If half the gate was closed would you open it to drive through?

[pontipinemum]

This morning I closed half the gate (standard swing gate that meets in the middle). We have a cattle grid and to get the other half you need to walk over it. Yes only 30seconds work but I didn't do it.

I do this a lot, as DH is in and out a few time a day and will leave the jeep at the gate. Or I have to go out I only need to re-open half the gate.

I let my dog out, who is old and can't hear well, hence I close the gate (partly). We live on a farm in the middle of nowhere so very little comes down our road.

Post man opened the gate and drove through. I caught dog before he heard him.

I asked in future if the gate is closed can he please not drive in, I had seen him and was talking to the gate. He was a bit shrug "it was only half closed".

What would you do in this situation, if the person you were calling to was not expecting you.

YABU - Half closed does not mean don't drive in. I would open the half gate and drive in

YANBU - The gate was blocked so I would stop and get out of my car and walk in (approx 10 meters to door)

We live rurally. If I needed to get to a property (gate fully closed or not), I'd open the gate and drive through, though if necessary, I'd get out and close gate behind me right away.

You should always leave gates as you find them. But a closed gate, unless it's locked or has a sign on it not to enter, doesn't mean don't open it to drive through.

A post box at the gate though would help, unless it's a parcel delivery.

I've the gate fully closed now and will do that in future.

You need to padlock it. Then put a sign up telling the postie what to do with your post.

We keep the gate closed (I work on a farm) and they have something like this where any deliveries go.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/INMOZATA-Waterproof-Delivery-Receiving-Multiple/dp/B09WVGSHZQ

A half open gate is a mixed message and you can't expect people to know it means not to come in.

I would assume that driving in was in order, assuming there is not a post box on the gate and you don't want your post left by the gate in a puddle.

I'd also leave the gate how I found it.

Is the reason you don't want someone driving onto your yard when you are in thar you are worried they will run your dog over? I'm really confused that you are happy for them to drive onto your yard when you are out but not when you are in.

This, exactly.

Ao you expect the postie to walk across the cattle grid too then? I'm not a postie but I wouldn't be doing that if I could drive in.

Honestly OP, it would never occur to me that I shouldn't open a gate to drive in!

I live in Ireland, am often in rural parts & would be opening (& then closing!) gates.

I've never heard your logic before!

I've the gate fully closed now and will do that in future

Unless it was locked, I'd still open it & drive in.

Why wouldn't someone?!

I'm afraid this is what I'd describe as a "non-problem"

@AwfullyWeeBillyBigchin the dog is deaf. He was out of his morning pee so I went and half closed the gate in case the post man arrived while he was out.

@Floralnomad no you can't fit a car through half the gate. It's a reasonable size opening but only 1.5 car width

@LittleGreenDragons padlock seems a bit extreme. I open and close the gates loads of times each day depending on if we are expecting deliveries - I keep it open if I have a text from a courier about what time to expect them

@TippingPointing I live on a farm but you can't access the farm yard from our house entrance. So I wouldn't be worried about the postman driving around when we are not here

I don't see what difference closing the gate will make - he can open it. I imagine the alternative will be you'll find an increase in 'your parcel couldn't be delivered' cards in your mailbox.

If the gate was half open I would see that as open

You need to padlock the gate and have a delivery box at the gate. DH family had a rural property and that’s what they did. Though when his great grandfather was alive a new postman for some reason climbed the gate and attempted to deliver to the house unfortunately for him the great grandad had set some traps for poachers and he fell foul to one. He survived but was shaken up.

@LittleGreenDragons padlock seems a bit extreme. I open and close the gates loads of times each day depending on if we are expecting deliveries - I keep it open if I have a text from a courier about what time to expect them

If you don't want someone to open your gate at all then you lock it. A closed gate, especially in a rural setting, doesn't mean stay out. The postie will still open it, whether it's half open or fully closed.

We have a post box attached to the side of the wall. He had a little package.

Then get a bigger box. You are acting like you moved in yesterday and have never had post before! What relevance is the dog being deaf/blind or even existing here-if it doesn’t cross the cattle grid, it has no relevance.

Get a post box and put a sign up telling the poor post people what you actually want them to do.

I am still struggling to understand what the issue is! 😅

Exactly, the expectation of having your post delivered is that they come to the house to deliver it, unless there's instructions or an agreement otherwise, a half closed or fully closed but not locked gate would just mean the postie would open it and then should close it behind them, you leave gates as you find them. If you don't want that to happen then you need to communicate that either by locking the gate or with a sign saying not to open the gate and somewhere to leave the post.

What am I reading here? 😆

From the postman's perspective:
If the gate is fully open, great - I'll go on in.
If the gate is partially open, great - I'll open the whole gate and go on in.
If the gate is closed, fine - I'll open the gate and go on in.
If the gate is locked - I guess I can't come in. I won't deliver the package.

OP, what did you expect to happen? Did you want the postman to walk over the cattle grid to your house?

@EarringsandLipstick I recognise your username 😊I'm also in rural Ireland. Unless someone knew I was coming I wouldn't open their gates to drive in. I would call them or walk in the gate. I would think there is a reason they are closed and that I shouldn't enter. Kids/ dogs etc playing outside.

I'm not going to padlock it. That'd annoy the life out of me! I open and close the gates a lot each day. If someone does open them to drive through I will have enough time to go out and stop them from running over the dog

If I know a courier is coming I keep the dog in and the gates open. If I wasn't sure if some one was coming - like to today I would probably just close 1 gate. I will now close both. The dog cannot get out with the gates full open/ half open or closed because there is a cattle grid across it. We don't get post daily so I don't know if they will come or not

I am very clearly in the wrong here and that's fine. I am listening to what ye are saying.

Of course hes opening tbe gate to post..its his job....

If you dont want him to do this you meed to get a post box in front of the gate

Take heed from america and get a mailbox on a stick at the cattle grid - so he doesn't have to go over the grid onto property. Win win

This is all about you and what you think, but no postman is a mind reader!

What do you want the postman to do with a parcel

1. if the gate is open
2. if the gate is half open
3. If the gate is closed
4. if the gate is locked

?

You were too lazy to close both sides of a swing gate and you're griping that a postman didn't walk 35ft up your drive?

@Shinyandnew1 the point of the dog part is that I don't want him to be run over by a car driving in without him hearing it. I am possibly over sensitive about that. My other dog managed to get out and was hit by a car it was awful. He was bigger than this dog and jumped over the wall.

Normally the post person drive by the gate, then reverses up to the cattle grid and puts the letters in the post box at the gate. Regardless of if the gates are open or closed.

If the dog wants to go out I go and close the gate so that no one can drive in without me noticing. When he decides to come back in and the postman hasn't been or I am expecting a courier I go out and open the gates again.