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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Inconsiderate parking

207 replies

DeborahDowner · 09/09/2018 19:36

Is there anyone on here who could explain to me why you would consider parking up in front of someone’s home nearish to an airport, for any old length of time, rather than paying for long stay or taking public transport?

Will anyone admit to doing this IRL? Please enlighten me. Honestly I’m all ears as I’d never, ever consider doing this to you and I’m trying to understand the thought process.

I don’t think I AIBU but I would love to hear the flip side of why people would think it’s ok to do this...

—i may have a flyparker outside our home (again)—

OP posts:
Original poster
DeborahDowner · 09/09/2018 21:53

Seriously, let’s not be flippant.

We have nice cars. We live in a Naice area.

Let’s be reasonable.

Are you seriously arguing people scrimp on parking to afford their BMWs, Audis and Lexuses (Lexii?)

😂

OP posts:
Maelstrop · 09/09/2018 21:54

Is it Luton, OP? Cos there were multiple cars vandalised on a road of terraces which were airport user’s cars. That is fucking selfish if there are no drives.

BackforGood · 09/09/2018 21:57

You do seem to be unduly worked up about this.
It is an everyday annoyance for people who live by 1001 different sort of building that the public need access to.
Be grateful you have drives so aren't actually fighting for somewhere to park your own car, as many homeowners have to do

Original poster
DeborahDowner · 09/09/2018 22:02

@thatawkwardsilence we (colllectively) have considered that as a last resort. However we are not sure that 18 houses’ bins at the top of the road which is already tight would be really manageable.

I’m just taken aback by how many of you would at least in theory assert your right to inconvenience others.

@thatawkwardsilence is it “moat” you’re looking for? Smile bless your heart. No, my present castle is just fine, ideally without the maggots and rats dining on my Waitrose leftovers due to flyparkers ! Wink

OP posts:
LyndorCake · 09/09/2018 22:05

Carefully OP, your true colours are showing.

Original poster
DeborahDowner · 09/09/2018 22:05

Not Luton !

OP posts:
19lottie82 · 09/09/2018 22:06

Are you seriously arguing people scrimp
on parking to afford their BMWs, Audis
and Lexuses

Of course not. That would be ridiculous.

My point is that people may be able to
afford nice cars, but unless they are really rich then they still need to make decisions about how they spend their money as it’s not an unlimited resource.

These decisions could be shopping at Aldi, not Waitrose, or parking in the street, rather than paying for airport parking.
Decisions like these mean that a larger chunk of their finances can be allocated to areas that are more important to them, like nice cars, designer clothes, or a bigger house.

I’m not making a specific example. It’s just basic economics. Resources are limited, so consumers have to make choices.
Just because someone chooses not to do something, doesn’t mean they can’t afford it.

ivykaty44 · 09/09/2018 22:07

Yes, but before the introduction of residents' parking it would have been free to park on your own street.

And why should it be free for any vehicle to be stored on the road? Apart from emergency vehicles. Until it isn’t free anywhere people will seek out free places & store their cars and anyone can do the same

selavy · 09/09/2018 22:13

I do this all the time, it’s perfectly legal and no one is entitled to dictate who parks in front of their house unless they have a permit or own the street. And, if I’m honest, the “inconvenience” of the residents has never really crossed my mind.
You sound a little bit over invested with this OP - remembering car registrations, makes, models? Wow

Alwa · 09/09/2018 22:14

Would piss me right off and I'm not even sure why.

Starstruck2020 · 09/09/2018 22:16

I think it’s rude and inconsiderate OP. I lived in a street where people did that too. When you have young DC and someone has deliberately taken the space in front of your house it makes things like food shopping, getting them in the car in the rain very difficult. It’s unheard of in Australia.

I think if you’re going away you should factor the cost of parking into your trip and if you can’t afford to park really you can’t afford your holiday

Original poster
DeborahDowner · 09/09/2018 22:16

I have no true colours to show, just a tad annoyed that I’m apparently unreasonable to so many for not welcoming all and sundry to park freely and inconvenience all of us just because they can and it’s free! Cut me some slack. It’s infuriating. 😞

I’m laughing to myself now having visions of my neighbours and I investing in some of these and enthusiastically welcoming people as they arrive!

Inconsiderate parking
OP posts:
pumpkinspicetime · 09/09/2018 22:18

Because it is free and legal I would guess and they are prepared to accept the additional hassle of getting to the airport and the security risks. We have driven to MIL in London left car in 'her street' and caught a cab before. It works for us, we usually stayed at least a day with her and it wasn't anyone else business, no one would think it was airport parking because it is bloody miles away but it was partially.

dontbesillyhenry · 09/09/2018 22:18

You sound like Norris Cole twitching at your curtains and noting car makes and registrations. Have you ever actually had any real problems in your life?

