[TattyBoJangles]

Hello there

I was just wondering if anybody had some short-term solutions that will stop people from using my driveway to turn around in.

Before I sound like a curmudgeonly old person, let me explain..
Our driveway is big enough for four cars. Most of the time, there are three cars on the driveway, mine being the closest to the road as I tend to drive the most. Due to the nature of our garden wall, you can fit a fourth car on the drive, next to mine, but the gap is rather small so you have to be careful.

Starting today, there are roadworks down my street which will last for "up to a week". Despite there being a sign at the end of the road that clearly says "Road ahead closed. Diversion." almost everyone seems to be ignoring it and coming down the street anyway. Obviously, as they hit the roadworks, they have to turn around. And they tend to use our drive, despite there being a lane next to my house.

I wouldn't mind people using the drive to then around in, but I live next to a school (which is down the aforementioned lane next to my house). I was looking out of the window at 'home time', and most of the cars that came down the street used my drive to turn around in. Of these, about 5 of them just swung in all gung-ho, meaning they almost scraped either our garden wall or my car. If there have been this many near-misses in just one day, if nothing's done to stop people using our driveway, it's a very real possibility that my car will be scraped by the end of the week.

We don't want to buy a gate or fence or anything as that's expensive and just needs to last for the week - but the best short-term solution I can think of is putting up a sign that says "Trespassers will be shot" and leaving my brother's airsoft gun visible in the window. Mum, however, questions the legality of this; so, any suggestions?

[hypercaine.]

Can you not position the cars so that theres no room to turn around? Obviously I dont know exactly how your driveway is laid out but maybe its possible?

[diggy]

Block the area with cones (like the big ones seen on building sites)

[jumpingjesusholycow]

Leave an old ladder with a couple of items around it to make it look like it's being used to do up the front of the house (paint cans or something, I don't know). People aren't going to barge into an open ladder, and providing your area doesn't consist of giant ********s, I doubt anyone will nick the ladder.

That's the best I've got besides using barbedwire/spikes or some form of heavy/cumbersome object in the way of where they'd swing in

[TattyBoJangles]

(Original post by hypercaine.)
Can you not position the cars so that theres no room to turn around? Obviously I dont know exactly how your driveway is laid out but maybe its possible?

Unfortunately I can't, really. I have to park behind dad's car as mum's car is too long and if I park behind her, my car can't fit onto the drive - so I can't really shuffle my car into the middle of the drive without parking almost diagonally. Mum doesn't like bringing hers forward as it's a Mercedes and people seem to like stealing the badge :/

(Original post by diggy)
Block the area with cones (like the big ones seen on building sites)

Ooh - there are some down the street due to the roadworks. May ask them tomorrow if I can borrow one :P If they say no, do you know of somewhere I can - legally - get one?

[Steevee]

Got any recycliing boxes or anything you can leave strewn across the bottom?

Other than that, knock some nails through a couple of planks, and erect a sign saying 'Trepass at your peril'

[pinda.college]

OP put your wheelie bins in the gap?

[Historiana]

Dig a sign into the ground in the middle of the driveway (but so you can still get out) saying: 'Please do not use this drive to turn around' or 'Broken glass - turn around at your peril' (but don't put glass down).

[Joinedup]

(Original post by TattyBoJangles)
Unfortunately I can't, really. I have to park behind dad's car as mum's car is too long and if I park behind her, my car can't fit onto the drive - so I can't really shuffle my car into the middle of the drive without parking almost diagonally. Mum doesn't like bringing hers forward as it's a Mercedes and people seem to like stealing the badge :/




Ooh - there are some down the street due to the roadworks. May ask them tomorrow if I can borrow one :P If they say no, do you know of somewhere I can - legally - get one?

legally... Builders merchants and tool hire shops.

[Origami Bullets]

(Original post by jumpingjesusholycow)
Leave an old ladder with a couple of items around it to make it look like it's being used to do up the front of the house (paint cans or something, I don't know). People aren't going to barge into an open ladder, and providing your area doesn't consist of giant ********s, I doubt anyone will nick the ladder.

Ladders are one of those things that burglars love their victims (or victims neighbours) to provide them with.

I'd suggest using traffic cones.

[jumpingjesusholycow]

(Original post by Origami Bullets)
Ladders are one of those things that burglars love their victims (or victims neighbours) to provide them with.

