For this new (old) law to have any effect, two things must happen:
1. Drivers must quickly refresh their knowledge of the Highway Code (free copies online and IIRC in public libraries)and not then plead ignorance as a defence when the inevitable (money grabbing, revenue raising, contracting out of council enforcement, commission-motivated gangs of heavies, etc.) happens.
2. All redundant dropped kerbs must be eliminated and space freed up for on-street parking where possible. A dropped kerb/entrance to a property is not in itself a private parking space and so should not be used as one. The homeowner's title deeds should mention an Easement and the council bill should reflect this: if a homeowner renounces his right to an exclusive "access point", the kerb should be re-raised and the homeowner should then see a corresponding reduction in council tax. In Spain, every single access point is marked with a (small) no waiting sign and permit number. The permit in question is renewed annually (or not) and redundant ones are quickly removed, e.g. when a courier company changes over to a mini market and doesn't need van access (recent example where I live).
I'd also suggest councils making additional parking places available where conditions permit, i.e. where the pavements are sufficiently wide and strong (no near-the-surface utility pipes etc.): In Germany and the Czech Republic councils paint designated parking areas on pavements (or half pavement half road) in many towns and cities.
|
The easiest way to stop someone blocking your drive is to go and and stick your foot into one of their rear light clusters when they park there.
To rely on the law is like hoping that no-one will use their mobile phones whilst driving ;-)
Failing that I'd blame the local Council like everyone else seems to do.
|
|
A blocked driveway is easily remedied with a trolley jack. I find the sump makes a good jacking point ;-)
|
A blocked driveway is easily remedied with a trolley jack. I find the sump makes a good jacking point ;-)
if you jack the front end up wont the handbrake operating the rear wheels be a bit of a hinderance? unless its a rear engine car that is...
|
. I find the sumpmakes >> a good jacking point ;-) the handbrake operating the rear wheels be a bit of a hinderance?
You just use another jack at the rear... I think the petrol tank should make an equally good jacking point....
|
|
|
|
The easiest way to stop someone blocking your drive is to go and and stick your foot into one of their rear light clusters when they park there.
Halmer, I'm surprised you advocate malicious damage.
Edited by L'escargot on 04/01/2009 at 07:11
|
|
|
|
...as in?
farm3.static.flickr.com/2359/1558712922_72bdd5bf4a...0
|
|
In my local town if there are any cars left parked in the way when it's market day, the traders have been known to just 'bounce' any offending cars out the way by using the cars suspension. It would seem that the signs left out the night before asking people not to park there because of the market next day sometimes get overlooked.
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 04/01/2009 at 12:30
|
|
I was toldby letter from the council that they will paint white "H bars" across the drive for £27 but they serve as a reminder only. The police told me that if someone persists in blocking a drive, one should call them, and they will either tow away or find something to fine the offender for. It seemed that they'll take a week to look at a burglary but anti-social parking really gets them fired up!
|
|
|
>>traders have been known to just 'bounce' any offending cars out the way by using the cars suspension.
>>
This sort of thing happened to us on a trip to Holland many years ago.
I awoke and looked down to find the quiet square from the previous night was a busy market and the car was no longer there.
We found it neatly parked, still locked in the next street.
I still have this image of big market traders lifting the light back of that Austin 1100 ( negating the hand brake) and moving it like a wheel barrow. :-)
|
|
I can't believe this is a story - although clearly it does happen (Stuartli). How on earth can anyone be so selfish as to park across someone else's drive??
|
I can't believe this is a story - although clearly it does happen (Stuartli). How on earth can anyone be so selfish as to park across someone else's drive??
>>
I saw a guy doing this yesterday in my street.
The was lots and lots of space on both sides of the street just a few feet away but no he had to squeeze in.
The guy was in his 50s not a Chav. Selfish, ignorant and .........thick. :-(((
|
|
|
How on earth can anyone be so selfish as to park across someone else's drive??
It's a sign of the times. Common courtesy is very rare these days in any situation.
|
When I moved into my current home, I had a big argument with one of my neighbors.
We don't have driveways but has parking bays which are allocated to specific properties. Previous occupant of my home didn't use his own bay and my neighbor used to park there as if it was of his own. When I pointed out that was my space as per deed, he wasn't very happy!
BTW, is the law applicable to parking bays as well? Can someone be prosecuted for blocking my exit from my parking bay?
This is how my parking bay looks like
common garden
|--------------------------|
|mine|Mr X| Mr Y | Mr Z|
| | | | |
|--------------------------|
public footpath
----------------------------
public road
Edit: forum software messed up my drawing
|
Boxterboy,
I often have people parking across my drive, fortunately only for short times normally. If I can I try to have a quiet word with the culprit who often replies that they have only been there for a couple of minutes. This of course is actually from 5 to 10 minutes and sometimes more.
