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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Everyone loves a parking AIBU!

43 replies

Plateofcrumbs · 29/10/2014 02:10

The street I live on has unrestricted parking and is near shops and a train station - people often park on my street to avoid paying at nearby car parks for shoppers and station. If the spaces are full on my street, there is no other unrestricted parking for about half a mile.

I have a baby who hates travelling in the car seat. After a number of occasions when I've returned home in the car with a screaming baby to find nowhere to park, AIBU to start 'reserving' myself a parking space with my wheelie bin when I'm out in car for short periods?

OP posts:

Thumbscrewswitch · 29/10/2014 02:15

It won't work, you know. You'll find your wheelie bin shunted, run over, moved onto the pavement. You underestimate people's feeling of entitlement to park where they want.

You'd better start petitioning the Council to start a "residents' permit" scheme in your street; or are you able to create hardstanding at the front of your house on which to park?

TheWitTank · 29/10/2014 03:03

Completely understand your annoyance, but unfortunately the space isn't yours to reserve. You own/live in a house without private parking. Your wheelie bin will be pushed over/damaged/disappear and you will be no further forward and without a bin. Agree with pp that the only options you have really are appealing for a residents parking scheme or creating hard standing outside your home if you can. So YANBU to feel pissy you can't park, but YWBU to try and reserve yourself a space, purely because it won't work, guaranteed.

SavoyCabbage · 29/10/2014 04:18

I don't think it will work either. If parking your car next to your house is important to you, you need to live in a house with parking. Same as if you want a garden, buy a house with a garden.

angelos02 · 29/10/2014 04:22

YANBU. I'd pay for parking rather than park outside someone's home but then I wasn't brought up by vermin.

magpiegin · 29/10/2014 05:45

YABU. You can't reserve the parking. As said above, if you want a house with a parking space then get one.

hellohelloididntseeyouthere · 29/10/2014 06:13

Angelos02 do you really think that?!

If you want to visit shops with no parking and you can either park near and outside a terrace or not visit the shops at all then you just would never go???

Or if your drs doesn't have parking and there is only street parking?

I am amazed that you would think that parking outside someone's house is that bad mannered!

whois · 29/10/2014 06:20

Obviously you know you are.

Petition the council for residents parking, like all the other areas have done.

NoArmaniNoPunani · 29/10/2014 06:23

YABU. If the parking is unrestricted then anyone can park there

claraschu · 29/10/2014 06:23

It seems weird that the ONLY unrestricted parking within a half mile radius is on your street. I have never run across this before. Are you sure there aren't pockets of visitor parking sprinkled around?

FishWithABicycle · 29/10/2014 06:41

Sorry YABU to try to reserve any space when the road is not something you have any more rights over than those who got there first.

If the facts as stated in your OP see try then for some insane reason the council left a single unrestricted road in the middle of a circle of restrictions at least a mile wide. Perhaps you exaggerated but even so, petitioning the council to add restrictions of some kind (e.g. Non-residents limited to 1hour) would be your best bet, or if you have a front garden then pay to turn it into a private parking space and dropped kerb.

Driving is not a right. Parking is not a right.

You are paying what you are paying for your home, whether by rent or mortgage, an amount that reflects the parking situation. If you want a better situation you have to pay more. If you can't afford more then you have to put up with it.

If you are that close to shops and public transport I bet you could reduce the problem significantly by leaving the car at home a bit more often, especially when you expect to return at a time when parking might be tricky.

FishWithABicycle · 29/10/2014 06:42

For some weird reason my phone rendered "is true" as "see try" - I must proofread my posts.

londonrach · 29/10/2014 06:45

Yabu. Putting an obstruction in the road. Ask council for resident parking. You have the same rights as everyone to park on the road. Surprised by angelas comments.

Original poster

Plateofcrumbs · 29/10/2014 07:29

We are getting our front garden converted to hard standing in a few weeks, which can't come soon enough!

Apparently council has refused to put residents parking in place, I don't know why. We are in a tiny pocket of housing surrounded on all sides by shops, main roads, railway line etc which is why there is no other unrestricted parking close by.

I always thought people who try to reserve themselves parking spaces with bins etc were very entitled and selfish, but I found myself doing it for first time yesterday - had to take car out for a short errand of no more than half an hour and couldn't face idea that there would be no parking when I got home, so dragged the bin into the space I vacated, which was still there when I got back.

I've got to make a longer trip today, probably 2-3 hours. Thinking it might be pushing it to try the same trick again for 3 hours...

OP posts:

Nightboattocairo · 29/10/2014 07:56

You can't save spaces, your house but not your road.

Trickydecision · 29/10/2014 07:57

Won't you need to get the Council to agree to your having a dropped kerb if you want to prevent people blocking you in? Hard standing without one will not work, surely?

eurochick · 29/10/2014 08:02

Yabu. If you want your own parking space you need to buy or rent a house with one. As you are where you are, all you can do is ask the council to put in place residents' parking bays.

JumpAndTwist · 29/10/2014 08:08

Apparently council has refused to put residents parking in place, I don't know why.

Presumably a neighbour told you this? Ask the council yourself why they refused. It could have been as simple as not enough residents on the street wanting it ten years ago. If you think it is different now then you could reapply. In my experience the council are usually happy to respond to an email about such matters.

Original poster

Plateofcrumbs · 29/10/2014 08:13

Tricky yes we are getting a dropped kerb, just waiting on council to do the work!

OP posts:

ginslinger · 29/10/2014 08:16

once you've got your hard standing then the road loses a parking space - providing no fool blocks you in. Go for it with the bins but be prepared for an epic row with someone. And you are then legally obliged to come back here and tell us about it

MiddletonPink · 29/10/2014 08:16

My twatty ex neighbour used to do this.

I lived on a main road opposite a school.
Whenever there was anything going on at school ie parents evening, Christmas plays, Summer fetes etc he would put two wheelie bins on the road outside his house.

All the other neighbours put up with having to park away from.their house but not him.

He was special prize dick

Yabu.

Trickydecision · 29/10/2014 08:30

Hope you don't have too long a wait, Plate.

Original poster

Plateofcrumbs · 29/10/2014 08:31

ginslinger that's my logic too! And anyone who wants to take on a row with a harassed mum with a screaming newborn - well I don 'to fancy their chances!

OP posts:

waithorse · 29/10/2014 08:42

YABU, but at least you will have the problem solved soon.

Aridane · 29/10/2014 10:19

The wheelie bin reservation thing used to be done in my street. We're just outside the congestion zone - and so our quiet residential streets were popular parking spots with workmen / vans in the neighbouring congestion zone to save paying for entering the congestion zone. Don't think anyone had a problem with this - but the council wrote to all the residents telling them not to do this!

AttilaTheMeerkat · 29/10/2014 10:25

If this road is a public highway you cannot reserve a space in such a manner. You do not own any section of roadway.

You would be far better off writing to the council asking them to start a residents permit scheme.

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