Parking thread (no diagrams...)

[KittieCadaver]

Seeking perspectives from the MN hive mind...

Background is we live in an urban area. There are council enforced parking restrictions, which mean paid-for permits are needed to park - we have one. This allows us to park on streets nearby within the parking zone. We don’t have off street parking - most properties don’t.

We park on a road opposite our place, one side has trees, we avoid parking there, as I hate cleaning the poo off of the car. We park anywhere there is a space on the tree-free side, as close as we can to our property, as I’m guessing do most others.

This morning we got caught going to the car by a couple who rent on the street where we park. The woman dashed out of her property and began asking DH angrily why we ‘always’ park outside of their property (we don’t) and demanding we park elsewhere. To be absolutely clear, she wasn’t asking nicely. She was clearly overwrought and went in all guns blazing.

I was already in the car with DS and the dog so left it to DH to speak to her (he’s much calmer than I am in ‘situations’). Her partner came out and took the same aggressive approach.

I got out of the car. It transpires they’ve had a few attempted thefts of their “£70k car”. They were awful. Aggressive, entitled, accusatory, and frankly, rude about our (smaller, cheaper and infinitely less nickable) vehicle.

They want to park outside of their property so their car is in ‘vision’ of their Ring doorbell.

If they’d asked us nicely and explained why then we’d have no problem putting our car elsewhere - as long as a space is available.

I now want to go and buy an old banger, get a parking permit and park it permanently outside their place (joking - just). I’m leaning towards ignoring them and parking where we want. Would you, or would you park in another road?

TLDR: Rude resident has demanded we don’t park outside their property WWYD?

They have zero rights to the space outside their home

No, sorry, smile and leave. If their car is that precious to them they should get a place with off street parking.

I would ignore them, although I’d probably be a bit shaken by it as I don’t like confrontation (DH relishes it so I’d have left it up to him to deal with them!). In your situation the permits give you the right to park anywhere in that zone, so go ahead - and if the value of their car gives them that many headaches then they can swap it for a cheaper model.

Your parking arrangement is between you and the council. None of their business. Ignore them!

You are fully within your rights to park wherever you like. However, I do sometimes choose an easy life, and would probably not park there is there was an alternative nearby.

Why would you buy a 70K car with no off street parking anyway

They were out of order

My MIL had this exact same situation on her road. Man with Porsche installed CCTV pointing at the road outside his house and got really angry when anyone parked there. All the neighbours took great delight in parking there whenever they could. He moved in the end. Keep doing what you are doing. Entitled twats.

If the car was that expensive it should have come with its own security camera built in. I'm sure they can add their own if not.

Ooh what a bonus that now when your car is parked outside their house their ring doorbell will keep an eye on it for you 😉

Can you get a print out of the parking rules and print off and post it through their door.

PLEASE READ THIS AS IF SHOWS QUITE CLEARLY YOU CANNOT DICTATE WHO CAN OE CANNOR PARK IN THE ROAD OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE.

It's their hard cheese, isn't it. Do they think they are the 'Special Ones'? They've made it worse for themselves by being so rude. I would try to park elsewhere if there was another convenient space, otherwise I'd park in 'their' space.

We have a permit system operating on our side of the road, the other side has double yellow lines. Every house also has a driveway.

Some neighbours get uptight about the parking but everyone has to accept it's first come, first served. Neighbours on the yellow line side have to park on our side or on their driveways and there are fewer bays than houses.

We have parking bays painted on the road. One outside each house. No bays where the driveways and garden gates are, obviously. The council confirmed to me in writing that we are allowed to park outside our own driveways, not in a bay and, when doing so, don't have to display a permit and we will not be fined for it. Or we can allow someone else to park across our own driveway without a permit if we so wish.

I saved the correspondence in case an overzealous warden issues a ticket in error.

Thing is if they asked politely they’d probably have got much further. Also on MIL road I parked up one evening and another of her neighbours parked behind me. He then tapped on my window and politely asked how long I’d be as if I was staying all evening please could we swap parking spaces so he could charge his electric car (none of the houses have driveways). I was more than happy to swap with him. A bit of politeness goes a long way.

Thanks all. I’m far (far far) more bloody minded than DH but pleased that the MN jury leans in that direction 😂.

I agree entirely - I wouldn’t have a car worth that much parked on the street. It’s an open invitation.

Apparently theirs does have security but the thieves have simply broken into the rear and disabled the necessary electrics.

On the upside, we’ve just come in and to my absolute, unbridled joy another car (that isn’t theirs) is parked outside their flat. Hurrah! Let’s hope it stays put for a few days at least...