To be worried about parking

[pollypocket82]

I live on a typical terraced street where about a quarter of the houses have drives (but no one uses them!). As you can imagine, it gets really busy and most of the time I accept that.

At the moment though I am close to giving birth and because pregnancy has made a condition I have in my legs worse, I can't walk without being in excruciating pain in my feet and ankles (my tummy is sore now the baby's head is engaged too! But it's the legs that are most agonising - I even have to crawl up the stairs).

We only have one car, but because everyone else has two and never uses their drive, my husband can never park near the house at the moment. I would never dream of shouting at someone or asking them to move because I know everyone has a right to park where they want but I wish there was some way I could appeal to people's good nature so we don't have to park on the next street or if we're lucky on our street but still too far away for me. I am petrified what will happen if I go into labour.

I know I'm more worried at the moment because of the ice and snow. Whilst our pavement and road have been cleared to make a clear passage for me to get to the car (if it was there!), the rest of the road and paths are treacherous with ice. Of course our spot being safe and clear just makes it a magnet for other people to park there. This has happened every time we have cleared the path when it snows! Which feels a little unfair that I am then forced to worry about walking over icy paths in labour when I physically cannot walk :( Why do people not clear their path then nick someone else's spot because they cleared theirs? Surely logic suggests they cleared it for that cripply woman who hobbles to the car for all her hospital appointments!

I feel like I am just being silly and hormonal so I try to take a deep breath and sit out of view of the window so it doesn't worry me. But what DO I do if I can't get to the car? Has anyone ever had a similar problem and how did you remain all zen and chi and forget about it?

FYI - I don't normally get angsty about parking and as I said would never say anything to anyone or be mean, but please understand I'm currently so worried, in a lot of pain and have had quite a stressful and high-risk pregnancy :(

[MayTheOddsBeEverInYourFavour]

If you aren't the one driving can you DH just get the car and pick you up?

I sympathise with your problem, parking issues can be a nightmare but as you said your neighbours aren't doing anything wrong so there's not a lot you can do

[Carolra]

Same issue here. Gave birth in the middle of winter. DH went to get the car and then double parked outside with the hazard warning lights on whilst I loaded myself in! No one will mess with a labouring woman in the street :)

[toobreathless]

I honestly think you need to relax & I mean that in the nicer way possible.

Worse case, you go into labour and the car is miles away. Get DH to go and fetch car, you wait in hall, block the road if needed for the short time it takes to walk to the car. If you are returning home after a shopping trip etc get DH again to drop you off.

Good luck with the arrival, I am 38 + 5 :)

[RedHelenB]

That's the breaks of not having off road parking I'm asfraid. Couldn't dh bring the car to you from wherever it's been parked 7 you be ready to hop in?

[squeakytoy]

I am assuming you are not driving, so wait at the door and let him come and pick you up or drop you off then he can go and park.

[cakebar]

yep, this was the same situation as we had for DC1 and 2. DH went to get car, blocked the road with hazards on and then rolled/dragged/helped me into the car (while the nets twitched all around). It will be fine.

[FridgePervert]

This is very annoying, and must be even more so given the problems you are having with the PG.
We have similar problems but usually don't find it too bad as long as everyone is considerate. Get DH to stick your wheely bin in your parking space when he moves the car, we did this when the snow was really bad and it had taken ages to dig the car out!

[pollypocket82]

That's a good idea. I guess he could fetch the car, stick the hazards on and then come help me to the car (I really can't take two steps unaided. It's embarrassing really). I think the snow and ice has made me worry more because even the walk to the road is icy as hell right now. Hopefully it will go soon. It just frustrates me when people who know I struggle stick their car there for several days when they have a drive or nick our spot because it's lovely and clear of ice - clear your own spot instead! I'm being sensitive, I know. I apologise. I just need to vent, realise I'm being silly and it will be OK and move on. I have much more important things to focus on after all

I wish I could afford a house with a drive! If I'd been able to buy before prices rocketed in that there boom then I wouldn't have this problem. I'd probably have another one though

[pollypocket82]

toobreathless - good look with your arrival too! :) I am 38+2

[pollypocket82]

fridgepervert - Husband did spend ages digging the car out back in January only to move and come back 5 mins later and find the spot taken by someone who didn't fancy chancing their own icy bit of road. It happens every time! And yet he still clears the road and path for us and our nearby neighbours every time it snows.

