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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to want to park my car outside someone else's house all day for free?

186 replies

ferndalee · 05/10/2009 17:44

Really annoyed as council has decided to implement a residents parking zone round all the streets near our station. Apparently residents have complained about commuters parking in 'their' street all day for free instead of using the station car park. But the station car park is quite expensive and you have to get there really in the morning to guarantee a parking space.

I really don't understand why residents are annoyed people like me park outside their house during the day? It's not as if we're parked in their front garden or causing a nuisance. I understand that residents probably get annoyed that they might not be able to park their own cars because of commuters but shouldn't they have thought of this before they bough their house? Its a bit like people who live near schools complaining about people parking in their roads for the school pick-up.

The language the council has used in their leaflets is inflammatory as well, they talk about commuters 'dumping their cars for free all day' in these residential streets. This is rubbish as the highways agency own the road not the residents! They have no right to complain!

OP posts:
RubyBooBerry · 05/10/2009 19:45

OP I think you also have to bear in mind people like me with two small kids, lugging tesco shop plus kids from the other end of the bloody long street to my house when I have been forced to park miles away cos someone's parked outside my house for the day!

I know I don't own the street, nor the parking outside but it's bloody annoying!

(and I know Tesco deliver )

IWishIWasAFrog · 05/10/2009 19:52

Are you for real? YABVVVVVU.

OrmIrian · 05/10/2009 19:56

"People park outside my house and - so what, sometimes I have to walk - ooh, several yards - big deal! "

ha ha! Several yards? No, think several streets and you'd be nearer the mark If you able to park legally at all. Sometimes double yellows are the only possible place within a mile. No exaggeration.

Victorian terraces were not made for cars - when I moved here 12 yrs ago it was always possible to park - now so many houses have been put to multiple occupancy, so many kids have grown up and not moved out that 2-3 cars per house is the average. Not sustainable. If it's inconvient not to be able to park when you go to work, imagine how inconvenient it is not to be able to park when you get home.

I am not naive enough to think resident's parking will solve all our problems but it will make it easier for those of use who live here and don't insist on having a fleet of cars

lockets · 05/10/2009 19:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

AttilaTheMeerkat · 05/10/2009 20:04

I can only comment on the residents parking scheme in my locality but one unforeseen effect to the council at least has indeed been the drop off in trade to the high street.

The parking enforcements have significantly damaged passing trade (this is bad news indeed to all the populace) and with other nearby larger towns offering free parking on the weekends (this particular town does not) people have gone elsewhere. Such schemes do have knock on effects, these effects are not always immediate and or apparant.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 05/10/2009 20:12

In the case of areas where commuter parking is a problem, these schemes do not solve the problem - they simply move it a few streets away or to another station area altogether. In the extreme case, they deter people from using rail transport with the end result that people drive all the way, which is surely not a sensible thing to encourage.

MollieO · 05/10/2009 20:14

I got annoyed when people park in the road outside my house but then I do own the road .

Tidey · 05/10/2009 20:17

I can see how it's irritating, but if the problem is bad enough for the street to be given residents permits, you have to just put up with it. If the street had no parking restrictions before this, clearly the local residents have had enough and the council has agreed with them.

I'm all for people being able to use streets where there are no restrictions, I do it myself, but if it was in a busy area like near a station and I was causing a nuisance, I wouldn't be surprised if permits were introduced.

twirlymum · 05/10/2009 20:37

The houses closest to my local station are a lot more expensive than the ones further away - you pay to be closer.
The problem is, if you have paid road tax, you can park on any road (obviously considering restrictions).
I know it's annoying having people park outside your house, but there's not a lot you can do about it.
Station car parks need to be cheaper. I don't commute, but it would be a 30min walk to the station, or two buses.

OrmIrian · 05/10/2009 20:41

attila - what do you propose as the solution then? I totally agree with regards to the knock-on effects on trade of residents parking. But TBH that is already happening where I live simply due to the fact there isn't enough parking. Full stop! Residents parking will simply mean that those restricted parking spaces will go to those who really need to be there - ie those who live there.

BexJ78 · 05/10/2009 21:06

If the parking at the station has to be paid for, that is more than likley to do with the train operating company and not the local council. It's not all about councils making money, contrary to popular belief, it is about dealing with nightmarish traffic problems that local communities complain about!
Essentially, most local councils will only implement residents' parking, or CPZ where there is very strong local support, because they are so contentious. At the end of the day, local authorities have targets to meet in terms of reducing congestion and encouraging people to use sustainable transport; it goes without saying that in general LA's are fighting a losing battle (because most people just do not want to give up using their cars) so sometimes local councils have to use a bit of a 'stick' rather than a carrot to try to make people think about their travel choices....
basically, when it comes down to it, most people support the general principles of reducing car use, as long as it doesn't mean THEM reducing THEIR car use!!!
You might have guessed, i work for a local council highways department!

surreylady · 05/10/2009 21:08

Normally I would think this was a wind up did I not come across people like you every day of the week outside my house. It is not that you can't afford to park or that you couldn't find somewhere that did not inconvenient to many other people just that you don't want to pay and can't be bothered. I am sure that you buy lunch, coffee and have a mobile phone - it isn't money that is the issue it is attitude and IMO yours sucks!. I see this outside everyday - I am ok(ish) as I have a drive when I can see to get out safely - but the elderly, transport buses and MacMillan nurses (that come next door several times a day) lives are really badly affected. I hope that you reap what you sow very soon.

wicked · 05/10/2009 21:14

I don't understand why people get so het up.