Being there for only a few minutes seems to make it acceptable. It is very annoying, especially when returning home I cannot get onto my drive but have to find a space often a fair distance away, only to find that by the time I have walked back home the offending car has gone.
|
Doesn't work so well at this time of year but.......
A friend lives in a residential street just on the edge of his town centre. It is the first street outside the restricted parking zone. As a result they get a lot of people parking there while they go to work. Sometimes these vehicles are left in positions which severely restrict access to or even block drives.
He and his neighbours have discovered that sprinkling breadcrumbs on the offending cars roofs and other flat surfaces does the trick. People seem much less keen to park there when they return to find their cars regularly liberally coated with bird poo !
|
Humph,
I really, really like that idea...
but...
i'm wondering if some gert big bird comes and does a big doo-doo on someone's car and you've encouraged it with bread crumbs, are you potentially committing criminal damage?
I know the law on criminal damage keeps changing via stated cases i.e. it used to have to be permanent damage, then it was temporary and now seems to be permanent again (e.g. spitting on a police officer's uniform isn't currently in play, but was at some point in the past).. can you be liable for encouraging wildlife to do something, I wonder?
|
|
Time after time I have read posts on here from posters pointing out that people should not ' police the roads " . Isn't all this potential vehicle damaging doing just that ?
|
>>.. can you be liable for encouraging wildlife to do something I wonder?
Dunno, but if someone parked over my drive I'd use Winalot........
|
Happened to me just before Christmas.
Was early evening and was upstairs looking out of the front window. A young girl in a focus pulls up sharply and stops in front of my driveway. She gets out and walks off down the street for about 200 yards and disappears into a house on the other side of the road. Fortunately I watched her all the way and noted the house.
I absolutely detest people obstructing my drive...
Was persuaded to give her 15 mins grace by SWMBO before marching down the street to the house in question.
Knocked, and was opened by the said girl - "Anyone here own a black focus ?" - "Yes" - "Well then would you mind moving it please ?" - "Oh sorry - I wasn't going to be long.......!!!"
What really got my goat was that she knew she'd done it, and that there was an empty street outside their house. Anyway I made my displeasure clear, and she was none too pleased as I followed her back up the street and deliberately watched her drive off...!
Victory...!!!
Edited by steveb on 08/01/2009 at 18:28
|
"I absolutely detest people obstructing my drive..."
And rightly so! It's inconsiderate, expedient and selfish. I don't park in front of other people's drives mainly because THEY MIGHT WANT TO GET IN OR OUT. It doesn't take a brain to understand that.
Anyway, do I see a pattern emerging here btw? I'll admit I'm no feminist but I agree with gender equality and all that. But many of these incidents have been perpetrated by young women.
Thinking about it, tonight, I was tailgated by a young blond in a 206. Singing away to the radio, doing her hair. Something in me thinks this is "a young, strong, independent woman" asserting her independence.
Just a thought. I don't wish to generalise quite to the extent that I have. After all, women get lower insurance premiums.
|
sprinkling breadcrumbs on the offending cars roofs andother flat surfaces does the trick.
On a similar 'livestock' vein, Humph, I posted a question on the Jowett forum about keeping cats off my black car in the night. One owner suggested putting a bell on the cat's collar.....I couldn't see how this would work........ He went on to say the bell should weigh about 10 lbs.
Ted
|
|
|
|
>>How on earth can anyone be so selfish as to park across someone else's drive??
Happens virtually every day o/s my house..(end of street in London suburb, near some shops). People park completely or partially blocking my driveway and gates, despite a proper dropped kerb. Council won't put white lines down as it's too near the end of the street. I've given up getting cross about it, as for the past 4 years my old car has been in the garage and it's Sorned. Trouble was when i was using it, i'd have real problems getting the car in/out of the garage/driveway, which with classic insurance stating it wasn't covered at home if not garaged was a bit of a blow if you'd been out for the day and couldn't get back in.
Have had stuff towed away before... and would do so again if i put the car back on the road again. Absolute hassle factor though. The ignorance and rudeness of some people defies belief, even if you are charitable enough to allow some leeway from some people from abroad who don't understand the concept of putting a car in a garage.
|
I had a loud altercation with one young lady (no lady) who parked her Clio over my neighbour's OSP space (I don't have one). My neighbour, who is elderly, relies on the space to access the shops easily.
Over the period of two weeks, she parked in the same place (the penny didn't drop) and my neighbour put very polite note on her car. But she'd just do it again the next day. Three notes were left on her car.
The young woman literally screamed at me when I voiced concern for my elderly neighbour. She did not budge an inch and was extremely abusive. Denied she'd received any notes on her car and said, matter-of-factly "you cannot get a car into that space".
It beggars belief. I still can't quite get over how utterly repugnant her attitude was, standing yards from my front door. The road is a public one granted but I approached her with a smile and ready to show respect and get this issue sorted.
