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Original poster

Stupid bloody van parking thread

65 replies

SouperNoodle · 10/01/2023 19:58

I need to know if I'm the correct level of annoyed or if I'm too far gone in my crazy van hatred! 😂

Outside our house (on the road), we have the space where I usually park and then a small stretch of road where there are no houses and you can fit 2 cars.
So I park outside, my DH next to it and then a neighbour. All 3 cars fit nicely.

SO THIS VAN... a few months ago, a lady parked this big ugly van awkwardly outside my house and left it for a whole week so only neighbours car would fit in their usual space.
The lady now does this regularly and usually on a Tuesday.
She'll park the van in a really awkward spot so we lose two spaces (if she budged up a few feet we could get an extra one in) and then leaves it for an entire week before collecting it and what's even more annoying, SHE DOESN'T EVEN LIVE ON OUR ROAD!! 🙈🙈🙈

So I have to park way down the road and everyday have to lug my 3 and 4yo's and all their stuff through the rain to get from the car to the house!
(I will include a diagram if you'd like)

So mumsnetters, what do I do?

A. Nothing, she pays Road tax like everyone else and can park where she likes.

B. Leave a note, politely asking her to budge up a bit so I can at least fit my car?

C. Another sensible option which you will add in the comments

D. A passive aggressive, insane option which you will add in the comments

E. Call the police and tell them the van is filled with drugs and get it towed 😂

Thanks in advance 😊

OP posts:
Ariela · 10/01/2023 22:39

How about

Hi

Could you please park a little further up when you park here, so your front is level with the edge of the wall? That way the neighbours and I can squeeze 2 cars behind your van, rather than just one - saves one of us parking in your road.

Many thanks

DoesItMakeYouFeelBetter · 10/01/2023 22:50

Have you got wheely bins which you could put in the road when you leave for the school run?

Oldfox · 10/01/2023 22:53

Ariela · 10/01/2023 22:39

How about

Hi

Could you please park a little further up when you park here, so your front is level with the edge of the wall? That way the neighbours and I can squeeze 2 cars behind your van, rather than just one - saves one of us parking in your road.

Many thanks

That's really polite and to the point

ClaryFairchild · 10/01/2023 22:58

I'd be sticking with the thumb tacks (oops, dropped the kids art supplies). There is no way she doesn't know she is being inconsiderate.

Original poster
SouperNoodle · 10/01/2023 23:04

UrsulaPandress · 10/01/2023 22:31

This happened near us. A chap who lived down the lane where there is no parking used to leave his large white van on the side Road opposite one of our gates. It used to irrationally annoy me. But it annoyed the people whose house he parked opposite a lot more. I presume it was them who repeatedly did something to his tyres. He asked me once if I knew who it was. I shrugged. He moved on.

I love it 😂😂 I don't think I'd have the balls to

OP posts:
Original poster
SouperNoodle · 10/01/2023 23:05

ClaryFairchild · 10/01/2023 22:58

I'd be sticking with the thumb tacks (oops, dropped the kids art supplies). There is no way she doesn't know she is being inconsiderate.

Exactly!!!

OP posts:
Original poster
SouperNoodle · 10/01/2023 23:05

DoesItMakeYouFeelBetter · 10/01/2023 22:50

Have you got wheely bins which you could put in the road when you leave for the school run?

Unfortunately I have a very lovey and polite neighbour who'd move my wheelie bins back, thinking he was being helpful 😂🙈

OP posts:
LucyWhipple · 10/01/2023 23:06

We have a couple of student houses on our road and every September I have to write a couple of cheery notes along the lines of
‘hi, welcome to the road! It would be great if when you park you can move up to one end of this space or the other as then we can fit 2 cars in. Thank you - I really appreciate it!’

Has never failed to solve the issue. I doubt you’ll stop her parking there altogether but at least it might get you one extra space as she probably just hasn’t realised she’s taking up two.

Original poster
SouperNoodle · 10/01/2023 23:06

Ariela · 10/01/2023 22:39

How about

Hi

Could you please park a little further up when you park here, so your front is level with the edge of the wall? That way the neighbours and I can squeeze 2 cars behind your van, rather than just one - saves one of us parking in your road.

