Neighbours!
Daddylonglegs - 14/6/12 at 10:37 AM
Why oh why do people have to be so unreasonable?
We live on the edge of a village, and the entrance to our drive is just around a slight bend coming into the village as in the piccies (our drive is
on the right in picture 1, left in picture 2):
Description
Description
The road coming downhill into the village is a national until just before our drive, then 40 and then it changes to a 30 limit just before going into
the village.
The problem is, we get loads of cars who come hurtling down the hill into the village at way over the limit and braking hard just before they get to
the village. When coming out of our drive, we have had a few near misses by cars zipping down the hill. So I decided the best thing to do was get one
of those convex mirrors to give us a better view of the road up the hill and at least give us a better chance to see cars coming.
My idea was to put the mirror on the other side of the road near the telegraph pole on the right in picture 2. As it was by the fence on the house
opposite's garden, I thought it was only polite to a) introduce myself as the new neighbour, and b) say about the mirror.
The answer he gave me should have really told me the outcome: "I need to have a word with my wife first" !!
I called over there yesterday, explained who I was and basically it was "I'm not happy about that" etc. etc.
Her excuse, because the sign would be technically on her property boundary (apparently) then she was worried about liability if the mirror fell off or
was knocked off and caused an accident!!!
When was the last time anyone had that happen?
I explained that surely it would be my responsibility anyhow, but no good!
If I had been a little quicker, I should have asked her how she would feel if my wife got taken out when leaving the drive because she wouldn't
let me put the mirror up.
Anyhow, rant over and sorry for the long thread, but I am livid! 
blakep82 - 14/6/12 at 10:46 AM
one of these before the corner?
eBay Item
as for the neighbours, i can't understand her answer, but people are like that somehow.
contact the council perhaps? explain the problem, see if they've got any way to help? people will go round the coner fast regardless, but if it
even helps a few cars slow down for the corner then better than nothing.
concealed entrance sign, oncoming traffic on carriageway (or whatever it says), tell them your concerns and what you've tried to do, see if they
can help
r1_pete - 14/6/12 at 11:03 AM
As Blake says, I would talk with the council, they will have a highways section, and explain the situation, they will do risk assesments and analysis,
and may eventually do something worthwhile.
Irony - 14/6/12 at 11:05 AM
I don't know why but I think some people are born to make other people lives more difficult. If I lived there I have helped you put it up.
We have a green bin for green refuse. Grass cuttings and such. The last few weeks I have gone out to put my bin out and someone has put a green bin
in front of my house. All the neighbours have their bins out and it looks like I have two bins. This has happened a few times and I saw my neighbour
coming out of his house. I asked him if he knew who the phantom bin belonged to. He said he didn't know. Sure enough on Friday the Phantom Bin
appeared again. I came home early from work and saw my neighbour taking two bins back into his garden including the Phantom Bin. Why lie? Why not
be neighbourly and say 'can I put my bin out in your spot'. 'Why be a arse?'
Strontium Dog - 14/6/12 at 11:06 AM
Try a good long honk on your new extra loud air horns every time you pull out of the drive. Especially do this early mornings and eves. Maybe the
neighbor will think more reasonably about a mirror then as an alternative!
I am lucky where I live as it's virtually a gated community and the neighbors whilst not particularly my social circle, are all decent types. The
rest of the country seems to have gone mad in this 'sue em society'!
Mr Whippy - 14/6/12 at 11:10 AM
suggest that the mirror you use will not be glass but made of plastic
however if you used two mirrors on your side of the road, each facing in differnt directions you should still be able to see up the road like the
crappy picture below
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morcus - 14/6/12 at 11:13 AM
As said, some people are just like that, could be worse though, I've had a few bad ones.
fullpint - 14/6/12 at 11:24 AM
Lets hope a car gives her car a little trap when they pull out of there drive-way.. 
AndyW - 14/6/12 at 11:47 AM
No help to the OP but we have green bags for garden waste, mine dissapeared. Got 2 new ones from council. Wrote our door number and road name on the
bags in permanent marker. A week later the numbers had been changed to our neighbours with similar black pen. WHY do it? They were clearly our bags
and to change the door number so the old one can still be seen is just crazy. Mind you she is a crazy object and I would not really feel comfortable
confronting her.
