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AIBU?

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Original poster

Parking issues

111 replies

pollypocke · 09/04/2024 18:50

Hi all,

For a bit of context, I live on a row of 6 town houses (double fronted terraces) there are another 6 on the opposite side. The lady who lives on the end house on the opposite side has a driveway, no other houses have driveways apart from the end ones. There is a concrete bollard to mark where her driveway starts so no one can block it by parking over the driveway. My OH has a work van (not huge) and one night parked it outside of her house and about a meter away from the concrete bollard. She came over and knocked on our door and asked my OH to move his van because she couldn't see the road coming out of her driveway. He did the first time she asked as he was being polite but when he parked there again she came knocking again and asked him to reverse back away from the concrete bollard so she'd be able to see better. Bear in mind there is limited parking on our street and if OH had reversed he'd be taking up 2 spaces which hardly seems fair given the lady has her own driveway.
Anyway, my OH refused to move his van the second time but was very polite and just said he didn't want to take up 2 spaces. She went off in a huff and was clearly annoyed.

So now, she parks her own car outside of her house but just far enough away from the concrete bollard that no one else can park in front of her and her partner still parks on their drive. Their drive is big enough for 3 cars and originally they always parked their cars on the drive.

My OH wasn't malicious or mardy, he simply said if there was no other space on the street then he'd carry on parking the way he has because he's not done anything wrong but this seems to have not been good enough so she's made sure he can't park there by parking her own car there even though she has her own drive.

AIBU to think this is a bit much, considering my OH wasn't breaking any rules and was parked perfectly legally

YABU - He should just take up 2 spaces so she has more space to see

OP posts:
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kitsuneghost · 12/04/2024 14:09

YABU
Vans on residential streets are a nuisance. It is blocking her view and you husband doesn't really care so long as his van gets parked near his house.
If he parked in a lock up somewhere there would be room for 2 cars and the nieghbour would see fine.

pinkyredrose · 12/04/2024 14:04

pollypocke · 10/04/2024 17:13

You expect him to park on a different road, where the van could be stolen or vandalised and he'd be none the wiser and walk home when there's a perfectly fine (and legal!) space opposite our house just because our neighbour MIGHT want to leave her driveway before he he moves his van to outsdie our own house? Unfortunately the world doesn't revolve around those with driveways

Jesus, calm down with the hyperbole

msianindian · 11/04/2024 19:53

pollypocke · 10/04/2024 17:01

My OH has only parked there a handful of times if there is absolutely nowhere else available near our house.
Surely if it's that much of an issue for her then she shouldn't be driving? Yes it's inconvenient for her I agree but surely this isn't the first time she's come across having to pull out with a slightly obstructed view? If there's a van parked near a junction I'm sure she handles it fine. I know it's different with it being outside her house but as I say. It's been a handful of times if there's nowhere else to go.
I'm honestly shocked a lot of people are agreeing with my neighbour! I thought it was bonkers

Vehicles shouldn't be parked too close to junctions!
It doesn't matter that 'everyone' does it and hasn't been caught. It's still illegal.

Also... your OH doesn't have to park elsewhere on the street and walk home. There are secure parkings for commercial vehicles with CCTV etc. He drives his car there, switches to the van, then switches back. Simples. You sound a bit stupid just having a go as though there's no other solution.

Finally, I still don't understand what your problem is. She is doing nothing wrong.

Even if this entire thread agreed with you, that she was a twat etc etc. What are you going to do about it? Show it to her? Doubt she'll change her mind. Start a smear campaign?

SoupDragon · 10/04/2024 22:35

So now, she parks her own car outside of her house but just far enough away from the concrete bollard that no one else can park in front of her and her partner still parks on their drive.

According to your rules, @pollypocke she is legally entitled to park like this so it's all absolutely fine.

Caroparo52 · 10/04/2024 22:33

Where's the diagram ?

ButWhatAboutTheBees · 10/04/2024 21:57

There's no point. OP has said they aren't going to listen

Blanketpolicy · 10/04/2024 20:30

The fact is, work vans have a right just as much as cars to park on residential streets.

Not on all. Our estate (27 years old) has clauses in the deeds to say no commercial vehicles. We didn't notice it when we moved in, it wasn't until someone mentioned in passing. There are lots of commercial vehicles in the estate, but they are very considerate as all it takes is one home owner to be pissed off and invoke the clause.

You may have equal rights in your estate, but this is neighbour goodwill you are talking about. Why insist on your rights and wind her up if it is not necessary?

If the space at our house is not free dh could park infront of other neighbours houses/windows, but he knows it pisses me right off having a van in front of my house is inconsiderate so parks in visitor parking 2 streets away, at the side of houses that doesn't bother anyone, and walks so he doesn't annoy anyone except me.

