Someone's using my ...
 

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Someone's using my parking space. WWSTWD?

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I live in a block of flats with limited parking, near to town and next to a school, so parking is... a delicate issue.

I'm fortunate enough to have a garage, and an arrangement to park in front of it. The garage is full of bikes (too small for anything bigger than an MX-5 which I just sold) and I use the space in front every day. 

Recently, thanks to the rain, I've deduced someone is using the space in front of my garage.  There's a dry spot when I get back. Seems regular. 

Now this isn't necessarily an issue, I leave before 7, get back 4-6 and I've never been prevented from parking there. Also, it will be adding extra security to my precious bikes whilst it's parked in front. 

However, no-one asked, and it's a bit of a piss take.  

WWSTWD? a sarcastic note on the garage door? A motion based camera? Nothing and chill out? Immediate dust off and nuke from orbit? 


 
Posted : 12/12/2025 5:55 pm
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Bombers ? 

Shoes and wee? 

Insertion of frozen sausages in to their dog

 


 
Posted : 12/12/2025 6:19 pm
 Yak
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Well I was using a regular on street space. As in available to everyone. Anyway, someone took exception and I had a nail in my tyre on Tuesday. Don't do that. 


 
Posted : 12/12/2025 6:25 pm
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Buy another car to park in front of it yourself. 


 
Posted : 12/12/2025 6:37 pm
juanking and kayak23 reacted
 db
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“No parking, garage in use” sign to start with. Then quickly escalate to a police stinger.


 
Posted : 12/12/2025 6:51 pm
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Can I just check the details here please

 

1) Someone don't know ...

2) ... is something you don't know about unless it rains ...

3) ... that doesn't affect you in any way.

 

Um, I would suggest you worry less and do nothing, but thn I am WCA so don't take my advice or you will probably die.

 


 
Posted : 12/12/2025 6:53 pm
dropoff reacted
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Posted by: oceanskipper

Buy another car to park in front of it yourself. 

You joke! Where I used to live a bloke bought a car to park on the road outside his house so no one else could park outside his house!

He had a drive and double garage too!!


 
Posted : 12/12/2025 6:53 pm
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Posted by: WorldClassAccident

Can I just check the details here please

 

1) Someone don't know ...

2) ... is something you don't know about unless it rains ...

3) ... that doesn't affect you in any way.

 

Um, I would suggest you worry less and do nothing, but thn I am WCA so don't take my advice or you will probably die.

 

Yep.  I'm not worried.

Mildly miffed they didn't ask. If they had I'd probably say "sure, no problem." But they didn't ask. 

It's small potatoes compared to the bedlam around school drop off and pick up

 


 
Posted : 12/12/2025 7:00 pm
nickingsley reacted
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Place an inflatable rhino there. You can quickly move it but maybe the other person will think it's real and will stay clear.


 
Posted : 12/12/2025 7:08 pm
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[i]It's small potatoes compared to the bedlam around school drop off and pick up[/]

Around here they close the road within 109 miles of a school so the wee angels aren't at risk. Also ensure no-one else is at risk of driving anywhere, even if like me they don't have kids.

I would try and do something about it but the restraining order for giving all the parents free condoms at the primary school prevents me...


 
Posted : 12/12/2025 7:12 pm
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Posted by: raify

I'm fortunate enough to have a garage, and an arrangement to park in front of it.

Tell us more about this "arrangement".  Do you own/rent the parking space in front of your garage?  Is it on a public road?


 
Posted : 12/12/2025 7:17 pm
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Private land, detailed in the deeds little map and everything.  Nothing sinister, dodgy or public road. Think of it like the drive of "my house" in front of the garage. 

 

Imagine a suburban semi with a garage and a drive. You get home every day and realise someone parks on your drive while you're out. 


 
Posted : 12/12/2025 7:32 pm
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Maybe or up a soon on the garage for saying that the parking space in front is available for rent at just £20 per day. 

That way the person who parks there is aware that it is your poison space.  Also gives you a chance to make a new friend and a few quid. 


 
Posted : 12/12/2025 7:36 pm
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Yep, some kind of "private parking" signage seems like the first step.


 
Posted : 12/12/2025 7:54 pm
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Parking in front of someone's garage is a bit of a dick move even if it wasn't in the deeds.  It'd be a struggle to get a car in and out otherwise.  As suggested above "No parking, garage in use" notice on the door.


 
Posted : 12/12/2025 7:55 pm
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You are miffed they didn’t ask? Not sure how they would ask if you live in a block of flats,( is your number on the garage?) and you said you were out when this happened? How are they meant to ask?

