sure you can do much.
Regarding the specific A and E situation, the instructor was wrong and he also showed the learner how now to behave - if he is part of a larger franchise complain, and if he is a small company then you could leave a negative review (being clear to state that the issue was the specific A and E thing, and not a general moan).
I had a relative who was a driving instructor and he would never have stopped someone getting to A and E, or somewhere else important!

anunlikelyseahorse · 14/10/2023 09:58

Well the driving instructor was a complete rectum, so if they work for a motoring school, I'd be tempted to write / email and complain as it's totally unacceptable behaviour, as he should have moved, and he shouldn't be blocking your drive for any time, as soon as he saw you wanting to go out he should have moved off.
I'd also contact your council and see what their take is on this situation, they may allow you to put a cone in front of your driveway to stop this type of behaviour.
When I learnt to drive, many years ago now, reverse parking was never done using the dropped kerb space. And I'm sure on a test it would have been a fail, as in my day we had to switch the engine off, and then restart and pull off, all part of the driving exam.

Rudolphthefrog · 14/10/2023 09:58

I don’t think there’s anything sensible you can do, but I’d be very surprised if that was a situation ever repeated.

But if the car was stationary and to all intents and purposes parked then it’s illegal to just sit with the engine idling…

ThinWomansBrain · 14/10/2023 09:58

Driving Instructor was a twat.

I's be irritated by the engines running while they sat there chatting post manouver TBH

I grew up & took first lessons in a part of Essex that was so flat there was one single road where people queued up to do hill starts - a lack of corners to reverse around seems an odd one though.

RingALingADingDong · 14/10/2023 09:58

I'd of been hammering on the car windows under those circumstances
What a wanker of an instructor

pizzaHeart · 14/10/2023 10:00

So you explicitly told them that you need to go to A&E with your child and they were continued to faff for 10 minutes after this?

greenacrylicpaint · 14/10/2023 10:00

do you have a dropped kerb?
or are there additional markings on the road?

a driving instructor should keep in mind the highway cose.
either they take the piss or the op drives illegally over the pavement to park in her garden.

Tempnamechng · 14/10/2023 10:01

I think a formal complaint to their governing body. I wouldn't mind as a day to day thing, as learners need to learn, but holding me up for 10 minutes getting to the hospital is unacceptable. In fact blocking someone in is unacceptable and unlawful.

SecondUsername4me · 14/10/2023 10:03

Is it the same instructor/company every time?

Tbh they are teaching poor practices as cars can't park on front of dropped kerbs anyways but here they seem to be suggesting it's OK.

greenacrylicpaint · 14/10/2023 10:04

In fact blocking someone in is unacceptable and unlawful.

if the drive is not legal (no dropped kerb) then it's not illegal to block it.

DelurkingAJ · 14/10/2023 10:06

@greenacrylicpaint start of the second para in the OP says there IS a dropped kerb!

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