# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![Grapefruit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@Grapefruit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grapefruit)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/81 "2012-12-20T18:48:18Z")
How many of you who get annoyed live in a suburb? I’m seeing this as a “I paid good money for a picture perfect neighbourhood and I’ll be damned if some junker mucks up my view” attitude. I live in a part of the city where it’s not uncommon for me to park down the street and walk a block home. Sometimes even with three or four heavy grocery bags. Hasn’t killed me so far. The only time I’ve ever been annoyed was when the house next door was doing some heavy construction and they decided to block off the space with a few garbage cans, which extended to the front of my house. I asked the construction guys not to do that… and they gave me some riff raff about doing construction (duh!) and needed easy access. Well, so do I and everyone else on the block! They were polite but didn’t want to acquiesce. So I called the city and reported them, and the cans were gone the next day. They could have easily applied for a permit to reserve space for the construction, but were just too cheap and/or lazy to do so until someone called them on it. ---
**Author:** ![SerafinaPekala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SerafinaPekala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SerafinaPekala)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/82 "2012-12-20T19:05:11Z")
> [@Grapefruit](#): > > The only time I’ve ever been annoyed was when the house next door was doing some heavy construction and they decided to block off the space with a few garbage cans, which extended to the front of my house. I asked the construction guys not to do that… and they gave me some riff raff about doing construction (duh!) and needed easy access. Well, so do I and everyone else on the block! They were polite but didn’t want to acquiesce. THIS _is_ what Im annoyed about. It only happens 3-4 times a year that I need access to the front of my property for construction repairs, tree trimming, deliveries, etc. Not often enough to make a huge deal of it - Im just ranting. The water main to my house broke once (plumber mistake) and since the schmuck next door had parked his truck right in front of my house and left town, the city tore up my yard with their trucks and equipment since they couldnt get to the problem from the street. This happens frequently with my neighbors: they park and leave long term. Usually I could GAF but when they park their cars there and dont/cant move them when I really need to get to the front of my house, I get annoyed, saint that I am. I dont call the cops, but I do point out to the neighbors the inconvenience and hassle they have caused on specific occasions. Always apologetic, but they keep doing it. Slow learners. Today there is a storm watch and ppl are going to be towed for blocking a snow route (which our street is). Heheh … a tiny bit of justice. Is my schadenfreude showing? ---
**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, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/83 "2012-12-20T19:11:48Z")
> [@brazil84](#): > > \ > > Well a lot of us lesser beings have feelings which are difficult to control. For example, if I am driving in the city and I get stuck behind a cabbie who blocks the road to drop off a customer when he could easily have pulled over, I get annoyed even if the delay is only for a minute or two. I realize it’s a fact of life in the city, but I still get annoyed about it. Probably if you measure my blood pressure, you’d find it’s slightly higher than before I got stuck behind that cab. > > Perhaps I would end up living a year or two longer if I had your superior attitude. Part of the reason some of us get a bit bent out of shape about things like this isn’t because one time a cabbie stopped in front of us and inconvenienced us; as you get older, it’s more like the 50th time that’s happened, which accumulates with all the other crap you put up with on a daily basis. It’s not one person being an inconsiderate asshole once; it’s a daily thing, day after day after day after day… ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/84 "2012-12-20T19:21:15Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Yes, and why couldn’t the Op use their own driveway? 😕 Shared driveway, apparently. It’s buried way too deep in the OP: > [@feddup2](#): > > (we unfortunately have to share a driveway with DH#2) If that’s the case, it’s definitely a dick move for that neighbor to always occupy a shared resource. ---
**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, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/85 "2012-12-20T19:25:40Z")
> [@feddup2](#): > > The water main to my house broke once (plumber mistake) and since the schmuck next door had parked his truck right in front of my house and left town, the city tore up my yard with their trucks and equipment since they couldnt get to the problem from the street. This happens frequently with my neighbors: they park and leave long term. Usually I could GAF but when they park their cars there and dont/cant move them when I really need to get to the front of my house, I get annoyed, saint that I am. > > I dont call the cops, but I do point out to the neighbors the inconvenience and hassle they have caused on specific occasions. Always apologetic, but they keep doing it. Slow learners. Today there is a storm watch and ppl are going to be towed for blocking a snow route (which our street is). Heheh … a tiny bit of justice. Is my schadenfreude showing? Your neighbors didn’t anticipate that your incompetent plumber was going to break your water main while they were out of town? Assholes. How good of you to not call the cops on your neighbors… for parking in a perfectly legal spot. The fact that you are gleeful because your neighbors’ cars will be towed says more about your character than it does about theirs. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/86 "2012-12-20T19:37:27Z")
