Page 8 | Really shaken up. Did I do anything wrong here?

Sparks46th · 10/05/2021 12:06

This whole thread makes me think I don't belong in this country. Why is it inconsiderate to park your car in a legal parking spot? If it's not you it will be someone else, and you don't park overnight, and the home owner doesn't even need the parking. totally mental.

Without having seen the picture of the road, the set up, etc, etc, I'm not able to make a judgement, but not everything is about about whether something is legal. We do live in a society where we have unspoken rules and bonds.

The entire point of AIBU is about whether something is reasonable.

It's perfectly legal to walk down a pavement four abreast and not move for other people. It's legal to have a child free wedding or to serve vegetarian food to meat eaters, etc.

SunshineCake · 10/05/2021 12:07

Let us know how your car is.

It might not be taking the piss but there is a lack of consideration when people park opposite your drive. We have it every day and it makes getting on and off more tricky than it needs to be. Made more annoying when they could park two to three metres away but that means more walking.

Don't be "sugary sweet" though . Don't reward rude behaviour.

EversoDelighted · 10/05/2021 12:07

I agree that it's not illegal but it is inconsiderate, it might make it harder for vehicles to get on and off her drive, hard for her to have deliveries during the day etc, if I were you I'd mix it up a bit and park in different places on different days, be a bit more aware of the impact of your actions.

Ginuwine · 10/05/2021 12:07

@savvy7

It might be legal but it's highly annoying and I don't blame the woman for getting annoyed. She has to live there and it's probably making her life a misery every time you rock up and park there MOST of the day five days a week. Park more considerately.

YABU

Ok question for you @savvy7

Would you, @savvy7 , physically add on 10 mins to your commute and find alternative parking every morning, just to ensure someone who doesn't own a space outside their road, is spared the "annoyance" of seeing the same car outside their house every day (oh the horror).

Would you actually do this?

A lot of people on AIBU write these things but I bet you in real life that if someone found a legal spot that worked for them, in the right place for their drop offs and onward commute; they wouldn't spend 10 extra minutes hunting for a less advantageous space just to please someone they don't know and who has no legal entitlement to their frustration.

YABU.

wingsnthat · 10/05/2021 12:07

Also are you blocking the pavement or road in any way? Ie could wheelchair users still get past your car safely on the pavement?

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe · 10/05/2021 12:08

I'd ignore anybody that says 'Technically' to bolster nonsense statements. Ditto the posters telling you that you're 'taking the piss'; you can legally park there.

Take photos of your car. Park there. Tell her that you'll report any threats to the police.

wingsnthat · 10/05/2021 12:09

Also if your car is damaged, call the police to report criminal damage

You’ll also want to take photos every time you leave your car to prove the condition

Doris86 · 10/05/2021 12:09

@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.

Why should someone parked perfectly legally and not causing an obstruction need to find somewhere else to park?

I live near a school and always have parents parking outside my house. Doesn’t bother me in the slightest.

LWOTT · 10/05/2021 12:10

How can cutting grass cause damage to a cat? I’d have said if she damages the car I’ll class it as a case of criminal damage.

Isabella70 · 10/05/2021 12:10

@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.

Whether or not she is being reasonable, the 'public road' argument isn't valid - many years ago I was made to move a car after someone complained and was told by the police that no-one has any right to park on a public road.

And from the other side we had a neighbour who used to park his van directly outside our window both blocking light and view and I had no hesitation in asking hime to park outside his own window.

Original poster

seventymodules · 10/05/2021 12:10

There is no pavement outside her house her drive way is directly onto the road, same with her patch of grass, where the grass stops the road begins, there is no pavement and it's a wide, quiet road. Also her drive is raised on a hill so would have no problem seeing past my car.

OP posts:

Roboticcarrot · 10/05/2021 12:10

Of course you can park there, it probably does make visibility when coming out of the drive harder which is annoying. She wasn't unreasonable to say something (although of course she shouldn't have been threatening), but also not unreasonable to keep parking there if there isn't anywhere else to park. We had this for ages, we applied for an extension to our dropped kerb and made the whole front garden a drive in the end.

MiddleParking · 10/05/2021 12:10

How can cutting grass cause damage to a cat?

Are you sure you want to know?

Ladydayblues1 · 10/05/2021 12:11

All these 'the UK is funny about parking' posts make me chuckle. I've lived in countries where you'd come back and find all 4 wheels missing and the car up on jacks as a result of annoying parking

I'd say this was pretty mild in comparison.

Crocidura · 10/05/2021 12:11

You get an uninterrupted view of car, all day and every day.

