Selfish parking? (See mod warning: Post 373)

Kintarō Hattori

*pic removed*
Hey Folks,

Just wondering if you can help me with the above. Most people on my row of houses don't have driveways so there are bays just outside the houses. They aren't numbered by house but to the best of my understanding are open for anyone to park there. It's not a private estate so it's designated a public bit of road.... so I think.
The StreeetKa is SORD (and the owner parks their everyday car just to the left of it as you look at the image). The reason I'm posting here is to ask your advice in relation to the Opel that's parked across two spots. They never did this previously but have started to do so this week after I parked to the right of it, beside the Citroen (I only bought myself a car recently). The household the Opel belongs to doesn't have two cars so I can't help but feel they are being selfish as I have to park the car at the bottom of the road well out of my sight.

Are they being unreasonable as it's a public road? Am I being unreasonable in looking to park in an empty spot. I'm feeling a little miffed as one car is SORD and it's owner takes 2 spots and now the other car owner is parking across two spots......... and I'm a nice neighbour!

Many thanks for any feedback.

James Bond Junior

An anonymous passive aggressive note to start. Did it myself and they got the message.

Kintarō Hattori

James Bond Junior wrote: »

An anonymous passive aggressive note to start. Did it myself and they got the message.

Not really an option for me as they are only two doors down from me and would absolutely know who it was. It's a quiet enough street and I wouldn't want to create any tension.

Jesus.

He's a dickhead. Park your car right up next to his so he'd struggle to get in (if you can fit) or else leave a note on the windscreen asking him what his game is.

Jesus.

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Not really an option for me as they are only two doors down from me and would absolutely know who it was. It's a quiet enough street and I wouldn't want to create any tension.

Alright then knock on the door and with a big smile and in the most jovial way possible ask "any chance you could straighten up your bus horse so I can get in that space? Fair play to ye man" ........sound as a pound. No-one could get angry with that. Then his reaction might give some clue as to why he's being such a tosser.

I posted two days ago about people parking like that cos they're afraid of their car getting scratched. Sorry but it ain't on.

OldmanMondeo

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

as one car is SORN and it's owner takes 2 spots and now the other car owner is parking across two spots.

If the car is SORN, it is parked in a public place, therefore is open to getting fines and/or taken by the Gardai. Quick call to the local station will sort the Streetka out. The Opel is just being a dick.

Kintarō Hattori

I hear you chief. Unfortunately 'he' is a she and mother of four kids so I don't want to be accused of being 'aggressive'. I wouldn't be of course but things can be twisted.

I guess I'm asking is their any rules as regards to parking on a public road? If they continue like this can I report it to the local authority? I don't want to be a dick but it's annoying me now.

Jesus.

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

If the car is SORN, it is parked in a public place, therefore is open to getting fines and/or taken by the Gardai. Quick call to the local station will sort the Streetka out. The Opel is just being a dick.

The OP has said he lives beside these people. Getting one lads car lifted and having a go at another is not conducive to nice living. OP forget about the red car, your problem is with the Opel. Just lay it on thick with him at the door, pretend you're a bit dim and use an exaggerated culchie accent (that always works too if you're pulled by the Guards) and all should be sorted. If that doesn't do it then you'll have to resort to other measures. But I'm certain that'll do the trick without causing you anymore hassle.

Jesus.

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Unfortunately 'he' is a she

Fukk's sake you could've said man. Its obviously just a case of her best attempt at parking. You've nothing to worry about so. Just help her park straight the next time.

Kintarō Hattori

Jesus. wrote: »

Fukk's sake you could've said man. Its obviously just a case of her best attempt at parking. You've nothing to worry about so. Just help her park straight the next time.

Ha she's been perfectly able to park correctly up until now.

TrailerBob

In before the lock...

*orders extra large popcorn

Kintarō Hattori

TrailerBob wrote: »

In before the lock...

*orders extra large popcorn

Why would it be locked? I'm looking for a reasonable solution to the issue. I'm not going to follow any silly advice.

degsie

A woman parking thread.... more popcorn so...

Raging_Ninja

What's with the beating around the bush? You can go down the route of passive aggressive hints or whatever for as many weeks as you care, or you can go up to the owner and ask him/her to park straight, that they have no right to park like that.

Their response or feelings are irrelevant - either you have a right to use the space or you don't, and if you do, then they are putting you well out of your way. Often times putting up a strong front at the start of this sort of nonsense will save you a lot of hassle in the long run.

