Is this legal? : Stoning of grass verges

John · 08-04-2003, 12:45

Is this legal?

Some homeowners have started to place large pointed stones outside the bounds of their properties onto the grass verge, which is clearly public property.

While I understand that during winter it turns into a muddy swamp from irresponsible drivers who don’t live there. However, this does mean car drivers who sometimes have to mount to the side in order to allow emergencies vehicle to pass can't do so.

Who fault would it be it the underside of the car got ripped in such cases?

Should the council get tough or just let it be?

Party Boy · 08-04-2003, 14:02

The legalities of this aren't black and white. I would think that if damage was caused to your car (by hitting one of these rocks whilst getting out of the way of an emergency vehicle) you could be accused of driving without due care and attention - because you should have seen it. Also, I think you would find it very difficult, without eyewitness evidence, to prove who had placed the rocks there. That is not to say that I agree with this practice, on the contrary I find it really annoying.

You could always remove the offending rocks, but then you could find yourself accused of theft.

Best course of action is probably to contact the local council/police and ask for there advice

John · 08-04-2003, 14:19

I've noticed some areas of Sheffield, people have paint them white to make them visible at night. Others, simply cannot be seen and it seems that when you are in a traffic jam, your course of action is simply to turn in and so you can't see that they are actually there as you crawl along.

Party Boy · 08-04-2003, 14:28

Quote:

Originally posted by "John"

Others, simply cannot be seen and it seems that when you are in a traffic jam, your course of action is simply to turn in and so you can't see that they are actually there as you crawl along.

I know what you mean, just spoke to a friend and she told me that she actually damaged the passenger door of her car on one of these rocks - she had stopped to drop somebody off and as they opened the door it hit a "huge f**c*in piece of stone" (her words) and put a dent in the door. She was very annoyed - to the point that she got out her car, picked up the rock and "placed" it on the bonnet of a car that was in the drive of the house concerned, along with a note the contents of which I wont repeat...
Good for her, perhaps this is the best course of action to take

RPG · 08-04-2003, 14:39

kinda does make sence tho, placing rocks there.

we dont do it personally, but it certainly stops idiots mounting the curbs and driving all over the grass, i saw a council van drive into a verge and it just sank, so it serves him right!

Freedom · 08-04-2003, 21:53

grass verges are council property and no member of the public has any right to put anything on them. If there is an ongoing problem with people parking / driving on verges, send a petition to the council requesting bollards be installed.

brg · 08-04-2003, 22:02

Perhaps some of the people who put stones on the verges are marking their territory.
Saying 'this is my land keep away' like hostile African tribes used to put their enemies heads on poles and stake them out around their borders.
I bet some of these people walk their dogs a few hundred yards along the street and leave dog mess on someone else's verge.

Or on the other hand they could just be caring people who want to keep the grass looking good.

royalscam · 09-04-2003, 10:13

So this woman didn't see this "F*****g big piece of rock"
Perhaps she shouldn't be driving at all.

Tony Ruscoe · 09-04-2003, 10:41

Quote:

Originally posted by "royalscam"

So this woman didn't see this "F*****g big piece of rock"
Perhaps she shouldn't be driving at all.

Yes... quite.

What if that stone was a small child playing? Would she have gone and put an injured child on the car bonnet of the house she was outside?

Party Boy · 09-04-2003, 10:57

I think that a small child playing would be considerably more visible than a rock. I would also be asking the childs parents why he/she was allowed to play alone next to the road.

If you haven't got anything constructive to add to the discussion then maybe you should just stick to posting on your own website forum - looks like it needs all the visitors it can get

Tony Ruscoe · 09-04-2003, 11:58

You can't really be telling me that only constructive comments are allowed here!?!

I guess I must've missed out the slightly overused geeky <sarcasm> and </sarcasm> tags

(Good point well made about my forum though... I know it sucks - but I do have a couple of friends! Honest... I do I tell you!)

Chris · 09-04-2003, 19:08

Quote:

Originally posted by "Tony Ruscoe"

Quote:

Originally Posted by royalscam

So this woman didn't see this "F*****g big piece of rock"
Perhaps she shouldn't be driving at all.