I live in a town centre location and don't have a garage or drive. I have to hope there is a space nearish my house, especially during the Christmas shopping season.

That's life.

If I wanted to have my own spot, I would have to have a drive so that no other car could park there.

I can't afford a house with a drive, so I have to just suck it up.

Your own spot is a priviledge, not a right.

You are just as guilty for owning a car as the person who is parking on your street.

moomaa · 05/10/2009 21:16

We live near the town and a college. Parking has always been quite bad but has got worse since residents only parking was introduced a few streets away.

Yes, you have as much right to park outside my house as me but I do wonder how many students and commuters would feel guilty if they had seen me reguarly struggling with heavy shopping, a baby and a non walking toddler and bad sciatica up the hill. At times it made me want to cry. At the end of the day it is antisocial and selfish.

wicked · 05/10/2009 21:24

If I have a lot of shopping and can't park outside my house, I just stop the car in the middle of the road and empty it into my garden. I then park wherever, then go finish the job.

BloodshotEyeballs · 05/10/2009 21:25

Anyone who is in agreement with the op must be able to see how much this annoys and inconveniences people. Yet you're still happy to do it without a second thought? Typical me me me attitude.

wicked · 05/10/2009 21:29

I don't have a problem with the OP, and I am also someone who 'suffers' from shoppers' cars outside my house.

I don't think I have a me me me attitude at all. In fact, it is quite the opposite. I don't think I am entitled to a cast-iron guarantee of a space outside my house. I don't have a drive and my house was probably many 1000 £££ cheaper as a result.

It's the price I pay for living in a town centre, and a trade-off I am happy to have.

MillyR · 05/10/2009 21:54

I don't this is all about residents having room to park. It is about the general inconvenience of having people who do not live in a particular residential area using it as a car park. Increased cars and car parking in an area makes a place more dangerous and less pleasant to live in.

People who live near to town centres or other amenities shouldn't have to put up with having their surroundings treated like a car park.

Families who don't own a car are the ones most likely to live on busy streets used by commuters, and children from non-car owning families are the most likely to be injured by cars because they are more likely to live near dangerous roads.

spicemonster · 05/10/2009 22:00

Depends where you live wicked. I live in Inner London in zone 2. Before we had respark, all the streets for a square mile + (and I am not exaggerating) were full of commuters' cars during the week.

Now they have set it up, it means I can park near my house. Sometimes I can't park on my street but I don't have to walk more than 500m and that's acceptable.

I think the OP is a troll anyway

wicked · 05/10/2009 22:11

The easy solution is what we have near our station - no parking before 10am (the residents all have drives so it doesn't affect them too much).

You don't get commuters and you can still have the ladies over for a coffee morning.

I wouldn't like to have residents' parking on my street as it would be so inconvenient for visitors.

SCARYspicemonster · 05/10/2009 22:13

You get visitor permits. Good because they discourage people from staying too long

SolidGhoulBrass · 05/10/2009 22:14

Why not get a bike and cycle to the station, OP? It would keep you healthy and solve your parking problems in one easy move.

hatwoman · 05/10/2009 22:24

attilla - it just goes to show how different every locality is - because near to me (well where I lived uptil 9 months ago) introducing a mixture of residents' parking plus parking meters with maximum stays (mostly of 2 hours) was good for local trade. before then every single street was FULL of commuters' cars - from 8 am to 8 pm. people doing shopping, residents, visitors, people going to the park, the gym etc etc just could not park for love nor money.

I don't think residents have a particular claim to the space outside their house. however I do think that an area can introduce a parking scheme that benefits the people who live, work, and trade in that area. having a scheme that means every single space is taken up - without movement - all day is generally not one that benefits a wide range of people.

edam · 05/10/2009 22:35

We've got commuters clogging up my road since all the streets nearer the station got controlled parking. Yet our Residents' Association won't ask for the same here because - apparently - the road markings and signs would destroy the ambience of our road. You couldn't make it up...

I don't mind that much apart from the cars that are illegally/badly parked, and there are quite a few of them. No-one seems to think there's anything wrong with parking on a T-junction these days.

EdgarAllenPoo · 05/10/2009 22:38

its not a me me me atitude to look at an empty street with residents parking restrictions and wonder why - if residents want to park from 6pm - 8am and commuters want to park from 8am to 6pm - why the restriction?

obviously in really busy areas its not like that. but we don't know that that's the case.

the recent thing the government introduced - the 'workplace parking' tax seems to be ridiculous - it penalises employers for providing parking which may result in - employers moving ou of town so everyone has to commute to get to work, or, the workforce street-parking because the employer has decided to reserve all its parking for 'customers'