# Neighbors who simply MUST park in front of my house **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 19, 2012, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571 "2012-12-19T20:51:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![glilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/48db29/32.png) [@glilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glilly)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/181 "2012-12-24T19:20:33Z")
> [@feddup2](#): > > Neighbors do agree to not block the shared driveway, but this lasts about 2 minutes. So back we go to having to ask them to please move (again) and waiting for them to do this at their own … glacial … pace. This is like a “Y” shaped driveway where the bottom is shared? Are they parked in the street in front of the “Y” or in the driveway at the bottom of the “y”? Since you’ve communicated this and they’ve been generally unresponsive, have you looked into having the offending cars ticketed/towed? You’d want to give fair notice on that kind of escalation. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/182 "2012-12-24T23:16:06Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Yes, this is indeed the correct way to approach this. And is, in fact what we did a year ago or so. It worked out very well. > > Good thing we did not have **Loach** parking in front of our house for weeks. Otherwise the conversation might have gone like this: > > Reasonable person: Say, neighbor, I notice that you’re parking your old car in front of my house, when you have space in front of yours, and an completely empty driveway. Any particular reason for this? > > Loach: It’s a public street and I can park wherever I Goddamn well please. It’s completely legal so if you don’t like it then fuck off. Nope. If you had an actual reason why you need that space I would be neighborly. If you think it’s “your” part of the street I would look at you like you are an idiot. The same way I look at people when they call the police about someone parked in front of their house. ---
**Author:** ![spinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@spinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spinky)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/183 "2012-12-24T23:40:16Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > If you think it’s “your” part of the street I would look at you like you are an idiot. What if instead of claiming it was “their” part of the street, someone just suggested that it’s considered courteous to park in front of your own house instead of theirs when possible? ---
**Author:** ![Docta\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Docta\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Docta_G)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/184 "2012-12-25T01:38:15Z")
It’s obvious that the next step should involve firearms. This is cereal bizniss. ---
**Author:** ![Docta\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Docta\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Docta_G)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/185 "2012-12-25T01:39:39Z")
What if someone just parked one’s car, went inside, and shut the fuck up? ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/186 "2012-12-25T02:10:06Z")
Here is my other parking stories. I always leave work at lunch. Its just something I have to do. If I don’t have errands to do, I park somewhere under a tree and read while I’m eating. I always have favorite spots. My last one was under a tree in front of a vacent lot. I was there a couple of times a week for over 5 years. Some of the folks who lived across the street came over to talk to me…mostly just confirming what they saw, a woman sitting in her car eating lunch and reading a book. Suddenly, one guy who lived a couple of houses down and had been there for a couple of years came down to tell me that he was taking pictures of my license plates and calling the police because he knew that I was going to do something with the neighbor’s kids or something. He was as nutz as Tony, so I just apologized and never ate my lunch there again. Another spot I liked was under a tree by a new housing development. It was such a good spot that I’d bring coworkers to eat take out and watch the guys in shorts, boots and hardhats. And very nice tans. And toolbelts. Did I mention the shorts? Anyhow, one day, when things were finishing up, I went out to watch…errr…eat lunch and read…and the foreman came up to my car with a couple of the guys behind him. They wanted to show me the home I had been watching because they knew that I was the new owner. They had taken extra care on the house right in front of where I was parked (which was where we looked when we were parking under that tree) and wanted to point out the special stuff they had done. Someone got a really nice house because I leave work at lunch. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/187 "2012-12-25T15:44:46Z")
> [@Docta\_G](#): > > What if someone just parked one’s car, went inside, and shut the fuck up? Because that’s my street dammit! ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/188 "2012-12-25T17:06:18Z")
Quit yer bitching. For 3 years I had to deal with neighbors parking in front of my driveway. A couple of times they blocked my car in so I was late to work which being a schoolteacher is a lot harder than calling my boss and saying I’ll be in at 9am. I can’t tell you how many times I came home and couldn’t park in my driveway. I eventually just started calling the cops everytime but guess what, everytime the cop would show up to write the ticket and call for a tow the asshole would be out there in less than a minute (not hyperbole) to move his car and so he would never get a ticket and so he or someone else would do it again. I eventually had to get a giant boulder, paint it that reflective white they use on roads and put it on the street next to the curb at the corner of my driveway. So when you can’t get into your own driveway on a regular basis, then complain how rough it is to be you. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/189 "2012-12-25T19:11:24Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Quit yer bitching. > > For 3 years I had to deal with neighbors parking in front of my driveway. A couple of times they blocked my car in so I was late to work which being a schoolteacher is a lot harder than calling my boss and saying I’ll be in at 9am. I can’t tell you how many times I came home and couldn’t park in my driveway. I eventually just started calling the cops everytime but guess what, everytime the cop would show up to write the ticket and call for a tow the asshole would be out there in less than a minute (not hyperbole) to move his car and so he would never get a ticket and so he or someone else would do it again. I eventually had to get a giant boulder, paint it that reflective white they use on roads and put it on the street next to the curb at the corner of my driveway. > > So when you can’t get into your own driveway on a regular basis, then complain how rough it is to be you. Well back in my grandfather’s day, the neighbor’s not only parked in front of his house, they beat him with a lead pipe every weak. And the police wouldn’t do anything about it. The neighbors also stole his pet canary. So quit yer bitchin’. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/190 "2012-12-25T19:36:44Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Quit yer bitching. > > For 3 years I had to deal with neighbors parking in front of my driveway. A couple of times they blocked my car in so I was late to work which being a schoolteacher is a lot harder than calling my boss and saying I’ll be in at 9am. I can’t tell you how many times I came home and couldn’t park in my driveway. I eventually just started calling the cops everytime but guess what, everytime the cop would show up to write the ticket and call for a tow the asshole would be out there in less than a minute (not hyperbole) to move his car and so he would never get a ticket and so he or someone else would do it again. I eventually had to get a giant boulder, paint it that reflective white they use on roads and put it on the street next to the curb at the corner of my driveway. > > So when you can’t get into your own driveway on a regular basis, then complain how rough it is to be you. Since that is depriving you of your right of way to your property that is illegal anywhere that I know of. So is abandoning your vehicle on a public roadway. But ever jurisdiction will have a different definition of how long that means. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2012, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/191 "2012-12-26T14:08:49Z")
> [@brazil84](#): > > Well back in my grandfather’s day, the neighbor’s not only parked in front of his house, they beat him with a lead pipe every weak. And the police wouldn’t do anything about it. > > The neighbors also stole his pet canary. > > So quit yer bitchin’. Yer grandfather was kind of dumb. Didn’t he realize that _anyone_ can move a horse? You didn’t need a key in those days. The lead pipe and canary thing, though, that was pretty bad. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2012, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/192 "2012-12-26T17:23:24Z")
> [@MissTake](#): > > I am technically the only house on my block. I have a next door neighbor, but their house faces a different street. There are people across the street - their house also faces a different street. I’m having a hard time picturing this. What does this even look like? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2012, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/193 "2012-12-26T19:21:53Z")
> [@Cheshire\_Human](#): > > Yer grandfather was kind of dumb. Didn’t he realize that _anyone_ can move a horse? You didn’t need a key in those days.\ And besides, where would you put it? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/194 "2012-12-27T00:42:26Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > And besides, where would you put it? 😃 In your ‘garage’, until someone comes and claims it. [del]Cars[/del] Horses were much easier to steal in _those_ days. Just ask **grandpa**. He’ll tell ya’. Hey! You’re in Calgary!! How does the ‘Stampede’ work? I want a horse of my own! ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/195 "2012-12-27T03:33:39Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Quit yer bitching. > > For 3 years I had to deal with neighbors parking in front of my driveway. A couple of times they blocked my car in so I was late to work which being a schoolteacher is a lot harder than calling my boss and saying I’ll be in at 9am. I can’t tell you how many times I came home and couldn’t park in my driveway. I eventually just started calling the cops everytime but guess what, everytime the cop would show up to write the ticket and call for a tow the asshole would be out there in less than a minute (not hyperbole) to move his car and so he would never get a ticket and so he or someone else would do it again. I eventually had to get a giant boulder, paint it that reflective white they use on roads and put it on the street next to the curb at the corner of my driveway. > > So when you can’t get into your own driveway on a regular basis, then complain how rough it is to be you. I’m hip. I’ve put up with so much parking shenanigans in the ten years I’ve lived here that I now keep my trash cans on the street on either side of my driveway to serve as a buffer. Parking can be pretty tight on my street and I \*would \*feel bad about further limiting the amount of parking space if I hadn’t put up with so much douchiness on the part of (some) of my neighbors. I’ve been late to work and damaged my own vehicle in an attempt to avoid damaging theirs. Now all bets are off and they are cordially invited to \*fuck \*off. ---
**Author:** ![jb1931](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jb1931](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb1931)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/196 "2012-12-27T20:26:19Z")
This is my first post here so be gentle with me. I don’t really want to weigh in on the neighbors parking in front of your house battle because I see both sides. My neighbors (and their grown kids) park in front of my house all the time and leave the space in front their house open. It irritates me only because those neighbors have done numerous other things to us (bordering on harassment) so I am inclined to be easily irritated by the many douchy things they do. That being said, I can see why it would irritate other people with different situations and I can see why others would not be bothered by it. However, what I seem to be picking up from some on this thread is that people are not allowed to be bothered or irritated by anyone doing anything that is not illegal? I don’t think anyone who is complaining about their neighbors in this thread is advocating keying cars or doing anything drastic to them. I think they are just letting off steam and venting to to others who may share similar gripes. At least that is my interpretation. Isn’t that what The Pit is for? Or are you only allowed to pit things that are illegal? If so, I apologize for my misinterpretation of the rules. If I am right, and this is a place to vent, then isn’t that what these people are doing? It seems that the people who aren’t irritated by anything are irritated by people who gripe about petty things on this message board. Otherwise, why keep posting to them to tell them that they are wrong for feeling that way? Why not just move along and post elsewhere? I am not big on posting but I genuinely enjoy reading here because most posts are intelligent and well thought out, but this thread has gotten a bit childish and far from the live and let live attitude that some seem to be reapeatedly expressing but not practicing here. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/197 "2012-12-27T20:52:10Z")