If you really are worried about their possible reaction, just start your phone recording and leave it in your pocket. That way you're covered if they decide to get uppity.

Kintarō Hattori

Raging_Ninja wrote: »

What's with the beating around the bush? You can continue with the whole passive aggressive hints or whatever for as many weeks as you care, or you can go up to the owner and ask him/her to park straight, that they have no right to park like that.

Their response or feelings are irrelevant - either you have a right to use the space or you don't.

If you really are worried about their possible reaction, just start your phone recording and leave it in your pocket. That way you're covered if they decide to get uppity.

I could confront her but as with anything I want to try and find a solution that avoids any unnecessary confrontation... which is always a last resort. It's a short row of houses, we all have to live with each other so if I can avoid knocking on her door and asking her why she's being an ass I'll do that.
She's lived here for years and can park just as well as any other driver. It's only this week, as a result of my parking in the spot next to her that she's now taking up two spots.

Raging_Ninja

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

I could confront her but as with anything I want to try and find a solution that avoids any unnecessary confrontation... which is always a last resort. It's a short row of houses, we all have to live with each other so if I can avoid knocking on her door and asking her why she's being an ass I'll do that.
She's lived here for years and can park just as well as any other driver. It's only this week, as a result of my parking in the spot next to her that she's now taking up two spots.

Tbh she is the one being confrontational, you just want to be able to use the parking spot you are entitled to.

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

Why are you worried about offending her, when she couldn't give a flying fcuk about your feelings, and is deliberately putting you out by making you park down the road?

degsie

Are those her kids in the background? They look right right pups! Go tear strips off her, she doesn't give a flying badger about you.

Kintarō Hattori

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy wrote: »

Why are you worried about offending her, when she couldn't give a flying fcuk about your feelings, and is deliberately putting you out by making you park down the road?

I'm not worried about offending her, I'm concerned that if I go down there laying things on the line then it'll just cause hassle and tension here. I work in sales, I'm used to dealing with people who have an issue with me, the products I sell, the company I work for, so I can handle people being dicks to me. I'm simply curious if she carries this on do I have any options open to me as she's taking two spaces up on a public road. I guess that'd be my passive aggressive response.
If that's not an option I'll knock on her door but I know she won't move it, despite how firm I may be, so it'll be fruitless.

Get to there before her and force her to park down the road.

Kintarō Hattori

degsie wrote: »

Are those her kids in the background? They look right right pups! Go tear strips off her, she doesn't give a flying badger about you.

They aren't and you can't tell that from the photo above degsie :pac:

Kintarō Hattori

Deleted User wrote: »

Get to there before her and force her to park down the road.

I will every chance I get if she carries on this malarky.

Autosport

Did you by any chance hit her car as in when you were opening the door etc? If you did that to my car I'd be doing the same or park where the Ka is

Less of the women drivers can't park please :P

Kintarō Hattori

Autosport wrote: »

Did you by any chance hit her car as in when you were opening the door etc? If you did that to my car I'd be doing the same or park where the Ka is

Less of the women drivers can't park please :P

Not at all, I always park with consideration and open my doors carefully. I haven't done anything to give her reason to park as she's doing now.

savagethegoat

this is in the Uk yes? must be, it's SORD here.

Kintarō Hattori

savagethegoat wrote: »

this is in the Uk yes? must be, it's SORD here.

My apologies for getting the terminology wrong... it's Ireland.

goz83

Leave a big note on the windscreen.

"Need help parking straight? Just ask a man to do it for you."

I bet that will pish her off so much that her parking will as straight as can be....for a woman,,,,,which would be sideways and upside down :P

Though to be serious, the note might actually do the trick if you havent the brass to ask her straighten the car up.

Arcade_Tryer

Get there first.

And park parallel to the road on the same space.

See what happens!

Kintarō Hattori

Ah now lads... there's no need to be slagging women drivers. The lady in question has parked properly for years.

I've decided I'm going to park in the spot whenever she's not there. If she carries on with taking two spaces I'll do the same to her.... we'll see how that goes down.

