To wonder why my neighbours all take the P

[Inspectorflange]

Lived here 7 years. Semi detached with a driveway for one car. Convenience shop exactly opposite on a busy main road. Shop customers park wherever they please and I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been blocked in so can’t get off/ onto my driveway.
So fed up with it that I started parking across my driveway, effectively blocking myself in but at least it stops other people doing it, thereby leaving my driveway empty.
Shop owner has asked me to park on my driveway and not leave it empty because it’s “not fair to his customers and business.”
I was too gobsmacked to argue back about having to park this way in order not to get cars, delivery vans and even tractors parking across my driveway and making me late for getting my children to school.
AIBU?

Have a similar issue here with a shop and parking, I don't have a drive and I'm not precious about the space outside my house, public road, park where you can.

Neighbours have drives and they're forever being blocked and it's a constant source of tension because people will double park as well - on double yellows and cause an obstruction.

I have been asked not to park outside the shop and I pointed out that his car, delivery cars and customers cars are outside my place, and as it's a public road that's fine, but the same goes for the space outside the shop, I'm parked there because you/your customers & delivery drivers are parked outside mine and if that's ok because it's a public road then it's also ok for me to park outside the shop 🤷🏼‍♀️ not my job to create or facilitate parking for his customers in the same way it's not his job to facilitate or create parking for me. If there's nowhere legal for me to park then I have to find somewhere else and walk - and the same should apply to customers. Not ok for me to block someone's drive because there's no where else and I live there.

But when people are customers they feel entitled to do as they please because they're spending money - even when that's not actually on the shop premises but so they can access it, he likely gets moaned at about the lack of parking regularly and expected to do something about it because that's how some people are when they are customers unfortunately.

But that's not your issue OP, keep parking across your drive and ignore him, no one should be parked across a dropped curb unless it's your own so you're not depriving anyone of anything except parking where they shouldn't anyway.

How can OP put collapsible bollards in the public road?

It's perfectly free and fine for road-users to drive across that bit of road; just not to park there.

YANBU but does you parking in front of your drive mean that there isn’t enough space to park another vehicle between your car and your neighbours’ dropped kerb/driveway on either side because the length of your car is longer than the width of your drive or it means only 1 vehicle instead of 2 can park in the “gap”, so you are effectively taking away 2 legitimate parking spaces?

If that is the case, it would be more considerate to park outside your house so you are only taking up 1 space instead of 2.

Hilarious that he’s acknowledging that his customers park across your driveway, but thinks you’re unreasonable to not like it

I'd park across it every time. He's essentially saying he wants his customers to be able to park across your driveway. That is unacceptable.

Oh, he already knows the situation very well; he just doesn't care.

He is the important main character, so his shop and income is all that matters. OP and her ability to use her own drive are irrelevant, as they don't affect him.

Do you know this guy too?!

Yes. Absolutely carry on as you are.

It's not illegal to block your own drive.
You would have to report yourself to get ticketed

It is not illegal for you to block your driveway.

It is also not against the law for somebody to block an empty driveway.

You are not allowed to prevent access to the highway so people are not allowed to block you in but can, technically but hugely inconsiderately are allowed to block you out without breaking any law.

Where have you told your insurance you leave the car. If you have said the driveway you should change this as there are greater risks with your car on the road. It could invalidate a claim and be seen as false declaration if your car is hit on the road outside your house

Not him personally; but what other reason could somebody possibly have for acting in this way?!

If you and I were to share a cake, but I told you not to eat your half, as I 'needed' it more than you, I think you'd have a pretty good idea what kind of person I was!

Yes