“I feel like I live next to a monster.”
I can’t say I disagree after hearing what “Fed up in Burnaby” told me about being harassed by a neighbour.
Fed Up read my story about people leaving notes on the windshields of their vehicles to tell them not to park on a public street in Burnaby.
“I can do one better,” Fed Up said. “My neighbour was so upset about me parking in front of his house that he wrote the words ‘no parking’ on the door on my car. I can still remember how angry I was to walk out and see that. It’s a public street. He doesn’t own the street in front of his house. I have nowhere else to park.”
Fortunately, the “monster” next door wrote the note in ink that was easily washed off. Fed Up, of course, can’t prove anything, but she’s sure it’s the next-door neighbour because he is the only one who has complained.
Fed Up has been confronted multiple times by the neighbour. Sometimes they move their vehicle just to get away from the neighbour, sometimes they are defiant.
“One time I just popped home for a few minutes to have a shower after going to the gym and when I came out 15 minutes later he started yelling at me,” Fed Up said. “It’s not like I can just park somewhere else because those people living on other streets don’t want us parking there either.”
Incredible.
Look, I know the pandemic has been stressful, but this is just beyond comprehension.
Others have written in furious that some homeowners feel entitled to control the street parking.
“I am tired of people making ridiculous comments about how they feel the parking in front of their homes, should be theirs,” wrote one reader. “The parking issues people are complaining about have no basis. The street is public property, so are the sidewalks and boulevards. You are not allowed to save your parking space in front of your home with cones, pylons or buckets. All on-street parking is considered public parking unless otherwise signed by the city. Objects left on the street can create a hazard and will be confiscated.
“People need to educate themselves about the rules and bylaws of the city. So many self-entitled residents think ‘me, me, me’ and this way of thinking needs to change. If someone is disabled and has a disabled pass for their vehicle, they can apply for a disabled parking spot for in front of their home. However, that space will be for anyone that has that pass and can only be used by someone with a pass. For those that are able-bodied, you might have to park a few doors down - it's life.”
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
