The Nice People No. 17

PasturesNew

The problem I had at the last place wasn't that I (and everybody else) only had one allocated spot and there was no on-road parking (double yellow lines), but that the space was used as a kids' playground.  I see houses for sale now that are "gated" and I view them differently. I now see that parents would see the gates as ideal to contain their children, so they could play there safely.   When you have just one allocated space/person it doesn't take long before somebody nicks somebody's spot.... then it's mayhem, especially if you've no idea who.  I was leaving my house/gate one day to get in my car and drive off, my neighbour arrived in the car park with her dog she was walking to discover somebody'd arbitrarily parked blocking her back gate - and she didn't have her front key with her.  People just "assume" wherever they park is OK - and the household they are visiting aren't proactive enough in policing and directing their own visitors, also taking the opinion "oh that'll be all right". 

PasturesNew

This "nearly" bungalow that came up yesterday is in a parking restricted zone, to prevent school run drop offs and hospital staff parking.  You can only park in your driveway.  When I go house viewing I walk to the viewing as a general rule.  I don't want my car to be present/visible at a viewing as I don't want it to be "recognisable" if I then do 2-3 further drivebys or park ups.... the trouble I'm having at the moment is that to view this bungalow I'm going to have to find a spot at least half a mile away to walk   Nobody can park in the road at all Mon-Fri 8am to 6pm, There are resident permits available for one side of the road. it's a little Close/cul de sac.  I'd generally like to park up in a road and observe at odd times for varying shortish periods of time... can't do that in this road.  The bungalow itself has a garage and nose-to-tail parking for 3-4 cars, so it's got plenty of its own... it's just that drive-by/observing the area stuff that'll be tricky for me to work out.  I need to find me a little parking spot that gives 30 minutes and a time and do fast walk bys

I don't think that bungalow is for me... it ticks enough boxes to be "one I could buy and live in OK", but it's not my preference or style overall; I feel I could get closer to "the one" if I wait a bit more....  but it could easily end up as "the one that got away" if the market jumps. 

PasturesNew

vivatifosi said:

Pyxis said:

vivatifosi said:

 We have two spaces and a garage.  

 

 I have two spaces by my house and a garage. 

That is a LOT of allocated parking... I bet it's hard to ever use all that.  1+2 is sufficient for most people's needs, 100% of the time. 
With only one allocated parking spot, even a food delivery vehicle, or groceries, or a taxi, don't have a spot. 

Pyxis

GDB2222 said:

Pyxis said:

GDB2222 said:

Car jenga? 

Jiggle-juggling multiple cars around available spaces?

Ah, okay! I thought Jenga involved stacking vertically then it all falling down, and Sue seemed remarkably calm about that.

Maybe this IS the answer to urban parking problems?

zagubov

I was wondering if car Tetris would be a better Parking game.

PasturesNew

One thing I do for houses is google the court reports, see what the neighbours are up to. 

My last house had people drink driving in the main. 
The house today has machete attacks and possessions of offensive weapons. 
The bungalow has a theft of £500 and 2 rings - and a harrassment byy a man of a woman by sending many texts and making Facebook remarks. 

I just remember that: For every crime, the perps live somewhere else....  you might not want to live in an area where everybody's stabbed, but you also have to be careful you don't live next door to the stabber who lives 3 miles away

silvercar

Surely an area with permits only parking has some visitor permits too? DS2 is in Camden and pays for a parking permit, that gives him rights to park in certain bays on the streets within 1 or 2 streets of his home only. Attached to that is the right to buy visitor permits for a maximum annual limit of 4 day passes and 50 hours of street parking on a pay as you go basis.

PasturesNew

silvercar said:

Surely an area with permits only parking has some visitor permits too? DS2 is in Camden and pays for a parking permit, that gives him rights to park in certain bays on the streets within 1 or 2 streets of his home only. Attached to that is the right to buy visitor permits for a maximum annual limit of 4 day passes and 50 hours of street parking on a pay as you go basis.

Residents can purchase visitor sessions, through an online permit system... but I am trying to turn up every time I pass the road and stop/stare for 5 minutes or so.  That's not a visitor session. That's me loitering without intent. 
Visitor permits have a maximum per household of 50/year.  A book of 5 costs £11. 

At the end of the road is a footpath through to the school, so this road restriction is also to prevent school runs parking and running up to grab children... although even streetview shows people still in their cars loitering in the middle of the road.  I bet it's a struggle to get in/out for half an hour of the day.  I should insist on a peak time viewing for that one.  

The whole area, say a whole 1 mile radius, has pretty much no parking except a few spots here and there - and a lack of any car parks.  

SingleSue

GDB2222 said:

Car jenga? 

When they are moving their cars about to try to fit another one in.

SingleSue

Pyxis said:

SingleSue said:

I don't even have an allocated space! I have to take my chances on getting parked on the road outside the house, something that has been made more difficult by some putting driveways in (we did have permission but couldn't afford to get it done). Luckily, there is what we call the green but is actually just a corner bit of grass slightly raised up that can be used as overflow on a very unofficial basis...I sometimes park my car there just to feel safer on football days (there is a park up the road and slightly round the corner where the local team train and play) or when next door are doing car jenga.

Could you not apply to have the road space outside your house designated as disabled parking?

The boys keep telling me to, so far I haven't got around to actually doing it. 

Mind you, I'm not sure they would abide by it anyway and it would just bring yet another stress and hassle to deal with. Part of the reason my house wasn't able to be adapted was the house next door and their potential to cause expensive hold ups through complaints etc.