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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To wonder why people get so posessive about the bit of road outside their house?

27 replies

1980schick · 07/12/2013 13:36

There is a family across the road who have 2 cars, plus a works wagon that takes up 3 spaces, and now there adult daughter is back home so altogether they need 6 spaces for the whole family. they can fit 2 on the drive which they do, then the rest are parked as close to the house as they can get.

Dp had to park outside there house last night, I park outside my house even with a drive i get sick and tired of having to go knock on peoples doors asking them to move there cars as they are blocking me in with a screaming toddler its not great to have to do it anyway, even with signs on the gates people still continue to block me in so i dont use it at all now. Hes just left 5 minutes ago and i went to throw something in the bin and saw the mum of this family moving 1 of the cars to where dp had parked. She has space on the drive and the rest of the road is empty. What makes people behave like this.... i just find it really strange the need to mind the road outside your house so nobody can park there??

She saves spaces with wheely bins or parks the cars on the drive, on the rd to save spaces that way. I seriously dont understand why people are so precious about the road outside there house, unless you own it of course but i live in the north west, not exactly London. The man next door is the same, in fact he went out before in his car and puts his wheely bin in his place, the woman in known to moan at anyone who dares park in "her" space. Am i missing something? When did it become essential to park right outside your house?

OP posts:

Original poster

1980schick · 07/12/2013 13:36

*possessive

OP posts:

mrsminiverscharlady · 07/12/2013 13:41

They didn't ask your dp to move did they? Can't see what the problem is. It's not on to ask other people to move their car so they can park in 'their' space, but otherwise it's fair enough IMO. People like to be able to see their cars from their house which I can understand, they're expensive.

My car is currently parked a few doors away because we had a delivery lorry needing to use the drive. I will probably go and move my car back later. Is that OK with you?

yegodsandlittlefishes · 07/12/2013 13:41

Because if you're not paekwd in front of your own house, yiu have to park in front of someone el a e's and that might be inconvenient to them. They may have a temporary orbundiagnosed disability.

YoureBeingASillyBilly · 07/12/2013 13:43

Well because its easier to unload things and children from right outside than from 10 spaces up and really it makes sense for everyone in a street to use the one nearest their home.

Its not really an issue is it? You dont need any of their spaces so why let it get to you? Its just negative energy you dont need in your head.

HECTheHeraldAngelsSing · 07/12/2013 13:50

People come up with all sorts of reasons . Kids shopping mobility neighbour relations etc etc
but I think at the bottom of it all it is nothing more than animal territorial guarding. They're defending their cave. its mine. My territory.
I think some folks would piss up the side of the kerb if they thought it would help.
(I include myself. Ive got 'my' spot on our street. As has everyone else. We all jiggle round till everyones in their own place. Keeps us all happy . Nobody set it up, it just seems to have evolved naturally.

IamInvisible · 07/12/2013 13:50

I'd move the wheelie bins. Well I wouldn't because I am disabled, but in your position I would.

I couldn't be arsed with playing musical fecking cars, though, they must have too much time on their hands.

Pennythedog · 07/12/2013 13:51

In my neighbourhood everyone clears the leaves and snow from around their house. I guess it isn't our job per se but it does make life nicer for everyone. I can see how people prefer to park in front of their own house. It must feel safer too. I'm glad we have a 2 car drive though.

Original poster

1980schick · 07/12/2013 13:51

mrsmini why the hate? Im not having a go at you personally so why the "is that ok with you" Sarchastic tone?

I live in a fairly empty street, that is quite large. Lots of open spaces, im talking about most of my neighbours who see the space is empty right outside their house and instantly rush out to fill it with their own car, some even move the car all of a foot, I dont see it as an issue which is what i was saying.

Of course it makes sense to park outside your house if you have children, but these are grown women who sit by the window waiting for a space to become available and then go and move there car from their own drive just to fill it so nobody else can park outside the house?

Just think theres more to life than sitting waiting for a space to become vacant, maybe i didnt make that clear enough, but the more i speak to friends they seem to know someone else who does this near to them, seem to be loads of peple sat eagerly waiting to move their cars a foot here or there.

OP posts:

BookWorm37 · 07/12/2013 13:53

I don't really mind if anyone parks outside my house as long as it's a car. There was a large van parked there periodically and it was so dangerous to back out of my driveway as it obscured my view of the road and cars speeding down the road couldn't see me until too late. 'You'll just have to be more careful' was the van drivers response when I broached the subject with him .

pianodoodle · 07/12/2013 13:57

I've seen people put wheelie bins out before - and cones!

If I had to I'd just move them tbh.

