People with driveways parking on the street

People do this where I live. They have garages and driveways but park up half over the pavement as that is easier than actually using their own drives.

Yep. Nobody hotwires cars any more; they steal the keys or hijack the key signal, and it's easier to do that when the car is helpfully parked in the driveway of the house it belongs to.

Just park on their drive and when they ask what you're doing say it's not being used so you thought they wouldn't mind.

Next time you see them ask if they'd mind you parking on their drive seeing as they don't use it and you're heavily pregnant & having to park streets away. Obviously it's an outrageous CF request, but it might click with them that they are having an impact on others by parking the way they do.

All that being said, the way they are parking is not wrong, and if you want a dedicated parking space you should prioritise that when you move!

overhanging it or parking directly opposite which makes it hard to be able to see clearly when you’re backing out so it could be that. I hated it when the kids were little in their car seats, backing out slowly and trying to look in three directions at once

Try reversing in, yes it's a bit harder but leaving is much easier!

"Even if that’s at the crack of dawn; I’ve seen them peering out at the window at 6:30am, on the rare occasion I’ve got that space and I leave for work. They will be loitering by the door waiting for me to leave"

If they were standing at their door waiting for her to leave they'd be hard to miss.

I have a driveway and can't park on it because I can't see a thing trying to pull out of it. My neighbours have all decided they need 3 or 4 vans or 4x4s per household, and my vision is completely blocked. They never go anywhere so if I'm on the driveway I'm stuck, unless I have someone to help me out.

This is very inconsiderate of the elderly couple but they are not actually doing anything wrong. They can park their car on the road providing they do not block any one else's access. It might be that when they have parked on their drive someone has parked across is and made it difficult for them to drive out. OP could try talking to them and understand their motives - maybe a discussion is needed amongst the neighbours to get this resolved to suit all concerned.

Also some people aren't great drivers.
I have been shouted at for parking opposite someone else's driveway but there was plenty of room. I've also had people
park opposite my drive and to the sides, it's more effort to manoeuvre but not a big deal.

Tbh I'm glad I had to learn to park in busy terraced streets, it honed my skills!

Why are you watching them in their house at 6am?

I'd just knock on their door and ask them very nicely if it would be OK for you to park on their drive if when you get home there are no spaces available on the street. Just say politely that as you are pregnant it is a bit of a pita to have to park several streets away. Hopefully they'll get the message or explain to you why there is a problem parking on their drive.

Are you mistaken for another poster? I don’t remember advising anyone to be rude to their neighbours or to dictate where they should park! IIRC I said about a polite note!

Asking them to park on their drive and not on the street is bonkers - don't do it. They are free to park in any available space on the street as are you.

If they did start parking on their drive you are still not guaranteed a park on your street, or near your house.

This couple have become your focus, but they aren't actually causing your problem. Your problem is you don't have off street parking and are in a scramble with the rest of the neighbourhood to park your car.

If off street parking is important to you make sure your next house has off street parking.

There's not getting around it - other people are very annoying.

You would probably hate us then. We have a driveway for 2 cars and if the space on front of our house is free we use that for 1 car and then park the other on the drive. Main reason is that I don't have to keep swapping over cars if my car is on the inside and DHs is on the outside and I need to leave. Also leaves space for visitors that might come. It's lazy I agree but we prioritised buying a house with a drive (and didn't build over it as others in the road have done), I have every right to do it and I definitely would rather look out into my car than the van from 3 doors down from my living room.

I've found it more expensive to declare it as parked on the drive than on the road. The broker said its because any thieves would easily know where the keys were.

Exactly! Surely it affects the insurance as they ask where car is kept, night and day, and if in the road it’s at risk of being hit. Wonder how owners with drives who do this answer the question!

You could be describing my street.

We have a drive but only use it if we have guests. Several reasons:

• We are frequently blocked in
• People park directly opposite us in the road making getting out (or reversing in) difficult
• People park very close to the drive opening making getting in and out very difficult.
• a combination of the two above can occasionally mean we're blocked in as there's insufficient turning space in the road.

To look at our house you'd think the drive was fine to use, but when the street is full of other parked cars it's really not.

I would wear your most bump-hugging outfit and knock on their door looking exhausted and sweetly ask if they could consider parking elsewhere as you are having to park several streets away.

You should be reversing into your drive so you don't have to back out. It's much safer to drive out when you are crossing a pavement and going into 30mph traffic.

I think face to face is better than a note if you want to raise it with them. Perhaps ask if you can use their driveway, to unload shopping, while you are pregnant? They may have just been blocked in once and no longer want to risk it.

Maybe whilst you are at work they rent their driveway out

Old banger £200 tops. Don't have to pay tax - I am disabled and exempt. Which anyone reading my previous post would have known. When threatening someone, be sure that they can't threaten back.

No - you do not go around to someone and TELL them how to conduct their lives - you can ask politely, which was not what you suggested. You suggested telling them to park where you dictated. If you did that you'd be lucky if all that happened is that people took to parking outside your home. You do not own the street.

I've learned that some people "don't like" reversing. Especially to park. (Some people also don't like doing right turns.) Maybe the neighbour is one of these?

You’d go to the expense of buying a car and keeping it taxed to put it on a road?