Are your neighbors doing this? The surprising trick families are using to claim parking spots
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Have you ever come home after a long day, only to find the perfect parking spot outside your house blocked off by a rogue road cone?
If so, you’re not alone—and you might be surprised to learn just how common this cheeky tactic has become in neighbourhoods across Australia and New Zealand.
A New Zealand man found an aggressive note on his windscreen that read: 'Hey! You absolutely suck at parking!' When he flipped the card over, another message in bold black pen demanded: 'MOVE YOUR CAR!'
The man, who chose to remain anonymous, hadn't broken any rules—his car was legally parked across from his own house in Milldale, a suburb north of Auckland.
In response, he wrote his own message, 'street parking is public', and left it on the windscreen of his neighbour’s vehicle.
According to the man, the hostile note wasn’t unexpected. He said the same neighbour had long been trying to claim one of the two on-street parking spaces outside their home by placing a road cone in the spot.
The neighbour reportedly kept the cone in the boot of their car and would set it out in the afternoons whenever they left the house.
When reporters from Stuff visited the home, a woman identifying as one of the homeowners declined to give her name but defended the practice.
'It's not really a public parking space,' she said. 'People keep parking their cars on our spot, we've got three vehicles and this is the parking allocated for our home and that's the only reason why. When we leave for five minutes and we come back, then we have to park way up in the street.'
She insisted the situation was about 'common sense', and claimed they’d told the man they didn’t mind him parking there during the day, but preferred the space to be available from 5pm onward.
'They are moaning about it, but like we said and explained to them, have a little bit of common sense. We said we don't mind you parking there but my husband is coming home later. Where the hell is he supposed to park?'
Photos of the scene were sent to Auckland Transport by Stuff. A media representative said they couldn’t confirm whether the cone was from an official contractor or privately owned.
'Regardless, in this case, it's being cheekily used to reserve a parking space, which is a no-go. Parking spaces on the road, including this parking space on this street… are for everyone to use.'
Dr Tim Welch, a transportation and infrastructure expert from the University of Auckland, said this type of territorial behaviour is surprisingly widespread.
'It's the perception you have ownership over everything that's in front of your property, even though it's technically open to everyone.' He labelled the behaviour 'erratic and irrational', noting that no one tries to claim ownership over public footpaths in the same way. 'You don't see people blocking off those spaces.'
Welch said car-centric psychology often leads people to feel they deserve priority over other road users, resulting in anger when faced with inconvenience. 'That comes out in dangerous driving... blocking off your car space is an extension of that.'
University of Canterbury academic Dr Simon Kingham, who researches the link between urban design and well-being, described the behaviour as 'slightly entitled and selfish'.
He added: 'None of us own streets outside our house, but a lot of people feel the parking space outside is theirs, but it's a public space. It's not great in terms of community well being and cohesion.'
Here in Australia, the rules are clear: unless you have a council-issued permit or it’s a designated spot (like disabled parking), the street outside your house is public property.
Using cones, bins, or other objects to block off a space is not only frowned upon—it can actually get you in trouble with your local council.
If you’re having ongoing issues with neighbours reserving spots, your best bet is to have a friendly chat first. If that doesn’t work, contact your local council for advice. Some councils will remove illegally placed cones or issue warnings to repeat offenders.
Read more: ‘Please be more considerate’: The photo that has Melbourne shoppers fuming
Have you ever had a neighbour try to claim a public parking spot as their own? Have you seen cones, bins, or even garden gnomes used to 'reserve' a space? Or maybe you’ve been tempted to do it yourself! We’d love to hear your stories, tips, and thoughts on parking etiquette in your neighbourhood.
If so, you’re not alone—and you might be surprised to learn just how common this cheeky tactic has become in neighbourhoods across Australia and New Zealand.
A New Zealand man found an aggressive note on his windscreen that read: 'Hey! You absolutely suck at parking!' When he flipped the card over, another message in bold black pen demanded: 'MOVE YOUR CAR!'
The man, who chose to remain anonymous, hadn't broken any rules—his car was legally parked across from his own house in Milldale, a suburb north of Auckland.
In response, he wrote his own message, 'street parking is public', and left it on the windscreen of his neighbour’s vehicle.
According to the man, the hostile note wasn’t unexpected. He said the same neighbour had long been trying to claim one of the two on-street parking spaces outside their home by placing a road cone in the spot.
A New Zealand family attempted to claim a public street parking space outside their home by using a road cone, despite having a double garage and driveway. Image source: Reddit.
The neighbour reportedly kept the cone in the boot of their car and would set it out in the afternoons whenever they left the house.
When reporters from Stuff visited the home, a woman identifying as one of the homeowners declined to give her name but defended the practice.
'It's not really a public parking space,' she said. 'People keep parking their cars on our spot, we've got three vehicles and this is the parking allocated for our home and that's the only reason why. When we leave for five minutes and we come back, then we have to park way up in the street.'
She insisted the situation was about 'common sense', and claimed they’d told the man they didn’t mind him parking there during the day, but preferred the space to be available from 5pm onward.
'They are moaning about it, but like we said and explained to them, have a little bit of common sense. We said we don't mind you parking there but my husband is coming home later. Where the hell is he supposed to park?'
Photos of the scene were sent to Auckland Transport by Stuff. A media representative said they couldn’t confirm whether the cone was from an official contractor or privately owned.
They left an aggressive note on a neighbour’s car for parking in the space, insisting it should be reserved for their own use in the evenings. Image source: Reddit.
'Regardless, in this case, it's being cheekily used to reserve a parking space, which is a no-go. Parking spaces on the road, including this parking space on this street… are for everyone to use.'
Dr Tim Welch, a transportation and infrastructure expert from the University of Auckland, said this type of territorial behaviour is surprisingly widespread.
'It's the perception you have ownership over everything that's in front of your property, even though it's technically open to everyone.' He labelled the behaviour 'erratic and irrational', noting that no one tries to claim ownership over public footpaths in the same way. 'You don't see people blocking off those spaces.'
Welch said car-centric psychology often leads people to feel they deserve priority over other road users, resulting in anger when faced with inconvenience. 'That comes out in dangerous driving... blocking off your car space is an extension of that.'
University of Canterbury academic Dr Simon Kingham, who researches the link between urban design and well-being, described the behaviour as 'slightly entitled and selfish'.
He added: 'None of us own streets outside our house, but a lot of people feel the parking space outside is theirs, but it's a public space. It's not great in terms of community well being and cohesion.'
Here in Australia, the rules are clear: unless you have a council-issued permit or it’s a designated spot (like disabled parking), the street outside your house is public property.
Using cones, bins, or other objects to block off a space is not only frowned upon—it can actually get you in trouble with your local council.
If you’re having ongoing issues with neighbours reserving spots, your best bet is to have a friendly chat first. If that doesn’t work, contact your local council for advice. Some councils will remove illegally placed cones or issue warnings to repeat offenders.
Read more: ‘Please be more considerate’: The photo that has Melbourne shoppers fuming
Have you ever had a neighbour try to claim a public parking spot as their own? Have you seen cones, bins, or even garden gnomes used to 'reserve' a space? Or maybe you’ve been tempted to do it yourself! We’d love to hear your stories, tips, and thoughts on parking etiquette in your neighbourhood.
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