I think many people are, by default, on the defensive, assuming everyone's an enemy.
When she did it again, I was ready!
I had prepared an A4 piece of paper and put parcel tape around the edges and snipped into the tape loads of times around the paper. So when she tried, red faced, to remove it and go away, she couldn't and spent the next 25 minutes outside my front door swearing, threatening violence and generally being loud enough for everyone in the street to come to their front doors. We all just stood with our front doors open and watched her. She couldn't get away quickly enough.
Next time, I think the breadcrumbs is a fantastic idea. But I've not seen her very much since. She certainly pnever parks in the space which she asserted could not accommodate a car.
Karma.
|
Mmmm, rules are very clear:
a) If its a dropped kerb, then in essence there is a right over the footway to the land adjacent.
b) No dropped kerb, no access.
Where I live, people have concreted their front gardens but haven't bothered to pay for dropped kerbs.
They get most upset when the council respond by erecting bollards to stop them driving over the footway.
|
|
Drives on our street have not got dropped kerbs. All the kerbs are low for the length of the street.
|
|
They dont park in front of my drive, they park ON my drive.
Factually, I live in the middle of nowhere (probably nearer the far edge of nowhere) and there are parking spots that 3 houses share.
This time of year there are alot of twitchers around and they seem to park where they like. If I happen to be near the cars and a twitcher pulls up, I politely inform them that it is residents only. I normally get abuse so I get in my car and pull it forward blocking them in. They stand there in amazement and watch as I go back inside my house.
Not once has one come and knocked on my door or called the police like they threaten too.
The longest I have had twitchers sit there for is 6 hours on a Sunday. To be honest I had forgotten and the Mrs reminded me so I popped over and moved my car at about 5.30 (well after dark).
On the flip side, there are some twitchers that come down who are very polite. There are also those who have difficulty moving. They are helped, we open the gates and see them over the rail line with their cars so they dont have to walk to far.
I know I am probably wrong in blocking the cars in but it makes me feel better and the numbers daring to come down to our parking area have dwindled to near nothing nowadays :)
|
Its fascinating reading this thread, especially the recent "irate home owner" ones - perhaps some of you may now aware on how those of us who rely on disabled spaces feel when some able bodied person parks in one and then says "but I'll only be a minute!" like some idiot did with us last week....
Always a sign that they are in the wrong is when they start giving you a mouthful... if they are in the right then they don't need to shout! ;)
Edited by b308 on 08/01/2009 at 19:37
|
b308 I see people driving into disabled parking bays and skipping off in the supermarket car-park near my house. The one occasion I threw caution to the wind and asked a very big fellow why, in view of the fact that he was running in, he felt able to deny a disabled person from going shopping today I was met with so many expletives I think he was making them up as he went along. He wasn't disabled, he didn't even have a badge or anyone with him.
Rest assured b308, those of us fortunate enough to enjoy lithe suppleness also curse these people. When I'm parking, in my head, a disabled bay is as good as parking on a bed of nails. I don't go near them, never have. Never even thought about parking in one either. Aren't I sickening.
Anyway "I'll only be a minute" is not good enough.
"I'll only remove your wheels then" might be apt.
|
I see people driving into disabled parking bays and skipping off in the supermarket car-park near my house. He wasn't disabled he didn't even have a badge or anyone with him.
I think you'll find he was disabled.
Mentally disabled.
|
Norfolk, for what it's worth, I don't think you're wrong. As you say, it's prevented the situation from getting worse. You're not violent or abusive and you help the polite people. That's simply being concerned for where you live. Everyone lives somewhere.
There's an old codger who lives next door to my brother's family. Every time I visit he tells me "this is resident's parking y'know". "Yes, I'm visiting my brother again, don't you remember me from last month?" I say. He never does. And he'll do it again in a week's time. He must sit somewhere in view of the parking bay all day bless him. But I don't blame him really. He's not actually rude, just fed-up. And his comb-over amusingly assumes a different position on each occasion!
|
Thanks, FD, I think that the majority on this forum would not even dream of parking in one, just as I wouldn't in front of someone's drive...
As said earlier, its a sign of the times (a bad one at that) that this people do! It was interesting that when fuel prices were really high towards the end of last year the reduced traffic on the roads made driving in the UK almost tolerable again!
|
Norfolkdriver, maybe if you get rude birdwatchers parking badly you should let some huge chinese-made airbomb repeaters off..
I see chavvy people parking in disabled/mother and baby spots all the time. A supermarket said it was going to impose parking penalties on these people and give the money to "charidee", did it ever happen?
and shouldn't there be parking bays for obese people right in the far corner of the carpark?
I saw, in the salford sainsburys, a porsche 4x4 roll up in the drop-off bay by the entrance and 2 tracksuited loudmouths saunter into the store. They had a very "Gotti" attitude.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
