teachermom2834 Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 (edited) I woke up from a nap to find the gf of 19yo ds had parked her car illegally in front of my house. We cannot park on the street but people do sometimes but usually halfway in the grass. Her car is parked at least a foot out into the road facing the wrong direction. It is a small black car. They will not return until about 11:00 tonight. It is already dark. At the moment I am sitting in my car in front of illegally parked car with my lights on. Our street is not a main road but a neighborhood street people drive 25-30 mph. Very few dim streetlights. Basically I think there is a pretty high probability of someone hitting her car because they just don't see it/expect it there. The liability and expense is a concern of course but I can't bear the thought of someone getting hurt when I could have somehow prevented it. I don't have safety cones or reflective equipment. Even if I wanted to demand my ds and his gf return they are a couple hours away. For now I am sitting in front of it with my lights on contemplating how I will handle this. WWYD? This is what my parenting teens and young adults is like. Being faced with stupid scenarios that I never once thought out in advance how I would handle. Edited January 2, 2018 by teachermom2834 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saraha Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Are her doors locked? Can you get in and turn on her hazards? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 It isn't your car. I would text her and let her know she is parked illegally and runs the risk of a parking ticket and/or having someone run into her car. Then I would chalk it up to "Not my circus, not my monkeys." 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Are her parents nearby with a spare car key? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted January 2, 2018 Author Share Posted January 2, 2018 Are her doors locked? Can you get in and turn on her hazards? Doors locked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solascriptura Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Where are they right now? I would text your son and let him know that there’s a problem with the parking. I would also ask the gf to never do that again. Really, there isn’t much you can do. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted January 2, 2018 Author Share Posted January 2, 2018 Are her parents nearby with a spare car key? No. Unfortunately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted January 2, 2018 Author Share Posted January 2, 2018 It isn't your car. I would text her and let her know she is parked illegally and runs the risk of a parking ticket and/or having someone run into her car. Then I would chalk it up to "Not my circus, not my monkeys." I realize it is not truly my responsibility but I do still feel responsible. Not because she would get a ticket or her car hit but because someone else could get hurt in the process. But I totally hear what you are saying. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xahm Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Do you have any flashlights or battery powered lanterns you could use to set on the car to alert oncoming traffic to something being there? Run some Christmas lights out there (lol, but seriously)? I'd also call and tell them it's a problem and you hope nothing bad happens before they return. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Where are they? Out of town it just out on a date? Because I would definitely call her and tell her she needs to come and move it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted January 2, 2018 Author Share Posted January 2, 2018 Do you have any flashlights or battery powered lanterns you could use to set on the car to alert oncoming traffic to something being there? Run some Christmas lights out there (lol, but seriously)? I'd also call and tell them it's a problem and you hope nothing bad happens before they return. That is the current plan. We have a couple battery powered lanterns we are placing on the car and we just strung a small string of battery powered Christmas lights around the side view mirror and along the side. Anything that will alert drivers it is there should help. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 To relieve some guilt, drivers should have their headlights on. They aren’t going so fast on a residential street that they won’t be able to stop or swerve in time. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Is there a particular reason, such as a blind corner, why parking on the street is illegal on the street? I would think that the chances of the car being hit are still small. Although people may not be expecting a car, they would have the headlights on and would see it just as they would an animal or something else in the street. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted January 2, 2018 Author Share Posted January 2, 2018 Where are they? Out of town it just out on a date? Because I would definitely call her and tell her she needs to come and move it. They are out of town. If they were local I definitely would have made them come move it. I could demand they come home immediately but that would only get them home two hours earlier and it would ruin something they have planned for awhile and purchased tickets to. I feel like demanding that would be overreacting and even if justified - I just don't want to do that. I am the first to admit I err on the side of being soft with my young adults and their significant others. I am mainly upset with my ds. He knows how to park in our neighborhood. I really don't want to make the gf feel bad or embarrassed even if what she did was unwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted January 2, 2018 Author Share Posted January 2, 2018 To relieve some guilt, drivers should have their headlights on. They aren’t going so fast on a residential street that they won’t be able to stop or swerve in time. True! I definitely overthink things sometimes :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmos Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Have you tried going out with your car and then approaching from afar with your headlights on? It would give you a better sense of how visible it is to a moving car. Parking is allowed on our street but people generally don't because the road is so narrow and most houses have decent driveways. But every once in awhile I'll be driving home and suddenly come across a parked car. I have never once come even close to hitting a parked car, even though there is a hill that makes it rather blind in some spots. The danger may not be as much as you fear. