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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:
Ormirian · 18/01/2011 16:15

Mind you, those who simply can't park sensibly and take up too many spaces do deserve to be given a public beating and compulsory parking lessons Grin

Original poster
LewsDad · 18/01/2011 16:15

Ah. Well done me for responding before the thread moved on... Blush

lol @ fel1x and Hullygully

OP posts:
TitsalinaBumSquash · 18/01/2011 16:17

Don't get me started on parking!

I live in a flat, there are 8 flats to 3 spaces. One space is a disabled spot and the other 2 are taken up by my selfish bastard neighbour who has 3 cars... he doesn't use these 2 cars and will park his third car oppisite which is the only space left for the rest of us.

I have a disabled son (but don't get blue badge) so when I pull up with both kids and a weeks worth of shopping and have to park a street away I get pretty pissed off.

hocuspontas · 18/01/2011 16:18

Give us your address and when we have Google Earthed it we can give you a proper judgement.

Nancy66 · 18/01/2011 16:18

You don't want residents parking, believe me...we have that and it's a fucking nightmare.

Everytime somebody comes to visit it costs me six quid! Shelling that out for people you don't even like is a bit galling....

IsItMeOr · 18/01/2011 16:20

YABU to pick a fight with a neighbour over this. Come live in our street, where the council decided that our corner was no longer safe to park on and bunged a single yellow there when they introduced a permit scheme.

We have no choice but to park wherever we can find a space, and pay for a permit for the privilege. Some dafties people still seem to think that the space directly outside their gate is theirs and get aerated if you park there (particularly if you don't leave precisely the right amount for their very large estate car either side of you).

Life is really too short to be petty and deliberately blocking people's front doors. It is almost certainly a light issue, as when the next door neighbour parks their 4*4 outside our window, you really do notice it.

Blu · 18/01/2011 16:20

Talk to them clearly, directly and pleasantly - explain your issues, car seat, pg wife etc, and as if there is any reason why they prefer parking as they do - say that it will be best if you all try and make the best use of space for ach other, as otherwise someone in the street may well ask the council to set up a CPZ - in which case you'll all have t pay f permits etc.

Go over with the note and say 'sorry if I inconvenienced you, we all seem to be getting in each other's way with the parking - how shall we sort it out'.

Too much huffing, puffing and note-writing fury going on!

LaurieFairyonthetreeEatsCake · 18/01/2011 16:20

I think you should knock on his door with a very confused look on your face and ask what the note is for and say "but you were parked outside mine" in a puzzled way.

You need to see what he says as there seems to be no reason at the moment for him to be doing it.

TheCoalitionNeedsYou · 18/01/2011 16:25

Yes.

ivykaty44 · 18/01/2011 16:26

He isn't allowed to leave a not on your windscreen

Put a note under your own windscreen wiper and state you would love to park in outside of your own house but the person opposite keep parking there so you have no choice until he stops parking there.

then keep parking there until he so wants to stop you - that he has to put his own car there!

NellieForbush · 18/01/2011 16:26

An 'unused' pavement? Find that hard to believe to be honest. What do pedestrians walk on if not the pavement outside your neighbours house?

However YANBU for wanting to punch him for selfish parking and rude notes.

Starbear · 18/01/2011 16:28

We have resident parking when we had a permit we never found a space even close to our house. So we have rented space from the council around the corner. This means I have park the car on a yellow line, unload the shopping crossing fingers not to meet the evil ones Sad Then put my DS back in the car drive into the traffic go for a 5 mins drive then back to our space because we live in a one-way street. Glad I only do this once a week. Some weeks I don't bother and go out to the shops with my trolley Hmm
I miss my old single days with my old house and my old parking space that was ALL mine! P.S I didn't buy this house

saffy85 · 18/01/2011 16:29

I understand how you feel OP- I live on a street on terraced houses and we arely get to park outside our house. Infact everyone in the car gives a might cheer if we get to park on side of the street we live on- the handful of times we have parked outside our own house has been a momentus occasion.

Sadly there is sweet FA you can do about it other than hullygully's suggestion (which I like Grin) so you'll have to grin and bear it or keep sending the passive agressive notes back and forth....

Original poster
LewsDad · 18/01/2011 16:31

Right, to clarify:

The pavement, which is apparently a major issue here, only exists in front of the four houses across the road and is only there to keep cars out of people's living rooms. It is not used by anyone with a buggy, a wheelchair, or anything else. It is literally a pavement to nowhere.

I am also fully aware that I have no legal or moral right to park in front of my house. I'm merely complaining about the inconsiderate behaviour of my 'neighbour.'

I get the feeling some people are missing the point on purpose...

OP posts:
ilovemydogandMrObama · 18/01/2011 16:31

Our next door neighbors have 3 cars. Actually have 2 cars and a white mahoosive van. The van doesn't move sometimes for weeks on end and is parked right in front of our house. When it does move, they get the car and replace the van with the car. It is irritating. But heard them explain to a neighbor that they have a baby, so are entitled Hmm Grin

unhappyshopper · 18/01/2011 16:35

Whether it is used or not, it is still usually illegal to be parked on the pavement.

And if emergency vehicles cant get past if they park fully on the road outside their house, then where else can they park?

ivykaty44 · 18/01/2011 16:36

you neighbour owns the road and pavement, that is the point and you need to set him right on the fact that you want to use the bit of road outside your house that he owns...thats the point isn't it?

ivykaty44 · 18/01/2011 16:37

And no one in a wheelchair or a person with a buggy can go nowhere as the pavement to nowhere can't be used - right?

Deciduousblonde · 18/01/2011 16:38

I was just about to post about not owning the road outside your house (I have this argument with an angry DH practically every day!) then I read what your neighbour had done so I changed my mind!

Of course you are not being unreasonable to want to park outside you house. The fact that legally you aren't entitled to is another matter.

You are not being unreasonable if you suggest to the neighbour that it would be easier if he parked outside his house and you parked outside yours :)

Ormirian · 18/01/2011 16:38

Not missing the point lewsdad. I think everyone gets the irritation! But it is just one of those things that have to be lived with sadly as there are no legal rights for either of you. And YABU to want to punch him.

BonzoDooDah · 18/01/2011 16:39

I like the twuntish reply of "likewise" but also like LaurieFotEC's answer.

Starbear · 18/01/2011 16:39

ilovemydogandMrObama phew! for a mo I thought you where talking about my Brother-in-law. I pity his neighbours. He runs his business from home and a few lock ups! No his name isn't Delboy Some time his blokes park out side the house so there are a few vans. Their sons 24yrs & 26 yrs also have Motorbikes Blush
I wish his business was more successful so my poor Sis doesn't suffer this humliation from neighbours.

MsSparkle · 18/01/2011 16:42

My mils nieghbour parks his minging old giant van outside her place (he lives across the road) and parks it right up to her driveway. Mil says it blocks the light in her front widow and the van is an eyesaw. There is loads of room outside his house but he doesn't park it there because he doesn't want his skanky old van outside his house!Hmm

In my mums road, parking is very hard. The thing that annoys people is some of them have driveways but still park in the road because they can't be bothered to keep driving in and out of their drivewaysHmm Meanwhile, other residents without drives have to park where they can find a space and if it's in your own road you are lucky!

crazygracieuk · 18/01/2011 16:43

A neighbour who lives across the road does this too. She never parks in "her" spot and I'd love to ask why my "spot" is better than her side of the road...

ivykaty44 · 18/01/2011 16:44

Perhaps go over and ask the neighbour if he is a private detective and when he comes home he is still on work mode and parks his car a little way away?

What I want to know is really why he does this - it just seems a bit weird