Car parking outside my house

[El Pibe]

10/10, first class work there Louisa, I'd give bonus points for 'moral duty' if you hadn't already got the top mark :)

[adonirum]

PokerTime, agree with you entirely, there is a distinct difference between legally and morally. I was just raising a generic point that people don't have respect any more. I am not necessarily defending the OP's course of action nor criticising it, but was merely promulgating a situation that I had witnessed, that surely stands alone and apart from any other reason that could be given for "reserving" a space. I am sure the last thing on a bereaved family's mind would be to approach the council to have parking legally suspended for what is, as you rightly state, a moral issue. Further, as you say, use our legs. So perhaps selfish drivers could indeed use their legs the next time they see an "unofficial reserved space" for a funeral, and themselves park around the corner. It is, when all is said and done and debated, a simple matter of respect.

[PokerTime]

No Louisa, that is not the point. The point is that you have no right to obstruct a parking space with a bin, anymore than a driver is required to respect that. THAT is the law. There is no written law of respectability, and especially one involving bins. That is just a law you and others invent to hijack the highway. StraferJ has a good point. Where was your consideration for the space you occupied further up the street? By your own logic you are wrong, whichever way you look at it.

Adnorium, in London, everyone knows there are issues with guaranteed parking, and hundreds of people do reserve space for funerals every year in Southwark, through the correct channels. I agree it's not always top of the list of things to do in that situation, but there is at least a legal way to manage that.

But again, we are not talking funerals here, we are talking about a plumber to fix a boiler and someone who can't see the contradiction of their minor inconvenience.

[Loz]

Louisa Wrote:

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> The fact someone has the audacity to come along, MOVE a bin

> to one side and path their car in its place shows

> the ultimate in complete disregard for someone else.

Actually, that is not necessarily a fact. I've been more than tempted to move bins, etc away from saving parking areas when I walk past - I'm sure some people actually do it.

So, it might not have been the driver that moved your bin.

[Seabag]

A puffed out boiler vs a funeral

On the slippery moral slide that we're playing on, i'd say the funeral wins

Mind you, as an emergency ? then the boiler might pip the corpse (coz he's cold already). However, a leaky boiler isn't a 999 emergency is it, really that would be silly. Almost up there with a cat stuck in a tree

Louisa as you're in a minority of 1, i'd say you've lost this one

Nice try, but time for you to concede

[Louisa]

PokerTime I have every right to obstruct a public parking space if it is for an emergency reason. Regardless of what the legal requirements may or may not be (and to be honest I think you people suggesting obstructing a space on a public road outside of a CPZ with no lines, isn't against the law anyway). PokerTime you know full well what the morality of this issue is and that someone doing this once in a blue moon for a valid reason isn't a bad thing. The law of common sense is on my side if nothing else. Far too many little Hitlers waiting with a handbook on the Highway Code for my liking, get a life.

Loz I take your point, but I'm almost certain it was the person who parked up that moved the bin because my street isn't a cut through, it's difficult to explain but unless you live down here you're unlikely to walk through.

Sea bag how do you know my boiler wasn't a big emergency? You know nothing of the facts. You are assuming. Something you seem good at doing. I will not be conceding, and I'm not in a minority of one a substantial number of people locally will see where I am coming from and fully respect my stance on this one.

As for SJ's point about me moving my car to another street, well, for a start I didn't park it outside someone else's house as I think that is the ultimate in damn rudeness (Seabag take note), and it was in an area with much less parking stress than my street, therefore, taking he morality issue, morally I was in the right to do what I did on this occasion, and I caused no harm to anyone else. However, the driver of the red disgusting motor vehicle ignorantly exposed on here, will hopefully think again before stealing someone else's rightful space.

Louisa.

[StraferJack]

that book of rules?? Petty and little-Hitlerish!

My little book of rules? Honorable and should be followed by everybody!

[Alan Medic]

In the interests of research Louisa, which coloured bin did you use?

[Louisa]

Just my green wheelie AM.

SJ those aren't my rules, they are the rules of common sense.

Louisa.

[Bluerevolution]

http://i.imgur.com/61lDc.gif

[matryx]

I'm sure you genuinely believe that you're as you say "within my rights" but legally you've no leg to stand on and you really should recognise that so you don't do anything rash to cars (or their owners) which may park there in future.

No one has the legal right to park their vehicle outside their property, be it rented or private. In addition, it is an offence to obstruct the highway whether it be with vehicles or in this case objects. It's public road, if parking is legal, anyone can use that space.

Generally the only grounds on which you can object to people parking outside your house is if they are physically blocking access to your property (ie the end of a driveway).

[Loz]

Louisa Wrote:

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> Just my green wheelie AM.

>

> SJ those aren't my rules, they are the rules of

> common sense.

Were they written by the silent majority??

[PokerTime]

And a broken down boiler is an emergency is it Louisa? Was anyone's life at risk? Were you about to die from hypothermia, or be crushed under an avalanche of unwashed laundry? There more you protest the more ridiculous your points become. I have a life btw, one that isn't comsumed with ranting on forums about nicked parking spaces. You might want to direct your advice back at yourself.

