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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Parking - asked to move by neighbour for sleeping children

154 replies

thelionsleeps · 18/08/2016 23:15

We have a house with parking for 4 cars but all cars have to move for each other as the driveway is in one line.

We have 2 cars and I would say 99% of the time we park both our cars on the driveway but very rarely will need to park one on the road (public parking) when we know we need to get the other car out early in the morning or if we have people visiting but need to use one of our cars.

Tomorrow we go away and my husband wanted to get petrol later tonight for his car so moved my car outside our neighbours so he could get his car out after our children are asleep. Lots of public parking outside on the road although past 7ish you may need to park further up the road or round the corner. There was a knock on the door from a different neighbour about 8.30 asking us to move our car as he had just arrived home and his 2 children were asleep (5 & 1) and he wanted the space - he has no off road parking.

It was in the middle of us putting our 3 young children down for the night (including 2 under 1) but as we were running late tonight we were only just about to get in the bath. We did move the car but it seemed a bit cheeky to me. I know I wouldn't have asked if I had arrived home and was in the same position and would have just woken the children up (as annoying as that would be). I don't want them to think we will do this every time they need the space or were we just being neighbourly? Aibu to think we won't move again if asked?

OP posts:
BengalCatMum · 18/08/2016 23:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

iamabitnosey · 19/08/2016 00:03

How old are his children?! If it was him alone and they are young, how is he supposed to carry two sleeping kids at the same time? Also, I have to regularly resort to driving to get get kids to sleep as they are poor sleepers. If he also has this problem he needs a quick route to his home.

YABU, what would you want your neighbour to do if the shoe was on the other foot, and he couldn't be arsed to put his car on his 4 space drive way...!

PopFizz · 19/08/2016 00:09

I've actually done this myself to a degree. Returned around 8.30 with two sleeping kids, and no parking unless I used the next street down. However if two cars moved like a foot each, I could squeeze in that gap. So I double parked, stuck my hazards on, and knocked and asked. Neighbour very kindly whilst raising an eyebrow and clearly being a bit pissed off moved her car, I fitted in the gap, and managed to get the kids indoors. I could not have carried both at once, they were asleep so couldn't have walked safely from the next street if I'd woken them, and I couldn't have left one a whole street away whilst carrying the other.

Yabu he asked nicely

LyndaNotLinda · 19/08/2016 00:12

But it's just doing a favour surely? There was somewhere else you could put the car which wasn't going to inconvenience you hugely.

God, it's really mean to begrudge someone that

BeezerBubble · 19/08/2016 00:12

If you know a neighbour may be inconvenienced parking after 7 when you've space for four cars then surely better to shuffle your cars before hand. No real excuse for parking on the street other than laziness. If I had to park round the corner when a neighbour has space for 4 cars yet parks on the street, cos it's convenient for them, I'd be a bit peeved.

snoringdog · 19/08/2016 00:14

Yabvu. You must see that?

LyndaNotLinda · 19/08/2016 00:16

iamabitnosey - in the OP: his 2 children were asleep (5 & 1) and he wanted the space - he has no off road parking.

OP - that's just made me read your whole OP again. You don't want them thinking you'll do this again? How dreadful of you to have to move the car onto your drive when you have space for 4 Hmm

Whatever happened to being neighbourly? I let my neighbour use my drive when I go on holiday. And park across my dropped kerb when I'm in because parking is so crap around here.

Let's hope you never need a favour from him

PaulAnkaTheDog · 19/08/2016 00:17

I think I'd be parking on my four car drive instead of taking up public spaces. I wouldn't be thinking about whether or not I should move in future. You have space for four cars yet use the street?

AndNowItsSeven · 19/08/2016 00:31

Yabu why didn't your dh just oark his car last on the drive?

Bogeyface · 19/08/2016 00:56

Its a PITA to the car shuffle, but much less hassle than trying to park when you dont have private parking. My parents do the car shuffle often and my mum moans until I remind her just how far I sometimes have to park from my terrace.

Sorry but YABU.

SleepDeprivedAndCranky · 19/08/2016 01:03

Reverse? Hmm

GreatFuckability · 19/08/2016 01:15

why didn't your husband just park his car across your drive?

Trifleorbust · 19/08/2016 06:49

He just asked you for a favour. End of story?

