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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:
GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 24/01/2025 14:54

I would ask them about it, politely, face to face. Definitely no notes.

Can you ask them if you can park in their driveway if they don’t want to?

PooHeads · 24/01/2025 14:54

I have exactly this situation on my road too! The selfishness drives me bonkers! Nothing we can do but I completely empathise with you OP!

Reducesaltpls · 24/01/2025 14:54

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Theextraordinaryisintheordinary · 24/01/2025 14:55

Maybe they’re leaving their drive free for guests or disabled visitors?

CrystalBall101 · 24/01/2025 14:56

I don't park on my drive ever because I get blocked in all the bloody time by amazon van and people parking for the school/shop near me. Main time I use my car is for school run so I need to be able to get out!

ArcticBells · 24/01/2025 15:00

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.

I like this idea!

Same happens in my street OP so I'm totally sympathetic to you

Hellskitchen24 · 24/01/2025 15:01

Theextraordinaryisintheordinary · 24/01/2025 14:55

Maybe they’re leaving their drive free for guests or disabled visitors?

How many guests would one person have in a week that they would need to keep their drive free at all times? I certainly don’t see people going into their house constantly, nor a stream of guests using their drive.

OP posts:
fairyup · 24/01/2025 15:02

An old neighbour used to do this. Her drive was fairly narrow and she had simply lost her confidence in getting onto it.

She did kindly let me use her drive instead.

Could something like this be the reason?

steff13 · 24/01/2025 15:02

ChocHotolate · 24/01/2025 14:34

Ask them if you can park on their drive as they’re not using it any more 🤣

I would do this. Why not knock on the door and say "hey I'm pregnant and I'm finding when I come back late at night I have to park several streets away and walk, would it be possible for me to park on your driveway?"

GasPanic · 24/01/2025 15:05

Maybe they find it difficult getting off their drive with all the parked cars around.

Or maybe they had a medical emergency once and were blocked in.

PeppyGreenFinch · 24/01/2025 15:05

I would speak to them rather than leave a note, as tone is hard to get right in a note.

I do these kinds of things (asking for people to do or not to do something) when I’m all suited and booted for work as people tend to be more receptive when I’m confident but reasonable.

Trumptonagain · 24/01/2025 15:07

But would I be unreasonable to put a note through their door asking them to possibly use their perfectly accessible driveway

Have you thought about writing a note asking if you could possibly 'rent' their driveway being as they don't use it?

thescandalwascontained · 24/01/2025 15:09

They may have carers/cleaners/etc coming in.

And ..... it's none of your business.

They are parking legally. As are you.

SapphireSeptember · 24/01/2025 15:09

Got some people like this down my road. They park over the sodding path despite having an big driveway with gates. I may have bumped my pram into their car a few times... <whistles>

GasPanic · 24/01/2025 15:09

They obviously have some motivation for behaving the way they do.

After all most people want to park on their own drive for a variety of reasons.

I think you need to figure out what that motivation is.

Isobel201 · 24/01/2025 15:10

Its simply baffling that if nobody is blocking them in and that part of the road nobody parks there, then why are they not using their driveway. Yes its technically legal, but they need to think about their other neighbours without driveways and how busy the road is.

Goody2ShoesAndTheFilthyBeast · 24/01/2025 15:12

I'd go over there and say I'd noticed they weren't using their drive and I wondered if they might consider renting it to me so I could park near my house because I'm finding it a bit difficult being heavily pregnant. No problem if not, I just thought it doesn't hurt to ask.

BBQPete · 24/01/2025 15:12

Another who would ask them (F2F) if I could park on their drive when I get in from work, as they don't seem to like using it.

WombatChocolate · 24/01/2025 15:14

It’s tough luck.

Even if they parked on their driveway, you’d be unlikely to get the space as parking is at a premium and someone else will nab it before you do.

There is likely a reason why they do this….they have had people park making it hard to get out if their drive way, or they have visitors or they find driving into the drive more tricky as they get older. It is ultimately their choice. You are both equally entitled to park outside your house or their house, as is anyone else. People with drives don’t have to use them.

Yes, in some ways it might be selfish, especially if there is t a reason why they can’t park on their own driveway. But owning a driveway gives them choices you simply dont have without one.

The idea about notes asking them not to, or if you can use their drive….no, don’t do this. They aren’t doing anything wrong. And action they might take can’t be guaranteed to benefit you, as the space on the road is public property and it might not be vacant for either of you. It really is first come, first served, and if they are first come, they get served, regardless of how much drive space.

It’s tough luck and one of the annoying things about living on a busy road without off road parking, where just a couple of people do have parking.

FranticFrankie · 24/01/2025 15:16

I’d be so envious of their lovely wide drive; would they loan it out? Only half joking - I’d be tempted to ask if I could borrow it when really desperate! Are they nice people??

One of my neighbours always has to have the same spot outside the house; he’s very cross if someone else is there!
I park wherever I can - just not in his spot 😉

BrownieBlondie01 · 24/01/2025 15:16

I agree with you OP, my parents' neighbour is like this, although she does park on her driver overnight mostly.

Luckily it's a much bigger road so parking is not an issue like it is in a row of terraces, but during the day, if any one of us parks outside her house, she will always park outside my parents' house if it's free. It's like retaliation, even though her drive is empty 😂

OldTinHat · 24/01/2025 15:16

I love in a road of terraces near a town centre. People grab every space they can in the road I live in because its the nearest one without parking restrictions.

I have a marked disabled bay but everyone parks in it as soon as I move my car!

Could you perhaps leave a note for your neighbour, saying you've noticed they don't use their drive, could you park your car there instead?

thehorsesareallidiots · 24/01/2025 15:18

If you have to park three streets away, one couple using their driveway is not going to make a blind bit of difference.

Spaghetticonfetti · 24/01/2025 15:18

YABU. Your pregnancy and no driveway isn’t their problem / concern. They can park where they like - they pay their taxes so why shouldn’t the park (legally) on the road? Some suggestions on here are absolutely bonkers.

Catsandcheese · 24/01/2025 15:19

I understand, OP, we have fairly young next door neighbours with room for 3 cars on their drive. They had 2 but seem to have got a 3rd recently. Since the shiny new car arrived they have been parking one of the other two on the narrow bit of road outside our drive. We can still get out of our driveway but it is just so much harder than it needs to be.
I was away last weekend for a few days and since I have come home they have taken to parking the second car behind their first, making it doubly harder for us to get out.
We have had some problems with them since they moved in, as they have a husky dog they keep outside in all weathers and he is often barking. We have tried talking to them about that but they just ignore us really. The poor dog is lovely and I can calm him down from our side of the hedge just by speaking to him, so why they can't seem to calm him is beyond me.
I fear us asking them to move their cars onto their driveway will just cause a further deterioration in our relationship so I am tying myself in knots trying to get in and out of our drive.
My husband reckons one day he will snap and crash into one of them in his company car, I hope he is only joking! But it is very frustrating and while parking like the OP's neighbour and ours may be legal it is not helpful to the rest of the neighbours.

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