Really shaken up. Did I do anything wrong here?

[seventymodules]

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.

[seventymodules]

@Frazzle76 I definitely will not be doing that.

[GabsAlot]

Next time she says anyting say youve got a dash cam so any damage will be recorded and if she has a problem to call the policeme

[Doris86]

@Michaelangelo467

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

I think the one taking the piss is the householder trying to claim ownership of the public road.

[ForwardRanger]

Fucksake all you people saying this would wind you up. Deal with your controlling impulses rather than try to order strangers around using made up rules.

[Sparks46th]

I think this a question of whether something is legal, and whether something is the right thing to do.

[angelaEhen]

For an easy life don't park it in the same spot everyday, I'm sure there are other spots on the same street.

[Egghead81]

@BrumBoo

People use my street as all day free parking, and it's rude, inconsiderate, twatty behaviour even if it's not illegal. However, it's extra irritating as hardly anyone has a private drive on our street, so yes I do get angry seeing the same car parked outside my house just because I had to leave to do the school run. At least mix it up a bit, go make someone else's day a bit more difficult for once.....

Why is it rude and twattish?

If not blocking driveways
If not contravening any parking restrictions
And not parking badly

What are they doing wrong?

[Egghead81]

@Sparks46th

I think this a question of whether something is legal, and whether something is the right thing to do.

Oh come on!
This is about parking

[Malvoglia]

This is one of those threads where I realise I don't understand other people at all. All these people saying that parking in the public street outside your house is rude twatty inconsiderate taking the piss etc etc, just seems totally insane to me. She's got a drive! And if you move somewhere without parking you know you've got no parking surely? If you don't want your eyes to be offended by the sight of a car you don't personally own then you need to move to the country. Fully deranged to live in a city or town and genuinely believe that other people are doing something wrong by doing this. And I mean if she does have some genuine reason why the OPs car in her eyeline is such a massive problem, why wouldn't she just explain that and ask nicely if she was a reasonable human being? Instead of threatening to damage the OPs car, I mean come on, is she 5?

[Miasicarisatia]

Surely what you should do is have another conversation with her about it where you draw her into making threats but I'll secretly recording her then you leave your car there everyday with the DashCam running

[MiddleParking]

@Sparks46th

I think this a question of whether something is legal, and whether something is the right thing to do.

Yeah and what OP’s doing is both. The alternative would be to pass control of spaces outside/near homeowners’ properties to them just because they want it, which would have pretty dreadful consequences for everyone involved except conveyancing solicitors.

[heidipi]

People are so weird. We live round the corner from quite a big dentist surgery (with a teeny car park) and a row of shops. People who work there park outside our houses and leave them there all day. If they didn't someone else would! I genuinely cannot see how what the OP is doing is cheeky, piss-taking, annoying etc etc.
Does this woman think that if you don't park there it will be left blissfully clear for her to set up a deckchair, BBQ and drinks trolley and watch the world go by? She can go ahead and ask her council to put double yellow lines on her road but that won't be too convenient when she has a delivery or a vehicle either. Absolute lunacy what people get worked up about.

[summersolstice43]

Whats wrong with leaving your car at your own house so you can get picked up from there by your colleague? Surely if you are in the catchment area for the school you could walk home when you've picked the DC up

[BrumBoo]

What are they doing wrong?

In my case, they're taking away from residents who need the space more. You park on a residential street all day, you are possibly taking away from someone who lives there. Especially when there is available parking at the people's place of work, they're just too cheap to pay for it yet they know they're off for a 12 odd hour shift.

[username45231]

Annoying for her but unreasonably. She is likely in the bridegroom of people that pop cones and bins out in the street to preserve a place for them to park.

If you pay your road tax then park away and as others have suggested, take pictures of their car.

This was always rife when I lived near London but if people choose to park near a tube station with no parking restrictions, then it's always going to happen!

[ComDummings]

@Malvoglia

This is one of those threads where I realise I don't understand other people at all. All these people saying that parking in the public street outside your house is rude twatty inconsiderate taking the piss etc etc, just seems totally insane to me. She's got a drive! And if you move somewhere without parking you know you've got no parking surely? If you don't want your eyes to be offended by the sight of a car you don't personally own then you need to move to the country. Fully deranged to live in a city or town and genuinely believe that other people are doing something wrong by doing this. And I mean if she does have some genuine reason why the OPs car in her eyeline is such a massive problem, why wouldn't she just explain that and ask nicely if she was a reasonable human being? Instead of threatening to damage the OPs car, I mean come on, is she 5?

Totally agree^

[Devlesko]

YABU.
People do it outside ours, then wonder why their car gets keyed, it's taking the piss.
When you don't live in the street yourself and you've dropped your kids off.
It must spoil her view and stop visitors parking.
Height of selfishness. Find a car park.

[HowsYourHeadHun]

Ngl that would also piss me off.

[MiddleParking]

@BrumBoo

What are they doing wrong?

In my case, they're taking away from residents who need the space more. You park on a residential street all day, you are possibly taking away from someone who lives there. Especially when there is available parking at the people's place of work, they're just too cheap to pay for it yet they know they're off for a 12 odd hour shift.

Who says residents need the space more?

[Egghead81]

@Malvoglia

This is one of those threads where I realise I don't understand other people at all. All these people saying that parking in the public street outside your house is rude twatty inconsiderate taking the piss etc etc, just seems totally insane to me. She's got a drive! And if you move somewhere without parking you know you've got no parking surely? If you don't want your eyes to be offended by the sight of a car you don't personally own then you need to move to the country. Fully deranged to live in a city or town and genuinely believe that other people are doing something wrong by doing this. And I mean if she does have some genuine reason why the OPs car in her eyeline is such a massive problem, why wouldn't she just explain that and ask nicely if she was a reasonable human being? Instead of threatening to damage the OPs car, I mean come on, is she 5?

Also alien to me.
I suppose it’s the difference between people who go through life looking to be pissed off and angry. Whether it’s about about sun beds on holiday; queue jumpers; not following covid guidelines to the letter or... parking.

And the likes of us. Who either don’t notice, don’t care, or simply shrug and think... forget about it.

I know I’m a heck of a lot happier for being in the latter camp!

[MrsJuliaGulia]

As others have said, legally you’re doing nothing wrong at all. And she has a 4 car drive. And her threatening to damage your car is so out of order.
However, irrationally or otherwise it would bug the hell out of me too. I’d have the absolute rage and would move my car to the road every morning for an hour to ensure you couldn’t park there. Petty yes.
Can you not just mix it up a bit? Park elsewhere occasionally?

[shrewsigh]

If this is a street with cars constantly parked along it all day, like a city centre terraced street, it might not be so bad, but it sounds like this is a suburban area where all the other cars go away after the school run and yours stays and its really noticeable. It is a bit odd to choose the same house every day for years and I can see why, after two years, it is annoying her.

Just do what everyone else would do and mix it up a bit and park your car in different places.

[Malvoglia]

But the residents didn't buy the street. It's like going to your local park and being outraged by someone else's children using the equipment.

[Thatisnotwhatisaid]

I think I’d be annoyed if someone parked directly in front of my house all day every weekday for months, yes. Find somewhere else to park or take your car to work.

[MiddleParking]

Spoil her view 😂 it’s a parking space. How nice can it be? And it’s not like OP parks there or no one does. The view is pretty much always going to be of one car or another.