Was my friend BU about this person parking over her driveway?

[cantbebotheredtoday]

I went to visit my friend the other day, call her H. As I was coming up to her house I noticed a car was half over her driveway, so as my friends car was parked in the driveway I had to park half in and half out her driveway, the back of my car was sticking out onto the road since the other car was blocking me from getting into the free space in her driveway.

Anyway, as I was getting out my car, a woman with her daughter (she had just picked her up from school and that's why she had parked there) came up to me, looking quite flustered and said "I'm really sorry, I'm just moving." I just replied it's okay as I hate confrontation and she had apologised.

I get to my friends door and H comes to the door and was like, "look at that woman parked over my drive" I told her she had apologised, H then proceeded to go up to the woman and say, "could you watch where you are parking in future as people can't get in and out my driveway" the woman replied that she had said sorry and H then said, "that's not the point, it's my driveway!" And stormed away. The woman then apologised again.

I'm just wondering if I am being unreasonable in thinking my friend was being a bit unreasonable. The woman had apologised and was affronted, I just think my friend over reacted but maybe I'm wrong. Personally unless I needed out of my driveway, it's not something I would get upset or worked up about. But I also wouldn't park over someone's driveway, partially or not.

Thoughts?

@RealHousewifeOfSheffield eh no.

cantbebotheredtoday

I wasn't blocking the road though? I was partially out of the drive but still plenty space for people to get past. I was sticking out further than any of the parked cars so I wasn't blocking anything

In your OP you said you had to park your car sticking into the road.

Nope. Not unreasonable. Happens all the bloody time when you live by a school.

I've taken to parking right up people's bumpers when it happens to me. They can leave when I feel like moving.

It was partially on the road but not sticking out so far that it was blocking cars, it was my back wheels on the road. But didn't take up more space than any of the parked cars so fail to see how I was blocking anyone. Anyway this has turned into me having to defend where I parked when this has no relevance to my original question. Which has been answered, my friend was not being unreasonable. Understood.

The woman parking was being unreasonable, despite her apology.

I just can't get over how lazy people are. I live 2 minutes walk away from our primary school. It's chaos at pick up time, cars everywhere, we have the PCSO there most days to keep an eye on things, and yet... no-one ever parks in my road. A 2 minute walk is obviously too much for them.

Your friend was reasonable and I think I understand about your parking so I think you were parked ok (a diagram may help people understand).
School run parents however! Bloody annoying!

@7yo7yo yeah I did draw a diagram 🤣 thought it would be easier than explaining but I can't seem to upload it, it keeps coming up an error message.

To be fair to OP lots of people where I live park over their own dropped kerb - that's perfectly allowable. People do it when they come to my house all the time. The car sticks out into the road but not further than the parked cars that are already there - so it isn't causing an obstruction. The dropped kerb isn't used for buggies or wheelchairs crossing the street (as there isn't a dropped kerb on the other side). There is a separate crossing in the road for that.

I think your friend was in the right. Anyone parking across someone's driveway is a twat.

You were going to park with the back end of your car in the road. The only thing that stopped that happening, was the woman returning to her car (which you didn't know was going to happen). So your parking also leaves a lot to be desired. You say there was nowhere else o park...sure there was, the next street, for example.

@Huskylover1 read the full thread

@MiniEggAddiction yes that's exactly it!

That woman has probably parked there numerous times and will park there again if she has the chance.
It’s so rude and entitled to park on someone else’s property

Your friend was not being unreasonable. It’s a problem parking when there are sod all spaces but it is never ok to block someone’s drive unless it’s an emergency.

If I came and slapped you round the face and then apologised, I doubt you would think ok never mind just because I apologised. Apologies don’t make things ok unless it’s was an accident. The parking thing was no accident, she knew she was parking across someone’s drive.

It doesn't matter why you were going to leave your car there. You shouldn't have done it.

And honestly I’m really surprised you think your friend was unreasonable when YOU actually felt the brunt of the inconvenience. You had the choice of parking very badly or going home without seeing your friend because this woman parked over the drive.

No, not unreasonable. It's fucking selfish and rude when people block you in your driveway. I live near a village hall and this is a constant issue, when people block our driveway, rather than park in the carpark. DD had an accident when she was 2 and I needed to take her to A & E, I ended up phoning an ambulance as I couldn't get my car out of the driveway even though I went to the hall and asked whoever it belonged to to move it, and why. When the first response car came, they couldn't believe that someone had parked directly across the drive.

It's nice that the woman apologised but it's much nicer not to be so selfish in the first place.

You mentioned that you hate confrontation. Is that why you are agonising about this non-event? Are you having flashbacks of seeing your friend exhibit their righteous anger?

You told the cheeky fucker it was OK? Have you apologised to your friend for that? If they hadn't had a go the CF would have left thinking that actually it's OK to park there, they don't really mind. You kind of forced your mate into a confrontation.

I don't think your friend was being unreasonable, but perhaps you felt a little undermined as you had accepted the woman's apology.

Christ lay off the op she didn't come on here for a bashing. The subject here is somebody else's parking.

No your friend was perfectly reasonable it's rude to park over someone's driveway.

The person who parked blocking your friends drive was being unreasonable. It’s ignorance at its finest to block someone ps drive and think your need is greater than the actual owner of the driveway!

My friend owned a pub which seemed to attract a lot of people parking in her car park. Everyone always said “ I’m only going to be a minute “ but as she pointed out, 50 people parking in her car park for just a minute, every hour meant she had effectively lost an entire parking space every hour.

If you don’t want to be shouted at, don’t be a dick, don’t block people’s driveways.

@TowelNumber42 I forced my friend into a confrontation? Don't be so ridiculous, what a silly comment.

Friend was not unreasonable at all.

Someone partially parked across my drive yesterday which prevented me from parking there. Dh’s van goes on the drive then I park across it.

I was that wound up I was having visions of just reversing dhs van off the drive taking the cars back end with it.

@snowbear66 yeah perhaps, I never thought of it like that. I just felt very uncomfortable for the woman, maybe because her young daughter was there also. I just wouldn't confront someone for that unless I genuinely needed out but like others have said it is rude to do.