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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

There's a car parked on my drive

313 replies

Mreva · 25/08/2016 18:15

Arrived home from work to find a car parked on my drive. Thought it might be one of dh's friends but no.

Our drive can fit two cars but the bastard has decided to park at the front of the drive so no chance of parking on the drive and blocking them in like I would like to.

It's making me irrationally angry and I can't stop checking to see if it's gone. Dh doesn't seem to share my annoyance.

Why would anyone decide it's ok to park on someone's drive?!

OP posts:
Dogolphin · 26/08/2016 18:40

I keep hoping this will happen to us as i have a large car sized tent I am poised to erect over the car!

Jaxhog · 26/08/2016 18:57

Put your bins in front of it. Then your neighbours bins (ask them first). Tie them all together with string, then attach each end to a gatepost/wall.

Then wait.

PS. we once had a neighbour's visitor park across our drive. When we came back at midnight, we rang his doorbell and asked him to ask his guest to move their car. He was not happy. But none of his guests parked there again.

manicmij · 26/08/2016 18:59

Any crazy string foam in the house? Spray that over the car. If challenged just say "oh it must have been my son/daughter, got it in a goodybag at a party, or just plead ignorance like; you would never imagine what goes on in this area, folk treat it like they own the place doing all sorts.

Ohyeahreally · 26/08/2016 19:10

I had a disastrous series of events this week, and one day for a short period had to park in a neighbour's double driveway (actually takes 4 cars in total.). Didn't block anyone in, no answer when I knocked at the door to check if it would be ok for a couple of hours. I knew my neighbour would be out til 5ish, but I got tied up in another disaster so overstayed. He absolutely steamed into me when he arrived and found my car parked there - really nasty, personal stuff, bullying etc. It made me even more stressed, then totally angry - he'd no right to get so abusive so quickly, it's just a piece of tarmac ffs!! I was so angry I just shut the door in his face and left him to steam for 30 mins, and gave myself time to finish what I.was dealing with. When I got out there he was on the phone to someone or other giving my car registration etc. I just calmly drove off, parking further away and out of sight. But I was really in bits still, with everything else going on it wasn't what I needed at all and it seemed vindictive and nasty of him to go off at me like he did.
So - no, you're not being unreasonable to be pissed off, but don't go nuclear straight away, could be a dire emergency you've no idea about, or you could make it worse if the perp is someone stubborn like me.. It's only a parking space, not the West Bank.

FurryLittleTwerp · 26/08/2016 19:11

Ohyeah did you leave a note?

SoItGoesSophieTrout · 26/08/2016 19:12

I had a similar situation to this a number of years ago, I won't say what we did just in case but let's just say it was an expensive day's parking.

Poppiesway · 26/08/2016 19:18

I came home once to find a workmans van on my drive.. I blocked him in and went indoors. A few mins later my neighbour came round and apologised but I'd got home earlier than normal!! Turned out they always let their friend & work colleagues park there when they thought I was at work!

We have a local Facebook page where every one uploads pictures of all the people who park like a t**t.. It is amusing, and the arguments in there between people justifying parking on pavements, corners, double yellows and blocking people in are just Shock

LittlePickleHead · 26/08/2016 19:19

I once got back from a weekend away to find someone had left a big pile of decking wood on our drive. We are on a red route and I had two small children so this was a huge pain in the arse as I had a boot full of suit cases and had to park a few roads away. Turns out our (mid terrace) neighbours behind us (their garden backs on to our garden) were having their garden done and instead of taking everything through their house, decided to use our drive to store their wood and our next door neighbours drive (which ran all the way to the back of the garden) to transport everything through removed a fence panel. We were away so they obviously hasn't asked us, but as far as I know they didn't ask our neighbours if it was ok either.

I just couldn't get over the cheek of it. We never got a sorry or thank you either after I gave their contractors an earful and made them move the wood. Grrr!

AnnieOnAMapleLeaf · 26/08/2016 19:19

I'm sorry you're having such a difficult time, Ohyeahreally and I do not mean this as an attack, but it is never ok to park your car on someone's drive without first asking permission. It is private property and you parking there is trespassing.

Meluzyna · 26/08/2016 19:21

"....someone did this at our house: my father managed to jack the car and manoeuvre it down the road under the cover of nightfall."

That's the kind of solution which pleases me most.... if the car is a small one and your partner's / brother's rugby playing mates are up for it, another solution is to bump the car somewhere inconvenient - or just far enough up your drive for you to get your own car on to block it in.

