Do you rush out to move your car as soon as "your" space is free?

[catlady321]

I live in a street that is a mix of semi's and terraced. Some have drives and some do not. I've noticed how obsessed people are with moving their cars constantly.

There's two particular ladies, who will watch the street if someone is parked in "their" space and run out the second the other car moves to move their car, even at midnight - and have even been known to knock on doors and tell people to move.

Now I'm not talking about a street that is rammed and they are half a mile away, we are talking a matter of a house or two.

We've had new neighbours move in and there is a constant bitching session outside about "who do they think they are, they've been here two minutes and think they can park wherever they like!" Well, yeah, they can actually!

Are they bonkers or is it me?

I park my car in my garage, no one else in my neighbourhood has thought of this. There are cars everywhere.

Ha OMG this happens on our road. We have 3 "FREE" spaces opposite my house. Next door, they have 3 cars - 2 of which are shared between an old couple and the 3rd is their son's.

If one wants to go out, the other is literally ready - engine running to take the space. It drives me mad but I'm not really sure why?!

I'm more annoyed that they have 2 cars between them when they never use the cars at the same time!

No, because where I live, if I see the space outside my house is free then during the evening then in the less than five minutes it takes me to walk to my car and drive it to my house, the space will be taken again!

If I really need the space I'll get someone to watch it or place bins (but that's no guarantee!). I only do that if I'm planning on loading heavy stuff into the car though.

Sounds like my street.Sometimes I do rush out if someone has been parked in front of my house so I've then had to park in front of the neighbors house. I move so they have their space back. We live near a big tourist attraction and parking down our street isn't restricted so we often have trouble parking

I'd rather keep the space outside the window if possible as I can see the car and if anyone is messing about with it or hanging about. Horrible to have to be suspicious, but my parents' car was stolen when it was parked further along the street and there has been a spate of theft of catalytic converters recently. We have CCTV but I like to keep an eye on it when possible.

I wouldn't bother about someone else parking there, but I do move the car back into the space if I have the opportunity.

Wow. This is the best yet...

"You're going to have to build a drive. You can't keep taking everyone's space like this."

Really????

We're one of the only houses without a drive on our street (and also one of the only houses with one car) and will always move spaces if the one in front of our house if it becomes free. We hardly rush tho.

But do you go out and stalk the person who dares to park there?!

I remember many, many years ago driving an hour to visit a friend. I parked on the road in front of her neighbour's house. There was already a car parked outside her house. As I was fiddling with my bag her neighbour came out and told me to leave, as it was her space. I politely pointed out that it wasn't, this was a public road. She got very angry.

My friend came out and then was furious at me too for just not giving in. I've never forgotten that. But then I don't forget when people do not stand up for each other.

Our end of the street where I live are pretty easy going. Generally we can get parked outside our own house - it helps that our household and the neighbours on both sides all only have one car - but if anyone has a visitor or there’s something parked on the other side of the road that would make it too narrow to get through if we parked in our usual spot, we just park anywhere without any drama. Except! We have one batshit crazy woman along the other end who will leap out if she sees you parking outside her house. She always has an excuse why you shouldn’t. Unfortunately the only time to date that I parked there and she sprang out and asked me to move because, and I quote, “my husband will be home from the gym soon”, I took great pleasure in unfolding my folding walking stick in front of her and saying “then it sounds as though he’s better able to walk along the street than I am, so sorry, no”. It’s one of the very few times in my life I actually thought of the perfect retort at the time!

Haha sounds like this woman! I mean, telling someone they have to build a drive? What's that about!!

i'd hate to live somewhere like this. it would stress me out to not have parking and take up way too much of my brain space for sure but the competitiveness and ownership would drive me absolutely batshit. makes me very grateful for my house!

We have quite a few Zipcars in our area, but also plenty of parking spaces. If a Zipcar is parked in "his" space outside his house, my neighbour rents it, moves it one space over then parks his car in the space! This actually costs him money every time!

There was a trend some years ago for converting garages into extra living space. I thought it was bonkers then and I still do.

We have a mix of people who’ve created their own driveways or like us have a front garden.

I didn’t mind in particular until a huge red van which is an eyesore and above the house view line parked in front of us. Everyone doesn’t want that van so people tend to claim their spot.

I do as I'm in a town house and we have no drive at the front, if someone gets the space directly outside mine fair enough but I do try to get it back when I can as have a baby and toddler so it makes it much easier unloading and loading the car when it's close, if someone's taken 'my' spot I won't take any of the neighbours regular spots so I end up further away

The only reason I move my car when I see 'my' space has become available is because I worry my neighbour will be moaning about me being parked in 'their' space. I know I shouldn't worry but I do. But I definitely wouldn't rush out at midnight to do it. Only if I notice and it is still early.

Inly if I've parked in the turning circle, which is rare.

Out street is chock-a-block at the other end with cars parked all along our side and on the pavement on the other (we are all quite happy with pavement parking by the way as we have footpaths by our houses/flays and no one walks on the pavement) but our end is usually OK. We have small car park for 6, maybe 7 at a push, cars where I usually park but just occasionally if someone is having work done and have a few vans round say, or at Christmas when there are a lot of visitors I end up in the turning circle. There's still room for a car to turn easily but not the bin lorry or a large delivery truck. Plus I'm paranoid about someone hitting my car (the only time I ever had to claim insurance was when a Scottish Gas van hit my car in the car park) so I move it as soon as a space becomes free.

I'm quite lucky and 'my' space is usually free. We have a layby that runs along the side of the road for us to park in but obviously anyone can park there. We have a driveway but my husbands car goes there. I dont mind if someone is in my space as I just park over the drive then my DH moves it before he goes to work in the morning. I only park over the drive when theres no room elsewhere in the layby...

But a few months ago I parked in a neighbours 'space' even though they park outside my house frequently. Them and their next door neighbour completely blocked my car in, took about 5minutes to manoeuvre out it was just ridiculous and completely unnecessary!

We're having our whole front block paved in the new year and I can't wait!

I will often rush out and move my car to a better space as I am usually on call in the evening and having a space outside my house means saving 3 minutes that I would have spent running down the street to my car.

You could run down the entire length of our street in less than a minute so there's really no need for that here!

I’m not aware of this happening in our road but I might just be missing it. It’s great when there is s space outside the house though.

My friends road, it’s s nightmare of seething resentment, moving cars,blocking drives and passive aggressive 1,5 space parking.

I pity the people who have so little in their lives that this charade is what entertains them.

Park you car. Leave it. Get a life.

We have an area for parking by the terrace where I live. The previous occupants of one of the houses was disabled and had the council mark out a disabled bay. They moved out years ago and the new occupants of the house claim that space as their own, they are not disabled. The space was painted so long ago that you can’t even tell it’s a disabled space any more. If you park in ‘their’ space they’ll knock on your door.
Also there’s a couple who have ‘their’ spaces on the road outside their house and will come round if you dare to park in them.
It really really annoys me, entitled twats

DH wanted to catch a taxi and leave the car in situ for the weekend just to wind him up

A man after my own heart! Couldn't you go away for a couple of weeks?