AndreaMarteau · 10/05/2021 12:11

Pretensions of grandeur doesn't even come into it - they have aspirations to live just off a dedicated private access road, with fields around them. Instead they live in a community and can't deal with the fact other people also live and work there

Absolute bollocks. Have you considered that a lot of people can't afford a house with a drive? And a lot people who can't, who live on a terraced street full of two up, two downs would sometimes like to be able to park outside or at least near their house? That they may be disabled or single parents with small kids who don't want to lug their shopping from 3 streets away because someone who has a drive at home doesn't want to pay for parking? How entitled of them, eh? It's weird that consideration and community only go one way when it comes to parking.

(This isn't about the OP btw, but it happens on every on street parking thread. 'The answer to all this is to buy a detached house with a drive that fits 10 cars on if it's a problem')

KFleming · 10/05/2021 12:12

Why would people be annoyed by this? I’m not sure I’d notice, let alone care.
However, for the sake of peace I wouldn’t park there again.
I once had lipstick scrawled across my windscreen “don’t park here” when I returned to my car. I wasn’t even outside a house, I was on a stretch of road that was residential in other places, but where I was just had pavement, then a wall and then a field the other side. People are weird about parking.

MuddySocks · 10/05/2021 12:13

It would piss me
Off to be honest if you
Parked outside my house everyday

AllTheUsernamesAreAlreadyTaken · 10/05/2021 12:13

You’ve done nothing wrong. She needs to get a life and stop worrying about who is parking where on the street.

OldEvilOwl · 10/05/2021 12:13

I would get dash cams and ignore her. Also I cant believe someone suggested you go round with wine and chocolates when she's threatened to damage your car!

Anjo2011 · 10/05/2021 12:13

Legally you did nothing wrong, but as a homeowner with similar issues it does grate somewhat. Although mine is more people parking opposite my driveway but not allowing me any ‘swing’ room to get in or out. I wouldn’t dream of damaging or even insinuating that I might damage someone’s car. She might not like you parking there but as long as your car is taxed and insured there’s nothing she can do. Can she cut her grass or is your car in the way? Is there another area nearby that you could leave it so that your car is safe and you don’t feel under attack for parking there? If there is I would go with that option for a quiet life. I honestly don’t think people in general park to piss people off, they just don’t look around them and see what obstruction they may be causing.

LWOTT · 10/05/2021 12:13

Everyone pays their taxes towards road maintenance so tough shit. People can park where they want.

Ginuwine · 10/05/2021 12:14

@AndreaMarteau

Pretensions of grandeur doesn't even come into it - they have aspirations to live just off a dedicated private access road, with fields around them. Instead they live in a community and can't deal with the fact other people also live and work there

Absolute bollocks. Have you considered that a lot of people can't afford a house with a drive? And a lot people who can't, who live on a terraced street full of two up, two downs would sometimes like to be able to park outside or at least near their house? That they may be disabled or single parents with small kids who don't want to lug their shopping from 3 streets away because someone who has a drive at home doesn't want to pay for parking? How entitled of them, eh? It's weird that consideration and community only go one way when it comes to parking.

(This isn't about the OP btw, but it happens on every on street parking thread. 'The answer to all this is to buy a detached house with a drive that fits 10 cars on if it's a problem')

I'm sure lots of those people you named would like those things. And in the case of the disabled there are actually legal ways of getting them by applying for a space.

But all your comments are based on an entitlement regarding cars. That somehow our personal car needs should translate to the patch of public road outside our door.

Only those with proper dedicated off street parking (numbered bay or drive), or a disabled bay, can guarantee the exact parking spot every day.

The rest of us just have to share. Permits, or unallocated madness..it's the same thing.

You don't get to dictate about who parks outside your house if you don't own that space.

Miasicarisatia · 10/05/2021 12:15

Cars are getting bigger and bigger and yet we have fewer and fewer places to park them 👀
Something will have to give.....

TurquoiseDragon · 10/05/2021 12:16

@PattyPan

Are you too cheap to get a house with a drive?

Has it occurred to you that some people literally cannot afford a house with a drive or live in areas where none of the houses have drives?

Then you suck up the fact that you don't own that space in front of your house.

I lived on a terraced street for 17 years. I rarely was able to park outside my house, and quite often ended up parked quite a distance away.

Because that's the deal with terraced houses, and you suck it up.

On the plus side, I'm pretty good at parallel parking now, from either side.

I'd only get cross with bad parking, as the street was also on the bus route, so we could only park on one side for half the street.