Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Parking one! Pic included. Am I being petty?

262 replies

Larafromthe80s · 22/02/2022 17:09

We have a drive which can fit 2 cars 1 infront of the other and a space on the road outside our house.
Next door have the exact same.
Both houses have 2 cars and neither of us double park on the drive unless someone random has used our road spot. We never take each others road spot out of courtesy.

Anyway a few weeks ago a family moved in on the street next to us, they have 3 cars. They also have 2 spaces on their drive but only use 1, then their other cars keep parking outside ours and our neighbours houses.
It wouldnt be such an issue but my husband's job means he's often called out to work throughout the night so we dont like playing car jenga, hence the fact for 7 years hes always parked on the street outside our house.
Anyway today the son's been parked there, hes gone out tonight so I've moved my car into the spot so my husband can have our drive when home.
However the family have just literally came and stood outside my house smirking and shaking their heads and now I'm really worried I've started a war but also conscious that I may have been really petty!
AIBU to be getting annoyed by this?

Parking one! Pic included. Am I being petty?
OP posts:
caranations · 22/02/2022 18:07

Oh this really pisses me off. Amicable parking for all the neighbours' vehicles that goes on happily for years with everyone being considerate... until some entitled gits move in up the road and park where they damn well like.

Whatever happened to courtesy and good manners; and not sticking two fingers up at the community you've just moved into?

DDivaStar · 22/02/2022 18:08

I get its annoying but the rosd is first come first served. We have a similar issue with one car blocking the other in. Realistically we just shuffle the cars early evening if theyre the wrong way round. Even if one parks on the road, that spot may be taken if that vehicle leaves.

Dibbydoos · 22/02/2022 18:08

OMG don't argue with your next door neighbours. Have a word with the new family to see if there's somewhere else thry can park. If there isn't it's first come first serve as tgats a public highway and neither you or your best door neighbour owns tge land.

Also let the next door neighbour know what you're doing and why you parked outside year house.

I didn't bother scoring cos hibestly if people spoke to each other things like thus would not escalate!

TravellingFrom · 22/02/2022 18:09

@redambergreengo, I get what you are saying.

But the NDN is doing exactly the same as they choosing too to NOT park two cars on their drive but only one! On that ground, they can hardly comment and be annoyed.

Dentistlakes · 22/02/2022 18:10

It’s annoying since you and your other neighbour have had a system in place that works and the new neighbour has disrupted it. I would park the car that’s used less frequently on the road and generally use the one parked on the drive if you can. Other than that there isn’t a lot you can do.

FM2013 · 22/02/2022 18:11

Sorry but I think you're being a little petty and unreasonable. You don't own the the road, have likely started a silly parking war and the people from the next street probably think you're a bit of a dick.

Westerman · 22/02/2022 18:12

The hypocrisy of the new 'neighbours' is clearly lost on them. Ignore their laughing and smirking. Who cares what they think. Just park the cars to make it easy for your husband if he's called out during the night, even if that means moving your car into the road space as soon as it becomes empty.

BooksAndHooks · 22/02/2022 18:12

So you are annoyed your new neighbours are using a free road space to avoid having to move vehicles around on the drive, purely because you also have two spaces on your drive but want to avoid the same hassle that they do?

SmellinOfTroy · 22/02/2022 18:13

FFS I know that and we would If the alternative meant parking on a different street right outside somebody else's house.
Personally I think it's a bit rude

Do you never take your car anywhere? Nearly every time you park somewhere thats not outside your house you will be parking outside someone elses house, (obviously not in carparks etc)

pictish · 22/02/2022 18:14

We’ll look, you don’t ‘have’ a road space…you just like to use the road space. Technically you are within your rights to move your car into the space your new neighbours vacated but you have just started a parking war by being proprietorial over it. Unrestricted public parking is exactly that. You may kiss goodbye to the road space you liked to use.

We have unrestricted public parking on our road too and watch amazed (and annoyed) while neighbours from over the road pitch up outside our house and carry their shopping, kids, boxes, whatever across the road to their houses instead of turning the car and parking outside their own. This means that we then have to park outside one of their houses and cross the road with our stuff too. Fucking stupid and it’s just because they cba to turn.
Ach well…

OperationDog · 22/02/2022 18:14

The other family standing shaking their heads is even more petty.

And maybe they could also widen their drive to enable parking for all their vehicles.

sofakingcool · 22/02/2022 18:16

@ThePlumVan

A parking thread - tick A diagram on first post - tick tick OP not realising she doesn’t own the public road - frowny face
GrinGrin
PrtScn · 22/02/2022 18:16

@SeasonFinale

Yes you can move your car to the space kn the street if it is free but also so can they. You will have started parking wars having done it in such a obvious way. Watch as they start to use both spaces on your street now.
They already use both spaces on the street. They have 3 cars and only park 1 on the drive (that can fit 2 cars) and the other 2 in OP and neighbours “spaces”.
Floralnomad · 22/02/2022 18:18

You all have space to park on your own property , you all choose to park on a public rd so you are all as bad as each other - going out and moving your car was petty .

sunflowerstory · 22/02/2022 18:21

Weird of them to tut, weird of you to think you hold title to a bit of public road that happens to be in geographical proximity to your house.

SunnySideDownBriefly · 22/02/2022 18:23

You're not petty - you're just doing something that works for you. It's a public road and you can move your car there if you want to.

Don't get drawn into any arguments. It's not their space either...whoever gets there first gets it! They can bigger off with their head shaking. Please do not feel intimidated or judged.

whynotwhatknot · 22/02/2022 18:23

Its like my fil-his neighbours take up the only two spots because they dont want to swap them rou9nd all the time

they actually asked my fil if i could move my car when visiting as they needed it-er no i dont think so rude gits

you dont own it and nor do they

PriamFarrl · 22/02/2022 18:23

We have a drive which can fit 2 cars 1 infront of the other and a space on the road outside our house.

No you don’t. There is on street parking but you don’t have a space on the road.

LordEmsworth · 22/02/2022 18:24

I can't vote because Schrodinger has parked the car.

YABU for saying you have a space on the public road, you don't. YA also BU because a lot of people have pointed it out and you have ignored them.

However YANBU to park there because anyone can park there. If they have enough time to come and stand outside your house as some kind of weird and ineffective retribution then that's their lookout...

ChickenStripper · 22/02/2022 18:27

The fact that they noticed shows that they knew they were being CFs.

SickAndTiredAgain · 22/02/2022 18:27

They aren’t doing anything wrong, but then neither are you by moving your car.
You don’t own it, but you haven’t asked them to move and it sounds like they also aren’t using all the spaces on their driveway so they can’t complain when you don’t either. You’re both doing the same thing. So I don’t think you can be that annoyed, and I think it’s weird for them to smirk about it when they aren’t using all their spaces either.

catfunk · 22/02/2022 18:29

YANBU to park there (nor are they) but YABU to get pissed off about other people parking on a public road.

Surely if DH needs to leave in the middle of the night and you're blocking him in, he has access to keys to move your car first ?

RegardingMary · 22/02/2022 18:33

It's the road, it's not your personal parking space. Therefore they're not being rude or doing anything wrong.

If I saw you doing that I'd just think you were ridiculously petty.

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 22/02/2022 18:33

Any of you can park there; it's a public road. It's not 'your' spot. But it's not their spot either. Sorry.

TonksInPurple · 22/02/2022 18:34

Can your husband park his work vechicle over the end of your drive once you are home of an evening or park behind you, yes car jenga but it’s what people have to do.