We had this happen to us recently except the contractors weren't even working for us! We have a rear entry garage with an alley and houses on the other side. The people directly behind us basically had their house gutted, a room added on, new floors, cabinets, etc. and the contractors always parked in the driveway AND in the alley right behind our driveway. There were several Saturdays when we needed to leave and would have to ask them to move their vehicles.

Oh, no--it's not petty.

We have a shared driveway with the house next door. I've noticed the same thing--while we, and our friends and family are really good about not blocking the driveway, contractors think nothing of pulling in, parking between the houses (which are only 15 feet apart) and blocking the cars from TWO houses. Might not be so bad, if they were just using the driveway of the house where they're working, but when they're blocking someone else as well--and there for hours--well, that's just rude. It's not like the street is all that far away--only about 20' from curb to front door here.

I've many times gone next door, knocked on the door and told the contractor he had to move his truck because I had to get out.

One of the things I love about the new place is the driveway. It's a corner house, with a drive that is 2 cars wide and goes around the house from the front street to the side one. We'll never be blocked in. Ever.

We PREFER that people park in our driveway. Our road is a bit on the narrow side and has a bend in it. Sight lines are compromised when several cars are along the yard.

When we are expecting service people, we pull the car out of the way. Then they can come and go without bothering us.

Grrrr, my BIGGEST pet peeve is people parking in my driveway. DH's friend parks crosswise in the drive. Mind you we have a 30' wide driveway and only he can block the whole thing so noone can get in or out. I NEVER park in anyone's drive (unless it's my vet friend and her truck is plugged in). And speaking of driveways, the paper "persons" can't hit the middle of the driveway to save their collective lives!! I'm tempted to paint a bulls eye in the middle to see what happens. Every morning it's an easter egg hunt to find the paper. Rant over.....

I think they do this because most contractors and repair people have tools in their vehicles that might be tempting to people who walk by them if they are parked on the street.

We always move one of our cars if we are expecting to have to leave while a contractor is here.

ML

I agree with Maddielee. Also, I think they prefer to get their tools out on an as needed basis. When a contractor is coming, I put my vehicle on the street and give the guys a warm welcome.

Coffee, cold drinks, and sometimes food along with a parking space is appreciated. I do believe I get better service as a result of going the extra mile for contractors.

Kim

I also move my car to the street and ask repair people to park in the driveway. In addition to the theft issue mentioned by maddielee, I want them to be able to get to the truck and back as quickly as possible if I'm paying by the hour.

Our driveway is 36' across so there is never a problem with contractors paring in the driveway.

What I do hate is when people come to visit the family next door and they park in front of our house instead of the house they are visiting.

If someone has to leave, then the contractor has to move his truck. If you know a worker is coming, move your car before they get there if you want to. These are minor issues.

Socks--it would be a minor issue if you knew a contractor was coming, and that they were going to park in your driveway. If you read my post, my neighbor and I share one, 15' wide driveway. In all the 35 years I've lived here I've NEVER permitted a contractor to park in the driveway, blocking my neighbor's car in. However, many times whoever was living in the other house has had a contractor out, let them park in the driveway, put their tools, etc all over the driveway, and by the time I realized it, I was blocked in, with no way to get my car from my parking place in the back to the street. Yes, if I had known what was going to happen, and I needed to get out, I'd certainly have moved my car.

Believe me, when I tell you that it's completely annoying to get yourself ready to go out, be on schedule for an appointment, then walk out the door and see a couple of trucks and all kinds of tools, equipment and products blocking you in. Unfortunately, the way our windows are placed, I don't always notice when they first pull in.

I assume your home is situated differently than ours--that you maybe have your own private drive, and you've never had to stand their waiting while a contractor at SOMEONE ELSE's house took their sweet time packing up their tools when you needed to get someplace.

It's way, way beyond rude, to block someone's driveway when you can see their car parked behind the house, and you're not even working at their place--IMO.

Azzalea - It sounds to me that perhaps your issue is with your neighbors, not the contractors.

I find it hard to believe that every contractor is blatantly rude. Perhaps the neighbors tell them to park in the driveway?

My friend has a shared drive and posted a simple sign reminding others to use care when parking, and not block the shared drive. Just a thought.

Kim

Actually no--my neighbors never block the driveway, they both work, so sometimes have to have contractors at the house when they're not home. And I still think, that any intelligent person, seeing a shared driveway--whether or not a car was parked at the back would NOT park right between the houses, so that no one could come or go.

Perhaps that is why my friend posted the sign....for the few people lacking intelligence. It seems to me that 35 years of dealing with blocked driveways may have led you to do things a little differently. JMO.

Kim

We had a shared driveway, and a friend of my mom's used to block it; my folks would always send her back out to move it by pulling further up.

One day she wasn't fast, and the guy next door came and knocked ont he door and yelled at us. So that friend was always better about it.

But then, not 2 weeks later, I got cut badly enough to need stitches, and we went out, and their visitor was blocking the drive. So my mom went and knocked on the door and nicely asked them to have her move it, bcs she needed to take me to the emergency room.

