Why are people such idiots over parking?!?!

[autumngirl714]

So this is the situation.
I live in a flat in a small building. We used to be able to park directly outside of it but the council deciddd to put double yellow lines there (without any warning!!) which means I now have no where to park my car.
Next to our building is an avenue of about 16 houses, each has a long driveway, some have that and car parking spaces. Not all houses have cars.
I've started parking my car on this avenue, outside a house which never has a car up the drive or outside.
In an ideal world I would park outside my place, but I can't.
I'm a single women in my thirties, I don't want to be walking 10-15 mins down little roads in the evening to get to my car. I feel safer here. I can see my car from my window so if the alarm went off I can see it.

Anyway, the person whose house I've started parking outside put a sign up yesterday (no parking, this is a private driveway). I parked up last night and she came and stood outside her front door. Maybe a coincidence but it felt like an intimidation thing.
The thing is, I park on the pavement. Not her driveway. I've never gone over it and I've never turned up it. I just park on the public driveway.

My mum is a bit of a parking police kind of person and is mortified I parked outside someone's house.... but it's like, what else am I supposed to do?! Anywhere i park will be outside someone's house!
Do people really think that only they are entitled to the public pavement outside their house? Do people think it's actually fair I get rid of my car so they can have an empty pavement?!

Sorry, rant over 🙈

You’re parking the pavement?

Are you American and using pavement as in the road itself? If you really mean you are parking on the pavement in the UK you are not going to get much support here!

You're parking on the pavement? Why?

Your post is quite confusing why are you parking on the pavement? Do you mean you're parking on the road outside someone's house not blocking their drive?

I’m going to need a diagram…

Do you mean you are parking alongside the pavement rather than across her driveway?

All together now.....

DIAGRAM! DIAGRAM! DIAGRAM!

Oh wow sorry, I didn't realise I had made that so confusing!
I'm just parking next to the pavement, on the road. So not literally on the pavement.
It's not her pavement? But it's outside her house.

Pavements and roads are very different things. If you are parking on the road next to the pavement and it's not a private road then you can crack on. It's perfectly legal to do so.

So you're parking on the road legally not blocking her drive and not on a pavement. Then you're doing nothing wrong.

Diagram!

If you are parking on the road, with no parking restrictions, not over her dropped drive there is not a lot they can do.

You just have to style it out and hope they get bored.

I mean they can't have much going on in their life if they are doing this, just feel sorry for them their life is so small.

Try and not worry OP they are just going to have to suck it up you aren't doing anything illegal.

You’re doing nothing wrong. Could it be that you’re making it more difficult for those in the houses opposite to enter/exit their drives?

If it's legal you can park there, but I'd alternate with another spot or two in case it's causing her issues. She may plan to use it later than you arrive home and be frustrated that you're targeting that space every night.

I'd carry on parking there, but also I probably wouldn't always park outside the same house, just the nearest spot that is free when I get there.

I'd have a word with her if she pops out again. Be cheery and assertive. "Hi! I hope I'm not going over the end of your drive, am I? I saw the notice about your drive so I'm being careful". Then she will harrumph and say this is outside my house it's not convenient. So be sympathetic and upbeat. "I know, it's such a pain that the council seem to not plan the restrictions very well, isn't it? Round the corner they painted double yellows without even the option of residents' permits. It's good there is a bit more space in this road that ISN'T RESTRICTED PARKING. Nice to meet you, byeeee!"

How annoying for the homeowner to constantly have the same random car outside their house. Not illegal but inconsiderate.

Don't always park in front of the same house

Why is it annoying for the homeowner. They have a driveway so it's not like it's preventing them parking. In what way does it matter if it's the same car parking there each day?

Annoying perhaps but you don't own the road outside your house.

Ho hum they need to just suck it up and get a life which isn't bothered about such things we all need to live together on this tiny planet.

Just park randomly on the road - its the polite thing to do. I live in a quiet street and I would get a bit frustrated if the same car was always parked outside my house - it's irrational i know but feels a bit intrusive. I think deep down lots of people would think this especially if the road is normally a quiet one with plenty of parking options.

Sounds like the sign isn't about you as you are parking on the opposite side of the road? Have you ever noticed anyone parking on her side of the road?

I agree that nobody owns streets and if it's legal and safe to park, then you should be able to park there. However I do also agree that residents get annoyed when random people start claiming spaces as their permanent parking spots long term.

We live in a close and some people with multiple cars in their households, including vans started to park opposite our houses as they exceeded their parking allowance in the flats car park. We did get in to a bit of a disagreement as technically we don't own the spots, but once one person starts parking there, everyone will and that would make it difficult to get in and out of our drives if the whole street was packed with cars. We reached an agreement that it's ok to occasionally park there, but not make it their fixed spot as it's was inconsiderate.

If your area is anything like here, they’ll apply for residents parking and no one will be able to park without a permit. There’s almost no street parking in my town now - they are building new flats with no parking spaces, not sure where they think people will park. As if just not building spaces will make people abandon cars.

I sympathize, OP. I'd vary which house if possible. Maybe she'd just like the option of using the space outside her house sometimes. I agree she's not entitled to it but I do get that that the same car effectively hogging it all the time would be annoying. The problem is the council suddenly putting double yellows and no parking provisions outside an apartment block full of people with cars. So continue using that road but also contact them if you haven't already.

Tell her you've taxed and insured your car and therefore you are parking within the law.

Stupid woman.

There’s nothing wrong with where you’ve parked.