Pissing off the neighbours with the parking...

[deleted203]

I'll try to keep to the basics. We have detached house with driveway on busy main road. Directly opposite us is a small cul de sac with bungalows full of retired folks. Because our drive will only take mine and DHs vehicle, DD1 has been parking her car across the road in the cul de sac, as there is nowhere else to leave it. She isn't across anyone's drive, they all have garages/drives, there are no yellow lines and she varies where she parks so that she isn't constantly in front of the same house.

However, we have had one gentleman come over the road to complain to us about this on more than one occasion. Apparently all the residents are fed up with this. We have been polite and asked if it is causing him problems, and he has said it isn't - but that everyone in the cul de sac is complaining that her car is always there. (He is actually the house on the junction and DD has never parked in front of his house, as it is obviously not a good place to leave a car!). We have pointed out that her car is taxed, MOT and insured and that it is not illegal for her to park there. We have explained that we have no wish to fall out with neighbours, but there is not really another place for her to park, particularly if she is on a late shift and arrives home at, say, 2.00am. His suggestion is that we speak to the hotel half a mile away and ask if she can leave her car there!

I understand that it can be annoying if someone parks their car outside your house, particularly if they are regularly doing so - but I'm at my wits end as to what to do. DHs opinion is that I should tell them to 'fuck off and live with it' but I don't want to fall out with people. So, AIBU? Should DD be looking for somewhere else to park? She could, actually, legally park outside our own house as there are no yellow lines, but we are on a bend on a fast main road and frankly, although legal, it would be a stupidly dangerous place to leave a car and would be likely to cause an accident.

AIBU to tell her to try to ignore the black looks - and if anyone challenges her, that she is simply to politely say that she is legally parked?

[Devora]

I'm not a driver so I don't quite get this: WHY is it a problem if someone parks outside your house, if it isn't stopping you from parking? Is this a particular issue outside of major cities, where the idea of having nobody parking outside seems an impossible scenario?

[Pimpf]

Have you spoken to any of the other neighbours? Just because he said they're all fed doesn't mean it's true.

I actually think she's being considerate, not parking outside the same house all the time.

My neighbours annoy me (well actually their family) as they. Always park outside my house (sometimes making it tricky to park on our drive) but I wouldn't say anything as they are perfectly legally able to do so, it's just me being unreasonable!

So tell your dd to ignore the black looks

[IsItMeOr]

I'm beginning to think there might be something about cul de sacs and parking, as we had a note and then slashed tyre when parking in the cul de sac that our house is on the corner of.

I would be polite to the neighbours - as you have been - and advise your daughter to continue to park there. Could you contact your neighbourhood policing team and take their advice? They were very helpful to us when we had the tyre slashed, although ultimately there was nothing they could do. They might be able to have a word with the man who is repeatedly complaining. It's becoming harassment of you and your daughter really, and completely inappropriate to suggest your (presumably young) daughter should be walking half a mile home (presumably alone) at 2am in the morning when she can perfectly legally and safely park close to home.

He sounds very odd indeed.

[ICantRememberWhatSheSaid]

They are all being silly. Tell your DD to ignore them.

[Lemonsole]

Three cars for three people? YABU. Although many will declare otherwise, our planet simply isn't big enough for everyone to have their own car. One day we'll all see that.

[BrianTheMole]

Just ignore it.

[IsItMeOr]

Devora we live in London. It would seem saying who you think can park where is never an impossible dream, despite the apparent vehicular evidence to the contrary

[runningonwillpower]

You could be me except it would be my DS. And no-one has ever complained.

Because it is a highway. A public road. Anyone can park there. Residents don't own it.

As for the gentleman who complains? I would be very polite but point all of the above - very politely.

[BrianTheMole]

You'd hate us then lemon, we have 6 between 2 people

[Lemonsole]

I don't hate you . Just multiple car-owning as a concept.

[Ginderella]

Ignore. I suspect he is the only one actually upset with the parking situation. Tell her to smile and wave as she leaves the cul de sac - and if anyone does challenge her, ask them to call the police if they are so concerned about her parking. The police will tell them that your DD is perfectly entitled to legally park!!

[BrianTheMole]

Fair play Lemon. I can only drive one at a time though

[deleted203]

Thanks, folks. I like to think of myself as having good manners - and I don't want to be unreasonable if it's causing people a problem. One of the people over there has taken to reversing their car out of their garage - and parking IN FRONT of their house, simply so that DD can't park there - which strikes me as slightly bonkers, but their prerogative to do so, if they can be arsed!

3 cars for 3 people is because we live in a predominantly rural area with no public transport, BTW. DD works 15 miles in one direction (on shifts). I work 28 miles the other way, 8 - 4 ish. And DH drives van with his lads in it 100 miles to work on a building site, does a 10 hour shift, and drives 100 miles home again. So unfortunately the concerns of the planet need to be balanced against our need to pay the bills/mortgage, I'm afraid.

[IsItMeOr]

Brian surely you're doing a good thing by stopping other people driving those cars?

[bumpybecky]

I'd be tempted to park DH's van in the cul-de-sac so DD has room on your drive. After a week of so of looking at a van I bet they'd welcome DD's car....

[VodkaJelly]

Shit a brick, the old man would have a heart attack if he lived where I do!! We dont have drives but have a communal car park, with limited spaces which are not numbered. So about 15 spaces for over 40 cars.

More often that not there is nowhere to park. Several houses have 2+ cars, visitors, delivery vans, traders parking up, one house has several kids who are grown up and left home, but there cars are always parked outside. Going on holiday? Park it in the car park even though you dont live here, car has no tax? park on the car park even though you dont live here, working away from home and being picked up in a van? park your car on the car park even though you dont live here... and so on.

Nothing I can say or do as I dont own any of the spaces and they are first come first served.

[VodkaJelly]

sorry, that was meant to say over 40 houses, not cars.

[eddiemairswife]

my opposite neighbour is like that. She'll phone me to see if I know who's parked outside their house. We're in a cul de sac too. I always plead ignorance,

[BrianTheMole]

Thats what I thought IsItMeOr. I'm doing the world a favour really Or at least dh is, as the resident car collector.

[deleted203]

Becky! Oh they would indeed...

This

is identical to DHs van.

DD drives

<a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg167/Count85/Parts%2520for%2520sale/FordKA003.jpg&imgrefurl=www.pngclub.com/forum/showthread.php?141458-2004-Ford-Ka-Style-Silver&h=768&w=1024&sz=166&tbnid=zuS_ZPrdvCo2dM:&tbnh=91&tbnw=121&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dsilver%2Bford%2Bka%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=silver+ford+ka&usg=__YSR8LWxP3yVqgHD9KrlLaZM2ryw=&docid=8kZ5Die9X2PylM&sa=X&ei=dbjMUb65PKOJ0AWWmoFQ&ved=0CDsQ9QEwAw&dur=970" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">This

I know which would be preferable!

[bumpybecky]

please do it! and practise acting all innocent so when they come round and complain you can look confused as after all you've just done what they wanted and got dd to stop parking there....

[bumpybecky]

it's very yellow isn't it!

[BsshBossh]

Ignore.

However, your DD does shift work. Does she park at different times of the night, is her music loud, does her car alarm bleep loudly when she alarms her car, does she take time parking. In the small hours if the morning to residents who are light sleepers (elderly?) then any of these issues could be the main problem and not just the parking per se.

If none of these things then ignore.