Parking outside someone's house

[Moonpye]

We have space for one car on our drive and there is then a roadside parking bay outside our house that will take 4 cars if sensibly parked. We have two cars so if those 4 bays are full I sometimes have to go a bit further away to get a space. This happened today so I drove round to the street behind us where there is a roadside bay outside a row of terraced houses, very similar to the one outside our house. These houses don't have their own driveways though. I'd just parked and a lady came out and asked me not to park in that bay as it is for the houses in that row and her disabled husband needs to park there. I was nice about it and ended up moving because I couldn't be bothered with drama and I do get that it's annoying as the same thing had just happened to me ie someone parked in bay outside my house. But AIBU to think that anyone can park outside anyone else's house if it's on street and there are no restrictions? And I had no less right to 'their' space than others have to the one outside my house?

I don't think it's rude to park outside someone's house, in my opinion it's rude and entitled to think you can ask someone not to park in a space you don't own or rent. I do think you did the right thing if the husband is actually disabled, that's just being a decent human.

My street won’t allow disabled parking for this reason. Our neighbour applied as she’s not very mobile anymore and has a blue badge, but she says it was rejected because it’d make the generally accessible parking too sparse.

You were fine to park there, if her husband needs a disabled space he should apply to the council for one. People are really weird about parking, you'd think if they were that bothered they would live somewhere with a driveway

Public road, free for all parking!!!

You're entitled to think there is some unwritten rule!

Disabled bays are REALLY difficult to obtain. My 95 year-old grandfather spent 5 years applying for one and getting rejected because he could walk a small number of steps with a walking aid.

You can park where you want although like you if someone came our and started talking about a disabled family member I'd probably move. Although in reality if he is disabled she can get the council to paint a disabled space onto the road.

I don’t understand why some people think moving was the “polite” or “morally right” thing to do. You shouldn’t have given up your spot just because someone with an unjustified sense of entitlement demanded it. Personally, I might have moved too, but not out of politeness,only to avoid conflict. I’d feel like I was being a mug, though. I would have made it clear that they need to apply for a designated disabled space, and if they don’t, I’d park there next time. Otherwise, they keep believing that they should be able to park in front of their house and they are the only ones with a disability. You could have had your own issues too.

Yes legally you could have parked there but you did the right thing to move and do the kind considerate thing. Especially if her husband was disabled if they'd had to park elsewhere because of you it could have caused them a lot of issues. On my street we have a unwritten rule not to park outside others houses

TBH if there's designated parking across from a row of houses without their own drives then it's fairly obvious those spaces were designed with those houses in mind. While there's no laws against parking there, it's probably not the best choice unless actually visiting those houses or living there.

You can park there. I’d be the same and just move though. I know people who don’t even have cars and get wound up about this sort of thing. Then I had an ex who always wanted to park outside my house but like yours it had one driveway space and neighbour was the same. The neighbour used to sometimes be outside our house and he’d go off about it to me. Just to be clear…my neighbours were such a wonderful lovely family. I was so lucky to have them. I lived on my own and knew that if I had an issue I could knock their door. Definitely didn’t tell them to move.

with the disability thing I guess that could be an issue but if it’s that desperately needed they can always apply for it to be made into a designated spot

Jesus does everything have to be so over thought. She came and asked you politely not to park there, you was happy to move - just a everyday human interaction.

When we moved into our house, my new to me next door neighbour was moaning about the man opposite parking outside his house because “When my son visits he can’t park outside our house” Fast forward six months, her other son that lives there got a car and continually parked outside ours. Double standards or what?🙄

Everyone saying get a disabled bay…it’s not that simple though. We have a child in a wheelchair and 4 years on even with local councillor etc on it it’s still not done. You are right you can park there but you were very kid and moved so well done. It can be a nightmare parking outside your own house sometimes

This doesn’t help I know, but I really feel all new houses should have at least 2 parking spots per property, not many people have 1 car or less and just causes social unease.

Our council states 1.5 car spaces per house on a recent development of 2 and 3 bed properties. Street parking is not really viable either. Ultimately, government wants cars off the road but the majority of families need 2 wages and that often means two cars. Then the kids grow and get a car but can’t afford to move out.

Yeah that unwritten rule is not a rule. It's an agreement amongst a small group of people. If it's a public road it's irrelevant what a small group of people want to do

And what if the OP had been driving around for 15 min and there were no other spaces to park?