A driver who took a big chance and parked their car on a complete stranger's driveway has ended up out of pocket after being hit with a fine by the police.
It may come as a surprise to many that there actually isn't a whole lot that you can do if someone parks on your driveway, and some people have become wise to this. However, it's definitely bad form.
This particular person was ticketed as part of a crackdown on illegal driving and parking near a primary school in Birmingham at the beginning of this week.
The Skoda car can be clearly seen on the same driveway as a white van, parked straight in front of a complete stranger's garage door.
Imagine trying to get out of the house and leave for work and finding some random person's Skoda blocking you in on your own property. You'd be livid. Not to mention the disbelief that your excuse would surely get from your boss.
Anyway, this motorist was one of 16 who were given citations for one thing or another that morning. The others were for speeding, obstruction, or leaving the car in a dangerous position.
We're not sure which one of those offences they managed to pin on the opportunist Skoda driver, but it is to be hoped that they found something.
Moseley and King's Heath Police shared a selection of photos showing the various offenders. These photos included the driveway blocker.
Their post said: "Successful traffic operation this afternoon with @WMPRHRT outside @moor__green Primary School.
"16 drivers reported for a mixture of speeding and dangerous position/obstruction offences, including a driver who had parked on someone else's drive!"
That said, there isn't always a whole lot that you can do about stuff like this. The police have jurisdiction to get a car removed if it is on public land, which covers most roads.
Technically your driveway is private property and therefore if somebody parks on it, there isn't a great deal you can do to stop them. It's a snide move, but not entirely illegal.
This is due to a loophole between criminal and civil law.
However, there are circumstances in which you can get the coppers involved to remove a car from your driveway.
Earlier this year, a national police spokesperson said: "If the vehicle is in a dangerous condition, for example it's leaking petrol or contains dangerous items such as gas bottles, we would suggest you contact your local police via the non-emergency 101 number or 999 if an emergency response is required.
"If you think the vehicle is abandoned, we would suggest you contact your local council. Councils must remove abandoned vehicles from both land in the open air and roads (including private roads).
"However, local council policies differ in relation to this so we would suggest you discuss the matter with them - it may help if you speak with a manager. If a vehicle is abandoned, you don't have to ask the council to move it."
Featured Image Credit: Twitter/Moseley and King's Heath PoliceTopics: Parking, Police, Birmingham, News, Driving, UK, Cars