ShinyBauble · 07/12/2013 13:58

My neighbours are possessive about the bit of road outside my house

They have three cars, one for each adult, so park in front of their house and mine. Often when I have a guest who parks outside, I get a knock on the door from aggrieved neighbours asking when they will be leaving. Does my head in!

mrsminiverscharlady · 07/12/2013 14:00

Hate?! Erm, you are reading way more emotion into my comment than I would expend on an internet forum. But yes, I was sarcastic I'll hold my hands up to that one, I am a sarcastic bitch at times

Seriously, CHILL. I know neighbours can be annoying but can you not see the irony in saying there's more to life than waiting for a space to become free, when you're the one posting on an internet forum about their mildly irritating behaviour?!

Original poster

1980schick · 07/12/2013 14:01

piano the same massive family has cones too, the dad works for a road fixing company or something so always has those orange fence type things and cones on the back of his wagon, they have been known to "cordon" off a section of the rd right outside as if it were getting repaired just to save the space, but they got found out and got told off by the council, now she sticks to wheely bins and small cones, really really sad though and makes me want to move away from all the parking weirdos!

OP posts:

CrohnicallySick · 07/12/2013 14:06

It annoys me when people park outside my house, as we have parking spaces at right angles to the road on the other side. The road is narrow, and if someone parks on the road then it means I struggle to get in and out of my space. It's possible, but only by going back 6 inches and forward 6 inches repeatedly. My old neighbours were the worst for this. They also had a parking space opposite. Was it really such a hardship for them to cross the (very quiet) road?

yegodsandlittlefishes · 07/12/2013 14:09

shiny What do you say to them that means they have done this more than once? Am imagining you inviting them in for a cup of tea, so they can take the weight off while they're waiting! Tell them it will take less time without interruptions and could they please stop parking in front of your house, in case you get a visitor!

We sometimes used to park outside the house and on the drive. If you have small children to get into the car/out of the car, or shopping etc then it is a lot easier. I suppose with the days getting shorter, someone could park up and see into a lit house that doesn't have the cyrtains drawn. Some people see it as a security precaution.

CrohnicallySick · 07/12/2013 14:16

Actually, calling it a road is giving it delusions of grandeur. It's a piece of Tarmac just wide enough for 2 cars to pass. And I mean just wide enough, on bin collection day you can't pass the lorry. So you can see why it would make pulling in/out of my space a bit difficult. And doesn't really make it any easier or quicker to get children or shopping out of the car, I know as I manage both perfectly well from across the road, as could they when it suited.

CrohnicallySick · 07/12/2013 14:17

I should have said, it's a private road on a new estate. The council won't adopt it as it doesn't meet their specs.

Golddigger · 07/12/2013 14:29

I think people genuinely do believe that they"own" it, and have a legal right to it when they dont.

mrsWast · 07/12/2013 14:36

OP, for someone who doesn't care, you seem to know all the ins-and-outs of whomdoes what and when. i recommend pulling the curtains and donning a tinfoill hat. the neighbours should then a) be out of sight and b) not be able to tell when you are planning on moving your car to their space.

hope this helps.

Original poster

1980schick · 07/12/2013 14:43

mrswast believe it or not its really hard not to notice traffic cones and cordened off areas right outside your house, and as hard as i try i just cant "unsee" a wheely bin when im reversing to park.

Although i like the idea of the tinfoil hat! may put baubles on it to be christmassy .

OP posts:

mrsWast · 07/12/2013 14:49

good show! i'm actually just lucky that my living room is at the back of the house otherwise i too would spend my days tutting at the neighbours playing silly bastards with the parking...

ShinyBauble · 07/12/2013 14:52

yegods I suggest they park somewhere else, and I get a death glare in return. You would think I was trespassing on their space! But I'm just not that bothered really. If I had a car parked out there though, it would be war...

Trinpy · 07/12/2013 15:04

Hahaha. My next door neighbours do this too. Only our set up is slightly different because we don't have driveways, only residential parking along one side of the street. Their house is the first in our row so they MUST have the top spaces for their 2 massive cars. No young kids. If someone parks in one of 'their' spaces they will leave their car on double yellow lines until the other car moves!

We used to have a lodger living with us who was too lazy to park down the street so was always fighting with the neighbours for the top space. After a while, he notice his car kept getting keyed everytime he left it there. We later found out that it was the next door neighbour doing it!

I agree with the OP. Some people are just very very possessive about this stuff.

hiddenhome · 07/12/2013 15:58

I can't park outside my house otherwise the neighbours scratch my car because they don't like me parking there

I have to park it outside MIL's flat now which is two streets away.

BackforGood · 07/12/2013 16:06

I'm confused.
If I've read it right, you have a drive, but don't use it and park on the road outside your house.
But then you are moaning about the neighbour parking one of her cars on the road outside their house when they have a space on their drive ????

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