Suburban residents: do you park in front of your neighbor's house?

Zeke · 07-12-2010, 05:22 PM

The recent widow across the street has had a parade of guests for around 5 months. The latest crew is from Colorado and they park in front of my house instead of hers. She does have plenty of driveway room, but I guess since there are now 4 additional cars to that address, it's too much to move them around for coming and going. so they just park over here. Most of the time there is parking in front of her house.

Now I have 4 cars and a 2 car garage. Yet none of my cars sit overnight on the street. It's inviting to take up that vacant space, I'm sure. Way back, I painted a marker to show various dimwits that there are actually 2 spots in front if one parks with courtesy.

We do have guests from time to time (believe it or not given what I say here) and they often have to walk a house or 2 in order to reach our door. Many times they have items that need to be carried such as strollers or other bags.

How do I handle this? I mean overtly. Covertly I've done quite a few things, but the message seems to go unnoticed. BTW, the protocol here in the old days was not to park in the street overnight at any time. Not even in front or your own residence.

Those days are obviously gone.

Oh, I should mention that when people park behind in the alley, I let the air out of all of their tires. Then I use a jack to swing my car around and out. The police are useless in LB when it comes to trivia. They have their hands full night and day.

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

Sorry Milt, but you don't own the street. Maybe I'm just used to more dense urban living these days, but the street is fair game and unless posted otherwise, people park wherever they can.

In my old suburban days, it was far less dense, but still I never considered the curb area in front of my house as "mine." As long as no one blocked my driveway I didn't care much one way or the other except for perhaps a long-term/abandoned vehicle.

Zeke · 07-12-2010, 05:35 PM

No, I don't own the street. Nor do I own any parking lot where I might shop. Yet I try to use some courtesy when I park. Like I don't go out of my way to park next to a car that is way out in the far lane so as to ostensibly not get dings.

kaisen · 07-12-2010, 05:40 PM

The 'burbs are different. I think you should be able to park in front of your OWN house, why park in front of a neighbor's?

Related, I sometimes (rarely) park my truck/trailer on the street in front of my home for a few hours. It's not easy to back it up into my driveway (it will fit), but it's easy to leave it on the street and simply pull forward when I'm ready to leave. The neighbors across the street have a 18 year old daughter that parks in the driveway (usually across the sidewalk, but that's another thread). A couple days ago the mother approaches me as I'm working in the yard and asks me not to park my truck/trailer across the street from their driveway as they're worried their daughter, who's not a great driver, will hit it. She actually asked me not to park in front of my own home!

Whataya think of that!?

bivenator · 07-12-2010, 05:45 PM

Sounds like good advice, kaisen.

Jagshund · 07-12-2010, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nostatic

Sorry Milt, but you don't own the street. Maybe I'm just used to more dense urban living these days, but the street is fair game and unless posted otherwise, people park wherever they can.

Not sure I agree with that. If one of my neighbors was using the street in front of my house as long-term parking (or even consistently using it for short-term parking) I would definitely take it up with the owner. I take pride in keeping my house, yard and sidewalk up and if someone's parking a beater in front that's capable of detracting from the utter splendor I'm exuding here they'll soon be missing a car.

When we have guests I always pull both cars to within inches of the garage doors so that we don't have folks parking on the street or blocking the sidewalk. In the rare event we have enough people over to fill the driveway I insist that they park in front of our house nose to tail until that's full. Then I'll ask my neighbors if they're expecting company and, if not, will use that area as well. I don't expect the same courtesy but am generally afforded it anyway.

Jim Richards · 07-12-2010, 05:47 PM

I only park in front of other people's houses when my dog needs to poop in their front yard.

RWebb · RWebb's Garage

most cities have ordinances limiting how long a car can be parked on the street w/o moving it

check on LB

lendaddy · 07-12-2010, 06:15 PM

If you can't bring yourself to asking them not to....just park in front of their home.

stomachmonkey · 07-12-2010, 06:22 PM

To answer Milt,

No, I do not park in front of my neighbors homes and I'd appreciate it if they don't park in front of mine. I do not leave any vehicles out in front overnight unless I have no choice.

If it is a dense urban situation with limited parking then I assume the neighborhoods occupants are aware of that fact and any open parking is accepted fair game.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaisen

The 'burbs are different. I think you should be able to park in front of your OWN house, why park in front of a neighbor's?

Related, I sometimes (rarely) park my truck/trailer on the street in front of my home for a few hours. It's not easy to back it up into my driveway (it will fit), but it's easy to leave it on the street and simply pull forward when I'm ready to leave. The neighbors across the street have a 18 year old daughter that parks in the driveway (usually across the sidewalk, but that's another thread). A couple days ago the mother approaches me as I'm working in the yard and asks me not to park my truck/trailer across the street from their driveway as they're worried their daughter, who's not a great driver, will hit it. She actually asked me not to park in front of my own home!