Yes... quite.

What if that stone was a small child playing? Would she have gone and put an injured child on the car bonnet of the house she was outside?

Seemed perfectly constructive to me. I'd be annoyed if I'd damaged my car on a rock but by the sounds of it if I'd been in the situation Party Boy's friend was in I'd only have myself to blame - it's just a case of not being careful enough. Why didn't she drop her friend off at the end of a driveway instead of next to a piece of grass (possibly muddy)? That does seem a bit inconsiderate towards her friend

JonHarrison · 10-04-2003, 12:48

Maybe the passenger wasnt really a friend and just an acquaintance!

Maybe she should have sat her friend on the car bonnet seeing as she rammed the car door into the innocent rock.

Dont the rocks have rights too??

Blessed are the cheesemakers

Lickszz · 14-04-2003, 19:40

Quote:

Originally posted by "brg"

Perhaps some of the people who put stones on the verges are marking their territory.
Saying 'this is my land keep away' like hostile African tribes used to put their enemies heads on poles and stake them out around their borders.
I bet some of these people walk their dogs a few hundred yards along the street and leave dog mess on someone else's verge.

Or on the other hand they could just be caring people who want to keep the grass looking good.

I suppose they could Urinate on it to mark their territory just like in the animal kingdom.

Lickszz · 14-04-2003, 19:46

The Rocks are not allowed. If I would have damaged my car on them, I would have been fuming and would have acted accordingly. What if someone trips on one of these rocks and smashed their skull? who is liable?

JonHarrison · 15-04-2003, 07:24

Possibly the silly sod for tripping on them. Watch where they're going, thats what I say!

As for damaging your car on them, try driving on the roads and not the verges. I damaged the underside of my car purely because I did not see the verge protecting rock. I felt extremely angry to the owner of the house (who I knew). Simple fact was, I was in the wrong. I didnt look hard enough, I just assumed that it wasnt there before and therefore wouldnt be there now.

I didnt have a God given right to park my car in front of their house and the grass verge so there you go.

Dont assume that you can park there, dont assume that there might not be an obstacle in your path, lets all open our eyes a bit more.

Lickszz · 16-04-2003, 12:32

Quote:

Originally posted by "JonHarrison"

Possibly the silly sod for tripping on them. Watch where they're going, thats what I say!

As for damaging your car on them, try driving on the roads and not the verges. I damaged the underside of my car purely because I did not see the verge protecting rock. I felt extremely angry to the owner of the house (who I knew). Simple fact was, I was in the wrong. I didnt look hard enough, I just assumed that it wasnt there before and therefore wouldnt be there now.

I didnt have a God given right to park my car in front of their house and the grass verge so there you go.

Dont assume that you can park there, dont assume that there might not be an obstacle in your path, lets all open our eyes a bit more.

Hmm , this is alot easier said than done for Young Children and Old Age Pensioners. Some of the stones I have seen are at the side of the road! you stop to drop someone off, they open door to get out, smash door on stone, damaged door. These stones are simply not necessary.

mishapp · 16-04-2003, 20:01

I say, if the verges want to get stoned... let 'em!

Hixxy · 16-04-2003, 20:24

There are some of these stones painted white on the grass verge outside my mother in laws house. They were there when she moved in. Who put them there, I do not know, (Perhaps the previous occupant?) but if someone was to damage their car on them, then put the stone on her car bonnet, I know she would be less than pleased, as she had nothing to do with them being there in the first place, so I think this course of action was a little unfair to say the least.

John · 16-04-2003, 21:59

My original post mentioned lives could be at risk simply because drivers were no longer able to pull up on a verge to let the emergency vehicles pass. This could easily happen in a traffic Jam where one or more cars cannot get out of the way.

Can one be done for manslaughter for holding up vital seconds of such vehicles indirectly?

Personally I find that grass verges are useless today and that they should be dug up for car parking spaces unless there is a tree there. The street would be much tidier and safer with less cars to weave in and out of.