Manchester people defend their parking spots!

[chinchilla]

I visited a friend near the ManU ground the other week and parked my car on their road. There wasn't room outside their house to park, so I parked a few houses up the road in a public spot. The place I parked in was a public road, not blocking anything and was perfectly legal and safe.

The road itself has a sign saying about residents parking only on match days, however this was a normal day and no football was on.

I was sat in my friend's house and we could hear someone sounding their car horn continously. Thinking it was likely to be a taxi or something not concerning us we carried on chatting. This continued for about 5 minutes on and off with long blasts of the horn.

After about 10 minutes there was a knock on the door and I heard an irate person ranting at my friend as she answered the door. I went to make sure she was ok and she asked if I could move my car as it had upset a person that lived up the road.

I don't go out of my way to upset people, however this person had acted very childishly sounding their horn and then very rudely by speaking to my friend in such a way. I was parked on a public road and parked legally so I didn't want to move my car, especially because of the way the person had demmanded I move my car instead of speaking to my friend in a correct manner.

My friend was concerned about falling out with her neighbours though and as she has to live there and I don't I decided to move my car for her sake. I walked out to the car and could see another 3 spots on the road slightly further up where this childish person could have parked their car. I decided to say nothing and moved my car.

As I walked back to my friend's house the person approached me and asked in a very short and snappy voice why I'd parked outside their house. I explained politely that I'd parked on the road to visit my friend and that I'd not done anything wrong. This seemed to set this person off in a rage, they told me I was inconsiderate for parking outside their house and that it was their spot. They also accused me of moving their cones that they'd placed in the road to save 'their' parking space, which I hadn't. The cones weren't in the road when I got there, they were against the wall of the person's house.

I decided this conversation wasn't going anywhere and explained to the person that they'd got what they wanted and that I had moved my car so they could park directly outside their house and that I didn't see why they were being so rude or making such a fuss. They continued to rant, so I just walked away and went back to my friend's house who was still concerned that this person would continue to make a fuss about this.

Personally I thought this person was an idiot, causing trouble for trouble's sake but I gave in to make my friend's life easier. Had this been anywhere else I'd have politely told them where to go and not moved my car, I don't normally give in to bullies. And it seems this isn't the only time this has happened, my friend explained that there are a few people on that road that act in the same way when people park outside their house.

What's it coming to when people feel the need to get vicious over cars being parked on a public road? There may be a parking restriction in place on match days, and understandably so, but when it's a normal day does it really matter if someone else has parked on the road?

Anyone else experienced this childish behaviour?

[celeste]

I havn't experienced this and legally you are entitled as far as I know to park on a public highway outside anyone 's house, this might have been 'the straw that broke the camel's back' with this person.  How old was the person?  Sometimes I have been of the opinion that the parking space outside one's own house, should be for that householder, as it must be annoyingwhen your own visitors can't park.  Was there not a space in your friend's drive?  This is why people are hving their drives concreted or bricked, which in the future may cause flooding problems.

We pass a road near to the Metro station, and outside the houses of everyone who lives on the road are cars, left by people all day whilst they get on the tram to town, much to the annoyance of the residents whose own visitors cannot park where they want to visit.  When they have gone out to remonstrate they have been met with abuse. Near to the Old Trafford ground I thought people were going to have to pay for the right to park outside their houses

[chinchilla]

I havn't experienced this and legally you are entitled as far as I know to park on a public highway outside anyone 's house, this might have been 'the straw that broke the camel's back' with this person.

Yes you are, there's nothing stopping you on a road like that unless it's match day in which case you need a permit or visitors permit. And speaking of the law, those residents that put cones or other objects in a public road in an attempt to reserve themself a parking space could be argued that they are committing an offence of obstructing the highway. 

How old was the person?

I'd say in his 30s

Sometimes I have been of the opinion that the parking space outside one's own house, should be for that householder, as it must be annoyingwhen your own visitors can't park.

The space on a public road can be used by anyone though. I wouldn't block someone's drive and wouldn't park in a disabled area, but if it's a public road like that then there's nothing wrong with parking there.

I can appreciate it's nice to have your car outside your house or your guests park there, but neither the homeowner or their guests have any extra right over the rest of the public to use that road.

Was there not a space in your friend's drive?  This is why people are hving their drives concreted or bricked, which in the future may cause flooding problems.

Unfortunately my friend lives on a road which is all terraced houses, nobody on that road has a drive or any private ground to park on except for one house right at the very end of it.

We pass a road near to the Metro station, and outside the houses of everyone who lives on the road are cars, left by people all day whilst they get on the tram to town, much to the annoyance of the residents whose own visitors cannot park where they want to visit.

I've not seen it myself but I guess some would argue it cuts congestion or is better for the environment. I don't use public transport that often myself, so I guess I can't really comment like that. However, if it's a public road and the vehicles aren't blocking anyone's drive or parked illegaly then I think it's fair enough. Everyone has the same right to that space.

When they have gone out to remonstrate they have been met with abuse.

Nobody should be abusive. The person I encounted was abusive towards myself and my friend when they were attempted to move me, there was no need for it. Even when they were abusive to me, I was not abusive back. It seems to be a heated subject that causes some people a lot of anger.

Near to the Old Trafford ground I thought people were going to have to pay for the right to park outside their houses

Not sure. I know my friend gets one resident permit and two or three visitors permits every so often. If they wish for extra visitors permits they have to apply for them. The permits are only required when matches are on, the rest of the time anyone can park there

[celeste]

so did you say anything like, where am I supposed to park?  I take it your friend's car was outside her house?
Watch their house closely at xmas, they may have more than one car turn up at their house

[chinchilla]

No, I decided that there was no reasoning with this person and in the interest of my friend's quiet life I decided it wasn't fair if this person was made more irate.

Her car was outside her house, it normally is when she can park there. The funny thing is that she always tries to park outside her house, but the main reason for that is so she doesn't upset her neighbours. However she's often left to park at the very end of the road instead when there's no space outside her house because someone's already parked there and she daren't park outside someone else's house for fear of incidents like this! It just seems to me that there's a lot of petty bullying going on.

And I will be calling in on Christmas day to drop presents off for their kids. I'll have a quick glance to see if this person lives by their own rules then

[celeste]

yes, the world and his wife parks outside our house, and there are two drives opposite so it's more difficult for them, however if I spotted this person parking outside someone else's house he would get his answer from me at the first opportunity