Terrible problem it is … on one hand, it just annoys the hell out of you. On the other, hot to let them know without alienating yourself from society.

Of course, if it’s an isolated incident, take no action. Surely there will be times when you would have to do the same. Perhaps there will be times when your guests will park in front of your neighbour’s homes for a change and you wouldn’t want them to have punctured tires when they leave.

Nevertheless, what can you do when your neighbour parks their car in front of your house even though there is plenty of space in front of theirs? Or when your neighbour’s guests decide that your house offers more shade for their car than does that of their host.

 

Here are a few ideas …

 

 

Leave a note

 

Using a waterproof pen, write a short note asking your neighbour to park somewhere else in the future. Place it on their windscreen and wait for them to read it. It’s that simple.

 

Similarly, if you live in a condominium and your ‘parking neighbour’ in the basement parks his car just a bit too close, just write a short note and do the same.

 

When the piece of paper is gone, you will know that they got the message. Whether they act on it is another question.

 

However, be careful of what you write. Be nice and unthreatening. Besides, a nicely written note would probably just get the response that you wanted.

 

 

Talk to them

 

This is easier said than done!

 

We live in a society that judges others on everything we do; even if you have a legitimate case of ‘please don’t park your car in front of my house when there are no cars parked in front of yours’.

 

Talking directly to them would also seem confrontational and nobody likes confrontational neighbours.

 

If this is the only logical solution, don’t let the downside keep you miserable. Just be nice, but keep to your point. Make your stand and make sure they understand where you are coming from and what you expect them to do.

 

They might just be too shocked that you brought it up in person that they wouldn’t want to se what else you are capable of!

 

 

Water your plants …

 

… and their car! Accidents do happen, and most people wouldn’t want their car to get wet unless it’s being washed or when it rains.

 

Careful to make this seem like an innocent mistake … Opps, the hose slipped! Hope you didn’t leave your window open.

 

 

Set him up

 

The next time your neighbour parks his car indiscriminately and your housemate is out, get another friend to drive over to your house and park right in front of the gate or in the driveway (as opposed to parking where your neighbour has put his car). When your housemate gets home, get him to pound on the horn to get your friend to move his car.

 

Hopefully this would get enough attention and your neighbour – hopefully – will get the message.

 

 

Somebody call for a tow-truck?

 

If the road shoulder is marked, getting a tow truck to get him off your back would be an option. Desperate situations call for desperate measures – maybe this should be kept for the time when you have exhausted all other ‘neighbourly’ methods.

 

This may, however, backfire. Nothing would be stopping him from calling a tow truck when you park your own car in front of your house …

 

 

It is your choice, so choose wisely …

 

Whatever you do about it, you have to be sure that it’s worth what you may go through. In all likeliness, whichever action you take; be it nice or malicious, would offend your neighbour.

 

Even if they earned the right to be offended, they certainly would not see that they had wronged you and that you were just defending your turf.

 

Neighbours talk, and in these cases you can be sure that their version would be entirely different – placing the blame on you. They would simply say that they put it there as other cars were parked in front of their own houses. Why should they admit to any wrongdoing when you are the one going against what is perceived to be ‘good neighbourhood manners’?

 

But then again, if you are anything like me you’d probably be happy if he spreads the word and nobody bothers you … no more cars obscuring your view of hedgehogs crossing the street and best of all, no more community bake sales to attend!