Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Really shaken up. Did I do anything wrong here?

1000 replies

seventymodules · 10/05/2021 10:24

For past two years I have done the school run, I park on a street near the school. There is a detached house with a driveway and a patch of grass next to the driveway. I park in front of the patch of grass, not blocking the driveway whatsoever.

Once I drop my child at school I get collected by my workmate (we are cleaners so have company car) and then work till 3 until I have to return for school run and car.

This morning as I was getting out of the car the lady in the house came charging out, she said 'can you stop parking your car in front of my house?' I said 'it's a public road' and she said 'you park out here 5 days a week, if you refuse to move it I should make you aware that I will be cutting my grass today and any damage to your car is not my responsibility' said with a sarcastic smile on her face, she then walked back into the house shaking her head.

I've left the car but worried now she is going to damage it.

Am I being unreasonable parking it there? It's a public road and not on her property at all.

OP posts:
Thiscantreallybehappening · 10/05/2021 13:53

It might be legal but you’re taking the piss.

This exactly. It must be really annoying for the lady for you to do this 5 days a week. What if she has visitors, deliveries, work being done on her house. Where are they to park. If you were doing it occasionally, then I don't see a problem but everyday is too much.

After all, her house isn't a drop off and pick up area for your work. Why can't you vary where you park so you are not in the same place every day.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 10/05/2021 13:53

It’s the everyday for five years, all day, element that would be annoying. It’s almost like someone has built a permanent structure there.

unwuthering · 10/05/2021 13:54

So why doesn’t she say so instead of being aggressive and threatening to damage OP’s car?

She's probably a MNetter, one of those plethora of people who couldn't possible say anything... and then after two years of holding it in, and after a difficult year like the last one, she just blew.

bookworm20 · 10/05/2021 13:54

It is legal, of course. But 2 years parking outside someone elses house in the same place 5 days a week when you don't live there is seriously taking the piss.

I have people park outside my house when dropping kids to school, no issue at all with that, because I understand they need somewhere to park in order to do this. But you're not doing that. You are parking outside someones house Every. Single. Day.

She has had to look at your car parked right outside her house every day, for the last 2 years. Perhaps she wanted to live on a street where everyone had a driveway so there wasn't the eyesore of cars parked everywhere all day long and especially across her front garden every day.

If you can't see how this is taking the piss then there is no helping you really. The woman probably got to the end of her tether with you.

Seriously, park your car at your own house and get picked up from there.

Regularsizedrudy · 10/05/2021 13:55

Youre not in the wrong but it would piss me off seeing the same car outside my house all day 5 days a week. If it was me I’d rotate where I parked to give her a break.

menopause59 · 10/05/2021 13:55

Also its 6 hours not a whole day, she's being ridiculous

heidipi · 10/05/2021 13:55

What makes it not ok to part on residential streets that don't have parking restrictions? Genuinely baffled. I had no idea people got upset about whether the same car or a series of different cars parked legally on their road.

Also if you have a drive for 4 cars, how could that possibly not be enough and require the road to be kept free for you as well, just in case of a series of hypothetical occurrences, when lots of houses don't have any parking at all and people seem to manage?

And why should the OP go out of her way to make her day longer and less convenient, when she is parking legally, in a place where if she doesn't park, someone else likely will? For all she knew, she was parking outside the house of someone who never noticed or cared. Totally totally bonkers.

Cameleongirl · 10/05/2021 13:55

I haven't read all the responses, but are you 100% sure that the patch of grass doesn't belong to her? She described it as "her grass." If it's definitely public property, fine, but if it's actually part of her property, she has a point.

Ginuwine · 10/05/2021 13:56

No one, I mean no one, has answered the real question.

How much time in someone's morning would it take to "switch it up a bit" - ?

Would people who are telling OP to "switch it up, gladly and willingly add 10 minutes to their day to go find a space just to help the person they don't know, who just threatened their car with keying?

Really? You would all do this, when it's raining, etc?

Are there a myriad of parking space options on that road? Or is the person with four parking spaces on their drive the one with space outside their house because.. they have provision for four cars??

I just don't see how posters who give this advice to the OP would ever live by this advice themselves.s

UrAWizHarry · 10/05/2021 13:56

Legally you are doing nothing wrong, but to basically park outside someone's house all day every day for 2 years is a bit of a dick move. There must be somewhere else nearby you you can leave your car.

Thiscantreallybehappening · 10/05/2021 13:56

May I add she has a four car drive way also

That is totally irrelevant OP, and doesn't justify you parking outside her house 5 days a week. Just vary where you are parking. Yes, imo you are being very unreasonable.

MrsArchchancellorRidcully · 10/05/2021 13:57

Legally you are in the right. Morally, the house owner is right. Would it kill you to park it elsewhere and rotate places etc? My DH has a trainer and it's very difficult to get it off our drive with cars parked by driveway. He knows it's not his space but he needs the swinging space.

MrsArchchancellorRidcully · 10/05/2021 13:57

Trailer not trainer!

