Driveway Etiquette???!?!?!? Hmmmmmm...

[SparklePixie]

The only reason you'd park on the street here is if the driveway is full or otherwise blocked.

 

[mjkacmom]

There's no right or wrong legally, the only thing that makes one way preferred over the other is when you factor in being considerate of others as opposed to just yourself.

People are much quicker to be rude to dozens of people that they don't have to face or interact with than a single person they know or have to face. When I decide to bring a car to a friend's house, that's my problem to deal with - and his as my host. If I have to juggle the car to accommodate someone else coming, so be it. The only people affected and inconvenienced are those involved. When I force every single driver passing my car to contend with my car being in the flow of traffic, I consider that rude to all those people. Something I expect from the "ME" generation.

So you can't accept this is regional? Parking in someone's driveway here in NE NJ would be as proper as coming into someone's home and laying down on the couch. Streets are for driving and parking, driveways are for homeowners. If it's a major street without marked parking spots, there is a good chance that parking is not allowed on one or both sides of the street. Unfortunately for those homeowners, because driveways close to main thoroughfares tend to be tiny.

ETA, the town has been here for hundreds of years, I've lived her for close to 5 decades, it's always been like this, so I don't think it's a "me" generation thing.

 

[CPanther95]

So you can't accept this is regional? Parking in someone's driveway here in NE NJ would be as proper as coming into someone's home and laying down on the couch. Streets are for driving and parking, driveways are for homeowners. If it's a major street without marked parking spots, there is a good chance that parking is not allowed on one or both sides of the street. Unfortunately for those homeowners, because driveways close to main thoroughfares tend to be tiny.

ETA, the town has been here for hundreds of years, I've lived her for close to 5 decades, it's always been like this, so I don't think it's a "me" generation thing.

Do the cars block traffic?

Every place I lived up north where parking on the street was common, the road was wide enough to still accommodate traffic. Those roads where traffic would have been affected, they generally banned parking.

 

[mjkacmom]

On narrower side streets, some times you take turns (especially now, when all of the landscapers are doing fall leaf removal, coupled with regular garbage and recycling pick up). You are not supposed to drive over 25 anyway, and there are so many intersecting streets, and you can change your route anytime.

 

[CPanther95]

On narrower side streets, some times you take turns (especially now, when all of the landscapers are doing fall leaf removal, coupled with regular garbage and recycling pick up). You are not supposed to drive over 25 anyway, and there are so many intersecting streets, and you can change your route anytime.

But you don't allow cars to impede traffic - either by alternating sides or because the local government enforces no parking. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about a neighborhood where you have the option of parking in the driveway of the home you are visiting, or parking on the street where traffic has to stop to allow oncoming traffic to pass before they can get around the parked car.

 

[DisneyOma]

I don't park in other people's driveways. That's rude.

Damn it, did it again!

Why is it rude?

It's considered rude here. Parking in someone's driveway without permission would be using the master bathroom, instead of the guest bathroom. In both cases, sometimes it's necessary, so you ask. On occasion, if I'm just dropping something off, or picking up a child, and there is limited street parking, I'll pull into the driveway, and apologize.

One of the early signs of my dads ahlzeimers was when he started parking in my driveway for no reason, even when I asked him not too (tons of street parking in front of my house, driveways are in back).

Not a valid comparison, IMO - bathrooms to driveways. All bathrooms are on property, street parking is not on property. These are guests you are talking about - why make them feel like second class by making them park on the street?

The logic is that people who live in the home might not be able to get a car in or out of the driveway/garage. When my dad would park in our small driveway, if one if us came home, we would have to park out front, on the street. Not a big deal, except we'd forget to put it in the driveway at night, and end up with a parking ticket (no overnight parking). I also wouldn't want to block someone in, or prevent a resident from parking in the driveway.

All they have to do is ask you to move the car so they can get out, or move it themsleves. We do this all the time.

I can't imagine a guest coming to my house and pulling into my driveway, that would just be so odd! Would certainly be a "what the heck are they thinking" moment LOL.

And I'd feel like I wasn't even a guest, but more like a second class citizen if I wasn't welcome to park in the driveway.

 

[bdcp]

I am completely baffled by the thinking that using a driveway is rude. You're there to pick up your child and will be parked for a very short time. How on earth is it rude? Everywhere I've ever lived people use the driveway when coming to someone's house for any reason. I've lived in 4 different states and I have never heard anyone ever, ever say it's rude. We live on a wide neighborhood street and have about a 70 foot long driveway and fully expect people to park there. Otherwise, what is the point?

I wouldn't assume to park there for a party or event where I knew there would be other people there. Mainly because there might be someone with mobility issues that needs it more than I do. But, otherwise, I absolutely would and I expect others to use mine.

My guess is those that think it's rude have very, very short driveways and only enough room to park the cars of the owners, so, not so much regional, as driven by type/length of driveway but I can't imagine thinking someone is rude to do so.