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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

You don't have a right to park outside your house!

274 replies

LendAnEar · 21/11/2019 08:19

Burgh! Why is it that people feel that they have some God given right to park outside their home and can demand where other people can/can't park?

I parked on the road yesterday afternoon, in front of another car, getting the perfect spot, just before the double yellows start. There was a bin on the road behind the other car, I assume to reserve a space Hmm. It's difficult to find a parking spot so I was happy I got a space.

As I get out of my car another car coming towards me slows with their window down. A woman proceeds to shout "Excuse me, you're not allowed to park there, you need to move. I'm expecting a delivery".

I was annoyed at the way she spoke to me, condecending and assuming because I look young, that I don't know where I can/can't park. I replied that I can park there as it's a public road and I'm not on the double yellows. Lady repeats that I can't park outside her house all day and that I need to move. She has a delivery coming. The house she's referring to has an empty drive!

I simply say tell the woman I'm parked legally and not moving before walking away. The thing is, if she had been polite from the start and not so entitled and asked nicely if I would move then I would have. I just hate that people think they have a right to tell other what they can or can't do Angry

Now I want to be REALLY petty and park there every time I'm in the area but then again now I'm worried something will 'accidentally happen to my car which isn't worth it 🤷🏼‍♀️

OP posts:
theunknownknown · 21/11/2019 12:22

We've had two cars damaged after parking legally outside someone's house (there were three suspects, never found out who it was). It did the trick, I never parked there again

Same here - some shit punctured one of my tyres for having the audacity to park outside his house on a wide-ish residential road with no driveways opposite my mil's house one November evening - it was pouring with rain and I had a toddler and small baby. Had to call my husband who came and changed the tyre. We knew who did it but had no proof. Cunt. We did nothing wrong at all.

00100001 · 21/11/2019 12:22

@Evilspiritgin
"My god there is loads of cheeky fuckers around, I wouldn’t park in a disabled bay nor would I move parking cones"

Even i you had a BB and there was nowhere else for you to park?

Even if someone was blocking the only space in public road with their cones?

tillytrotter1 · 21/11/2019 12:26

Our former neighbour's sons, who don't live there, would park outside their parents house every day but about half a metre from the kerb. It's quite a narrow road and the lovely man opposite aksed if they could park nearer the kerb as he had difficulty getting out of his drive. He then got a visit from the police, the neighbour had reported him for racial harrassment! Obviously it didn't go further, the police said that the neighbour was mad, but the report still stays on the system.

Pomley · 21/11/2019 12:36

@Icanflyhigh let's assume that everyone with a disabled space outside their house is putting it on then, because someone you used to live near abused it. Sounds really compassionate and progressive for the lack of empathy a lot of people already seem to have towards those with disabilities. Why not use your job role to get the space removed if you knew she was no longer entitled to it? Petty.

moita · 21/11/2019 12:39

YANBU. It's annoying when cars park outside our house (no drive) but I know they have the right and I would never get stroppy.

Treacletoots · 21/11/2019 12:42

We used to live on a very narrow cul-de-sac, where it was accepted that occasionally you would park behind a neighbour if need to, as we all knew each other and were friendly enough to knock on the door if you needed them to move.

What wasn't OK however was when the owner of the car blocking you in was the deaf guy, who obviously wouldn't hear you knocking on his door.... Shock but what can you do?

icantbecani · 21/11/2019 12:47

Overall yanbu but depends what her delivery was. We have had stuff delivered recently that came on a massive massive lorry and had to be offloaded with a giant crane thing. I used my car to make sure no one parked next to my drive as they wouldn't have been able to offload otherwise.

You seem a bit militant about your right to park there (and you do have a right) . She may have been getting stressed as she had a big delivery and wanted to make sure that it was going to be straightforward. I doubt she would have been running around like that if the amazon delivery driver could have just pulled in in front of her drive.

Sounds like you could have both been a bit nicer to each other.

Shinyletsbebadguys · 21/11/2019 12:51

These kind of people make me laugh which really annoys them. I would never block someone's driveway etc but if it's a legal parking space then sod em.

We have the permits covering three streets in our area. We live on a road where unless you get home before 3pm you have to use one of the other streets (which our parking permits entitle us to do ) . Added to that some git is currently taking a space with a skip hat we all hate with the fire of a thousand sun's but again he is entitled to do so. So this are a bit fraught.

We generally park on the next street to the great consternation of the gentleman who lives there.

He tried to be passive agressive to my partner, which didn't work bexcuse my partner just rolls his eyes , plus dp had dc2 with him who derailed the conversation to explain who James was in homes the tank engine.

Dp let him because as he pointed out its hard to be a passive aggressive Dick when a 4 year old is excitedly explain kg that James is red.

Then he tried it on me but was more aggressive less passive. ..sadly this also didn't work because I had had a bad day and frankly wasn't in the mood so I told him to ring the police if he liked and complain that I had dared to park legally and within the remit of my permit and see what happened.

So now he curtain twitches and glowers at us.

Ds2 waves back happily and often raises his hand to show him the train he usually has permanently attached to his hand.