TBH it’s a non issue until they are there and you need access, then it’s bombers. Could have be the postie or someone parking up while delivering to your block, or more likely someone collecting their precious from school?


 
Posted : 12/12/2025 8:17 pm
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  • Auto correct at its best?! 😜 

 
Posted : 12/12/2025 8:31 pm
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Start digging a moat?


 
Posted : 12/12/2025 8:34 pm
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Round here (not in the UK!), residents or business owners don't take any messing around in removing vehicles illegally parked vehicles (and there is good business for the towing companies...).

Every private/limited parking space has obvious signage. And the well-known penalty ($$$) is sufficient deterrent...


 
Posted : 12/12/2025 9:01 pm
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Posted by: WorldClassAccident

Maybe or up a soon on the garage for saying that the parking space in front is available for rent at just £20 per day.

Sign up with JustPark, and actually earn some readies by letting people pay to use the space. There’s a parking space I regularly use in London like that.


 
Posted : 12/12/2025 9:01 pm
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Posted by: GlennQuagmire
As suggested above "No parking, garage in use" notice on the door.


 
Posted : 12/12/2025 9:03 pm
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Unlikely to be the postie, it's only a convenient place to park if you're delivering to one cottage, the garage is behind the block of flats

I've seen the postie deliver to that cottage, he just stopped in front of my parked car. 

The dry spot indicates someone parking there for quite a while, I think. 

No number on the garage. But if I was going to regularly park in front of a garage, I'd try to find out who it belonged to. 


 
Posted : 12/12/2025 9:06 pm
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They must know you or be in sight of it at all times as even the most selfish parkers know blocking an entrance is likely to incur wrath of some description I would expect. 


 
Posted : 12/12/2025 9:44 pm
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Maybe when it rains somebody is going out and drying a patch in the shape of a car to mess with your mind. Any evidence to refute this? 


 
Posted : 12/12/2025 10:08 pm
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Time for a stake out....


 
Posted : 12/12/2025 10:14 pm
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Posted by: oceanskipper

They must know you or be in sight of it at all times as even the most selfish parkers know blocking an entrance is likely to incur wrath of some description I would expect. 

I was thinking this, they know my routine, or they can see the garage.  I had an INSET day recently and my routine is different during half terms...

 


 
Posted : 12/12/2025 10:34 pm
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If one of your neighbours has more than one car, they move one into your space while they get the other car out of the garage. If your car is there like half term they park the other car elsewhere.

if they never cause you a problem why worry?


 
Posted : 12/12/2025 11:02 pm
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I'm not worried at all. Just curious and think it's cheeky. Wondered what someone else might do in the same situation


 
Posted : 12/12/2025 11:09 pm
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Posted : 12/12/2025 11:18 pm
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Dog a massive hole, cover with a tarp and some leaves and see if you can catch the culprit? 


 
Posted : 12/12/2025 11:22 pm
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There's a few people questioning why you should care, I wonder what other liberties from complete strangers they'd shrug off.  Throwing up a tent in their back garden whilst they're out at work, borrowing their car when they aren't using it, popping into the kitchen to make a brew if they've left the door open... ?

Posted by: raify

Private land, detailed in the deeds little map and everything.  Nothing sinister, dodgy or public road. Think of it like the drive of "my house" in front of the garage. 

Is it obvious that it's yours?  Ie, is someone clearly taking the piss or could it be an honest mistake?


 
Posted : 13/12/2025 10:48 am
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Leave your garage open with a trail of cheese leading into it....


 
Posted : 13/12/2025 11:05 am
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Posted by: Cougar

I wonder what other liberties from complete strangers they'd shrug off. 

image.png


 
Posted : 13/12/2025 11:21 am
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Posted by: raify

Imagine a suburban semi with a garage and a drive. You get home every day and realise someone parks on your drive while you're out. 

You can monetise it: https://www.parkonmydrive.com/about.php

Also a hat tip to @binners for the Half Man Half Biscuit song! 


 
Posted : 13/12/2025 11:48 am
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Posted by: Cougar

Is it obvious that it's yours?  Ie, is someone clearly taking the piss or could it be an honest mistake?

It's obvious that it's 'somebody's' garage. Same car parked outside every day, new door defender on the garage door. 

But it's not marked in any way, you can't tell which garages belong to which flats. 

It's in a block of two, and the next door garage doesn't appear to have anyone using the space in front. That one never gets used, full of boxes, no car in it (belongs to a neighbour I know well) .  If your were observing the two garages looking for a cheeky space, you'd choose the other one. 

 


 
Posted : 13/12/2025 1:30 pm