Janepie33 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 In the whole scheme of things, this is a very trivial matter, but it is making me so cross! We live in a road with houses on one side and a recreation ground on the other and we are in one of the first streets away from town with no parking restrictions, so naturally, it has become a magnet for all the white vans in the world! There is one right this moment, exactly opposite my house and it is so big, it fills the entire view from my downstairs front window. Instead of looking at a lovely view of green grass and Richmond Park in the background, all I can see is a beaten up old van. It wouldn't be so bad if the vans moved around a bit (we have about 9 in our road at the moment), but the last one was here for over 3 months. Don't even get me started on the other vehicles that appear to have been abandoned for months on end and the local garage that uses our road as as their private car park. Feels a bit better to write it all down, but as I glance to my right, the van is STILL there!!! Anyone else had problems with unwanted vehicles outside their house? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandmashazzie Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Haven't had a problem with unwanted vehicles,but just wanted to say that would drive me mad too.What about checking tax,I know it's changed recently,you could report out of date ones? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 They have the same problem in Brighton. I drove down the worst road at the weekend. Its a wide road with a green 'island' and mature trees down the centre, one of the more des res streets. Its been wall to wall old white vans and camper vans for years - the latter only move for the odd weekend or summer break. I always feel sorry for the residents, so I can imagine how you feel. I would also be furious, but I'm not sure there is much you can do unfortunately, if they are legal My MIL once lived diagonally opposite someone who collected vintage US army vehicles - they were huge, and there is a guy up our road who has a massive Army truck parked in his front garden - its where he stores his firewood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 We live in a cul de sac and a guy from round the corner parks his white van in our road which is along side his house. It makes the road too narrow for the bin men sometimes and our neighbours once had a problem getting an ambulance in. What makes it worse is that he is an ex policeman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsylabrador Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Drives me mad. Commuters leave their cars here and don't care at all. It gets very difficult to get in and out of the drive and it slows emergency vehicles right down, sometimes to a halt. Last week a car was parked with it's nose poking over the driveway. I put a notice on it asking if they had thought at all when they parked their car. It was very mild, verging on polite but I haven't seen that particular car since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bramble Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I get problems persistently with people parking in the road opposite my drive which, on a very narrow road, can make it difficult for me to get my car on my drive (or out!) It isn't the same people who always park there, but they are visiting the same house - I really don't want to make a scene by mentioning it to the neighbours concerned, but surely, if you are visiting someone's house you would park either on their drive or on the road outside THEIR house, not mine!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I feel the pain too.......our next door neighbour (who has a double garage and a drive you could park 6 cars on) insists on using one of only 2 spare spaces at the end of the road. We (like several other very close neighbours) have 1 garage with 1 space in front so sometimes have to shuffle cars which can get complicated if Mr Selfish next door has take up one of the only other available 'spare' spaces and someone elses visitor is using the other People can be very thoughtless.....one of our neighbours called in over Christmas to see if we knew anything about the car that had been parked right outside her house for four days. We didn't; turned out it belonged to someone staying with people about 8 houses away...,they have a big drive too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 when I lived in a village we had similar problems. I used to park my car opposite my house and my neighbour did the same , at least we had a bit of a view from Vans. Street parking laws I feel need to be reviewed by local councils periodically. When a councillor moved onto the green he somehow managed to get double yellow lines all around the green side of the road, and the house owners would parked outside their houses......limiting the green to single file traffic which eventually was made one way around the green.. I often wondered if it was done by the same councillor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken shack Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 When we lived in London I used to park my car in our garage and on several occasions I was unable to get my car out to go to work. This is despite the road having plenty of room to park. We would park my husbands car in front of the gates if we were going on holiday so that we could get it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janepie33 Posted March 11, 2015 Author Share Posted March 11, 2015 Nice to feel I am not alone in this! I used to report out of date tax discs Grandmashazzie, but i only ever found one! The local community policeman has bee quite helpful. I e mailed him and he called round a few days later and took down all the number plates. He was able to tell me that a couple of the cars were local and one wasn't, but he wasn't allowed to give me any more information. He said he would phone the owners and find out what they were up to and that he would be interested in the white van (people have parked white vans and used them as their storage sheds before). He also gave me a website where I can check out tax and insurance info myself!! Just another example of 'The Big Society' I think. members of the public doing the jobs of the emergency services! Needless to say, all the vehicles are still there and driving me mad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 When a car was being parked in front of my parents gates (so the driver could go to the community centre further along the road - which had a CAR PARK!!!) the guy across the other side of the road was a policeman. He told my folks that they were quite entitled to break in and move the obstruction - there was plenty of room all along the road so why in front of their gates? They didn't know the driver and as they weren't going out they didn't want to cause any repercussions - and being old it would be stressful. So when the driver came back, Karl nipped out (he must have been watching out the window) and had words with the driver. It wasn't a problem again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Ask him if he can come and live opposite me please. I have had a car and a coach over my drive this morning. I stick notes on windows. Once a couple were having a row and I asked them to move the car - the woman was very gobby to me prompting a mouthful back - the guy looked sheepish and moved the car. OH lets me get on with it. I do feel your pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 My mom lives near a GP practice with a pharmacy and physiotherapist too. So loads of people coming and going. If anyone double parks or leaves the engine running, I go up and talk to them. I ask them if they have a disability, because clearly they aren't able to park properly and if I can help them out. All looking really concerned and serious. They all react really appologetic and slightly uncomfortable, because of my willingness to help the disabled and so far all go and park their car properly. Reverse psychology works like a charm! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 I live at the end of a cul de sac and my annoying neighbour always parks his van in the turnaround and when he goes to work, he puts his car there so he gets his space later. This makes turning difficult for everybody and the poor dustbin men have to come down our road backwards because they get stuck at the end. Mind you, at Christmas the blocked turnaround gets Father Christmas stuck on his sleigh and he ends up staying for ages while they take the sleigh trailer off the truck and I quite like that. Pesky neighbours are moving soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 We suffer regularly with delivery drivers dropping off next door parking across our drive, whether there is a car in it or not. Having suggested, quite politely, to some of the drivers that this was not sensible or helpful we recently had our neighbours round on our doorstep having a go at US! Both my boys in tears asking why 'that woman' was shouting at me ! Her OH was a very senior policeman. We no longer speak. Sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoid Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 that they were quite entitled to break in and move the obstruction Not true. Do this and you will probably face prosecution for criminal damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Well that's what he said and he was a policeman. It was something like 25 or more years ago, but as he spoke to the person nothing happened apart from them never obstructing my parents gates again. I am only repeating the incident as it was a true story. I had no reason to believe he wasn't telling the truth. On the other hand it is good to know that it is not a good idea so thank you for correcting me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Jane, might I suggest....to preserve your view, that you park your own car there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janepie33 Posted March 17, 2015 Author Share Posted March 17, 2015 I would OSH, if only I could get there! White van is still in place showing no sign of moving. The problem is that they sneak in when I am out at work in the car.A total of 9 vans this evening. Not all outside my house thank goodness! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 I'm in a cul se sac off of a cul de sac and we have 20 houses and enough designated parking for four cars max, the houses at the top of the close have 2 spaces on the drives and further down including mine have enough room for one. I park on my drive and OH parks across my drive, eldest son finds parking further out and walks back but so many preople don't park on their drives and park on the street on in the designated off street parking....I just don't get it!!!! We live very close to a train station but luckily commuters don't know we're are here as we are tucked away from the main high street. But I have called the council re the parking and all they suggest is buying permits and having the close I live in made into permit only parking and that will effect guests and visitors .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
