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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that if you live near a city centre you should expect this

275 replies

mileend2bermondsey · 04/11/2015 23:16

I currently live about 10 miles from a big city which I work in. To save money on parking in the city centre at on average 8gbp per day I drive to the outskirts of the city, park on the closest street that does not have yellow lines and walk just over a mile into work. I was chatting to a friend about it who said I was lucky my car has been nicked (dodgy area) then goes on to say she'd be fuming if commuters parked on her street. My opinon is that if you chose to live on one of the first streets without parking restrictions, there are bound to be people who will park there to save money, same with living near a train station. I used to live in a terrace opposite a shopping precinct, during business hours you couldn't park on the street for love nor money. It was part and parcel of living in that particular location, I got on with it until I could move and consider such factors when moving since. I certainly wouldnt blame the drivers or key their cars over such a 'slight' as my friend thinks may happen.

OP posts:
Seriouslyffs · 05/11/2015 06:19

It's not an urban/ rural thing. It's a living near where other people need to be thing. And as long as drives aren't blocked/ people don't park dangerously, yes it's to be expected.
SaucyJackShock
Really? You live by a beach 365 days a year and people who park in your street to get there are fucking cunts!?! Count your blessings.

BikeRunSki · 05/11/2015 06:26

OP, I do the same. WANBU as long as we're parking safely and legally. I vary where I park a hit.

I grew up in Central and South London, in residents parking areas - not so much a permit to park, but a permit to look for a space within 7 or 8 streets nearby.

Rinceoir · 05/11/2015 06:33

YANBU. Parking over drives is clearly not on, but legally parking in the street is fine.

Flambola · 05/11/2015 06:42

Do you know what pisses me off? The bastards on my very narrow culdesac who have drives but don't use them! ShockSmile

eurochick · 05/11/2015 06:42

Yanbu. Free on street parking is available to anyone. I hate searching for a parking space or parking miles away from my house so I have made sure I haven't lived in a house with only on street parking since my student days.

MidniteScribbler · 05/11/2015 06:50

I think that if you don't have any empathy for the people who can never park in front of their own home because your car is parked there day after day, then I think it is you who is the bigger twat.

Iggi999 · 05/11/2015 06:53

You are breaking no laws, but your attitude would piss me off too. It is so easy to move house is it, why hadn't I thought of that? The controlled zone near us has moved twice since I lived here. No one would have thought of parking here ten years ago for commuting, so it wasn't on my checklist of things to look for. But I should move the dc's school rather than grumble about your tight-fisted parking? Tonight when I struggle with taking a toddler across a main road in pitch black as we've had to park so far from the flat, your i'm-alright-jack attitude will cheer me up no end.

Hobbes8 · 05/11/2015 06:57

I used to live near Heathrow on a road with free parking and a bus running to the terminals at the end. I used to park on the street, and as a street of narrow terraced houses it was often a bit limited. People used to park on my street and go on holiday for a couple of weeks at a time. Imagine if I'd foamed and frothed and thrown dog shit (really?) at every car. Id have been permanently angry. I'd probably have had a heart attack by now.

I Understand that people blocking your drive or your street is annoying (and illegal). But legally parked cars who just happen to not live there? Just drive around them.

gamerwidow · 05/11/2015 06:58

Public road with no parking restrictions = anyone can park there. I know it's a pain and my road can be a nightmare because we're by the city centre and the station but as long as you are not blocking drives are parking so as to cause a hazard on the road then it's not an issue.
No one has the right to a space on a public road its first come first served.

BrianButterfield · 05/11/2015 06:58

Tourists park on my street to go to the beach. I don't blame them, parking costs a bomb and I do the same in other seaside towns.

Ledkr · 05/11/2015 07:06

Well if you don't park there someone else will.
You can't just go about not parking in places "cos it might upset the residents" that's ridicukous, It won't help them have more available parking because someone else will just park there!!

MythicalKings · 05/11/2015 07:16

Another difficulty with this situation is when two cars park right up to the dropped kerb, making it almost impossible to drive out on a narrow lane. This happens to us at school pick up time, when parents arrive up to half an hour before school finishes. We have to ask people to move so we can get out and they get snotty because they aren't parked across the drive.

