# Why get upset if someone parks in front of your house? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 28, 2011, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-get-upset-if-someone-parks-in-front-of-your-house/597874 "2011-09-28T13:18:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-get-upset-if-someone-parks-in-front-of-your-house/597874/61 "2011-09-28T16:35:31Z")
> [@Vihaga](#): > > Yup. For example, one of my neighbors has a college-aged kid that, when he’s home all summer, parks directly across from my driveway, meaning I have to be more careful every time I leave my house, as the road is quite narrow. The property line is reasonably long, and there’s no compelling reason for him to park exactly there (ie. no sidewalk, the door isn’t there, etc), yet he does, every day, all summer. If I were paranoid I’d think he did it on purpose. > > I acknowledge his right to park there, but it still annoys the living shit out of me. Ever ask him to start parking elsewhere? ---
**Author:** ![Vihaga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Vihaga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vihaga)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-get-upset-if-someone-parks-in-front-of-your-house/597874/62 "2011-09-28T16:36:57Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Ever ask him to start parking elsewhere? Nah. It’s irritating, but I don’t care THAT much. Plus, it’s only when he’s home, so it’s not like it’s a constant thing. /edit: Also, as it’s September, it hasn’t been a problem in weeks. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![PotLuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbce88/32.png) [@PotLuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PotLuck)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-get-upset-if-someone-parks-in-front-of-your-house/597874/63 "2011-09-28T16:39:05Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > Who does that, though? Unless it’s actually a proper inconvenience, like blocking the driveway, forcing someone with a disability to walk a long way, or causing you to park two blocks away on a regular basis, do people actually get more het up than just grumbling about it? My PITA next-door neighbours, for one. This issue wasn’t on my radar until my sister moved in with me (she has a car; I don’t). She obtained a parking permit which allowed her to legally park in our neighbourhood. When she came from from work one evening, the grandpa came out of his house to firmly tell my her that she couldn’t park in front of my house … because he and his son-in-law have always used the spaces in front of his house and mine for _their_ cars. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-get-upset-if-someone-parks-in-front-of-your-house/597874/64 "2011-09-28T16:42:05Z")
> [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](#): > > Holy Christ! Now he needs to prove a _ **compelling reason** _ not only to park in front of your house, but to park _ **across the street from you.** _ > > I hope some of the defenders of this pretended right to suppress parking can start to see some of the misgivings we detractors have. I thought that was actually a good example of someone being mildly annoyed (and that’s all) by someone, for no discernible reason, parking in a way which makes it more difficult for them to leave their own driveway. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-get-upset-if-someone-parks-in-front-of-your-house/597874/65 "2011-09-28T16:44:12Z")
> [@PotLuck](#): > > My PITA next-door neighbours, for one. > > This issue wasn’t on my radar until my sister moved in with me (she has a car; I don’t). She obtained a parking permit which allowed her to legally park in our neighbourhood. When she came from from work one evening, the grandpa came out of his house to firmly tell my her that she couldn’t park in front of my house … because he and his son-in-law have always used the spaces in front of his house and mine for _their_ cars. 😕 Well, that sounds unreasonable, but it also doesn’t sound like someone being obsessive about it. Mind you, to Kimmy, your sister’s the one being unreasonable for wanting to park in front of your house. ---
**Author:** ![Vihaga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Vihaga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vihaga)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-get-upset-if-someone-parks-in-front-of-your-house/597874/66 "2011-09-28T16:48:06Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > But I think the larger part is simply the usual stuff about how you give relative strangers their space. If the bus is mostly empty, you sit down in an empty seat, rather than sitting down next to someone. \ > You just don’t gratuitously intrude on the psychological space of people you don’t know very well, even when they don’t own that space in fee simple. This is the crux of why I think my neighbors’ (not the kid’s) parking is odd. It’s not that they have no right, but why are they doing it? I just seems.. needlessly aggressive when there is plenty of space in front of their own house. ---
**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:** [September 28, 2011, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-get-upset-if-someone-parks-in-front-of-your-house/597874/67 "2011-09-28T16:51:13Z")
Unless they’re hindering my pulling in and out of my driveway I don’t particularly care. However, my street is exremely narrow so it’s not just literally blocking my driveway that can make it impossible to pull out. I solved this by keeping my trashcans on the sidewalk on either side of my driveway. Occasionally a neighbor who’s having visitors will ask if they can move one and partially block my drive, knowing that the guest is only staying a little while. No problem. I guess it does kind of irk me when the people who have driveways large enough to park two cars - one in front of the other- but can’t be arsed to move their cars around and so they take up a space when they don’t have to. This only bugs me when my boyfriend comes over and has no place to park. We’ve never been dicks about it, though. ---
