Someone blocks your driveway. What do?

[Ben Chod]

So I came home the other night, somewhere between 12 and 2 am to find this van blocking my driveway. Didn't know who it belonged to so I decided to tow it out of the way.

Earlier on I was in my garage and saw the van pull up. Spoke to the guy in it, saying 'excuse me mate do you mind not blocking my driveway in future.'
Which was then met with hostility. 'I wasn't parked there... Talk to me politely... Clearly you've got nothing better to do... Next time call the council... I Don't care... Blah blah blah'.

Clearly there was no reasoning with the guy. I don't believe I was rude to him, was I?

So I decided to call the police to see what they say. Their response was to knock on doors to find the owner and tell them to move it, if not, call the police and we will try to contact the owner. Ultimately it's the council's responsibility to deal with these matters, who will then ticket the vehicle or have it moved.

Do they really expect me to go knocking on everyone's doors in the middle of the night?

So i've called the council, who only appear to only be open until 4pm? Useless!

So i'm wondering, what are your views on this situation? What would you have done? What would you do in future?

[silver1011]

Keep towing it out of the way, towing it further and further away each time.

[ScoobyChris]

We have similar with our elderly neighbour over the road (who I suspect has never driven) who seems to encourage all her visitors to park across our driveway rather than further down the road by non-dropped kerbs and walk. Usually greeted with a cheery "well you weren't there" and (abbreviated) "he'll only be 5 minutes" when I knock on her door.

Considering asking the council to put down a white line (apparently £175 quid) but honestly not sure how effective it would be. Maybe I should just put that cash towards a vehicle I can tow with

Chris

[trickywoo]

Unfortunately the powers that should be bothered with this won't be. It'll be up to you to enforce but it's obviously a balance between making it unpleasant for the idiot and going into full falling down mode.

[MDUBZ]

assume he needs the van for work so block it in with other vehicles and leave them there for days to cause him major inconvenience. he won't risk it again. Then find out where he lives and hammer frozen sausages into his lawn.

[e8_pack]

Keep towing the vehicle. Block someone's drive with it you don't like and kill two birds with one stone. This will save you a fortune in sausages.

[Rubin215]

You don't have to tow the van far, just far enough into the middle of the road that you can get on to your driveway and his van is causing enough of an obstruction that the police will have it removed.

[cuprabob]

Get a friend to call the bomb squad...

[Ben Chod]

I'd love to go into full falling down mode, that's what i'm good at lol. However I fear the consequences.

Frozen sausages wuuut?
I could block him in but it would leave my neighbour at a disadvantage as I'd then be blocking his drive.

I did think about leaving it in the middle of the road lol. Perhaps i'll do that.

[Huff]

Crush the car, if you see him drive in before you. Hear the lamentations of their woman.

[JCollins]

Jack it up when he's not there and swap all of the wheels for spacesavers with f*ckall air in them.

[poing]

Tow it to the nearest bus stop, that seems to get action from the authorities.

Alternatively, get creative. You'll have to be aware of comeback though. Nothing permanent just things like a few slices of bread turned into crumbs and chucked over the van, birds tend to make a mess. Jam on the screen and/or mirrors, many flying bugs will come to dine and it's a pain to wash off.

[Willy Nilly]

Dog st under the door handles.

[scubadude]

Ben Chod said:

I did think about leaving it in the middle of the road lol. Perhaps i'll do that.

Middle of local roundabout
Top floor of multi-storey without the ticket
B&Q car park (parking eye controlled) massive uncalled for ticket
POlice station car park
Hire a forklift and put it on his roof
Fill the interior with expanding foam
Hammer 24 potatoes into the exhaust
Fill tyres with lead shot
Gift wrap it with Poundland paper
Out of date soft cheese grated into the air vents

[Ben Chod]

I'm considering buying a set of these hydraulic wheel skates...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Four-Vehicle-Positioning...

Some of these comments are ridiculous though. How do you expect me to move a van so far? I can't exactly steer it if I decide to tow it. Even the wheel skates would take 2 or 3 people.

Edited by Ben Chod on Friday 23 June 21:53

[MDMA .]

Move house. Or torch it. Film it and post up if you do with custard.

[micky metro]

I suspect that you have done more than enough to ensure that he wont park there again in spite of his verbal hostility, if he does then please post on here, it should become really interesting reading then.

[spanky3]

A friend of mine repeatedly had this problem so stuck a self adhesive a4 note on the offending van's screen, passenger side. The police arrested him for criminal damage. They tried to get him to take a caution which he correctly refused followed by 3 months and lots of tax payers money before CPS decided prosecution wasn't in the public interest.

[CarsOrBikes]

Someone did this to me years ago in Streatham, Audi left half over my drive, so I very gently and considerately reversed into it, and forced it back up the road to a normal position. Didn't put a mark on my car at all.

Next day it was there again wheel turned against the kerb corner stone. I called the law and they said best resolved locally by checking with neighbours, but call again in half an hour if no joy.

I watched telly for half hour as you'd expect, called again, and 45 minutes later a hiab came and lifted the piece of ste away and off it went into the sunset.

didn't do it again :-) All very civil.

[Marvtec]

VBRJ?