To park outside someone else's house?

[sallyhansen32]

Finally passed my test and excitedly bought a new car.
I live in terraced houses with no drive.
Parking is terrible and the neighbours have 2-3 cars between them.
Over the road is a elderly lady and she has no cars and space for 2 cars easily as the house next door is vacant.
I parked my car outside (which is directly opposite my house).
I get in my car this morning to drive to work and she bangs on my window..
Do not park there again as I couldn't get to town this morning as my taxi couldn't park at my door (there was room behind my car and the car wasn't blocking her front door.
Am I in the wrong here?

[Whitesea]

I parked outside a house (not a neighbour) yesterday and an elderly man came running out to ask me to move as his daughter was going to visit him that day. I moved happily enough as there were more parking spots further up the street. When I walked past his house a few minutes later, the man had put bollards up outside his house to prevent anyone else parking there and a lot of people on the road had them too!

I understand it can be frustrating if its a public road and people are using your house as a carpark though.

[unintentionalthreadkiller]

We live in a terrace. Parking is a fucking nightmare. I rarely get to park outside my house, you just park where there is a space.

[MusterMark]

If it's this elderly lady, she owns the road and you can't park there. Other people can't stop you parking outside their homes.

[GabsAlot]

no yanbu

she doesnt have a car drop kerb or drive yuo park where you like-whaty if the moment u move someone else parks there what she going to do tell everyone to move

[CtrlCandCtrlV]

If people want ownership of their road, they should either move to an already private road, or do something to change the status of theirs. Until then, people can park where they want (within legal and reasonable reasons obviously).

[thatmustbenigelwiththebrie]

Ha ha. Weirdo. I never park outside my house, mainly because someone else is always there. Doesn't bother me.

[Iamtryingtobenicehere]

I’d be making a point of parking in front of her house at all times from now until forever.

She doesn’t own the road.
You are legally parked.
If she can walk to bang on your window, she can walk to a taxi.
Tell her to do one, and park right outside her house every time, even if the entire street is empty!

[Mummyoflittledragon]

Could you park slightly farther forward so the taxi could park behind yoyr? This way you both get what you want. And yes, I know you don’t have to.

[ElBurroSinNombre]

If it's a private road (not owned by the council) then parking rights can exist. If not then you can park where you like (restrictions permitting). What is it with these people who think that they own the road outside their house?
IME It's usually people with nothing better to do or worry about. I also think that the police / council should crack down on the people who (presumably) steal bollards and then put them outside their house to reserve parking. It's not OK.

[Iamtryingtobenicehere]

I definitely agree with pp about getting a motion actives dash cam too. Your crazy neighbour may decide to seek vengeance if you park outside on her Piece of road.

[sunglasses123]

My father many years ago grabbed the neighbour and asked him NOT to park outside our house. We didn't have a car......

I don't know why people feel so entitled or maybe its that some people do think they own the road outside their house.

Also agree to watch out for revenge behaviour. Some people can be absolutely focused on being right

[NotSuchASmugMarriedNow1]

YANBU - we pay our car tax to enable us to go on public streets. If your car is taxed, you can park there because you've paid!!!!

[NotSuchASmugMarriedNow1]

And it would be pretty stuipid for someone to carry out "revenge" on your car, bearing in mind you know where they live.

[BlueBug45]

@ElBurroSinNombre In some areas, including mine, the council actively removes them so people use their bins. I did on occasion when I've had older cars get out and move their bins even if people have shouted at me.

In my area if you need a removal van, skip or whatever parked in front of your house you can pay the council to put up signs for the dates you need it, otherwise you cannot stop people parking on the public road.

[missbattenburg]

By all means park there as it is perfectly legal to do so.

That said, the amount of people who are keen to dismiss this elderly lady as being perfectly mobile based on her being able to walk to your car is worrying. She sounds rude and has gone about this all the wrong way but there are infirmities to old age that most of us younger cannot quite appreciate - not least the impact it has to your confidence to cope.

My grandmother is 90 and has some mobility issues. I know that if she has to put in many steps to get to a car she runs out of puff and strength to do much when she gets out of the car at the other end. This, in turn, leaves her to panic a bit about not being able to cope. She worries she will run out of steam in town (she walks very few steps to the local coffee shop) or gets worried that, if she buys something and cannot get a lift back to her door she may not be able to carry the stuff back inside without help.

This lady may be a batty old grump or may be genuinely panicked that not being able to get a taxi right to her door may further reduce any independence she has left? She could have dealt with it much better by explaining all this, but that doesn't mean she is just an 'old bag' who should be told to 'do one'.

[cm39]

Sounds like I could have written it! My neighbours are v old and think they own the land infront of the houses we live in. All very segregated and particular. Everyone gets a mouthful dare they park near her space..pathetic! I feel your pain!

[smithsinarazz]

No, the road belongs to the local authority.
Two points: a) of course courtesy is always useful, and if she had a car it would be antagonistic to needlessly occupy "her" space.
b) but with my sustainable transport head on, I'd say that parking arguments just evidence the fact that we've created a folk belief that it's a person's right to drive up to his or her doorway and park there, and that cars take priority. If you park in such a way as to block the road you will (quite rightly) be criticised for it, but if you park in a cycle route or on the pavement, there may be a few grumbles, but by and large people accept it - even though it may be putting pedestrians (particularly people with buggies or wheelchairs) or cyclists at risk.

We've created a monster: a situation where it's not safe to cycle, not convenient to take public transport, uncomfortable to walk, and therefore everyone carts themselves around in a ton of metal. It's an insanely inefficient use of urban space, and it's endangering our children. We need safe and secure cycle and pedestrian routes, cheaper and more efficient public transport, support for walkable neighbourhoods. Streets for people, not for cars.

[sallyhansen32]

I don't like causing Agro so I won't do it again but what baffles me is she says she couldn't get to town because my car was there and the taxi couldn't park yet when she gets to town she walks around the shops ???
Surely if you walk around shops you can walk 2 steps to the taxi ...
Anyway not going to let it worry me too much..
The houses are housing association so not sure the rules of who parks where etc

[sallyhansen32]

Worst diagram ever sorry

[sallyhansen32]

Bit better

[Tiredtomybones]

Yanbu.

[devoncreamtea]

Feel for you OP, that sort of conflict stays in your mind all day, I hate it! I think sometimes older people can get a bit obsessive over minor irritations, the other day an older woman shouted at me for parking outside her front gate (not the driveway) when I dropped my children off near the school, because "her sainsbury delivery man had to cross the road..."

[sallyhansen32]

I'm such a anxious worrier,add in new driver nerves and it makes me want to hide in my bedroom.

[SchadenfreudePersonified]

I sometimes park in front of my house to discourage others to do so, just because I childishly don't like to look at their cars, but I completely acknowledge their right to park there if they arrive first

I don't ever do this url*, on, no - wouldn't dream of such an anti-social act. Not me!

[PassiveAgressiveQueen]

She needs a disabled bay then, if she can't walk any further