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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

People with driveways parking on the street

232 replies

Hellskitchen24 · 24/01/2025 14:05

I live in a long row of terraces. Most roads are terraced here, as I live in a fairly working class town. This means that the only people with driveways are the end of the terraces. I live a few doors down from the end.

My neighbour has in the last 6 months or so decided to mostly stop using their driveway. It’s a relatively fit retired couple. They probably only use the car a handful of times per week, and instead park it on the road outside our houses. They’ve got this thing now where on the odd occasion they do have it on their drive, as soon as the person moves from the space outside our house, they are up and put their car on it. Even if that’s at the crack of dawn; I’ve seen them peering out at the window at 6:30am, on the rare occasion I’ve got that space and I leave for work. They will be loitering by the door waiting for me to leave.

I don’t quite understand the logic. They are only one of two houses on the street with two dedicated parking spaces, with a perfectly wide accessible drive. I get back quite late at night from work and have to park several streets away when I’m heavily pregnant. So admittedly it does wind me up a bit seeing their empty driveway while all the other residents struggle to park. I know legally they are doing nothing wrong at all. But would I be unreasonable to put a note through their door asking them to possibly use their perfectly accessible driveway to free up more space for the majority who don’t have off road parking?

OP posts:
Drollie · 24/01/2025 14:07

Do people block them in?

DustyLee123 · 24/01/2025 14:07

I wouldn’t bother with a note. Like you say, they aren’t doing anything wrong , they are just selfish.
i wonder if they get parked in, and that’s why?

THisbackwithavengeance · 24/01/2025 14:08

I would ask them face to face if they needed any help guiding their car into their drive given that they are lucky enough to have a drive to park and that you are surprised they choose to park on the street given the congestion.

LittleRedRidingHoody · 24/01/2025 14:09

I'd assume someone blocked them in once or twice and they're making sure they can always get out!

MumChp · 24/01/2025 14:09

They are legally doing nothing wrong? Why the note?

Dandylione · 24/01/2025 14:11

This is one of those things where it is totally understandable that you're annoyed but you really can't do anything about it. We have a neighbour with three cars (and nobody on our road has a driveway). It's vaguely irritating that they take up a lot of the spaces but there it is.

icouldholditwithacobweb · 24/01/2025 14:11

Or you could just ask them if you could use their driveway since you're heavily pregnant and struggling and they deliberately prevent you from parking on the street.

Starryknightcloud · 24/01/2025 14:14

I was wondering this about my road (all double driveways) during the cold spell the other week. Would have been nicer to drive down the frozen street without doing a slalom run around all the parked cars.

MargaretThursday · 24/01/2025 14:16

I'd presume that if they did until about 6 months ago then they have a valid reason for not doing so now.
Maybe a carer who comes during the day or something.

As you leave for work at 6.30am, you don't really know what's going on during the day do you?
I mean dh WFH most of the time and doesn't look out of the window enough (the window he works out of points onto the road) to know neighbours visitors/routines etc, so if you are out of the house all day you have even less opportunity to spy on them.

goingdownfighting · 24/01/2025 14:17

Perhaps they are finding it difficult to get in and out of their drive.

Bignanna · 24/01/2025 14:17

MumChp · 24/01/2025 14:09

They are legally doing nothing wrong? Why the note?

They’re inconsiderate!

RandomMess · 24/01/2025 14:18

Park in front of the driveway if they are parked on the road and leave a note on their car asking for a chat.

Bignanna · 24/01/2025 14:19

goingdownfighting · 24/01/2025 14:17

Perhaps they are finding it difficult to get in and out of their drive.

Shouldn’t be driving then! OP- a polite note is the way to go. If that annoys them, then they are selfish and inconsiderate.m

Bakedpotatoes · 24/01/2025 14:20

Why don't you see if you can use their driveway and they park outside your house? Seems like a win win if they don't like using it? I would ask them.

CrestWhite · 24/01/2025 14:21

Although this is peak having too much time in your hands behaviour, they are entitled to park on the road as much as anybody else.

If you want a parking space, you should buy a house with one, this behaviour is likely trying to get a rise out of people.

ChonkyRabbit · 24/01/2025 14:21

Very selfish but they obviously know that. They can't have missed that there aren't enough spaces on the street and they have deliberately chosen to take one. I don't think a note will make any difference.

SarahAndQuack · 24/01/2025 14:21

Bignanna · 24/01/2025 14:19

Shouldn’t be driving then! OP- a polite note is the way to go. If that annoys them, then they are selfish and inconsiderate.m

Why on earth shouldn't they be driving?!

I agree with PP that the OP wouldn't be rude to ask them, given she's pregnant, but they're not doing anything wrong and obviously they're doing it for a reason, aren't they?

Onlyonekenobe · 24/01/2025 14:22

THisbackwithavengeance · 24/01/2025 14:08

I would ask them face to face if they needed any help guiding their car into their drive given that they are lucky enough to have a drive to park and that you are surprised they choose to park on the street given the congestion.

It's not luck, they waited and paid for a house with a driveway!

What makes you think they need help driving onto their own driveway? Would you actually be prepared to give it? So passive aggressive. Nasty.

timetobegin · 24/01/2025 14:23

I would imagine it’s so their visitors can park on the driveway.

CherryFlan · 24/01/2025 14:23

But if parking is so much in-demand that you have to park several streets away then whether their single car is parked on the street or off-street parking is going to make bugger-all difference. When they move their car the space won't remain free and available for your convenience!

TallulahBetty · 24/01/2025 14:23

I agree with you, OP, but be prepared to be flamed by some.

Hellskitchen24 · 24/01/2025 14:24

MargaretThursday · 24/01/2025 14:16

I'd presume that if they did until about 6 months ago then they have a valid reason for not doing so now.
Maybe a carer who comes during the day or something.

As you leave for work at 6.30am, you don't really know what's going on during the day do you?
I mean dh WFH most of the time and doesn't look out of the window enough (the window he works out of points onto the road) to know neighbours visitors/routines etc, so if you are out of the house all day you have even less opportunity to spy on them.

They don’t have carers. They are fairly fit looking, probably 70 odd.

I don’t “spy” on anyone. I work three long days a week, which means I’m home the other 4. My front room overlooks the street, and subsequently their car. I am looking at it now from the sofa as I’m on a day off - it hardly ever moves!

OP posts:
PowerTulle · 24/01/2025 14:24

Drollie · 24/01/2025 14:07

Do people block them in?

I thought this too. We are constantly getting blocked in our drive during the day by inconsiderate drivers. My DC has multiple medical appointments during the week so I often can’t risk parking in my own drive in case we can’t get to them.

Jackiepumpkinhead · 24/01/2025 14:25

I find this so baffling and have the same experience down my road. One person has a drive way large enough for about 3 cars, they park one car on it, with at least 2 wheels on the pavement. Their other two cars are parked opposite my drive, making it hard for me to get out. Of course, they aren’t doing anything illegal, just incredibly annoying and weird!

KimberleyClark · 24/01/2025 14:25

We have two cars, we keep one on the driveway and DH’s on the road outside our 1930s semi. We could theoretically park both on the drive but the house next door has been extended right up to the boundary of our drive and if we drove up between the two houses there would be insufficient space to open the door to get out. The driveway is just too narrow for modern cars.

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