Online debate erupts over parking etiquette: ‘Petty deserves petty’

Parking on a public street in front of your neighbor’s place might not be a criminal offense, but what exactly is the etiquette involved?

While most people would prefer to park in front of their own home for convenience sake, in a busy street where each household has multiple cars, this might not always be possible. And so wouldn’t you just find the next available park? Even if that was in front of your neighbor’s place?

‘Would you kindly refrain from parking your vehicle outside my house’

On Facebook this week a man was confronted with this exact issue when he came back to his car to find a note on his windscreen from his neighbor.

The post started a huge debate, with people weighing in on both sides of the dilemma.

The typed note, all in capital letters reads: ‘Would you kindly refrain from parking your vehicle outside my house for days on end – a few hours or a day is acceptable.

‘Although you are of course legally within your rights to park outside my home, please have some consideration and park on the opposite side of the road when space is available.

Dear Abby: Should I confront my guests about my misplaced panties?

Thank you.’

It was captioned by the poster: ‘Not my car but it is my neighbor’.

The highly relatable and viral post hit a nerve and was commented on thousands of times.

“As long as the parked car is plated and registered I don’t see the problem,” wrote one Facebooker on the legality of such a note.

Another chimed in with the rules: “If you want guaranteed parking you need to live somewhere with a driveway and not depend on public parking. Public parking is first come first serve plain and simple.”

“Public road = public parking for ALL,” wrote a third who shared a similar opinion.

“We all pay our taxes to use these roads. Request denied in my opinion, we are all aloud (sic) to park in public parking anytime. So long as we are not blocking private driveways.”

‘What the hell is the difference?’

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A third man got really fired up: “Listen people, you do not own the parking spot in front of your house. It is a legal spot for anybody to park in.

“I want to park there for days? That’s my problem. You don’t like it? Move out of the neighbourhood.

“Just park your car somewhere else. What the hell is the difference?”

One conveyed their own experience of receiving this type of communication from a grumpy neighbor.

“Used to get yelled at by a lady that I couldn’t park on the curb in front of her house, in a busy neighbourhood in Portland.  If parking spots on the street are limited, I’ll take whatever spot I can get. You don’t own the street.”

But many home owners felt the same way as the note’s author about having people park out front of their homes – even if it is not illegal.

“Totally agree with this, I’ve had cars parked outside my house for weeks at a time. Not illegal of course but just a bit thoughtless.”

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‘Petty deserves petty’

Another adds: “Our neighbor across from us did that (he had the same response as some of you) he also left his windows down…. my husband watered the yard. Petty deserves petty.”

One woman felt the note was polite and that while it isn;t a law, it is a neighbourly code that should be upheld.

“It is absolutely about being respectful to your neighbors. Seems like manners and good will are a thing of the past.”

Another added they just seem to work it out on their street: “I live in a city and we have to park on the street. I love my neighbors.

“We all have unofficial parking spots right in front of our homes. Never had a conversation about it, we just all do it. Life in the city is hard enough… But this simple little convenience makes life a little bit easier.”

‘I don’t mind at all!’

Finally one woman felt that people parking in front of her place had a silver lining.

“I must be weird, I don’t mind if it looks like more people are at my house. I think crooks would think twice of breaking in if there are multiple cars and people.”

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