Private land parking problems - what can I do?
Discussion
I manage an office building with 4 parking spaces that come as part of it and an entrance around the corner. The road is single yellow line and we have "PRIVATE PARKING" signs above all of the spaces. The building is close to the town centre. They're used by me and 3 other managers during the day but we often work late and after 5:30pm, people seem to think they have free reign to park there "as we're closed" or whatever and to make matters even worse there is a pay and display car park literally opposite. I've suggested to people trying to park there "how would you feel if I parked on your drive?" and they look at me like I'm mad and it isn't the same thing at all. If you've ever experienced someone with road rage, you know what most people are like in their cars - everyone acts incredulously, is rude when you ask them to move or argues that they're in the right, rather than "oh, apologies, I'll park in the car park"
We have 4 spaces, which look like this (all of which have big "PRIVATE PARKING" signs above them, in addition to the entrance on the side.
For reference, green cars are our cars (employees) and the red cars are strangers cars. Cars regularly park over the pavements as shown as well.
The worst situation I've experienced with these spaces is where I was parked and other cars literally and VERY inconsiderately parked like this and blocked me in. I had to wait (and waste my time) for 30 mins waiting for someone to come back - but what if they'd been out all night?!
Irrespective of parking space woes, people also regularly park in FRONT of the doors as per the above - during the day as well amazingly!!
This evening I pick up some food and come back. I decide to park OVER the spaces. Some of you might suggest "bad parking" etc etc, but remember these are private spaces - much like parking on your driveway, you can park however you want and I didn't want someone blocking me in. Amazingly though I finish and come out to find this...
So in summary, WHAT can I do? Now clamping or even the suggestion of it on private land is illegal and as I hate private parking companies I'm not hypercritical enough to do private parking, I see my remaining options as:
1) More private parking signs, possibly with the addition of floodlights (can't see this doing much difference)
2) Signs that say "you agree we can do whatever we want to your car by parking here" (more of a deterrent but again, can't see people taking notice)
3) Put notes on the offending cars - rather than normal notes, use A4 sticker on the windscreen. The driver has to stand there picking it off as an inconvenience after being inconsiderate in parking in our spaces.
4) Put an invoice on the car for parking (almost as bad as "private parking notice" but at least it would make the driver think - yes, I am using something someone else pays for - but they won't be paid and it may be ignored)
5) Bollards
Option 5 is annoying as it costs money but probably the most effective. However, even if we position them as follows (orange dots) and park in the spaces, we STILL might get some inconsiderate tit park on the pavement on the other side of the bollards (possibly more likely), so when we come to leave we're blocked in. I understand a car can be towed by the council for doing this but it means calling the police and waiting and at 7pm or 8pm at night, how do we get the council to send a tow truck?! Maybe it would be more of a deterrent with option 5 if we also ask the council to make the road double yellow lines...
This is all INCREDIBLY annoying as we pay a lot of rent for this office building and I always park in proper spaces if I'm elsewhere - I wouldn't dream of doing this but people are so inconsiderate.
Does anyone have any other suggestions other than the above? What do you think we should do?
We have 4 spaces, which look like this (all of which have big "PRIVATE PARKING" signs above them, in addition to the entrance on the side.
For reference, green cars are our cars (employees) and the red cars are strangers cars. Cars regularly park over the pavements as shown as well.
The worst situation I've experienced with these spaces is where I was parked and other cars literally and VERY inconsiderately parked like this and blocked me in. I had to wait (and waste my time) for 30 mins waiting for someone to come back - but what if they'd been out all night?!
Irrespective of parking space woes, people also regularly park in FRONT of the doors as per the above - during the day as well amazingly!!
This evening I pick up some food and come back. I decide to park OVER the spaces. Some of you might suggest "bad parking" etc etc, but remember these are private spaces - much like parking on your driveway, you can park however you want and I didn't want someone blocking me in. Amazingly though I finish and come out to find this...
So in summary, WHAT can I do? Now clamping or even the suggestion of it on private land is illegal and as I hate private parking companies I'm not hypercritical enough to do private parking, I see my remaining options as:
1) More private parking signs, possibly with the addition of floodlights (can't see this doing much difference)
2) Signs that say "you agree we can do whatever we want to your car by parking here" (more of a deterrent but again, can't see people taking notice)
3) Put notes on the offending cars - rather than normal notes, use A4 sticker on the windscreen. The driver has to stand there picking it off as an inconvenience after being inconsiderate in parking in our spaces.
