# 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:** 3
**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 20, 2012, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/41 "2012-12-20T04:47:43Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Be a shame if there was a wall of cut grass plastered along the side of it… > > “Oh sorry, didn’t realize the mower would be blowing it into your car. Usually we’re the only ones who park in front of our house.” “Oh, I’m sorry - did I blow all the snow from my sidewalk onto your car? My bad!” > [@brazil84](#): > > There are a lot of things that are 100% legal which are nonetheless impolite. The polite thing to do is to park in front of your own house first if space is available there. Also, to not have 15 cars in a residential neighbourhood so you take up all the spaces around you. Most residential neighbourhoods aren’t zoned for someone operating a junkyard out 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 20, 2012, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/42 "2012-12-20T04:54:06Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > What exactly is it that happens to your house when someone parks in front of it? I mean, I can understand if it’s some toxic hazard, or a smoking wreck about ready to blow, but a typical car? Why bother worrying about it? Nothing \*\* happens\*\*, but if you park in front of my house when there is a spot in front of yours, now I have to park somewhere else, such as in front of your house, and what’s the point of that? Parking is tight in my neighborhood, so it makes perfect sense that people aren’t always going to get to park where they want, and someone parked in front of my house is no big deal. But if, say, my neighbor across the street always parked in front of my house even when there is space in front of his, I might start wondering why he seems to insist on taking the spot that’s the most convenient for me as I lug my groceries across the street. ---
**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 20, 2012, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/43 "2012-12-20T05:09:02Z")
> [@spinky](#): > > Nothing \*\* happens\*\*, but if you park in front of my house when there is a spot in front of yours, now I have to park somewhere else, such as in front of your house, and what’s the point of that? Parking is tight in my neighborhood, so it makes perfect sense that people aren’t always going to get to park where they want, and someone parked in front of my house is no big deal. But if, say, my neighbor across the street always parked in front of my house even when there is space in front of his, I might start wondering why he seems to insist on taking the spot that’s the most convenient for me as I lug my groceries across the street. Exactly. When I visit someone, I park in front of their house. If you’re not there to visit me, why are you parked in front of \*my \*house ( this obviously only applies if there are other spaces to be had). No one is complaining that no one should ever park in front of their homes, they’re wondering why some do it for no apparent reason, especially if it inconveniences them. It’s inevitable that people need to park in fron of my house; spots can be scarce on my street. But when you park directly in front of my house you block my gate and I can’t carry anything inside. My trash will also not get picked up if your car is too close to the can. It can be a real pisser when it happens time and time again for _no apparent reason_. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/44 "2012-12-20T05:17:32Z")
> [@artemis](#): > > Isn’t the entire POINT of having a multicar garage and multicar driveway to give you a place to park that isn’t on the street where you’re getting in everyone else’s way? No. It’s a place to store all of your crap so that you can illuminate it and put it on display. It also doubles as an extra screaming and drinking space when you have a party. ---
**Author:** ![Cheez\_Whia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Cheez\_Whia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheez_Whia)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/45 "2012-12-20T05:52:44Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > I _almost_ support the Pitting. When I lived at my previous house, the neighbors always wanted to park in front of my house. Yes, it’s a public street and I understand that they have the right to do so, but it was annoying nonetheless. I liked to look out from my window and _not_ see an old jalopy there. I didn’t mind seeing my nice little pickup, though, but it was _nice_. Since it wasn’t a daily driver (it look nice, but it really was an inferior vehicle) I eventually just left it there full time. > > I’m having an issue in my current assignment neighborhood, though. I bought a parking space behind my house, and the neighbors constantly park there. It’s marked, and everyone knows the rules. I stole a license plate from one such vehicle a few days ago and took it to the gatehouse. I really want to take out a valve stem core, but I hate people yelling at me in a language I can’t understand. They’re parking in your paid for, private property? Have their asses towed! They’ll catch on eventually. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/46 "2012-12-20T12:45:04Z")
> [@spinky](#): > > Nothing \*\* happens\*\*, but if you park in front of my house when there is a spot in front of yours, now I have to park somewhere else, such as in front of your house, and what’s the point of that? Parking is tight in my neighborhood, so it makes perfect sense that people aren’t always going to get to park where they want, and someone parked in front of my house is no big deal. But if, say, my neighbor across the street always parked in front of my house even when there is space in front of his, I might start wondering why he seems to insist on taking the spot that’s the most convenient for me as I lug my groceries across the street. I can understand that and I’d be annoyed if a neighbor made it a point to park in front of my house rather than his own- but in my neighborhood, that never happens.Most of us don’t have driveways and we would all prefer to park in front of our own house ( to the point where one neighbor constantly looks outside to see if a space closer to his house has opened up). Someone who parked in front of my house when there was space in front of his own is deliberately trying to annoy me- but at 4 pm it’s hard for me to tell what the parking situation was when my neighbor parked at 11am. But some people who park their own cars in driveways and garages (or who don’t even own cars) complain about people parking in front of their house even when there’s an obvious reason , like someone is having a party. I’m not really sure why they’re complaining - a car in front of their house ruins the view or something? ---
