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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

... to get cross about neighbour parking outside my house?

64 replies

CelestinaWarbeck · 26/09/2011 13:28

Now, I'd like to make it crystal clear before I begin that I know I don't own the road outside my house and anyone can park there. But have an ongoing situation that's really getting on my tits.

I live in a road where everyone struggles with car parking. Each house has a drive and enough space on the road for one car, but most houses in the street have two or more cars, plus we get lots of people parking here for access to the nearby shops. So it's already a bit tense. Plus the road is really narrow, so manoeuvring is difficult.

I have just one car .

A family in my road has three cars, including one mahooooosive 8-seater that they use just once a week for family outings. Every Saturday night they park it outside someone else's house (yes, this week I've drawn the short straw) and leave it there FOR AN ENTIRE WEEK.

It's so bloody big that it makes getting in and out of my drive really difficult, so I end up parking outside someone else's house so that I don't get trapped in the drive.

I'm seriously tempted to park in my drive and bang into their rear end just to teach them a lesson (my car's beyond hope anyway).

Am I being reasonable or should I grow up and worry about something more important? And if I'm not BU, anyone have any ideas how I can politely indicate to this family that they might want to park their frigging Velociraptor in the FREE CAR PARK that's a three-minute walk away?

Grrrrrrr.

OP posts:
Original poster
CelestinaWarbeck · 26/09/2011 13:41

OK, thanks everyone. I will have a quiet word. If I point out to them all the bashes on my car they might believe me when I tell them that my parking's a hazard to everyone Grin

2tired - I did actually send an email to the council about it but they never got back to me. But don't houseowners have to pay a standing charge for controlled parking their street? I seem to remember thinking it wouldn't make me very popular with my neighbours no change there then

OP posts:
chicletteeth · 26/09/2011 13:42

Have you white line painted where the dipped part of the kerb is?
The end of the car, must not go beyond the bit where the kerb starts to dip (ie. the car should end where the dipped kerb starts). If they are consistently going over this and blocking you leaving your house, it's illegal and you can have them towed.
You could also just tell them this is the case and allow them a chance to sort it out without either towing or paying for white lines

gapants · 26/09/2011 13:43

If you cant get out of your drive because they are blocking you in, then you have a case, and you should go and get them to shift it when you are trying to get your car out. take photos.

Hatwoman · 26/09/2011 13:43

I used to have a drive where cars that weren't technically "blocking" it were making it very hard to get in and out. I came to teh conclusion that people just didn't realise. I would think you could quite legitimately have a very polite, quiet word. not demanding. not trying to exercise any rights, possibly even being a bit self-deprecating. "I'm really sorry but when you park that close it makes it really hard for me to get in and out so I end up taking up a space on the road, so I was wondering if you could possibly ... " the reaction could vary from "feck off" to "I'm so sorry, of course..." and many variations in between. but you wouldn;t be being unreasonable to ask.

toboldlygo · 26/09/2011 13:43

Rather than deliberately rear-ending their car (Hmm) how about just politely asking them to move it up a few feet as you are having trouble getting in and out of your driveway?

Although really, if they're parked on the road in such a way that they are not actually blocking your driveway, how on earth are you having trouble getting in and out? Reverse in?

Original poster
CelestinaWarbeck · 26/09/2011 13:44

LOL lookbutdonttouch, that's a very good idea Grin

clam, I don't have a DH but I can try playing the helpless single female card

Everyone who's suggested parking outside my house on a Saturday night - that's what I normally do! But I was off visiting friends this Saturday. It's actually got to the stage where I'll avoid going out on Saturdays just so they can't park there. I KNOW THIS IS REALLY PETTY god help me

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 26/09/2011 13:45

just have a chat with them FGS!

Original poster
CelestinaWarbeck · 26/09/2011 13:47

Everyone who's asking - it's difficult to explain, but basically the road is really narrow, and stuffed with parked cars. If I'm trying to get out of the drive and there's a car parked on either side, plus cars parked nose-to-tail on the other side of the road, I basically have to do a 38-point turn, and even then it's not always possible.

OP posts:
cookcleanerchaufferetc · 26/09/2011 13:47

Go ask them to move it as you are expecting a delivery in your driveway and you are worried that the van may knock their car. I guarantee they will move it pronto. And then say this will be happening once a week ...Problem solved!

lesley33 · 26/09/2011 13:47

I used to have trouble getting out of my drive because of where a neighbour parked. I was going to go and talk to him about it until by chance he saw me reversing out and saw how close I had to get to his car (mere inches) to get out. He values his car and now parks somewhere else!

