Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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

376 replies

RoadClosed · 26/11/2023 11:04

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??

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
Canisaysomething · 26/11/2023 12:19

In other more sparsely populated countries maybe it’s possible or normal for children to play in the streets but it is absolutely not an option in the UK. Our roads are very busy. It’s why children can’t stray far from home or play out in the way they used to before cars were so popular.

Anewuser · 26/11/2023 12:20

Not only batshit but lazy parenting. She wants a 3 year old to ride up and down the street without her watching or supervising him.

Liamgallaghersparka · 26/11/2023 12:23

Well she's certainly going out of her way to piss everyone off and make herself unpopular.

User0000009 · 26/11/2023 12:24

The fucking entitlement. Why isn’t the kid at school. Wtf is the world coming to. Cheeky fuck

ErrolTheDragon · 26/11/2023 12:26

User0000009 · 26/11/2023 12:24

The fucking entitlement. Why isn’t the kid at school. Wtf is the world coming to. Cheeky fuck

He's 3, but yes it's ridiculously entitled

Andthereyougo · 26/11/2023 12:27

When her house is on fire or her family need an ambulance will she expect them to walk up the road to her? The woman’s mad. Report her to your council.

SecretVictoria · 26/11/2023 12:27

Summerhillsquare · 26/11/2023 11:09

I understand her concern. She should talk to the neighbours and council about an agreed closure time on weekend days. We've just expected kids to adapt to cars, and not the other way around.

In the town I live in, some areas still have ‘play streets’ sunrise-sunset. However, you are allowed to drive down them if you live there, are (for example) a carer visiting someone who lives there or are an emergency services vehicle responding to an emergency call.

The legislation in place for a street to be a designated ‘play street’ means that there are no gardens attached to houses. OP hasn’t said but if there are gardens then that’s where kids should be playing and not in the road.

Longma · 26/11/2023 12:28

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines. at the request of it's author.

user1492757084 · 26/11/2023 12:29

How eccentric! Ha ha haha ha .. what a laugh.
You live in a jolly old street.

Viviennemary · 26/11/2023 12:29

Report her to the police.,

purpleme12 · 26/11/2023 12:30

I'm sorry but I had to laugh at this 🤣

Longma · 26/11/2023 12:31

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines. at the request of it's author.

ErrolTheDragon · 26/11/2023 12:32

Re the 'pearl clutching' comment upthread... it occurs to me that this phrase is like a genteel version of the secondary meaning of Godwins law, that 'thread is finished and whoever made the comparison loses whatever debate is in progress'.

MikeRafone · 26/11/2023 12:33

What a lovely idea, it'd be so good if we could do this and let children play out.

Some places do this and some places abroad do this regularly to allow children t play.

Great idea - could you get her to go through the proper channels?

mumda · 26/11/2023 12:35

Madness.

This is really useful by the way for real road closures - https://one.network/

Gives info and dates

one.network

One platform to plan, monitor, communicate and analyse traffic disruptions.

https://one.network

Longma · 26/11/2023 12:38

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines. at the request of it's author.

Legoblockskillfeet · 26/11/2023 12:39

Her signs would be finding their way into the boot of my car and then to the tip.

ErrolTheDragon · 26/11/2023 12:40

Yes it really highlights our absolute dependence on /worship of the car.

Yeah, a neighbourhood being significantly inconvenienced so that a kid can use it to drive an electric car in the road...
Parents can generally manage to get their kid and a bike or scooter to somewhere appropriate with hard surfaces to use them, so it's probably the car which is why this person thinks they need to close the road to other traffic.

istolethetalisker · 26/11/2023 12:41

She absolutely shouldn’t be doing that and she’s being very high-handed, but I do feel sad for her. In lots of other countries kids can play communally in the streets. I think it’s a shame we don’t have a road and public transport network set up so that they can here.

ManchesterLu · 26/11/2023 12:42

That's absolutely crazy, to the extent that this woman needs help. I hope this is actually made up, because it's just ridiculous.

FlamingoQueen · 26/11/2023 12:42

Hilarious / batshit crazy!! Can one of you not just take the sign away all together? If it’s not put out by the Police or Council then it’s irrelevant. Just take it away - your neighbour does not get to dictate the whole streets movements!

StaunchMomma · 26/11/2023 12:42

RoadClosed · 26/11/2023 11:13

English isn’t her first language (and she hasn’t lived here long) so giving the benefit of the doubt we’re assuming she genuinely doesn’t realise you can’t do this. But she has had it explained to her now and she’s still doing it.

Time to report her. I'd ignore the council and go straight to the Police, as you would if a car is blocking a pavement.

In the meantime, make sure someone is collecting photo evidence and dates/times on the street.

She sounds unhinged.

Tinkerbyebye · 26/11/2023 12:43

just report her to the council and yes move the signs

Birdcar · 26/11/2023 12:43

She's nuts.

I like the idea of a car free street but that's not how you go about it!

CormorantStrikesBack · 26/11/2023 12:43

Familyiness · 26/11/2023 11:58

Am I crazy but a 3 year old shouldn't be out in the street alone anyhow?
Mine all played in backyard when they were that age, only time they went front was if I was cutting the lawn.
And I'm sure what she is doing is illegal

Yes, if she’s kicking a 3yo out unsupervised I’d also call childrens services. It’s a safeguarding issue.

Swipe left for the next trending thread