Neighbour complaining about carparking

[alex__17]

Neighbour had a go at one of mindees dads today as he left with his 3 year old little girl, moaning about how he shouldn't be parked on the road outside her house and its disrespectful and bad enough all the other mums park there too, and only toned it down when she noticed the little girl in the car...
I'm really annoyed, first she should say something to me first, also she's gone to work before any kids arrive in the morning, and the earliest child collected is 515/520, and they're all gone by 530, 535 if faffing with shoes but never later. And also her husband parks in the drive, she's complaining about the public road with no parking restrictions outside her house, so today she had to park her husband in, so was still directly outside her house!
I always make a point of saying hi to her, but feel in some way we annoyed her as they've never been very friendly, always say hi to her kids who are fine, and will go over with some chocs tomorrow and knock and apologise, say I didn't realise and will contact all parents as there's plenty of parking in the road, I want to keep the peace but its really annoyed me, its a public road and she was still parking outside her house!!

[hectors house]

How selfish of her, but it may be worth asking parents to steer clear of parking outside of her house on HER piece of road, as disgruntled neighbours have a habit of complaining to either the council or Ofsted.

[alex__17]

This is it, I'd hope she wouldn't complain but don't really want to annoy her too much and find out she has!

Hate having to apologise for something I shouldn't need to!

[CSR2014]

Oh dear, I can relate to this as my neighbours on one side are wonderful and the ones on the other side are vile!! If I started telling you my vile neighbour stories then Christmas would have been and gone so I won't go there!! My only advise is try to maintain a dignified and civil approach as it makes you look like the unreasonable one (even though you're not!!) if you retaliate in any way!!

Chin up and deep breaths!!

[mama2three]

I would try not to be too judgemental , we all have days where we over react to something due to all the other stresses in our lives. Maybe not being able to park on the road outside her house seems petty , but it might just have been the last straw that afternoon.
An apology and a Christmas card may well help form a better relationship long term x

[bunyip]

A CM very near me has a similar situation.

People like that annoy me. They seem to believe they have the 'right' to park outside their house. In fact, nobody has any automatic legal 'right' to park anywhere on the highway(it's there for the movement of vehicles, not for storing them, though that's another debate.)

My personal gripe round here is the number of people 'parking' on pavements, leaving no room for pushchairs, wheelchairs, etc. A lot of the culprits simply can't be ar5ed to use their own drives for parking.

Problem is that, whilst you quite understandably want to go shout at this daft neighbour (or at least toast her toes over a slow fire ) you really don't want to up the ante. LAs can require us to apply for planning permission of any complaint (even an unfounded one, that our business is having an impact on parking, noise, etc.)

Make sure you have a line in your drop-off/collection policy requesting parents to park/arrive/leave "with due consideration" and draw attention to it in your newsletter. If there is a complaint, you can then at least point out you're doing all you can about it.

Personally I've only had 2 problems due to irritating clients whose insensitivity I had to nip in the bud before a problem arose. It was a simple matter of asking them to think of other people, leave the car at home, or find a new CM. One was a client who'd park across a neighbour's drive, claiming she'd "only be a minute" - inevitably on the days her DS would kick off and fight against leaving or there were medication forms to complete, etc. The other was one of those pillocks who are incapable of leaving for work without beeping her horn like an imbecile (just wave, love: even children can cope with that.)

[k1rstie]

I would like to warn others about parents who park, but keep their engines running!


Years ago, my mother was picking up my stepfather from the station. She had parked badly and was getting shouted at by a taxi driver. She got in a tizzy, and could not get out. She jumped out so my step father could move the car. As he stepped in, his foot touched the pedals , and the car jumped, knocking her over.

She spent a few days in hospital, and received some brain damage. She lost her sense of smell. In fact she was really lucky!


When bunyip talks about 'parking with consideration', I would also include turning off the engine as 'consideration'. My father was a trained police driver, it happened so quickly and easily. Imagine what could happen outside your settings??

[alex__17]

If she ever gets home I have card, apology and chocs ready, annoying thing is she was still able to park right outside her house, space for 2 cars there, and she was parked just behind my mindees dad, closer to her house than she normally parks.
Anyway really hoping to smooth things over, don't like bad feeling over something that can hopefully be avoided in the future!

[Maza]

Gosh K1rstie, how awful. Thanks for the warning.

I can totally sympathise with you over neighbours. Could there be something else bugging your neighbour - noise in the mornings or during the day perhaps? Your mindees/parents don't drop litter or stare into her property or anything? I have had more that my fair share of run ins with neighbours over my business - sometimes they had a point but other times they were just being a pain. Be honest and assess whether there really is an issue or not - if there is then nip it in the bud with the parent asap. If not, you just have to take the moral high ground and swallow your pride when it comes to neighbours and your business. My friend has a dog sitting business and she also has problems with her neighbours moaning about drop off and pick up. My daughter's school always has complaints from local residents about parents parking - it comes with the territory I'm afraid. Big hugs - I know it is very stressful. x

[jaykay79]

wow you're way nicer than me, there wouldn't be any chocs heading her way from me I can tell you, I'd just ignore her if it was me, don't need silly moaners in my life thank you very much x

[Ripeberry]

One parent lets her kids into the car to strap themselves in (4 years and 6 years), but most of the time they are beeping the horn constantly, whilst she struggles with the little one (2 years) who decides to be a 'plank' and will not bend into the seat! Does my head in!

[Maza]

One parent lets her kids into the car to strap themselves in (4 years and 6 years), but most of the time they are beeping the horn constantly, whilst she struggles with the little one (2 years) who decides to be a 'plank' and will not bend into the seat! Does my head in!

It amazes me how unaware some people are! Unbelievable.

[vals]

Personally I wouldn't apologise as it then looks as if you are in the wrong - when you aren't. I would however add something on a newsletter saying that a neighbour has been unpleasant about parking and therefore please try and avoid parking outside their house etc.

[alex__17]

Well I've said nothing, she is out a lot and when I see her drive up I've been cooking or my son asleep so not been able to run out, then today walking along the pavement with my 2 year old and she drove past as we were waiting to cross, parked up and couldn't get in her house quick enough even though we were running back to speak to her!
So I'm starting to think to not even bother, and at the very least eat the chocolates!
The longer it's gone I've been thinking if I give her chocs and apologise I'm admitting I've done something wrong which I haven't. ..

Hopefully no cars dropping and collecting for a couple of weeks, a word to parents and more considerate parking will be enough

[k1rstie]

Why not give her the choccys as a Christmas gift.?