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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

ridiculous parking from neighbour

269 replies

pinklemonade84 · 17/12/2018 23:08

I’m beyond fed up of this parking situation. This is our situation tonight. Dh is due back from work in about 20 minutes and because of this ridiculous parking from neighbour’s dd, won’t be able to park our Citroen Picasso (not a small car)

We’ve lived here for over a year now and had no problems parking. Last month we had neighbours move in next door and their daughter is absolutely horrific at parking, to the extent where I’ve had to climb over the passenger seat to get into the drover’s seat

They also let their dog out at stupid o clock morning and night and it immediately starts barking!

There’s not even anything we can do as they ignore the door when we knock. They own their house and we rent through a housing association, so there’s not even a landlord we could ask to have a word.

ridiculous parking from neighbour
OP posts:
WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 18/12/2018 00:40

Is it really that bad? The tires could be a couple of centimetres over but it's hardly ridiculous....

I'm surprised at a lot of PPs' reactions to this. standard modern parking space widths haven't changed for decades - and it isn't a case of having too big a car as even modern small cars are huge compared to the same (or equivalent) model from 20-30 years ago.

The only way you can just about make them work is if everybody parks centrally in their own space. As no allowance is made in the spaces for opening doors, the space widths force you to encroach temporarily into the next space to get your door open. In fact, with most spaces, even if you parked right up to the inside edge of the white line, you still wouldn't have room to open a door on the opposite side enough to use it practically without your door temporarily encroaching on the edge of the next space.

Not parking centrally in the space is akin to arriving early to the theatre, sitting in your tip-up seat and then refusing to stand when somebody needs to come by to get to their seat. There should (in theory) be sufficient room for everybody to sit down comfortably once all bums are on seats, but 'your' space is sometimes needed temporarily by others who are passing by (as is their space needed by you, unless you're on the end).

The best idea by far, which you don't see nearly often enough, is when places have marked spaces to park in and also narrow hashed-out passageways between the spaces. This means that, even if somebody does park right up to the line in their space, there is still room for them and the neighbouring car to open their doors one at a time.

Lucked · 18/12/2018 00:42

Perhaps have a chat with the mum and ask if mum and daughter can swap spaces so the better parker is next to your space.

TigerQuoll · 18/12/2018 00:43

Sell your big car and get a smaller one - problem solved.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 18/12/2018 00:50

It's really not that bad OP and a Picasso isn't actually very big so I can't see why you're so upset. If someone was knocking on my door to tell me I was a couple of cm over then I'd likely ignore them too.

Then you're obviously also a selfish, inconsiderate parker.

Those two centimetres make the difference between being able to use a space or not. If each space is just big enough for exactly 1 medium-sized car, then even if a selfish driver parks just 2cm into your space and leaves you with a space physically big enough for 0.995%.of a car, there's no difference in practice from if they'd just parked smack bang in the middle of two spaces. Cars aren't made of sponge.

Mummylife2018 · 18/12/2018 01:01

Very well said @WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll !!

I love how how the keyboard warriors on here are saying "Well technically she's in her space, soo....." yet the fact is, the neighbour's daughter has used that margin needed for OP's car door to open!

Those using the 'technically' rubbish would all be just as miffed if it happened to them!!

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 18/12/2018 01:05

Sell your big car and get a smaller one - problem solved.

I presume this advice is to the poor/selfish driver who is unable to use a parking space adequately with the size of car that she owns, as I really can't believe that you'd be telling the OP that, if somebody decides to help themselves to something of theirs, it's up to them to deal with the problem by just surrendering it.

Do you believe the same with manspreading on public transport too? If a man decides that he wants more room to make himself more comfortable and arbitrarily decides to take some of yours, it's YOUR problem with which YOU need to deal by squeezing in tightly and uncomfortably, maybe struggling to breathe. so as to allow him to take what he's decided he wants completely unchallenged?

How about if he eventually gets up, sees your handbag and thinks he'd like to take that too as there are probably valuables inside? Was that your fault for causing the problem which would never have arisen if you hadn't taken a bag with you?

Shriek · 18/12/2018 01:24

Have I got this wrong as it looks like the white car is nose-in to the space?

This makes the drivers side closest to your space. So if you park nose in, in the middle of your space, they are the ones who will have left themselves too little space to get out their door, as their door will be next to your passenger side.

Don't reverse in until they park giving themselves enough space.

I definitely wouldn't reverse into a space in a way that meant I couldn't get out of my car.