So can you be around to reverse of your drive as he just comes out to use the 8 seater? Don't hit it! But make sure you get very close. If he says anything, be nice and just say, "sorry I'm not great at reversing so I find it hard to reverse out of my drive - I'm always afraid I'll hit someone. Still thats what insurance is for isn't it?"

JarethTheGoblinKing · 26/09/2011 13:49

Why should the OP use the car park? Confused

Original poster
CelestinaWarbeck · 26/09/2011 13:49

Thanks everyone. I do know I'm being a petty cow, honestly. I will put some of your marvellous ideas into action.

OP posts:
MordechaiVanunu · 26/09/2011 13:50

If their parking is making your driveway unusable then you need to politely speak to them.

Is it actually unusable or just unusable cos you don't like it? If the latter you may just need to practise instead. Expecting other people to make Allowances for your crap parking is unresonable.

chicletteeth · 26/09/2011 13:51

Sounds to me that you need parking restrictions on your road then if it's that bad. Speak to you council about it or get a white line painted across your drive. Problem solved.

Pendeen · 26/09/2011 13:51

YANBU.

Unfortunately an extremely common problem in urban areas. A good measure of tolerance and reasonable cooperation between neighbours is essential.

Anyone who lives in the sort of situation you describe must accept that a third vehicle, especially a large one, should be parked in the free car park.

And.....

:) @ clam's comment - I agree this would be the best solution.

OTheHugeRaveningWolef · 26/09/2011 13:51

YABU, but understandably so. I park on my driveway, and resent the cars that park on either side of the dropped kerb as they make it harder for me to reverse in. Never mind the fact that they're perfectly entitled to park there.

I also resent the couple that live upstairs in the same building, who have started parking next to me on the driveway. Again, it's completely fair that they should get to share the driveway, but DAMMIT I WAS THERE FIRST.

Grin
JarethTheGoblinKing · 26/09/2011 13:51

OP - I imagine that the car is parked so that it doesn't block your drive, but is right next to it? and you've got cars opposite as well leaving a very narrow gap to get out of?

I don't get the responses saying 'just tell them you're worried you might his their car' I'd just be honest. Tell them the car being there is making it extremely difficult for you to get out, and could they possibly move it forward a few inches to make life easier.

lesley33 · 26/09/2011 13:52

"how on earth are you having trouble getting in and out"

toboldlygo - Don't know for OP, but in my case it is because there is a telegraph pole and a tree on the pavement either side of my drive, that means I can only back out of my drive almost straight until I come off the pavement. So a car packed opposite my drive in our narrow road, leaves very little space for turning. It is possible, but not easy.

JarethTheGoblinKing · 26/09/2011 13:52

*hit, not his. Hmm

gapants · 26/09/2011 13:57

Reverse into your driveway. Much easier to do and then you will be able to get out easily too.

Ormirian · 26/09/2011 13:57

Ahh... i sympathise. It's not a question of 'rights', just of being reasonable and neighbourly. Sometimes just having a massive great car parked opposite your drive can make it hard to get in and out. Perhaps they just don't realise how difficult it makes things?

We have just moved to a house with off street parking so I don't get quite so stressed about the subject now. But our last place was a Victorian terrace in a cul-de-sac with dreadful parking problems - made 100x worse by people who had multiple cars per household or parked their work vans (complete with cherry picker on the back Hmm) in the street. You have my sympathies but I don't know what you can do TBH.

Original poster
CelestinaWarbeck · 26/09/2011 13:58

yy, jareth and lesley are describing the problem well. (Jareth, he can't move it a few inches in either direction - there's space for just one car (which he takes all of with his enormo-vehicle), with drives on either side.)

I will talk to them, nicely. I don't want to get into a running row with the neighbours, I do realise that's not a good outcome!

OP posts:
Andrewofgg · 26/09/2011 13:58

When I first visited AIBU I guessed the obvious meaning of the moon-phase icon given the demographic of the forum.

But I am thinking that I may have guessed wrong and that it is a secret code meaning Time for a parking thread or Time for a children-having-their-ears-pierced thread. :o

Which is it?

Oh, yes, OP. You say getting off the drive is difficult. That means it is possible. Therefore YABU.

flooziesusie · 26/09/2011 13:59

park in front of your drive on saturdays (or whatever day they park back up for the week); they wont be able to make things difficult for you then.

I don't think your BU at all. It would piss me off no end if someone continuously made it difficult to get out of my own drive.

(not that I have a drive)

DeepLeafEverything · 26/09/2011 13:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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