People with driveways parking on the street

[Hellskitchen24]

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?

Shes not hyper obsessed - you know exactly what I mean and it is true. Hyper obsession is one of the first signs of dementia - it can be money, parking, various other triggers. It is generally always in older people and I work in this field so I know what I'm talking about.

This selfish attitude really winds me up. YANBU.
My NDN has a driveway and 4 cars yet they never use it and aways park across their own dropped kerb and half across ours. It makes it really difficult to get on and off our drive due to the lay out and busy road. They’ve blocked us in several times and get arsey when we tell them to move. We’ve reported it but nothing gets done. There is plenty of parking available further down but they chose to park there.
I think you should put a note on their car or through the door asking to use their drive due to being pregnant and never being able to park near your house. If they say no I’d start being petty and find someone with an old car to block their driveway with. Can you get a lift to work for a while or public transport so you can leave your car for a week. Theres too much selfishness in the world these days, they may not be breaking any laws but they are affecting others for no good reason and deserve karma.

OP is the one watching the neighbours, they just parking their car, you said this obsession is the beginning of dementia

Just a tip- start parking across your own dropped kerb/further towards their side so they can't do it and maybe do what you've said to OP and park an old car there (as long as its taxed and insured etc) til they give up. They sound like entitled twats. If they blocked me in even once I'd be parking across their drive.

They are also watching her and moving their car at 6 30am off their drive onto the road. She is going about normal life. You are being pedantic and ridiculous- possibly you're the neighbour.

and doing a thread about it

Definitely the neighbour.

Given that OP is having to park 3 streets away, it sounds like there is a big problem with parking in the area so the neighbours with the driveway have probably been blocked in so many times that they can't risk using their driveway. Even fit people in their 70s need to get out for appointments; perhaps they were blocked in when they needed out for a doctor's appointment. They are parking legally and even if they did use their driveway it's almost certain that someone else would take the space.

Are they renting their drive out on JustPark or similar?

Totally agree.

Perhaps it's me, because I understand on MN people freak out at strangers asking a question.

But here, I would be like, hi, I am neighbours from x, parking is such a nightmare just now. I wondered if I could use your drive seeing as you like to park on street?

Worst case, the strangers you never talk to say NO.

Best case, they say oh yes, we are struggling with x, y, z. This is why we do that. The birds poop all over the car and I hate the reverse out. Whatever.

As has been said on here several times, if you have so little driving skill(s) that you can't get on and off your own driveway, you shouldn't be driving. 'I can't get on and off my driveway because it's difficult' is a rubbish reason for parking on the road and getting in peoples way. Learn to drive properly!

Again, these people' clearly can't drive properly! They need their driving licence revoking!

@BatchCookBabe absolutely true. But for the sake of resolving OP issue, if that's the reason. They might let her use it.

The irony of your post is breathtaking! Can you not see that you are adding to the problem that you're complaining about! 🤦 Give me strength!

I am wondering if they find it difficult to get in and out of the driveway.

That’s unnecessarily harsh. There is logic in @Youbutterbelieve ’s post, she’s doing the logical and only possible thing given the circumstances. It’s not her fault that the very thing that solves her problem is the thing that exacerbates other people’s problems. The real issue is that the roads aren’t wide enough / people have too many cars / cars have become too big etc. It’s not an irony. It’s an unintended consequence of one or more of the above. You see this all the time in logistics. I think you should reign yourself in a bit.

I have a driveway.

I always park my car on my driveway, but my children's Nanny (who comes to our house everyday) parks on the public road.

A neighbour must have noticed the frequency of her visits, as I soon got a note on my car saying I should double park across my drive as there wasn't enough space for me to have a car visiting my house to park on the road.

What that person didn't know is that one of my DC has additional needs and is a bolter, and also that the children's Nanny uses my car instead of hers during the day, and needs to be in and out of my driveway.

I put the note in the bin.

You can’t do that it’s free parking on the street, you have no right to do that. Go buy a house with a driveway.

It is annoying. People are ridiculous when it comes to parking. Next time I move, driveway and parking is a must.

My neighbour is disabled and has a blue badge, our road has 2 disabled spaces. Guess where she parks? Literally anywhere but the spaces that only she can park in!!!
She's actually said to me 'I leave them free for disabled' when she is the only disabled person, she thinks she's doing people a favour?!

Sometimes I don't park on my drive because we have a problem with dog shit being left and I'm not dragging it into my driveway. I do however park over the drive so as not to use up any other space.

I wouldn't put a note through the door but I would try to get on friendly terms with this couple by nodding and saying hello now and then, and one day stop for a proper chat. 'I've been meaning to ask: do you have a problem parking in your driveway? Is it hard turning in or getting out or something? I'm asking because it's quite hard to find a parking space in this road, and it would be so helpful if you could use your own drive to leave an extra space free for those of us without driveways...' I wouldn't stand waiting for answer if they look taken off guard, but smile and go on your way and hope the message sinks in.

The first time i ever my my (rude) neighbour opposite was over a parking dispute that had obviously been rattling her for weeks.

She has a driveway of sorts that her poor hen pecked husband struggles to park on every night because he is an atrocious driver.

She very aggressively knocked on my door at 10pm once, woke up my toddler, and told me I was blocking her in.

I wasn't, my car was on my driveway, and the car that was blocking her in (which I could have parked a tank around) was visiting a house about 6 doors up.

Instead of apologising, she snarled that "I have a drive, and I should use it" (I was 🤷‍♀️). And then flounced off. And now she blanks me entirely when I'm stood 2ft away from her.

I'd suggest if you do say something to your neighbours, you don't do it like that.

Maybe they don’t like a car right outside their front window.

If it annoys you now, it's going to annoy you even more when you are bringing a newborn baby in and out! I wouldn't leave a note. Everyone hates a passive aggressive note. Try and have a friendly word at some point, maybe as pp suggested ask if you can use their drive? If you come at it with the angle of "I've noticed you don't use your drive, would you mind me using it at all please? As I'm going to struggle parking several streets away with a new baby. No problem if not, just wanted to ask" and then they may either a) start using their drive b) let you use it or c) explain their reasoning behind what they are doing.

@Hellskitchen24 did anyone miss the traditional explanatory drawing on this post???