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AIBU?

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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:
Tatas · 09/04/2024 19:24

It's hard to tell without a diagram / photo!

Your OH must have been parking elsewhere for long enough that it's only recently happened? Vans can be hard to see round, if he's not going to move it so they're able to see properly and get off the drive, then it makes sense they'd park in a way to prevent him parking there and stopping them leaving the drive.

HunterHearstHelmsley · 09/04/2024 19:23

I live in a cul de sac with limited parking. I have a drive but park on the road. I do this because often, people will park so I can't see to get off the drive or they'll park opposite the drive and it's not possible to get the angle needed to get off the drive (it's a slope). I'd probably do the same as your neighbour. She knows that he's not parking illegally so she's parked there instead to solve her issue.

pinkyredrose · 09/04/2024 19:21

pollypocke · 09/04/2024 19:18

If there's other spaces available he does park somewhere else but when that's the only space that's the only time he parks there

He could park on the next road?

HanaJane · 09/04/2024 19:21

It's hard to tell without photos but it does sound like she's being petty, is it a busy road with lots of traffic that makes getting out of her driveway difficult?

Gazelda · 09/04/2024 19:20

He may not be parking illegally.

But maybe he's parking unreasonably. Vans are harder to see around than cars (generally speaking).

If there are no other spaces on the road, then of course he's not unreasonable to park where he did.

6 of one, half a dozen of the other.

pollypocke · 09/04/2024 19:18

pinkyredrose · 09/04/2024 19:12

He's being inconsiderate, he should park somewhere else.

If there's other spaces available he does park somewhere else but when that's the only space that's the only time he parks there

OP posts:
pollypocke · 09/04/2024 19:18

Jasharps · 09/04/2024 19:09

I think the most considerate thing would be for your OH to park so she can have visibility coming out of her drive but should not take up 2 spaces.

Yes and he does always park somewhere else if there's space, but if that's the only space on the street then surely he should be able to park there?

OP posts:
pollypocke · 09/04/2024 19:17

Priminister · 09/04/2024 19:06

If your OH is parking his van in a way which obstructs her visibility coming out of her driveway then YABU and he should park somewhere else.

People are always doing this where I live and it makes it really hard to drive off the driveway.

But that's why the bollard is there, to stop anyone obstructing her driveway and must be considered good enough by the council that she'll be able to see if any vehicle parks there as it's a public road

OP posts:
pinkyredrose · 09/04/2024 19:12

He's being inconsiderate, he should park somewhere else.

Jasharps · 09/04/2024 19:09

I think the most considerate thing would be for your OH to park so she can have visibility coming out of her drive but should not take up 2 spaces.

Priminister · 09/04/2024 19:06

If your OH is parking his van in a way which obstructs her visibility coming out of her driveway then YABU and he should park somewhere else.

People are always doing this where I live and it makes it really hard to drive off the driveway.