Threatened to call wardens - correct?

spursfan323

Hi all.

I work in ******, London and as the high street area is pay and display I always park on a nearby residential road. There are no parking restrictions on this road.

The road is about 1.5 times the width of an average car. It also has wide pavements on either side.

Most of the houses have driveways with dropped kerbs so there is relatively little raised kerb to park alongside. The spot I usually choose is about 10 yards away from a raised kerb on the other side. Usually when I park my car there is no other car parked by the other raised kerb.

Recently, I have been threatened, both verbally and by a crudely written note stashed in my windscreen wipers, that if I continue to park by the raised kerb the residents will ''call the police (sic) [to tow my car away], because if someone else would park across the road at the other raised kerb, an ambulance/fire engine would not be able to drive past.''

I thought this is nonsense, but am a little apprehensive.

Is this at all correct, or legal?
Many thanks.

I'll try and post a pic of the road, not quite sure how to.

spursfan323

Here's a pic of the road

http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w378/spursfan323/road.jpg

LincolnshireYokel

No yellow lines or signs, you have just as much right to park there as me or them.

If you park such that you are not obstructing a dropped kerb, and vehicles can get past, then its not your responsibility to ensure someone else doesnt park such to narrow the road further.

Its a public highway, they dont own it. Have you got a streetview link?

AlexisV

I see no issue with parking there. The only danger is some nut job damaging your car, or if another car did double park, you could both get towed even if it was car number 2's fault.

But who would knowingly double park and block the road? Unless a resident did it on purpose and double parked, blaming you for parking second.

Trebor16

Looks like there is plenty of room to me. And they can call the police as much as they like, but they no longer carry out parking enforcement. As there are no parking restrictions the wardens can do nothing as well. Just make sure you park the car as close to the kerb as you can.

molerat

You are parking perfectly legally. The only problem could be if one of the residents parks in the other spot and swears blind, with witnesses, that they have been there all along and you parked afterwards causing an obstruction.

maninthestreet

I suspect the real reason is that they don't want you parking outside THEIR house.

LincolnshireYokel

AlexisV wrote: »

I see no issue with parking there. The only danger is some nut job damaging your car, or if another car did double park, you could both get towed even if it was car number 2's fault.

But who would knowingly double park and block the road? Unless a resident did it on purpose and double parked, blaming you for parking second.

You could always photograph it before you leave it, showing it clear.

spursfan323

molerat wrote: »

You are parking perfectly legally. The only problem could be if one of the residents parks in the other spot and swears blind, with witnesses, that they have been there all along and you parked afterwards causing an obstruction.

That's my query - even if they did park first and I parked afterwards, surely the fact that I have parked in a legally acceptable position should mean that I am not responsible for any possible future accidents?

spursfan323

AlexisV wrote: »

......But who would knowingly double park and block the road? Unless a resident did it on purpose and double parked, blaming you for parking second.

That's the concern.
If they're angry enough to write stupid notices and stash them in my wipers, possibly they're angry enough to double park and get me in trouble.
They may consider me duly warned.

Coupon-mad

spursfan323 wrote: »

That's my query - even if they did park first and I parked afterwards, surely the fact that I have parked in a legally acceptable position should mean that I am not responsible for any possible future accidents?

Thing is, it's the Police who handle issues of 'obstruction' not the Council. A PCSO could issue a fixed penalty or even get your car towed if the neighbours said you had parked there second and the PCSO looked and thought your car was causing an obstruction.

But that seems an 'OK' place to park as long as no-one parks opposite each other...it's nothing for a Council CEO to deal with.

But...they are probably well p1sssed off with seeing you park there and swan off to work all day - it's exactly like my road and I hate that as well. It is actually really annoying when you are one of the houses with no driveway so cannot park when you return due to commuters or workers using it as a car park. Sorry but I see where they are coming from and I have also 'had a word' with people parking like that round here.