Sure, they said. 5 minutes later, Mom backed out, past that car, and over their lawn.

They never let *their* guests block the drive again, either.

I think people just don't think about it.

They want to get their car off the street, out of the way, so they pull into the drive. Then, they think it's presumptuous to pull ALL the way forward to the end of the drive (or, there's no room), so they stay in the middle.

If it's a recurring problem, I'd vote for a polite conversation w/ the neighbors, and a sign for the others.

Oh, and for you to go out the moment you see the truck in the drive, and ask them to move it right away so as not to block the drive (whether you plan to go anywhere or not).

I never have found tradesmen block my driveway. They make a point to leave it clear, and park nearby and walk up to my house. OTOH, if friends are coming, I tell them I prefer them to park in my dsriveway. That's my experience.

Oooooh I can't stand when people park in FRONT of my house. I realize it is a public street, but unless you are AT my house, park somewhere else!

It's worse at my moms house because of the two teenagers that live next door. There is at least five cars that belong to that house and then you add the friends that stop by. They live on a corner but refuse to park on the side of the house and instead park in front of my moms. So whenever I go over I park down the street. Makes me INSANE!!!

I think it depends on the driveway and the neighborhood. My father has a long driveway on a rural, but twisty (and lots a speeding teenagers) street. No one parks in the street. We live on a cul de sac and have a 300' driveway. The only time people park in the street is when we have a big party.

Now, our neighbors make all their "workers" (maids, landscapers, etc.) park in the street and is pi$$e$ off everyone in the neighborhood. We are all sick of those vehicles always being in the street! See, in our neighborhood it is unacceptable to park in the street unless it is a party situation.

I've never lived in the "city" to have neighbors or driveways..

We have several acres and an 800 foot driveway-very secluded and plenty of places to turn around even if someone was blocking you.

But- at church it never fails that I am waiting to back up and there are people standing behind the car and don't get a clue until you start the car that HEY they may want to leave.........even if you were just talking to them saying Bye see ya tonight and you get in and shut your door????

Different strokes for different folks, it looks like.

If I had people often coming to park in a shared driveway, I think that I'd try to have a gentle discussion with the neighbour about the whole issue.

In the case of wanting to park in front of Mom's house but that part being blocked, perhaps the neighbours would advise frequent visitors to please park around the corner.

The fact remains, though, that it is a public street, so one person has as much "right" to park in front of anyone's house as anyone else.

On the other hand, if there were one car that parked there fairly often, and I'd approached the neighbour earlier, I think that I'd leave a note on the windshield asking hem to please park around the corner.

If the same person persisted, and I had two mobile cars, I think that I'd block them in their spot, one day.

Of course, if one of your blocking cars was in front of a driveway, they might call the cops to ask that the offender be ticketed.

It would be interesting to learn whether, on hearing the whole story, the cop (if one did come) might issue a ticket to the current offender or not.

Good wishes for being able to resolve your parking issues with minimal frustration ... or fussing!

ole joyful

There are rules/laws and there is common courtesy, when I took a 911 operator training, the town I took it in had a law that contractors etc could not park on the street if there was an available dooryard/driveway, you may call your local non emergency police to see if such a law exists in your town, what may appear as the contractor being rude could be him following the law.

There is also the fact someone else mentioned of people stealing from vehicles parked on the street. At one accident scene during above training, the EMS guys came back around the truck to find 2 guys trying to open the door where they keep their supplies!

I would find it annoying, too, especially if their vehicles leaked oil on my driveway. And to block a communal driveway is just dumb and/or rude. How brainless.

Our drive is very long and there are lots of places to park without blocking anyone in. BUT- the other night I got home from work to find 2 pickups and a camo blind (looks a lot like a tent) blocking my admission to the garage, where I get to park. I was sitting there for a second thinking my husband and his friend Mike had lost their minds when all of a sudden, the blind grew feet and it moved out of my way, like magic. I could see their feet under it, I was laughing so hard, it was like a cartoon, all I needed was the sound effects. *dinkle,dinkle,dinkle,dinkle,dinkle*

Somedays these 2 big, overgrown boys just crack me up.

Yikes - after posting this topic yesterday I can't believe it happened again today!

I returned from grocery shopping and there was a moving van blocking my driveway. My next door neighbors are moving and the truck driver just didn't bother to pull up far enough to give me room to pull in. Since they're going to be there all day I had to ask him to pull forward about 5 feet. I hope this isn't going to happen every day now. LOL

In the North End of Boston the ladies who live in the apartments above the wonderful restaurants and pastry shops make their spots with a chair towards the end of the day. Heaven forbid you park in their husband's spot..you're liable to get beaten with a rolling pin. LOL

My car may be small ...

... but even it's at least a two-chair kind of car.

Only way I can see one chair working is if there were two driveways so close together that there's room for only one car between them.

(Motorcycle, anyone?)

ole joyful