Would you block her in?

[awaywiththefae]

I’m WFH and just taking my lunch so thought I’d also whip the bin out. As I do, a car crawls past and then reverses into our parking spot. (It’s our private spot and has our number sprayed in it as well as a sign saying ‘Private parking for number 30’) A woman gets out so I said “Excuse me, sorry you can’t park there” she looks and me and just wanders off up the street.

I mean, I get she might not have realised (although the sign is big and prominent) but to be told and then still walk off without moving - the cheek.

I was a bit taken aback if I’m honest so went back in the house and then I thought, no sod this and I went and knocked on the door of the house she went in, I waited a bit but no one answered!

I wouldn’t mind as such if someone was quickly dropping something off but she’s obviously stopping for a bit. The annoying thing too is the house she’s gone in has a driveway and there’s room for this visitor on it. So I’m a bit to why she’s parked in our private bay.

Grrr, I can’t keep knocking as going back to work (WFH) in a bit, so would I be unreasonable to just block her in with my car? I feel like I need to make a point

I can't understand people who are saying it isn't a problem. Stopping for a minute or two to drop something off is fine but not parking for any length of time in a private parking bay and especially when the person that they are visiting has an empty drive!!!!!
It's rude. End of!!!! To then ignore the OP AND the CF neighbour being meh about it, would definitely have me blocking them in!!!!!
If you let selfish idiots get away with this sort of thing then they'll always do it.
Block her in OP!!!!

@SpaghettiSpoons

I don't know the answer to this as we're not in the UK but....can you have her clamped or towed?

Oh, how is love to see that

Sadly we can't in the UK.

Just because a few people were asking for a diagram

Birds of a feather flock together. That’s why CF Parker and CF neighbour are friends!

But what did the disabled Mum do during the time he was blocking them in?

I'm not sure, TBH. It was a very long time ago. There were other parking spots she could have used with her blue badge, so she probably used those (with my cousin moving it as and when to avoid a ticket).

I'm amazed at some people - the CFs themselves and their 'oh, they aren't doing any harm' apologists. How can it ever be right to assume you can use somebody else's property at any time when they happen not to be using it?

I just think it's a great shame that the reason OP's space was empty wasn't because they'd just had it re-tarmacked - and that the CF parker would then end up stuck in there with four wrecked tyres! What excuse would they have in that scenario? Would they demand to know why you didn't put up a sign warning about it, only to be told that a sign is totally unnecessary, because all of the people who have the right to use it were already aware?

Reminds me of a time when I lived with a work colleague and rented a room off her. At the side of her house was a strip of tarmac long enough to fit 2 cars which was specifically for her house. I didn't drive but my landlady and would park her car on it at night. I came home from work one day to find a tent on the drive with some feller in it doing work some random car. I said err excuse me but who are you and he said oh I'm fixing his car over the road and he said it would be OK. I was flabbergasted at the cheek of the neighbour. If they come and asked the day before then it wouldn't have been so bad but he obviously knew we were both out during the day at work and we'd never know. I just said to the work man well so long as you're done by 5.30 that's fine but cheek of some people.

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll

I'm amazed at some people - the CFs themselves and their 'oh, they aren't doing any harm' apologists. How can it ever be right to assume you can use somebody else's property at any time when they happen not to be using it?

I just think it's a great shame that the reason OP's space was empty wasn't because they'd just had it re-tarmacked - and that the CF parker would then end up stuck in there with four wrecked tyres! What excuse would they have in that scenario? Would they demand to know why you didn't put up a sign warning about it, only to be told that a sign is totally unnecessary, because all of the people who have the right to use it were already aware?

The way society is I’d probably get sued 😄

In my younger (and more selfish) days, I parked in a parking space which was reserved for the development across the road from my flat. Rightly I was blocked in and when I need to move my car, they didn't answer the door. After a few hours I tried again and I was rightly given a lecture and I felt awful. I've never done it again - was 20+ years ago! Maybe time for a lesson that the world doesn't revolve around her........

