A homeowner who found a neighbour's car parked on his drive has described how he retaliated after the driver refused to move it. In the UK, parking on someone else's drive is a civil matter, meaning police and local authorities cannot intervene.
Returning home to find a stranger's car
Writing on Quora, the driver explained that he got home around 8pm after a long shift and spotted an unfamiliar car parked beside his house. He drove a small Suzuki Samurai and managed to squeeze in behind it.
He asked his tenant and neighbours if they recognised the vehicle, but no one did. Noticing the street was full of cars, he concluded there was likely an event at the school across the road and went inside to ask.
The PTA chairwoman refuses to move
The woman running the meeting, the PTA chair, admitted the car was hers. He told her she needed to move it immediately because it was blocking his driveway. She replied, "We're in a meeting right now, I'll deal with it after." He repeated his request, but she kept the meeting going.
The woman returned at 9.30pm to find her car blocked in by the Suzuki. The homeowner reminded her he had asked an hour earlier and she had blown him off. He told her he was busy and would move his car once done, then shut the door. She yelled from the porch that she needed to go. He opened the door and said, "I don't know you, and I never gave you permission to park in my driveway — especially when the school lot is basically empty. Leave me your number and I'll call when I'm ready to move it." She left.
The 2am call that ended the dispute
After 10pm, the woman returned with her husband, who threatened to call the police. The homeowner said he had no idea who she was and that she had not asked permission, adding that the police were welcome. He asked again for her number, and the husband gave it before they left.
He set an alarm for 2am, then called and said he was ready to move his car — if they were not there within 15 minutes, it would be towed. They arrived in 15 minutes flat. He wrote, "The look that man gave his wife was worth everything."
After that, he became known as the person who refused to let the PTA chairwoman park wherever she pleased. Nobody tried it again. Commenters praised his response, with one writing, "The best way to change bad behaviour is to increase the consequences to the point where that person prefers to do the right thing." Another added, "Incredibly well played, well done."
