Basically:
I live in a block of flats on a main road. High crime area (lots of car thefts and car vandalism - which is why my insurance is sky high).
I passed my test a few months ago. I've lived here for over five years. In this whole street, there is just one lay by which is right outside my balcony; big enough for three cars.Although anybody in the street can use this (no restrictions on it whatsoever), it's always been occupied by the same three neighbours. All three neighbours live in my block and have lived here the longest. Therefore, i think they have an ingrained sense of entitlement to park here.
The rest of us just park alongside the pavements, tucked in to the kerbs as closely as we can.
Wednesday morning, i went out to find my wing mirror knocked off. Not surprising. I knew it was going to happen sooner or later with the sheer speed some cars fly through this street at.
I did not claim on my insurance as I really want to get my 1 years no claims discount at the end of this policy or my premium will never come down.
Anyway, two of these neighbours are retired and don't go out much so their cars are pretty much stationary in the lay by. The third neighbour, however, doesn't get back from work until about 10.30pm.
I get home from work around 6pm. So i, and everybody else, park on the main road despite there always being a space in this lay by while neighbour number 3 is at work. I think we've all just convinced ourselves that this lay by is 'theirs' despite it not being theirs at all.
Last night, i picked DD up from my mum's and brought them to mine for dinner. My mum commented on how daft it was me parking on the main road again after just getting my mirror fixed when there's a space in the lay by. So i parked in it.
I felt totally nervous as if I was stealing something but i parked in it anyway. It's been there since (mum got a taxi home and i've not been out today).
Neighbour number three has just knocked and asked if I'm going out today. I knew right away why he wanted to know (he's barely said two words to me since i moved in despite him living right above me). I simply said no and he asked very politely if i could move my car back to it's normal position. He was barely able to sleep last night as he wasn't able to see his car from his window (our balconies overlook the lay-by) and it''s a new car.
I said that mine was new too (not factory new, but new to me!) and i didn't want to go and get me and dd ready and go out in the rain just to move my car. He offered to move it for me! I said no. Tried to make a joke that my car's a right mess and he wouldn't want to sit on crumbs and mint wrappers etc.
So then his niceness stopped and he outright said "look, please move your car. I don't understand why you're suddenly being so petty."
I was a bit shaken up at this point as i cannot stand confrontation and this guy is pretty much a stranger to me as we've never had a conversation before. I told him that i'll likely be going out tomorrow so i'll park elsewhere then. He then starts asking me what time i'm going out and what time my shifts at work are during the week. Like an idiot, i told him. No idea why. felt very intimidated. He seemed to make a mental note of it, wished me a rather abrupt good night then went back up to his own flat.
I feel like a total idiot. 1. for being so shaky over what was basically just a chat with a neighbour. and 2. for not standing up for myself a bit more.
Now that he's gone, i'm sudden;y feeling very petty indeed. Trying to think of where we can go to tomorrow locally without the car. I'll just order my shop to get delivered instead of going to get it in person.
I also feel guilty. He's been parking there for over 5 years. Except from the odd occasion, when the spots have been taken by visitors or taxis, all three neighbours have pretty much parked there every night.
Anyway, i'm not quite sure what to do now. As soon as i go out in the car, he''l move his car back to the lay-by. But i'm home from work before him during the week so i'm going to feel like a right doormat if i leave it vacant for him.
Urgh. i feel so awkward now. He genuinely seemed so hurt and confused at my 'pettiness' there.