My favourite "vengeful" option (for those of us not built like rugby players and not of a confrontational disposition) is the lipstick under the windscreen wipers as it has the advantage of not being immediately obvious and so there'll be no way it can be pinned on you.

whywonthedgehogssharethehedge · 26/08/2016 19:34

Around here you mostly get scorn.

I often park on my father in laws drive to do the school run as he lives 2 mins walk away. It is my fils suggestion as parking is so bad. If both cars are on the drive we park across it if we can't get a space on the road. If he knows he will need to go out in that 10 min gap in the morning he lets us know the night before.

I often get out of the car to tuts or return to them (especially if I blocked the drive) it restores my faith in humanity. The tuts usually stop when we get back to the car and the kids pelt up the drive to see grandad who is usually waving through the window!

jwpetal · 26/08/2016 19:36

Call someone and have it towed. Have you check with your neighbours to see if they know who owns the car?

Lweji · 26/08/2016 19:39

Have you check with your neighbours to see if they know who owns the car?

The OP has cancelled that check too.

madabootcoos · 26/08/2016 19:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

asdfghjjkl · 26/08/2016 19:55

happened to someone near me few months back it made a long thread on fb they had a builders bag of sand delivered blocking it in and left it with trowel and note saying happy digging, made all the local papers as well

HarrietSchulenberg · 26/08/2016 19:55

This could be a great sport for Mumsnetters. Park over someone's drive, or better still, on it, and settle into a cafe for the afternoon.

Check Active Convos every 8 seconds waiting for your very own parking thread to appear.

Spend a merry few hours swigging latte, eating cake(s) and watching the thread fill up.

Return to vehicle, knock on householder's door, profer multiple bottles of naice wine and leftover cakes from the cafe, smile broadly and giggle "You've just been Mumsnetted", with a tinkly little laugh.

Then, dodge householder's right hook, return to car, reinflate tyres, wipe dogshit from door handles and windscreen, and tootle off into the dusk in a cheery cloud of diesel fumes.

That's my weekend sorted - look out driveway owners, here I come ...

CSUK · 26/08/2016 19:56

Use a bike lock to attach a bike to their car somewhere. A handle or a towing hook is ideal. Then they cannot move the car without risking damage until they have asked you to unlock it.

hollyisalovelyname · 26/08/2016 20:04

OhYeahReally
Did you put a note in their door to explain/apologise before you left your car on their property.?
I would be livid with you too.

I parked without permission in my neighbours drive for a few hours. I knew they were away as they had asked me to keep an eye on the house.
Because of a delivery I had to move my car. Very vigilant clampers on our road so I texted neighbours and asked them. I got no reply as they didn't get the text. But it wasn't a problem as they saw I had tried to contact them on their return

AnnieOnAMapleLeaf · 26/08/2016 20:08

HarrietSchulenberg I think I love you. This is better than the MN scarf.

TommyJoesMummy · 26/08/2016 20:10

This has been such an enjoyable read! Has to cause my first post:
The amount of time she was parked, you could've bought cheap fizzy cherryade and covered the car from the roof down, including the mirrors! Smile

aries67 · 26/08/2016 20:17

Absolutely decked GrinGrinGrin

Playsch000 · 26/08/2016 20:21

Nip out and buy 1000 post it notes and write rude messages on them, then stick them all over the offending car. Smile

ScaryPussyCat · 26/08/2016 20:32

This happen to me many years ago. My husband and I came home from shopping to find a random car up our drive. So we parked behind in and went out. Upon our return we had not so happy owner of the random car knock our door as they had been waiting for 90 minutes for our return. When pointed out they were on our property their argument was lost. Parking is an issue these days with many homes being a multi car property. We have houses in our road that have 2+ cars that will insist on parking in a turning circle and not on their drive. Moral of the story don't park your car the will cause problems for others.

Goodasgoldilox · 26/08/2016 20:41

Put a note on the windscreen explaining the parking charges at your place -and point out that owners are expected to post money through your letter box. I expect that charges are quite high for such an exclusive and well supervised space? They would be on my drive. (Remember to add the information about towing away etc.)

a1poshpaws · 26/08/2016 21:01

Note on the windscreen asking how they'd feel if you let yourself into their home and watched their tv without permission? Preferably written in nice waxy lipstick .. soooo hard to get off!