To think if you don't have a dropped kerb you should accept that you can't always park outside your house

[Sayhellotothethings]

That's it really.

I know a lot of people that have started huge parking wars with their neighbours because they feel they should be able to park outside their home, but don't have a dropped kerb.

To the point where they have stopped being friends with neighbours. One family I know sit at their window all day waiting for space to move their cars, and have blocked people in on purpose.

AIBU to think if you don't have a dropped kerb you should kind of just get over it? Unless you have exceptional circumstances which mean you kind of need to be directly outside, in which case chat to the neighbours but still do not act like you are entitled to the space.

Careofpunts you're quite correct, there is no "right" to park on street. Highway Authorities tolerate it as long as it's not causing a problem. The perception that there is thus "right" is a major factor in why parking disputes happen!

People who park on street are effectively making a public space unusable for the rest if the public!

Sorry, I should’ve said roads are for travelling on, not just driving

Can’t believe everyone gets in such a tizz about parking!

My parents live in a permit only area and have a dropped kerb. They aren’t allowed to park outside their own house - no one is, because they have a dropped kerb, and it has double yellows over it so people know not to park there because if they did their driveway would be blocked. For the last three years since the permits came in they have been moaning about having to park on their own drive.

@BlouseAndSkirt I do agree.

But I think there should be a tax on dropped kerbs. To gain access to their drive people with dropped kerbs are essentially permanently making part of the public road unavailable for parking and other road users who have paid the same amount of tax to the DVLA

Nonsense. There is no such thing as car tax for a start. It’s Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) which is based on emissions and very little of that goes onto roads. It’s all put into a central Government pot (if it gets spent on roads it’s usually motorways).
Council Tax is what pays for the upkeep of roads.

In an ideal world no cars should park on the highway to enable the free flow of traffic but we all know that’s never going to happen. Those who have driveways are doing everyone else a service - they aren’t impeding traffic and are leaving the road clear for other people who need to park on the road.

But my dropped kerb and driveway are not quite one car length long, and we park both our cars on the driveway. If we have visitors we can fit another car on the drive. So it wouldn’t make sense to tax us for the dropped kerb when we actually create space on the road. Perhaps the extra tax should be on people that have more cars than occupants, or more cars than parking spaces? (Looking at neighbours who have 4 cars for a 3 bed semi house, and only put one on their drive despite having space for more)

YANBU. We have a dropped kerb. My car goes on the driveway and DP parks wherever there's a space on our road, sometimes far from our house. Our neighbours opposite don't have a dropped kerb or driveway and they own two massive vehicles one takes up at least two small car lengths which they park on the road directly outside their house, which is fair enough when there's space. But one time there was a space outside their house and DP parked there and the neighbour knocked on our door asking us to move because they wanted to park outside their house. DP moved as he didn't want to create any hostility. Yet on several occasions they've parked across our dropped kerb, either blocking my car in or preventing me from getting on the driveway when I get home. Only four more years until we have a deposit to move

I don't mind dropped curbs for driveways but there are a couple of houses nearby that are taking the mickey. They have had the curb dropped across the entire from of their house so now they have parking for 2 cars in front of the double garage and 2 cars in front of the house. They must have agreed it with the council but I still think it is cheeky to take 4 car spaces just because they are in front of your house.

I think the point that people are missing about dropped curbs is that even though a person is parking their car on their drive, noone else can park on that bit of road because it is an accessway to a drive. If there was no drive then anyone could park infront of any house. People with drives aren't doing road users a favour by parking on them, they are effectively making that piece of road unavailable for parking.

Sorry but I think it’s terribly rude generally to park in front of someone house in any circumstances! I just wouldn’t do it - dropped kerb or not.

Also if roads aren't for parking on where are people supposed to park the millions of cars currently in use in this country?

Really Sunshine? Do you live in a place where you can park in front of your own house? I cannot park my car within a few street some days which I accept as I live in a touristy area but noone really has the right to park in front of their house.

I know you don’t have the right but it’s just etiquette in my opinion. In my street I have a single driveway and we park our 2nd car in front of the house. All my neighbours are similar. If we have a visitor parking at mine and i arrive home later then I’ll park at the top of the street away from houses - I wouldn’t dream of parking in front of my neighbours house to inconvenience them with car seats and shopping etc

There’s about 30 houses in my street and no one does it at all! I see I’m minority tho but I don’t know anyone who does that.

