How would you stop someone using your driveway to turn in?

[5GoldenFimbos]

New neighbours moved in in Spring. Narrow streets, new build estate. Ok to begin with then we asked their dd to turn down her music at a party she was having (teenagers arriving in cars, slamming doors and running amok up and down the street, threw shoes over their immediate neighbours wall along with food etc) as it was extremely loud and woke my ds up. I got a mouthful of abuse and told to "get a life".

Now the dd is parking her car in front of their garages and then reversing back across the street diagonally right up into our driveway to turn round and go out. I want to stop this so have been putting our bins in the front of our drive (dh thinks I am a loon btw!). But now she drives across and backs up on the pavement almost into our front garden. Can't speak to the parents as I will just get more vitriol. On a couple of occasions dd and ds have gone into our driveway and not expected this car to come shooting across from nowhere (she drives at speed) and I am scared they get knocked over, on our own blooming drive!

Any ideas what to do next?

Get a gate?

What was her response when you spoke to her about it and explained the problem?

Get some of those "stingers" and leave them on your drive.

We used to have this with loads of cars entering and exiting the school opposite.

Big fuck off gates.

can you get something like this
or nice boulders from a diy or garden centre.

Bramshott - can't speak to her as not speaking to the parents. They are pretty foul and have the daughters on pedestals, they can do no wrong apparently (this is from a friend of theirs, who is no longer speaking to me either because I dared to complain about the music!).

I want one of those raised poles but dh thinks we will just look like the nutters of the street.

Would love to get stingers .

Some boulders at the edgeof your garden that are just the right height to damage the bumpers if she were to go too fast/too far over the pavement. (Speaking as someone whose bumpers on her nice new car were damaged by boulders a bit like that in a car park in Italy - not that I was driving fast but I had been blocked in and had to manouevre in a strange way to try to get out and didn't see the low level rocks :()

Gates for the safety of your children. Poor you. Dealing with some very grumpy neighbours, but nothing like as irritating and dangerous as that!

There is a kind of roller-blind garden/drive gate I've seen in the endless baby catalogues we get through. But I suspect she will only care if it is something that could damage her car...

Thanks, have some plant pots out there already will maybe need to do some replanting and add another.

She doesn't need to do it, the parents reverse back and then turn, not using our driveway. This morning she could have driven forward and then turned.

It winds me up no end especially as the children could potentially end up hurt.

I still think I would try talking to her first, even if you're not on speaking terms with her parents. Just to explain "look sometimes the kids are on the drive when you turn onto it, and I'm worried that it's dangerous for them. Do you think you could turn somewhere else where there isn't a risk to children?".

I'm sure you wish that the whole situation (and the neighbours ) would just vanish, but they are your neighbours and that isn't likely to happen I'm afraid. I try to take the view that it's usually best to do everything you can to not escalate neighbour situations.

If talking doesn't resolve it, can you park your car at the bottom rather than the top of your drive?

I really sympathise with you as it is so so annoying when people are inconsiderate in this way and then seek to justify themselves when you point out the problem A couple of thoughts, please don't get wound up to the degree where it is on your mind or you anticipate trouble, that is so draining. You are on the side of the righteous! Always be matter of fact and polite in your dealings/conversations with this family and always have a witness with you; preferably another neighbour as an ally. Cultivate the other neighbours. You can be polite but assertive iyswim. Softly, softly, catchy monkey. Marginalize them. Hold your head up high.

P.S. Physical barriers up the anti by the way, and you should not have to go down that route. Sounds like it would have no effect anyway.

Bramshott - cannot speak to them, they are beyond trying to reason with. They will not have anything said about their daughters, if I spoke to the daughter alone it would really kick off, which I am trying to avoid.

I wish I could drive and then that would solve the problem once and for all, because I would park the car across the drive. But I am home all day with a big wide empty drive.

Thanks everyone.

Kill them.

That's the best idea yet thumbplum

Another vote for rocks here.I damaged our old car quite badly after reversing in a car park onto some low level rocks.

Or 'accidentally' leave a piece of wood with up turned nails on it right on the spot she drives over.

I added another plant pot this morning to give the clear message. She wasn't there when I got back so obviously managed to maneouvre out ok. Half expecting an incandescant raging text from the mother or a knock on the door tonight.

Just wanted to ask if the problem had been solved now op

Go for the boulders. Anything that's going to cause damage to the car such as spikes may give you a whole lot more problems with her and her parents and you than ever before.

You can put boulders around the lawn but I would plant shrubs to disguise them a bit too. Do you have restrictions on what you can do to your front gardens as it is a new estate? Plant trees quite close together? You can get very upright cherry tress that would look good. On the drive, I actually would get the collapsible bollard, or two if you have a wide drive. I tend to agree with your DH about the look of them, but needs must. Would you be allowed to put in low gates?

I live at the end of a no through road with no turning. All this is clearly marked. However, people open my gates and come into my drive to turn round. A car, containing 4 elderly people, actually bumped my car as they turned theirs round. A delivery van doing exactly the same thing did the same recently. It was delivering elsewhere in the village. I totally sympathise with you. No-one ever asks if I mind that they use my drive.

I meant to add, next time complain to the local Council (District or Borough usually) about excessive noise. You probably have to forgive a 21st or 18th party, but noise regularly beyond 11pm is not acceptable. Lots of councils do take nuisance neighbours seriously and I might inform them about reversing at speed into your drive too.

you know this young girl is probably a mum herself now since we are 4.5 years on......

WHy doesnt the zombie thread message stick around?

This thread is 4 and a half years old and has been revitalised by someone new to MN who probably wishes to flog their product.