SoupDragon · 10/05/2021 13:57

No where in the OP's posts states that the person has four or more cars.

Nowhere does it say that they don't 🤷🏻‍♀️

Why do folk do this on Mumsnet and introduce random "whatabouttery" arguments to discredit someone's view?

There is no "whatabouttery" at all. Why do people make this random stuff up to discredit someone's view ?

Clymene · 10/05/2021 13:58

I would park your car somewhere else.

Years ago, I got a note asking me not to park outside someone's house. I ignored it and my car got keyed. I spoke to the police and they said that there was no evidence it was the resident who left the note who had done it so advised me to park somewhere else.

I can't believe it hasn't occurred to you that it might be annoying parking outside someone's house every day for two years!

emilyfrost · 10/05/2021 13:58

Get a dashcam and let her know you have it.

Ginuwine · 10/05/2021 13:58

@Thiscantreallybehappening

May I add she has a four car drive way also

That is totally irrelevant OP, and doesn't justify you parking outside her house 5 days a week. Just vary where you are parking. Yes, imo you are being very unreasonable.

The road is near a school. Doesn't take a genius to infer here that parking might not be numerous - OP hasn't said what the parking provision is around the school.

So you @Thiscantreallybehappening would add 10 mins to your day to find a space further out just to "vary it up a bit", so that someone else on the school run could benefit and do the same thing legally?

Ha.

Ginuwine · 10/05/2021 14:00

@SoupDragon

No where in the OP's posts states that the person has four or more cars.

Nowhere does it say that they don't 🤷🏻‍♀️

Why do folk do this on Mumsnet and introduce random "whatabouttery" arguments to discredit someone's view?

There is no "whatabouttery" at all. Why do people make this random stuff up to discredit someone's view ?

I'm not making anything up though? You posted about four cars - it's a projection - nowhere does it state if she hasn't or has four cars, therefore it's not up for debate and just is designed to make OP feel guilty about a parking situation that might be in actuality fine if the OP just used her driveway.

heidipi · 10/05/2021 14:00

@Regularsizedrudy

Youre not in the wrong but it would piss me off seeing the same car outside my house all day 5 days a week. If it was me I’d rotate where I parked to give her a break.
Grin Rotate it to give her a different car to look at sometimes?

Seriously, what is it about seeing the same car that is such a problem? And why would she be looking out of her front window all day 5 days a week?

(I'm too invested now but I might wait for the person who works at the dentists who parks outside our house a lot to come out of work later and give her some flowers and baked goods in case she has seen this thread.)

WallpaperLady · 10/05/2021 14:00

You've got every right to park there but I imagine it is causing the home owner some distress.

If your car is damaged I would report it as she's already said it isn't her issue but actually it is given she is going on to a public road. However it would be a he said/she said scenario unless you have proof.

Thiscantreallybehappening · 10/05/2021 14:00

People are so weird about parking. I see nothing wrong with what you're doing. Fine it irritates her but such is life. Where I live parking is a 'mare and people often park near my house (no driveway) and go to work in the high street. Yes it's irritating but are they doing anything wrong? No.

But is it the same car, 5 days a week for years?

NurseButtercup · 10/05/2021 14:00

@heidipi

What makes it not ok to part on residential streets that don't have parking restrictions? Genuinely baffled. I had no idea people got upset about whether the same car or a series of different cars parked legally on their road.

Also if you have a drive for 4 cars, how could that possibly not be enough and require the road to be kept free for you as well, just in case of a series of hypothetical occurrences, when lots of houses don't have any parking at all and people seem to manage?

And why should the OP go out of her way to make her day longer and less convenient, when she is parking legally, in a place where if she doesn't park, someone else likely will? For all she knew, she was parking outside the house of someone who never noticed or cared. Totally totally bonkers.

I agree!!

She's not blocking anybody and she's legally parked, so what's the issue??

All the people complaining about how it would bother them are weird.

unwuthering · 10/05/2021 14:01

Doesn't take a genius to infer here that parking might not be numerous

And yet, the OP has managed to park in the exact same spot daily for 2 years.

Pinkyavocado · 10/05/2021 14:01

I get where she’s coming from. I live near a school. We have a drop curb. Between us and the neighbour there is a bit of curb before their dropped curb starts. It’s not the length of a car so they go slightly over my dropped curb and slightly over the neighbours. Someone parks there every single day. I can get off my driveway but it’s difficult because If someone has parked opposite there’s only a tiny amount of room to manoeuvre the car off the driveway. You’re not wrong but it is bloody annoying. We’ve just applied to have that bit of curb dropped and it’s cost 1700.

NurseButtercup · 10/05/2021 14:01

@Thiscantreallybehappening

People are so weird about parking. I see nothing wrong with what you're doing. Fine it irritates her but such is life. Where I live parking is a 'mare and people often park near my house (no driveway) and go to work in the high street. Yes it's irritating but are they doing anything wrong? No.

But is it the same car, 5 days a week for years?

Why does it matter if it's the same car?? How is it actually affecting you?
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.