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?

Our next door neighbour used to have a visitor that always parked outside our house, I could never understand why, for context ours are detached houses with driveways for two cars and room to park outside the house too.

He wants a clear view from his house.
Or he’s winding you up.
Or he wants to keep his driveway pristine.
Park every time outside your own house to get him out of the habit. If you go out, invite other people you know to park in front of your house to keep the space.

Anyone who behaves like your neighbour does is not rational/seeks confrontation. You will not like the consequences if you rattle his cage, so don't even go there by asking him.

You need to park there yourself, but only if you get home from work before he does. Otherwise you will invest time and energy racing to get the space and he will enjoy that. I would suggest you try to segue into this by parking there next time you have a visitor parking in your drive for few days, then just keep parking there.

Or just wait until your partner moves in and he can have the space.

Ask him and report back!

Buying a motorhome specifically for this purpose would be admirable dedication to the cause 😂

It surprises me that anyone is surprised about this -

So many drivers in the UK are terrible at using their mirrors to see the lines in parking spaces and reverse into them.

They would much rather use someone elses car as a "guide car" for them to reverse against, to allow them to judge the extremeties of a space.

It's pathetic. People just need to use their mirrors.

however it also explains why if you park in a car park of 200 spaces, and you are the only one there, it's guaranteed that the next car which arrives will park right next to you - because drivers are lazy and don't use their mirrors.

You have to park in front of his house now until you find out why he’s doing this and then let us all know 😂

This is odd behaviour, it sounds like spite.

This is such weird behaviour by your neighbour and I am now desperate to know why he does it!

There must be a reason. Maybe they're trying to get their steps in and starting small, maybe they're expecting someone who can't walk far so leaving the space outside their house, maybe someone else was in there space when they parked?

I'll occasionally leave my car outside a neighbours house if 'my' space is taken, and wouldn't think to move it once the space is free. So if a neighbours guest was parked in my spot and I parked elsewhere, the guest might leave 10 minutes later and I could have an empty space outside my house for a couple of days until I next use the car.

When someone parks outside my gate I go out once its dark and sprinkle wild bird seed all over it. At first light the hungry birds come out to eat and shit as they eat. Of course birds are an act of god but not a nice start to the day to find bor crap all over your windscreen.

Does he have a touch start car? Maybe he wants it further away from his house to deter potential thieves with those antennae that try to pick up the key signal from inside. If so, he needs to get a Farraday pouch for his keys, or just put them in a closed tin to break the signal.

Years ago in an old house, my neighbours had four cars (teenage kids). Double driveway and then there was a space outside their house, and a space outside my house. Regardless of who came home in what order, they would park in the space outside my house. Perfectly legal but WTF? Odd behaviour.

I also had a double driveway and we only had two cars but I took to parking in the space outside their house if it was free 😆 Petty but fun because it wound them up no end.

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.

His drive is empty? That's just nuts. And annoying.

This. I would do this every day.

Just what I was about to suggest @SparklyGlitterballs or, if he parks outside his own house, does it make it awkward for the house opposite to reverse out their drive? Even so, it is a bit 'off' to always park outside your house rather than outside his or use his drive?

Personally I'd park outside his house and see what happens...

Used to have this. Lived alone and had just 1 car, bungalow (semi-detached) with a long drive that easily fitted 3 cars. Every house the same. However, when NDNs children & grandchildren came to visit they would always park outside my house. Very strange.

There's probably some really boring explanation because some people are weird.
I love the idea of getting a motorhome and parking it in his space. But I'd probably just tell all my visitors to park there.

My neighbour had a disabled space outside his house. When his daughter went to work, he moved his car into "her space" then just before she returned he moved back into his disabled one.
So annoying as parking can be in short supply.

Why are people so ridiculous about parking?

One of my cheeky neighbours with multiple cars asked if they could park one of them on my driveway as I did not have a car and it "seemed a shame". I told her I would look into the legal and insurance costs then let her have a commercial price. It was a short conversation.

I'm sure they will have some (potentially batshit!) reason. Maybe better visibility? Further from a corner? But it doesn't sound like you need the space, so I wouldn't worry about it. Maybe encourage your guest to park outside their house.

It's just odd. I'd just start parking outside his house.

Oh i would happily go to war over that if the space outside his house was free. I would start parking my car outside his house everyday and dare him to knock on my door to ask why. Then I would Alex Furguson him the reason so loudly in his face that his hair would sweep backwards and we would resume our lives hopefully ignoring each other and hopefully with our respective cars outside our respective houses.

"park there yourself, but only if you get home from work before he does"

So, your advice is to not park in the space when he's already in it? 🤔

I meant that if in general OP gets back from work before him, she should start using the space (as she'll always get there first).