Skittlesss · 19/08/2016 07:04

I would just think you were a dick to be honest. You have room for 4 cars, yet have used only one space and kept the other car on the road outside a neighbours house... who has no drive.

It reminds me of my neighbour who doesn't use his drive and instead parks on the road/blocking half the path outside our drives. This causes difficulty for me to get onto our drive and the other neighbour who's house is to the side struggles also, but he owns part of the land he parks on so we can't stop him. Still a dick though.

Why have all that room and not use it? Heaven forbid one has to move a car to get out in the morning!

Biscuit
MrsCampbellBlack · 19/08/2016 07:05

OP yabu.

Yes, legally you are just as entitled to park on the road - but come on if you have off road parking for 4 cars then just be a little considerate to your neighbours who don't have that.

SanityClause · 19/08/2016 07:14

He asked you a favour and you did it.

All fine and reasonable.

If, in future he asks you a favour, and you don't want to do it, then don't. Still all fine and reasonable.

If in future, they get stroppy about you not doing them a favour, cross that bridge when you come to it. It will probably never happen!

dontpokethebear · 19/08/2016 07:16

bluefolly

If people want to park right outside their house then buy a house with a drive

Have you rtft? The op has a drive and chose to park on the public road. Whilst she is perfectly entitled to do so, it is a bit of an asshatty thing to do. Because she has a drive. That she is able to park on. Off the road.

throwingpebbles · 19/08/2016 07:18

Yab a bit u

Nothing wrong with him asking, i can completely sympathise with the situation.

It must have been a pain at bath time for you. However, it was a nice neighbourly thing to move as he requested.

My neighbour parks on the street despite having a very large drive, and it is a narrow road and quite twatty behaviour imo

However, i don't get why developers are allowed to build houses where the parking is all in a line. It is clearly going to be a major pain in the bum!

ChunkyHare · 19/08/2016 07:19

YABU part of the reason we moved out of the area we were last in was because the houses had parking for 1 car for 4 bed houses. You literally had to slalom between parked cars to drive down roads.

We now live in an area where even a 2 bed house has space on their drive for 2 cars. Meaning there are far less cars on the road. Those that do park on the road are those with shorter drives due to a curve in the road and have 2 long cars.

In previous houses we have had the long drive where you have to move cars around. You just do it and put both cars back on the drive.

Can you not drive each others cars? ie first car is on the road, second car then parks on the drive then moves first car onto the drive?

I have done this and Dh is well over 6 foot tall so I move the seat, then move it back.

witsender · 19/08/2016 07:27

I'm with the neighbours. You wanted to avoid waking your kids by parking on your own off road parking so you thought it ok to use 'his' parking space...then were Hmm when he wanted you to move to avoid waking his kid

Monochromecat · 19/08/2016 07:34

Look, you clearly know what life is like with small kids as you were busy with bath time. It's difficult getting two small asleep children from a car parked further away from the house to bed - as well you know. He asked a favour, you can understand why. Get over yourself. And it's no big deal.

GoblinLittleOwl · 19/08/2016 07:47

Personally, I would like to fine people like you for irresponsible parking; you have extensive private parking available but because you are too lazy to swap cars round for access you think it is all right to occupy public parking spaces needed by people without places to use. And why the fact you were late putting your children to bed has any impact on the matter is beyond me.
I live in an area where the roads are narrow but all houses have off road parking for at least two cars; cars parked on the roads reduce them to single lane capacity and reduce vision at bends and road junctions; one family with a double garage and double hardstanding refuse to use it and park both their cars opposite a bus stop, near a crossroads, frequently causing gridlock. The local council has refused to take any action until 'an accident occurs'.

RosieSW · 19/08/2016 07:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Doyouthinktheysaurus · 19/08/2016 07:55

I also think YABU. I think when you have parking you can become a bit blasé about the difficulties people face when they have no parking at all.

You should have just swapped the cars round. My mum and dad had similar and were always swapping cars, they'd never dream of making life difficult for their neighbours.

Very inconsiderate of you imo.

MiniCooperLover · 19/08/2016 07:57

After moving your car out of the way your DH should have swapped them around so his car was at the front, ready to go for petrol and this would have taken 5 minutes. Selfish to use up road space when you don't need to.

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