Aibu for removing tyre caps (PARKING THREAD!)

[JackieakaBritney]

Background, live in converted 3 flat house for 6 years odd, we are attic flat.

Been here since 2015, bought car 2017, previous neighbour had a defunct car on drive which he moved when he moved out late 2017

Since then I've parked my car on drive at least overnights, during day (pre Covid) was parked at my work, insurance detailed the same.

However since beginning of 2020 we have had two different neighbours move in on the middle floor flat and ground floor flat. Neither of the houses moved in with an existing car

Since the two flats have moved in, there has been an constant influx of visitors (particularly during lockdown) but also pretty much every weekend and these visitors decide to block me in, over a dropped curb. It's not the
Same car each time, it's a rotation of 4 or 5 different ones?

I ignored it to the best of my ability during lockdown as we weren't supposed to really go anywhere but then why is ok for them to block my car in?

Then when restrictions eased my husband put a note on one of the cars saying "illegal to park on dropped curb/driveway. Park somewhere else." This was ignored
The next time a car blocked me in by a visitors there was a note saying.

"If I've blocked you in call...."

Tonight I've come home and I'm blocked in again. Tbh I've kinda lost my rag and taken off two of the tyre aircaps. Aibu??

I am sick to death of worrying about asking neighbours To move their visitors cars during the last year especially when I might need it in an emergency etc and they have been asked for their friends/visotors not block me in previously?

Taking the dust caps was silly but I'm genuinely surprised by how many people think the OP. Is in the wrong for parking in the drive where she lives and telling her to park in the street, when on any other thread about someone legally parking outside someone else's house is net with lots of "this would annoy me too, you shouldn't park there" or posters admitting to working with other neighbours to stop other neighbours being able to park cheap cars or white vans because they don't want to look at them. I've seen problem suggest criminal damage when a car had blocked someone in just once.

The contrast to the replies OP is getting, and I'm not just meaning about the dust caps (which was daft), but about her using the drive in general, when she's being full on blocked in regularly and some posters are defending the people blocking her in. It's a dickhead move to block someone in like that, even if the guests do feel that residents of where they are visiting should leave their drive empty in case visitors want to use it. OP did say if someone was parked in it she'd just park on the street.

Is it because it's a block of flats and not a naice house in a naive suburb.

If it were the other way round and OP blocked the resident in regularly when visiting and she posted to say someone had left a note asking her to stop blocking them in and she continued to do so and was then annoyed her dust caps had been stolen, I really doubt that people would be saying they can understand why she's blocking the residents in when she's visiting and the person being blocked in is a dickhead for not leaving it empty for visitors

Our car just passed it's MOT with no dust caps so I'm not sure why some posters are making out like she's made the car a death trap. If cars were lethal without then then it would have failed the MOT.

YANBU. Of course people shouldn't block someone in and park in front of a drop kerb. Basic.

And for those saying you are potentially killing people by taking off the tyre pressure caps, you should see how many are left by the tyre pressure machine in the garage. I think everyone is probably driving around with at least one missing and their tyres are not exploding all over the place.

I'm not sure where all these posters live in the UK that are so paranoid about dust caps - anywhere I've been over the last few years has appalling potholes - ten times more dangerous than dust caps.
Anyway I'd stick a tack under their tyre. Give them a puncture.

What I would do is hog that parking space across the drive. Then you can't get blocked in and no other buggar can get the nice drive space.

Depending on the layout of the property, is it possible to have a notice made which says

DRIVEWAY IN CONSTANT USE. PLEASE DO NOT BLOCK.

Lots of people have notices like this on fences or garage doors, but as yours is a shared house, it's probably not easy to put a notice up.

@crowsfeet57

I would bet 99% of people on here saying it’s okay, would not accept their own driveway access being blocked

This!

It’s not her driveway though.

Loving the continued digs at the OP

"It's not your driveway though":

No it's not "hers". But that's irrelevant - feels like just a dig. it's clear the driveway is communal and therefore an agreement has to be worked out. If OP is the only car owner and uses it, she could come to an agreement that if others have visitors coming, she parks elsewhere so they have benefit of the communal parts of the property. But that would involve discussions and reasonableness from both sides. We can but hope.

"but as yours is a shared house, it's probably not easy to put a notice up."

Haha another dig!

How is it "not easy" to put it up if it benefits all? You go and speak to others, get their assent, you then put up a sign...

Why do people post this nonsense when it's obvious that actually a substantial portion of people responding to the thread don't think she's BU?

Because she's called people that are disagreeing her huns?

Because she's aggressive?

Because you referred to her as female, which seems to be ok, someone else did and was told not to assume?

Because her husband posted a rude note on the car?

Because two other in her block, unrelated are blocking her in (note never off the drive, so how often does she actually use this car? She comes home and it's blocked in? Doesn't use it for work then! Does she use it once a week and just jog the drive?) why are they doing that? Are they retaliating against her?

How is pointing out it’s not her driveway a “dig”? It’s a fact.

@SadieCow, none of that changes the fact that it is simply untrue to suggest that every response on this thread disagrees with OP.

It doesn't matter whose fecking driveway it is though - you just don't park strangers in!

This thread makes me very glad my neighbours are nice. Three small terraced houses, five cars, no off-road parking and yet we all manage to park in such a way that we can easily get in and out.

Only one of the cars is mine, before anyone starts on some 'why do you live somewhere without off-road parking, you peasant'. And the answer is, because it's expensive enough already, thanks.

Nobody's saying she has to park on the street because she's wrong to park on the drive.
Plenty of people are saying she should park on the street because then you cannot get blocked in. I just find it weird that people are repsonding "why should she!!! It is her right to park on the drive"
Of course it is. But it's not working, is it.
It's called pragmatism.

YANBU to be annoyed at being blocked in.
YABVU to steal the valve caps.

Put a couple of cones out. They are dicks for parking like that.