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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:

MustBeNapTime · 14/10/2023 10:57

I'm very confused. So you told the driving instructor and the driver that you needed to get out of your drive because you had an emergency and had to take your child to A&E and the driving instructor said no and the learner didn't just move? For TEN minutes?

I find it hard to accept that anyone would continue to nonchalantly block someone's drive saying it was a public road if they actually knew it was an emergency necessitating getting a child to A&E. What did you do for that ten minutes, just accept what the instructor said and patiently waited whilst your child needed to be on their way to A&E?

Why didn't you get in your car and start to exit your driveway with your hand on the horn yelling it's an emergency?

MargotBamborough · 14/10/2023 11:01

Why didn't you get in your car and start to exit your driveway with your hand on the horn yelling it's an emergency?

This is a good question.

CornishGem1975 · 14/10/2023 11:05

Any reason why they pick this particular spot? Is it the same instructor everytime?

I'd start parking my car on the road in that space so they couldn't do it anymore.

CurlyhairedAssassin · 14/10/2023 11:05

Makes no sense for any instructor to be teaching their clients to park in front of a dropped kerb. A weird story.

PabloandGustheGreySquirrels · 14/10/2023 11:06

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.

OP quite clearly stated that they have a dropped curb

cathcath2 · 14/10/2023 11:10

Put it all over social media. Be careful to be factual not emotive (it can't be defamation if it's factual).

PabloandGustheGreySquirrels · 14/10/2023 11:11

Did you start the conversation saying something like "Hi I need to get my child to A&E, please would you mind just letting me out?"

Or did you go marching up, having a go about them 'always' being there etc?

Don't get me wrong, I'm 100% with you on this and if they blocked my drive when I needed to get my child to hospital, I'd have wedged their car out of the way using my own!!!!

Anyway, it being a public road is neither here nor there, it's illegal to park adjacent to a dropped curb so he was in the wrong regardless!

Okbyethen · 14/10/2023 11:13

Name and shame the instructor on social media. Make sure it's in ALL possible local groups.

ActDottie · 14/10/2023 11:14

If they’re blocking your drive which has a dropped curve then I’m pretty sure that is illegal and he can’t do that. Also just general courtesy when you have an emergency is absolutely shocking. Can you park a car in front of your drive to stop it? Annoying but he’ll get the message.

Universalsnail · 14/10/2023 11:16

Not a lot you can do and I'd usually agree with the instructor but tbh in this situation he should have moved his learner away and I would put in a formal complaint about it.

AlexaCanYouHearMe · 14/10/2023 11:16

Re what sinnerboy put a link to - I would be more likely to complain HERE @Limyleek476 YANBU. This driving instructor is bang out of order. Who does he think he is?!

Complain about a driving instructor - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Complain about a driving instructor

Complain about an approved driving instructor (ADI) if you're not happy with their service or behaviour

https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-a-driving-instructor

LakieLady · 14/10/2023 11:16

LlynTegid · 14/10/2023 10:09

Complain about the instructor as noted above. A rare instance yes, but still should have moved and then resumed the lesson once you had gone.

I have no idea if there is accreditation for driving instructors such that a complaint say to the DVLA could be made.

It's the Driver and Vehicle Standards agency if you want to complain about the instructor, OP.

Refusing to move for someone who needs to get a child to A&E is disgraceful behaviour imo.

HunterHearstHelmsley · 14/10/2023 11:17

Name and shame on socials. You've got CCTV as proof. Also, I'd start parking on the road. He can't maneuvere there if there is no space. I live by a school and can't get off my drive if someone parks opposite, obviously they're allowed to park opposite but it's still dickish when you've been told someone can't exit their property when you're there. I pull my car out at 8.15am and 2.30pm every day, it has stopped the issues. Your problem is that it can be at any time of day on any given day.

margotrose · 14/10/2023 11:19

The thread title is a bit unfair - it's not the learners' fault the instructor is a bellend.

I don't know that complaining on social media would help - I've seen loads of posts about shit parking/inconsiderate driving and they just end up in a slanging match. I'd just report the instructor and try and forget about it, really.

YouJustDoYou · 14/10/2023 11:19

"10 minutes"

XiCi · 14/10/2023 11:22

It's hard to believe someone would refuse to move if you said you were taking your child to A&E. I think my DH would have literally dragged the fucker out of the car at that point.

Going forward I would park one of my cars over my dropped curb till the instructor got the message it was not a good place to practice parking and moved on somewhere else

AlexaCanYouHearMe · 14/10/2023 11:26

I do agree with @XiCi My DH would not have reacted favourably either. I am surprised the OP's DH just sat there and said nothing. Most men I know (and women) would probably have got out of the car, gone up to the CF driving instructor, and dragged him out of the car window, if he was putting their child's life in peril! And yeah, I would be making sure a car is parked there to stop him doing the reverse park fuckwittery for the foreseeable future.

Passepartoute · 14/10/2023 11:29

It may be worth reporting the instructor to whoever administers the ADI qualification.

In the meantime, bollards across your driveway?

jeffgoldblum · 14/10/2023 11:30

What you should have done op is sit in your car with your hand on the horn, it would completely put the learner off and it would make them move.

Thedm · 14/10/2023 11:38

Post the footage on all the surrounding Facebook pages. Honestly, I’d be out to ruin his business. Say what happened, his response and the time it took to get out of your drive and get your child to hospital. Post it everywhere, naming his company.

As long as you stick to the facts.

AnSolas · 14/10/2023 11:44

electriclight · 14/10/2023 10:14

Oh please don't do this. It doesn't meet the benchmark for any sort of police involvement and I'm sure they're busy enough.

And the other suggestion is batshit.

Show quote history

The OP was blocked into her driveway when the instructor has been informed that she needed to go to A&E. Thinking that that type of driving behaviour is acceptable is bat shit.

And that individual is training new drivers to be dangerous assholes.

The learner driver should have had enough cop-on to clear the road and let the OP out but also did not do that.
So there was two assholes in the car.

The professional driver is on her local roads for hours every day and clearly sees no value in running his driving business in a professional way which includes driving with due care for other road users.

The OP can report the incident to the police and if it is a one off incident the police can choose not to take any further action.
If it turns out that the professional driver is an asshole on the road every day then the police will get a number of reports and see a pattern and then choose to act.

DinnaeFashYersel · 14/10/2023 11:47

AlexaCanYouHearMe · 14/10/2023 11:26

Edited

If the child's life was in peril then an ambulance would have been sent.

Assault is not an appropriate reaction and you must know a lot of rough people if that's how they'd react.

Instructor was a dickhead but physical assault is dickheadness on a criminal level.

2weekstowait · 14/10/2023 11:48

I would have driven right up to them and sat there honking the horn until they moved - what sort of idiot purposely prevents someone leaving for hospital? Then I would have called the company, if he was part of one, or left a review about it on his Facebook page.

MBeat · 14/10/2023 11:48

I’d have been a massive arse hole in this situation and sat on my horn 2 inches from their bumper

whynotwhatknot · 14/10/2023 11:48

how selfish if anyone anywhere asked me to move for an ergency i would-didnt think blocking someone on their drive was legal anyway-so theyr teaching wrong

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