Thanks everyone for your advice/assurance and making me see a bit of sense :)

[bluesbaby]

If it's causing problems could you talk to your neighbours and see if any of them have a similar problem? And then talk to the neighbours with drives to see if you can come to a compromise with them, or at least find out why they don't use their drive when it's a guaranteed parking space (freeing up the road for everyone else)? It seems a bit selfish of them to fill the road spaces but leave their drives free, unless they've got more vehicles than you realise and they are using it but you're just not seeing it. It doesn't really make sense. I don't know anyone with a drive who chooses what is essentially public parking instead.

[cakebar]

polly - I do sympathise. When I got to the stage of toddler plus baby plus bump plus shopping we moved to a house with a drive.

[toobreathless]

polly are you in the April 2013 thread? Come and join in if not, never too late & will also be postnatal threads. probably a gentler place to rant about parking than AIBU (although everyone has been very nice so far)

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1715900-April-2013-Part-8-Welcoming-our-Easter-Chicks-as-Alex-Evan-hopefully-go-home

[pollypocket82]

bluesbaby - I agree that it doesn't make sense! Thinking about it i underestimated the drives - there are about 8 out of the 20 houses ( a mix of short terraces and semis) nearest ours but only one person uses it (including people with two cars - both go on the street). I really don't understand! Most of them are pretty expensive cars, 4x4s and vans too, which surely you'd prefer on your drive? Maybe they get blocked in when they use it - that's what I try to tell myself :D

[BenjaminButton172]

Bluesbaby - i agree.
OP how about asking one of ur close neighbours if u could use their drive.

[DENMAN03]

YANBU. I find it amazing people wouldnt use their drives. I live in a street like this and am one of the few with a drive. I never park on the road...I cant see the attraction in that at all! Weird.

[cakebar]

People mainly park on the road because they can't park on their own drives. I am not kidding you.

If you look at a lot of drives on older housing (I'm making assumptions here) people have built low level walls right up to the edge of the drive, or it goes down the side of their house or even they have plant borders down the sides, or bins in the way. Cars have got bigger and they can't manoeuvre.

Alternatively, they don't want to look at the car out their window or they want space outside their front door for some reason.

[CloudsAndTrees]

Your neighbours won't be parking on the road with the intention of upsetting you. It probably hasn't even occurred to them to do anything differently just because a lady down the street is pregnant and hobbles a bit. They're not being mean, they're just getting on with their own lives. Try not to take it personally.

They probably have trouble getting in and out of their drives if they are narrow, as they often are in terraces, especially if either side of their drives are tightly packed with cars.

[pollypocket82]

They can park on their drives - I've seen them do it when they absolutely have no other option with a good amount of ease and the one neighbour that does use their drives manages it easily with the hugest people carrier ever.

We had loads of snow overnight and husband couldn't get the car up the hill to bring it to me so I had to walk to it so I could go to the hospital for an appointment this morning. Ended up slipping over with quite a bump and pulling him over too. Just got back from the hospital (lucky I was going there) and they said everything seems OK other than a bruised ego, sore bum/side and even more pain in the ankle I went over on. If the car outside our house had used his drive that never would have happened! I know they are just getting on with their life and have every tight to park where they want but if they were less selfish they would help other people to get on with their life a lot more easily.

Anyway, I shouldn't get stressed and cause more damage.

Thanks so much everyone who gave advice x

toobreathless I shall take a look at the April thread. Thanks for the invite :) Benjaminbutton maybe I should ask. Or just be a little cheeky and block their drive instead if they don't want to use it (not sure if I dare!)