**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 20, 2012, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/47 "2012-12-20T12:59:15Z")
Yep still not seeing it. Unless you are inappropiately angry like Tony in the story above. I live in the suburbs. Park in front of my house. Why the fuck do I care? Just don’t block the mailbox or the driveway. Both of which are illegal anyway. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/48 "2012-12-20T13:03:32Z")
Reading this makes me so happy we live in the country; the last farm on a long, dead-end, private lane. (Which isn’t plowed in the winter, but hey) ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/49 "2012-12-20T13:10:18Z")
We’ve had lots of threads re this. I absolutely agree that it’s courteous for drivers to park in front of their own house, if there’s a spot available there. However, since there’s nothing illegal about it, your choices are to either befriend them and humbly request that they move their cars elsewhere, or to suck it up. BTW, in this situation, I think it was the OPer who was the biggest dick: > [@](#): > > First day we moved in: Dickhead neighbor #1 had his old truck parked smack in front of our house so that the moving van could not access our house. Soooo… the van parked in the neighbors driveway in order to be able to unload our furniture. The Dickhead had a cow that the van had made a mark on his lawn (lawn is weeds anyway but …) I pointed out that the van could not park in front of our house and Dickhead grumped to himself a while but didnt say anything. 1. How was DH1 supposed to know that it was moving day? Did you swing by beforehand and let him know? If not, why did you expect him to accommodate you? He doesn’t know what he doesn’t know. 2. When you realized that you couldn’t access your house, did you knock on his door so that you could explain the situation and ask him if he’d mind moving the truck BEFORE parking the van in his driveway? That would have been the courteous thing to do. 3. Before plopping the moving truck in his driveway, did you knock on his door and ask permission? If not, you trespassed on his property. That’s passive-aggressive, not to mention illegal. YOU were the aggressor here, and you’re the one who started the relationship off on a bad note. > [@](#): > > For instance: this week the city was doing routine tree trimming along our street and wouldnt you know it: DH#2’s daughters are parked all over the street including in front of our house. They all left for Florida so who knows when they will return and we can get our trees trimmed??? Would be poetic justice if a huge limb fell smack on one of their cars (storm is coming btw this week …). I’m not sure what you expect your neighbors to do. Park on another street altogether? Guess what? It’s probably tree trimming week for that street as well. Park in their yard? Park in YOUR driveway. Seriously, they’re allowed to go on vacation, and they’re allowed to park their cars on the street. There’s nothing remotely assholish about that. Frankly, it isn’t their behavior, but your attitude, that appears to need adjusting. ---
**Author:** ![artemis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@artemis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/artemis)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/50 "2012-12-20T13:11:13Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > No. It’s a place to store all of your crap so that you can illuminate it and put it on display. It also doubles as an extra screaming and drinking space when you have a party. Thanks! I had no idea I was using my garage incorrectly. I’ll move my car out at once! Let’s see, where shall I park it? I know! I’ll park it across the street in front of my neighbor’s house, right where it will block access to everyone’s mailboxes. That sounds like a good spot. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/51 "2012-12-20T13:11:44Z")
> [@spinky](#): > > I would be annoyed if a particular neighbor consistently passed up a space in front of his own house to park in front of mine, but it’s really just a courtesy thing. It’s more convenient for me to park in front of my house, all else equal, and besides that, what possible reason might you have? Trying to leave space in front of your house as a convenience for your guests? Ok, their convenience is important but mine isn’t… now it’s clear why someone might be bothered by it. I basically agree. Also, when someone parks in front of your house it’s slightly unaesthetic and it consumes a tiny amount of your attention. Which isn’t a big deal, but when somebody inconveniences you a tiny bit in order to make their own life a tiny bit easier, it’s annoying. It’s announcing that they are more important than you. Here’s another example: When I am driving in the city and turn down a side street, and a taxi cab in front of me stops to drop off a fare and blocks my path for 30 seconds when the cabbie could have easily pulled over to drop off his passenger without blocking my way. Why is that so annoying? Obviously I can spare 30 seconds. Again, the problem is that it’s annoying when another person inconveniences you in order to convenience themselves. > [@](#): > > If it’s getting to you, you might want to learn to accept it, because there’s no actual written law, and no universal agreement that it’s “impolite”. I’m not sure what you mean by this. My neighbors never park in front of my house except when they have their annual Christmas party. Which doesn’t bother me at all. As far as other little annoyances in life go, you are probably right. Probably I would end up living an extra year or two if I just ignored it whenever people acted rude. If I could think and act like some kind of Zen Master. But anyway, if there is anyone in this thread who never lets little things get to them, then I applaud you on your awesomeness. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/52 "2012-12-20T13:27:05Z")
