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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to park opposite this driveway?

72 replies

mumtomaxwell · 30/11/2017 18:35

Sorry about the shadow on the diagram.

I regularly visit my friend on a Thurs evening. On several occasions one of his neighbours has come out and told me I can’t park opposite her house because she can’t get her enormous car off her driveway. Last time I said she could come and get me from my friend’s house if she needs help moving her car. Then she said she would call the police to report me! It is a public road, I am parked on a straight bit of road and all vehicles can easily pass.

What’s the MN verdict?

AIBU to park opposite this driveway?
OP posts:
SantanicoPandemonium · 30/11/2017 18:37

It depends on whether you are actually restricting access or not?

specialsubject · 30/11/2017 18:37

Can't you move up a bit to make her life easier? This happens at a relatives house, I reverse in but can get trapped if someone parks right opposite. Not an enormous car , a narrow road.

CruCru · 30/11/2017 18:37

Is there anywhere else that you can park? You may be parked legally but if you know that you are causing a nuisance, it's probably easier to not park opposite the angry neighbour.

LaBelleSausage · 30/11/2017 18:38

Can you park directly in front of her house (opposite where you are now) instead?

I don't really understand her problem but perhaps that would help

StealthNinjaMum · 30/11/2017 18:39

Sorry if you make it hard for someone to leave their drive then yabu.

Lovely diagram.

cakeymccakington · 30/11/2017 18:39

Someone parks opposite my drive all the time and it's really bloody annoying.

It's not illegal and there's nothing I (or the person you're dealing with) can do about it.

But if you can park elsewhere it would be nice and courteous!

Floralnomad · 30/11/2017 18:42

It is annoying when people park opposite your drive however nobody owns the road so carry on parking where you like . We have this all the time and have taken to approaching from the top of the road rather than the bottom which makes getting on easier .

MapMyMum · 30/11/2017 18:44

I think if you can find somewhere else to park then do it, why get your back up over this. She lives there and youre visiting a friend. Weve had people legally parked but so close to our driveway we have to do a 3 point turn in the road to get out, we can't do anything but it's flipping annoying. And why should she have to come out and find you to move your car just so she can pull off her drive? If you're capable of walking easily enough, park further down and walk. She cant be expected to change her car becuse you want to visit your friend every week

Floralnomad · 30/11/2017 18:44

Actually what you could do is park outside the house of the person who complained as it will be easier for them if you park on their side of the road , although they will probably not be happy with that either as they obviously feel they own the road .

safariboot · 30/11/2017 18:45

Depends how wide the road is. But I think it would have to be particularly narrow for a car parked opposite a driveway to obstruct access.

Original poster
mumtomaxwell · 30/11/2017 18:45

It is quite a bendy road and this is the only straight bit so safest to park. I don’t park right outside her house because no one ever parks on that side of the road! If there’s another car on the street it is surely more courteous/safer to park on the same side.

OP posts:
Caroelle · 30/11/2017 18:47

We had this at our last house, we had our wedding reception at home and someone came round during it to complain that a guest had parked opposite his drive, even though he could still get his car out! People like this are a real pain, but this is likely to rebound on your neighbour. Could you park opposite your friend’s drive?

CaptainHammer · 30/11/2017 18:47

We have this all the time and have taken to approaching from the top of the road rather than the bottom which makes getting on easier.
We have to do this too because people can park opposite and next to my driveway. I can park arriving from the bottom but it takes a million little manoeuvres, especially if someone has parked slightly over my drive.

OP, she can turn left out of her drive and turn around if it’s that difficult for her.

GreatDuckCookery6211 · 30/11/2017 18:48

I think it’s a bit inconsiderate tbf. I have this happen to me every Sunday when people are at church. Mostly it’s fine because I don’t need to get off the drive but the other week two people had parked opposite either side of my drive making it impossible to get my car out when I needed to pick up DC from his friends. Just park a bit further away!

WishingOnABar · 30/11/2017 18:50

We have similar layout and curve to our road, residents and visitors regularly park opposite driveways. The angry woman is BU for not being able to reverse carefully enough

GreatDuckCookery6211 · 30/11/2017 18:52

In a large car it’s not always possible to reverse carefully because of the size. You need enough space to get out!

BackBoiler · 30/11/2017 18:55

Hasn't she got a steering wheel!!!

Ignore her!

BackBoiler · 30/11/2017 18:57

Also if you park further up you will just be doing the same to someone else!

tinysparklyshoes · 30/11/2017 18:57

Well my neighbour often parks in such a way that makes it near impossible to get off my driveway, but its legal and on a public road so I say nothing.
I wish she'd be a bit more considerate though.

GreatDuckCookery6211 · 30/11/2017 19:01

My lane is very narrow as it is so it’s not a case of driving out carefully. I’m literally blocked in. My drive is right off the lane and is not much wider than my car.

ScipioAfricanus · 30/11/2017 19:02

Neighbour is being unreasonably angry but I think you should try to alternate where you park so maybe you are only making her life inconvenient every third week or so on. It annoys me when it’s repeatedly the same large van making it difficult for me to get into my drive.

greeeen · 30/11/2017 19:05

YANBU. I would ignore, especially if after you offered to move when necessary she said she would call the police.

Madonnasmum · 30/11/2017 19:05

Yes, same situation at my mum's house. It's a narrow road so they are effectively blocked in if anyone parks opposite. So yes you are being unreasonable.

hidinginthenightgarden · 30/11/2017 19:08

Hmmm, you are making it more difficult but not impossible?
Our neighbour asked us to stop parking outside our house because it meant they couldn't reverse off their drive in the direction of our car. They could however reverse the other way off or reverse on and drive off forward so (because to inconvenience them slightly less meant that I would have to park at the other end of the street with my two small kids) I decided on balance that I would park slightly forward but still outside my house. He also threatened to call the police but I reminded him I wasn't breaking the law and he would be wasting police time. I think you have to consider their view and make an appropriate judgement.

MrLovebucket · 30/11/2017 19:08

Park across/opposite your friend's driveway. They're not going anywhere so it's not as if you'll be blocking them in.