> [@jb1931](#): > > However, what I seem to be picking up from some on this thread is that people are not allowed to be bothered or irritated by anyone doing anything that is not illegal? No, it’s just that some people take a lot of pleasure in being dismissive of other peoples’ complaints. Evidently it gives them a smug feeling of superiority. So they seize upon any reasons – even nonsensical ones – to be dismissive. ---
**Author:** ![jb1931](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jb1931](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb1931)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/198 "2012-12-27T21:10:09Z")
> [@brazil84](#): > > No, it’s just that some people take a lot of pleasure in being dismissive of other peoples’ complaints. Evidently it gives them a smug feeling of superiority. So they seize upon any reasons – even nonsensical ones – to be dismissive. I was actually referencing a couple of the folks who specifically said that you should not be annoyed because the neighbors in question are legally parked and you don’t own the street. I don’t own the mall either but it still slightly annoys me when people stand in the middle of a doorway, blocking the entrance and don’t move even why I say excuse me or in any way acknowledge their rudeness. They are not doing anything illegal and I recognize that they are well within their rights (legally) to stand wherever they want in a public place. Does that make it any less rude or ignorant for them to do so? No. Do they realize they are being rude? Debatable. Am I going to go all postal and start screaming at them and punching them in the face? Only in my mind. Is it going to ruin my whole entire day and throw me into a deep depression? Of course not. It’s just a mild annoyance. I may grumble to my husband about rude, ignorant people and move on. That’s sort of what people are doing here. Some people just like to vent when something annoys them. If others don’t feel the need or are never bothered by petty things, great! I genuinely do wish I had that attitude. On the other hand, no need to insult people who don’t share your ability to let everything slide. ---
**Author:** ![SerafinaPekala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SerafinaPekala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SerafinaPekala)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/199 "2012-12-27T21:40:28Z")
> [@jb1931](#): > > This is my first post here so be gentle with me. I don’t really want to weigh in on the neighbors parking in front of your house battle because I see both sides. My neighbors (and their grown kids) park in front of my house all the time and leave the space in front their house open. It irritates me only because those neighbors have done numerous other things to us (bordering on harassment) so I am inclined to be easily irritated by the many douchy things they do. That being said, I can see why it would irritate other people with different situations and I can see why others would not be bothered by it. However, what I seem to be picking up from some on this thread is that people are not allowed to be bothered or irritated by anyone doing anything that is not illegal? I don’t think anyone who is complaining about their neighbors in this thread is advocating keying cars or doing anything drastic to them. I think they are just letting off steam and venting to to others who may share similar gripes. At least that is my interpretation. Isn’t that what The Pit is for? Or are you only allowed to pit things that are illegal? If so, I apologize for my misinterpretation of the rules. If I am right, and this is a place to vent, then isn’t that what these people are doing? It seems that the people who aren’t irritated by anything are irritated by people who gripe about petty things on this message board. Otherwise, why keep posting to them to tell them that they are wrong for feeling that way? Why not just move along and post elsewhere? I am not big on posting but I genuinely enjoy reading here because most posts are intelligent and well thought out, but this thread has gotten a bit childish and far from the live and let live attitude that some seem to be reapeatedly expressing but not practicing here. TRUTH. > [@jb1931](#): > > I was actually referencing a couple of the folks who specifically said that you should not be annoyed because the neighbors in question are legally parked and you don’t own the street. I don’t own the mall either but it still slightly annoys me when people stand in the middle of a doorway, blocking the entrance and don’t move even why I say excuse me or in any way acknowledge their rudeness. They are not doing anything illegal and I recognize that they are well within their rights (legally) to stand wherever they want in a public place. Does that make it any less rude or ignorant for them to do so? No. Do they realize they are being rude? Debatable. Am I going to go all postal and start screaming at them and punching them in the face? Only in my mind. Is it going to ruin my whole entire day and throw me into a deep depression? Of course not. It’s just a mild annoyance. I may grumble to my husband about rude, ignorant people and move on. That’s sort of what people are doing here. Some people just like to vent when something annoys them. If others don’t feel the need or are never bothered by petty things, great! I genuinely do wish I had that attitude. On the other hand, no need to insult people who don’t share your ability to let everything slide. For a noob, you catch on fast! Welcome! ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/200 "2012-12-27T21:54:46Z")
Actually, if you check join dates, you’re the ‘noob’. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571.md?page=11)