> [@feddup2](#): > > The water main to my house broke once (plumber mistake) and since the schmuck next door had parked his truck right in front of my house and left town, the city tore up my yard with their trucks and equipment since they couldnt get to the problem from the street. Wait, if there was ever a time when a tow would be justified, that sounds like it. Why couldn’t they? ---
**Author:** ![SerafinaPekala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SerafinaPekala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SerafinaPekala)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/87 "2012-12-20T19:40:56Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Wait, if there was ever a time when a tow would be justified, that sounds like it. Why couldn’t they? Dunno. Because they could just as easily run over my lawn I spose. Im not the towing-away/enrage thy neighbor type so I didnt suggest it even. Live and learn. ---
**Author:** ![SerafinaPekala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SerafinaPekala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SerafinaPekala)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/88 "2012-12-20T19:43:15Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Part of the reason some of us get a bit bent out of shape about things like this isn’t because one time a cabbie stopped in front of us and inconvenienced us; as you get older, it’s more like the 50th time that’s happened, which accumulates with all the other crap you put up with on a daily basis. It’s not one person being an inconsiderate asshole once; it’s a daily thing, day after day after day after day… Im not that old, but this daily grind is exactly it. ---
**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, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/89 "2012-12-20T19:48:22Z")
> [@Grapefruit](#): > > How many of you who get annoyed live in a suburb? I’m seeing this as a “I paid good money for a picture perfect neighbourhood and I’ll be damned if some junker mucks up my view” attitude. Definitely not for me. I live in the city and it’s really all about just having courtesy for one another. I do have one story of actually knowing the motivation of someone who chooses to park in front of someone else’s house consistently. My next door neighbor, B, grumbles about the old guy across the street from him because old guy parks his minivan directly across from the opening to B’s driveway. Well, the street is very narrow and B drives a friggin’ Lincoln Town Car, so when there’s a car parked directly across the street, it’s more difficult for B to get in and out of his driveway. So B, who has plenty of free time on his hands, waits for the old guy to move his car, and then he goes and parks his Town Car in that spot instead of in his driveway. The kicker is that his friggin’ Town Car is much larger than the minivan, and now it extends further down the curb and is directly across from **my** driveway too. So B is pissed that the old guy is making it more difficult to get in and out of his driveway, and in response, B makes it more difficult for me to get in and out of my driveway. Thanks a bunch, dude! Yeah, that old guy was sure a jerk for inconveniencing you like that! I’m good friends with B so I don’t care to make an issue of it, but it really is a head-up-ass move in my opinion, and I do grumble to myself about it on the occasions when I end up having to do a three-point-turn just to pull in my driveway because it’s so tight. ---
**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, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/90 "2012-12-20T19:56:28Z")
> [@](#): > > that person should know it annoyed you What the? You just assume every other person is in agreement with you about what’s annoying? Wow. Or is it that you think they can read your mind? That everyone _should_ agree with your unwritten rules of conduct? > [@](#): > > more correct to say that it’s widely believed and understood to be polite to prefer parking near your house instead of your neighbor’s. It’s widely believed what I should ‘prefer’? Streets are governed by laws. Period. Not your individual standard of politeness. You don’t get to say where everybody parks in the public street. Nor do you get a say in how the public parking spot in front of your house is used. We made formalized rules so there wouldn’t be any confusion. And yet, you seem to be confused. Would you be complaining if it was a different car everyday, and not your neighbour? The only difference is you know where the owner of this car lives! ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/91 "2012-12-20T19:57:58Z")
I used to live in a fairly high density area and parking could be a bit of a pain. There was one area between two driveways that could fit two cars and, at one point, there was a car parked smack in the middle. It sat there for days. The door was unlocked so eventually one of the neighbors and I took it out of gear and pushed it forward. Two weeks later it still hadn’t moved so I got suspicious and called the cops. It had been stolen. It was a very nicely kept up original VW Bug so I am sure that the owner was thrilled to get it back. In that same neighborhood there was a truck with a big camper shell and some dude was living in it. He kept clean and quiet so I didn’t care. He was parked so that there was on available space behind him. Once I went to park there and he was fiddling around in the back so I couldn’t park until he was done. I sat there for a while and finally kind of waved at him when he turned towards me. He totally cussed me out. I parked somewhere else and called the cops to have him rousted. A little inconvenience is fine but don’t be a dick about it. ---
