Hi,
New poster, hello everyone.
We have a problem with parking. Next-door is a childminder. Parents think nothing of parking across our drive when dropping/picking their children up. My girlfriend asked the childminder if she ask her clients to please not park over our drive (it is dropped down kerbstones). Some kept doing it, so she'd ask them or I would if I saw it.
Anyway tonight, I had just got in and a car pulled up across our drive blocking in both our cars. The woman sat in the car for ages, seemingly taking her time. When she got out I asked her would she please move her car as it was blocking our drive.
"I'm just picking my children up".
"But you are blocking our drive."
"I'll only be a couple of minutes."
"What if we are going out? Why don't you park outside next-door (the childminder's drive was not in use and there was a big gap behind their other car)?"
"What is the problem?"
"You are parked over our drive, it is against the law to obstruct a drop-down pavement."
"No it isn't."
Then my neighbour the other side comes out (he's best mates with next-door) and says "your mate has been parking on our drive, not blocking the drive but on it".
"Which mate?"
"The one in the Black BMW."
"I don't have a mate with a black BMW" (I don't). I thought he must have meant either my girlfriends dad (Black Renault) or my brother (Black Golf) - neither of whom park on their drive.
It turns out it was the father of one of the childrens friends. We had a sleepover for his 13th birthday, this chap didn't know where exactly we lived, got confused and parked on their drive by mistake (this happened about 3/4 months ago).
In the meantime the woman hadn't moved the car so I asked her again, she refused so I got my phone out and went to take a photograph of the number plate.
He then intervened again accusing me of overreacting. The girlfriend comes out and points out that the police made me move my car because "your mate next-door (the childminders husband) told the police (even though he parks his cars on the pavement).
I said to him "well our drive gets used as a car park for the childminders clients when we are both at work" (one of the elder children has reported cars being parked on our drive whilst they go next-door to pick up their children).
This women tells me to "get out of her face" (I wasn't). The thing is next-doors intervention as really annoyed me, "what has it got to do with him?" I said to my girlfriend "well he is best friends with next-door" was her reply.
I'm still seething now and it takes a lot to wind me up. Neither my girlfriend or I would park across someone's drive, supposed they want to go out, supposed they fall ill and need to get them to hospital urgently?
Our 3-year-old has a breathing problem, which could flare up at anytime. The doctors have told us not to phone an ambulance if he has a problem, but to bring him straight in. Thankfully he hasn't had a problem since he was 6 months old, indeed he and spent a week in hospital. I explained that to next-door, the guy complaining about the parking on his drive.
I apologised for parking on the drive, but I had no idea and to be honest if it was a mistake, someone had got confused I wouldn't be bothered as long as it was moved.
We on the other hand get our drive blocked on a regular basis, all the while it is clear outside the childminders. This really annoys us.
Feel like calling the police for some advice. We've tried the nice/pleasant way and it doesn't work. I know it is against the law, I found this out from the Council's Highway Department.
Anyone have an experience of this.
New poster, hello everyone.
We have a problem with parking. Next-door is a childminder. Parents think nothing of parking across our drive when dropping/picking their children up. My girlfriend asked the childminder if she ask her clients to please not park over our drive (it is dropped down kerbstones). Some kept doing it, so she'd ask them or I would if I saw it.
Anyway tonight, I had just got in and a car pulled up across our drive blocking in both our cars. The woman sat in the car for ages, seemingly taking her time. When she got out I asked her would she please move her car as it was blocking our drive.
"I'm just picking my children up".
"But you are blocking our drive."
"I'll only be a couple of minutes."
"What if we are going out? Why don't you park outside next-door (the childminder's drive was not in use and there was a big gap behind their other car)?"
"What is the problem?"
"You are parked over our drive, it is against the law to obstruct a drop-down pavement."
"No it isn't."
Then my neighbour the other side comes out (he's best mates with next-door) and says "your mate has been parking on our drive, not blocking the drive but on it".
"Which mate?"
"The one in the Black BMW."
"I don't have a mate with a black BMW" (I don't). I thought he must have meant either my girlfriends dad (Black Renault) or my brother (Black Golf) - neither of whom park on their drive.
It turns out it was the father of one of the childrens friends. We had a sleepover for his 13th birthday, this chap didn't know where exactly we lived, got confused and parked on their drive by mistake (this happened about 3/4 months ago).
In the meantime the woman hadn't moved the car so I asked her again, she refused so I got my phone out and went to take a photograph of the number plate.
He then intervened again accusing me of overreacting. The girlfriend comes out and points out that the police made me move my car because "your mate next-door (the childminders husband) told the police (even though he parks his cars on the pavement).
I said to him "well our drive gets used as a car park for the childminders clients when we are both at work" (one of the elder children has reported cars being parked on our drive whilst they go next-door to pick up their children).
This women tells me to "get out of her face" (I wasn't). The thing is next-doors intervention as really annoyed me, "what has it got to do with him?" I said to my girlfriend "well he is best friends with next-door" was her reply.
I'm still seething now and it takes a lot to wind me up. Neither my girlfriend or I would park across someone's drive, supposed they want to go out, supposed they fall ill and need to get them to hospital urgently?
Our 3-year-old has a breathing problem, which could flare up at anytime. The doctors have told us not to phone an ambulance if he has a problem, but to bring him straight in. Thankfully he hasn't had a problem since he was 6 months old, indeed he and spent a week in hospital. I explained that to next-door, the guy complaining about the parking on his drive.
I apologised for parking on the drive, but I had no idea and to be honest if it was a mistake, someone had got confused I wouldn't be bothered as long as it was moved.
We on the other hand get our drive blocked on a regular basis, all the while it is clear outside the childminders. This really annoys us.
Feel like calling the police for some advice. We've tried the nice/pleasant way and it doesn't work. I know it is against the law, I found this out from the Council's Highway Department.
Anyone have an experience of this.