Hotblack Desiato

This looks like a development with apartments and a management company etc. so then it's not a public road, it'd be private property and all parking is subject to the rules of the management company, the effort pictured is not too likely to comply

Back when we lived in a mixed development with apartments, duplexes and houses, we had a bit of hassle, there were spaces in front of each block but not numbered and all surface spaces were open to 1 vehicle from each dwelling, some took the mick with 2 or more vehicles per dwelling (any second vehicles were supposed to go in the underground) and others thought that just because a space was in front of their gaff they owned it. Didn't stop others parking in front of ours, and there was a particularly difficult person in the next block who took umbrage at anyone in our block parking in front of "their" block :rolleyes: never mind that there were still usually still free spaces above ground, never mind in the underground. This person used to hop on the bonnet of my wife's car to set the alarm off if she took exception to which legitimate space it was parked in. Any time we had dealings with her, she was barely above falling down drunk, and she worked as a nurse :eek:

I wasn't that bothered though as the local kids got bored setting the alarm off on my motorbike chained to the railings after the first week

lalababa

savagethegoat wrote: »

this is in the Uk yes? must be, it's SORD here.

Is the OP Japanese? IF so then confrontation is not on the cards.

Esel

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Hey Folks,..

I probably blind, but I see no Citroen? De Opel looks well out of order, in the scheme of neighbourly parking.

Hard to know what to do. How big be (Bigby :eek:) the driver of the Opel?

Optimalprimerib

Firstly what is SORD?

Secondly, Could you parrallel park in front of her car so she has to ask you to move to get her car out.

I would have no issues talking to her about it. She shouldn't park like that out of either carelessness or strategy.

Staplor

That's a big car, with big doors and 4 kids. Car seats are a pain in the hole to get kids in and out of. Especially with giant doors, she would need decent space to open the down r enough to lift her kids in. By parking like that she may be making life easier on herself, and saving neighbouring cars from being dinged by her door. I've a kid and choose my parking spots carefully because of this.

D0NNELLY

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

I've decided I'm going to park in the spot whenever she's not there. If she carries on with taking two spaces I'll do the same to her.... we'll see how that goes down.

Now we're talking! Nothing like a bit of irish neighbourly passive aggressiveness

D0NNELLY

Staplor wrote: »

That's a big car, with big doors and 4 kids. Car seats are a pain in the hole to get kids in and out of. Especially with giant doors, she would need decent space to open the down r enough to lift her kids in. By parking like that she may be making life easier on herself, and saving neighbouring cars from being dinged by her door.

She should have bought a house with a drive way so. I'm in the exact same boat as her, i just reverse out a couple of feet to get the kids in.

h3000

Esel wrote: »

I probably blind, but I see no Citroen? De Opel looks well out of order, in the scheme of neighbourly parking.

Hard to know what to do. How big be (Bigby :eek:) the driver of the Opel?

There's a Citroen Picasso parked right next to the Opel Zafira.

Every time the space is empty I would correctly park there OP. Even if you see her leave I'd move my car down to that spot immediately. If she continues to park obnoxiously I'd start parking there obnoxiously of that doesn't stop it you'll just have to have a word with her.

Brian Scan

savagethegoat wrote: »

this is in the Uk yes? must be, it's SORD here.

Helpful.

CarrickMcJoe

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

I hear you chief. Unfortunately 'he' is a she and mother of four kids so I don't want to be accused of being 'aggressive'. I wouldn't be of course but things can be twisted.

I guess I'm asking is their any rules as regards to parking on a public road? If they continue like this can I report it to the local authority? I don't want to be a dick but it's annoying me now.

Oh, with that bus and 4 kids, my car would be parked as far away as possible even if she did park properly..

D0NNELLY

Optimalprimerib wrote: »

Firstly what is SORD?

Declared off road. Don't have to tax it..

Red Kev

OP, going down to her house, knocking on the door and having a friendly chat with her is not "confrontation". It's not implied in any way that you are going to get loud or aggressive with her. Ask her if it's possible to move a bit, and if not try to find out the reason why she parks like that.

There's no need to get "passive aggressive" which is just aggression dressed up slightly differently, just knock on the door and ask in a friendly voice could she move and take it from there:

The best advice on this thread so far is this:

Jesus. wrote: »

Alright then knock on the door and with a big smile and in the most jovial way possible ask "any chance you could straighten up your bus horse so I can get in that space? Fair play to ye man" ........sound as a pound. No-one could get angry with that. Then his reaction might give some clue as to why he's being such a tosser.
.