You are not going to change anyone's mind OP. Van owners should be aware their van could be an issue and regardless of whether it is "allowed/legal" be extra considerate when parking in residential areas.

Original poster
pollypocke · 10/04/2024 20:00

SpecialOPs · 10/04/2024 19:18

The OP obviously doesn’t get that a van or a massive taxi parked blocking visibility from someone’s drive is different from a car where you can see over it or through the windows of it as a PP has said.

Works vans should not be allowed to park in residential streets anyway. They weren’t designed for that. They should be parked at the employers premises or the owner should procure their own parking area outside of residential areas if self employed and they don’t have their own drive to put it on. It’s a bit different if vans are while doing work temporarily but they shouldn’t be obstructing anyone either.

Your neighbour is NBU at all OP. She should be able to move safely on and off her drive with clear visibility. To suggest she shouldn’t be driving because she doesn’t have x-ray vision to be able to see through a van is arrogance in the extreme!

Obviously you have an issue with her being a HA tenant and you thinking you’re a superior to her as home owner otherwise you wouldn’t have mentioned it………….

Just to add I struggle to understand how you can say you’ve pulled out at roundabouts and junctions without having visibility of oncoming traffic. That’s very dangerous driving!

You're saying a lot of 'should do this' 'should do that' The fact is, work vans have a right just as much as cars to park on residential streets. There are a lot of things that should and shouldn't happen in the world.

I suggested she shouldn't be driving because driving never guarantees 'clear visibility'
Instead of insisting my OH moves when he's not doing anything wrong, why doesn't she put up a mirror on her fence post so she has a better view?

It's absolutely disgusted me that you've suggested I have an issue because she's a HA tenant. My house used to be HA. All of the houses on our estate did. Some still are, some aren't. I simply said it because it was relevant as the council own her driveway/house but not ours so we can't ask them to make our own driveway. If we could afford it, we would turn our front garden into a driveway. If I had an issue with HA then why the hell would I live on a HA estate. That's a very hurtful thing to accuse someone of. I come from a very working class background and am bloody lucky to own a home, a luxury not many people can have nowadays, but would I ever feel superior to someone who rents or lives in a council house? Of fucking course not! I know what a privilege it is to own.

Also, yes it is dangerous, but so is driving in general. No one has the perfect view of the road ahead 100% of the time.

OP posts:
LakeTiticaca · 10/04/2024 19:30

Your neighbour should probably take some lessons on how to manoeuvre with limited visibility. How does she manage pulling out of junctions onto busy roads?

SpecialOPs · 10/04/2024 19:18

The OP obviously doesn’t get that a van or a massive taxi parked blocking visibility from someone’s drive is different from a car where you can see over it or through the windows of it as a PP has said.

Works vans should not be allowed to park in residential streets anyway. They weren’t designed for that. They should be parked at the employers premises or the owner should procure their own parking area outside of residential areas if self employed and they don’t have their own drive to put it on. It’s a bit different if vans are while doing work temporarily but they shouldn’t be obstructing anyone either.

Your neighbour is NBU at all OP. She should be able to move safely on and off her drive with clear visibility. To suggest she shouldn’t be driving because she doesn’t have x-ray vision to be able to see through a van is arrogance in the extreme!

Obviously you have an issue with her being a HA tenant and you thinking you’re a superior to her as home owner otherwise you wouldn’t have mentioned it………….

Just to add I struggle to understand how you can say you’ve pulled out at roundabouts and junctions without having visibility of oncoming traffic. That’s very dangerous driving!

Original poster
pollypocke · 10/04/2024 18:55

Pottedpalm · 10/04/2024 18:53

It would piss me off if someone was parking their works van outside my house.

Agree it'd annoy me too if it was everyday, it was a handful of times which were weeks apart

OP posts:
Original poster
pollypocke · 10/04/2024 18:54

INeedAnotherName · 10/04/2024 18:48

It's the fact you tried to make out your neighbour was wrong by you claiming it's part of driving and refusing to accept it's dangerous.

Have you twigged on yet that most of us disagree with you?

I think I've just about twigged on that y'all disagree with me. Does that change my opinion? No.
I still stand by that it is part of driving. There are never perfect driving conditions all the time. There is always risk, no matter what. My OH parks somewhere else if there's space even if it's further away because he is considerate and doesn't want to cause unnecessary bother.
What if my OH got ran over crossing the road because he had to park far from home? There are risks and danger everywhere

OP posts:
Pottedpalm · 10/04/2024 18:53

It would piss me off if someone was parking their works van outside my house.

