To think that you can’t just close a road like this!

[RoadClosed]

Came home from work a few weeks ago (2:30pm) and our road had “road closed” signs on it. Highly unusual as it’s a quiet one way street with a couple of cul-de-sacs leading off it. I parked up and walked the rest of the way home (only 2 minutes, it’s not a long road). When DH came home he said the road wasn’t closed - no signs of it ever being closed.

A few days later same thing, 2:30pm - road closed. No signs of work going on, so I moved the sign and drove to my house. A neighbour text me same day asking why the road is closed as there is no work going on. I said I had no idea so he rang council to ask - they had no idea either and said nobody had applied to close the road either. Therefore we all just moved these signs off the road whenever we saw them and drove past.

Long story short - a woman down the street then went knocking on doors asking people not to move the signs as they were put there during the day to make the street safe for kids to play on!! By kids she means her son. It was explained to her that she can’t just close the road for this reason! Her reasoning is that it’s a short street and it’s only a short walk from the signs to any of the houses on the street. She was told that this isn’t the point, people have a right to be able to drive to their driveways! She’s continuing to put the signs up between 10am and 3pm. AWBU to continue ignoring them??

Really, pedestrianization schemes are capable of making sensible exceptions for cases where, say, a wheelchair user drives an adapted vehicle. As for the other cases, parents with babies and toddlers should be able to walk two minutes using a pram/travel system/sling or walking with their toddler (I mean, those of us who don’t drive seem to manage OK), and if an old person is so decrepit that they genuinely cannot walk for two minutes, it’s not likely they are actually safe to drive any more.

Not everyone who has severe walking difficulties uses a wheelchair adapted vehicle - they cost a fortune. The blue badge is a better way to exempt vehicles - speaks for itself. And the few pedestrianised schemes I’ve come across have failed entirely to recognise the difficulties they cause for elderly and disabled drivers. But I really do take exception to your suggestion that if someone cannot walk for two minutes they’re ‘decrepit’and not actually safe to drive. It’s one of the most offensive, ageist and ableist comments I’ve read on MN. And there have been a few. Have a word with yourself.

Nope, people have the right to enter and leave their own properties. It would take proper consultation and legal procedure to close a road, which is highly unlikely if it's just mainly one barmy woman who wants to do it!

It is a shame cars dominate so much though, and half the time they just sit there taking up road space doing nothing

It's a nice idea but the first step would be to agree it with the residents, not just unilaterally decide to do it. 😯

And I can't imagine 10am till 3 pm every day being acceptable. Maybe a couple of hours one morning a week - by agreement!!

And?

Do you go play on the train tracks because it came out of your personal tax?

Its really a moronic thought process.

Roads are for cars and other such vehicals they are not safe for small unsupervised children and have NEVER meant to be... pavements are 'roads' for pedestrians.

Yes Ukraine ☺️

She is the definition of batshit. Take the signs. If she complains say you removed a traffic obstruction/litter.

Why the hell don’t you (or another neighbour) remove the signs as soon as they appear?

Wow... It's a huge load of paperwork to shut a road even for ten minutes as it's illegal to go past a Road Closed sign. I'm fascinated what can actually be done though. I presume the Council can do something but I don't know whether it would be a civil matter involving a fine (My local Council just fined a Company for closing a road without a permit) or a criminal one...

If the signs are up 10-3 does that mean her kids are too young for school? Surely pre school children shouldn’t be out playing on the street unsupervised. Why can’t the kids play in their garden.

I wouldn’t be quite so tolerant. She sounds entitled and batshit. What if an ambulance really needed to get down there and desisted because of her batshit signs? Report her, get your neighbours and everyone else she is inconveniencing on board and don’t put up with it. I’d also accidentally be putting her signage in the nearest skip.

OP you could use Google translate on your phone to tell her that it's illegal and she will get into trouble if she persists.

Omg! This is so dangerous for a 3 year old

🙈

Came on to write this

But why cant the child use the pavement? Am assuming there isnt a lot of footfall from your description of the area.

Also v irresponsible to let a 3 year old think they can play in a road on their bike, scooter or electric car. Sends the wrong message about road safety!

I think you need to tell her that's not done here. And stop closing the road.

Oh do behave!

Gosh, what a comment! Umpteen children who don't have English as a first language do brilliantly well even if they have never spoken a word of English until they start school. I think what she's doing with the road is out of order but there's no requirement to send her child to nursery if she choses not to and your comment is almost racist in tone.

Save your outrage for the oversized SUVs and reckless drivers that kill children.

Just when I thought no one could surprise me with their selfishness any further!

In 2022 17 children (under 16) where killed as PEDESTRIANS being hit by cars (not specifically SUVs) in Britain.

By comparison the same year:

• 276 choked to death
• 226 drowned
• 59 murdered

I am enjoying this thread - it's peak MN.

Ridiculous person massively overstepping by using unauthorised sign to close road

Loads of virulent car-haters posting

The people who see racism in any mention of race/geographical origin

and a few normal people.

It really does have everything.

I’d say she’s not running this street as a democracy so no need for a vote 😂 but yes, agree, who the hell does she think she is?

I wonder what she'd do if she lived on a bus route?

No. They don’t. You don't pay tax in order to be on the road. You pay it for the vehicle that you use. Road tax hasn't directly paid for roads since the 1930s. So it's a personal tax and not a communal tax.

It doesn't matter what it's called or how you frame it. People pay high taxes to be able to run their cars; this huge amount of tax revenue - whatever it gets spent on - would not be received if it were not in return for people being able to use cars.

The blue badge is a better way to exempt vehicles - speaks for itself.

Not really, as it then ignores the huge amount of people in between who do not qualify for a blue badge but who are otherwise disabled/have mobility problems/are frail or elderly.

Physical ability is not a binary whereby you're either severely disabled or otherwise 100% young, healthy, fit and well, with nobody in between.

It is a shame cars dominate so much though, and half the time they just sit there taking up road space doing nothing

If they're just sitting stationary on somebody's drive or at the side of the road, how are they 'dominating' or endangering anybody then?