parking problems

[chuff]

How do the rest of you cope with the parking in East Dulwich and surrounding areas?

We are having a difficult time at the moment and seem to have upset one of our neighbours as we parked outside their house today as it was the nearest available space to us. We live on the corner of a busy road and have to park to the side of our house in the adjacent road. The neighbour is asking us not to park outside any of the houses in the road and has commented that the other houses in the street are behind her on this. I have politely explained that the road is owned by southwark council and that anyone can park anywhere in the street but feel a little slighted that this has become an issue for her and supposedly the other houses in the street.

Has anyone else had this sort of experience? If so did you find another street to park in or stand your ground?

any advice welcome

chuff

[Keef]

I don't drive, but for God's sake stand your ground!!!

[jim_the_chin]

sounds a bit ridiculous to me - parking outside your house is a bit of an unreasonable demand these days.

[capt_birdseye]

We have problems with parking too as there is a popular butchers on the corner of our street. Much as I would love to reserve parking in front of my house it's a pretty unreasonable thing to demand. Unless the council put up a sign on her road that says "Private Road" you should feel well within your right to tell her to shove it.

[chuff]

Just as I thought really but just worried that either way I can't win. If I do carry on parking there when the spaces are available then I am being inconsiderate to the old people, pregnant ladies and families with small children that live in the road. I also have a 1 year old and a 5 year old and am a little grey around the gills myself so probably fit the 'old person' label too. And if I give in, well then I am a great big old chicken and letting grumpy neighbours tell me how to live my life.

Also not to mention the damage the old bat might do to my car!

[ClareC]

Completely unreasonable! Stand your ground. If the neighbour wants to park outside her house then she needs to move to somewhere with a driveway! Southwark Council to my knowledge are not leasing out on street parking spaces :-)

I can usually park outside my house and admittedly its an inconvenience when I cant, that said, its the price you pay living in London or any town. I actually am quite surprised at how easy it is to park!

[Keef]

Just put a brick through her window! ;-) ... That was a joke you understand...

[chuff]

by the way, I live on the side of East Dulwich that borders the village and this is the first communication we have had with any of the neighbours since we moved here last September. It seems small petty mindedness (is that a word?) is the way to be here and I'm finding it hard to adjust to coming from the slightly less affluent side of ED originally.

[ClareC]

Set up CCTV / Video camera to catch the perpetrator damaging the vehicle...... have you noticed the assumption your "neighbour" is female.

[chuff]

I think I said 'her' in my first message but yes I would probably assume that the complainer was female too but then the accused 'me' is also female and quite fond of of a good old moan!

[ClareC]

I missed the "her" in the first post and assumed it was a her too..... :-)

[Ko]

chuff Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> by the way, I live on the side of East Dulwich

> that borders the village and this is the first

> communication we have had with any of the

> neighbours since we moved here last September. It

> seems small petty mindedness (is that a word?) is

> the way to be here and I'm finding it hard to

> adjust to coming from the slightly less affluent

> side of ED originally.

If this is the first time any of your neighbours have bothered to talk to you, then that's really poor behaviour from them. Stand your ground!

[chuff]

Yes that's exactly how I feel about it that if they could be bothered to take the time to say hello and be nice in the first place then maybe I would avoid 'their' spaces when possible.

[*Bob*]

Let us know the name of your neigbours street.. it sounds like a fine place for us all to park-up for the weekend.

The cheeky mare.

[ratty]

We are lucky enough to have a parking space outside our house, but I am DISGUSTED at the attitude of your neighbour! As I am a common sort I would tell her to shove it up her fat 'arris, but, presuming you do not want to do this, stand your ground and point out, softly, but firmly, that we live in a free country and until the law says otherwise you will park your car where you want!

Personally I'd drive mine through the old bags front wall and park it in her sodding living room, get out, flick her the Vs, light a fag and saunter back to my own gaff!