**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, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/92 "2012-12-20T20:01:48Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > What the? You just assume every other person is in agreement with you about what’s annoying? Wow. Or is it that you think they can read your mind? That everyone _should_ agree with your unwritten rules of conduct? Lol, reading is fundamental. Note the little word “if” at the beginning of the sentence you quoted from. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/93 "2012-12-20T20:08:20Z")
> [@spinky](#): > > I believe it would be more correct to say that it’s widely believed and understood to be polite to _prefer_ parking near your house instead of your neighbor’s. I generally park across the street from my house rather than in front of mine because I live on a one way and I just find it easier to park with my driver’s door next to the curb. I also don’t like to park opposite the driveway across the street where someone could back into my car. There are plenty of reasons to park in places not directly in front of your own house. If you need the space reserved for a planned issue (like moving or a dumpster) the city will issue you “No Parking” signs to post. If it’s an emergency then you either have the car towed or work around it - that’s life. You don’t get to reserve spots because of a potential emergency. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/94 "2012-12-20T20:19:48Z")
> [@Grapefruit](#): > > How many of you who get annoyed live in a suburb? I’m seeing this as a “I paid good money for a picture perfect neighbourhood and I’ll be damned if some junker mucks up my view” attitude. I live in a part of the city where it’s not uncommon for me to park down the street and walk a block home. Sometimes even with three or four heavy grocery bags. Hasn’t killed me so far. I get annoyed that my neighbor parks in font of my house instead on in front of his because the way he parks had killed off a (car sized) area of my front lawn. His lawn still is fine. ---
**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, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/95 "2012-12-20T20:20:55Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > But if it doesn’t annoy you, why are you taking any action at all in the first place? If it’s not annoying, why not let the homeless guy stay, and stay in your seat and smell the smelly guy or let the guy harangue you for as long as he likes? > > Wasn’t that the whole point of the question you were responding to - finding things that are legal, but happen to be annoying to you? I thought it was about your personal emotional reaction to it, not to your actions. People can’t annoy me UNLESS I choose to let them annoy me. I walk away from shit everyday, not because it annoys me, but because I choose not to step in it. ---
**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, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/96 "2012-12-20T20:49:47Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > 1. I’d call the police and report him. It’s their job to determine if he’s a threat, not mine. > > 2. I’d change seats. > > 3. I’d move on, it’s a public park. > > See, I resolved all your problems without raising my blood pressure a single point. Lol, but you did not answer my question. It seems you agree that there are things which are (1) done on public property; (2) completely legal; and (3) annoying. Besides which, I disagree with your claim. If you had somebody wearing a sensitive medical monitor, and he was relaxing on a park bench with a tasty snack, and a stranger approaches him in the manner I described, I would guess that at least 99% of people would experience an increase in blood pressure, stress hormones, and so on. Probably the effect would be even more pronounced if a parent witnessed his children being accosted by a stranger. ---
**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, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/97 "2012-12-20T20:55:31Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > People can’t annoy me UNLESS I choose to let them annoy me. I congratulate you on your awesomeness. Unfortunately, a lot of people lack total control over their feelings of annoyance. ---
**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, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/98 "2012-12-20T21:25:30Z")
> [@brazil84](#): > > I congratulate you on your awesomeness. Unfortunately, a lot of people lack total control over their feelings of annoyance. Most people I know have a great deal of self control. They choose to not let the petty shit bother them. Cars not signaling, people parking over the line in a parking lot, 5 dollar a gallon gas. Getting all worked up isn’t going to resolve anything. But if all this really bothers you, then I suggest you resort to a little primal scream therapy. (preferably not in the company of sane people) Otherwise, just walk away and don’t give it a second thought. ---
**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, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/99 "2012-12-20T21:29:46Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > It’s widely believed what I should ‘prefer’? Streets are governed by laws. Period. Not your individual standard of politeness. You don’t get to say where everybody parks in the public street. Nor do you get a say in how the public parking spot in front of your house is used. Good lord. Courtesy is simply a foreign concept to some people. RARRRR! GOD DAMN IT THERE IS NO LAW THAT I BE COURTEOUS. ---
**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, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571/100 "2012-12-20T21:42:51Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Most people I know have a great deal of self control. They choose to not let the petty shit bother them. Cars not signaling, people parking over the line in a parking lot, 5 dollar a gallon gas. Getting all worked up isn’t going to resolve anything. Yes, but what really impresses me is that you don’t get annoyed in the slightest. Probably you’ve never ever honked the horn of your car in anger or frustration. Probably you’ve never ever listened to music or had a drink in order to unwind at the end of a stressful day. Probably you’ve never snapped at a customer service representative who asked you to explain your problem for the fifth time. Probably you’ve never slammed down the receiver of your phone in annoyance at a telemarketer who interrupted your dinner. I congratulate you and your friends on your total awesomeness. > [@](#): > > But if all this really bothers you, then I suggest you resort to a little primal scream therapy. (preferably not in the company of sane people) Otherwise, just walk away and don’t give it a second thought. Wow, thanks for the advice. Maybe you should write a self-help book? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighbors-who-simply-must-park-in-front-of-my-house/644571.md?page=6)