Whataya think of that!?

That one is actually a pet peeve of mine. The way the homes are situated on my street the driveways on one side tend to line up with the front of the house on the opposite side of the street so visitors parking across the street are opposite my drive.

That frustrates me. If they stop 5 ft sooner or pull up another 5 ft it makes for a safer situation for all. I see it as poor situational awareness. When I park on the street, given adequate space I make sure that I don't park in a manner that inconveniences someone else or leaves potential for my car to get tagged.

vash · vash's Garage

i cant say anything. my neighbors own some clapped out POS vehicles..and they always park in front of me.

they currently have all their car mats hanging on our shared fence...CLASSY!

MarKoBrow · 07-12-2010, 06:27 PM

Is it a private street with no-parking posted? I have a approx six spaces in front of my house and another 4 in front of my office and I can't tell anyone not to park there at all. Sometimes my silly neighbors will put cones in front of their house because they believe their entitled to a parking space and in more than one occasion a few have been shot over the perception of street ownership.

vash · vash's Garage

i cant say anything. my neighbors own some clapped out POS vehicles..and they always park in front of me.

they currently have all their car mats hanging on our shared fence...CLASSY!

BGCarrera32 · 07-12-2010, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vash

they currently have all their car mats hanging on our shared fence...CLASSY!

Time to water the lawn, and oops, the car mats...

KarlCarrera · 07-12-2010, 06:38 PM

I don't like people I don't know, parking in front of the house for extended periods of time.

Occasionally neighbors or their families will park for a get together, (overnight, 3-4 days) in front of our house and that's cool.

I'm gonna catch h*ll, but I didn't purchase a corner lot on a cul-d-sac so I could provide parking for the neighborhood. If you've got a pie shaped lot with 25' in front, get to know your neighbors, try and be respectful, communicate, and park your long term ***** in front of your own home. I've got a family and friends too and they could use the parking.

Yea, I know I don't own the street, and I wouldn't fair well in other locations, that's why I live here and all us neighbors are cool.

Karl
88 Targa

nynor · 07-12-2010, 07:06 PM

nope, i don't park in front of my neighbors.

but i do have this neighbor that used to park his cars (plural) and, just once, his trailer, in front of my house. it was like he was pissing to mark territory. the man has two driveways, two garages and the front parkway of his own house. the trailer was where i drew the line. he hasn't parked in front of my house since we had words about the trailer.

even so, i park my rover in the center of the parkway, almost always. that guy just pisses me off.

VINMAN · 07-12-2010, 07:42 PM

This is a huge pet peeve of mine. If you have room in front of your house , use it! I always yelled at my kids for parking in front of the neighbors. Every house on my block has room for at least 3-5 cars in front of it, and yet theres a few that will park thier vehicles in front of someone elses house. My douchebag nieghbor on one side is guilty of this. He own 2 vehicles, and parks one in his drive way and the other infront of a neighbors. Because he dont want the view blocked. He use to park in front of mine until I freaked out about it.
If you are having a lot of company over and need parking no prob. But other than that it's just being a dick.

Gogar · 07-12-2010, 07:53 PM

I suggest that EVERYONE is correct.

1. You do not own the street

and

2. Nice people are considerate of their neighbors, including parking.

Not everyone is nice. Other people never even thought about it.

But, if you're losing sleep or getting upset about strangers parking in front of your home, there's only one person you need to have a chat with.

mikesride · mikesride's Garage

Yeah just gotta come right out and tell em how you feel! I have a park across the street and great neighbors...soooo lucky. They will actualy come over and ask if its ok if "bobby" parks his car here for a couple hours and I return the favour. It gets to the point that if one of us has a gathering everyone will garage up or park in the alley parking we all have so there is plenty of room upfront! Hey I have a gate between my house and the neighbor to the east of me!! He's always at my parties anyways!! I feel sorry for you, you want to be a good respectable guy and they just dont seem to care, maybe they are truley just oblivious to the situation?

BeyGon · 07-12-2010, 08:13 PM

Parking? My next door neighbor in down town Huntington Beach was remodeling his house and I came home from work to see a big dumpster parked in front of my house. Not the small one. I asked the guy what the F was going on, why is that in front of my house, he said the contractors had to park in front of his and his wife needed to park there over night. It almost came to blows but he wouldn't do it. I called the city and they wouldn't do anything about it. I worked at annoying that guy after that.