DEAR MISS MANNERS: I love my neighbors, and would like to solve a recurring problem with their guests, as it creates hard feelings and frustration on my side, and likely for my neighbors as well.
They live across the street, and we are located at the end of our street. When their guests come, they invariably park directly in front of the neighbors’ house, which puts their car at the entrance to my driveway, so I can neither pull in nor back out of my driveway. Sometimes there are two cars there.
Their driveway is large enough to allow six cars to park comfortably. There is plenty of space in front of my house to park, on my side of the street, but no one ever parks there. And there are plenty of places to park even if the two spaces in front of their house at the end of my driveway were not used.
What do you recommend as a solution? My neighbor has helped to direct people to park in other places, as have I. I’ve thought of creating signs that could be put out.
GENTLE READER: It is time for a polite demonstration. Next time the problem recurs, ring the doorbell and explain that you need to get out -- and cannot.
Your neighbors, and their guests, will then need to interrupt the festivities to extricate you. This is likely to be memorable enough that it will discourage future occurrences.
Miss Manners realizes you may need to invent an errand to make this credible: insisting on getting out and then having nowhere to go will also create lasting memories -- but not ones that will solve your problem.