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)

Op, I have a suggestion for you. I don't think you'll like it, but given that your postman isn't a mind reader it might be best for everyone - why don't you arrange to collect your mail from the local post office instead of having it delivered?

It's a really odd situation. You are happy for couriers to drive through the gate, but not your postman. If really doesn't make much sense. Maybe your postie should just stand at the gate and throw your parcel to as near the door as he can get. Would that be better?

@MassageForLife I am happy for the post man to drive in too if the gate is open.

Then a box for deliveries and a sign "if gate closed please leave post/deliveries here" tells them what you want clearly and avoids any confusion and gate opening when you want to keep the dog safe.

Ah OP I do feel for you. This seems like the kind of thing that happens when you bring a new partner home and they don't know the little eccentricities of your family! You've taken all the comments on board so well done and some people not reading the full thread are continuing to bash you.

Photo of doggo please?

Thanks, yes I am going to get a box for beside the gate.

TBF they can leave post in odd places too and be a bit unconventional. I've had it popped just in the back door, on my kitchen table. Thrown through an open window onto my bed! Placed on the baby's changing mat through a window. I am at home all of these time too

The post woman came into my sitting room one day when I was breastfeeding because she had heard I was home from the maternity and wanted to see the baby. I'm not a mind reader about what they are going to do either. As I said he is the first to have opened the gate in idk how long I've been doing it so I thought they got it.

I really couldn't be bothered getting worked up about such a piddling little event that had no consequence.

@GoFaster83 there he is on his puff, his fav place to lounge for most of the day it's in my office and warm. Looking swish after the groomers which happened to be on valentines day so he got a bandana. And hogging DSs big dog teddy ❤

I've already gone and moved a big blue box to the gates and written a sign which says PARCELS on it.

I don't have voting enabled, but YABU - half open counts as open imo. If you don't want people driving in, close both gates.

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.

Right, well it would be perfectly reasonable for you to have a sign saying, ‘Dog on property: please don’t drive through the gates’.

Isn't it normal for any visitor to open the gate, whether fully or partially closed and drive in, closing it behind them?

If you don't want him coming through the gate, you need to leave a box at the gate.

I live on a farm, similar set up to you minus the cattle grid so the gate is open if there are no animals in the field, closed when there is. The post man leaves most things in the box by the gate, larger items he drives up, opening and shutting the gate. I'm surprised you haven't trained your dog how to act around vehicles what happens when tractors are moving around or other farm vehicles are being used?

half Closed means half closed! No other meaning. I’d assume you were lazy and hadn’t bothered to shut it but if I was a postman with a delivery I would open the other half and drive in. What else would you expect?

I put a parcel box on the road side of our gate to make life easier for everyone

In all honesty, If I were visiting a working farm with closed gates, I would expect they were there to keep animals in rather than delivery people out. I would open both gates and drive in and expect to have to close them immediately behind me to avoid any escapees.

I think you should probably put a sign on the gate stating not to drive in unless the gates are open.

@CheeseCakeSunflowers We don't live in the 'main' farm house, my ILs do. So we aren't beside the yard with tractors etc. If he is over at the yard he is usually in a tractor with whoever is driving. He is tractor mad. Or if DH does bring a tractor to this part he tells me to keep the dog in or puts him into the cab. I wasn't as paranoid before the other dog was killed.

He will get out of the way but he is deaf now (well mostly) so he wouldn't hear it.

@Mistyhill parcel box has been put out 😁I am glad I posted because I was BU and I have now hopefully found a solution

Unless it says "Do Not Open This Gate" then the normal thing it to open it then close it after you. Leave gates as you found them.

I understand OP, although I would interpret a half open gate as "open".
You should have a sign like "Caution - Deaf Dog Loose". Also, your box should have a lid or be under a cover.
Gorgeous pup!

I mean I get the need to protect the dog, I meet my postie at the gate if the dogs are out because although they'd lick them to death, they don't know that and my little one does like to wander and explore and would definitely take the opportunity! But then I've got a garden not a yard and they're not out unsupervised, so easier for me.
Some of the places they're leaving post are a bit odd, but then if I'm in but can't get to the door and it won't fit through the letter box I've had them open the porch door and pop in there. But really it's the only place.

I think just letting them know via a sign that you don't want the gate opened if it's closed and somewhere to put it is probably the best solution here for everyone.

Gorgeous dog by the way!

This. I’d have opened the fully closed gate too.

If I was your postman, you post wouldn't be delivered past the gate anymore.

It would left on the gate pillar or the wall and whatever happens, happens.

The man is just trying to do his job and a half open gate cannot be considered closed no matter what way you look at it. I would apologise.

Seriously, did you really need to ask!

please don't forget, post ladies and men are not mind readers and that is a fact.

Dogs, in my experience, can leap over a cattle grid so I'm pleased you are shutting the gate.
The Postman should be provided with a weather proof large letter box for parcels and letters. They should not have to open gates and traverse animals unless the parcel is larger than normal.

Yabu. Your poor postman. Of course he is she opens the gate to deliver your post. Get a box of you don't want that.

@pontipinemum

I hadn't noticed your u/n earlier but now I recognise it too!

That's funny that you're also talking about rural Ireland (I live in Dublin but never far from the countryside anyway & I've plenty of family living rurally). I've never known anyone here to worry about opening a gate BUT I'm now amazed that the post man delivers directly to you at all 😂 my DB & SIL never get their post - it's left up at the 'main house' with the post for assorted family members, the family business etc. He simply won't deliver directly to their house, I've given up with birthday cards & similar!

Haven't read whole thread but I think the issue is you are worried the dog with hearing loss will get run over by the post van?

So it's not really about the gate? It's about how to keep the dog safe?

Could you put a fluorescent coat on the dog so the drivers will see him clearly?

Could a different area be fenced off for the dog to run in?

Could you take the dog for walks instead of letting him run free?

Could dog be tethered on long lead in an area the post van won't go near?

You have a very specific and unusual problem here- deaf dog that won’t hear a van and get out of the way. Nobody is going to anticipate that as a reason for not driving into your yard. Most people would not think that they were doing any harm by driving into a yard unless there was a no entry sign.