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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

re parking in front of other people's houses

107 replies

Blizzardlizzard62 · 08/04/2013 18:57

I have just moved to a new area and my commute to work involves driving to the station (too far to walk) then getting the train.

At first I was paying almost £100 per month to park in the station car park, but this is clearly ridiculously expensive in addition to petrol and my train season ticket which costs a couple of grand......

I have now discovered a residential street about 5 minutes' walk from the station where I can park for free, there are no parking restrictions and there are always spaces. However today as I was parking up a lady came out of one of the houses and gave me a pretty dirty look as she watched me park up. She didn't actually say anything though. It is pretty obvious I am heading into the city to work, as I was suited and booted so it would be obvious I was parking up for the station.

As I say there are no parking restrictions so I suppose I am legally entitled to park there, but is it unreasonable to park in front of other people's houses in this manner? I should add it is a row of terraced houses which don't have their own driveways so the residents park on the road too I imagine.

I do try and mix it up a bit so as not to always park in front of the same house.

OP posts:
RedHelenB · 08/04/2013 18:59

I don't think it's unreasonable but you may get some funny looks.

HarrietSchulenberg · 08/04/2013 19:01

You are completely entitled to park there. I have onstreet parking and yes, it's bloody annoying to not have a space ouside your house when you come home, but there's bog all to be done about it. If someone is that bothered they can move to a house with a drive.

Sugarice · 08/04/2013 19:02

Go for it as long as you're not blocking a driveway, you're not doing anything against the law so ignore the snotty looks.

Original poster
Blizzardlizzard62 · 08/04/2013 19:02

I should add that I am sorting out a bike so I will hopefully start to cycle soon to save petrol and parking costs.

I would be happy to park in the station car park, if it were more affordable.

OP posts:
IdaClair · 08/04/2013 19:03

Well, it's not ideal, but it's a public road, so you're within your rights. But if you do it every day I would expect further dirty looks tbh. I know technicall you're not doing anything wrong, and I do see why you do it, but you'll be able to see it's annoying for residents too.

The long term effects are, if it's an ongoing problem, they'll get it done out as permit only and you won't be able to park there anymore. But anyone who lives in a permit parking only zone knows it can be as much if not more of a pain in the arse than having to battle for your space.

Not ideal for anyone. I would try and mix it up a it more - ie not the same street rather than not the same house.

Ujjayi · 08/04/2013 19:03

Perfectly reasonable for you to park if there are no restrictions. Annoying perhaps for residents but nothing they can do other than campaign for residents only parking.

HeathRobinson · 08/04/2013 19:04

Déjà vu op.

Original poster
Blizzardlizzard62 · 08/04/2013 19:04

Yes I would never block a driveway. They are terraced houses and don't have driveways anyway.

Just wanted to check whether I was being completely out of order and whether there was some etiquette on this!!

OP posts:
deleted203 · 08/04/2013 19:05

Difficult. I can see exactly why you want to, but I can also imagine as a resident of that street I'd be thoroughly pissed off with people who parked there and then buggered off from 7.00am to 7.00pm, (or whatever your hours are). Really, I suppose, the street is for residents to park in, or for their friends/relatives to park when visiting them, rather than being used as a handy cheap alternative to the station car park.

As you say, it is legal. But I think if you park there regularly you might find yourself getting embroiled in complaints/abuse from some residents.

AndBingoWasHisNameOh · 08/04/2013 19:06

Perfectly legal of course but you can't expect residents to like that you park there, particularly if there is pressure on spaces during the day.

At my old house we had this - we were close to a tube station and lots of people like the OP would drive in and park up for the day. It was a real problem for residents as it made parking difficult. The area became residents only parking.

wonkylegs · 08/04/2013 19:06

It's not unreasonable especially if you don't park in the same spot each time. We live in a terraced street near a metro station & high street and people often park here going to work or the shops. There is nothing wrong with it as it's a public road but when I can't parked I sometimes get frustrated as the car park they are avoiding is only 20p an hour or £1.20 a day!

BrianCoxandTheTempleofDOOM · 08/04/2013 19:07

your car is taxed, insured and MOT'd I assume? if there are no restrictions on the street then you are allowed to park there, the residents may own the house but they do not own the road.

I say this living in a street where parking is limited and it is rare to get a space outside my house. other neighbours get furious, so territorial, I just don't understand the anger! (none are disabled, that's the only reason I could understand in relation to parking rage)

digerd · 08/04/2013 19:08

Roads are public property and you are entitiled to park there.
There are moral conditions.
That you don't stop a resident parking or make it difficult or dangerous for them to drive out.
If the lady was expecting a driving visitor to park outside her door that day, she could have asked you nicely to park in another space.

Cars parked can make it difficult to see the road when needing to cross the road which could be dangerous.

flowery · 08/04/2013 19:10

YANBU. That's what happens when you live near a station and when station car parking is so utterly ridiculously expensive.

If it becomes a real problem for the residents (which it doesn't sound like it is atm if there is always room available) then they'll probably ask for residents-only parking.

Original poster
Blizzardlizzard62 · 08/04/2013 19:10

Wonky if the station car park was £1.20 a day I would happily pay to park there.

I agree it is not ideal for the residents, but if they don't like it I suppose they should either campaign for residents only permits or cheaper parking at the station......

I try and vary my parking between two different streets and park in front of different houses where possible.

OP posts:
CloudsAndTrees · 08/04/2013 19:12

Yanbu, but you can't expect the residents to like it.

Sod them though, they knew what the road was like when they moved into their homes. They can put up with it, move, or build their own driveways.

OddBoots · 08/04/2013 19:12

I live in a road where people regularly do as you do and also park for longer times when they fly off from the nearby airport. It can be a bit of a pain but when car parks charge so much I can't blame them.

zwischenzug · 08/04/2013 19:12

It's perfectly fine and legal, but a lot of people have a silly belief that they 'own' the bit of pavement/road outside their house, and nobody must park on it but them.

I even walked past a house the other day with "please do not park on the pavement outside this house" in a sign in the window. I got a funny compulsion to go get my car and park it outside the house but I resisted Smile

Some particularly nutty people will vandalise cars that park outside their house, I'm not sure how common this is, but keep an eye on your car.

ChoudeBruxelles · 08/04/2013 19:13

I get dirty looks a lot as I park on a residential street and then walk 15 mins to work (can't afford to pay to park near work everyday).

It's not there road.

I use to live near where I park no and people would park in front of my house.

Mumsyblouse · 08/04/2013 19:13

I often can't park outside my house because it is quite near a station and people park up for the day, however I don't feel cross about it because I am aware I don't own the road! I don't understand why people are saying that the road is primarily there for residents and visitors, I don't think it is, it's for the whole of the community to use, and what I've noticed near my work is that where there is residents parking, it is very empty during the day, so presumably all these residents who got so huffy about everyone parking in 'their' spaces are now driving round elsewhere unable to park near their place of work as it is all (someone else's) resident parking! You reap what you sow on this one.

HeathRobinson · 08/04/2013 19:14

There must be a lot of these threads. I could have sworn I'd read your exact post before, op. Confused

thebody · 08/04/2013 19:14

We live by a beauty spot and get lots of people parking in our quiet lane.

That's life. We don't own the road.

TravelinColour · 08/04/2013 19:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

dexter73 · 08/04/2013 19:21

My dh does this as it costs £1217 for an annual parking ticket at his station. He leaves very early so he usually parks on the bit of road that has no houses by it to avoid annoying people, but the whole road gets parked on by about 7.30am.

MiaowTheCat · 08/04/2013 19:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.