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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Strange parking with diagram!

134 replies

PonkyPonky · 25/04/2023 16:39

So I am prepared to be told I’m in the wrong here but be aware I have so far done nothing or said nothing! I’ve attached a diagram, I live at number 1. Bloke who lives at number 5 works an early shift so gets home when the whole road is totally clear of parked cars, chooses to park directly outside my house. When I get home, he is always parked there despite there being loads of space directly outside his house. I can’t think of any sensible reason why he would do this unless it’s because he’s scared of parallel parking and the space directly outside my house is on one end of the row. Although the other end of the row of cars is closer to his house. WIBU to put a polite note on his car asking him to choose a space closer to his house when there is space? It’s really bloody annoying to come home with a boot full of food shopping and see that’s he’s there again and I struggle up the road from the space outside his bloody house! But yes it’s a public road and we can all do whatever we want essentially as no one has any right to park anywhere in particular but it’s just inconsiderate and irritating. This only started about 6 months ago for some unknown reason. Before that, I think he just parked by his own house

Strange parking with diagram!
OP posts:
Whatsthefrequencykenny · 25/04/2023 16:42

I doubt the parked cars are always parked in such a way that there is space outside his house. Likely at the hour he is pulling in, he can't just pull in front of his own house so he pulls into the easiest spot to access.

Sistanotcista · 25/04/2023 16:43

It is annoying - totally agree - but legally he's doing absolutely nothing wrong.

neverknowinglyunreasonable · 25/04/2023 16:43

Assuming the exit is at the top of your diagram (great diagram by the way) where he is parking would make life easier for his morning commute.

I think asking in person would be nicer than a note but he can park where he likes.

Original poster
PonkyPonky · 25/04/2023 16:45

Whatsthefrequencykenny · 25/04/2023 16:42

I doubt the parked cars are always parked in such a way that there is space outside his house. Likely at the hour he is pulling in, he can't just pull in front of his own house so he pulls into the easiest spot to access.

No I’ve seen him do it loads of times when I’ve been home on leave or with unwell DC. The whole road could be completely clear of cars and he still parks there. DH has seen it happen too when he’s been working from home. I just can’t figure it out. Everyone else follows the system of parking out the front of their own house unless there’s only 1 or 2 spaces left then it’s just first come first served generally

OP posts:
TheMerryWidow1 · 25/04/2023 16:46

easier for him to get out as its at the end? presuming your house is near the exit of the road. Perhaps he thinks he will be blocked in parking outside his own house?

DamnThatHitsHome · 25/04/2023 16:46

Annoying yes and I’ve definitely grumbled in private about similar, but not something you can really complain about to him. It may be that he’s trying to reduce the amount of parallel parking he has to do, or can’t risk getting blocked in at an early hour and people being asleep etc?

Original poster
PonkyPonky · 25/04/2023 16:47

neverknowinglyunreasonable · 25/04/2023 16:43

Assuming the exit is at the top of your diagram (great diagram by the way) where he is parking would make life easier for his morning commute.

I think asking in person would be nicer than a note but he can park where he likes.

Sorry I should have demonstrated which way the cars are facing. So all facing to the right on the diagram against traffic. So his end would be easier if he went for the end spot nearest him. I agree talking face to face would be better but we never ever bump into him and I’m not 100% sure if he lives at number 5 or 6. I’m also a little bit scared of a face to face conversation as we don’t know him having never met, what if he’s terrifying?! (I know, I’m a wimp)

OP posts:
MsWhitworth · 25/04/2023 16:47

It’s probably because he can reverse out easily. Annoying but he’s not doing anything wrong.

Kay286 · 25/04/2023 16:48

Can’t you park your car once he leaves … then try and leave it for a few days so he has to find an alternative spot !

Original poster
PonkyPonky · 25/04/2023 16:49

Kay286 · 25/04/2023 16:48

Can’t you park your car once he leaves … then try and leave it for a few days so he has to find an alternative spot !

I’ve done that a few time when I’ve managed to get home before him but I have to leave again eventually and he just goes right back in there

OP posts:
Original poster
PonkyPonky · 25/04/2023 16:53

I should say DH isn’t a wimp like me and is more than willing to have a polite chat with him about it but the only times he’s ever seen him out the window he’s been on work calls and can’t just run out to catch him. The guy seems to leave for work before us and get home before us so we aren’t likely to bump into him naturally

OP posts:
SarahAndQuack · 25/04/2023 16:55

Mmm. It's not very neighbourly of him, but hard to know what to say that wouldn't come across as nit-picky.

