Neighbour complaining about my parking

[nightmareparking]

Diagram attached, it’s shit sorry!

I moved into my flat in October. It’s a block of flats. There is off street parking available, but it’s not allocated to anyone and is on a first come first served basis. Some families have several cars and others, like myself, only have the 1.

Shortly after moving in, I encountered difficulties with parking. I usually finish work later, and by the time I get home, most of the spaces are taken. I began parking on the street adjacent to the flats, but it got damaged in February (likely by a group of kids as other drivers in the village have experienced similar issues). Subsequently, I resumed parking outside the flats again.

Occasionally, I find myself parking on the corner (highlighted) when there are no other spaces available. I understand that reversing past can be challenging for some people, but with careful and slow driving, it is possible. I have done it myself. When I returned home on Sunday, the son of my neighbour approached me and asked if I could avoid parking on the corner because his elderly dad has difficulty reversing past. I apologised and explained that I typically park there because there are often no other spaces available when I get home. I also mentioned that I can no longer park on the street because my car was damaged the last time. He agreed and asked if I could avoid parking there when possible.

I returned home this evening and he approached me again voicing his complaints. I proposed that his dad could park on the corner if that worked better, and I could take his spot (highlighted) at the front. But it seems he wants / needs to park closer to his flat. I’m feeling a bit lost about what to do and he refuses to talk to the other neighbours, even though they have several cars. It feels like I’m being pressured to park on the street. I’m 26 and he’s in his 40s (I know him a little through a friend), which makes me feel a bit intimidated.

Should I just go ahead and park on the street, even if it risks my car getting damaged again? AIBU to park on the corner if there are no other spaces available?

An ambulance is nowhere near as wide or long as a fire engine. We all know roughly how big a fire engine is. We can all estimate if one can get past our car unhindered. So I ask again, could a fire engine get past you unhindered?

Yes the ambulance had to reverse out.

in that case I think we both know the answer to my previous question is no. A fire engine could not get past you unhindered.

@Letmecallyouback why are you being so argumentative? Jeez calm down. I’ve already answered your question as best I can. No need for the interrogation!

But if a fire engine can't get past you, you shouldn't be parking there. Could one get past the other cars?

Just park properly on the actual road.

Are people having to reverse round you, around a bend, onto a road?

Tell the son to talk to some of the families with several cars about getting rid of a car to free up another space for your single car.

I’d just apologise to the neighbour and say it’s your neighbours with several cars that are the issue, and this is inconvenient for you as well. You don’t enjoy parking on the corner, but you need somewhere to park and perhaps he could speak to the neighbours.

Way too sensible for mumsnet

Exactly

that little nugget of info proves that the op is blocking access for a fire engine

Calm down OP

That poster has just confirmed that your parking wouldn’t allow for access by a fire engine

Not far from me is a small square we have to drive round as it’s one way. A few residents park exactly as you have and it’s SO tight getting round. Nothing we can do though as there’s no road markings etc. I’d say just that, unless it’s on a yellow/red line there’s no problem. Drivers just have to be extra careful going around.

How lucky we are that fire engines are big and can quite easily bump up onto a kerb and drive on grass. Thousands of people hinder fire engines much more than the OP - and yet the firemen still manage. They will simply push (with the fire engine) or move the car(s) onto its side if they can’t get past. They wouldn’t bat an eye at the OPs car.
This pedantic hair splitting is the absolute worst side of MN.

They’re getting a dopamine hit they struggle for elsewhere.

One for hyperbole aren’t you

If it was your child in an ambulance and it had to reverse out because of parked cars… I wonder how you’d feel

and if an ambulance had to reverse out? I doubt fire engine could get by even if it mount the side

If any of the cars are SUVs they are the ones in the wrong. None of them need them and the parking spaces are probably not designed for them.

But the ambulance is having to reverse because of all the cars, not just the OPs. Its just OP on the end. Or someone else's if she isn't parked there.

The photo suggests it’s perfectly legit

So there should be yellow lines preventing anyone from parking there as any emergency service vehicle would have to reverse due to the whole row being parked along.

The ambulance couldn’t get past any of the cars unhindered. It’s a narrow side road . Anyone parked along it would cause an ambulance problems
there are yellow lines that stop well before the area in question.

Could you park so that you are half on the grass half on the road so there is more space for him to reverse?

But yellow lines indicates jt overseen by the council and parking on them could result in a parking fine

this is private property

Lots and lots of potential places to park where no lines that would be an utterly terrible place to park and block emergency vehicles

With respect, you avoided answering the question. Repeatedly.

Which is an answer in itself really!

I've actually been getting my dopamine hit in the real world while you were all on here bickering like children all day but as you were....