Parking in front of your own house..... What's the deal with this????

[crazygoat]

Hello! We have just moved into a new house and there is no allocated parking. On our first day a neighbour popped into say hello an mentioned that each house likes to park in front of their own house, then quickly apologised for parking in front of ours! I did ask if it was allocated and she said no but it's what we like.

Fast forward a few days and we had got back from doing the weekly shop and the only place to park was in front of a neighbours house, seeing as we had to unload the car with shopping, toddler, buggy and everything else that a small human needs we parked in that space as it was free. We then didn't use the car for about 4 days but didn't think there would be a problem leaving it there as there were always other spaces free within about 15 steps of everyone's front door, anyway my partner has to use the car and in less than a minute after he has gone both my neighbours move their cars, one from in front of my house to in front of his and the other out if the space in front of the other neighbours house to in front of his. So all in all both cars have been moved about 5 meters!! I then heard then say to each other 'so glad we have got our spots back, think we should get some cones'

Why do people do this?? Me and my partner will park in the closest spot to our front door, whether that be in front of it or 30 meters down the road. we really don't care!!!! If there is a spot opposite my neighbours house I'm not going to park in another spot just to keep if free for them!!

AIBU??? If you are one of these people that likes to always park in front of your house can you please let me know why?? I can understand if you have a disability, you are entitled to have a space close to your house, I can even see that it would be nice if you have a car full of kids you want to keep safe but that doesn't entitle you to the space.

I wish my life was so simple that I could spend my days looking out my window to see if my parking space is free!!!!

[MrsNuckyThompson]

They sound bonkers. The system they describe only works if no one ever has a visitor and if no one ever parks in front of anyone else's house, even if their 'own' spot is taken. Clearly someone parked in front of your house in the first place to block that space, which just demonstrates how completely nuts they all are!

[HeyMacWey]

People get bizarrely territorial. They also don't like change. Parking their car outside their house is the equivalent of cocking their leg up their front gate.

I had a neighbour knock on my door and ask me to move my car so he could park outside his house

We used to have a neighbour who'd park in front of his house despite having a drive which could park about four cars on - We'd deliberately park in front of his house if there was a space. As soon as you moved the car he was out there moving his.

[DangerousBeanz]

Imo you can only expect to park in front of your house if it's on your own drive way otherwise it's open season. People who think they've got a right to own the bit of road in front of their house wind me up. If they want that privilege they need to buy a house with a drive.

[TheHiphopopotamus]

People get very territorial about the space in front of their house, even if they don't own it. It's always been the same in all the places I've lived (even when there's a drive and plenty of other places to park).

Personally, I don't give a shit so long as I'm within walking distance. If having my car within my line of vision all the time bothered me that much, I'd have bought a detached house somewhere in the middle of the nowhere, where I can park right outside my window.

So YANBU. It's nice to be able to park directly outside your own house, but if you haven't got a drive or an allocated space it's first come, first served.

[19lottie82]

In fairness it is a public highway so you can park where you like, but if you know that all your neighbours like to park outside their own houses, why leave your car there for 4 days? I'm assuming outside your house became free in this period.

You didn't have to move it, but surely it would have been good manners to do so, in the sale of neighbourly relations?

[itlypocerka]

I agree with you that it's mental. There are loads of people who firmly believe this - including my in laws who are lovely in many ways but will fume about someone parking legally on the public highway as being basically the same as parking on their front lawn as far as they are concerned.

You are perfectly reasonable to park in the closest space to your house. End of.

Have you managed to master the MN "tinkley little laugh" to deploy if they attempt to take up this as an issue with you?

[DetailedConfusion]

YANBU...presumably you would have parked directly in front of your own house had the space been there so clearly not all the neighbours only park in front of their own.

[Laiste]

I can't see my car if it's not parked outside my own house. I like to keep an eye on it.

[Laiste]

Oh and i have

[ThoraGruntwhistle]

I think if there is parking allowed on a residential street, the residents will often think that this means they own the bit of road directly outside their houses. This is utter shite of course, but it doesn't stop them thinking it. I have seen a couple of cars on streets near me with damaged peeling paintwork which I presume is from somebody pouring paint stripper on them for daring to park in the 'wrong' place.
I think as long as you're within fairly easy walking distance of your house, that's near enough. And yet that doesn't seem to work for so many people.

[crazygoat]

So glad I'm not the only one that thinks this is bonkers! It's hard as I don't want to create conflict between us and them but I know I have every right to park where I want. I have no idea who was parked in front of our house the day we got back from shopping and I really couldn't care less.

I'd still love to hear from someone that does care though......

[Laiste]

had damage to my car in the past so i'm twitchy i guess.

[Aderyn2016]

I think you should have moved your car to outside of your own house once that space became available. Obviously your neighbours can't have it both ways though - if they want this system then they have to not allow their guests to park in 'your' space.

[Rattusn]

It is rather nuts. I agree with the op that I wouldn't move my car a few meters so it is outside my house.

We used to always park outside our house. Then new neighbours moved in who have a multitude of cars and visitors. Dh gets worked up about it, but I tell him there are far worse things than walking a few meters from the car to the front door.

[Cliffdiver]

YANBU I find it odd how people get so territorial about the road in front of their house... luckily my road is not like at that all - it's a bit of a free-for-all - thank goodness.

The only time we would move the car to be outside the house is some mornings when DH leaves for work. If the car is quite a distance away, he move it and park nearer the house before he gets the bus, but this is because I'll have a 2 year old and a 4 year old, x3 lunch boxs, x3 bags and x2 water bottles to juggle so it's easier for me to have the car closer

[crazygoat]

Laiste, you can't possible look at your car all day....

[CakeByTheOcean]

We have this on the school run. Some of the residents come out and park there cars off of their drive and put it out on the road in front of their houses. This is to stop the school run parents parking outside their house. I know this for a fact as one of my DD's classmates lives on that road and the mum has been told that's what they do! Absolutely mad!

[AmeliaJack]

Well as long as no one came to complain about your car there's no problem. It's no skin off your nose if they are all madly shuffling cars.

Some people haven't got enough to do do get a bit het up about this stuff. We have family members to get very annoyed if anyone parks outside their house, even though they have a driveway big enough for their own cars plus visitors.

[AndNowItsSeven]

Why didn't you park your car outside your own house? And then why leave it for four days? Not a good start to neighbourly relations.

[HarleyQuinzel]

We get this. I hear you OP. I don't know how people have the energy to get worked up about walking a few extra metres up the road.

[Cliffdiver]

Loads of typos in my last post 

[Cliffdiver]

Loads of typos in my last post 

[Cliffdiver]

Loads of typos in my last post 

[Cliffdiver]

[princessconsuelabannahammock]

We have a drive but all our neighbours have a very specific way of parking that everyone honours. It works really well.

I think it's quite sensible really- I know you don't own or have any right to but if everyone agrees why not for some neighbourly harmony.