Commute parking - snotty windscreen note..

[Alex321]

I am not a lawyer, Policeman, etc, but, I think you are wrong, I refer you to the post above yours (ie post 23).

Where is that @Drago when you need him?

Post #23 is wrong.

 

[winjim]

I don't think we should necessarily use what's legal or illegal as a guide for our actions, it has little bearing on what's right or wrong. I suspect you came on here wanting to vent and get a little validation which is fair enough. Personally I'd choose the path of de-escalation but that's just me.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I would ignore the tone - if the person in question has a double buggy then they might have been having a bad day with 2 grumpy kids

Keep on parking there but avoid parking on the kerb in future
For a while I would take a quick photo of where you park - just in case - so you can have it if others park opposite and block the road after you leave
If further notes appear then take it further (dunno how - it depends) especially if they seem to be singleing you out - which may happen

 

[nellietheelephant]

No chance of world peace then, is there?

 

[Drago]

The only place you can "legally" park is a designated parking place. Anywhere else is obstructing the highway, which is an offence.

Not quite.

The only place where it is not possible to commit an obstruction offence is when properly parked within the confines of a marked parking bay.

 

[Joffey]

Park somewhere else for a while. It might be legal apart from the time you parked partly on the pavement but it's still impacting the residents' lives/perception of the quality of their surroundings. Take the hint not the high road.

I agree with this 👍

 

[DRM]

In most residential areas with no off street parking residents generally have "their" place where they always park. If they have to park away from their dwelling they can get very annoyed particularly by people coming in from outside the area for free parking.
I live in such an area and the residents respect that unspoken agreement by avoiding places they know to be used regularly by a neighbour. Everybody gets upset by interlopers.

This is absolutely spot on, Nottingham started charging people to park in work car parks so people started dumping cars on residential areas and getting the bus in, it was horrendous for residents as lots were getting home and couldn't get parked, so ended up going on someone elses street, causing the same problem elsewhere, the councils idea was really ill conceived as they didn't think it fully through, it caused countless rows on the street where DRM juniors Uni house was

 

[sheddy]

I'd rather walk miles to avoid parking on a pavement.

 

[Jameshow]

I wouldn't park on a pavement having now become familiar with blind people and their guide dogs

 

[Gunk]

As some may be aware I currently split my commute between car and Brompton; driving to the outskirts of the city, parking and doing the rest on the bike.

I park in a housing estate where there usually appears to be plenty of space and no parking restrictions (no signage or kerbside lines / road markings anywhere). As always I try to park considerately, usually entirely on the road and on the same side as other parked vehicles.

Yesterday there were a few more cars (parked on opposite sides of the road, fairly close to each other and both half-on the pavement). I tucked in behind one (which was familiar and possibly belongs to a resident); leaving a similar amount of room on the pavement to that already afforded by this vehicle. This appeared to be enough for a pedestrian, single buggy or wheelchair and I figured this would have the least impact on others using the road / pavement, relative to what was already there.

I got back to the car last night to find a note on my windscreen referencing how I "always" park blocking the pavement (it wasn't blocked and this is, IIRC the first time I've parked partially on the pavement). The shouty Karen apparently responsible for the note went on to explain how she allegedly couldn't get her double-little-baby-asbo carrier past the car on the pavement; which (assuming she / it even exists and isn't just a construct to suggest that the situation was more problematic than it was) was probably a fair point.

However, I wasn't the only car parked in such a way and parking on the pavement isn't unprecedented; I often see other (residents'?) vehicles parked half on the pavement. I wonder if the other, similarly-parked car(s) were present when mine received its love-letter and if so whether their windscreens were littered too..

The note went on to rant about how I park my car there and cycle into Oxford, suggesting how I might like to park elsewhere, and was signed off by "the whole street".

So, to read between the lines - it appears that someone has seized on this small, isolated instance of parking on the pavement as a foot in the door to attack me for their own irrational reaction to my parking on their street / outside their house. They reference that I "always" do this (three days a week ) and they know I cycle so have clearly been watching me.

