Parking Conundrum
This guy really doesn’t like people turning around in his driveway, in which he no longer parks so he can take up a spot on the street in front of his house and prevent people from driving on his lawn, which, if it’s that difficult to find a spot in his neighborhood, shouldn’t be possible anyway, but to which he will respond with gunfire in the future (owing to his “southern boy transplant” background.) So if you’ve ever wondered what happens when the worst of southern good old boy stereotypes meets the worst of Ann Arbor NIMBYism…
Well, I’m guilty of using a driveway on my block as a turn-around, but if I’m going to get shot doing it, then I guess I’ll just drive around the block instead.
WTF?
posted by Dave on February 8th, 2006 at 11:33 amShouldn’t that be NIMFYism?
posted by George Hotelling on February 8th, 2006 at 12:02 pmnot to be confused with NIMF(Y)omania…
posted by ann arbor is overrated on February 8th, 2006 at 12:59 pm“yep, I’m a southern boy transplant, so “tail full o’ buckshot” is a fairly standard remedy”
Rock salt. Tail full of rock salt. He’s not a real Southern boy. The first one’s always rock salt, usually the first two, the rest are buck.
Southern boy transplant? Sounds like a medical miracle.
posted by Alan Gutierrez on February 8th, 2006 at 1:36 pmI’ll continue to use the driveway. The approach is government property anyway, so I could actually (if I wanted to) sue him.
posted by Big John on February 8th, 2006 at 4:12 pmI had no idea this was a big deal. Then again, I didn’t think naming firearms was still (or ever) a thing.
posted by Daniel Adams on February 8th, 2006 at 4:16 pmAnd John - I think you could sue him anyway, government property or not. Shooting people in your driveway tends to be frowned upon.
posted by Daniel Adams on February 8th, 2006 at 4:18 pmJust in case you forgot you were still in Michigan . . .
posted by Nick on February 8th, 2006 at 5:37 pmNah, I was talking strictly about use of said driveway. Ignoring the gunfire that isn’t coming because NO ONE shoots someone over something like that.
posted by Big John on February 8th, 2006 at 7:22 pmHaving lived in (not from) the southwest trespassing can be cause to get shot. While “this guy” may be taking it to the extreme he does have a point. Stay the f**k off other people’s property unless you’re invited. This might include using their front yard as a turn around for your lazy a*s. I have to agree with the sentiment since it is common place for the the driveway where I work to be used as a U-Turn zone without regard to whether or not someone is actually trying to make a legal turn from said parking lot. This city is filled with people who have entitlement issues. Many people in the two cities I lived in, El Paso and Tucson have easements and fences to keep people off their property. No doubt he can’t put up a fence. I’m sure there would be a city ordinance against it, seeing as this city can’t even tolerate porch couches. “This guy” maybe an unwilling transplant and may be trying to cope with a population that has real issues. Next time you’re driving through one of the southern states try making a U-Turn in someones front yard and let us all know how it went. Until then try to give people a little bit of privacy on their own property.
posted by Andrew on February 9th, 2006 at 2:24 amI have never made a U-Turn in someone’s yard before, nor have heard of anyone who has. How long my eyes have been closed to this horrible malady, I do not know.
Besides, by the time this Joe Don Baker wannabe gets ol’ Bessy aimed, I’m well down the road from him. Natty Light and the internet don’t mix.
posted by HNG on February 9th, 2006 at 10:51 amAndrew, you make the southern states sound real appealing.
posted by Father Figure on February 9th, 2006 at 11:00 amAnd speaking of “southern boy” “tail full o’ buckshot” behavior, I’d suggest looking at this very recent alternet piece and its readers’ comments — http://www.alternet.org/story/31884/ — which takes a look at historical aspects this time honored tradition. And ties it in with behavior related to the current cartoon wars in Europe & vicinity.
posted by hale on February 9th, 2006 at 11:34 amActually, the city DOES tolerate porch couches, for the time being.
posted by OFWinsurgent on February 9th, 2006 at 1:07 pmI have used a driveway as a turnaround on occasion. If I see someone’s driveway full, I’m not about to use their lawn to do that though.
posted by Kozzie on February 9th, 2006 at 1:39 pmYes, no one uses the yard any longer. That would be uncivilized. And this sounds more like a personal matter between two neighbors.