[diddley]

Sounds like I should be grateful for knowing and getting on with neighbours where I am. We are considering asking council for limited time parking in our road as close to ED train station and just down from LL means parking during week is nightmare. Not to mention my favourite part of the day watching the Iceland lorry doing three point turns in our road every morning rather than using LL. My advice though is buy yourself a very cheap old banger ( as offensive looking as possible) tax it and park it on a sort of permanent baises outside her place. Good luck

[louisiana]

The public highway is the public highway. If she wants private parking, she needs to drive a coach and horses :-S through her front garden and drop the kerb. Or somesuch.

People will be as considerate as they can - but you will also park where you can, these days.

Louisiana

(No longer a driver since a horrific accident in the 90s, but Mr L does park the jag outside from time to time, which tends to annoy all my neighbours who seem to think that the space in front of my house belongs to them, as I don't park on it myself)

[dulwichmum]

Dear Chuffy,

I am not sure I would advocate such outragous behaviour as suggested by sweet Ratty, but I would certainly consider taking all of my cars out of the garage and parking them in every available parking space on the street - in order to assert my rights as a taxpayer!

The other two things to consider are;

* have your considerable front lawn turned into an "in and out" drive - I find this so convenient myself,

or else,

* have the entire underneath of your property excavated and one of those super hydraulic lift devices installed to ferry cars down to the capacious space underneath your home!

Clearly this would enable you to avoid any further unpleasantness with your neighbour!

[Damo]

www.streetcar.co.uk

No car, no problem.

On your specific point though, the neighbour is in the wrong.

On our particularly crowded street, the old traffic cone placement is a favourite way of "reserving" a space.

As a non-driver, the irritation, fury and conflict this raises makes me glad to be unencumbered by such stress.

ps All these metal boxes are a blight on our roads but thats another thread.......

[panda boy]

Totally ridiculous.

Park where you can.

I've had a slight to do with a neighbour who was complaining that others were parking too close to their *generic hatchback*, which they wern't at all.

All it did was p**s people off and tempt them to deliberately park too close to them in a reaction over the pettiness of the complaint.

I find smiling and nodding while backing away works with these people. No point in having a conversation about it really.

(As if their (filthy) *generic hatcchback* is anything special...)

And like you chuff, it was the first thing they've said when they moved in.

In fact it's the only thing they've said.

I liked dulwich mums suggestions, but you forgot about having a crane installed in the front and simply lifting the car above head height every night...

[SimonM]

As others have pointed out, you have every right to park there, moral and legal. I'd also take with a pinch of salt her assertion that other people in the road are behind her, I think most people know the score abotu car parking on the streets in cities....

[SeanMacGabhann]

First point is that the neighbour in question is both wrong AND out of order (ways and means)

But mostly I agree with Damo - I live in what I'm sure is considered the wilds of ED - right at the top of LL behind the Plough (ie not next to NC Road or the station) but pop the headphones in, quick amble down the road and I'm there whereas the people I have passed getting into their cars are STILL driving around in circles looking for a parking spot... I. Just. Don't. Get. It

I know lot's of people will say "children, lot's of shopping etc etc" - to which I would say a bit of planning goes a long way. But your choice is making you more stressed so why not try an alternative?

I'm in a better mood that that ramble sounds by the way - hope to see ye Friday

[chuff]

I would so love to tell you all the street to park in but I think I may be 'censored' if I did. Needless to say though all your comments have been helpful and it is good to know that we all feel that public roads are just that and we have the freedom to park where we can.

We are applying to have off street parking but due to the position of our house on the corner of a busy-ish road, it's doubtful that we will be permitted to go ahead. As for DM's suggestion of underground parking well that would be lovely but our pockets are decidedly shallow these days after having to spend so much just to buy this house in the first place. It's also starting to grate that I have borrowed a substantial amount of money to buy a house in an area that I thought would be wonderful for our family only to find out that we have moved amongst a very unfriendly bunch of people. Should have stayed on the other side of ED!

I may just take up diddley's suggestion and buy a banger to leave outside permanently.

[Keef]

Keep the faith Chuff, and don't let the neighbours put you off your dream place... Just make a point of annoying them at every given opportunity ;-) Buy your kids a little cricket set, and tell them they get 6 runs if they hit next door's conservatory ;-)

[spadetownboy]

chuff,forget the banger hire a skip for a couple of weeks and position it outside her house after that parking your car wont be a prob, i speak from experience.