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Yes, you run into all kinds of situations when children are this age. We have a single driveway and parking on our street is illegal between 2:00am and 5:00am (and tickets are freely given for parking on the street during those hours). We have gotten in the habit of asking dc's friends to leave keys accessible when their cars are at our house--we have a special hook for keys--so that people do not get blocked in or cars don't get left on the street in afterhour times 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth86 Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 wwId?? Idk, but geez I'd be annoyed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustEm Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 I wouldn't do anything. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted January 2, 2018 Author Share Posted January 2, 2018 Yes, you run into all kinds of situations when children are this age. We have a single driveway and parking on our street is illegal between 2:00am and 5:00am (and tickets are freely given for parking on the street during those hours). We have gotten in the habit of asking dc's friends to leave keys accessible when their cars are at our house--we have a special hook for keys--so that people do not get blocked in or cars don't get left on the street in afterhour times Yes, covering with the younger teens home right now things like "leave your keys when you are going to be gone awhile in case someone needs to move your car for some reason" I think it was a thoughtless thing to do but I think this is how people learn things, so I'm annoyed but I remember being 19 yo. Young people just don't always see the big picture. My 17 yo who just strung the Christmas lights on the car will likely never make this same mistake. Not will gf who will be embarrassed to pull up and see her car "decorated". 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Yes, you run into all kinds of situations when children are this age. We have a single driveway and parking on our street is illegal between 2:00am and 5:00am (and tickets are freely given for parking on the street during those hours). We have gotten in the habit of asking dc's friends to leave keys accessible when their cars are at our house--we have a special hook for keys--so that people do not get blocked in or cars don't get left on the street in afterhour times We've got plenty of parking room here, but we have the same rule. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 Is the road so narrow that people drive right next to the curb? One foot into the road isn’t even as wide as a normal bike lane. I would go back inside and not worry about it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lang Syne Boardie Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 If you really believe a driver is going to hit the car, if it's pretty much inevitable, call a wrecker and have it towed. Gf and possibly ds will never forgive you...but if it's actually illegally parked they don't have to know you were the one who called. (Feigning ignorance won't work if you've already got the whole household in an uproar with your fussing.) I don't know. I'm not saying I would do this. But if this is not only an illegal but also potentially a life jeopardizing mistake, your conscience might like you to call. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 I'm sure it's safer than you think - but sitting out in the cold might not be! Come back in the house and stay there! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 And yes, if you legitimately believe it isn't safe, for crying out loud, just call a tow truck and later claim it must have been one of your busybody neighbors who has nothing better to do than to harass people for illegal parking. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted January 3, 2018 Author Share Posted January 3, 2018 Is the road so narrow that people drive right next to the curb? One foot into the road isn’t even as wide as a normal bike lane. I would go back inside and not worry about it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk There is a foot between where her car is in the road and the yard. So her whole car is way out in the road. The road is narrow enough that a car would have to move over and go around it. So a driver paying attention would see it and go around but you could not hold your lane and not hit the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted January 3, 2018 Author Share Posted January 3, 2018 Update. Dh arrived home with a safety cone and put some reflective tape on it. That out in front of the car is enough for my conscience. Thanks for playing along, all! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 (edited) Maybe I’m visualizing this wrong, but I don’t understand why you’re so worried another car will hit her. Is it a one-lane road or something? Never mind. Just saw the update. Edited January 3, 2018 by Word Nerd 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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