Driveway access blocked

[Bluebirthdaycard]

Had a certain phone company here this morning I assume to connect faster broadband for next door. The problem is all the cable installation part of it is under a drain cover at the end of our drive, so cover is lifted off, red barrier put round and unable to get car off our own drive. Apparently the connection? for many houses in the close now under here, so assuming this is going to be a common occurrence. My point is this is the second time this has happened now, is it too much to ask for the engineer to knock and ask if we needed to go out and use the car before starting this work? I just think a little common decency wouldn't go a miss or is it just me?

Why are you worrying about this now? You don’t need to go out and if you did, all you’d need to do is tell them and they will move.

This is one of those things gs where people get upset without any need.

These jobs need doing. As has been said, they expect to move if required and will do so. Making contact with everyone in advance causes delays and questions and doesn’t alter the fact that quite simply, you’ll be able to go out if you need to.

My question is,have you been out and spoken to them and offered them a cup of tea?

The fact you don’t know what’s going on, is simply down to the fact that you’ve frothed at them from behind your net curtains rather than opening your front door and greeting them and asking to find out. Basic communication and being willing to speak to people goes a long way.

Having my driveway blocked is a frequent thing. Probably 3-4 times a month at times when I need to get in or out of our drive.
I've had to bang on various neighbours door to find the one blocking my drive when needing to get ds to A&E one time. I'd nearly given up when I found the person 10 doors away. They didn't even apologise.

If I'm not intending to go out I don't find it stressful. If it looks like a big job for the workmen, I may pop down and check that they will arrange it so I can get out if they are leaving it for any length of time, and they always tell me they will. They always have done too.

Actually the one I mind least, except for ambulances, is the workmen.
They're always polite and offer to move straight away rather than giving me excuses as to how I "could squeeze past their car" (with 2mm spare) or how they "aren't going to be much longer"(around 30 minutes) or "must just finish what they're doing first" (their cup of tea and chat is more important than me) or my personal favourite "can't you walk?" (why didn't you?)

I had to get a H bar painted in the end and it did work. I understand people have to do these jobs but if they see a car on the drive, the common sense thing is to knock. The one time somebody didn't knock and had already started, I did go out and have a little joke that it was a good thing I wasn't going out. Of course, I will be called passive aggressive for that. Agree with you on emergency services.

My op was in the past tense if you care to re read, I had not have. Don't quite know why you're so angry about it unless you're the engineer?

I know it's not a big deal in the grand scheme of things but to comments saying just ask them to move, what if they can't once the jobs started?

What if they could? You don't know if they can or if they can't once they have started as you didn't ask them. Perhaps they knew they could clear the route for you to move at any point in their procedure so they didn't feel the need to contact you. Perhaps they took a look at your driveway and thought you could still get out if you needed to.

loses herself in a sea of past and present tense grammatical errors in her own post

I'm not angry?

I'm also not the one ranting about workmen when there isn't an issue, but you crack on...

If I'd had that basic communication from the engineer in the first place, I wouldn't have posted. And offer a cup of tea to someone who isn't doing a job for me? Think that might have been my neighbours job.

Some of the responses to you 😂

Use your words next time @Bluebirthdaycard

Happened here. Water board had manhole up with no warning, plastic fence around it. Needed to get off my drive, so went out and asked how long they'd be. "Oh sorry love." He says, removes the fence, grabs a heavy duty plastic paving thing from the van and covers the area so I can drive across. Later on saw me pull into the road and did the same for me to get back onto the drive.

Life's much easier when you actually speak to each other!

No I get it OP! We have the same, massive pylon thing right next to our drive way, so they park over our drive then get a ladder out and climb up with whatever they’re doing… not once have they knocked and said I need to do this and I’ll be x amount of time do you need to get your car out? It’s just polite! The one time I did need to leave & had to go tell him he acted like I was seriously inconveniencing him! Sorry mate!

Yes it would have been nice of them to ask or tell you in advance but if all they did was take the drain cover off then they probably would have put it back down for you to drive out. When they were putting fibre in here they had to dig up the pavement and re-tarmac it, I asked an hour before I needed to leave if I could take my cat to the vet and they boarded it so I could drive out. Most people are quite reasonable and are used to having to work around people who need to get to work/appointments

Happened here. Water board had manhole up with no warning, plastic fence around it. Needed to get off my drive, so went out and asked how long they'd be. "Oh sorry love." He says, removes the fence, grabs a heavy duty plastic paving thing from the van and covers the area so I can drive across. Later on saw me pull into the road and did the same for me to get back onto the drive.

I've had a similar experience and this is 100% what expect would have happened to the OP too, if she'd have asked.

Same here, it really doesn’t need to be an issue.

if it’s just connecting things up then from what happens here it doesn’t take that long either.

Thank you x 1000, with some responses I've had I think the next time I park down a residential road I'll just park over someone's drive, they can always ask me to move it, what's the problem?

Am I the only one who wonders why this is such a narrow photo? I'm sure it isn't cropped to avoid replies such as "erm, you could have just driven around it" 😏

I know, it is laughable🤣

Quite, I mean why should they lift the existing manhole in front of your driveway for a brief and neat job, knowing that they could let you out any time you wanted to get out, when they could dig up the road in front of the neighbour's house taking 3x as long and 3x as much cost and inconvenience to other people? That's exactly the same as you parking over somebody else's drive for the hell of it, not telling them and fucking off out for the day isn't it.

Op you sound like my dh, we are in a cul-de-sac and parking is difficult. ndn's parents occasionally park in front of ndns full driveway blocking ours in the process when dropping off their dgc and dh and I have the same conversation regularily...

dh - "next door is block the the driveway! again!"
me - "are you going out?"
dh - "no"
me - "so it doesn't matter?"
dh - "but I might have been"
me - "but you're not?"
dh - "that's not the point, what if I had to?"
me - "they are probably standing at the door chatting and will see you coming out"
dh - "I'm not doing that"
me - "why?"
dh - "because they will know I want them to move while they are talking"
me - "and?"
dh - "because I shouldn't have to make them move and interrupt them"
me - "you don't have to do anything because you are not going out!"
dh - "stop being awkward"
me - "me?"

He gets frustrated by it, and I think it is hilarious he does, which just exacerbates his frustration! I am just waiting for the day he starts his complaints with "I don't believe it!.........." 🤣

It must be quickly move able or surely would have required advance warning. Knock on door, letter etc adequate but what if you wanted to load a van in drive or get a wheelchair out drive. Annoying and just the sort of thing I'd fume about in a pointless and non achieving way.

Yes I did crop it a bit because the front of the house is a bit green with the rain or should I have to manoeuvre like a ninja and go over that instead when there's our other car parked on there?🙄

There have been several occasions in recent years when part of the crossover to my drive has been dug up by the gas, electricity, or water companies, and each time, if I've needed to get my car out, I've given them half an hours notice and they've put temporary boards down so I could drive out. It's never been a problem.

Thank you for getting your point across humorously😏

No ninja-ing required, since your drive is not blocked and you don’t need to go out. They were there for a couple of hours, no need to give it a moments thought.

I had this during the week. I have a telegraph pole between me and next door neighbour's garden and whenever telecommunications work needs to be carried out, the van is usually blocking my driveway completely. Doesn't happen very often but this was twice in about a week.

Normally, it wouldn't be too bothersome but this week I needed to go somewhere so had to ask them to move, I did say they could move back after I'd gone but said what time I would be back. They said they'd be long gone by then.

I should have said, if you need to come back another day, don't just park there, knock my door and ask if it's ok. 😡

Ok, bye bye then👋