A parking one - annoying note

[jellybean99]

Another parking one for you… A rant really.

I really try to be considerate when I park, always think of what my driving instructor told me, parking safely and legally.

I visit my parents regularly. They live on a quiet street. Everyone has driveways, but majority park on the street. I always take care to not park too near to someone’s driveway in case they do want to use it, and not to double park as to cause a squeeze.

Sometimes I park in a part / strip off the road that’s between two driveways. In theory you could fit two cars there but in practise it’s not wise because in that situation both cars would be too close to the driveways.

I parked there today and got a note on my car asking me to park to the end of this strip so two cars could fit there!

Bear in mind I don’t know these people, so I wouldn’t know they’d be fine with my parking their car too close to their driveway, OR they’d be happy with me parking too close to their neighbours driveway? Bear in mind they also have a driveway and there was other spaces on the street.

Also If my car was hit by someone coming out of their drive when I was parked right up to it I wouldn’t have a leg to stand on insurance wise?

Never had problems parking there before so was a bit baffled so checked zoopla and they moved in fairly recently.

Really irritated me 😂

Also squeezing two cars there would cause one to be up the other arse which I also don’t like!

Give it a stiff ignoring, roll your eyes & don't waste your evening giving it head space.

(i presume it's not their land)

Also If my car was hit by someone coming out of their drive when I was parked right up to it I wouldn’t have a leg to stand on insurance wise

Why on earth not? Its still down to the person coming out to take care. I cant see bad parking being a reason for insurance not paying up

It's a reasonable request. The decent thing would be to comply with it.

See I live on a street where there dropped curbs and room for 2 cars inbetween each.

Everyone parks nose to face because there's no one either end and everyone manages to navigate their driveways without crashing.

There's being careful and there's overcautious.

Don't take the note to heart but please respect how the street won't people to park on it. They have to live there.

I live on a road with that exact configuration i.e. about two car lengths between drives and it does irritate me when people park bang in the middle, effectively taking up two spaces.
I think you're being over-cautious, tbh. I am well used to getting onto my drive with a car parked right up to it so that doesn't bother me at all.
Having said that, you are parking perfectly legally and leaving notes on cars is shitty behaviour so feel free to carry on parking however you feel comfortable.

These kinds of roads often have an agreed system that means everyone can park as long as everyone sticks to their "own" space. But once one space is used by a visitor then it triggers a domino effect that ends up frustrating loads of people. By taking up two spaces, you may be parking legally but you're probably pissing lots of people off.

I think you’re in the right. We live on a close that’s popular with dog walkers as the entrance to the woods is at the end. We get lots of cars, and when people park two cars between each driveway, even though they technically fit, it makes it impossible to get off our drive. You can’t get any swing when you’re coming out or you’ll hit the parked cars, and the close is too narrow to turn once you’re off, if that makes sense.

But if the people who live there park two cars in each spot then presumably it's fine, otherwise they wouldn't.

Appreciate the constructive feedback thanks everyone. Aware roads have their own unspoken rules but not knowing the rules parked with caution.

I myself have been slightly annoyed when a visitors hasn’t parked according to the ‘unspoken rules’ on my street, but I’d never go as far as to leave a note because I know they’re likely unaware! Only time I’d leave one is if they were parked dangerously.

I’ll avoid parking outside their house in future anyway as don’t want to start parking wars near my parents. 😂

Nobody who lives here parks on the road, we all use our drives. There’s a group WhatsApp dedicated to parking peeves, and we’d be the subject of murder if we dared park on the road! There’s currently a push to get double yellows put along the close, which the council are considering. I’m not bothered about people parking here to be honest, as long as they’re considerate.

@Anonym00se i was thinking same as you. @WickieRoy if I parked near their end / drive I now know that wouldn’t bother them but if I parked next their neighbours end they’re speaking for their neighbour that that’s ok. It might be but obv I don’t know

@jellybean99 factually, you are able to park up to the part where the kerb starts to drop. Also, cars should be parked in the direction of the road in order that their rear reflectors face the oncoming traffic.

If you are able to park up to where the kerb drops in such a way as to leave sufficient room for another car to park next to you between two driveways, then you should do so. We all struggle for parking.

Lastly, if anyone hits a stationary vehicle, it is their fault irrespective of anything else, so if you are parked, not obscuring a dropped kerb, and someone hits you, it isn't your fault.

@Anonym00se that’s so funny about the WhatsApp group. It would be perfectly possibly for people on that street to park at least one car on the drives but they don’t really. @HappiestSleeping thank you for that info, I didn’t know about the kerb drop, that’s very useful.

Yes but in the OP she says most park on the road rather than on their drives. So if the residents find two per gap works, they're probably right!

The people who are giving advice about the parking two cars, I appreciate it. To be honest I think the note just got my back up a bit. 😂

The way you're parking is infuriating, taking up 2 spaces . Pull up to the line!
I've left notes on people's cars when they've parked like twats on the street where I live, where parking spots are at a premium.

It’s just a note with a request.

It is annoying when people needlessly take up two spaces. Of course you would not be at fault if someone hit you going in or out of their drive, and you haven’t actually parked over the drive.

And what’s the issue with two cars parking very close when each have a clear drive’s width in front of behind? They aren’t tightly blocked in.

It’s a simple request. You haven’t said it was rude or threatening, so just shrug and stop parking in the middle of 2 spaces.

OP I'd just ask your parents where to park, they'll know the "system" or any "empty" spots. Could you park outside their house or on their drive?

Yeah there’s somewhere else where it’s a 100% a one car gap, I’ll do that in future!

Wouldn’t say I was parked like a twat but not quite to the street’s rules.

@WickieRoy sorry wasn’t implying you said I was parked like a twat btw, someone else did lol

The plot thickens. My Dad has text me saying this house has four cars and regularly annoy everyone with their parking. 😂😂 Now I don’t feel so bad.

I live in a road with the same configuration, two spaces between drives so long as people park carefully. It really irritates when someone parks in the middle, taking up two spaces. Notes have been left asking people to park more considerately, not by me as I only have one car so can park in my drive. You can park right up close when either end is open.

So I think they were NBU!

Thank you everyone for your input I’ll stop posting now. Honestly v helpful, appreciate every street has its parking politics and difficulties.

I live on sloping tight street with Victorian houses either side, not built with parking in mind as that wasn’t a thing then! 😄 Reversing down a hill to parallel park when cars are double parked and you can’t get enough swing as you’d like is a real dick but it’s made me stronger. 😂

Have a lovely weekend all. 💐