I’ve got two parking spaces behind the shop – it’s two units joined together, so two numbered spaces. I usually use one of them. Is it greedy to want the other one kept clear for my customers?

There are other businesses in the row which only have one space, but have more than one car. There’s also some new housing just built, and there’s some visitor parking spaces.

On the other hand, I presume some portion of my rent is meant to pay for these spaces, and I do get people driving up from a long way away who need to park relatively near the shop for mobility reasons.

So, stop fussing if someone else uses the space? Put a sign on it? Invest in a wheelclamp? (kidding about that last one)

Not if you’re paying for a unit that comes with two parking spaces. Put up a sign that says ‘Kinetics customer parking’

what he sed ^

If it wasn’t for that I’d be tempted to suggest it’s more hassle than it’s worth and not worth getting into aggro with your neighbours. I’d therefore mark it as a disabled space and make your customers aware that they can use it even without a blue badge.

It’s your space to allocate as you see fit. You’re paying for it.

Might I suggest some sort of car ejector mechanism to fire next doors cars over the back wall in the event of an unwarranted intrusion.

I know you have the skills and the machinery to make such a device.

Get it done and post video.

or put a customer bike rack in it 🙂

You could always stick in one of those flip up posts… on the day you know you have customers coming up, flip it up and lock it.

Lockable bollard?

If it is* yours it’s not unreasonable to want to be able to use it. It might be a bit more unreasonable if you just don’t want it to be used by someone else, but again if it’s yours you’re entitled to want, be that leave it unused, grassed over and grazed by gazelles or for hot air balloon landing if you want.

Yup, customer parking sign. You pay for it, you should have the benefit.

You could always stick in one of those flip up posts… on the day you know you have customers coming up, flip it up and lock it.

Customers have this annoying habit of just wandering in whenever they like 😀

I like the idea of signs – problem also of blocking off one space is that people will just park in the other, and I can’t be bothered raising and lowering a bollard every day.

Good to know I’m not being that unreasonable, though.

Might I suggest some sort of car ejector mechanism to fire next doors cars over the back wall in the event of an unwarranted intrusion.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ad3jwgKngM[/video]

The smart thing would be for you and your neighbours to all park elsewhere so all your customers can visit 🙂

It always amazes me the lengths retail businesses seem to go to crowd their own customers out. I spent a few weeks fitting out a shop in the centre of glasgow – the biggest challenge was getting anywhere near the place with tools and materials – not because of customers cars but because the neighbouring shop staff would all arrive first thing – park outside their own door then spend the day feeding the meter. Then when I had to go onto their shops to get change of the rare occasion I could get anywhere near by they’d complain that the price of parking was keeping their customers away 🙂

On the other hand, I presume some portion of my rent is meant to pay for these spaces,

And your business rates, council will have taken 2 parking spaces into account when deciding upon your rate.

The smart thing would be for you and your neighbours to all park elsewhere so all your customers can visit

I rarely get more than one customer a day at once 😉

Special sign and begin operation clamp?

Parking Eye on a short-term contract. After about 6 months the message should have got through to the neighbours.

Buy a BMW X5* and park across the two spaces?

*Other stereotyped vehicles are available