Parking free for all, Aibu?

[ribbitTheFrog]

I have a small driveway/parking space in front of my house. Earlier this year I bought a parking permit for my car (as the road is meter parking/residents permits) because it would mean my visitors could use my drive (it's hard to park round here).

A friend of mine got a job near my house, so I said she can use the drive whilst she work, she uses it sometimes, she pops in to say hi, she's very grateful for the parking and has done me a few favours like helping paint some rooms in my house, we're both happy.

But it's turned out some of my neighbours have also been using the parking space, including their lazy kids. I've told them before that the space is often used (though some days it's empty) and asked them not to park in it.

This morning I returned home to find someone had parked there, it's the neighbours daughter who is too lazy to look for a street parking space (which may be hard to find). I can't speak to them now as they seem to have gone shopping/for lunch (I live by the town centre). I have to go out and am heavily pregnant. As I'm likely to lose my street parking space this means I'll have to trek round looking for a space when I return

Am I being an angry pregnant woman or should these people (and other neighbours who just park with no consent) be respecting my instructions not to use my parking space?!

OP I think now is the time to sort this out. When your newborn is here you will want your parking space at all times without having to piss about parking down the road etc.

Go round to the neighbours and ask if they happen to know whose car is on your drive because it is private parking.

Your update has clarified things. Your neighbours are being cheeky. Get a penguin bollard.

I was going to say what Doris did but didn't want my computer infested with a flock of [those things]. Good luck Doris.

The daft thing is that if they just asked you, I'm guessing you probably wouldn't mind (if you were out all day anyway I mean).

They're being cheeky arseholes though.

So even when you work from home, you park in your road so your friend can use your drive? How often is she using it?

Honestly I think this whole arrangement is daft. Keep your driveway for your sole use, actually use it, tell anyone off who parks in it (who can't therefore throw it back in your face that YOU aren't parking in it) and job done.

Ah I see - there is no harm done if your friend is only using the space when you're not there. I would go and speak to the neighbours and try to get at least a sign for the drive.

how can anyone possibly throw back in her face thst she isn't using her own, private property though anyway? if she went to the park to sit in the sun it wouldn't be acceptable for her neighbour to use her garden because she isn't - so why is it acceptable for them to use her drive?

whatever the circumstance, it's your drive, for you to use or not use. it may not be neighbourly to have s permit and a drive (but you only have one car so what's the problem) but it's plain wrong of someone to use your property without your consent.

write a note and leave it on the cars.

It's your drive. I can't see why it's a problem for you to let someone of your choice park on it regardless of what you are doing with your car.

Your neighbours clearly aren't listening. Get a bollard!

OP, maybe you need bollards...

I agree it is sod all to do with the neighbours what you do with your drive. You are not obliged to park on it. You could practise yoga on it all day, or put up a paddling pool, or an outdoor cinema, or hold Thriller flashmobs with a charity donations bucket.

Or create an art installation of scattered glass bottles and barbed wire. Symbolising our fascination with the struggles of life.

Apologies OP, I thought you meant you were parking in a permit spot to enable your friend to park on your drive for work, which I still think would be a bit mean, but is now irrelevant. Your neighbours are being cheeky sods.

Print out a notice saying that this is private property, and that you will follow all legal means to prevent them trespassing. Put them under the windscreen wipers. Also, start putting things across the driveway so that they can't get on, with a sign saying private property, trespassers will be prosecuted.

If that doesn't work, then penguin bollard it is.

SayThis: I like it.

Park over the drive and block them in

These kind of people will only stop if it becomes more convenient to park elsewhere. Which means bollards or blocking in and going out.

Yanbu.

I hope you're winding up the agreement with your commuter friend! No way will you want to be schlepping a baby up and down the road, after all the effort of actually getting out the front door in the first place!