**Author:** ![raspberry\_hunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@raspberry\_hunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raspberry_hunter)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-get-upset-if-someone-parks-in-front-of-your-house/597874/68 "2011-09-28T16:52:05Z")
> [@Vihaga](#): > > Yup. For example, one of my neighbors has a college-aged kid that, when he’s home all summer, parks directly across from my driveway, meaning I have to be more careful every time I leave my house, as the road is quite narrow. The property line is reasonably long, and there’s no compelling reason for him to park exactly there (ie. no sidewalk, the door isn’t there, etc), yet he does, every day, all summer. If I were paranoid I’d think he did it on purpose. > > I acknowledge his right to park there, but it still annoys the living shit out of me. I always wonder about people who park this way habitually. Do they not realize that the odds of getting rammed by someone hurriedly backing out of a driveway is much, much higher? ---
**Author:** ![Vihaga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Vihaga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vihaga)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-get-upset-if-someone-parks-in-front-of-your-house/597874/69 "2011-09-28T16:55:35Z")
> [@raspberry\_hunter](#): > > I always wonder about people who park this way habitually. Do they not realize that the odds of getting rammed by someone hurriedly backing out of a driveway is much, much higher? I figured it was because he’s a kid. Damned kids, parking next to my driveway! ---
**Author:** ![Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimmy_Gibbler)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-get-upset-if-someone-parks-in-front-of-your-house/597874/70 "2011-09-28T16:58:40Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > I thought that was actually a good example of someone being mildly annoyed (and that’s all) by someone, for no discernible reason, parking in a way which makes it more difficult for them to leave their own driveway. I guess I don’t find the complaint that it makes pulling out of the driveway more difficult to be very credible. I don’t think I’ve ever been on a roadway so narrow that I need the opposite side of the street to be free and clear in order to exit a driveway or alley. And I live on a narrow residential street in Chicago. But! If I were looking for grievances in order to justify restricting my neighbors’ parking, I bet I could _become_ so attentive that I would inevitably find _something_, however minor, connected to opposite side of the street parking that I could then say “Well, if so-and-so weren’t parked way over there, I could do something differently … and gracious, doesn’t _that_ make me so put out!!” Those who want to restrict other’s parking will always find some mild annoyance to justify their position. They’re endlessly clever. “You can’t park in front of my house because that invades my personal space. And you can’t park across the street because that makes it harder to pull out of the driveway. And you can’t park down the block because what if an ambulance needs to come through! And you can’t park on a side street because that’s where the kids play. Maybe you can find a spot several blocks over?” > [@SciFiSam](#): > > Well, that sounds unreasonable, but it also doesn’t sound like someone being obsessive about it. Mind you, to Kimmy, your sister’s the one being unreasonable for wanting to park in front of your house. No, I think open spaces on public streets are fair game for any parkers. (Or, on permit streets, fair game to any permit holder.) If it’s open when Sis gets home, take it. If Pops sees it empty, it’s his. This latter, by the way, is exactly my situation. I’ve never encountered any permit holder on my street who expects a privilege with respect to the spot in front of their house. And I think anyone who attempted to assert one would be roundly ignored. ---
**Author:** ![Borzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/43a26b/32.png) [@Borzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Borzo)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-get-upset-if-someone-parks-in-front-of-your-house/597874/71 "2011-09-28T17:15:04Z")
I suppose the lawn chair thing in the winter sorta makes sense, sorta. I guess if you worked 30 minutes to clear a spot, then perhaps that entitles you to that small slice of public property for a short while. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-get-upset-if-someone-parks-in-front-of-your-house/597874/72 "2011-09-28T17:16:41Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > But I think the larger part is simply the usual stuff about how you give relative strangers their space. If the bus is mostly empty, you sit down in an empty seat, rather than sitting down next to someone. (_Hey, gonna sit by you, another one rides the bus._) You don’t sit at the table next to someone in a practically empty fast-food restaurant. If there are 7 occupied campsites in a 100-site campground, you don’t pull up right next to or across from one of the occupied sites. And you don’t park in front of someone else’s house when there’s room in front of your own house, and your guests try to park in front of your house, too, as long as there’s room. > > You just don’t gratuitously intrude on the psychological space of people you don’t know very well, even when they don’t own that space in fee simple. Precisely it. For better or worse, suburbia affords residents a whole ton of personal space. When you’ve got a half-acre of land, extending it to the street directly in front of your house is no big stretch. It doesn’t matter if it’s legal or not. It doesn’t matter if it’s socially acceptable or not. It doesn’t even matter if you think it’s rational or justified or not. If someone feels like their personal space is being intruded upon, they’re going to get irritable. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-get-upset-if-someone-parks-in-front-of-your-house/597874/73 "2011-09-28T17:20:00Z")
