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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think you don't park on the drive?

64 replies

sunshine080 · 11/12/2023 11:53

I don't know if this is just a me thing or not so I'm posting here for opinion.

If you were to go to someone's house who you know has two cars, one of which is not on the drive when you arrive, would you park on there without the person telling you to? As in, would you think "the other car might arrive while I'm there and want to park on the drive" or would you not give it any thought? For context, there is on street parking right outside of the house.

DP's barber and our cleaner do this and it's really irritating when I/DP have only popped out to the shop.

YABU - I'd park on the drive because why should I have to park on the road
YANBU - I would assume the other car might be coming back while I was there and would leave the space for them

OP posts:
ManateeFair · 11/12/2023 12:52

who you know has two cars

I doubt your barber or cleaner, both of whom will have numerous other clients they visit every day, will be keeping a careful mental tally of how many cars each and every household has. Get a grip.

ConstantRain · 11/12/2023 13:05

I wouldn't have an issue with this but dh would be slightly annoyed. Some people are weirdly territorial

madaboutmad · 11/12/2023 13:11

I find it strange when we have deliveries and they DON'T park on our driveway. I've asked them why not and apparently people get upset when vans pull onto driveways. I think that's odd, but we're all different.

ActDottie · 11/12/2023 13:12

If there’s on street parking I probably wouldn’t but if there was no on street parking I probably would.

Primefungus · 11/12/2023 13:16

A driveway us a place specifically designed to park a car on. Of course I would park in it when visiting the house- that's what it's for! If you don't want people visiting you to park there then you need to talk them as they clearly don't realise how odd you are!!

JustWimpy · 11/12/2023 13:18

It's safer for other road users if cars are parked on a drive rather than on the street. They are causing no obstruction that way. It seems odd to want people to take up space on the road when the drive is free and probably won't be needed while they are there.

Neriah · 11/12/2023 13:27

Slightly off topic, but near us there is a woman who has a huge "PLEASE DO NOT PARK ACROSS MY DRIVE" affixed to her closed gate. She NEVER parks on her drive. She parks across the pavement, literally her bonnet almost touching the gate and her boot level with the edge of the pavement/ road. This forces everyone into the road. For the last two months I have taken to DAILY slapping a notice on her car trhat says "PLEASE DON'T PARK ACROSS OUR PAVEMENT - IT IS ILLEGAL AND FORCES PEOPLE, PRAMS AND MOBILITY SCOOTERS INTO THE ROAD". She has not yet got the hint.

PianPianPiano · 11/12/2023 13:34

I don't think I'd park on the drive actually - I'm used to people generally telling me where to park ("there's plenty of parking on the street/just use our drive, we'll leave you space") or if they didn't, and there was no space on the street I would use the drive but would check it was ok when I knocked or ask them to suggest somewhere else I could park. This goes for whether I'm a customer/employee/friend/family member).

Elfontheshmelf · 11/12/2023 13:37

I don't see the issue.

Allthingsdecember · 11/12/2023 13:38

We usually move a car to make room for whoever is coming to park on the drive. That’s standard, isn’t it?

Bundtbake · 11/12/2023 13:40

@StarlightLime
Ha ha 🤣

afaloren · 11/12/2023 13:41

I visit homes in the community for work and never park on the drive unless invited to. But at my house I expect people to park on the drive because it’s large, we only have one car, and there’s no on-street parking.

Sirian · 11/12/2023 13:41

If we have a visitor coming I purposely park my car on the street so they can park more easily on the drive. Wouldn’t want them turning up and not being able to get a spot!

Starseeking · 11/12/2023 13:45

I'd park on the drive, and always expect visitors/tradesmen to park on the drive too.

In fact I actively move my car to park on the road if I have someone coming to carry out works as road spaces on my street are in high demand (and I am one of the lucky few who have a driveway).

When I first moved to my road, I received an anonymous note stating that any visitors I have should double park across my car so that I wasn't taking up an extra space 🙄🙄🙄

I've also had another neighbour write a note and leave it for someone else outside my house pretending to be me; luckily I intercepted it before the recipient read it.

People behave very strangely in relation to parking in this country.

Catza · 11/12/2023 13:52

I would expect my visitors to park on my drive if there was space and no prior arrangement was made for them not to. If you don't want them to park there, all you need to do is use your words. They have no way of knowing if you popped round to shops for 5 minutes or left on a six-months-long international voyage. They are not clairvoyants.

LolaSmiles · 11/12/2023 13:54

When I used to do home visits for work I used to park on the street and found that midwives, health visitors and other people on work duties typically did the same when visiting me.

Friends and family I'd expect to park on the drive unless I said otherwise. It's silly to have cars in the street and a half empty drive.

DRS1970 · 11/12/2023 13:56

First world problems...

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 11/12/2023 13:59

I’d have thought it was the other way around - if someone is coming to your house, especially to do a job for you, you make sure they have somewhere to park. If you are the householder know parking is in short supply, then you vacate the drive for visitors.

novhange · 11/12/2023 13:59

YABU. My street has free parking and I still always move my car from our drive to make space for visitors and tradies.

People seem to have lost basic respect these days.

novhange · 11/12/2023 14:00

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 11/12/2023 13:59

I’d have thought it was the other way around - if someone is coming to your house, especially to do a job for you, you make sure they have somewhere to park. If you are the householder know parking is in short supply, then you vacate the drive for visitors.

Totally agree. OP is acting like she’s doing her visitors a favour by having them round.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 11/12/2023 14:03

What I think you don’t do is park across someone’s drive and block anyone in or out

okthenwhat · 11/12/2023 14:04

I'd park on the drive so I'm not blocking the street.

I have to admit my friends and family never parked on the drive or the visitor bays in our estate (despite the visitor bays only being 10 metres away if that and friends and family perfectly capable of walking), and instead blocked the road/path despite being asked to park on the drive and it annoyed me. It was really inconsiderate of our neighbours.

ChiefWiggumsBoy · 11/12/2023 14:42

I would park on the drive if it was a close relative. I would expect any visitor of mine to park on the drive but probably wouldn't myself if I didn't know the person well.

fuckityfuckityfuckfuck · 11/12/2023 14:56

Our cleaner parks on the drive. I frequently get home before she's finished and just park on the road and move the car on to the drive once she's gone.

villamariavintrapp · 11/12/2023 15:10

So basically there's lots of good reasons to park on the drive and lots of good reasons not to. You're certainly not 'overly considerate' though for insisting that everyone leaves the best spot for you, in case you've just nipped out!