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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:
BecauseImWorthIt · 18/01/2011 16:47

I think that the note has given you a golden opportunity, actually. I know you're cross about it, but why not go round (bearing wine/beer if necessary) and open the debate about the whole thing?

Explain why you parked where you did, and point out that you can't park where you need to - and see what agreement you can come to.

But don't make an issue about it - it is the kind of thing that people fester about and then it becomes totally out of proportion.

tinkertitonk · 18/01/2011 16:49

Occasionally it's a good idea to be the lunatic with the hidden cleaver that everyone else is terrified of. Car parking issues are not those occasions however.

ivykaty44 · 18/01/2011 16:49

I think the wine is a fab idea Grin take two bottles and a lot of logic

Deciduousblonde · 18/01/2011 16:50

I used to smile a bit over a bloke who lived in a neighbouring road to mine.

His house could be accessed via an alleyway in my road, and he always parked just in front of the entrance. He would have a fit if anyone from another road parked in 'his' spot in order to walk to the shops or train station.

I don't think he could ever quite see why I wasn't sympathetic to his rantings.

ChippingInSmellyCheeseFreak · 18/01/2011 16:54

LewsDad - YANBU He's being inconsiderate. I think you should do as Blu suggested.

It's the best advice.

Boring - but right Grin

eaglewings · 18/01/2011 16:57

Going back to the 16.31 post it does seem that the issue is about light and having a car right outside the window.

The house I grew up in was like this, it was OK if a small car was there, but a MPV, van or 4x4 blocked the light.

We only ever said anything if people actually blocked the door way, it meant my friend who used a wheel chair had to go out of the back door and round a lane.

Deciduousblonde · 18/01/2011 16:59

Is it still true that there is no 'right to light'? just wondering.

scurryfunge · 18/01/2011 17:01

Yes, true.

MissQue · 18/01/2011 17:01

But if you park your own car outside your own house, then it is your choice whether you have a smaller car which doesn't block out light, or a bigger car that does.

Deciduousblonde · 18/01/2011 17:04

True MissQue

But if you buy a house without a driveway then you leave the option open to anyone to park outside your house. Yes, it is irritating..but there isn't much you can do about it.

LadyBiscuit · 18/01/2011 17:04

I want to know who owns the bloody great camper van which has been parked outside my house since September (at least) and not moved. It's big, it's fugly, I don't want to look at it Angry

And I know it's a public highway etc but why isn't it parked on the other side of the road where there aren't any houses?? Grr ...

eaglewings · 18/01/2011 17:07

Lady have you checked it has a valid Tax disc, if not you could report it and have it moved?

LadyBiscuit · 18/01/2011 17:09

Of course I have eaglewings. It expires in May. I'm going to stay in all day waiting for them to turn up and then ask them politely if they would mind moving it so it's either outside of their own house or outside someone else's to give me something different to look at (or to have the novelty of a parking space outside my house actually ever being available).

LadyBiscuit · 18/01/2011 17:10

Sorry, that sounded a bit terse. Meant to put a :o at the end of the first sentence. It was one of the first things I did when I moved here and realised that it never budged.

hocuspontas · 18/01/2011 17:12

I'm more confused. If the pavement is only there to keep cars out of people's living rooms, by parking there it defeats the object of the pavement doesn't it?

ilythia · 18/01/2011 17:14

meh. Our neighjbours have 3 cars. The next ones down have 2 and a van, and the next have 2 as well. Then it gets silly.
I just park round the corner. Or on the other side of the road outside someone ele's house.
It's not like you have to trek 6 miles over broken glass to get to your door from your car, it it?

kepler10b · 18/01/2011 17:19

YABU. it's a public road and so people can park wherever they want within the parking restrictions imposed by the council. unless you own the land or are disabled with a reserved space just be grateful you can find anywhere to park. some people live in areas that are so busy and full of multiple occupancy households they end up having to park a couple of streets away.

southeastastra · 18/01/2011 17:20

people can park where they like but they're being effing unneighbourly to do so. agree with blu also

ReclaimingMyInnerPeachy · 18/01/2011 17:26

You can;t park in front of a door if it blocks it; as the PCSO's regualrly confirm to the many school run parents who block me into my home (no rear access, also have to get to school- ta then!)

Don;t know if you did just mentioning

otherwise yes it's a PITA but it won;t kill you (us) we have only one row of houses here but parking on less than that row (gets too narrow) and a big residential unit opposite with staffc ars etc

What doesn;t kill you etc

And of course punching someone would make you BU but wanting to not so much (not stunning either buy YKWIM)

BecauseImWorthIt · 18/01/2011 17:26

LadyBiscuit - if it's never moved, then report it to the council and/or the police. It sounds like it's been dumped there.

freshmint · 18/01/2011 17:28

if you haven't paid for a driveway then you have to suck it up

presumably you realised when you bought the house that you weren't also buying the road in front of your house Hmm

MrSpoc · 18/01/2011 17:29

My PIL's live on a small road. parking is hurendous. One time we arrived just after our DS1 was born to find no spaces except for a few cones put out.

In my haste and anger at the cheek of it, i go out the car and kicked the cones out of the way. Out came a very angry old man who was trying his hardest to hit me. (My wife jumping in the middle and giving him the what for and how dare he get up set at people moving his cones out of the road).

God parking is annoying. at least you dont have people putting cones out.

ReclaimingMyInnerPeachy · 18/01/2011 17:30

Oh but LOL

my neighbour rants so much if we park outside hers even though her own car is furtehr alone

as her DD drops the grandkids off and needs at least two spaces as she isn;t very good at aprking

For this need she expects us to park some distance away (whole village has same issue; once DH had to walk about a mile home, not a killer but yj, a PITA after a night shift)

nuts

Deciduousblonde · 18/01/2011 17:33

freshmint, I think this is really more about the neighbour putting a note on the OPs car complaining about her car being in front of his house..when he parks in front of hers.

freshmint · 18/01/2011 17:38

ahh that little twist has been added has it? thanks DB. I fell asleep after reading the OP Grin

presumably everyone has stated the obvious ie go and talk to your neighbour instead of posting on an internet forum?

zzzz

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