If I go to another town etc i just wouldn’t entertain parking in a residential street. It’s just weird, I’d find a communal area, supermarket car park or similar. I wouldn’t even consider it

Wow you would hate it here then. We live in a beautiful victorian seaside town with a tourist attraction just across the road. Several neighbours have drives but many of us don't and mine and several houses are built behind the other houses in what used to be their gardens. We have a daily fight with the local shop workers who drop their cars at 9am and leave them there all day, the tourists and the shoppers. There is 2 hour parking on the street round the corner but most people prefer to leave their cars on the 'free' parking for an extra hour or so. I knew this when I moved here but like everywhere it has become worse in the last few years. It does not help that my new neighbour has moved in and has brought 6 cars with him, only 2 of which he actually moves. It seems amazing that anyone would consider not parking in front of someones house in this day and age.

I park over my own dropper kerb every night. I didn't realise I shouldn't? My car doesn't fit on the drive way and I can't afford to have it widened

That sounds a nightmare! I don’t think I could handle the stress! What if you have your weekly shop in the boot?!

Biancadelrioisback there is no reason why you shouldn't park over your own drive surely?

Sunshine yes it can be a nightmare but i chose to live here as it is so beautiful. I don't mind not being able to park outside my house or eeven on the same street but I do mind people taking the piss. My neighbour with his 6 cars, the local workers who park here knowing that they will be gone all day (they could park in a less crowded area and walk for 10 minutes, might even do them some good), and shoppers who park across 2 spaces because they can't be arsed to position their car up to the lines. Yes it all goes on around here. As for the shopping I have to lug it all from where ever I get a space. I have kind of worked out the best times to get a space but the council is gradually agreeing more and more planning permission for flats with no parking so it will get even worse. I'm hoping that we'll get a residents parking scheme soon as that might help somewhat.

I do agree.

But I think there should be a tax on dropped kerbs. To gain access to their drive people with dropped kerbs are essentially permanently making part of the public road unavailable for parking and other road users who have paid the same amount of tax to the DVLA.

To the poster above ^^

But for this privilege, residents with a dropped kerb pay upwards of £1000 (depending on square meterage of dropped kerb so can be £££ more) to provide said dropped kerb in front of their property to access their driveway. With that in mind, it could (and should) be argued that any 'taxes' have been paid in advance.

I agree with boom.
In areas where there's lots of tight parking it seems.to be more accepted that you don't own the road.

Meanwhile if I visit my relatives in quiet suburbia there are loads of curtain twitchers who get very uppity if anyone parks outside their house, when they have a garage and drive big enough for 2 cars. They're not actually using all their parking, but woe betide anyone who parks there. My relatives are becoming that type too though. Last time I visited they were almost overspilling with joy that me parking outside their house will prevent someone else doing it

When we moved house, parking was one of my top priorities. I ruled out any streets where parking was going to be an issue because I know people get funny about it.
I also wanted my visitors to be able to park with no hassle.

Yanbu, if it's on a public road, we all pay road tax! If it's that important to them they should have bought a house with a driveway big enough for all their cars, until then they'll have to share the roadside parking like everyone else on a first come first served basis.

If I can see that somebody has made their front into a 'drive' but not paid the £££s to drop the kerb I wouldn't park in front of it though.

What annoys me is those people who open up their front gardens, don't drop the kerb but moan when people park across their 'drive'.

No drop kerb no drive.

Yes I hate this. Is very common in some parts of London, where front gardens have been made in to driveways but the councils have obviously not allowed the whole street to become drooped curbs. So you're entitled to park there but feel guilty because you feel like you're blocking someone's drive.

Omg, WWIOOIWW, I know! What's up with that?! We got some new neighbours last year who insist on parking their two cars outside their house, although ours is one of those streets where you have to park on one side of the road, and their house is on the no-parking side. A fire engine recently couldn't get through, and couldn't reverse as we're on a sharp bend. It was 1am, and the crew had to get them out to move their cars. Doh.

Yeah I agree, generally. Not being able to park directly in front of your house isn’t the end of the world but as someone who lives within walking distance of a tube station and no permit parking (yet) it is annoying seeing brand new Mercs and BMWs pull up and park for 10+ hours a day because they don’t want to pay at the car park. Our street is considerably emptier and easier to park after 7pm, we’re basically a commuter car park, which can be annoying.