I just scrolled through the responses to make sure my suggestion hasn’t already been made - but do forgive me if it has and I missed it! You asked for a solution that wouldn’t come across as “annoying”, which would still put people off from walking through. If I was you, I would purchase some tall plants in long, movable, low planters (e.g. something like this , or the ones shown here. Then place them between where you and your partner each park your cars. This will create a psychological barrier that people won’t want to walk through, while also still being visually appealing and saving you the hassle of adding gates (which isn’t just expensive, but also annoying on an everyday basis, as you’ll have to get in and out of your car every time you leave/arrive to open and shut the gates behind you). You can also pick plants & planters that are low enough not to rise above your level of vision when looking out of the house - generally, as long as they’ll roughly reach the height of your car windows, 99% of people won’t bother clambering through the gap between the planters. They’ll arrive at the corner, see that the “shortcut” involves much more effort, and will instinctively follow the “normal” route. And because it’s an unconscious psychological barrier, chances are that people won’t even notice that’s what you put them there for! So you won’t be perceived as annoying. The added bonus is of course that this option can become an aesthetic upgrade to your front drive and view into the house as well! You can choose planters and plants that go with the rest. Also: lots of planters come on lockable wheels, so if you ever need to move them, you totally can. But the planters & plants are usually big enough that passers-by won’t bother (or dare) to do this when walking past your house. Hope this helps! All the best!

PS if you do end up doing this, I’d love to see photos of the outcome!