Many thanks

This is fab!! Thank you!

OP posts:
Original poster
SouperNoodle · 10/01/2023 23:08

LucyWhipple · 10/01/2023 23:06

We have a couple of student houses on our road and every September I have to write a couple of cheery notes along the lines of
‘hi, welcome to the road! It would be great if when you park you can move up to one end of this space or the other as then we can fit 2 cars in. Thank you - I really appreciate it!’

Has never failed to solve the issue. I doubt you’ll stop her parking there altogether but at least it might get you one extra space as she probably just hasn’t realised she’s taking up two.

You must have the patience of a saint!! That would drive me utterly insane 😂 nothing quite pisses me off like bad parking

OP posts:
SugarNspices · 10/01/2023 23:21

I would be very tempted to let the tyre down, no damage just so it be annoying for them to have to pump it up and keep doing it until they stop parking there. But I'm petty and a coward (if they came knocking I would hide behind the sofa 😅)

purpledalmation · 11/01/2023 11:06

B

hoppityscotch · 11/01/2023 11:08

B

NoSquirrels · 11/01/2023 11:13

Spend the next few Tuesdays having a kind friend do the school run for you, so you can break her of the habit. Or get some friends to park up on Tuesdays. Or hire a skip…

Or the note.
Then the tyres if that doesn’t work…

Slowgrowingelm · 11/01/2023 11:14

The note isn’t going to work, she knows what’s she’s doing and is doing it anyway.

If you don’t want to go down the thumb tack, letting down the tyres, smearing jam (or similar, or worse) on the door handles route then you need to leave your car and find an alternative way to do the school run for a few Tuesday’s.

I’d be interested to see if they then try to do it on another day if the week though…

Dougieowner · 11/01/2023 11:34

I suspect that she has no parking at home and alternates her parking so it isn't left at one location week-in week-out? Probably find that when it isn't outside your house it is blocking someone else's house for a week (have a walk around the local area one weekend it is missing).

I would be no note and let a tyre down at night, then the next time the same one (so she thinks she may have a slow puncture).
If you leave a polite note (which is the obvious thing to do) and she ignores it she will have a fair bet who is responsible. ☹️

Original poster
SouperNoodle · 11/01/2023 14:27

I checked the MOT and it's valid 😠 I was so hoping to get it removed 🙈

OP posts:
Tinkerbyebye · 11/01/2023 14:31

You can’t do anything perhaps a note asking her to budge up, but as anyone can park on the road it’s not your space so I would park behind it and the neighbours will have to go elsewhere

kegofcoffee · 11/01/2023 14:38

If your neighbour parked their car in the middle space would the van still fit behind or in-front of them?

If it wouldn't fit then I'd just ask your neighbour if they mind taking the middle space for a while.

kegofcoffee · 11/01/2023 14:39

Come to think about it, either way ask your neighbour if they could use the middle space. That way the van can't take up two spaces and will leave you one.

HScully · 11/01/2023 14:41

Parking her car there is legal, letting her tyre down is mean. Imagine if you go to do the school run and someone has let yours down?

A polite note asking her to move forwards is reasonable

ifonly4 · 11/01/2023 14:41

A or B are your only options. Longterm, do you have enough room directly in front of your house park, so you can get a dropped kerb. If not, if you ever move, buy a property with parking.

Shade17 · 11/01/2023 14:54

letting her tyre down is mean

It’s criminal damage as well!

picklesandtea · 11/01/2023 15:02

Shade17 · 11/01/2023 14:54

letting her tyre down is mean

It’s criminal damage as well!

It neither destroys nor damages property so is therefore not criminal damage

FlounderingFruitcake · 11/01/2023 15:03

I’m usually in the park wherever as long as it’s legal camp but this would annoy me too. Mostly because of the shit parking but also the fact that it then doesn’t move for days! A polite note asking her to move forward and not take up more space than she needs to is perfectly reasonable. But if you could then I’d avoid moving the car on her usual parking day (Tuesdays?) for a couple of weeks and hope that she finds somewhere else and decides to stick with it.