4) Put an invoice on the car for parking (almost as bad as "private parking notice" but at least it would make the driver think - yes, I am using something someone else pays for - but they won't be paid and it may be ignored)
5) Bollards
Option 5 is annoying as it costs money but probably the most effective. However, even if we position them as follows (orange dots) and park in the spaces, we STILL might get some inconsiderate tit park on the pavement on the other side of the bollards (possibly more likely), so when we come to leave we're blocked in. I understand a car can be towed by the council for doing this but it means calling the police and waiting and at 7pm or 8pm at night, how do we get the council to send a tow truck?! Maybe it would be more of a deterrent with option 5 if we also ask the council to make the road double yellow lines...
This is all INCREDIBLY annoying as we pay a lot of rent for this office building and I always park in proper spaces if I'm elsewhere - I wouldn't dream of doing this but people are so inconsiderate.
Does anyone have any other suggestions other than the above? What do you think we should do?
Get your own pay and display meter, with exorbitant rates, so no one else parks there as it's too expensive. Or put a sign up saying parking fee £20 per day, pay within...will make people think twice.
Get some police cones and dot them around the pavement, putting people off parking there.
Park your staff cars on the pavement, leaving the Spaces empty just to piss others off.
Get some police cones and dot them around the pavement, putting people off parking there.
Park your staff cars on the pavement, leaving the Spaces empty just to piss others off.
Lotusevoraboy said:
Get your own pay and display meter, with exorbitant rates, so no one else parks there as it's too expensive. Or put a sign up saying parking fee £20 per day, pay within...will make people think twice.
Get some police cones and dot them around the pavement, putting people off parking there.
Park your staff cars on the pavement, leaving the Spaces empty just to piss others off.
Good idea on the "pay and display" signs - could put £100 a day even.. do you need a license to effectively operate as a pay and display car park though?Get some police cones and dot them around the pavement, putting people off parking there.
Park your staff cars on the pavement, leaving the Spaces empty just to piss others off.
Is there a gym close by that people are using after work? Or where are these people going at this time. Perhaps if it was a gym / restaurnant / take away you could speak with the management and ask them to speak with their members / customers and not to park there, or at the very least allow you to put a notice up there first. It might save you the expense of buying bollards etc. As much as it pains you it's probably not a good idea to tamper with vehicles like the A4 stickers etc, as it may lead to retaliation in the form of damage to your car or the business itself.
If I was going to install anything it would be the bar type barrier, that comes down across the entrance with a padlock. You would need to get permission probably from the owners and council first, in case it impacted on access for emergency vehicles. Wouldn't be very expensive and gives a clear message that it is not a public car park.
If I was going to install anything it would be the bar type barrier, that comes down across the entrance with a padlock. You would need to get permission probably from the owners and council first, in case it impacted on access for emergency vehicles. Wouldn't be very expensive and gives a clear message that it is not a public car park.
[quote=Shake&Bake]Is there a gym close by that people are using after work? Or where are these people going at this time. Perhaps if it was a gym / restaurnant / take away you could speak with the management and ask them to speak with their members / customers and not to park there, or at the very least allow you to put a notice up there first. It might save you the expense of buying bollards etc. As much as it pains you it's probably not a good idea to tamper with vehicles like the A4 stickers etc, as it may lead to retaliation in the form of damage to your car or the business itself.
If I was going to install anything it would be the bar type barrier, that comes down across the entrance with a padlock. You would need to get permission probably from the owners and council first, in case it impacted on access for emergency vehicles. Wouldn't be very expensive and gives a clear message that it is not a public car park.
[/quote]
Could go for a bar barrier, or bollards along the pavement.. the problem is what is it stopsomeone stupidly and inconsiderately simply parking in front of them (like the last image on there). Seems like the options are either:
a) Pay and Display sign with extortionate rates to put people off (dont I need a permit?)
b) Bollards just before the pavement (whats the stop someone parking next to them?
If I was going to install anything it would be the bar type barrier, that comes down across the entrance with a padlock. You would need to get permission probably from the owners and council first, in case it impacted on access for emergency vehicles. Wouldn't be very expensive and gives a clear message that it is not a public car park.