Fortunately the PCOs visit fairly regularly and ticket them.

SaucyJack · 05/11/2015 07:50

Seriously FFS.

There is a car park actually on the beach for people visiting it, but people still park in our bay of 15 spaces for 48 flats and walk over just to save one whole pound.

I don't care if it's legal, it's cuntish. That's all the parking space we have on our road.

mrssmith79 · 05/11/2015 08:09

I live within ten minutes walking distance of the city centre, a big hospital AND a Premiership football stadium. It's shit, but at the end of the day they're public roads so hey ho.

vulgarbunting · 05/11/2015 08:10

I can't quite believe the responses on this thread. Of course YANBU!

londonrach · 05/11/2015 08:17

Shocked at some of these responses. If the car is taxes, insured, mot of course you can park on a road with no restrictions. End of story. No one should expect to park outside their house. Its nice but not a right. Hate parking wars! Blocking driveways, parking on driveways on school runs...Shock

Witchend · 05/11/2015 08:23

It's not that simple though.

Car use has increased dramatically as has the special snowflake can't possibly walk 5m further/pay for parking.

People have bought houses and found that the situation has changed.

And it's all very well saying "it's only me saving a bit of money" but when it's every day lots of people is gets wearing.

cleaty · 05/11/2015 08:26

I agree with you OP. And I can never park outside of my house. It is a bit of a pain at times, but it is a public highway so anyone can park there.

SoupDragon · 05/11/2015 08:26

Car use has increased dramatically as has the special snowflake can't possibly walk 5m further/pay for parking.

This, completely. And I include myself in the "special snowflake" category. As a child, I remember walking down the hill to meet my dad at the train station after work. I now live a similar distance up a hill from my local train station and I wouldn't think about walking. It's a fair walk, admittedly, but I used to do it as a child, as did my mum and dad. What has gone wrong?!

Having said that, as log as our car is legal and you park with consideration for the residents and not like a twat, there's no problem.

Notasinglefuckwasgiven · 05/11/2015 08:27

People use my street but it's not residents parking so I just park further away if I need to. When I lived in the city centre I had a resident bay. I work shifts and regularly came home to find a fancy city workers car in my bay. I just parked directly behind them and went upstairs to bed. They didn't have to wait long for me to get up I hope Grin

TheHiphopopotamus · 05/11/2015 08:28

My opinon is that if you chose to live on one of the first streets without parking restrictions

My opinion is, that if you choose to live so far away from your work that you need to drive into town and park, you should suck it up and pay the parking charge.

Works both ways, doesn't it?

Mintyy · 05/11/2015 08:29

Oh I don't know, I fully understand the concept of unrestricted parking and that residents don't own the roads, but I would certainly be irritated if a commuter parked outside my house every day of the week.

Original poster
mileend2bermondsey · 05/11/2015 08:32

Car use has increased dramatically as has the special snowflake can't possibly walk 5m further/pay for parking
Dont really think I am a 'special snowflake' for not wanting to spend 170+gbp per month on parking when I don't have to. And where is the extra 5m walk going to take me to? I already walk over a mile to get to work from the car?

OP posts:
carabos · 05/11/2015 08:35

I live 5 min walk from a railway station that connects our small town with the two nearby cities (30 min by train to each). There is a school at the end of our road and a few industrial units. As a result, our street of terrace houses (no drives, on-street parking, no restrictions) is in effect a car park for commuters, school drop off and people who work in the units. It is almost impossible for residents to park during the day.

We suck it up. It's a PITA, but perfectly legal and it's quite obvious when you come to look at houses to buy or rent in this street that parking is an issue.

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeG0es · 05/11/2015 08:37

Our situation has changed due to new restrictions further into town, with more threatened that will extend to about 200m from us, I'm so not looking forward to that. We have a drive but the street is narrow and if people park either side and opposite us it can be almost impossible to get on and off the drive, But they don't think they are doing anything wrong because they aren't actually in front of the dropped kerb, it's mainly a neighbour with 4 cars at the moment.

As for not having enough money for pay and display machines, that is no excuse, it's no hardship at all to keep a stash of coins in your car.