Neighbour double parking me

[Biancadelrioisback]

My side of the road is houses, opposite is flats. We all have drive ways and gardens, flats have gardens but no drive. Most of the people in the flats don't seem to have cars, or at least never park them outside, most of the houses do and park on their driveways. When we first bought the house we were very excited to have a driveway, having never had one before. We have a Focus so not a huge car but we're very surprised to discover that it didn't fit on the drive way. Entrance to drive is gated with two brick walls either side and actual drive way has large stones to separate garden from drive. We had to spend quite a lot of our saving on the house and so never had the money to spend on widening the driveway so we park on the street. The road is probably just three car widths wide. Neighbour across from us has regular visitors, probably about 3-4 different cars throughout the day and for some reason, they insist on double parking us. We generally park outside our house, but if they're there when we come home, we'll park further up or down the street to avoid double parking. They, however, will only park directly opposite our car. Tonight is a great example. There are no cars on the street other than ours so absolutely no need to park where they have. I'm starting to wonder if this is a PA way of trying to tell us to park on our drive (presuming they don't know we can't).
The reason it's a problem is other cars can barely fit through the gap, some refuse to even try and will lay on their horns to get one of us to shift. At first I did move but after a year I've gotten sick of it. They don't need to park where they are parking and we're there first, why do I still have to move? I know this sounds daft but it's doing my head in. I've tried speaking to the person who lives in the flat and she just barked at me that it's not her car so not her problem. I hardly ever see her guests coming or going to ask them to stop double parking but DH says it's quite cheeky but they aren't doing anything wrong. I know they can park where they like and no one owns the road, that isn't my problem. Like I say I have no problem parking elsewhere if they're there first.
So WWYD? And AIBU to be annoyed and refuse to shift my car from now on?

@PettyContractor was just being petty, it may not be quite the right phrase but it is obvious what was meant. Some people

BanjoStarz nope! I've just googled it and I am indeed wrong. Sorry everyone! I'll take a slap on the wrist for that.

Not sure I understand what double parking is. Anyhoo, knock down the pillars and wall to make the gateway to your drive big enough to park a bus.

OP, your definition of double parking is the same as mine, and it seems to be a common definition where I live (London). Have definitely heard it said by others.

Anyway, I like the pp’s idea of parking on their side of the road. If they then still park bang opposite on your side it makes it very obvious they are doing it deliberately. Then you can confront them.

Another option could be to get another neighbour to speak to them and explain how annoying it is, and how they could easily park elsewhere. They could say they had spoken to you about it, and you are unable to park on your drive, but already make sure not to double park if their car is there first.

But surely all they’re doing is parking outside their house like you are. It’s not their fault your car doesn’t fit on your drive. Just knock down the pillars and make good when you can afford to.

We have a 50s house. One day my husband got a hammer and chisel and removed the end 2 layers of brick. Not pretty but not awful and it made everything so much easier. Boulders next - know any rugby players?

It might be worth contacting the council - cos imagine if an ambulance or fire engine was trying to get past in an emergency.

If it's not actually your neighbour doing it, then I doubt it's a passive aggressive thing, just a stupid bastard thing.

When she says 'it's not my car' do you counter with 'do you know whose car it is?/whose car is it?' If not, do and you might get the name of the person you can confront about it. I don't know why people are beeping you though. Our road is 3 cars wide with cars parked either side. You drive down the middle and have about 1 inch either side of your wing mirrors (assuming parked cars have tucked mirrors in), but that's the narrow Victorian streets of my city for you! So many people do jot kjow how wide their car is. I refuse to people who sit and wait needlessly when there is plenty of room to get past. Learn the peripheraies (sp?) of your vehicle you cretins!

@Lllot5 the difference is, we don't park opposite them. If they're there first, we park further up or down. No matter where we park (when they're not there) they park opposite us.

Complain to the council and ask them to ban parking on the opposite side. It's easy to show a firetruck or ambulance wouldn't go through. When people are acting like idiots, you have to put strict rules. Not much else you can do unfortunately.

I know we need to sort the drive out, but we can't afford to. We don't have the money and have other priorities to sort out first.

What would happen if you were to park further down across your own driveway?
Agree they are being deliberately twatty & pa but just searching for helpful options.

Are her 3-4 visitors a day all men? 7 days a week?

Is she, ahem in demand?

Tell the neighbours your drive is not big enough to park on. Then save up and change the wall/stones so you can park on it. Who on earth put huge boulders on your drive?!

Your neighbour is parking across your drive, not double parking. They are probably cross that you’re ‘not using your drive’, but they are being an arse. What happens if someone needs an ambulance?

I’d also contact your council and ask them to survey the road with a view to putting double yellows on it to make it safer.

I do park across our drive sometimes, usually when trying not to park opposite them

And why don’t you park over your drive?

If I park over my drive before one of these cars come, they still park opposite me

So even if you arrive home and the car is not there and you park up the road a bit they still park opposite you? Then they are twats.
Not that you should have to park up the road if it’s clear btw.

@olivertwistwantsmore
They aren't parking over my drive.... They're on the other side of the road.
Did my diagram not work?
As I say, the old owners were quite fond of giant rocks...

@SayitBeit you beat me to it!

People do this on our road. Which is a bus route, and happens to be where the buses pass each other. So it's always fun when they arrive at he same point and neither can get past and also neither can turn around and then there's a bit of a dance while they move so that the cars stuck behind them can get through. They call the police who knock on doors and I presume call the owners of the cars.

I'd do what you can to move the stones on your driveway.

Lllot5 Yup! That's it. We generally park outside out house as you can fit two cars (on in front of the other) outside our house (same as the flats) but have parked outside the neighbours before to test my theory, but then my neighbour complained that I was blocking her light ...

... I know, I need to sort the sodding driveway out

*Are her 3-4 visitors a day all men? 7 days a week?

Is she, ahem in demand?*

Haha no, I don't think so at least! It's the same few people and the same few cars. No idea what they're doing

It is against the Highway Code to park opposite a parked vehicle if it causes an obstruction.

Print several copies of the section off and put them in the other car every time you’re inconvenienced, or ring 111/council and report them. Every time. They could prevent emergency services reaching their destination or trashing your car pushing through the ‘too small’ gap.

However, I’d get a sledge hammer to the brick posts and find some burley bloke to shift the rocks. It would have been a priority for me.

Start digging and uncover the big stones it'll take a while but you can do it yourself, no need to save up. Then take a sledge hammer to the pillar and widen the drive as much as you need. You can then save and make it pretty later on.
You don't need to pay people to do all these jobs, save your money and do as much as possible yourself. Dh learned so many home owner jobs on yourtube, he can now wallpaper, plaster, fix the radiators, lay turf, build a stone wall, etc etc.