Parking one! Pic included. Am I being petty?

[Larafromthe80s]

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?

@howshouldibehave I have no idea how long before I moved that he went out. I would day there was approx 40 mins between me moving my car and them appearing outside my house

YABU if the space outside your house is on a pubic road you have no claim to that space.

Surely if you're home and your DH is not they you can park.on your drive and DH park vehind you when he returns. If DH needs to go out during the night he can leave without jenga movements?
Personally I think everyone should put both cars on the drive before using the road spaces or redesign your front garden and drive to accept the vehicles in your household.
You're a bit like a German with their towel around the pool in my opinion!

@CoffeeRunner

Do the new neighbours also have a road space outside their house?

If not it isn't your road space & the neighbours' road space it's just two road spaces.

If yes they do but don't use it, could you park there?

That said I don't understand why people who can park on a private driveway choose not to. Surely you pull your car in first then DH pulls in behind you poised to leave?

If you have a van and people park on the road around or opposite your driveway the space needed to exit a drive even if people park legally would not allow for the extra turning space of a van

Exact same set up here although our drives are singles. Except my neighbour doesn't use her drive at all, and likes her two cars in both spaces. Sometimes she parks one car in the middle to bagsy them both.

Stop being so lazy and use your two-space driveway!

Firstly the road outside your house is public not owned by you so you really need to get over the fact they might/will park there. Yes it can be irritating looking out at someone else's car but unless that's all you do all day it really shouldn't bother you.

Secondly, I really don't understand why you just can't park at the back of the drive once you are in for the night and DH at the front so he can get out if needed. It makes no sense to me and I also have the same 2 car drive as you so I get moving cars can be irritating.

If someone asked me not to park on a public road, where I have every right to park because they couldn’t be arsed to move cars around and use their drive I’d think they were bananas.

Its a public road. They have as much right to the space as you do

bit they could utilise both drive spots to stop them using both ours and our NDNs

They are not yours.

Can your dh just use whatever car is available at the end of the drive instead doing car jenga?

Would be simpler all round instead of being petty and going out of your way blocking off street parking to others when you have an empty drive.

YABU for complaining that the son parks there, it's public space.
YANBU for moving your car there for your convenience when the son goes out, again it's public space.
Yes I'm afraid you have pissed them off and they ABU for intimidating you.

Why doesn’t your DH park behind your car?
Then he’s free to come and go as he pleases.

I think you’re being a big petty tbh.

If the roads free and you want to park on the road then do it, if not park on the driveway. Same advice as I’d give them.

It’s very easy to get wound up over parking so I think you need to let this go before it consumes you.
You have a drive and don’t own the road so don’t let it stress you out if someone else parks there.

Maybe make some of the front garden into a side by side parking space as we have done? You will have to also pay for a drop kerb.

When you say road space @Larafromthe80s. Is it your actual space?

Or just a space on the road?

It doesn't look like it's your spot? Looks like it's just a road anyone can park on.

Also, can you convert your front garden to have two side by side spaces (and drop curb)?

I can see why you're annoyed because you've had a convenient set up for a while but it's not your neighbours fault as it's legal for anyone to park there. If you need a house with a double drive, you need to move. Else be flexible.

Wait. Couldn’t you just move your car? So if your husband gets gone first. Then when you get home. You swap spots? So he’s always behind?

You just played car jenga. And you think the other family should be inconvenienced because you lived their first and therefore you think you own road spots? YABU

Yabu assuming it’s a public road and not your space. Just use your whole drive, you have two cars and you have space for two cars on there

This is so bizarre. I wouldn’t have a clue if a new family moved into house up my own street off let alone another different street, then to be able to identify every single member of that household.

Regardless if that, it’s not your spot. It might be inconvenient for you but such is life, get over it.

@Nocutenamesleft

Wait. Couldn’t you just move your car? So if your husband gets gone first. Then when you get home. You swap spots? So he’s always behind?

This is the ‘car jenga’ OP refers to not wanting to play. Basically she means she would prefer other people to be inconvenienced rather than her and wants them to be happy about it too!

You've got a 2 cars and a driveway for 2 cars, as have your neighbours. The street space is up for grabs for anyone.
They could park there if their son was coming round, so he could park on their drive. And you're within your rights to park there too. I can see how it looks selfish to have an empty drive and park on the street, but if you're that worried just explain to them.
Can't their son just park across their dropped kerb?

@Bingbangbongbash

Even though the street parking is outside your house, it isn’t yours. Nabbing it the second they leave is petty, and no less effort than moving your car if husband needs to leave. You’re still playing car jenga, the only difference is that your new neighbours are laughing at you.

If as everyone is keen to point out it's no-one's space then why is it car jenga, seems to be a sensible thing to do, same as the people pestered by school parents' arrogant behaviour who put their cars on the road each morning! As for the neighbours laughing, indicative of how thick they are, take photos!

The space on street in front of OP's house is free to whoever so not U for OP to move her car there as she pleases.

Kinda U to start a threads about their petty reaction... I mean, let it go.

You have one space but are trying to claim three. You don't own the road or the grass verge you can't dictate who parks there.

Extend driveway? Surely that's the obvious course of action