[/quote]
Could go for a bar barrier, or bollards along the pavement.. the problem is what is it stopsomeone stupidly and inconsiderately simply parking in front of them (like the last image on there). Seems like the options are either:
a) Pay and Display sign with extortionate rates to put people off (dont I need a permit?)
b) Bollards just before the pavement (whats the stop someone parking next to them?
driveit said:
a) Pay and Display sign with extortionate rates to put people off (dont I need a permit?)
b) Bollards just before the pavement (whats the stop someone parking next to them?
a) You don't need a permit to put the signs upb) Bollards just before the pavement (whats the stop someone parking next to them?
b) I think you'll head down this or the posts and chain route. Put the bollards/posts 1mm from the back of the footpath.
c) 24 hour access reqd signs
d) persue your council yellow lines idea?
Good luck
Problem I see is no matter what you do, whilst the public can park on the path they will.
Only way round is to speak to the council and see if you can put an application in for some double yellow lines.
Looking at the corner if wouldn't be a bad thing anyway. If the Pay and display council owned??? If it is they will probably go for it even more as they will get more revenue.
We had to do it on a site at work, but as we were private land we put double red through out and parking enforcement signs.
Only way round is to speak to the council and see if you can put an application in for some double yellow lines.
Looking at the corner if wouldn't be a bad thing anyway. If the Pay and display council owned??? If it is they will probably go for it even more as they will get more revenue.
We had to do it on a site at work, but as we were private land we put double red through out and parking enforcement signs.
As well as asking re. yellow lines which I htink will be difficult as a TRO is required and its expensive, you could ask for keep clear markings. While not enforceable I've seen them to be pretty effective in keeping enrances clear. Doesn't work all the time but together with the fold down bollards it may do the trick.
Ref 1026.1 as below
Ref 1026.1 as below
Let the air out of offenders' tyres . With a Schraeder key it only takes seconds to loosen the valve . No damage done , but it will inconvenience them having to re inflate or change a wheel .
'Must be little boys up to mischief , we saw nothing'
Once this happens a few times and the word gets round , the parking will stop .
'Must be little boys up to mischief , we saw nothing'
Once this happens a few times and the word gets round , the parking will stop .
kooky guy said:
Isn't it illegal to park on the pavement in any case, so a complaint to the police might (although I wouldn't bank on it) get you somewhere, particularly if this is a regular problem.
Obstruction to emergency access might bring about enforcement too .If an ambulance/ fire appliance can't get through because of parked vehicles , action will usually be taken .
Why can't you clamp ? (No intent to charge)
I don't see why you can't make em think twice before doing it again.
Sorry I didn't realise - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19782680
Forum thread on sticky notices - http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t...
I don't see why you can't make em think twice before doing it again.
Sorry I didn't realise - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19782680
Edited by henrycrun on Friday 7th December 11:47
Forum thread on sticky notices - http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t...
Edited by henrycrun on Friday 7th December 11:55
I hate this and the anger that the offenders resort to.
Whilst not on your scale we share a forecourt with a Shell garage, our used car display is to the left and the Shell garage is to the right.
We have 4 clearly marked customer parking spaces and at each end signs clearly state "Customer parking for XYZ customers only".
Daily, people will park across all four, or the entrance to all four spaces and pop in to the Shell garage to do a bit of shopping or they come out of teh car wash and park across all four spaces to chamois off their newly cleaned car.
If one of us goes out to point out the error of their ways, ie you are blocking all of our customer parking spaces, as clearly pointed out by the two massive signs, it is myself who is arrogant, an a
hole, inconsiderate etc, "I will move when one of your customers arrives" is another response, that'll be the customer who has driven by as there is nowhere to park then?!
Why do people not just go "oops, sorry I didn't realise, I'll move, sorry" tehy always have to get agrressive and arsey.
Whilst not on your scale we share a forecourt with a Shell garage, our used car display is to the left and the Shell garage is to the right.
We have 4 clearly marked customer parking spaces and at each end signs clearly state "Customer parking for XYZ customers only".
Daily, people will park across all four, or the entrance to all four spaces and pop in to the Shell garage to do a bit of shopping or they come out of teh car wash and park across all four spaces to chamois off their newly cleaned car.
If one of us goes out to point out the error of their ways, ie you are blocking all of our customer parking spaces, as clearly pointed out by the two massive signs, it is myself who is arrogant, an a
hole, inconsiderate etc, "I will move when one of your customers arrives" is another response, that'll be the customer who has driven by as there is nowhere to park then?!Why do people not just go "oops, sorry I didn't realise, I'll move, sorry" tehy always have to get agrressive and arsey.
Edited by HTP99 on Friday 7th December 12:22
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