OT: Parking Pests-- Advice?

mornnen · 06-03-2007, 01:16 PM

Hi Everybody--

I need advice. I live on a relatively narrow street, and though not one-way, cars park on just one side of the road, on my house's side of the street. What is driving me a bit nuts is the fact that sometimes my neighbors (whoever they are, I don't know) park so close to my driveway that it is difficult to back out. I am torn because I don't want to cause any trouble, and I know I don't 'own' the curb in front of my house, but I also think that I should be able to back out without worrying about hitting another car.

Any suggestions?

Julie

Jan in CA · 06-03-2007, 06:25 PM

I think the first course of action is to talk directly to your neighbors. Ask them nicely if they could park further back as you are having trouble backing out sometimes and don't want to hit their cars. Repeat this conversation if you have to.

I'd hate to have you get in bad with your neighbors and going to the city will probably have that effect, but do so if you feel it's necessary. Too bad they don't paint the curbs ride for a few feet by the driveways!

Doodknitwit · 06-03-2007, 06:26 PM

could you put a nice note on their car... asking for a little more room... to protect their car?

auburnchick · 06-03-2007, 06:29 PM

Maybe you could also put a small cone out by the edge of your driveway. Maybe this would help them get the hint?

iza · 06-03-2007, 06:41 PM

My parents have the same problem

when I was practising before getting my driver's license, it was making my life really difficult. I was using a big minivan too. :rollseyes: And people would park on BOTH sides of the street!

If your neighbourhood is like my parents', the houses might be so close to each other it's just not possible to park in the street leaving enough space for both driveways on each side.

Just a thought.

I guess talking to them or putting a note is the only thing you could try.

mornnen · 06-03-2007, 07:00 PM

Originally Posted by iza

My parents have the same problem

when I was practising before getting my driver's license, it was making my life really difficult. I was using a big minivan too. :rollseyes: And people would park on BOTH sides of the street!

If your neighbourhood is like my parents', the houses might be so close to each other it's just not possible to park in the street leaving enough space for both driveways on each side.

Just a thought.

I guess talking to them or putting a note is the only thing you could try.

Iza-- What gets me is that there is actually enough space between my neighbor's and my driveway so that both driveways can be clear with at least 1-2 feet on either side. But I may have to put a note on their SUV. Somehow, I think my wee Chevy Cavalier would come out on the losing end of a fender bender with that thing. Too bad I don't have a Hummer...

BinkyKat · 06-03-2007, 07:24 PM

I hear ya on this one. I have great neighbors on each side. One occasionally parks in front of our house because their area is limited due to a fire hydrant in front of theirs and we live on a T shaped intersection. I have always thought the person who's house it is has first dibs on the curb parking. Again, those folks I don't mind, I'd rather have them park there than the endless stream of people coming and going from the house across the streat. The neighbors on our other side, great people, but the have a stream of crappy cars at any given time with one pickup being the constant. There is room for two cars per curb, but with the truck and one crappy car, they sort of go over into our driveway such that it does make it tight backing out. Add to that when DH parks his Suburban on the apron of our driveway (the part between the sidewalk and curb) I can't see worth a dang. On a REALLY good day, the neighbors across from us (who I tried to say hi to, that don't answer back,and whose tween daughter and "friend" thought it was funny to throw glass out into the street at dusk one night -I called the cops since they almost hit my car) will sometimes park a truck with trailer directly opposite of our driveway opening. Which, if I am not wrong, is illegal in the driving rules I learned from the book I got from the state of ND - because if a car's brake gave out and rolled back, that car opposite the driveway could get hit and simply for the fact it takes away backing out room for that person.
It seems the girls on the corner have graduated college so I imagine the traffic will be less. One of the parent's rents it to her and her friends (which I am not totally sure that is allowed in our area-ie. rental zoning rules). They tended to not move their cars during snow storms and their friends park all over heck when the party. Luckily they never were really loud, it just stunk if I had company or simply just getting around the corner to my own darn house

And the people across from us have alley access, geez people! So, in a nutshell, I just deal and harp on DH when he parks on the lawn.

zazzu · 06-03-2007, 10:57 PM

Julie - I'm going to give the dissenting opinion...I don't think you should leave a note if you don't even know whose car it is. Too many people go off half-cocked these days for a lot less.

If they're blocking your driveway access, and if that's illegal where you are, call the police to handle it. That's their job, not yours. If the driver gets upset just tell them you didn't know whose car it was - which is true. It's not your responsibility to knock on all the doors of the neighborhood to find out.

If they're not blocking your driveway, only requiring you to back out carefully, I would just let it go. Not worth a confrontation with strangers for this.

Just MHO, of course.

redwitch · 06-04-2007, 01:43 AM

I think a note on the car might be taken badly. I would ask them nicely, don't act pissed, just like you're sorry to have to bother them, what an annoying situation that the road doesn't include room for parking, bloody town designers etc., but because the road is so narrow, you can't get out easily, and you'd hate to ding the two cars. If you can't get in touch with them, specify in your note that this is why you're communicating that way, and be nice.
Is there no law governing how close they may park? Here you can't park within 1 metre of a driveway or 6m of a corner. If they continue to park their cars, I'd call whoever's in charge - the council or the police - if they are breaking the rules. If they are not breaking the rules, there's not much you can do, obviously the council has decided that's allowable.

Sarah