Thoie

Staplor wrote: »

That's a big car, with big doors and 4 kids. Car seats are a pain in the hole to get kids in and out of. Especially with giant doors, she would need decent space to open the down r enough to lift her kids in. By parking like that she may be making life easier on herself, and saving neighbouring cars from being dinged by her door. I've a kid and choose my parking spots carefully because of this.

This is probably the issue - when you park in the space beside her she may be having difficulties getting the kids in and out. Which shouldn't be your problem, but would be if your car gets scratched while she's doing it.

If you think there's room, you could reverse into the space as close to the red yoke as possible, allowing you room to open your driver's door, and giving her a bit of space.

Optimalprimerib

Thoie wrote: »

This is probably the issue - when you park in the space beside her she may be having difficulties getting the kids in and out. Which shouldn't be your problem, but would be if your car gets scratched while she's doing it.

If you think there's room, you could reverse into the space as close to the red yoke as possible, allowing you room to open your driver's door, and giving her a bit of space.

I wouldn't be showing her any courtesy. Respect goes both ways

Thoie

Optimalprimerib wrote: »

I wouldn't be showing her any courtesy. Respect goes both ways

It does, but if she's sitting there thinking "that fecker knows I'm struggling to load a bunch of sprogs in and out, and he went and parked exactly in the middle of his space which didn't leave me enough room and he'd be the first one whinging if his door was dinged and why should I have to make all the allowances, blah blah blah".

It doesn't make her right, but maybe showing a little courtesy even when you don't have to would help make the world a slightly better place? While we're talking about parking, there's an entire attitude around driving that makes everyone's lives that little bit more miserable - I want this person to drive a little faster, so I'll tailgate them; I'm in the wrong lane, so instead of indicating and waiting, I'll try beat them at the lights; that person is in the wrong lane, so instead of just letting them in, I'll make sure there isn't a centimeter gap between me and the car in front; that person has taken off from the lights quite as quickly as I'd like - instead of a gentle tap of the horn to alert them, I'll blare the horn at them to make them jump.

listermint

Burn it out, Plain and Simple. Problem Solved








.





But no really, Just knock on the door
"Hi im X from up the road, sorry to be a pain but any chance you can straighten up the car i just need to get into the spot as i have visitors coming"

She will remember the conversation for future reference.


Problem solved.

Kintarō Hattori

Well, it looks like the problem might be solved. Our mutual neighbours, whom we all like, mentioned that she was somewhat out of order with how she'd been parking. It turns out that she didn't park as she did due to the kids but and this is despite my living just two doors up from her for 5 years.... it was because she didn't know me. She felt I was parking in her space.

Anywhoo, potentially the issue is resolved. I always try to give folk the benefit of the doubt, try to respond to things diplomatically. Taking on all the advice here.... it'd do no harm to just be a little direct next time.

Thoie

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Well, it looks like the problem might be solved. Our mutual neighbours, whom we all like, mentioned that she was somewhat out of order with how she'd been parking. It turns out that she didn't park as she did due to the kids but and this is despite my living just two doors up from her for 5 years.... it was because she didn't know me. She felt I was parking in her space.

Anywhoo, potentially the issue is resolved. I always try to give folk the benefit of the doubt, try to respond to things diplomatically. Taking on all the advice here.... it'd do no harm to just be a little direct next time.

Glad it's resolved without pistols at dawn. Your one sounds a bit bloody precious, but at least it's sorted!

SteM

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Well, it looks like the problem might be solved. Our mutual neighbours, whom we all like, mentioned that she was somewhat out of order with how she'd been parking. It turns out that she didn't park as she did due to the kids but and this is despite my living just two doors up from her for 5 years.... it was because she didn't know me. She felt I was parking in her space.

Anywhoo, potentially the issue is resolved. I always try to give folk the benefit of the doubt, try to respond to things diplomatically. Taking on all the advice here.... it'd do no harm to just be a little direct next time.

She lived 2 doors away for 5 years, didn't know you and you still wanted to keep the peace. Fair play to you.

punisher5112

Funny how people behave like this.
It's not even outside her house which also if it was she has no control once it's a public road.

Kintarō Hattori

SteM wrote: »

She lived 2 doors away for 5 years, didn't know you and you still wanted to keep the peace. Fair play to you.

Indeed, it's kinda odd as both myself and the missus would always attempt a hello to her when we'd see her.

wonski

" it was because she didn't know me. She felt I was parking in her space."

I still don't understand her mentality and how is she entitled to her space tbh.