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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To resent the family with four cars?

156 replies

Gentleness · 08/05/2012 22:22

Road of almost all terraced houses though theirs is a semi. The road space outside each house is the same - 1.5 cars max. We have one car for a family of four and another baby maybe on the way. They have a family of four, 2 adult children and a car each. AND 2 of the cars are long sedans. I can understand the need for a car each but surely they should take that into account when choosing where to park on a busy road. They're all lovely apart from one who can't bear to even smile at anyone, never mind chat, and all of them except her do try really hard to leave us a space outside our house. But when we or one of us goes out in evenings, sometimes we can't even park on our road which leaves me in an awkward spot the next morning with the kids - a baby and a toddler.

The other day the mum said, "It's frustrating the parking on this road isn't it. It's really hard for us with four cars!" Given none of them ever leave the house in the evening so are parked up nicely overnight right by their house by 5pm, and they have 1 person to a car, I just about managed to splutter politely that with our ONE car for 4, we can't always park on our own road which is hard with the kids. I so wanted to rant and it's been picking at my mind ever since.

So AIBU to reckon they should consider the rest of the residents and expect to park at least one of their cars further away. Even rent a garage. Not from any legal obligation, just from moral kindness. Or the "kids" could actually leave home!

OP posts:

Original poster

Gentleness · 09/05/2012 00:23

Um Worraliberty I don't think you've been reading carefully - I implied that in the original post and then claridied it when people still jumped to the, "it's not your road" conclusion. It has never been in dispute.

OP posts:

WorraLiberty · 09/05/2012 00:23

That's what it boils down to OP...you don't need a car, you can afford to be a SAHM who would turn down a dream job rather than park a car in the street.

Perhaps your neighbours just aren't as fortunate as you are to have that choice?

I'm a SAHM, I don't own a car and nor does my DH...we live in London and don't feel we need one.

But we totally understand that everyone else in our street has different needs and circumstances to us.

Original poster

Gentleness · 09/05/2012 00:23

woops - clarified!

OP posts:

WorraLiberty · 09/05/2012 00:25

That isn't true. Only wealthy people can afford to run 4 cars! So poorer people don't work shifts or work in different directions? No they do and they get the train, bus, walk, share a car. If these people NEED four cars then live sonewhere that having them wont make other ppl's lives difficult

Krumbum you do realise no-one's running 4 cars here don't you?

imnotmymum · 09/05/2012 00:26

Krumbum- I feel you are missing the point that in some areas need cars. We are not "wealthy" but need a van for DH business, 7 seater for kids, and a car for me to run around in as 7 seater so expensive to run on a daily basis with 1 person in it. We have no bus route, train station 7 miles away.

Original poster

Gentleness · 09/05/2012 00:26

I just can't resist it -

"That's what it boils down to OP...you don't need a car, you can afford to be a SAHM who would turn down a dream job rather than park a car in the street."

Nope - rather than park 2 cars on a busy, overcrowded street.

OP posts:

GrahamTribe · 09/05/2012 00:27

"What I'm trying to get at here is whether they should consider parking one of their FOUR cars elsewhere. You are missing the point."

Where? Outside somebody else's house? Because if parking's as limited as you indicate that seems to be the only option they'd have! And wrt selling the BMW which you won, I hope that you consider your neighbours sensitivities when spending the proceedings. That conservatory you buy might just throw a shadow onto the neighbour's front garden and upset them!

Krumbum · 09/05/2012 00:27

The household is running 4 cars. 1 per person is excessive. Op do you live in a town/city? Running a car at all is a luxury.

WorraLiberty · 09/05/2012 00:29

Ok then your last post has clarified it for me...you're either stupidly rich or insane...or a bit of both OP

But I still feel one day when your kids are old enough to drive, you won't be so insane as to thwart any career/uni opportunities they might have by putting your neighbour's parking preferences before them.

McHappyPants2012 · 09/05/2012 00:30

Parking is getting a big issue < thought we was in a double dip recession> there is no solution cars need to be parked.

Unless we scrap road tax and pay for parking including outside you own home

WorraLiberty · 09/05/2012 00:31

The household is running 4 cars. 1 per person is excessive. Op do you live in a town/city? Running a car at all is a luxury.

Households do not run cars

Individual people run cars

You have no knowledge of these people, their lives or why they need 1 car each.

Original poster

Gentleness · 09/05/2012 00:32

Ha! A conservatory? We're pennypinching so I can be a sahm! No it would be savings toward eventually living somewhere with offroad parking!

OP posts:

imnotmymum · 09/05/2012 00:33

mmm we need our cars and I envisage as the kids get older they will need their cars. We will always park sensitively but eh oh we all pay our road tax so there you go !!

WorraLiberty · 09/05/2012 00:38

If you're penny pinching then why not sell the car?

After all the public transport is reliable enough for your DH to commute.

Problem solved , no?

GrahamTribe · 09/05/2012 00:40

And maybe they are pennypinching to earn a bloody living! And if I were to have the cost of a BMW in my pocket and were pennypinching I think I'd be considering spending it on something far more important than off-goddamn-road parking!

I'm with Worra (yet again ). It's utter insanity!

IneedAbetterNicknameIn2012 · 09/05/2012 00:41

SIL and her DH have 4 cars between them. (Why they don't sell 1 or 2 instead of SILs incessant moaning about how skint they are I will never know ) Luckily for them they live in a close with plenty of parking, plus her DH works at his Uncles garage, and can keep a couple of cars there!

Krumbum · 09/05/2012 00:43

But if each of these individual ppl can afford to run a car then the household must be wealthy. So they could move somewhere that can accommodate them and their fleet of cars.

WorraLiberty · 09/05/2012 00:44

Graham since you live in my head, can I take this opportunity to apologise for the filth inside it?

WorraLiberty · 09/05/2012 00:47

But if each of these individual ppl can afford to run a car then the household must be wealthy. So they could move somewhere that can accommodate them and their fleet of cars

But again, 'households' aren't wealthy...people are.

How do you know the adult 'kids' aren't saving a deposit for a mortgage or earning a wage at this point in the start of their careers that's too low to live alone? The car might be essential to their earnings.

I don't know any of this (of course) but then no-one knows they don't need the cars and they don't need to still live with parents at this stage.

GrahamTribe · 09/05/2012 00:48

PMSL Worra. I have enoug filth of my own, I don't know if I can cope with yours too!

OP, Worra has a good point. Why not be really neighbourly and get rid of your car seeing that your so adamanr that one or some of them should dispense with theirs?

And still I can't see where else you expect the poor sods to park!

WorraLiberty · 09/05/2012 00:51

In the parent and child parking spaces at the local supermarket?

bogeyface · 09/05/2012 00:54

Oh blah blah.... "AIBU?"
"Yes"
"No I am not and heres why....."

GrahamTribe · 09/05/2012 00:54

Shit, no, Worra. That means that some poor helpless parent might actually have to walk their DC and shopping to another space at least twenty feet from the store door. How would they cope?

bogeyface · 09/05/2012 00:55

:o worra

needsavino · 09/05/2012 00:56

Loving the love in between graham and worra :-).

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