Anyway as for the OP hope you get it sorted as I know how you feel.
Slater - 14/6/12 at 12:07 PM
Could you mount the mirror on the telegraph pole itself? You could then say to your nasty neigbour that you have already contacted the folk who own
the pole (electric/phone whatever) and they have given you permission. Whether you actually ask them for permission is up to you.
macc man - 14/6/12 at 12:33 PM
I have a neighbour who complained about my tree putting his garden in the shade. I said he had my permission to prune it at his expense. It has not
been done as he wants me to pay for it. You cannot win with some folk.
NigeEss - 14/6/12 at 01:04 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Slater
Could you mount the mirror on the telegraph pole itself? You could then say to your nasty neigbour that you have already contacted the folk who own
the pole (electric/phone whatever) and they have given you permission. Whether you actually ask them for permission is up to you.
Agreed.
A friend of mine requested permission from BT to put a mirror on a telegraph pole and BT said as long as it doesn't hinder
climbing access then carry on.
MikeFellows - 14/6/12 at 02:43 PM
I have a guy at the back of me, who's a complete arse
a couple of months ago I seen him walking down my drive along side the house to the back garden, I went out and asked if I could help
he started effing and blinding about my chickens, after 2 minutes of listening to him, I pointed out that I didnt even have any chickens and it was
next door neighbour who kept them. he replied "well what do you think about them", my exact response was something along the lines of
couldnt give a fuck, hope they keep you awake and if you come down my drive screaming and shouting again i will stove your skull in.
then he went next door and screamed at the 14yo lad who was the only one in.
funnily enough his wife came round 3 weeks ago, nice as pie and asked if I could possibly trim a conifer at the bottom of the garden. no worries, I
trimmed it that weekend.
behave like an arse and thats what you get in return imo
hughpinder - 14/6/12 at 04:17 PM
I have a similar drive set up to you. My neighbour was just like yours, despite the fact that he has a mirror on my side(he gets a better view from
his side anyway!), that was put up before we bought the house.
I contacted the council about putting up a 'concealed entrance sign'- Not allowed, and you can't put your own up either, if it's
within (if I remember right) 5m of the road edge. The reason given was that no serious accidents have occured here, and if there are too many signs
people get used to them and they are not as effective. Since we moved in , about 15 years ago, we have had 2 people hit by cars crossing the road, a
motorcyclist who crashed into the driveway, and a friends car that was written off when they pulled out of our drive and got T boned, but none
resulted in a serious injury (hospital visit), so apparently its low risk.
Best of luck
Hugh
MikeRJ - 14/6/12 at 05:43 PM
It's hard to believe there are so many utterly unreasonable people around
scudderfish - 14/6/12 at 06:01 PM
quote:
Originally posted by MikeRJ
It's hard to believe there are so many utterly unreasonable people around
That's the problem with this place. Everyone is so damned nice it lulls you into a false sense of security before you have to deal with
meatspace.
JoelP - 14/6/12 at 07:14 PM
quote:
Originally posted by MikeFellows
I have a guy at the back of me, who's a complete arse
a couple of months ago I seen him walking down my drive along side the house to the back garden, I went out and asked if I could help
he started effing and blinding about my chickens, after 2 minutes of listening to him, I pointed out that I didnt even have any chickens and it was
next door neighbour who kept them. he replied "well what do you think about them", my exact response was something along the lines of
couldnt give a fuck, hope they keep you awake and if you come down my drive screaming and shouting again i will stove your skull in.
then he went next door and screamed at the 14yo lad who was the only one in.
funnily enough his wife came round 3 weeks ago, nice as pie and asked if I could possibly trim a conifer at the bottom of the garden. no worries, I
trimmed it that weekend.
behave like an arse and thats what you get in return imo
Just like me that, i call it the mirror approach. Ie people get back what they give you.
bi22le - 14/6/12 at 08:06 PM
quote:
Originally posted by scudderfish
quote:
Originally posted by MikeRJ
It's hard to believe there are so many utterly unreasonable people around
That's the problem with this place. Everyone is so damned nice it lulls you into a false sense of security before you have to deal with
meatspace.
"meatspace" I like that term!!
I am going on a stag do this weekend. I will be making that the word of the holiday. It may be written on the head of the stag. . . .hmm. . . .
