Disruptive Parking

[craigb6]

Hi, I'm new to this forum and I think that this is most relevant part of the forum for my problem (although it might not be, so sorry in advance if that is the case!).

 

To try and explain my issue I've created this image on the area surrounding my house:

 

 

I'm having a couple of problems trying to show the image, if it isn't showing above it is here: img511.imageshack.us/img511/9198/picture1so0.th.png

 

To put it simply we have a nuisance neighbour (DIY late into the night etc.) and hence are not on speaking terms. They live at House G and as you can see, they own quite a few more cars than most people in our area. I don't have an issue with this. However they have to park one of their cars on the street and do it in such a way that it obstructs our car (House F) from reversing out easily. We can do it, but it requires a sharp turn to the left or right, and often running over the flowerbed (between our house and the street).

 

I feel that their behaviour is rather 'petty' since they only park where it causes hassle to us. They are very friendly with C and D and hence their fourth car is never in front of C or D. We've put up with this for about a year or two now and to be honest I don't know what to do about it. Houses A and B are affected like us, it's in front of their houses. We were speaking with the lady who lives in House B and she told us that she had confronted G about the car. Their response to her was 'There ain't nothin' you can do about it'. Is there anything we can do about it?

 

If you've got this far, thank you for reading this and I hope that you could offer some sort of solution. Thank you!

Edited July 27, 2008 by craigb6

[craigb6]

Well it appears I can't get the image to show properly, does anyone know how a new user can post an image? Thanks.

[letshelp]

Craig,

Can't acess the image you have posted.

regards

[Rooster-UK]

Once you have made 5 posts, then you will be able to include a direct link.

 

Regards, Rooster.

[craigb6]

Post 3 (I need 5 posts to be able to post the image, so sorry!!!)

[craigb6]

Post 4 (I need 5 posts to be able to post the image, so sorry!!!)

[craigb6]

Post 5 (I need 5 posts to be able to post the image, so sorry!!!)

[maf91]

I was taught that it is actually illegal to park opposite to a dropped kerb in a residential area

[letshelp]

Congratulations Craig, you've reached the magical 5 posts.

regards

[Conniff]

It is anti-social, but I don't think anything can be done. If he parked further up that would obstruct another house and there is nothing to stop another car pulling up behind his and again making it difficult for you.

 

Have you tried reversing into your drive and driving out.

[sean the sheep]

I'm almost sure, providing a proper drop kerb exists, that you have right of clear access into and out of your drive and anyone obstructing that right of access in or out wether by parking directly outside or opposite (assuming the road is quite narrow and you do have genuine difficulty in exiting your drive) is committing an offence. The police would deal with this as they have done in my area with a fpn for obstruction and I know cars have had tickets for doing this. Try getting in touch with them to see what they can do. I realise this is a neighbourly dispute and you probably don't want any hassle but their 'There ain't nothin' you can do about it' attitude isn't particularly neighbourly is it, and if you don't speak to them anyway I don't suppose there'll be any 'guilty feeling' about reporting them.

Edited July 28, 2008 by sean the sheep

[RichardM]

I would have to disagree with Shaun the Sheep on this one.

 

I think it is unreasonable to expect anyone not to park on the opposite side of a road, simply because there is a dropped curb there. If this were the case, many residential streets would have little or no on street parking space left.

 

As somebody else suggested earlier in this thread, the answer is that the OP reverses into his drive and drives out. Not only is the car much more manouverable, and therefore, it is less of an issue if a car is parked opposite, he also has superior visability of oncoming traffic when exiting and is less likely to have an accident.

 

One of the first things taught on advanced driving courses is that you ALWAYS reverse into a parking bay or driveway unless you can drive straight through it.

[craigb6]

Thank you for your responses, it really is much appreciated!

 

Have you tried reversing into your drive and driving out.

 

This can be done, although it isn't easy. The road we live in is very busy (sometimes when reversing out you can have twenty cars pass by before you're able to reverse out) and we are very close to a bend in the road, where cars come bombing round the corner and have to brake sharply if there are any cars driving out of a driveway. In order to reverse in you would have to stop and reverse in, which can be terrifying if a car suddenly has to stop in front/behind of you.