Other things that people are perfectly entitled to do include: [ul] [li]Queue jumping[/li][li]Picking their nose in a restaurant[/li][li]Farting on a train when there’s a toilet available[/li][li]Scratching their bollocks in a children’s park[/li][/ul] It’s nice when they don’t though. Also I’ve noticed [gross generalization and anecdotal evidence alert] that the people who park in front of others’ houses for no good reason react badly to a polite request to move, you know, just so that I can pack my car at 5am the next morning to drive half way across Europe. So you know [checks this is BBQ Pit… yep] fuck 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/53 "2012-12-20T13:34:12Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Yep still not seeing it. Unless you are inappropiately angry like Tony in the story above. I live in the suburbs. Park in front of my house. Why the fuck do I care? Just don’t block the mailbox or the driveway. Both of which are illegal anyway. It’s kind of like the “urinal game” where there is apparently a set of rules regarding which urinal a man is supposed to use. Normally, I don’t care, but if there’s a bank of 20 open urinals and you sidle up next to the one I’m using, I’ll wonder why. If you always use the one next to mine, regardless of where I pee, I’ll wonder why. So a neighbor, who has a choice of where to park, chooses the front of my house instead of the front of his own house, thus giving himself a longer walk, I wonder why. What is his game? What caused him to stop 75ft shy of his house? All he had to do was let up on the brakes a little and he’d give himself a shorter walk into his front door, but he’s refusing to do so, and it makes no sense. Now, the only general concept here that would make sense is that the neighbor _values_ having the front of his house unencumbered by a parked car. He then deliberately chooses to deny me that value, by parking his car in front of my house. That choice, even if made using a wacky idea of value, is rude. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/54 "2012-12-20T13:42:21Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > So a neighbor, who has a choice of where to park, chooses the front of my house instead of the front of his own house, thus giving himself a longer walk, I wonder why. What I wonder is how people know the neighbor had a choice of parking spaces unless they actually watched the neighbor park. And if they did, why don’t they say something to the neighbor at that time? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/55 "2012-12-20T13:42:49Z")
> [@spinky](#): > > The thing that bugs me is when my neighbor parks in front of my house, on a curb that can fit two cars easily, but parks smack in the middle so only one car fits. Ah, yes. Countless times there _would_ be plenty of space for me to park on my block, except someone has parked _directly in the middle of a space_ that would easily fit 2 cars. If they were just a couple feet one way or the other another car could get in there. I realize that people coming and going sometimes leaves odd-sized spaces, but there are many instances in which people just don’t pull all the way up to the next car. I’m certainly not saying people should purposely park themselves in, it’s perfectly fine to leave a foot or two so they can get out, but parking so they have a half-car length both front and back is being an asshole. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/56 "2012-12-20T14:15:14Z")
Count me as not understanding why people find this offensive. Completely baffles me. Also it’s a public street, anyone can park there any time. I completely disagree that it’s widely believed and understood to be polite, to not park in front of your neighbours house. This thread clearly demonstrates it is not. Around here what is widely believed and accepted is that we are all adults, and this complaint ranks right up there with “You kids get off my lawn!”. And I’m glad I don’t live in any such tightass community that spends an iota of time worrying about something so trivial. What possible difference could it make if it was your neighbour every day, or some random stranger everyday? None, right? Let it go, life’s too short! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/57 "2012-12-20T14:21:37Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > And if they did, why don’t they say something to the neighbor at that time? Most likely because they know the neighbor will answer, “Fuck you. That’s why.” ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/58 "2012-12-20T14:23:18Z")
> [@spinky](#): > > Nothing \*\* happens\*\*, but if you park in front of my house when there is a spot in front of yours, now I have to park somewhere else, such as in front of your house, and what’s the point of that? Parking is tight in my neighborhood, so it makes perfect sense that people aren’t always going to get to park where they want, and someone parked in front of my house is no big deal. But if, say, my neighbor across the street always parked in front of my house even when there is space in front of his, I might start wondering why he seems to insist on taking the spot that’s the most convenient for me as I lug my groceries across the street. If I read that correctly, you have a house with 1 parking space in front of it, no driveway and no other off street parking? I would think you would have noticed that before committing to that particular house. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/59 "2012-12-20T14:32:48Z")
If you live there, you generally know when parking is open and when it’s crowded, it’s not difficult to know that a car which is always in front of your house, and never in front of the other house is there by choice. And there’s no way in hell I’m going to challenge a neighbor on where they park their car. There’s illegal and then there’s just rude. This is rude because THEY value having the front of their house open and gain that value by taking it away from me. Analogy, neighbor has a garage light, and because they find the light annoying, choose to point it away from their home’s windows, which happens to mean pointing it at my windows. Is that rude? ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/60 "2012-12-20T14:35:05Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Most likely because they know the neighbor will answer, “Fuck you. That’s why.” If you have the sort of neighbors who would respond " fuck you " to a request to park in the empty space in front of their own house, I would think that parking in front of your house would barely be noticeable compared to all the other problems you must have with them. And even if you did, it would be silly to waste your energy on getting annoyed- it would be like getting annoyed that a farm smells. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571.md?page=4)