Re: Road Rules: Parking

gemz4the1 · ‎16-01-2014

My view is that if you pay road tax then you can park wherever you want (obviously not preeventing someone else getting to their property or where it is illegal to do so: such as on double yellow lines). I wouldn't be disrespectful and park across somebodys driveway - I'd always make sure there was enough space for them to get in and out of their home and if there wasn't then I would find another space. However, I have learned that not everybody has the same views.

My road is quiet, yet almost every day of the week there are builders (working on properties around the corner where there is no road) or there are visitors to neighbours (some are several houses away so why they park outside our house I do not know!).

People who buy properties with no roads attached to them or at least no driveway should be aware that there will be issues with parking and I have been very lenient and I only ask them to move their cars if I am going out. If they have no road outside their property then it is their issue. They will have to walk an extra few feet to park further down the road where they will not be blocking access to other properties. It's more annoying when I have a lot of bags of shopping and I have to carry it halfway down the road from the car to the house as I cannot park by my own house.

If people pull up and park over the driveway and I am going out shortly then I ask them if they are going to be there for long. On one occasion a man said he'd only be a few minutes. I told him that would be OK as I am going out in about half an hour. An hour later and I am still waiting to go out and the car is still there. I wait a few more minutes and in the end I walk to the property that he went to (which he is outside talking to other people) and I ask him if he can please move his car. He kicked off on me!!

Also, there is a big office building 2 roads from my house and even though they have a large FREE car park which would facilitate enough cars for the workers, they'd still rather park outside mine or my neighbours house all day.

A few months ago when I went to the local shop I came home within half an hour and there was an enormous lorry parked right across the driveway and I was unable to get onto my driveway and to my house. Although I was angry, I kept calm. The workers were not at the lorry but it looked like they were unloading stuff and taking it around the corner. I decided to park a few feet behind the lorry. I got out of my car and walked up my driveway and as I was putting my keys in my front door one of the workers came from around the corner and shouted to me. I thought 'he must be a decent fella as he'll move for me now.' WRONG! He told ME to move my car so that they could unload. He was over MY driveway and, even though I left him plenty of room, HE asked ME to move.

My conclusion was that I couldn't park on my driveway, nor could I park across my driveway (outside my house), nor could I park further down the road.

Highway Code 243

DO NOT stop or park

in front of an entrance to a property

https://www.gov.uk/waiting-and-parking/parking-239-to-247

Rant over!!!

P.S. There's a car outside my house already.......

Anonymous · ‎16-01-2014

I agree that you should be able to have access to your drive but also take into account road rage.

So many people have been hurt one way or another through this type of altercation.

Be Safe.

gemz4the1 · ‎16-01-2014

Thanks BoB.

Don't worry i'll always be extra careful of any altercations.

I'd never get into a verbal argument with anyone and absolutely nothing physical. If anything like that started i'd keep quiet and walk away.

I wouldn't risk my life over something so petty.

I know it is petty and if it was a one off or just happening on odd occasions i'd try to forget about it but it's almost every day, including Sundays.

Anonymous · ‎16-01-2014

@gemz4the1 wrote:
Thanks BoB.

Don't worry i'll always be extra careful of any altercations.

I'd never get into a verbal argument with anyone and absolutely nothing physical. If anything like that started i'd keep quiet and walk away.

I wouldn't risk my life over something so petty.

I know it is petty and if it was a one off or just happening on odd occasions i'd try to forget about it but it's almost every day, including Sundays.

The concern is you may say something quite reasonable to ask for the vehicle to be moved. Your now in a situation that can go many ways. One being the owner accepts your request and moves the vehicle. Another where a discussion ensues that can turn at any point to verbal abuse.

The last being physical as some do lose control in the heat of the moment.

Its a shame situations like these happen in the first place.

gemz4the1 · ‎16-01-2014

Luckily (fingers crossed and touch wood) I haven't had any verbal abuse of yet.

I've had the odd swear words thrown my way but nothing that has made me fearful.

I have read stories about situations like this going completely OTT and people ending up being killed and I am always wary about that so I always try to stay calm and i'm always polite and reasonable, even when the other person isn't.

Anonymous · ‎16-01-2014

Trying to diffuse situations like these are always the best way and it can sometimes lie on the other persons intentions etc.

Its hard because when you make a judgement call to engage a person in this way, the ways it can pan out are many.

Aways think of an escape route before engaging.

Ie: Stay in your car with locked doors.

Being in someones personel space can be the act of lighting the persons fuse.

gemz4the1 · ‎16-01-2014

I know a situation could go either way no matter how nice and reasonable I try to be. It all depends on what the other person is like.

I'm not a petty or awkward person so obviously if i'm not planning to go out in my car then I won't say anything to someone who parks over the driveway. It'd just annoying when I have to be someone and I end up being late because I can't get the car off the driveway. There's a tree at the other side so I have no other way of getting off the driveway (when i'm lucky enough to get on it lol). People have suggested that I park on the road in front of the driveway but the whole point of getting a driveway is to park my car on it.

Bambino · ‎16-01-2014

If the car blocking your driveway is on a public road you can report it to the police. If you don't want to go that route you could leave a note on the offending car's windscreen and ask politely for them not to do it any more or you will phone the police. Sometimes the threat is enough to stop them doing it again.

I DO NOT WORK FOR O2

Anonymous · ‎16-01-2014

I'm assuming the kerb has been lowered so you can go into your drive, so I'm wondering if your local council could paint road markings saying 'No Parking'

Or get some Traffic cones {ive seen that done before}.

gemz4the1 · ‎16-01-2014

@Bambino wrote:
If the car blocking your driveway is on a public road you can report it to the police. If you don't want to go that route you could leave a note on the offending car's windscreen and ask politely for them not to do it any more or you will phone the police. Sometimes the threat is enough to stop them doing it again.

Good point Bambino- thank you that is good advice.

Trying to think of both sides, although it could help to deter the other person, sometimes it can backfire and infuriate the other person and cause more problems. But I guess it is a chance I would have to take.

Regarding the police, I don't think that I would go down that route. It's the same with a lot of things in todays society (such as reporting real crimes) - people do not want to call the police as they fear the repercussions from the other person.