I'm confident that there is absolutely nothing wrong with my parking - being legal, usually all on the road, not blocking driveways or causing any other obstruction... although this does little to arrest the discomfort arising from this entirely unjustified hostility. While I'm very happy to change my behaviour out of courtesy if given a good reason / approached in a respectful manner, I refuse to bow to the irrational, self-entitled demands of some delusional curtain-twitcher. Being treated with such disdain will only cause me to dig my heels in.

Of course I parked there again this morning (although not on the pavement) and will continue to do so; although am concerned about potential recriminations from this individual so I guess will have to start checking my car for malicious damage before setting off for home.

I was tempted to leave a written response inside my windscreen stating how I'm parking legally, always try to be considerate and that this muppet continues to have a problem to send photos of my parking to the police (who will obviously just tell them to do one); however my mystery accuser is clearly unhinged so I supect any effort to engage them rationally will simply be a waste of my time. I think for now I'm just going to ignore the note as it's the path of least resistance, while being both overtly the most passive response - while at the same time hopefully riling my new nemesis at my lack of concern for their bullsh*t.

I've kept the note and will keep an additional eye out for twitching curtains when leaving / returning to the car; I suspect this muppet lacks the balls to speak to me directly but has clearly been keeping an eye on me so I suspect might betray their identity if they've developed a pavlovian reflex to jump to the window as soon as they hear a car door outside.. I'll also be photographically documenting any further notes or damage in case there's need to bring this to the attention of the Police; hopefully if the see me recording evidence of their work they might reconsider their actions..

Tbh if this does escalate I might look to leaving a camera in the car or hiding at the end of the road to catch, film and confront whichever sad little individual is responsible.

Just posting this here as a point of record and to vent really.. of course any advice is always welcome

Pity we have to share a world with such knobheads, isn't it?

I live in a small cul de sac off one of the main routes into Oxford, right by a bus stop. It drives me absolutely up the wall when people use our close as a park and ride (sometimes we struggle to get on and off the drive if someone parks opposite) so unfortunately I totally get the frustration from local residents.

 

[tyred]

I have never parked my car in a residential area unless I had a genuine reason to be there, and I never would either. It doesn't seem fair to the people who live there.

I know someone who lives in a small housing estate beside the hospital and they are tortured with people taking their parking or leaving cars in stupid places rather than pay to use the hospital car park.

 

[Electric_Andy]

This happened a lot at Torbay Hospital until they made all surrounding streets permit parking only. Not a bad Idea if residents simply have to display a permit in the car. But some other schemes like my MIL near Penrith train station, we have to fill out a visitors permit every time we want to park outside, and it only lasts 24 hours. So we have to keep filling one in every day if we are visiting for a week

 

[markemark]

I wouldn't park on a pavement having now become familiar with blind people and their guide dogs

...or people with mobility needs or people with pushchairs, or anybody who expects to be able to walk on a pavement without a car driving onto or off it whilst dumping it there.

 

[Drago]

I'm old fashioned.

Pavement for people, roads for vehicles.

I really don't fathom why so many people struggle with such a simple arrangement.

 

[Poacher]

This is absolutely spot on, Nottingham started charging people to park in work car parks so people started dumping cars on residential areas and getting the bus in, it was horrendous for residents as lots were getting home and couldn't get parked, so ended up going on someone elses street, causing the same problem elsewhere, the councils idea was really ill conceived as they didn't think it fully through, it caused countless rows on the street where DRM juniors Uni house was

Confession time: I was deeply involved in the initial planning for the WPL (Workplace Parking Levy), identifying liable employers - those with more than 10 employee parking spaces - collating information from the Business Rates database with data from various other sources.
Overall, I consider the WPL to have been successful in reducing the projected increase in congestion and raising funds for public transport, mainly the extension to the tram network but also redevelopment of the railway station and supporting the Link bus network.

PS. Contrary to some scurrilous rumours, Nottingham City Council passed the full charge on to its employees.
Didn't affect me, as I commuted by bike!