A Parking Aibu?

[ParkingGate]

I live it a close with four houses. There is a residential road outside the close.

Within the close, there are three public parking bays, first come first served. In addition, three houses in the close have one driveway space each, one has two spaces. So in theory, there is enough parking for each of the four houses in the close to use two spaces each.

However, recently people who live outside the close have started parking inside it! So no longer enough parking for houses in the close.

Aibu to find this annoying, and aibu to start using the public spaces if I'm home from work before my partner, so he can use the drive space later (it's not really a 'drive' just one space outside the house). I find it really inconsiderate that people would actually walk from the residential road, when they could park outside their own houses, there is plenty of space there. I can only assume they like the 'security' of parking in the close.

As you said, they're public bays. Anyone can use them

They’re public bays-you can’t complain

Your solution sounds like a sensible one if otherwise you would be in the drive and he would be in the public bays.

But you can park in them.

Public bays - as in literally anyone can use them?

Or belonging to the close?

It's irrelevant that you in live in a close. If you need two parking spots near your house you should have bought a house with a driveway big enough for 2.

I live on a residential road, I can park my car in my drive. If we need another car parked (luckily we don't), then we'd have to compete with others to use the road.

That's normal.

I agree I could use them. I suppose previously we had a 'nice' situation where they were empty for close residents/visitors to use, so I never used them. There is almost always space outside the houses who aren't in the close, so just frustrating that they choose to park here instead.

I guess I need to accept people can do as they wish.

Yes, yes you do.

YANBU to park in one and leave the drive free for your partner.

YABU to be annoyed at people using a public road to park.

No they don't belong to the close, but it's generally a bit inconvenient for anyone outside the close to walk into it, so they never used to use them, plus the layout of the close lends itself to each house using a second bay.

We're not near a school or anything and there's plenty of space on the other road.

I do feel we need a diagram though

If there is a space available on the road take it. Let your partner park in the drive. If its first come first serve then do just that

OK here is the diagram. The public parking spaces are in red. The close is down a little road so it is a bit inconvenient for those inside/outside to park away from their houses. To me it makes sense that the close spaces are used by those living there.

They're not really doing anything wrong but if you all use the public bays first and then second cars take the drive, they'll probably get fed up of coming in to see them full and having to turn around and leave again.

I have a road similar near me (it's a bit bigger as has about 7 houses on it) and they leave notes on cars they recognise from down the road telling them not to park and it's very annoying.

It worked though as I don't park on their public road anymore mainly because I don't want to be named and shamed on the local Facebook page!!

Are you sure there are loads of spaces in the other road? People will usually move heaven and earth to park two feet closer to their door so I find it hard to believe they want to park on your close for security, whatever that means?

We live in a tiny road like this although a few more houses and always have the people from the main road parking there. It's a tad annoying at times but they aren't doing anything wrong. Go with your solution of parking in the bay.