19lottie82 · 09/09/2018 22:19

I’m apparently unreasonable to so many
for not welcoming all and sundry to park freely

You’re just exaggerating now and being slightly Ridiculous.

No one says you have to be happy about it, but why ask, why people do it? You obviously know why they do it. Confused

thatawkwardsilence · 09/09/2018 22:21

Well that's the reason for the maggots then. I've heard not even the flys like Aldi food waste Confused

You could get your own cones, a high viz jacket and patrol with a clipboard. I'm sure as your fellow residents feel as passionate as you, then surely there will be no problem getting a 24-7 patrol rota in place.

Spartasprout · 09/09/2018 22:21

Yabvvvu for describing holidays as holibobs Angry if I knew where you lived I'd park outside your house to get you back

PookieDo · 09/09/2018 22:29

OP is telling the truth about what it is like living near an airport... small narrow roads and bin lorries don’t mix well, happens near me constantly, residents know how to park so bin lorry can get down, but airport Parker’s don’t know the way to park hence blocking corners/rights of way etc

I don’t know whether the local council will ever really bother addressing it but we have had many airport Parkers over the years and a lot have caused an issue. You wouldn’t actually notice a well and safely parked car would you? So in limited parking areas you tend to notice the idiot who has parked somewhere stupid for 2 weeks

Original poster
DeborahDowner · 09/09/2018 22:32

Ok, I won’t ask why people do it. Yes. I know why the people who do it, do it.

Can I ask that next time you consider doing it, just because you can, you don’t? Or maybe, you ask whether it might be inconvenient first? Or, you budget properly for your holiday to consider paying for long stay parking? Or you buy a cheaper car so you can afford to pay for parking when you go away, (or the occasional guilty trip to Waitrose), like the rest of us? IDK, there are so many things......just think twice next time.

And to the poster who suggests I’m weird for knowing what makes the fly parking cars are- frankly if they were bangers it would be less surprising somehow. I would challenge you to not remember posh cars abandoned outside your house for weeks and months on end. It’s never once been a banger!! Smile

OP posts:
PookieDo · 09/09/2018 22:33

And most U.K. airports have excellent transport links nowadays. I don’t understand why you couldn’t jump on a train to get to an airport, I do! (And I live near one). It’s nowhere near as expensive as airport parking

Winchester89 · 09/09/2018 22:44

@PookieDo
I would never in a million years jump on a train to the airport with suitcases and kids in tow.
I have never done this myself- we taxi as live relatively close to 2 airports. However, if I wanted to I would.
The male of cars is neither here nor there really. We have a very lovely Mercedes- but we're not rich and would definitely welcome saving £70+ on airport parking.

19lottie82 · 09/09/2018 22:44

Can I ask that next time you consider
doing it, just because you can, you don’t

You can ask, but as it can cost >£100 for airport parking, I think YABU if you expext people not to.

Or, you budget properly for your holiday to
consider paying for long stay parking?,

So people should budget / spend an extra >£100, just as not to annoy residents? It would be nice for you if they did, but I think YABU if you expect them to.

Or you buy a cheaper car so you can afford to pay for parking when you go
away

We’ve been through this already, have we not? The majority of people CAN afford to pay for airport parking, they just choose not to.

If it really annoys you (and don’t get me wrong, I imagine it would annoy me too, to a certain extent) then you should
move further from the airport where such problems don’t exist, or get in touch with your council and neighbours to try and arrange residents parking. Have you done the latter?

Original poster
DeborahDowner · 09/09/2018 22:45

@PookieDo ❤️

OP posts:
19lottie82 · 09/09/2018 22:46

Pookie Yes, but the chances are the station is also going to be in a residential area, so it’s not really solving the problem, is it?

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 09/09/2018 22:47

certain cheap people feel entitled do this because it’s free

But it's not free, though - it's part of what they pay their road tax for.

You complain that the bin lorry can't get through because you expect the bin men to take your rubbish away (either lazy bin men or you must campaign for double yellows on one side). Why do you expect this service instead of taking it down to the tip yourself? Is it because you're 'cheap' as well or is it because you pay your council tax which includes this service as part of the cost?

Do you only ever park on your own road or in a paid-for car park? Do you never buy the last one of anything in a shop in case somebody who goes in every day to buy one might have felt they rightfully had the automatic right to it?

For all you know, these people might pay a huge amount of road tax for their posh, high-powered cars and leave them parked on their own drives almost all of the time when they're not driving them. You, on the other hand, could be paying very little road tax - or even nothing - for a low-emission runaround that you leave parked, taking up a space on a public road all the time you aren't using it (a road which just happens to be near where you live). Who would be the selfish one then?