!michael adams" wrote in message
...

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
...

But people with the householders permission can ignore the "no parking
across the drive" restriction.

Anyone *can* can ignore the "no parking across the drive"
restriction, regardless of whether they have the householder's
permission or not. At least providing there's not already
a car parked there and there's sufficient room for
manouvere.

What surprises me is how powerless the police seem to be when a car is
parked across a drive, blocking access. Given how assiduously the tow-away
trucks take cars that are parked where they are not causing an obstruction
(just outstaying their welcome, which is a *much* less serious offence
IMHO), it's surprising that cars which are causing an obstruction across a
drive cannot legally be towed away, as long as they have valid tax, MOT and
insurance.

My parents have a long layby outside their drive (and outside lots of
neighbouring houses). People park in their in order to walk the 1/4 mile to
the railway station. Fair enough, as long as their are nor blocking anyone's
drive. But on several occasions people have been blocked from getting their
cars out, and the police do not want to know, because the layby is deemed
not to be part for the highway, even though it needs to be crossed to access
drives. (*) One of our neighbours very carefully (so as to avoid causing
damage) jacked up the rear wheels (**) in turn and put wheelskates
underneath, and pushed the car a couple of feet forwards. The police said
that providing no damage was done, this was not illegal.


(*) Interestingly, they weren't even interested in cars parked in the marked
bus stop part of the layby.

(**) The ones which would be locked by the handbrake. I presume he had
already established that the car was not in gear which would have locked the
front wheels, requiring them to be raised as well.