Overhanging bushes, pavements and prams

Noggin_1

I've never really paid much attention before but since having a baby and taking him out in his pram I have noticed a lot of untidy garden hedges. Is it just me?
If someone is coming the other way on the pavement I have 2 choices, either I go on the grass verge or walk into peoples overhanging flora and in this weather I get wet:( What is the law on this?
Also, if I am walking near a school the cars are parked half on the path and half on the road and I've ended up pushing the pram into the road:eek: surely this isn't right.

Has anyone else experienced things like this, how do wheelchair users cope with pavement obstructions? What annoys you when you are walking along the pavement?

pawsies

Stand your ground, let them walk around you. Alternatively 'pull in' to a passing place as soon as you see someone coming towards you, like a driveway or something?

gingin_2

Here we are allowed to park half on and half off the pavement at certain times and some roads are specifically marked with bays half on the pavement.

You could try complaining to the school about cars parked outside, they are not legally obliged to do anything but morally ( certainly around here ) they do try to get involved.

Cyclists on pavements drive me beyond mad. It's so dangerous.

Elsewhere

Noggin_1 wrote: »

I've never really paid much attention before but since having a baby and taking him out in his pram I have noticed a lot of untidy garden hedges. Is it just me?
If someone is coming the other way on the pavement I have 2 choices, either I go on the grass verge or walk into peoples overhanging flora and in this weather I get wet:( What is the law on this?
Also, if I am walking near a school the cars are parked half on the path and half on the road and I've ended up pushing the pram into the road:eek: surely this isn't right.

Has anyone else experienced things like this, how do wheelchair users cope with pavement obstructions? What annoys you when you are walking along the pavement?

Problems with paths at ground level are the council's responsibility (eg footpaths covered with nettles!), overhanging branches are the responsibility of the landowner. You could ask the landowner to cut it back... or you could report it to the local council (their switchboard or their website would tell you which dept), and they should get in touch with the landowner to tell them to cut it - if they don't the council will do it and send them the bill. In practice I doubt the council will act unless you can convince them that the situation is dangerous for pedestrians.

Parking cars on the pavement is against the law. Try the police for this problem.

Desperado99

If a hedge is obstructing the path, you can complain to the council and they will tell the owner to cut it (I know because my brother got a letter once, and his hedge wasn't even that bad).

I always walk around people with prams (now I don't push one) or people in wheelchairs, as I know it's harder for them to manoevre than it is for me.

kingfisherblue

The police can send CSOs to the school at the start and end of the day, and they can point out that drivers shouldn't park on the pavement.

For overhanging bushes, if they are causing an obstruction so that people cannot use the pavement, you can contact the council.

Noggin_1

I normally do try to pull into someones driveway if I can and most of the time I can pass people with no problem. Its just peoples trees and hedges that have grown over their boundaries that I find annoying, it looks a bit scruffy too.

I agree about cyclists especially if they are old enough to know better.

There have been a few complaints to the school and the local councilors, traffic cops and traffic wardens have been out to assess the problem on one occasion. I walked by with my pram and the traffic wardens took a photo of me having to walk in the road (I had a big grin on at the time because the offending people carrier had a ticket slapped on it) But the problem still exists.

Mrs_Imp

Cars blocking the pavement make me a bit cross to be honest. If it's outside a house, I'll go and knock on the door these days and explain that I can't get my pram through, would they mind moving.

If it's a regular problem, you could try contacting your PCSO, as they might have had lots of other complaints, and could visit the area during times of particularly bad parking, and maybe have a word with the offenders. Or if they are parents picking up from a school, contact the school and ask if they would consider reminding parents not to block the pavement when collecting their children.

This site cheers me up too:
youparklikeac*nt.com/

ognum

Oh dear OP, is this really the most important thing in your life to thinks about, a few overhanging bushes. I cny believe how petty some people are. There are many people in the world who have serious problems!

adelight

Cars on the pavement really bother me, especially round here where there are drives and quiet roads you can park on for free.
It really annoys me when people with prams go right in the middle of the pavement and won't move to the side at all (when there's space for them to move a bit) so you end up one foot in the mood or head in the bushes And groups who spread out across the whole pavement grrrrrr

WestonDave

Having cut my hedge this weekend for the second time in 8 weeks, I can say that they are growing faster than usual this year due to the wet weather. Its also hard to find a gap in the rain to do it. I'm lucky in that there is a grass verge between our boundary and the pavement so even if it does grow a bit it won't affect passers by. Its no excuse for letting them get really out of hand but if its a bit long maybe give them a bit of slack to find a dry day to cut it!