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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU or is this just vindictive? Parking thread

56 replies

Burnt0utMum · 13/08/2021 19:54

I live in a row of terraced houses on a main road. There's a single yellow line outside and parking isn't allowed at set hours. Some houses have a garage with a space at the back but lots don't have any parking. My house has parking for a very small car but my car is too big to park there. My parking is in my back garden so even if the car could fit there it's not ideal as it'd fill the whole garden meaning we couldn't use the space. It's also a very difficult angle to get the car in and just not worth the effort as I use the car most days. There is plenty of parking at the end of the row of houses and most people use this place to park including me. I've only lived here just under a year but haven't had problems until now. A few days ago I parked near the wall of the end terraced house and returned to a note asking me not to park there as it's a salon and their staff and customers couldn't park. This seemed unreasonable to me as they could easily park in any other space that wasn't directly against the wall but to avoid trouble I decided I'll try not to park there if there's other spaces. Today when I came home the parking was quite busy but still a few spaces. I parked right at the back. After a few hours I realised I left something in the car so went back over to get it and another car has parked blocking my driver door. They have parked on the grass to do this and it's quite clear they're blocking me on purpose despite there being other spaces available. I think they see this as "their space" despite them having no more right to it than anyone else. If they haven't moved when I need to go out tomorrow I'm going to have to climb across from the passenger side. I have a health condition that affects my legs and ankles and have been suffering pretty badly over the last few days so I don't even know if I'll be able to manage. I don't know which house the car belongs to either. AIBU to park where I did or if not where am I supposed to park instead? Not that I can even get in my car now to move it. The spaces aren't actually marked, it's just a piece of land. Land is owned by someone who lives miles away and doesn't use the land but also doesn't mind people parking on it. Hope I've explained it well enough but ask questions if not.

Yellow is where I parked a few days ago
Blue is where I parked today
Red is the car that blocked my door
Green is all the other available spaces (some taken by other cars, some empty)

AIBU or is this just vindictive? Parking thread
AIBU or is this just vindictive? Parking thread
OP posts:
Sh05 · 13/08/2021 23:18

I'd give the police a call, not because there's a squabble about where to park but because someone has obstructively parked their car so you are unable to access yours.

MurielSpriggs · 13/08/2021 23:22

@Sh05

I'd give the police a call, not because there's a squabble about where to park but because someone has obstructively parked their car so you are unable to access yours.
You can try, it's a free call at least!
KidneyBeans · 13/08/2021 23:22

Phone the police and tell them your car has been instructed. They can run the number plate and tell the owner to shift it

KidneyBeans · 13/08/2021 23:24

@TheUndoingProject

Obviously blocking you in is totally unacceptable, but to be honest I can see why it’s annoying them that you’re not using your own perfectly good space.
You mean the space that the OP's car won't fit in?

How do you suggest she uses it?

KidneyBeans · 13/08/2021 23:25

@Kithic

My parking is in my back garden so even if the car could fit there it's not ideal as it'd fill the whole garden meaning we couldn't use the space

You have parking but choose not to use it??

I love that you've bothered to copy and paste that text but you still cannot comprehend what the OP actually wrote! Confused
Notebooksarefabulous · 13/08/2021 23:29

They are attempting to bully you. They dont own the road anymore than you do.

If they want allocated spaces for their business then they clearly need to get new premises!

NoSquirrels · 14/08/2021 04:13

Take photos, including the reg number of the car that is parked obstructing your driver’s door. Send them to your community policing team.

ApolloandDaphne · 14/08/2021 04:33

OP is not obliged to use her own space given her car barely fits in it. She is as entitled as anyone else to use the on street parking. It is the other drivers who are twats in believing they are entitled to park in a particular spot on street or reserve spots for clients.

CareBear50 · 14/08/2021 06:20

@EvenRosesHaveThorns

So.....you're annoyed that two neighbours have an entitled feeling to a spot... Because it affects your own entitled feeling to a spot Grin
This post makes no sense whatsoever.
drpet49 · 14/08/2021 06:29

* Picture take a photo of the car blocking you in and post it in local fab groups and say you are parked on a public highway and disabled and someone has blocked you in deliberately and name and shame the business too - say you are asking for it to be moved quickly else you will phone the police - make you Facebook post entirely neutral no emotion.*

^i would do this. Name and shame the bully boy business

Aprilx · 14/08/2021 06:29

Your blue parking looks like it is the wrong direction. You seem to be perpendicular to the road rather than parallel as one normally parks? Perhaps that annoyed somebody.

bigbaggyeyes · 14/08/2021 06:37

I'd also go with the Facebook post.

