How can this be allowed?

I think it's also partially to do with the design of modern cars, with the emphasis on the most efficient use of space.

You get the tiny little city cars, where they 'take out' the back seats so they only fit in two people with a very small bag or two. Makes a mockery if they then have to make them loads bigger again to accommodate a spare tyre.

Even at the other end of the scale, I have a large 7-seater MPV; but if you use all 7 seats (we don't need to - we usually treat it as a 5-seater with an enormous boot), the remaining boot space for all those 7 people's luggage is less than in a Golf, and also mainly vertical.

Add to that the extra weight and bulk with modern-day safety features - multiple airbags, roll cages etc.)...

It's not like the old days where people would happily drive around in a large saloon/hatchback that only comfortably seats 4 with not that much available luggage space.

I believe it’s to reduce the weight of the car therefore increasing fuel efficiency, and to meet emission targets. Our cars have tyre sealant that you inject into the valve that you inject into the valve that seals small holes as a temporary measure. The tyre still needs to replaced asap though. Some cars have run flat tyres that enable you to get to a repairer.

All to do with weights and emissions.

An easy way for OEMs to meet such targets is to ditch excess weight - ergo, the spare tyre/kit etc is ousted.

Wwe paid extra for our car to have a spare 7 years ago.

Weve used it maybe 5 times over the years. So much better than having to wait for 2hrs on the hard shoulder for example. (Which is where we've changed it once).

But most people don't know how to change one now.

Why is that? My current car is 12 years old, has a spare under the floor of the boot. Why do modern cars not?

So thats not similar at all

What the Henry Hoover is a “Paddington Bear stare”?

"consistently" - so, not the same as this one-off scenario in the original post here then.

Nope for consistently working on cars in a shared car park that backs directly onto others houses late into the night! Helps when you have facts doesn’t it 😉

For what breaking down near your house

Neither my car nor my husband’s car have spare tyres. Very few cars these days do.

If it was an emergency and a one off, I’d be irritated but not livid. Unless you’re saying he works as some kind of off the books mechanic and that it’s a regular occurrence? That would be a different matter altogether.

You are better than me OP. The last time a very similar thing happened to me at our old house about 8 years ago when DH was trying to get his son to sleep (he was 6 at the time) I opened the window and gave them hell!!

Exactly this its weird if you can't mind your own business at least use your words standing staring at someone is so weird.

If someone breaks down in a residential street, how can it be not allowed for them to call a repair service?

And why didn't it occur to you to offer the poor chap a cup of tea, given that he'll have probably had a long wait for the repair service and might have a long drive home as well?

That's a quite unusual level of self-centredness.

You came out and stood there silently staring for 10 mins?

They probably have no fucking idea that you were outside for the noise, probably think you are just looney.

Why do people do this? What's the bloody point of standing there silently seething? I'm embarrassed for you.

Overreaction. Noise is annoying, but sometimes unavoidable, and it was for a good reason, unlike someone playing loud music all night or shouting. I'd have looked, then gone back inside. If it was still going on an hour later, that would be something to complain about.

A lot of cars don't have spare tyres any more. Neither of ours do.
And an emergency tyre repair may well have called mid afternoon and that's when they got to them.
As a one off I cannot imagine 15 minutes of noise being more than a minor irritation.

lol! You were NOT politely asking how long they’d be. You stared him down for 10 mins while he finished up

Tyres get damaged and replacing them is noisy. It wasn't that long ago cars came equipped with spare tyres and drivers knew how to put them on so they could then drive to the garage to have a new tyre fitted.

I think the key thing to remind yourself is that the world doesn’t revolve around you.

People have different situations going on, emergencies, problems to work around.

Your neighbours weren’t pulling up garden chairs on their drive, cracking open beers and starting a party, they were sorting an emergency with their car that could have been needed for many reasons. An important job interview, hospital appointment, trip etc.

Try and remember everyone out there is just trying to get by and live their lives.

" I had never heard of it or seen it before"

Seriously? 🙄