Selfish parking - any remedy?

[runnerbean 14]

My (disabled) mother-in-law lives down a side street tucked away off the main throughfare of a small market town. Access to her property is located between the doctor's surgery on one side and the town's only chemist on the other. She is lucky enough to have a small area of off-street parking, where she parks her car. The street is quite narrow in places and has double yellow lines both sides, including across her driveway. The town only has a traffic warden one day a week.

The old dear can't walk more than a few steps, so if she wants to go out for any reason, she needs to drive. However she is plagued daily by people who park across her entrance, blocking her car in. Sometimes they are at the doctors, sometimes in the chemist. Sometimes they are disabled themselves, but more often just taking a chance on the yellow lines. Often they disappear for long periods, and exhibit a sense of entitlement and are rude if asked to move their car when they finally return. Sometimes they are aggressive and very rude indeed. The fact that they are quite clearly in the wrong seems to have no bearing on things.

None of this is much fun when you are in your late seventies, and the old biddy is quite distressed about it so I have offered to post here. Does anyone have any ideas about which department she should apply to in the district or county council to help sort this out? She has made a few attempts with no result so far.

[randlemarcus]

I'd suggest that if the double yellows aren't working, then nothing a council has, short of them stationing a warden on her doorstep will work.

Given its lots of different people, you have no single target, but...

Perhaps a polite sign, asking that access is needed at the edge might work, or failing that, a big tin of Quality Street dropped off at the local Police Station with a polite word that there are some easy tickets to be had might pay off.

Sadly, nothing will impact a broad spread of people who think that they have the right to do what they want.

[runnerbean 14]

Thanks - I like the Quality Street idea but the local police station is only open for four hours on three days a week. Austerity, innit?

[750turbo]

OP - I really hate to hear things like this - No idea what you can do though, but, never, ever, forget, the utter selfishness (and stupidity) of the general public.

People these days, as a rule, are only interested in themselves

[elanfan]

Nothing short of a fairly aggressive ticketing campaign by Police and wardens is likely to work in the long run - a real fear of receiving a ticket not just a 70/30 or 50/50 risk needs to happen. You need to lobby her local Police and Wardens in this regard.

However I think a polite word in the Chemists and with the Doctor's Practice Manager about how this is becoming a problem and ask for their support in getting their customers/patients to cooperate with not causing an obstruction appears to be your only option apart from more signage.

Edited by elanfan on Thursday 27th March 22:31

[Fozziebear]

Local news paper would love this, give them a call.

[solo2]

Fozziebear said:

Local news paper would love this, give them a call.

Just what I was thinking. Get her to start photographing cars/number plates. Naming & shaming is possibly all she can do.

[Rubin215]

solo2 said:

Fozziebear said:

Local news paper would love this, give them a call.

Just what I was thinking. Get her to start photographing cars/number plates. Naming & shaming is possibly all she can do.

You would probably only have to slash three or four tyres for people to really sit up and notice...

[si barone]

https://www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q440.htm You can check here if it's the police or the council that you need to contact about this if your mothers car is blocked in. Not so sure about what to do if she's blocked out.

[deltashad]

I've seen people put cones out before, even on Main roads outside their house thinking they have some sort of claim because they're house is adjacent.

You could try the cone thing. Parking across a driveway is really dirty. Could try calling the council everytime someone does this, take a photo and put a note on the windscreen warning them what has been done.

Vengeance does spring to mind but I have a feeling she wouldn't be up for that

[R0G]

Give her a camera that has time/date stamp for the pics and then take photos of offending vehicles registrations that are blocking an access

Put up a sign that says this will be done

[BE57 TOY]

R0G said:

Give her a camera that has time/date stamp for the pics and then take photos of offending vehicles registrations that are blocking an access

Put up a sign that says this will be done

Threatening someone with a photo would make her look a bit sad and probably get laughed at!

Can the council paint a yellow box?

[Engineer1]

Ring the police IANAL but isn't blocking access to the highway an offence? This does assume her parking spot is legit with a dropped curb etc rather tthan just parking on a wide section of pavement.

[runnerbean 14]

Thanks to all for the replies so far. Forgot to mention a couple of things: yes, there is a drop kerb and the parking location is legal - for many years it was a garage leading directly onto the street but now the roof has been removed. And yes, she does often get blocked out as well as blocked in.

Also, one of her sons is a motorway BIB (we do speak!) and he can't seem to help much although there have been some interesting conversations arising in the street. I think the yellow box idea is the best although a) it seems a bit OTT, and b) it is almost impossible to find anyone who will sign it off. However if we went ahead and got one painted on the road without permission, I'm sure someone would be round in 24 hours to ask us to remove it.

[-Ad-]

I feel for you.

Make a note of dates and times she's blocked in, see if there is any pattern hen have a word with the council about it and how they could make a nice bit of revenue from tickets here and help an old lady out at the same time

Some fking ing prick has half overlapped my drive this morning when there was plenty of parking on our street last night. Luckily the dropped kerb is large enough for me to exit at an angle, but knowing my luck someone else will park in this area between mine and the neighbours drive (just enough space for an actual supermini like a 107/Aygo) so I'll be blocked out by the time I get back.

[WaferThinHam]

Can't the police just drop off a handful of those yellow cones?

I'm sure a brick through the window would sort her problems. :P

[mph1977]

runnerbean 14 said:

Thanks - I like the Quality Street idea but the local police station is only open for four hours on three days a week. Austerity, innit?

however there will be an NPT covering the area and if the force in question has given it;s PCSOs traffic warden powers they may well be inclined to make their presence felt ...

[aw51 121565]

It's one for the Local Authority - parking over dropped kerbs (double yellows notwithstanding) comes under Traffic Management Act 2004.

Having said this, blocking the access such that the vehicle can't be removed from the drive is (in theory) a police matter; if the vehicle is off the drive already and can't get back on then the police will be less interested.

I'd suggest contacting the local councillors in the first instance - to give the local authority a chance to resolve this - before going off at half cock to the local rag if that is later found to be necessary .

[Hol]

There seems to be an increase in stories where people fail to understand, or even bother to read the rules and then get aggressive/defensive when caught out.

Although they are not fool proof, would a sign by the driveway be worth a tray, with the obvious keywords included

Driveway constantly in use
Disabled driver
Yellow lines
Please try not to park here
Etc...



http://www.signomatic.co.uk/signs/parking-signs

[runnerbean 14]

Thanks all - I have just googled her local Town Council and hey presto, one of the councillors is someone I have dealt with before. He was most helpful then and given that his day job is in the County Council Highways Dept we are going to have a shot at the yellow box idea. I'll post how we get on, although it may be a day or three ++ before anything happens!