Is it rude to park outside your neighbours house when you have your own space?

[pinkybangs]

I’m not referring to the legal side of things. I understand that you can park anywhere on a public road as long as your car has an MOT, is taxed and insured.

What I’m really talking about is common courtesy and politeness.

My neighbour does this, and I just can’t wrap my head around it. Sure, legally they can park wherever they want without needing a reason or asking for permission. But why? Seriously? Logistically, it makes zero sense and just leads to a domino effect where everyone else, including visitors, ends up parking outside other people’s homes. I’m not talking about terraced houses with on street parking. That’s usually first come, first served, and you’d expect that. I’m referring to estates where each house has a driveway and space right outside their own house. Yet, the owners choose to leave those spaces empty and park outside their neighbours house instead. EVERY DAY.

Recently, my sister stayed at my house for a few nights and left late last night. She parked her car outside my house (my car was in the driveway). In the meantime, my neighbour had to park his car outside his own house, and as soon as she left, he moved his car back to the empty space. There’s nothing I can do about it, and to be honest, it doesn’t really bother me on a daily basis (it’s a hassle when I have visitors, and will be a pain if my partner ever moves in as he has a car), but I’m not going to start any neighbour wars over it, legally, I don’t have a leg to stand on anyway, but, I just honestly find it so bloody bizarre.

So, putting the law aside, is it rude / odd / annoying?

Yeah thats really odd. I'd be tempted to park outside their house in return - but perhaps i'm just a bit petty!

I don't know about rude but yes definitely odd. And I'd definitely park in front of hers!!

It's very odd indeed.

Not rude as such, just bloody strange.

I do find it a little bit rude tbh. If they didn’t have enough room - okay. But if they do, it’s a bit inconsiderate.

I’d be tempted to ask. Not in an agro way but just say, “hey Dave, something has been puzzling me for a while, why do you prefer to park outside of our house and not your own? Am I missing something?”

said in a genuinely inquisitive way this doesn’t need to be a difficult conversation and if I were you, I’d be dying to know why he does it.

Yes it’s odd and it would mildly annoy me.

I imagine your neighbour must have so little else going on in his life, if he’s poised and ready for the space to become free so he can move his car back into it within minutes of your guest leaving.

Sad man.

That’s very odd. Do you mean you both have a driveway with a space, and you both have a space on the road outside your house, but your neighbour doesn’t park in his drive or outside his house-both do which are empty-but parks outside your house?

Urgh, I had this in my old house. I actually had the bloke who lived over the road knock on my door and ask what the problem was with him parking outside my house when he had a drive he never used and I didn't have one. At that point, I was passively aggressively parking right up tight to him. The local university had starting charging for studens to park so they were using nearby roads so to have a drive and not use it was a bit infuriating.

Yes it’s rude and also odd. Why does he do it?

Better street lighting or field of view from security camera maybe? Pretending not to be at home (if driveway empty)? Who knows…nowt as queer as folk.

I would start parking there myself, so when your BF moves in your NDN is used to not being able to park outside your house any more. They can park outside their own if they don't want to use their drive. It does make things more awkward for the rest of the neighbours but it can't be helped, you need to train him to not think your space is viable.

Start parking outside his!

Park outside your neighbour's house for a few days and see what happens.
Yes, it would irritate me too, even though they can park where they want, as you've said.

This!

A young couple moved in opposite to my parents a couple of years ago. They're big 1950's houses with huge front gardens and driveways for multiple car (4 it more). But the young lady opposite either isn't a confident driver or just lazy because she rarely parks on her own driveway, instead parking on the road directly opposite my parent's driveway. Which makes it rather awkward to get in and out, but neighbour seems completely oblivious to anyone else. I've scraped my car trying to reverse in around the neighbours partial obstruction. Technically my fault, but it only happened because I was focussing on not catching their car and got too close to something at the other end.

Even when there's been other cars parked on my parent's side of the road, this neighbour has still parked on the opposite idea and practically blocked the road. There's been a few occasions where the neighbour has had multiple vehicles parked on the road (whilst their driveway is empty) and my parents have had to go and knock on their door and ask them to move so they can get out.

That’s right. Every house has a driveway, and most can fit 2 cars, plus a space on the road in front of their house. I live on my own and park my car in the driveway, so the road space in front of my house is usually free, except when my partner or family come over. My neighbour parks his car on the road in front of my house and keeps his driveway and the space in front of his own house empty. He manages to park outside his own house just fine when I have guests over, so it’s doable, he just seems to prefer parking outside my house for some strange reason!

Yes I think it’s odd. I’m so lucky that I have a big driveway and I’m not too bothered about who parks outside my house. That’s not to say I don’t keep an eye on it lol. However more recently I have a back problem that means I like to park in the road as reversing off my drive is not possible at the moment. It is a little bit frustrating if I can’t, as you say, it just has a knock on effect…someone’s parked outside of mine so I’m parking outside of someone else.

Years ago we did have someone park outside our house for an over a week, the car didn’t move. We hadn’t long moved in and actually we were using that space regularly…we hadn’t had our drive done yet, we had 2 adults kids at home plus their friends and partners etc, parking. My husband did have to ask our neighbour if it was his car and my husband did say to the neighbour that it was an awkward conversation. And actually it wasn’t his 😆. In fact it was someone who had been on holiday and left their car there for the local bus and train station!!!

I don’t know how confident you are about asking your neighbour, but really that is the only way to get to the bottom of it/overcome it. You could start by saying that it’s an awkward convert/you feel awkward. Hopefully it might make him realise or at least give you an explanation!

No idea!

I'm really tempted to ask him, but like you said, not in a confrontational way. He will probably think I'm mad for asking since it's not illegal, but then I think he's the mad one for doing it in the first place 🤣

It's an absolute cheek. Infuriating.

People and cars never cease to amaze me. Different, I know but yesterday after I’d loaded my shopping into the boot of my car then got into the driver’s seat, a women who had just watched me do all that decided to reverse to squeeze into the space next to me. She made hard work of it. Why not just wait ten seconds for me to go. Bizarre

Yup, mental and inconsiderate. I absolutely would park outside his house for lengthy periods. Yes, I am petty and don’t care, lol.

Maybe he is 'trying to get his steps in' or is he living alone/single? Maybe he is waiting on you to comment so he can start a conversation? OR is it a heap of rust that he doesnt want people knowing is his?

We had a neighbour that parked outside our house constantly, he had a drive but didn't use it, we had 3 young children and no drive so were constantly having to get them and shopping over the road/down the road.
One day my husband asked neighbour how much he had paid for the drive to be done, he got a detailed account of the money it had cost. He listened patiently and at the end said " Wow all that money and you dont use it"! 😁 It was used daily after that.

This.

How odd. There must be a reason.