'My neighbours had wild reaction when I parked in public spot – it's exhausting'

Parking disputes can be incredibly taxing, especially when living in areas where space is at a premium. And one man has learned this the hard way – as he feeling drained by neighbours' behaviour after they "lost it" when he parked near their house.

The man and his partner live on a street where parking is only permitted on one side, with his house situated on the side where cars aren't allowed to be parked. The couple's "only option" was on-street parking. But as roughly "95% of the houses on the street have their own driveways and garages", they hadn't anticipated any trouble despite their home lacking a drive or garage.

The resident and his other half used to leave their car in one of the four available parking spots across the road, which are positioned "between a few houses".

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This arrangement worked perfectly fine "until about a year ago", when the "elderly couple" living directly across from them "decided they owned the street space behind their driveway".

Taking to Reddit, the man vented: "They started putting cones in it to block me and anyone else from using it. After a few days of this nonsense, I just started moving the cones and parking there again. It's a public street. First come, first served. They lost it."

He claimed his neighbours then rang the police, but officers "told them that it's not legal to claim a public spot with cones".

The elderly couple weren't impressed with this outcome and allegedly began "full-on screaming at the officers".

The man went on: "After the police left, they walked across the street and dumped glitter all over our front walk. Caught on camera, but whatever.

"Since then, it's been a year of passive-aggressive (and sometimes aggressive-aggressive) harassment".

The neighbours now park their own car "in the street in a way that takes up two spaces" in a bid to "limit parking for anyone else" which has reduced the available spaces from four to two, despite them having their own driveway and garage.

The man explained: "They just choose to park like this to punish us. They monitor the street from their window and immediately move their car into that spot the moment I leave it.

"They harass us when we're outside, muttering insults or yelling. They've thrown trash into our yard".

This final incident was captured on the man and his partner's security camera, yet the police "did basically nothing" when they were notified.

The man continued: "They've apparently been spreading rumours about us - some of our other neighbours who used to be friendly now act cold."

When the elderly couple's "car was recently keyed", they "instantly accused" the man and his partner of doing it to the police and neighbours.

The man was able to provide his "camera footage to show [he and his partner] had nothing to do with it."

The pair, in their mid-30s, are "just trying to live [their] lives and not get dragged into this weird suburban turf war".

Although they "avoid" their elderly neighbours "at all costs", it proves challenging "when they live directly across the street and won't let it go".

The man revealed they are "documenting everything" just in case "things escalate or [they] need legal protection". He confessed: "I'm honestly just tired of the drama."

Reddit users took to the comments section to share their thoughts, with one quipping: "I bet someone has a car they need towed or needs to get rid of and would be HAPPY to have it parked there for free".

Another user advised: "Get the barely running, but legal junker. Park it in front of their house taking up the two spots. Then when you need to park, slide the junker up to make room.

"When you leave, pull the junker forward and take up both spots again. That should really p*** them off... lol".