'I refused to move my car for disabled man in my road – so he called the police' – The Mirror
A homeowner has turned to the internet for advice after their colleagues criticised them for refusing to move their car for a disabled man – but they’re not so sure if they’re in the wrong
If there's one thing that can get two neighbours really riled up, it's parking – with even the best of friends able to get frustrated and lose their cool over someone stealing their spot.
One homeowner has recently caused a bit of a stir after revealing the issue they are facing over parking on their street, which they claim is a private road and isn't for just anyone to use. However, this hasn't stopped one man from repeatedly parking across their driveway and blocking their access to it.
The unnamed homeowner explained that the vehicle in question belongs to the father of a woman who lives one street over, where council parking restrictions apply. The older man is disabled and the woman claims he needs to park closer to the house, which is why his car had been on the private road.
In a post on Reddit's Am I The A**hole forum, the homeowner sympathised with the man's needs, but remained firm that no one was allowed to park on the private road, unless they lived there. However, their words seemed to have been ignored, as a few weeks later they returned home to find their driveway blocked once more by the same car.
With nowhere to park, they simply parked behind the man's car in a bid to prove a point, but claims this resulted in an argument with the man who screamed at them, kicked their door, and threatened to have the car towed, before calling in Police support.
The person explained: "Returning from work one day, found a car parked across my driveway, I reversed off the road and parked on the next street and waited till the driver moved it. I missed them, but went and knocked on the door. I tried to explain that the road is private and belongs to the three houses that are actually on that street, and not theirs. The woman got defensive and said it was her father (DG) that was visiting and he is disabled and needs park close as he has mobility problems. I again tried to explain that it was a private road, but she want having any of it.
"A week goes by, and again I return from work to find the same car parked across my drive, but this time I decided to park behind it and go and speak with my neighbour as I was now blocking her drive and explained what I was doing, and she was happy with my plan. About an hour later there is knock on my door and there is DG, with one crutch, who immediately starts screaming at me how dare I park my car behind him and block him in, when he is disabled and could need to go to hospital any moment. Now my plan was to be pleasant and explain to him that this was a private road, and that he was not allowed to park there, but due to him screaming in my face, I just said I’ll move my car when I’m ready, and close the door.
"The gentleman then decided to start kicking my door, but thankfully he didn't damage it. Half an hour later two 'Community Support Officers', turn up at my door. They ask if they could have a word with me and I invite them in. They then started threatening to have my car towed. This is where I decide to get brave and respond by saying they can go ahead and order it because I know that no reputable company would tow my car."
The person goes on to say that two hours later they decided to move their car, but tells the man that they will be moving it onto their own driveway, so he needs to park elsewhere.
"After more shouting, he does as I have asked, and I open the gates and drive my car on to the neighbour's drive. The gentleman by this point must have got very angry as he slams his car into reverse and sets off soo quickly he nearly knocks one of the officers over, but doesn't stop and continues to drive away."
They added: "Now some co-workers are calling my an a**hole, saying that DG might have needed meds urgently, so am I the a**hole?"
Numerous people responded to the Reddit post, with many agreeing that the man was the one in the wrong as it's a private road and he shouldn't have parked there in the first place. One fellow user said: "Being disabled gives you certain courtesies when parking, but doesn't give you the right to park anywhere. Blocking a resident's driveway is a big no no. If it wasn't an un-adopted road you could easily have had him towed immediately.
"If the tenants were that concerned about the disabled father, there are systems in place with councils to apply for temporary parking permits. However, they're probably too lazy to do that (or it costs money), so they expect to park where it's most convenient to them and get all offended when the residents complain."
Someone else agreed, telling the homeowner they had handled the situation "well" and writing: "I live in a densely populated urban area with scarce street parking, and people's entitlement to other people's privately owned driveways and deeded parking spots boggles the mind. Just because they have needs, nobody else exists to them. We see it multiple times a day, every day here."
While a different user added: "Not the a**hole. As a physically disabled (among other things) individual myself I find it a struggle to make my way in life sometimes. The world is not very suited for me. And yet a big thing I don't do is expect sacrifices from people. If someone wants to help me than I'll take it if I have too, but that doesn't mean I'm entitled enough to expect it, particularly without asking. And this is digging into the morality of it, not any of the legal rights stuff, because I find the two don't cross as often as you'd expect."
Do you have a parking row story to share? We want to hear all about it. Email courtney.pochin@mirror.co.uk
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