My neighbour prefers her visitors to park their cars in front of my house rather than her own; at some point when we'd recently moved I parked my car in front of her window and she came out and asked me to move it because 'it blocks my TV signal'. Hmm Grin She must think I'm a right idiot if I believe that.

LittleLegsKeepGoing · 25/04/2023 16:56

My guess is that once too often he's been hemmed in by other people parking and because of the time of day he needs to leave has opted to take the end space routinely.

Our neighbours always purposefully hem in my car for reasons utterly unknown to me so I'll always opt for the space where I'm guaranteed to not have a car in front/behind me irrespective of who's house I'm parking in front of. It's not so much of an issue now, but when I was on call for my dad being blocked in and needing to drive at 3am was not fair.

WhatATimeToBeAlive · 25/04/2023 16:57

It's annoying and would really rattle my cage, but unfortunately there's not much you can do about it.

Nordicrain · 25/04/2023 16:58

Perhaps he is doing it to avoid getting blcoked in. In either case, he isn't doing anything wrong legally, you don't own the road outside your house. park in front of his seems the obvious solution.

Saucery · 25/04/2023 16:58

Another one to say it’s to prevent being blocked in. I do it at work (road is between the sides of houses so I’m not parking ‘in front’ of anyone’s house). People park like dicks and leave me no room so I park at either end so I can get out.
He’s probably being considerate in that he doesn’t want to have to knock on doors early when he leaves to go to work.

TheFlis12345 · 25/04/2023 16:59

He is perfectly entitled to park there but it would confuse and irritate the hell out of me too OP!

We have a neighbour who can park both his cars on his drive side by side easily but only ever parks one there and the other in one of the limited spaces on the street. It baffles me and most of the street hate him for it!

Original poster
PonkyPonky · 25/04/2023 17:02

I agree that the only plausible explanation is to avoid being blocked in but he can achieve that at his end of the row as well. And I will say that I have never once seen anyone park so close here that anyone would be blocked in. Everyone else parks really considerately and leaves enough space for other cars to get out. They also all follow the unspoken rules about parking by your own house. I know it’s not illegal but it’s so annoying and I’d like to figure out a nice way of sorting it out if possible. It wouldn’t be an issue at all if it was the only available space when he got home, but he’s choosing it, every single bloody day

OP posts:
Whatabouteverything · 25/04/2023 17:02

If you're just bringing shopping in I'd stop on the double yellows a centimetre or 2 from his bumper - run the shopping in and then park. I know that's annoying too (and no doubt the pedantic mumsnetters will tell me off for being illegal) but it saves you the longer walk.

I'd also put a note on his car since you can't seem to catch him for a chat- an EXTREMELY polite one- explaining you've tried to catch him for a chat and could he knock on/phone you when he gets a chance. I think if you could hear why he does it then it might stop you being annoyed and he also might not even realise he's causing you some inconvenience. He can legally park there of course but its nice to be neighbourly.

MsWhitworth · 25/04/2023 17:05

Where’s the other end of this line of cars? Outside number 6?

MrsCarson · 25/04/2023 17:10

Maybe his family are disturbed from sleep when he starts the car to leave early, so he's parked away to bother another family instead.

Tessasanderson · 25/04/2023 17:10

Idiots parking too close to bumpers making it difficult to get out. Idiots parking too far away wasting spaces. Not wanting to have the hastle of manouvering out of a space.

Various reasons but my guess is he just likes to drive in and drive out and because he arrives when the space is available this is his RIGHT. You have zero reason to begrudge it. Buy a house with a space if you want to guarentee your parking

maddiemookins16mum · 25/04/2023 17:14

It’s so he can pull straight away of an (early) morning and not get hemmed in.
It would annoy me too.

Dishwashy · 25/04/2023 17:22

So what do you do OP - do you go straight for parking in front of 5, or do you take space 2 or 3 if available?

Original poster
PonkyPonky · 25/04/2023 17:24

MsWhitworth · 25/04/2023 17:05

Where’s the other end of this line of cars? Outside number 6?

Then it becomes a dropped kerb for someone’s driveway. So no cars parked there on the road then after that begins another row of parked cars on the road

OP posts: