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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to refuse to move my car?

42 replies

theressomethingaboutmarie · 13/07/2007 10:23

We have recently moved into a rented flat whilst waiting for our house purchase to go through. There are limited parking spaces and the other residents "assigned" us the crappiest parking spot - the one that even a Smart car could barely get in or out of.

Anyway, my DH is a pretty good driver so he manages to squeeze his car into it. I have my car parked out on the road (on a grass verge) and we have a guest staying with us whose car is also parked on the grass verge.

Last night, one of the residents knocked on our door asking us to move one of our cars off the grass verge as he wanted to park there. We were a little stunned and asked why - apparently, someone else had parked in his parking spot and so he thought it was only fair that we park our guests car someway down the road so that he could park on the verge nearest his spot.

My DH told him that it was a public road and just because someone had parked in his spot, it didn't give him any "rights" over the road.

Am I missing something in failing to see the logic of this bloke?

OP posts:
tiredemma · 13/07/2007 10:26

No- you are right, its not 'his' road- not your fault someone had parked in his spot.

there is a miserable bag who thinks that she owns the whole cul-de-sac where my nan lives. We parked outside her house once ( in the road- not on her drive- not blocking her in etc) and she came tearing out of the house ranting and raving. Dp told her to mind her own business- she was livid!!! my dear old nan thought it was hilarious.

YANBU!!!

Carnoodleusfudge · 13/07/2007 10:30

What is is with people and their cars?
Why do they think they "own" spots on public roads?
Our neighbours think they own the spot outside their house so I always park there and always direct the builders to park their van their!

Your DH was spot on

margoandjerry · 13/07/2007 10:34

YANBU....But, three cars from one house is quite a burden on parking when space is obviously limited. He certainly can't park on the road just because he feels like it but perhaps he feels it's a little crowded?

hoolagirl · 13/07/2007 10:36

Its ridiculous, I don't care where anyone parks on our street as long as they don't block our drive.
First come first served imo.

hoolagirl · 13/07/2007 10:37

Some people can't walk the length of themselves!

fedupwasherwoman · 13/07/2007 10:40

Why isn't he tracking down the owner of the car actually parked in his space and getting them to move their car ?

Sounds like he's just looking for a softer target and as you're only temporary he thought he try you.

Original poster
theressomethingaboutmarie · 13/07/2007 10:42

Hi MargoandJerry,

Three cars is alot. I'd agree if they were all there permanently but that's not the case. Our guest is leaving today after a few days of staying with us. Again, he's parked on a public road so I just don't get it.

OP posts:
Wisteria · 13/07/2007 10:44

I think it's people whose lives are so very empty that they really have nothing else to worry about.
We have a running battle with a woman on a cul de sac opposite the primary school (not the same one is it TiredEmma?), we're there for 15 mins at the most and if she sees you outside her house, she comes out, sits in her car and as you're pulling off she revs the engine and butts up to your car - to prove a point presumably but all she does is scare the beejaysus out of me as I'm concerned she'll hit me - shouldn't be so pathetic I know but there you go I'm a wimp!!
Why would you buy a house opposite a primary school if you're so blinkin precious. I get wound up when people park across our drive to visit the shop but I'm not rude to them.... unless I need to go out in a hurry in which case they get an incredulous look of 'why can't you park outside the shop you're visiting??'

Sorry rant over

Justaboutmanaging · 13/07/2007 10:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Weegle · 13/07/2007 11:01

YANBU. I just don't get why people are possessive over parking on public roads. I can sort of see how you have your favourite spot but I fail to see how any resonable rational person thinks they can lay claims to a particular one. We have it with an old man at the end of our row - he parks in the "best spot" and only drives his car once a week and is out for 30 min tops. If someone goes in "his" space whilst he's out he twitches at the curtains until the space is free again and moves his car in to it. Life is too short, but it does provide me with some entertainment!

OrmIrian · 13/07/2007 11:04

Hmm.... I don't think that for most people it's possessiveness over any particular space, just any space. It is in my road anyway as there isn't enough parking. So I would get a bit arsey over 3 cars for one house but if there was a space somewhere in the street I wouldn't worry.

RedLorryYellowLorry · 13/07/2007 11:07

Hoolagirl I'm gonna use that one.

Original poster
theressomethingaboutmarie · 13/07/2007 11:09

OrmIrian - that's the very point. There were other spaces further down the road that he could have very easily used. Very wierd guy - apparently trying to get us to see his logic was "like trying to speak to a brick wall"....

OP posts:
OrmIrian · 13/07/2007 11:10

Ah, a purely territorial thing then. Silly sod

IAmADaddy · 13/07/2007 12:12

DW & I regularly visit my friend who lives on a narrow street, he and his dp park on their drive so we park on the road up on the verge to avoid causing an obstruction, careful to ensure we don't block anyone's drive. Several times we have had the people leave a note on our windscreen asking us not to park there. Said note goes in bin... the verge is part of the public highway and they have no right to the spot. YANBU.

canmummy · 13/07/2007 12:23

I was told to move my car from outside my friends neighbours house as she'd have to walk further to bring her shopping in!!!!!

Wouldn't have minded too much but was 8 months pregnant and visiting with my 2 other kids! Made a big deal of sticking my bump out and struggling to get behind the wheel etc!

kickassangel · 13/07/2007 12:47

when we moved house i came across 2 very odd people in one day
person 1 - i had parked in an assigend place, but he wanted me to move because his son lived there & he liked to be able to visit in his van and trailer. apparently he usually used up 6 of the assigned places to swing the van & trailer round in, rather than having to reverse out of th 2 spaces he parked in - and he didn't even live there!
person 2 - i was unloading luggage & it was a squeeze for him to reach his garage, but possible. instead of getting past, he deliberately blocked me, and when i asked him to move so that i could go to work, he told me he'd get a shot gun & blow me up if i ever parked there again!

complete nutters!

zookeeper · 13/07/2007 12:58

YANBU - even if it was 100 cars

Wisteria · 13/07/2007 12:59

Bloody hell kickass - where did you live? Beirut????

Original poster
theressomethingaboutmarie · 13/07/2007 13:08

It seems a really funny place actually. We also had a note on our car the other day saying "Please do not park on the verge. We prefer that you park on the road". Really WTF?!

OP posts:
Wisteria · 13/07/2007 13:08

communist state then!

Original poster
theressomethingaboutmarie · 13/07/2007 13:10

I'd say!! We'd always had a house and small driveway prior to this so we're not used to the politics. Our lease is until Jan but we've managed to find a house sooner than we thought we would. We're rushing through the sale as we can't wait to get out of there (I'm 28 wks pg and don't need the stress) - we'll just cope somehow paying rent and mortgage.

OP posts:
Wisteria · 13/07/2007 13:15

I had a brilliant note on my car once when I'd parked in the church carpark while visiting him (had a disabled sticker at the time as I was on sticks).

Your car is parked on private property. Do not park here again.

Seriously, that was it - no please or anything. There were no other cars in the car park and I was there for 45mins, nowhere else to park as it's very tight for residents anyway, oh and it wasn't Sunday either!

I wrote on the back
So nice to see that the Christian Spirit is alive and well. Next time I'll park miles away and struggle down on my sticks.

Wisteria · 13/07/2007 13:15

wrote him instead of my brother ROFL - sounded like I was Godsquad!!!

Doodledootoo · 13/07/2007 13:19

Message withdrawn