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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is it unreasonable to park opposite someone's drive?

29 replies

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 07/12/2009 11:32

Its a normal width road, you can easily get 2 cars past each other on the road. Not a busy road as its a dead end. If there are no other spaces available would you park opposite someone's drive, leaving enough room for them to get in and out but it would make it a bit tight.

I did this over the weekend and have had a snotty note put under my wiper "you are causing an obstruction, next time I'm calling the police".

I think the tone of the note has got my back up and am tempted to put a note through their door saying "call the police all you want, no yellow lines so I can park there"

OP posts:
LilRedWG · 07/12/2009 11:35

Not unreasonable at all if there is nowhere else to park.

We live on a narrow road and there is always (well, 90% of the time) someone parked opposite our driveway. Sure it means I have to manouver slightly more, but hey-ho, such is life.

Ignore the silly sod.

RealityIsHungover · 07/12/2009 11:38

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Message withdrawn

Original poster
StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 07/12/2009 11:41

He could definetly get in and out as he wasn't there when I parked it, he's come home and got in the drive and then got out again this morning.

OP posts:
Pineapplechunks · 07/12/2009 11:41

Are these your neighbours? If so its not really worth getting into a battle over where you park your car is it? The note does have a shitty tone to it but you don't have to respond with another shitty note, that'll just make a things even.....um... more shitty between you and the neighbour.

I don't think you were in the wrong for parking where you did; if there are no restrictions then, of course, you can park there.

Do these people drive a very big car? Perhaps they aren't very good at getting it in and out of their drive? However, their driving incompetence shouldn't impinge on where you can and cannot park.

I wouldn't get into an argument with them about it, if I were you, but I would park there again if there no other spaces available.

ChilloHippi · 07/12/2009 11:42

This happens where I live. The people opposite often park on the road opposite our drive and it makes it very tight to get out of our drive, but we CAN get out. I'd rather they parked like that than block the pavement for pedestrians.

RealityIsHungover · 07/12/2009 11:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

RealityIsHungover · 07/12/2009 11:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

ChilloHippi · 07/12/2009 11:48

You could put a note back inviting him to call the police. You haven't parked illegally so there is no crime.

Original poster
StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 07/12/2009 11:48

Not a close neighbour at all, never seen him/her. The street I live on you can't park on it so everyone parks down the side street. So its 2/3 minutes walk away from my house. I have no problem with falling out with them

OP posts:
2shoes · 07/12/2009 11:50

depends
the knobheads over the road do, i then can't get out of my drive. makes me see red and want to back into the car tbh

Original poster
StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 07/12/2009 11:50

" However, their driving incompetence shouldn't impinge on where you can and cannot park."

I like t hat line, can I use it in my note?

OP posts:
ChilloHippi · 07/12/2009 11:53

Ah, now I can see that they would be annoyed if you park there and don't live inthe same street. Tricky situation.

Carrotfly · 07/12/2009 11:53

I agree with the others and your neighbour is just being annoying.

I would however be cautious of making this a bigger issue than it currently is, you'd hate to find it damaged or scratched which I suppose they could easily do if they were so inclined.

Original poster
StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 07/12/2009 11:54

But they don't own the street.

If you buy a house in a side street off a street where its 20minute parking only they must realise that people from that street are going to park in that road. They have a drive so its not like I'm taking "their" parking space.

OP posts:
POORSADMOTHER · 07/12/2009 11:55

I had a shitty note put on my car when I parked near a neighbours drive, so I parked on the pavement and someone did a shitty shit on my bonnet. I really worry about where the hell I am supposed to park thesedays...

ChilloHippi · 07/12/2009 11:56

If I were you, I would just ignore the note and continue to park there if there is no alternative. You haven't done anything wrong legally or dangerously. But I would worry about him damaging my car.

Kaloki · 07/12/2009 11:59

Wow, sounds like someone where I used to live. I'd just ignore it if I were you.

Pineapplechunks · 07/12/2009 12:03

StripeyKnickers should you decide to write a note back you are more than welcome to quote me

RockBird · 07/12/2009 12:06

Never heard this before. If it's unreasonable to park opposite a driveway then half of the residents in my street would have nowhere to park. Most peculiar neighbour you have there.

cumbria81 · 07/12/2009 12:11

it's absolutely fine, what a load of crap. they should try living on our road where you can hardly even drive down the middle due to all the parked cars.

TopSop · 07/12/2009 12:18

YANBU. But personally I wouldn't inflame the situation further by retaliating. I'd probably apologise for causing them any issues, say that at the time there was nowhere else to park, and explain that you were careful to ensure that you parked as close to the kerb as poss to allow them all the space necessary to get in and out of their driveway, which they clearly were able to do (much more satisfying as you then sound eminently reasonable and intelligent, and them sound incompetent and aggressive!)

Call me a doormat if you like, but life's too short for unnecessary aggravation with irritating idiots.

carocaro · 07/12/2009 12:27

shitty note not needed, but just don'r park there, it's an arseache when people do this to me, what is an easy and safe thing to do eg: reverse out of my drive, becomes a right pain, 6 point turn to get out, holding up the traffic, trying to avoid the other parked cars.

sparklefrog · 07/12/2009 13:38

I am always getting people parking opposite my drive and tbh, it drives me nuts. I have tackled people about it before, because I cannot get in and out of my drive when people have parked on opp side of road, directly opp my drive.

My road is very narrow, and has been further narrowed down directly outside my house slightly to the right, (as I am looking outside my front window) by a road narrowing.

When people park opp my drive, I have about a 4 foot width of road to swing my car round to drive away without bumping into the car opposite.

Since there are high kerbs as well as hedges bordering my drive from the road, I need enough room to get past these.

I have been told by the police (whom the people opposite called because I asked them to refrain from parking there to their faces, I didn't leave a note, and was quite polite) that the people opp have been told it is an offence to block a driveway, and not to park there anymore, which they still do, I might hasten to add. Last week, they had a 7.5t van sitting there from 8am til 5pm for 2 days, during which I luckily didnt go out.

There is no need for it with the people opp, they have a drive and we don't generally have parking problems where we are. They just do it every so often, for their convenience.

It is bloody annoying, but if yr happy to say if it was the other way round, you wouldn't mind doing a 30 point turn to get out of your drive, then YANBU.

ln1981 · 07/12/2009 14:30

if you are not blocking them in, then YANBU. they only need to be able to get out of their drive, not into it. i only know this as my dad lives near a school, and he asked the police about it after being blocked in several times.
however i myself live on a really narrow road and have found it difficult to get in and out of my drive on several occasions in the last couple of weeks, and it is annoying if you have very little room to maneouvre(ilike to reverse into my drive as i live on a corner and its easier to drive out than reverse). i guess it comes down to whether or not others think that you are being considerate.

sweetnitanitro · 07/12/2009 14:37

YANBU. Parking is very crowded in my street and if I'm in a particularly bad mood I do mutter curses under my breath about people parking opposite my driveway. It does make it trickier to get out but I can still get out and where the hell else are they going to park? Your neighbour shouldn't expect everyone else to bend over backwards just so he doesn't have to do a bit of extra manoeuvring.