I'd suggest using traffic cones.

Well I did make the addendum that it was only a worthwhile plan dependent on them living in a decent area. I wouldn't have recommended leaving it there day and night anyway, though presumably if anyone was so concerned about their residential safety that leaving a ladder was an invitation to a burglar, I'd be locking windows by default anyway (combined with a house alarm most likely).

Providing they have a stash of traffic cones, it's a better idea. Though if they meet the criteria I mentioned, and they have a ladder (as most households do) I think my idea wasn't too bad. That said you did point out a significant flaw.

[Ham22]

Do you have access to any horse manure?

[kidomo]

The traffic cones sounds like a GOOD IDEA OP

[MissLightyear]

Can you not just park your car further down the drive so they cant get in?

[Horatio-]

I read your post but I still don't understand why you or your parents can't position your car so that people don't turn around in your drive.

Even if it looks silly or blatant it's better than having some div scratch your car or knock down your wall and drive off.

Another idea however is your wheelie bins. Surely you have one green one and one for general rubbish. Just line them up at the front of the drive where people pull in.

[rmhumphries]

(Original post by TattyBoJangles)
Unfortunately I can't, really. I have to park behind dad's car as mum's car is too long and if I park behind her, my car can't fit onto the drive - so I can't really shuffle my car into the middle of the drive without parking almost diagonally. Mum doesn't like bringing hers forward as it's a Mercedes and people seem to like stealing the badge :/




Ooh - there are some down the street due to the roadworks. May ask them tomorrow if I can borrow one :P If they say no, do you know of somewhere I can - legally - get one?

Screwfix do them - pack of 5 for just under £30. Or hire some cones or fencing from HSS - from £5.30 for a week for a cone or around £7.50 for a week for mesh fencing.

[JC.]

You don't own the drop curb.

Sorry, but folk can do as they please in this instance.

[danielfigfoz]

(Original post by JC.)
You don't own the drop curb.

Sorry, but folk can do as they please in this instance.

She does own her driveway though.

What happened in the end?

[TattyBoJangles]

(Original post by danielfigfoz)
She does own her driveway though.

What happened in the end?

Yeah, my problem wasn't with people mounting the kerb, it was with people swerving into my driveway and almost scraping my car.

I followed the advice of most people on here and filled the gap with wheelie bins We did get a few people who started turning into the driveway but then noticed the bins and instead used the lane next to my house.
The roadworks are now gone, and the week passed without any scraped cars so I'm all happy

I think we'll look into getting a gate put up, though. It wasn't mentioned in the OP but our garden wall was knocked down last year by a van that mis-judged the gap when trying to use our drive to turn around in. We've had no instances as bad as that since, but better to be safe than sorry.

[sarahthegemini]

(Original post by TattyBoJangles)
Hello there

I was just wondering if anybody had some short-term solutions that will stop people from using my driveway to turn around in.

Before I sound like a curmudgeonly old person, let me explain..
Our driveway is big enough for four cars. Most of the time, there are three cars on the driveway, mine being the closest to the road as I tend to drive the most. Due to the nature of our garden wall, you can fit a fourth car on the drive, next to mine, but the gap is rather small so you have to be careful.

Starting today, there are roadworks down my street which will last for "up to a week". Despite there being a sign at the end of the road that clearly says "Road ahead closed. Diversion." almost everyone seems to be ignoring it and coming down the street anyway. Obviously, as they hit the roadworks, they have to turn around. And they tend to use our drive, despite there being a lane next to my house.

I wouldn't mind people using the drive to then around in, but I live next to a school (which is down the aforementioned lane next to my house). I was looking out of the window at 'home time', and most of the cars that came down the street used my drive to turn around in. Of these, about 5 of them just swung in all gung-ho, meaning they almost scraped either our garden wall or my car. If there have been this many near-misses in just one day, if nothing's done to stop people using our driveway, it's a very real possibility that my car will be scraped by the end of the week.

We don't want to buy a gate or fence or anything as that's expensive and just needs to last for the week - but the best short-term solution I can think of is putting up a sign that says "Trespassers will be shot" and leaving my brother's airsoft gun visible in the window. Mum, however, questions the legality of this; so, any suggestions?

I actually believed that you were a sensible and sane person until that part.