Drives the man mad.Grin

SevenStones · 21/11/2019 13:03

When I first came across disabled spaces in residential areas I'd no idea they had been requested by local householders. I thought it was a new initiative by the council to help out disabled people generally (yeah, I know!). So I parked there when I had a disabled passenger. Now I know there's a disabled person in residence, I wouldn't dream of parking in one. Why make someone's life even more difficult than it already is when there was no expectation on my part that there would be a disabled bay there? I've not lost anything by finding another space, nor has my passenger - but the person who's requested the bay clearly will have done if it's occupied.

hopelesssuitcase · 21/11/2019 13:10

I would just have to sit blocking the road until the inconsiderate parker returned
I'm pretty sure that's not legal. Though I understand your annoyance, you should not block the road.

Dongdingdong · 21/11/2019 13:16

YANBU OP. People who get worked up over this clearly have nothing better to do!

Wejustdontknow · 21/11/2019 13:19

Due to the layout of houses on our street there are only 3 houses with driveways, we are lucky to be in one however there is more than enough parking as there is a car park for up to 8 cars and plenty of on street parking. One of my neighbours has to my knowledge now left notes on 2 windscreens telling them they don’t live on our street and to park their cars where they belong. I don’t know who it has s that does it and unfortunately haven’t seen the faces of the car owners when they read the notes but it does make me laugh that someone is so petty

spanglydangly · 21/11/2019 13:35

@Catandstuff22 why does your convenience trump mine......it doesn't it's whoever parks there first, that's the rules. 🤷‍♀️

Anyway you carry on thinking people are selfish to park in"your imaginary" space. It won't get you anywhere, but continue getting worked up about it.

Brimful · 21/11/2019 13:45

Years ago, I parked my motorbike safely and legally once, on a public road, visiting a friend. I stood around I took my helmet off and then a man came out from the nearest house telling me I couldn't park my bike there (he didn't give a reason).

I said it's parked safely, legally and is no obstruction and I was visiting a friend who lives on the street. He said he didn't care and if I didn't move it, he'd push my bike over. I believed him, and I didn't want to worry about it the entire time I was seeing my friend.

So I moved it. And nearly dropped the bike through panic/anger/stress.

There are so many bullies around, I wish I had more confidence to stand up for myself back then. I wouldn't move now.

Drum2018 · 21/11/2019 13:48

We had lots of people park outside our house growing up. There was a hotel nearby who could cater for about 300 at a wedding but had no carpark, so summer was mad with cars all over the surrounding streets. I remember one man asking mum if it was ok to park in front of the house and she said it was fine. He arrived back hours later with sweets as a thank you, even though it was a public road - nice of him Smile

busybarbara · 21/11/2019 13:49

Did you know that legally you can park on someone else's DRIVEWAY and there's nothing they can do about it? There was some stuff in the media about it recently.

But in terms of waving or making gestures to people who watch you park, try doing a "shhh" gesture with a single finger. Really winds them up.

Newbie1981 · 21/11/2019 13:51

What if it's blocking a drive, even if it's empty? Not goading, genuinely want opinions as people keep doing this to me and I'm not sure if they are dicks or not. I don't have a car but I have visitors who like to come and park on the drive but can't.

Brimful · 21/11/2019 13:52

What if it's blocking a drive, even if it's empty?

No one is legally allowed to park blocking a drive, empty or otherwise.

Brimful · 21/11/2019 13:53

Did you know that legally you can park on someone else's DRIVEWAY and there's nothing they can do about it?

I don't think that can be true. A driveway is private property, not public space.

AmICrazyorWhat2 · 21/11/2019 13:55

Genuine question - on a non-permitted street in the UK, are you legally allowed to leave a car in the same spot for days/ weeks at a time?

Where I live (American city), vehicles are supposed to be moved every 24 hours or they can be reported. No one on our street would report a neighbour's car, but we can report unknown vehicles if they're sitting there for days. Of course, it then takes the city several days to actually tow them. Grin

WhoKnewBeefStew · 21/11/2019 13:55

My neighbour is like this, she has a driveway that can fit 4 cars on, but because she's a shit parker (hit her car on the gatepost once), she now parks in front of her house. All ok, it's a public road. But, goes ballistic if someone parks in 'her' spot outside her house on the road Hmm drives me insane as she'll then tell me she NEEDS to park there as she's got bad legs - we'll park in your drive you dozy sod! It's a public road ffs

Howgreenwasmyvalley · 21/11/2019 14:06

AmIcrazy. You can leave your car for as long as you like, it doesn't matter.

AmICrazyorWhat2 · 21/11/2019 14:09

Thanks for the info. I have to admit that in a city where parking's fairly tight, that would drive me mad!

Probably not so much in a small town or village, although of course, some villages have major parking problems as well.

Yeahyeahyeahyeeeeah · 21/11/2019 14:11

Did you know that legally you can park on someone else's DRIVEWAY and there's nothing they can do about it?

I don't think that can be true. A driveway is private property, not public space

It's true apparently. More that there is no law against it, rather than it being legal IYSWIM. Who knew?!

Frenchw1fe · 21/11/2019 14:12

@Brimful
An 80 year old neighbour of mine had a driveway, no car. A cf mother decided to pull her car on the driveway regularly for school pick up.
Luckily another neighbour was a police officer and stood at the end of the drive one day waiting for her return and gave her a 'talk.'
The thing is my neighbour was a really kind lady and if the cf had asked her she would definitely have let her park on the drive.