A homeowner complained that parents trying to take their children to school repeatedly blocked his driveway.
The resident tried to give his garden a special flair, but it made no difference to the car owners.
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Michael Meyers, a homeowner from Kentucky, filed a complaint because parents from Audubon Traditional Elementary School repeatedly parked in his driveway.
The parents decided to park on the residents’ property after experiencing long lines of cars.
As officials try to help and parents look for a more effective way to drop off and pick up their children from school, neighbors like Michael report it’s frustrating to have vehicles on their property.
“There’s traffic from the driveway down there all the way down past McKinley and up the hill,” Michael told Wave.
Michael has lived near Audubon Traditional Elementary School for ten years and said school traffic has gotten worse.
Although he understands that traffic congestion around the school is normal, the Kentucky resident wishes drivers would be more respectful of his property.
“They come, drive up and completely block the driveways,” he said.
Michael also revealed that drivers on his street drive too fast.
He had already previously approached his city council to persuade them to install speed bumps.
However, Michael said they had refused his request.
Nevertheless, the homeowner continues to try to contact the city government and the school’s parent company, JCPS.
Ignore the signs
In the meantime, Michael has gone to great lengths to create a sign to keep cars away.
“Be considerate, do not block the driveway,” said Michael’s sign.
However, the signs didn’t make much of a difference since the parents continued to park in the neighbor’s driveway.
“I mean, I was sitting here putting up the sign, you know, and I looked the guy straight in the eyes, you know, right there next to my driveway,” Michael said.
Why is it illegal to block a driveway?
Blocking a driveway is illegal in the United States because it restricts access to emergency care.
Aside from being reckless, blocking a driveway poses a serious safety risk, police say.
Blocking the driveway of a private home is illegal in all 50 states. Fines and penalties vary from state to state.
For example, if a driver blocks a driveway in San Francisco, California, they could face a hefty towing fee of $286 and a fine of $110.
This does not include the cost of picking up the vehicle from the storage facility, which averages over $600.
In an emergency, a blocked driveway can mean the difference between life and death for a patient.
“In the United States, it is illegal to block any driveway, even your own,” says Parklio’s website.
“It is a question of public safety: emergency services such as fire engines, ambulances or police vehicles need this space to get in and out.
“A blocked driveway can also prevent vehicles from accessing the road to seek emergency services.”
Source: San Francisco Police Department, Parklio
“He pulled right up and blocked the driveway right after I put the sign there. And I looked right at him.”
He added that his handmade sign might not be enough, but he plans to make another one.
“I made the sign myself, but I’m going to go over and get a blank cardboard sign, just one of those plastic cardboard things,” Michael said.
“Write it down or whatever and put it there, and that way when it rains it’ll be there and won’t wash up or whatever.”
Although JCPS and the city government have not yet made any efforts, Michael said Audubon has been in touch with parents to minimize the problem.
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