 

In response to 'sean the sheep' the road is not very narrow, I can't give an exact measurement but it is about 2.5 car widths across. We can reverse out, just that it is difficult. You have to do a tight turn and drive over the flowerbeds.

 

There is also a couple of mentions of parking near dropped kerbs. There are only dropped kerbs on one side of the street, and each one is in front of the garages. The ABCD side of the road has not dropped kerbs in this part of the street. I'm not sure how this affects what you're saying, but they are not parking across someones driveway. Instead they are parking 'opposite' it.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

[crem]

I presume you have checked out the obvious things that the car could be reported for, e.g. is it fully taxed and roadworthy. (If he is a car DIYer the car might not be taxed if he is currently working on it, and if that is the case it may well have obvious vital bits missing like lights or some such legality). Any of these things would make it reportable to the police for being an illegal and/or unroadworthy vehicle.

 

Next, have you considered parking outside house B when it is vacant to occupy the space until last thing at night and then moving your car into your drive.

[sean the sheep]

Aploogies if I didn't make my point very clear. RichardM is of course absolutely correct in stating it's unreasonable to expect anyone not to park on the opposite side of a road and that if this was the case that many residential streets would have little or no on street parking space left.

I was trying to say that i'm sure if someone parked opposite your drive knowing that they were causing you difficulty in reversing out , as 'nuisance' neighbour G probably does, I would think that would they are knowingly causing an obstruction by continuing to park there and maybe the Police could take appropriate action.

However I know that this type of action isn't always straightforward and there are many factors such as the police using their own judgement and personal opinion on wether an offence is actually being committed.

I have the same problem myself, not on a main road, but still a quite busy estate ring road and I do find reversing into my driveway and then driving straight out easier, although I definately appreciate that this is easier said than done in some circumstances hence my suggestion re: a complaint to the Police.

[RichardM]

Craigb6.

 

From the description that you've just given of the road that you live on, you are on VERY dodgy ground reversing out of your drive anyway.

 

The chances are, that if you have an accident, the police and insurance companies will throw section 201 of the highway code at you and deem you responsible for the accident.

 

201

Do not reverse from a side road into a main road. When using a driveway, reverse in and drive out if you can.

 

Whilst it can be intimidating to have vehicles coming up behind you when you are reversing into a drive, the onus is on them to drive at an appropriate speed that they can stop short of an danger or obstruction. You cannot be held responsible if another car hits yours whilst stationary or manouvering in accordance with the highway code. That is not the case if they hit you whilst your reversing out, because they have right of way.

 

Might I suggest that if you think it is too dangerous to reverse into your drive because of the speed and the blind corner, you get the council involved and ask them to provide some method of warning oncoming vehicles of potential dangers around the corner.

[craigb6]

Craigb6.

201

Do not reverse from a side road into a main road. When using a driveway, reverse in and drive out if you can.

 

This quotation would suggest that we are 'breaking the law', but then so is everyone else who parks in their drives in our area. I guess this is just one of these things that can apply in certain situations and depending on people's opinions.

 

Thanks everyone for your views on what I could do. I guess the people who live at 'G' are kind of right, there is nothing I can really do. If it gets worse (such as another car being parked across from us) then I think that the police may do something about it, although at the present moment I don't think that they will think it is a real 'offence'. I guess we'll just have to accept it for the time being. Thanks again for the time you've taken to respond to me.

[RichardM]

Not breaking the law per se, but the police do use the highway code as a set of guidelines to decide if a prosecution is justified in the event of an accident (or even a near miss). By reversing out you leave yourself open to that possibility.

 

Likewise, insurance firms will also look at the circumstances in the event of a claim and decide whether any negligence on your part contributed to an accident. Reversing out of your drive onto a busy road could be construed as negligent if you had no reason to do so or it could have been avoided by reversing in.

[DeafSteve]

Apologies if this has been covered already, but have you thought of parking outside house 'c' now and again? I know two wrongs don't make a right but they might get the message.