Parking!!

[firenze86]

So petty but I don’t know if iabu?!
We live in a semi detached house, our neighbours are three girls who have a car each. My husband and I have a car each. We have a front garden with a path (yellow house) so no drive to park on. There’s also an alley (red) running down the side of our house which isn’t a massive problem but I’d rather not park in front of it as my car has been scratched a few times by people on bikes/idiots coming through the alley. We both fit our cars on the street outside our house. The girls next door have a drive big enough for 2 cars (blue house & blue cars) they have just got a 3rd car and instead of parking on the street in front of their drive way or further up, they have chosen to park one car directly outside our house, meaning we have to park further away or across the street which is obviously not a huge problem but means our 3 kids have to cross a road to get to the car. It’s more the cheeky-ness of the situation that’s grating on me. They know we have always parked there and we’re in and out a lot throughout the day (I work part time/school runs/husband works shifts) I’ve started parking in front of their house but all three of them just knocked on my door together and asked me to move my car. so I guess my question is aibu to be pissed off they have taken the parking space? Or should I get over it and let them inconvenience us all?

You must know you can't block their drive, if that is what you did?
You don't own the public road outside your house, they have as much right to park there as you do.
If you converted your front garden and dropped your kerb then only you could park there.

This isn't going to go well for you, OP.

You don't own the public road; anyone can park their legally if parking is allowed.

You can't park in front of a dropped kerb.

Oh, and I did have a conversation with them (!) but all three were talking over me. I tried to ask them to swap places with me so they were in front of their house and I was in front of mine but they didn’t listen so I just moved my car.

They why did they ask you to move that seems cheeky

Why did you move? It's a public road, you can both park where ever. If they wouldn't listen then you should have just shut the door.

So did you block them in or not? If they don't have a dropped kerb then you can park outside their house.

If that's the case OP, the you are entitled to park there just as much as them . Just tell them you can't move it as you have had a glass of wine.

Meh, just park them in and tell them you’ll stop when they stop. Yes you have no right to do that/you don’t own the road/they have as much right as you do blah blah blah but frankly who gives a damn - everyone wants to be able to park in front of their own house and they shouldn’t have so many cars!!

Ok so obviously the correct thing to do is suck it up or pave over your garden..

How did you manage to park in front of their house without blocking them in and parking in front of a dropped kerb?

Does their drive not have a dropped kerb?

I moved because I’m knackered, was in my pjs and wanted to watch the apprentice and not argue with neighbours!

If you didn't block them in why did they come and knock and need you to move your car?

So why did they ask you to move if no-one was blocked in? and why did you move?

Well - you can't block them in, that is the law.

But when they knocked to ask you to move, did you politely suggest that it would be good if they could park in front of their own drive, instead of your house (children, schedules etc.)?

Honest to God, proper normal communication usually solves most "problems".

Yes, some people are arseholes out for a fight, but the VAST MAJORITY of people are happy to realise they could solve a problem for someone else...

Hang on updates appeared - fuck that then why the hell did you move?! Don’t be such a push over woman just park in front of their house.

You could just say no and shut the door!

Do you have a dropped kerb?

From the diagram it looks like you blocked at least one of their cars in.

If they don't have a dropped kerb, are they driving over a public pavement? Do they have permission for their driveway?

Their dropped curb is shared with their other neighbour so part of the path in front of their house doesn’t have dropped curb. Dunno if I’m explaining that v.well!

See OP let this be a lesson in clarity and the importance of full information. Whether or not the have a drive/blocked kerb is ABSOLUTELY CRUTIAL to this AIBU scenario

They asked me to move because they couldn’t be arsed moving one of their cars in order to get the other one out.

You can park anywhere without a dropped kerb as long as there are no yellow lines.

Do they have a dropped kerb to drive over the pavement onto their driveway?

OK, X-post:

I didn’t block them in, & didn’t park on a dropped curb and yes I moved when they asked me to!

In which case, just Say No.

Public road = public parking.

Explain to them WHY you parked as you did, and that they should park in front of their own drive if possible as it won't always be possible for you to A) answer the door or b) move your car.

Don't just give in.

(although props for the diagram )

So, there is a single entrance dropped kerb that gives access to a double space drive way?

I think you need to allow enough space for a car to access the dropped kerb but not the whole space of the double parking area, so you may well have been oaky to stay there in that case.