Parking issue with commercial van - feeling anxious

[Bitofapickle22]

So I live in a quiet residential street. We all have driveways so no issues parking. About a week ago a large commercial lorry started parking in the street. It is huge. One of my neighbours saw the driver park it and then walk off to a street a few minutes away. I’m assuming he can’t or doesn’t want to park in his street so parks it in mine.

When it parks opposite my driveway it makes it harder to reverse in and yes to be honest staring out my lounge window at a huge van is an eyesore and I hate it. I shut the blinds but it’s bloody annoying.

Yesterday we had to help my neighbour out his drive as he couldn’t see round it.

I rang the company and politely asked if the driver could park more considerately. The bloke on the phone said the driver had moved to the area and would now be parking in my street and there’s nothing I could do about it. I explained about blocking driveways making it difficult to get in and out. He didn’t care. Said it’s taxed and insured and we’d have to get used to it. Said he’s known the driver 30 years and he is a “family man”.

Again today I hear it parking up opposite, the loud reversing noise. My DD who is 13 and off school sick looked out the window and the driver saw, came over to our house and started waving up at her. I am now thinking he’s obviously been told that I’ve complained and this is the start of some sort of personal vendetta.

I am a single parent and am now worrying what this bloke is going to do? I shouldn’t have rung. I’m so anxious about this. I just want a quiet life and now not only do I have to deal with this lorry 7 days a week and trying to get round it but the driver and the company know where I live.

Trying not to catastrophise but I have so much other stressful stuff going on that it feels like I’m spiralling.

He should go and park in the other road (mentioned by op) where there aren't any houses.

You're not ignoring it, you parked your car out there to try and stop him and when you heard his horn you came to post on mn about it. It's taking up too much head space.

I think if you just accept that he has as much right to park there as you do then you will be able to make peace with it and it won't bother you so much.

No, you don't like it but the bottom line is that you don't own the road so you have to accept that other people can and will park there.

Just ignore him - he's a pathetic little man who thinks he's the big I am because he drives a van and gets to honk his horn on it. Toot toot! 🙄

Whenever you hear him, just raise your middle finger at the window if you're inside and get on with what you're doing, or smile and wave if you're outside. Extra points if you blow him a kiss.

Just keep parking there - he'll get the message eventually, just as he has with all the other streets he's tried to park in.

sirchenjins your post has really made me smile, blow him a kiss 😂

Im in work for the rest of the week so won’t be able to park in “his” space so he will be able to enjoy parking there all week, horn and all.

But yes to the poster who said I’m overthinking it and giving it too much head space, I really am. I have multiple other things to worry about including “big” problems so I don’t know why I just can’t stress less over this. I think it was because he came over to the house, stood there staring for ages at DD then started waving at her.

As a single woman with children I guess I feel vulnerable. I’ve even told DD no to look out the window in case he sees her. Would he treat a man like this do you think?

Can you and the neighbours band together to hire a large van for a week and park it there? You'd need someone who was home to move it for the restricted times, but if they were on the ball they could make sure it was there promptly and prevent the lorry from getting in there. After a week he might give up/have found somewhere else?

Hire a skip and have it delivered to the space

Treat a man like what? All he did was wave to your DD who was looking at him. I think you may have blown this up in your head into something bigger than it actually is. It will be good to have a week away from thinking about it and interacting with those thoughts. Hopefully it will bother you less as time goes on.

And park up sounding his horn repeatedly? I don't believe you think that's normal behaviour, I think you're being disingenuous.

Where did I say that was normal?

Masterclass in being patronising 👏

No, you’re quite right, funnily enough, you didn’t mention it all? 🤔

Formal complaint to his employers?

john I’ve spoken to the employer who told me he’s known the driver for 30 years and he’s a “family man”. We’re not talking a big corporate company like Amazon more like a “local” business with a small team who probably all know each other and are best buddies.

The man I spoke told me this driver has just moved to the area and will now be parking in my street permanently. They don’t seem to care about company reputation or staying on good terms with people.

If he's beeping his horn to get attention then it's best ignored surely? Honestly this is such a mountain out of a molehill.

Sure, one option is to ignore it. But her feelings about the situation are understandable.

There was an interesting comment I saw on Twitter

Someone who worked in Construction watched contractors vans.

If they dove like idiots he would never use them because if thats how they drive then thats how they work

Yeah no, he didn't do that.

Hmm let me see, I ring company politely asking van driver to park more considerately. Next day van driver comes over to my house stands there looking up for ages and then waves up quite aggressively at my DD. DD is not a toddler she is a teenager so why would you wave at a teenage girl. Van driver now announcing his presence with hand on his horn when he rocks up.

But none of this is intimidating and being female has nothing to do with it and I’m blowing it all up in my mind. Right.

OP, do you have a local Spotted group on FB? This is the time I'd be tempted to name and shame the company, not for parking in 'your' road, but for their totally negative reaction to your suggestion. I'd make it a strictly lighthearted and factual report and I'd be extra careful how I reported horns tooting and him waving at teenage daughter. Anyway, that's what I'd do, the Spotted groups are great for venting and pot stirring anonymously! 😊

I don't suppose you'd be willing to share the name of the company, a few negative reviews may stop his behaviour!

You need a coordinated effort with all the neighbours to park on the road for a few weeks

Negative review on how rude he is everywhere you can. He is being intimidating to get his own way and he well knows it. That type of bully boy and their besties in work need to realise you cannot treat people this way and the only way is to try get at the business.

I worry that you're being wound up even further by some of the comments here, OP.
You know, I'm sure, you can't dictate where someone legally parks.
I totally get you hate it. I really do. I not only can imagine it but also endured it, two vans to be precise.
It's infuriating. Yet legal.
Let it go, don't be fed by this thread, it just feeds your anxiety.
You've tried to affect it, ringing the employer, parking and involving neighbours.
It's becoming a bigger problem than it should be.
For yourself, be kind to you. Ignore, ignore and ignore.

Leave a scathing review on facebook. That’s what I’d do. Maybe his employer won’t be quite so dismissive if it affects his bottom line. Don’t say you’ve already asked just a picture with ‘it’s making it difficult to navigate around, I know it wouldn’t bother lots of people but, I’d automatically think they were arseholes if they didn’t reply with “sorry we won’t do it again” and not use their company. You could even get neighbours to reply that it is causing them issues.