INeedAnotherName · 10/04/2024 18:48

It's the fact you tried to make out your neighbour was wrong by you claiming it's part of driving and refusing to accept it's dangerous.

Have you twigged on yet that most of us disagree with you?

outsidethemug · 10/04/2024 18:45

@INeedAnotherName unnecessarily harsh! I read the Highway Code when I sat my driving test years ago, and have kept up to date on changes but no I don't have it memorised. I don't own a van or park one and I deal with the traffic on the road correctly.

Vans are parked everywhere in my busy city and I possibly naively assumed that if it wasn't allowed, there would be a penalty of some sort

Original poster
pollypocke · 10/04/2024 18:42

INeedAnotherName · 10/04/2024 18:39

@fieldsofbutterflies very true, but OP and another poster have said it's normal and part of driving to have visibility at junctions obscured. I'm trying to say no it's not normal and is in fact against the law. Anything that blocks visibility for someone trying to enter the highway is not a normal part of driving, whether it's from a driveway, a supermarket carpark or another road.

Agree it's against the law to be blocking/parking too close to junctions, roundabout etc, but does that stop others? No. Do I manage to carry on with limited visibility? Yeah. Are you telling me you've never had this happen to you? Or if you did, did you stop and report it? Or did you simply move on with your day?

OP posts:
Sharkysharky · 10/04/2024 18:40

Blanketpolicy · 09/04/2024 19:48

We have a twat with a works van in a residential area who always parks outside my window blocking my view and making it difficult to exit the drive. Always in front of our house so always just us impacted by it.

If your dh is parking a van he needs to be more considerate than car drivers.

Unfortunately I am married to our van driver twat so can’t really ask him to move it!

Loved this response 😄
Could be worse OP you could have our neighbours. They'd park on our doorstep if they could fit on it.

INeedAnotherName · 10/04/2024 18:39

@fieldsofbutterflies very true, but OP and another poster have said it's normal and part of driving to have visibility at junctions obscured. I'm trying to say no it's not normal and is in fact against the law. Anything that blocks visibility for someone trying to enter the highway is not a normal part of driving, whether it's from a driveway, a supermarket carpark or another road.

fieldsofbutterflies · 10/04/2024 18:33

INeedAnotherName · 10/04/2024 18:28

Good grief, you are both supposed to have passed your driving test. Didn't either of you bother reading the Highway Code? Views at junctions should not be blocked. All vehicles need to be 10 metres away. No wonder the standard of driving has plummeted.

Show quote history

In fairness, that doesn't apply to driveways.

Original poster
pollypocke · 10/04/2024 18:33

@fieldsofbutterflies if the streets full then he just parks in the middle of the road and leaves his hazards on :)

OP posts:
Original poster
pollypocke · 10/04/2024 18:32

@INeedAnotherName All vehicles must be 10 meters away? So even if a car parks there then that's still too close?

OP posts:
INeedAnotherName · 10/04/2024 18:28

pollypocke · 10/04/2024 18:21

You and me both! But apparently my OH should park away from our little residential estate and risk his van being stolen, vandalised or damaged because he can't keep an eye on it and have to have a nice little 1 hour walk home after he finishes work

Show quote history

Good grief, you are both supposed to have passed your driving test. Didn't either of you bother reading the Highway Code? Views at junctions should not be blocked. All vehicles need to be 10 metres away. No wonder the standard of driving has plummeted.

fieldsofbutterflies · 10/04/2024 18:27

pollypocke · 10/04/2024 18:23

We live on a residential estate, are you suggesting he doesn't park on our estate (never mind our own street) and leave his van somewhere where he won't be able to hear the alarm and walk home?

Show quote history

He just shouldn't park where he's obstructing someone's driveway.

If that means he can't hear his van alarm then, well, that's life isn't it? What if the street was full when he came home from work?

Original poster
pollypocke · 10/04/2024 18:25

@ButWhatAboutTheBees I'm very stubborn! I just can't agree with some of the reasonings behind the YABU responses.
If people said YABU but at the same time YANBU because he's done nothing wrong but it's just a better idea to park elsewhere, I'd happily take it on board.
I will dig my heels in if I feel people are completely missing the point

OP posts:
Original poster
pollypocke · 10/04/2024 18:23

Londonrach1 · 10/04/2024 18:16

Work vans restrict views. I have struggled before. They shouldn't be parked in a residential idea. Although it's legal for him to park on the road, moyally he shouldn't as he could cause an accident due to restricted view. Yabu.

We live on a residential estate, are you suggesting he doesn't park on our estate (never mind our own street) and leave his van somewhere where he won't be able to hear the alarm and walk home?

OP posts: