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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to want to park in front of my own house?

103 replies

LewsDad · 18/01/2011 15:46

I live on the right hand side of a one-way street with no driveways or garages. Most of my neighbours have more than one car, so parking is at a premium. However, rather than park on the narrow (but unused) pavement outside their own houses, the two neighbours opposite insist on leaving their cars outside mine. Because they are apparently also terrible at parking, they invariably add insult to injury by taking up more than one space each. I am therefore often forced to park on the other side of the road, in the 30-yard-long space that exists there.

I can see absolutely no benefit to them parking in front of my house instead of their own.

The people next door have raised this issue with them many times in the past, and I have made my feelings known in a less focused, more sweary and stompy way, but they appear not to care.

Because I have a toddler (with car seat on the right hand side), a pregnant wife and usually lots of heavy shopping, this annoys me somewhat.

Last night, having been unable to park near my house all weekend due to non-residents taking up all the spaces, and having at one point been forced to extract my son from the car directly into the middle of the busy road, I arrived home from work to yet again find my neighbour's car outside my house, with three quarters of a parking space behind it and half a space in front. I was so incensed that this time when I parked in front of his house, I made sure I got right in the way of his front door into the bargain.

This morning, I found a note on my windscreen asking me not to park outside his fucking door.

Am I being unreasonable to want to punch him in the face?

OP posts:
Fimbo · 18/01/2011 15:51

Scribble on the back of his note - "likewise".

I live on a newbuild estate where there is no real "guest" parking. I have pots on the pavement to prevent people parking on the pavement right outside my front door (opens on to the pavement).

DadIsSad · 18/01/2011 15:51

You don't own the road in front of your house. Which means he has no more right to complain about you than you do about him. Having said that, I'd be tempted to get a trolley jack to help with his parking if he's as bad as you make out.

fel1x · 18/01/2011 15:54

def write a note back 'sorry for parking outside your house. some idiot keeps parking outside mine so i am left with little choice.'

eaglewings · 18/01/2011 15:54

Do I take it that they have no front garden and the narrow pavement is right outside their front door?

If so, does parking there block out light into windows?

Just a thought.

monkey9237 · 18/01/2011 15:54

We have this problem every day - the only thing we can do is turn the front garden into a driveway so that we can park on it and also use the space outside our house to park (and stop everyone else parking outside our house even though there is space outside their own houses!)

sarah293 · 18/01/2011 15:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

MorticiaAddams · 18/01/2011 15:55

I can't get my head around the setup here.

It sounds as though you have parking on the road on your side but have to park on the pavement on their side. Did you park on the pavement and in front of their door? Don't they have a front garden and if not were you actually blocking access to their house?

WhyHavePets · 18/01/2011 15:55

When he parked he could have been in the space but parkers have come along after him and left the gaps like that, you have no idea.

Anyway, as has been said, there are no rules on parking, it is open seasn. If it is a war you want carry on, if nt take some deep breaths and live and let live.

OldBagWantsNewBag · 18/01/2011 15:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

thebountymuncher · 18/01/2011 15:58

YANBU. Agree with Fimbos' note idea.

My neighbour, the cheeky bugger, parks in my allocated space as well as her own.
I've never pulled her up on it, I just park outside my house instead (my space is round the corner, weirdly) but yesterday she lumbered past moaning that my car was parked in the way!

Hullygully · 18/01/2011 15:59

burn his house down.

It's all people like that understand.

MissQue · 18/01/2011 16:01

Riven, I would print out some little notes saying 'you have taken my disabled parking space, would you like to take my disability too?' or some such emotional blackmail type thing.

I'd get well pissed off if there is a perfectly good space in front of their own house but they choose to park in someone else's space.

earwicga · 18/01/2011 16:02

Riven - if anybody parks even an inch over your parking bay they can be given a parking ticket. I'd get busy on the phone if I was you.

earwicga · 18/01/2011 16:02

LOL at Hully Grin

sarah293 · 18/01/2011 16:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

rattling · 18/01/2011 16:04

Just don't get this. I get the annoyance, but it's not your road - everyone can park where they like.

I live in a tenement. Mostly have to park about 300m away from my front door and carry twins across a busy road to get them in. But as I don't have my own driveway that's how it works.

I don't understand why your neighbours park where they do, but they must have a reason or why do it? And why all this talk of parking on pavements? That is illegal and drives all us double buggy pushers onto the road (or at best past your cars just lightly scratching it).

clmm · 18/01/2011 16:05

We live in a cul de sac andu sually everyone parks in front of their own house,the next door neighbour is out ranting and raving when anyone parks in her space and she will park her car as close as she can so they can t get out.However if anyone visits her house she seems to think they can park where they want ie where we park also blocking the drive.It is so ignorant and really windsme up.

Nancy66 · 18/01/2011 16:05

People get very territorial about parking.
but if being able to park immediately outside your home is paramount to you - then get a house with a drive.

Some nights I'm lucky if I can park within six streets of my house - let alone right outisde.

scurryfunge · 18/01/2011 16:07

If there are no restrictions and no residents' permit parking, then you are no more entitled than anyone else.

GwendolineMaryLacey · 18/01/2011 16:08

Some pavements are marked for parking rattling although usually wider ones.

I know exactly how you feel OP. It's nbot so much that I can't park outside my house although it would be nice, but it is the crap parking. Due to dropped kerbs etc the stretch outside our house can take three cars but there is always some tosspot who parks over a pace and a half, leaving room for only one car behind him. When I get home with shopping and child it infuriates me that I have to park two streets away.

MrsTumbles · 18/01/2011 16:09

fel1x has a;ready put the witty response I was going to tell you to put Envy

MrsTumbles · 18/01/2011 16:09

already not a;ready obviously

Original poster
LewsDad · 18/01/2011 16:10

No, I don't own the space in front of my house, but that's completely irrelevant to the fact that the bloke opposite is quite capable of parking outside his own home instead of making my life difficult for no discernible reason, isn't it? And no, WhyHavePets - I've watched him do it.

OP posts:
Ormirian · 18/01/2011 16:13

"I am therefore often forced to park on the other side of the road"

All the way over the other side of the road? Nooooo..... How do you cope?

I have just moved to a house with off-street parking and a garage but for years we lived in a terraced cul-de-sac with nowhere near enough parking. We were bloody lucky to be able to park in the same street, or even the same bloody electoral ward most of the time.

Don't punch anyone, just breathe and let it go.

unhappyshopper · 18/01/2011 16:14

Is there a space outside his own house when he parks outside yours?

Is the pavement opposite marked to allow vehicles to park ON it.. ?

If its a narrow, one way street then its not reeeeeally a hardship to park opposite, and its not as if there would be lots of traffic whizzing past.

I honestly wouldnt buy a house in a road where its clear that parking would be a problem though.