If you know someone with a car with a meaty engine get them to come a tow it out of your space and leave it in the road. Then call non emergency police to say a vehicle is blocking the road. Friend did this a few years ago. Still makes me laugh

@awaywiththefae

Just because a few people were asking for a diagram

Bigger house than you? Maybe those parking spots are seen as 'guest' spots so as not to dirty up their lovely drive?

I'd have been tempted to give them a blast when they were passive aggressive to your perfectly polite and reasonable request

The “And” would have had me fuming

Who the f does she think she is!?

“Ok… I’ll tell her to move somewhere else… if that’s ok with you?”

I'm sorry, did you mean to be so rude? Perhaps my husband should just park on your drive so that doesn't inconvenience her. Would it be ok with you, if our household and guests just parked on your driveway when it suited us?

No its not ok thank you.

I don't think i'd park on someones drive when visiting unless they'd already said to do that. But then I also wouldn't park in someone else's designated space. I'd either park in any available unallocated parking or on the road or across the drive of the person I'm visiting and then ask them if it's okay to leave the car there. It's not really rocket science is it?

If I was literally just dropping something off to someone and it was absolutely the only place I could stop then I might park in a designated space but only if I could watch my car from wherever i was and move it if required.

Placemarking as I'm already late for the schoolrun and I want to see how this one ends.

Is there a diagram?

@DavidTheDog

I'm with you *@EarringsandLipstick* sometimes we all make a mistake or do something stupid or pointless. A bit of kindness and forgiveness go a long way.

But the woman in OP’s spot moved to someone else’s spot - hardly a mistake! The problem with kindness and forgiveness in situations like this is that CFs simply continue with their ignorant cfery at everyone else’s inconvenience.

@Nocutenamesleft

Could she be deaf? If she didn’t answer. Then hasn’t answered the door?

What has being deaf got to do with ignoring two private parking signs? Give me strength ..... 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll

She is being an arse. Sure. But I wouldn't let it affect me. It's not my job to correct other's moral failings.

Where it's actually causing a problem, then I'd feel differently.

The thing is, though, that the main benefit of having private property - whether a house, a garden, a drive, a parking space - is not just that you can ask to use it whenever you want to, but that it is there exclusively for you to use at any time you want to. If you've paid extra to buy or rent that private property, it's not OK for somebody to just help themselves to it.

It's not the same kind of violation as if somebody let themselves into your house and sat on your sofa watching your TV - although what about if you'd left the door open for a moment to hang out some washing or whatever and so they just walked straight in without any force necessary? - but if you can't guarantee that your private property is always available for your own free use, there's no point in having it.

You might as well live on a road with plenty of on-street parking, where the neighbours tend to leave a space near your house free for you - but if somebody had a party, multiple guests, workmen, wanted a skip or just fancied parking there for a change, they would be entirely within their rights to do so - as it's nobody's private property - so you would be in a permanent state of probably getting the space for your own use, but with no assuredness until the last minute.

If you houseprice is £10,000 higher per car parking space (or more) for the priviledge of having cheeky fuckers saying 'it doesn't affect anyone or hurt anyone' then yes it is a problem.

I don't give a fuck, "gerr orrfff my landdddddd!" Block them in.

OP I felt your pain for 13 years. A private parking space is private. I made life difficult for anyone who failed to understand this as it was the only way they got the message.

Bigger house than you? Maybe those parking spots are seen as 'guest' spots so as not to dirty up their lovely drive?

Yes they are 4 bed detached we are 3 bed semis. (Although I’ve made it look like terraces)

I do wonder this but as they are well sign posted and numbers painted on it must be deliberate.

Good diagrams OP! Settling in here and following for neighbours arrival from work 🍿

Do you have neighbour's phone number? Could you text him> Maybe he will want to hurry home?

CFs simply continue with their ignorant cfery at everyone else’s inconvenience

Except this particular CF hasn’t actually inconvenienced anyone.

When is the neighbour due back?

I can’t believe she parked on your driveway?! So cheeky.

Hope I've answered your hypothetical scenarios to your satisfaction

I don't know about mn2022 but to me, your response reads like total bollocks. I think we all know you wouldn't shrug and do nothing if someone used YOUR property without your permission.

Yeah, I'd block her in.