> [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](#): > > Golly, **Anaamika** , do you think then, that when I said “had to prove” I didn’t mean “in a court of law to win the legal right to park there,” but instead meant “to the satisfaction of the homeowner so as to avoid his/her resentment.” > > Maybe you could take your own advice. > > ETA: The above goes double for **RTFirelfly** OK then, now that you’re explaining stuff, what did you mean by your phrase I found problematic, that of “this pretended right to suppress parking,” if you didn’t mean a legal right? ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-get-upset-if-someone-parks-in-front-of-your-house/597874/74 "2011-09-28T17:30:35Z")
> [@](#): > > We’ve never been dicks about it, though. Bingo! > [@](#): > > It doesn’t matter if it’s legal or not. It doesn’t matter if it’s socially acceptable or not. It doesn’t even matter if you think it’s rational or justified or not. If someone feels like their personal space is being intruded upon, they’re going to get irritable. > Reply With Quote Let them get irritable, I have no problem with that. Just keep it to yourself, is all. Why? Because regardless of how you _feel_, your personal space is not actually being invaded. ---
**Author:** ![Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimmy_Gibbler)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-get-upset-if-someone-parks-in-front-of-your-house/597874/75 "2011-09-28T17:30:47Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > OK then, now that you’re explaining stuff, what did you mean by your phrase I found problematic, that of “this pretended right to suppress parking,” if you didn’t mean a legal right? Most people would agree that if you go around saying “I acknowledge your right to park here, but if you do, I am going to come out and give you the stink-eye” as an attempt to prevent people from exercising their right to park there. “Right” does not always mean a legal right. The usage of “right” is other contexts is well-attested, even if it is somewhat casual. When somebody says, “A spouse has a right to be consulted before making a RSVP when a couple has been invited to an event,” are you truly perplexed and believe the person is saying the spouse could go to court and get an injunction? ---
**Author:** ![PotLuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbce88/32.png) [@PotLuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PotLuck)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-get-upset-if-someone-parks-in-front-of-your-house/597874/76 "2011-09-28T17:40:21Z")
> [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](#): > > [snip] I think open spaces on public streets are fair game for any parkers. (Or, on permit streets, fair game to any permit holder.) If it’s open when Sis gets home, take it. If Pops sees it empty, it’s his. That’s what she said! (My sister, that is.) ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-get-upset-if-someone-parks-in-front-of-your-house/597874/77 "2011-09-28T17:56:54Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Bingo! > > Let them get irritable, I have no problem with that. Just keep it to yourself, is all. Why? Because regardless of how you _feel_, your personal space is not actually being invaded. You don’t own the two feet around you when you’re out in public either, but if someone stands unnecessarily close to you, they’re invading your personal space. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-get-upset-if-someone-parks-in-front-of-your-house/597874/78 "2011-09-28T17:59:33Z")
We had a stolen car abandoned in front of our house once that took forever to identify and get rid of. Right now, we have a pickup truck in front of the house that’s been there for a month or so, so I’m starting to wonder if it’s another abandonment. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-get-upset-if-someone-parks-in-front-of-your-house/597874/79 "2011-09-28T18:01:05Z")
I can honestly say that this is the most contentious thread I have ever started here. I’m just curious about different people’s attitudes and I’m a little surprised it has gotten so heated. I’ve noticed that threads where people are assuming behavioral norms for other people (like tipping threads) often get pretty intense. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-get-upset-if-someone-parks-in-front-of-your-house/597874/80 "2011-09-28T18:01:35Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > You don’t own the two feet around you when you’re out in public either, but if someone stands unnecessarily close to you, they’re invading your personal space. And it’s that “unnecessarily” that matters. If your neighbor is having a massive Super Bowl party, it’s understandable that the street’s going to be lined with cars. If the street is empty, with a bunch of dead area along the street (like if the wall of a property runs along it for a couple hundred feet), but they choose to park in front of your house for no discernible reason, yes it’s going to feel like an intrusion, just as much as if you’re the only guy at a row of restroom urinals and another guy comes in to use the one right next to you. How much that intrusion actually affects the person being intruded upon is going to depend on the specific individual, but it’s hardly an alien concept. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-get-upset-if-someone-parks-in-front-of-your-house/597874.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-get-upset-if-someone-parks-in-front-of-your-house/597874.md?page=5)