Asked neighbours visitor to not park so close to my driveway

[9hashbrownsplease]

I live in a cul de sac, and annoyingly, the majority of visitors choose to park outside my house. I was unaware of the extent of the issue until after I had moved in, but it is what it is. There are no alternative parking options available without blocking someone’s driveway, so everyone parks here instead. It’s every single day and a bit frustrating at times, but nothing I can do.

The majority of people are considerate and leave enough space for me to come and go, however, there are some, such as this woman, who park excessively close to the dropped kerb, preventing me from passing their car. I’m then forced to drive out in the opposite direction, turn around and come back.

This specific car comes by several times a week and parks so near that she might as well park directly across my drive. She visits the house a few doors down. Although I have never spoken to her, this morning I was outside when she pulled up. I asked if she could give me a little more space while parking here, explained my reasoning, and she merely rolled her eyes at me before walking away.

I want to clarify that I have no problem with her parking here (despite how annoying it may be), it’s a public road and anyone can park there. I know that. I just wish she would give me a bit more space to get in and out of my drive. There is genuinely no reason for her not to park a little further down the kerb, she just chooses not to.

I have included a (poorly drawn) diagram. The road is not as wide as depicted in the diagram and is, in fact, quite narrow, which is the reason I cannot swing around her car when leaving. I have maintained good relationships with my neighbours, and now I’m concerned that it may become uncomfortable due to the comment I made to their friend.

What motivates someone to intentionally create challenges for the neighbours of their friends or family? Was I unreasonable for asking this?

I wonder if you can ask the council to widen your dropped kerb or ask for those white lines that go in front of dropped kerbs to also be widened.

It sounds annoying and petty and agree that just because something is legal doesn’t mean it’s right. But some MNers do want a many state to tell them how to behave.

OP, if you're concerned that your neighbour might have taken offence at you having possibly annoyed their friend, then it might actually give you a second opportunity to mention the problem. Just pop down to your neighbour, and say 'I hope your visitor wasn't offended when I spoke to them earlier, only she seemed a bit put out, but ......' Once you've explained it to your neighbour, they will probably get it far better than the visitor did, and may well mention it to her when she comes next time. I figure that would be worth a try, and failing that working, then just park on the road, and then if the visitor says anything about you not parking on your drive, just roll your eyes at her!

reverse out and into the culdesac then you can drive straight out

i actually just stopped parking in the culdesac when i visited my friend as all the aggro and curtain twitching about which bit of curb I was "allowed" to park by and which was reserved for the neighbours daughters cousin.

its such an arse ache. its a legal bit of road, most visitors dont know the intricacies of the parking rules of your road.

I feel for you @9hashbrownsplease and I don't really know why you're getting snippy comments, other than the usual AIBU thing where people like to pile in on a OP just to make them feel bad.

It also says to me that as usual, the UK is failing to address a problem which no council or government wants to solve because of the hit the economy will take.

Namely, that we have too many cars without proper parking provision, and it is too cheap to own a private car (yeah I said it).

This is the very obvious solution.

So obvious that the OP’s already said she reverses in. But clearly not a solution.

Wait and see if she parks a bit further down next time. Lots of people react badly to something they see as criticism, but will actually have listened and take it on board. You haven't given her chance yet

Read it again.

Your diagram doesn’t correspond to your post, you’ve said there isn’t anywhere else to park but your diagram suggests otherwise. I’m presuming she parks close so another car can get in behind, if she parked further back would another car get in?

We only have a 1 car driveway, my parents look after my children at my house when I work, they park on the road between mine and my next door neighbours house (only room for 1 car). My neighbour had a moan about how they were parked and that she was struggling to get on and off her drive. I did think she was BU as she had plenty of room however she is in her 80s and is a great neighbour to have so I apologised and now tell my parents to park overhanging my dropped kerb, I can still get on and off although it does take a few more manoeuvres than normal and everyone is happy.
Wait and see how she parks next time before deciding what to do next.

she's reversing in but can't drive out i assume due to length of the front of car. so she should reverse OUT so when she gets to front bumper area she has more turning space.

same as parallel parking, reversing the corner gives more manoeuvre space.

Park your car there

We’re saying she should drive in instead and reverse off. Based on the diagram that would be easier.

So would I. Not only to be polite but also because I would be a bit worried they might scrape my car trying 🙈

Yes I'd do that. Let them find somewhere else.

I share your pain as we live on a narrow service road and it's sometimes difficult to get in and out, when people park too near to the edge of the drive. Frequently, students from the university a mile away use our road as their personal car park which pisses me off. So sometimes I park on the service road so they have to find somewhere else.

I was going to suggest angling left as you drive off your drive, straightening then angling right before you get to the opposite kerb, then reversing on a full lock left, then forward angling right....since there must be at least 2 car widths of road? How wide is the actual road?

Why can’t you pull further out and around?

I completely get where you are coming from. My neighbours and their visitors are selfish about parking too (they block me in, and say it's fine as I can just ask them to move, which they do, but it's very annoying) and I don't get it at all as I am always anxious not to upset others. But some people just value their convenience above all else.

I have to say, if it were me, I’d give her a few days and then start parking here. Not always, mind. Just sometimes. Keep her on her toes.

I can’t see any problem with where she’s parking from your diagram. I’d never buy a house in a cul de sac because they are notorious for parking problems, kids playing etc.

I had this problem, asked nicely ignored, soooo did as previously mentioned parked there myself, make it inconvenient for them.

I'd also be annoyed and YANBU. I have a similar situation where I live and people are so inconsiderate - not necessarily by parking right outside, but how they park. It drives me mad!

@beAsensible1 I mentioned earlier that my drive is quite steep, so it's difficult to reverse out without frying the clutch lol. I'm not the only one who struggled with this as some of my family have occasionally parked on the drive and found it difficult to reverse out too. While it's not impossible, it's likely not any easier either.

It is a quiet road and not located on a main road. However, there is a transit van that parks on the other side of the drive (next door), which does limit my view when I’m reversing out as well.

@MyFavouriteDaughter sorry, I’ve just answered your question but forgot to tag you.

Yes. This would have made me roll my eyes so violently they’d have got stuck.