If he parks in middle of his space,sorted. They can worry about how they get out parking like that. No, its not in your space, but it is hogging a bit.

user8905 · 18/12/2018 01:30

This is the problem with new build estates - they have such narrow parks as parking space is seen as wasted space and taking profit from housing space - have seen it all too often.
Parking like that makes it impossible for you to park without affecting the next person along. Can you pop a note through their letterbox? If it continues then stop accepting their deliveries and park v close to them by reversing your car in so you can still get out.

OrangeJellySpread · 18/12/2018 01:39

Do what a PP says, park very very closely to her car, but don't reverse in. So she has to get through her passenger side, and you have enough space to get in your car from the other side.

Bahhhhhumbug · 18/12/2018 02:16

Just park yours straight and in the middle of your space. He will be close to her back doors yes but she has left plenty of space at the front for her to get in her driver's door. Just because she's parked crooked isn't forcing you to do same so what's the problem?

Shriek · 18/12/2018 03:29

baah only if he starts parking nose in rather than the preference currently for reversing.

No brainer really

Engorged · 18/12/2018 06:57

Block her door a few times by mirroring her parking. Get in the other side.

Dotty1970 · 18/12/2018 06:59

SmilingButClueless

I always thought convention was to try and park in the middle of the space - when did parking on the line become ok?

exactly!

Dotty1970 · 18/12/2018 07:07

The responses show why there is such shit parking everywhere.... They don't even know they're doing it!

Also I sympathise about the dog, we have exactly this in the day time which is kind of ok but the early mornings and late at nights is so fucking annoying and inconsiderate

christmaspuddingyumyumyum · 18/12/2018 07:15

Park right next to the car so that the driver has to get in on the passenger side and you get out of the drivers side.

ChristmasTwatteryDoesMyHeadIn · 18/12/2018 07:22

OP I’ve read the entire thread, and the whole palaver could be saved by your DH parking in a different direction. We have a neighbour who parks in such a dickish way that if I don’t catch him, he’ll actually block me in (I drive a Honda jazz, so not a big car) because I can’t physically fit the car out of the driveway.

This isn’t someone stopping you parking, it’s someone stopping you parking the way you want to. Not the same thing at all.

So either park in such a way that her door is blocked, thus teaching her a lesson, or park in the other direction, thus ensuring your door isn’t blocked.

DeepanKrispanEven · 18/12/2018 07:26

Can you leave a polite note on the car asking her to park slightly further over?

HariboLecter · 18/12/2018 07:30

She hasn't parked very well but this...

and the whole palaver could be saved by your DH parking in a different direction.

Original poster
pinklemonade84 · 18/12/2018 07:37

Everyone saying to park front first, means we can’t get dd into her car seat unless we make her climb over the back seat to get into her seat. She’s epileptic, so we have her seat there so she’s easy to check on

It’s just frustrating that either way we park we’re screwed and someone has to climb over the seats to get to their seat. All of which could be saved if the dd parked with a bit of consideration

OP posts:
LakieLady · 18/12/2018 07:38

I'd park in the same direction as her and block her door with my passenger door.

When she asks him to move, he won't be able to, because he'll have had a drink, won't he?

I have to say that it looks as though she's at worst on the line with a rear wheel and unless the space is incredibly tiny there should easily be room for a Picasso. Our car park at work has tiny spaces (built in 1961, when cars were a lot smaller) and 2 out of three spaces are partially obstructed by concrete pillars. You can still get a Picasso and a Kuga side by side though - just!

ChristmasTwatteryDoesMyHeadIn · 18/12/2018 07:39

I can’t believe I never thought of a note!

Write all that down OP, and stick it to her windscreen

LakieLady · 18/12/2018 07:42

Everyone saying to park front first, means we can’t get dd into her car seat unless we make her climb over the back seat to get into her seat. She’s epileptic, so we have her seat there so she’s easy to check on

Move her car seat to the other side (not ideal, I know), or get her in/out after moving the car out/before parking up. Presumably you don't leave her in her car seat outside your house.

Having a space of any sort would be luxury in my road, where anyone without a driveway often has to park a street or even 2 away.

whiteroseredrose · 18/12/2018 07:48

I agree that as a short term solution you could also park so that the passenger side of your car is right on the line so that she can't get in. A few days of that and she'll get the message.

knowingkaleidoscope · 18/12/2018 07:51

Pull out and then put your child in their car seat. I also agree about leaving a polite note if you can never grab them in person.

ResistanceIsNecessary · 18/12/2018 07:52

I realise it is infuriating, but be practical - ranting on here is not sorting out the problem.

If the Mum refuses to listen to you, then the best way to communicate the problem is to park your car in the other direction. The other driver will be inconvenienced and if they say anything, you can point out that you had no choice because they'd parked at an angle in the bay instead of straightening up.

The car seat issue can be solved by backing out the car a by a few feet and then strapping your DD in.