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.

RAC and AA advice is to leave a gap of at least 2 foot each end: www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/learning-to-drive/how-to-parallel-park/ and www.theaa.com/driving-school/driving-lessons/advice/parallel-parking
so 2-3 feet is perfect.

A one-foot ruler, yes....

It sounds like a lot of room and as someone who lived on a busy street where people parked when they did not want to pay for parking, it got really irritating when you could see there would be several more parking places if people had not taken up so much room.

People do this on my street. It's really annoying. You can fit double the cars in if people park properly.

It would look like there was loads of parking depending on when you came, too. It empties at around 8am as people go to work; and fills back up between 4 - 6pm as people come home. To be honest, not all the cars fit now anyway, as there are houses with more than one car, but there's no chance if people have left 2 - 3ft per space. Which means everyone has to drive around and park on various other streets, and everyone slowly gets further away from their home.

Nobody owns the land (although it's permitted for longer than two hours here); and I don't begrudge anyone parking outside if there's room, but for the love of god, don't take up more spaces than you need.

Where I live is immaterial, but legally 1m must be left between parked cars, and I've never heard anyone grizzle about having to leave that distance.

Thank you, it's useful to have information from a reliable source. So allowing a gap, is in fact the right thing to do.

Where I live is immaterial

I think we can safely assume that it isn’t Seville.

Ever had cold pre-boiled milk on cereal? don't, is all I can say.

Yes. The milkmen used to deliver it. It was called “sterilised” and had a crown cap like a beer bottle. Disgusting!

Wrong thread!

There are some absolute fools on this thread. Do you actually know how long a foot is? A foot, not a metre. It’s way too small a gap between two cars for so many reasons. I’d love those of you saying 2 feet is too long to take a tape measure next time you park and see exactly how much space you’re leaving.

😅

I'm not sure where all this parking leaving one foot is actually happening. I live in London and never see it. Actually, there is usually a reasonable amount of parking space here, as car ownership is low. In my ward less that 50% of households have a car.

It really isn't, bearing in mind that White Van Man will more than likely be touching your bumper at the other end.

Exactly. My car is 25 years old. It has four settings: stop, go, forwards, backwards.

Cameras? Sensors? You're having a laugh. Leave some friggin space!

Oh, absolutely. Half the arseholes on this thread wouldn't have a prayer of getting their car out with a foot gap at one end.

Apart from turning circle, the diagonal length of the vehicle is important.
I'm calling bs on those who say they can easily get out with a foot either end.

AliMonkey
RAC and AA advice is to leave a gap of at least 2 foot each end: https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/learning-to-drive/how-to-parallel-parkk**/ and* https://www.theaa.com/driving-school/driving-lessons/advice/parallel-parkingg***
so 2-3 feet is perfect.

...
Thank you, it's useful to have information from a reliable source. So allowing a gap, is in fact the right thing to do.
(@BelleMarionette )
...

I agree with OP Belle the irony of that note is that 2-3 foot is the correct amount of space to leave ! It sounds like the writer needs to retake their driving test As do a huge number of PPs  but I suspects PPs can't visualise how small 1 foot actually is ...! Anyone leaning 1 foot gaps is parking horrendously and blocking others in.. I'd have laughed and screwed up the note.

Yanbu it's a public road with no restrictions, anyone can park there. Annoying as that may be to residents of the street.

It sounds fine, I seem to remember from my driving lessons years ago that 2ft+ was recommended. And cars have got bigger since, too.