Reddit user’s neighbor frequently lets his guests park in her driveway — so she did this to stop the issue

Lifestyle

A Reddit user sought advice after repeatedly asking her neighbor to stop allowing his guests to park their cars in her driveway. 

Reddit user “AITAthrowaway29290” posted a message on the “Am I the A––hole” (AITA) subreddit on May 7, asking others if she was in the wrong for not allowing her neighbor to park his guests’ cars there — as well as his own vehicle.

The 34-year-old female Reddit user said she’s lived in the neighborhood for four years and has had a good relationship with her neighbors. 

However, her next-door neighbor, a 45-year-old male, moved in about a year ago and has experienced a lack of parking spots when hosting large gatherings. 

Her neighbor’s home has a small driveway — big enough for only one car, according to the Reddit user. 

He also does not have much street parking available — and some of his guests choose to park in the Reddit user’s driveway when visiting, she noted.

Although the man’s guests have never asked her for permission to do this, she has let the issue slide, not wanting to start a conflict, she said.

Lately, it’s been happening a lot, the Redditor said — and sometimes, people are parking in her driveway and blocking her car just when she needs to leave her home.  

The Reddit user addressed the situation with her neighbor, requesting that he ask her permission before allowing guests to park in her driveway — to which he apologized and agreed, she wrote.

Yet the situation has not improved, she noted in her post.

“She was absolutely correct in taking matters into her own hands and putting [up] a note, asking people to not park there.”

The Redditor finally decided to place “no parking” signs in her driveway, as well as a note “politely” asking the neighbor’s guests to respect her property — along with a warning about towing unwelcome vehicles, she said.

Yet the neighbor did not like the sign, telling the Reddit user that she was being “unreasonable” and “should be more accommodating to his guests,” the woman wrote. 

“I stood my ground, explaining that I had tried to address the issue politely, and that my driveway is my private property,” she continued. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Reddit user for further comment.

The Redditor posed this question online: “Am I the A––hole for not allowing my neighbor to use my driveway for his guests, despite having tried to address the issue politely?”

Most Reddit users commented that the poster is not in the wrong here.

“He isn’t entitled to your property,” one user wrote. 

Another user brought up an emergency scenario, writing, “What if you had an emergency and your car was blocked?”

Yet another user wrote, “It’s not a car park.”

Lifestyle and etiquette expert Elaine Swann of California said the woman on Reddit handled the situation perfectly. 

“She was absolutely correct in taking matters into her own hands and putting [up] a note asking people to not park there,” said Swann. 

Communicating your desire in a scenario like this is key, said Swann.

“Sometimes getting what you want means you have to be very firm in your request and very clear and direct,” she also said. 

Although the neighborly approach would be to share the driveway, Swann said the two still need to work together and communicate about it beforehand. 

“There’s a difference between asking your neighbor to say, ‘Hey, let me know in advance’ — but if the neighbor is not doing that, then continue to put that sign up,” she said. 

Gender roles could also be playing a part in this situation, Swann noted.

“I think he’s disregarding her … and that can happen that sometimes men look at women as emotional or unreasonable,” she said.