Parking - asked to move by neighbour for sleeping children

[thelionsleeps]

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?

[TotallySpies17]

YABU. You have off road parking and should use it but what's more unreasonable is that you think he was cheeky for wanting a convenient space to carry his kids. You have space for 4 cars- he has none!

[SavoyCabbage]

It was selfish to move the car to be more convenient for you and less convenient for others.

[Goingtobeawesome]

Our neighbour had woke down so their daughter's car could be out of the way when she was away or not using it. They still park opposite our drive every day, where it hasn't moved for days now, even though they know it makes it really difficult for us to get off our drive and my DH has already smashed into the mother's car once when she left hers there.

[Zebra00]

We have a drive enough for two cars three at a squeeze my car stays on the drive. DH parks out on the road as he leaves for work at 4am and pulling off the drive wakes DS.
So for us it's easier to park on the road then park on the drive.

A road isn't anyone's property as long as your taxed and have insurance you have a right to park there and can completely see why you did it was only short term to sort out petrol and it's normally easier than trying to move cars with three young children.

There may be reasons for parking on the road like ours.

[diddl]

"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 "

Well no, you just need to park the cars in the correct order!

I don't think that it was cheeky of him to ask.

You didn't have to rush out to move the car if it was inconvenient to do so.

[Whyisitsodifficult]

No sympathy from me op! I live on a street with not much off street parking. Except for my neighbour who has a lovely big driveway with a double garage at the end but they hardly use it! Why just why would you park on the street if you have a driveway? I just don't understand, they don't even park across the entrance to it. So you are bu as its bloody selfish to take up on street parking when you don't have to, the rest of us don't have a choice!

[randomsabreuse]

I hate the car shuffle as it's bad for cars to do just that - especially if not driven properly every day.

It's quite possible that one car would be planned to go out first but the other would be more likely to be needed urgently but unpredictably overnight.

[Eliza22]

YABU. You've 4 spaces for private parking. You could use the road as it is "public" use but really, I'd think of others for whom these limited spaces are like gold dust and use your drive.

[DesolateWaist]

I hate the car shuffle as it's bad for cars to do just that - especially if not driven properly every day.

Coming home and not being able to park in the same street as your house when you neighbour refuses to use their drive is much worse.

[digitalpaintartist]

To those saying that the road is for 'public' use, whilst this is true, surely you can appreciate why a neighbour would be frustrated to have to park 'around the corner' from their home when their neighbour, with space for 4 cars has used a space on the road? I've watched my poor neighbour lug a newborn in a car seat halfway up the road,to her car, after a c-section because of selfish people like this OP. Personally I hope this thread educates those with drives as it seems to be that it's those with drives that are in agreement with the OP!

[MummaGiles]

And where was his car whilst he knocked on your door? He must have been able to park up somewhere.

[ReginaBlitz]

You were being selfish and lazy, you have four spaces h had none yet you chose to park outside his house. I would have have knocked the door too.

[neonrainbow]

Just going by the op my god youre selfish. Use your bloody driveway.

[JudyCoolibar]

It's quite possible that one car would be planned to go out first but the other would be more likely to be needed urgently but unpredictably overnight.

Hardly. If you need a car urgently overnight surely you take the one that's most easily available, you don't make a fuss about precisely which car you take. And for the vast majority of people, the need to use a car urgently at night time is hardly an everyday occurrence.

[Cherylene]

Why not widen the driveway in front of the house, so you can get one car past the other? Our next door neighbour managed this with enough space to park one car across the front.

[Fuzzypeggy]

Ywbu. Your husband could have parked across your drive or just swapped the cars round. Legally you've done nothing wrong but to park outside someone else's house when you have 4 spaces and one outside your own house is the opposite of neighbourly and I would have been massively pisses off if I was your
Neighbour

[NotYoda]

I don't think I would have done what the neighbour did. - waking up sleeping children is part of being a parent.

BUT

YABU to complain about it, in your circumstances

[NotYoda]

... mind you, I live in a place where you never get to park outside your house

[Gazelda]

Wouldn't it have been best all round if your DH had just parked on the road, across your driveway?

[ThumbWitchesAbroad]

YABU.

[treaclesoda]

I know that legally you have the right to park on the street and no one is entitled to a space outside their house etc. But yet, there is something really frustrating about seeing people who have space for loads of off street parking use the street instead thereby inconveniencing other people. It isn't difficult to arrange your own cars on your drive to make sure that the one you need to get out first is the one at the front. It only takes a minute to move them about if they are in the 'wrong' order.

The other option would have been to offer to let your neighbour park on your driveway as a one off, if you don't want to use it?

[diddl]

"Wouldn't it have been best all round if your DH had just parked on the road, across your driveway?"

I think that the car that was wanted later was the one on the drive, so that's why the drive wasn't parked across.

[IFailDaily]

So, you are going away and presumably using husbands car as he planned to fill up with fuel. I imagine you'll be leaving your car on the drive while you're away.
So, if it was necessary to do the car shuffle last night - I can't understand why husband didn't just swap the cars over then, as he would have done it this morning anyway.
That has come out as waffle, but I know what I mean!

[Doyouthinktheysaurus]

Of course they have the right to park on the road but it's not very neighbourly or community spirited is it? I hate this attitude that I can do what I want, never mind how it impacts other people!