To leave a gap when parking

[BelleMarionette]

I got a note on my car this morning: 'You took up two spaces with your car.. so inconsiderate. RETAKE YOUR TEST'

I assume it was from yesterday, when I had to park on a residential street, because my work has stopped issuing parking permits to staff, as no capacity. Even if they were available, they are prohibitevely expensive at about £100/month.

It was an unrestricted street for parking, with plenty of spaces available. I parked leaving 2-3ft from the car next to me, to allow space for them to pull out. I have previously had abuse from a neighbour for parking 'too near' their car, even though there was a gap, so I am aware about leaving space, should drivers not be confident.

Aibu for leaving a gap when parking on the street? Obviously different if bay parking, and I would never take up two bays.

Yeah and as someone who learnt in a car without power steering (and still drove one up until about 11 years ago) it's something I instinctively try and avoid.

LIke @ShadowPuppets we have two spaces between our dropped kerb and the next door neighbour. Ours are actually quite generously spaced. We don't use them nor our neighbours so it' usually our neighbour across the road or people parking for houses further up the road without driveways. Nonetheless, it INFURIATES me when I see some moron has parked right in the middle so that there's only space for one car.

OP - 2-3ft is a ridiculous amount of space. But then, I'm constantly amazed at how bad people are at manoeuvring their cars. Our local shopping centre has the traditional bays on both sides, plenty of space... but for whatever reason most cars seem to need 30 point turns to get out of a bay because they seem to be terrified of hitting other cars when there's about 4 feet or more between them and the other car. Drives me crazy

I think this stuff is really about having consideration for others, rather than purely thinking about yourself.

Of course there’s no rule or law that says you should park so that others can get into the space too. However, when parking is limited, it’s the considerate thing to do. No-one can force another to be considerate or demand they will be….but you have to hope that people will choose to think of others as well as themselves.

If there’s no spaces marked out and no restrictions on the road that what you did is fine

What are you supposed to do when the only available space is ten feet longer than your car?

As someone who has on street parking, you parked inconsiderately if you're leaving 2-3 feet gaps.

2/3 ft is fine at one end or the other. I find if I park right up to the car in front, the same happens at the back and it's then hard to get out.

It might be infuriating but it's a public road, therefore you and all the other residents have no more right to park there than anyone else.

Just checking as this is a parking thread, if we need a diagram ?😄

They were a twat to leave that note - don't let it take up headspace - but you don't need to leave that much space.

Shocked that people think 2 feet is too big a gap. That’s really not loads of space if you need to open your boot and take out multiple large bags etc.
Wouldn’t be considered unreasonable around here at all and I live on a busy London street where parking is really tight and everyone is super conscious about not taking up too much space.

I do wonder if this is another of those threads where people pile on to say they can easily parallel park leaving only 2 mm between the cars in front and behind because obviously they are such excellent drivers 😂

Is it not so much a question of the size of the gap, but if it means a space that could easily fit 2 cars, now can only fit one?

Several people have mentioned kerb spaces equivalent to 2 cars length between houses or drives….where someone parking in the middle means someone else can’t park. In this scenario, both cars can easily get out as one has nothing in front of them and the other nothing behind.

I do understand that sometimes it looks like you left a massive gap. That can happen when you park close to another car, and later it leaves, leaving you looking like you chose to park in the middle of a big gap. Visitors to an area can’t always know how residents usually park to maximise space….but residents should know this and it’s more annoying when they park in considerately.

People are free to park in considerately as long as not illegally. You’d just hope they might think about others coming after who would like to park, when parking is very limited. But it seems that’s not a consideration for some, and instead they’d rather be sure no-one will park in front or behind them, than someone else can park too.

If they've parked with 3' either side, and the other cars haven't moved then it makes no difference how they've parked.
They could park with 1" one side and 5'11" the other and you still can't even fit a smart car in-they're around 8' I think.

2-3 foot is not a "massive gap", some knobhead parked 2ft behind me yesterday and I couldn't get the pushchair out to walk to nursery. Fortunately the neighbour parked in front had just left for work or I'd have been buggered!

I can do a diagram if requested but it will be a very boring one! It will have to wait till past bedtime too

I have almost started a thread many times about people who park like that. We live on a street like this and so often I see people pull into a gap that's easily big enough for two cars, but then don't pull up to the car in front or the car behind. Leaving about a metre short for a second car to park there. It's just an unnecessary waste of space. You don't need as much room as you think to maouevre out.

Same goes for people who park a metre or two away from the end. Urgh.

Perfect

Well it’ll be impossible to get anything out of the boot with less than 2ft (60cm) space between the car behind. You’d definitely need 2 1/2 ft to do that comfortably. Everyone saying 2ft is a “massive space” sounds nuts to me.

Lake people have said already, I doubt many that claim that two feet is a massive gap actually know what two feet actually is in real life.

@AuntieSoap
Just be considerate. It's really not hard

Just communicate like a normal human. It’s really not hard. 😂

Sounds like you need parking lessons to me!

Here is the rather boring diagram, since there have been a couple of requests.

It's interesting that opinion is pretty divided on this. For every person who claims they can park a land rover on a postage stamp, there are many others who want or need space. My neighbour has a van, so I am conscious to leave room to allow him to access it if necessary.

Sounds like you need to understand that other cars move after you’ve parked to me.

Annoys me, live on a street. If neighbours four doors up cant Park outside of theirs they park outside of mine whilst not an issue as the street is first come first served they park with a massive gap from next doors leaving me to park nearly in front of next door but one (luckily next door don't have a car)
Pain in the backside considering I have three children to get in and usually 4 or 5 bags of shopping which normally can be done in view of the children if they would park without the grand canyon gap they seem to need

@Blossomtoes they purposefully left a 2-3 FOOT gap when parking! Read the OP 🙄🤣