Now hand over that popcorn Bluerevolution :D

[StraferJack]

quick show of hands

was this thread started by Louisa

a) to reel people in/cause outrage

b) because she was genuinely outraged

c) combo of both?

As Dulwichmum found out all those years ago, playing up to a persona can get messy when it bleeds into reality

[El Pibe]

a(clause i)

[Bluerevolution]

PokerTime Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> And a broken down boiler is an emergency is it

> Louisa? Was anyone's life at risk? Were you about

> to die from hypothermia, or be crushed under an

> avalanche of unwashed laundry? There more you

> protest the more ridiculous your points become. I

> have a life btw, one that isn't comsumed with

> ranting on forums about nicked parking spaces. You

> might want to direct your advice back at

> yourself.

>

> Now hand over that popcorn Bluerevolution :D

Happy to share

[ED - NAGAIUTB]

Louisa - EDF's champagne socialist since 2007.

[TheCat]

What an entertaining thread...at this point I do feel compelled throw my 2 cents worth in.

My starting position would be one of opposition to Louisa, no one has the right to reserve a spot, whether that be outside their own house or anywhere else for that matter (can I reserve a spot on Lordship Lane outside ToastED?)

On the other hand, I think that most people could and should do the 'decent' thing and respect that sometimes there is a good reason why someone has reserved the spot. Hence, I think if you're going to attempt to reserve a spot, then a note of some fashion explaining your 'emergency' is a necessity.

The problem for people of the view of Louisa, is that very often in this area those reserving spaces with bins are doing it for not a very good reason. For example, I have seen tradesmen working on properties for weeks put bins in front of the house they are working on every night when they drive away, for no greater reason than so they can park right outside the next day. This makes my blood boil, when residents of the street cant find somewhere to park overnight. Now if they had a skip or large delivery arriving the next day, I would understand this is required on the odd occasion, but to do it everyday for 3 weeks? that is another matter entirely. Also, there are of course those residents who do just pop down the shops, and leave the bins out the front of their house for no other reason than they want to park there when they return.

so overall this is a somewhat grey area. Yes, the law says you cant reserve, but some may argue its common decency to not park there. But common decency is a 2 way street, and I'm afraid that if I dont deem your emergency as a very important one, then i will be moving your bins....

[the-e-dealer]

whats wrong with one way streets?

[grabot]

"As Dulwichmum found out all those years ago, playing up to a persona can get messy when it bleeds into reality"

What happened to Dulwichmum? Did the persona consume the underlying person? That would be a frightening thing.

[tfwsoll]

Why own a car in London anyway? I got rid of mine years ago and now use Zipcar or hire a car for longer journeys. Given the stress levels that securing a parking space seem to cause I clearly made the right decison....

[StraferJack]

Oh gawd, don't start Louisa down that road. That's another 10 pages to the thread sorted

[Louisa]

TheCat - I absolutely appreciate that SOME people take advantage of a grey area such as this. Yes there will always a selfish person out there who thinks it's acceptable to reserve spaces overnight for their convenience. That's absolutely wrong. But in terms of your point about common decency being a two way street, sadly some people in this world are ultimately ignorant and fail to put themselves in someone else's shoes. The elderly woman who's lost her husband and been forced to move a bin into a space outside her home for example. I know a note would help - and in future I will do that and it may have a different effect. I just cannot understand how anyone could have the sheer audacity to remove a bin. It just dumbfounds me.

SJ - this is absolutely serious I have no reason to take a rise out of people who make it their online currency to be confrontational with me because I have opposing opinions to them. It's a lame get out clause. I am the innocent party here do not forget, I was the one inconvenienced by half an hour in the end. And even if I wasn't- it's just the lack of morality. So many people in ED slip into immorality on a daily basis and frighteningly do not even see when they are doing it! Bizarre.

tfwsoll - no cars in London? So basically, we say, let's not own a car. What about visiting people from the continent with cars are they banned from using them here as a result? If no one owns a car in a city the size of London the knock on effect to the economy would be catastrophic. Think of all the unsold vehicles? Think of the strain it would put on an already crowded public transport network? I think on this one I'm onto a winner. No car ownership in London would lead to the demise of a great city.

Louisa.

[StraferJack]

Shark jump alert

[PokerTime]

Louisa, for the umpteenth time! A funeral can ask the council to suspend parking to reserve spaces for the funeral. It's not rocket science. You can't legally put bins in the road, but you can ask the council to provide reserved space in certain circumstances. A bin is a willful obstruction of the highway and under paragraph 137 of the 1980 Highways Act and is illegal, except when lawfully authorised, or in an immediate emergency. A leaking boiler is not an emergency and some councils fine people who do that (because the law allows them to). The car that moved your bin and parked had every right to do so. You are not a victim of anything here. I think you'd be the first to protest if someone wilfully ignored the law and then tried to claim innocence. You may not like it, but at least acknowledge your fury at the driver who parked is misguided legally.

Or am I head, banging, brick wall?