MrsJackWhicher · 14/08/2021 06:49

Park the other way tou d fo the drivers door is on the other side so in future you don’t have to clamber over.

Original poster
Burnt0utMum · 14/08/2021 07:22

To those saying I should park in my space, I really would if it were an option. I don't park away from my house for fun. The same argument could be made for all the other houses. They could all convert their gardens into parking spaces too and lose the use of their garden for anything else.

The blue space is an acceptable place to park. It's set back from the bit of road so that's probably why it looks perpendicular. The general rules are you can park anywhere as long as you're not blocking access to the back of the houses or blocking anyone else in. I've never struggled to find a space there so don't understand why people are being so territorial over specific spots.

Parking facing the other way wouldn't help as they could just park on the other side of me and still block the door. But that's the point, there was other spaces they could've parked in so why didn't they?

I don't have Facebook or I would've done that. I've not been out yet to see if they're still there or not.

OP posts:
ivykaty44 · 14/08/2021 07:30

So the salon customers take up the residents parking and the salon owner - who doesn’t live on the street also drives and uses a parking space but doesn’t want residents using spaces as she/he wants customers to be able to park

Roads are paid for by council tax and we can all park where we like as long as legally parked and on a first come basis

Suggest residents tell salon owner they get residents parking only if she gets funny about residents parking in the area and then she’ll be stuffed

Sadiecow · 14/08/2021 07:33

@EvenRosesHaveThorns

So.....you're annoyed that two neighbours have an entitled feeling to a spot... Because it affects your own entitled feeling to a spot Grin
That's not what's being sad at all! The OP is legally parked (on a first come basis) and she's being told that's not right!

Hardly being entitled is she?she's not asked anyone to live, just you know parked in an empty free space.

Are you the hairdresser or the neighbour?

liveforsummer · 14/08/2021 07:34

People can be strangely territorial over parking space. Our street has on street parking and 2 neighbours literally think they own their spaces. They'll park out side their doors blocking the street, or in one case someone else's garage , until a car moves if there is ever one in their space. They'd go out in the middle if the night to claim it back if necessary. Both of these neighbours are fit and healthy people with no dc and nothing ever heavy to carry and absolutely no need to be directly in front of their respective window. One goes away quite frequently for work or to visit family. His space sits empty whilst people park in the next street and carry all sorts a distance to their home lest he arrive back to find his space taken. Such bizarre behaviour and I judge them for their pettiness. Knowing how bad they are though I didn't think it's a problem that's going to go away by negotiation. I'd ignore the salon though they don't own the road but try and avoid the blocker in space as he'll likely escalate ime

Sadiecow · 14/08/2021 07:35

@Aprilx

Your blue parking looks like it is the wrong direction. You seem to be perpendicular to the road rather than parallel as one normally parks? Perhaps that annoyed somebody.
🍪
olympicsrock · 14/08/2021 07:43

Did you do anything about it OP?

MuddyStiletto · 14/08/2021 07:47

Take photos when you park your car with the time, then again if you are blocked or if there is an obstruction, again with a time stamp
If it continues print them off and leave them on the car with a note to say you will be sending these to the police as its harassment
(I'd probably storm into the salon if I thought it was them but I wouldn't recommend it Grin )
You've done nothing wrong

Mummyoflittledragon · 14/08/2021 08:14

Report to PCSO and to the council. Did you keep the note? The business is causing disruption in your road.

AbsolutelyPatsy · 14/08/2021 08:22

you have been there a year?
i would go back to where you originally parked.

KidneyBeans · 14/08/2021 09:30

@AbsolutelyPatsy

you have been there a year? i would go back to where you originally parked.
What at her previous house? Don't you think that might be less convenient considering she no longer lives there? Confused
AbsolutelyPatsy · 14/08/2021 09:31

no @KidneyBeans
outside the salon

Nanny0gg · 14/08/2021 10:00

@newnortherner111

Get a smaller one and use your space at your house. Problem solved if not immediately, even though the behaviour is unreasonable.
Why on earth should the OP fork out money (if she even has it)? She can park anyway she likes within the law!