AIBU to ask neighbour to park car elsewhere? Diagram!

[DinoNuggetsRUs]

So I have never had a drive before and idk whether I'm being unreasonable.
My house is on a residential road - there's no through road, I'm not sure whether this would be classed as a cul de sac?
Anyway, my house and drive is right on the corner of where the road angles off and the neighbours been parking their van directly opposite my drive, blocking their own drive in. They have 3 cars/vans and we have 2. So they park 2 on their drive and one on the road opposite my drive.
While not impossible, it makes it really awkward for me to reverse out in the morning. I'm a bit of a crap driver and I've already accidentally reversed into one of their cars and we've only lived here 3 months. It cost me a fortune to fix but they were really great about it.
I'm not sure whether it would be unreasonable to ask them to park a little further up? They seem like really reasonable and kind people but I guess it's not their fault I'm shit at reversing. I essentially have to do a ten point turn to get out.

Good luck OP! I have a similar set up and it's FAB once you master reversing onto your own drive (much easier not to hit anything and you will get used to the manoevre very quickly). Reversing into parking spaces makes life sooo much easier!

@CantHoldMeDown

yeah those ones like campervans have!!

years ago I used to drive a Land Rover Discovery (work vehicle) before that style of vehicle was very common & people would park too close to be able to open the doors without dinging their cars so very often I'd just get in through the boot & climb through! I was much younger with bendy knees in those days- thank god!!

I'm not sure where else they would park tbh. If they were to kindly move it may end up frustrating to another neighbour as from the diagram it looks like they will end up with a van parked outside their kitchen/living room which isn't the best site when it is avoidable. As per previous posters just best to practice that reverse.

Going against the grain here- they really shouldn’t be parked on the bend!

@CantHoldMeDown

i know I can't change the laws of physics and yes ideally I reverse in & drive out of spaces, but if I'm at the supermarket I don't.

in 40 years of driving, this has caused zero problems.

mines only a Ford Ficus, I'm just precious! 🤣🤣

thankfully I get most of my shopping delivered (Tesco- can't praise them enough!!) and my newly tarmacked Waitrose is a joy to park at, so thankfully don't shop with the masses either!!)

I think “the grain” is more interested in oneupmanship and making it feel good about itself rather than providing the OP with support and advice

Eh? I'm saying you not hitting folk is as much them avoiding you as you avoiding them. 🫣

Eh?

There's no harm in asking! Just be really polite. I'm sure if they knew you were having problems they'd move the van along a bit

this

HRTFT, but for all those posters telling you to reverse in and drive off your drive - take the advice with a pinch of salt. I have a similar parking situation (but on a straight bit before the bend), and exiting forward is far more difficult than reversing.

Generally, most cars are more maneuverable in reverse gear so if you're struggling to reverse off then you'll likely struggle even more to drive off forwards. Practice will help, but also asking your neighbours to help (they, and you, sound like reasonable people) might help. Good luck.

This simply isn't true in most scenarios.

Come on... people park in front of their driveways all the time!

It may be incorrect per the Highway Code, but who's going to be that asshole, denouncing their new neighbours, when it's common practice?

OP likes her neighbours and doesn't want to ruffle any feathers.

OP, I would agree with all those advising you reverse into your driveway! You'll be a dab hand at it before you know it.

Your situation is almost exactly the same as mine and I am also a little low on confidence when it comes to moving backwards!! 😂 Neighbour parks their van at the end of our drive so its tight, but not impossible, to reverse on and off. Given practice I now know the angle I need to take to get out so its no longer a problem. However, easier for me was learning to (as others have suggested) reverse on to my driveway and then I can just drive out which is tons easier!!! As others have said, I suggest practicing reversing on and off your own driveway, as I did (on a very quiet Sunday morning) and now can do it with my eyes closed (although I don't obviously!) Good Luck!

This is very very bad advice. Terrible and dangerous.

A car is much easier to reverse when the engine is running and warmed up.
It is always easier to drive off from a cold engine park car moving forwards because your visibility is better, you aren't unnaturally trying to move backwards and manage looking behind you with the coordination of moving a vehicle backwards. All of us are biologically designed to be moving forwards - so it's all much easier.

Not to mention basic safety - if you are driving out of a drive you are at the front of the car so can see anything passing on the pavement to your left or right immediately and with early warning - pedestrians, kids on bikes, prams and so on. If you are revesing out of a drive, you are basically blind to things approaching from the right and left because they are at right angles to the back of the car so you can only really see them when they are in your peripheral vision if you are straining to turn you head to look behind or once they come into view of the wing mirrors.

If you have a closed, one way out parking space (like a drive or in a car park)
It is always better and safer to reverse into a parking space on arrival than do it when you leave.

OP - I would politely explain to the neighbours, why you are asking, just for a little bit of movement out of line of your drive. If they are nice reasonable people they may not have an issue and anyway, definitely agree you should reverse in to your own drive any time you can.

Hope you're doing better OP. If it helps to know, I consider myself a good calm driver but not a great parker. I used to park nose in on my own drive but one day I just practised reversing in. Mentally I struggle with the angles. But now it makes sense to me, and I can always reverse in, which means I can get out no matter what anyone else do. It's worth the short-term pain of getting it right.

You can do this!

If you’re not capable of reversing your car up your drive you shouldn’t be driving. It’s the most basic but necessary skill.

Just a few bits from the internet, as it's easier to C&P...

You might not know this, but cars are more maneuverable when driven in reverse. This means that it’s actually much easier to reverse into a perpendicular parking spot.
This is due to the fact that a car pivots around the wheels that don’t steer. Seeing that a car’s front wheels turn, that means it can execute a tighter turning radius in reverse. Hence, easier maneuverability.

Cars are much more manoeuvrable in reverse. That's why forklifts operating in confined spaces in warehouses steer with the rear wheels.

A car pivots about the wheels that don't steer. This means the car can turn more in a given space. You can get the back in the get the front to follow.
Going forward you can't do this, you need more space as you pretty much need to get the car straight before driving.

A friend of mine hated reversing so much that in a car park she would only park if she could go through one bay into the one in front so she could drive out forward when she left. Honestly she would go round a couple of times or more till she could find the right place. It is easier but not always practical.

You should always drive forwards onto a road, not reverse onto it because of safety reasons. Once you get the hang of it you will wonder why you didn't do it sooner.

Maybe practise somewhere else to get your confidence up. Do not report your nice neighbours despite what others on here say. They will know it's you and you do not want nice neighbours to hate you.

(can't believe you backed in to them when your car has sensors, that made me laugh)

I mean I could copy a few random things and ignore the bigger picture too if you like.....🫣

Just ask him if he can move his van up a bit as you worry you might hit it again. I don't see what difference it will make to him to park a bit further up in front of his house rather than in front of his drive? Surely that would be better anyway as his other cars could get on and off the drive more easily?

An also find a quiet carpark on a Sunday and do lots of reversing practice.

Sorry, what??,

If he's genuinely parked on the corner then that's a big no, especially for a van. He should be at least parking on a straight part of the road.

Being a fabulous reverser while useful isn't the be all and end all, and if he is making it really tight by parking directly on a corner then OP would be within her rights to ask him to move it.