Freakin’ Ypsi-tuckians. That’s what you’re dealing with here. Why, I remember not sooo long ago (mid-80s) when my parents Toyota would get keyed or bumper-stikered with “Buy American,” and the Principal of Willow Run was tarred and feathered because he was percieved as being sympathetic to “the blacks.”
Oh yes, you do still live in not-so-progressive Michigan.
posted by Daniel on February 9th, 2006 at 2:49 pmAndrew:
I don’t agree. I don’t think this guy has a point. Even if there’s a legal argument to be made that the rights to property and privacy justify a violent response, there’s the broader principle of just not being a huge dick about your driveway. Of being a member of a community.
Granted, driving over the yard is a different matter. But a driveway? Come on.
posted by Daniel Adams on February 9th, 2006 at 3:22 pmJesus Christ, turning around in a driveway is not an “entitlement issue.” Perhaps you’d be happier moving to Ruby Ridge, where you can live with your own kind.
posted by Mike on February 9th, 2006 at 4:09 pmActually, I think Sandpoint, Idaho is the preferred burgh for the gun-nut wingers these days…and Kingman, AZ.
posted by OFWinsurgent on February 9th, 2006 at 6:48 pmI think ya’ll missed the point but what else is new? I wasn’t justifying his actions regarding his driveway but using “this guy’s” front yard as a U-Turn zone is a clear cause for him to be particularly annoyed, nothing more. BTW, when did simple respect for other people and their property become “uncivilized” and “not-so-progressive”?
P. S. I’m not a gun toting moron but I’m also not a pussy passivist either.
posted by Andrew on February 9th, 2006 at 10:02 pmAndrew -
Dude, respect for other people and there property is “progressive” or could at least be called “normal” - threatening to shoot someone is not.
That’s why I suggested this sounds like an ongoing neighbor feud -
Picture it: some guy keeps seeing the same other neighbor guy turning around in his driveway, and it annoys him that he does it every single damn day, like he owns the place. So one day, he wakes up on the wrong side of the bed and moves his car back so the guy can’t do it.
Then said other guy retaliates by using the first guy’s lawn … and it escalates from there.
Now they’re breaking out the guns.
THAT’S uncivilized.
posted by Daniel on February 10th, 2006 at 8:47 amRe driveway turnarounds
I can’t say I support his gun policy, but the driveway turnaround thing can really be a big expensive deal for some folks. I live next to a park and near the stadium and people use my driveway to turn around many times a day. As a result, in just 10 years since I last replaced the approaches, they are once again so damaged they need to be replaced (as well as the chunk of sidewalk in front that is driven on).
So I’m looking at spending about $3K every 10 years so other folks can turn around in my driveway. I’ve actually had to take to putting garbage cans in front of the approaches on game days (which folks regularly run over anyway).
Granted, while lawns are only a few years away from being outlawed in A2, I still have one I care about and if this escalated to folks doing turnarounds on it, I might be tempted to put asside my pacifist ways and find my own “Betsy”.
posted by Gerry on February 10th, 2006 at 9:00 amfuck the garbage can strategy, get some tire spikes for game day.
posted by OFWinsurgent on February 10th, 2006 at 9:57 am“but I’m also not a pussy passivist either”
Are you a pussy activitst instead? Are you the guy who is creating all the hub-bub over the Vagina Monologues?
posted by Father Figure on February 13th, 2006 at 10:33 amYep, That’s me! No porch couches, no vaginas, no public breast feeding … My friends classify me as a fascist anarchist so take that as you will.
posted by Andrew on February 13th, 2006 at 11:41 pmWhat many of you dont realize is the cost repairing the driveway. My house is first on the street and gets at least 5-6 people a day using it to turn around even with a turnaround at the end of the frikken street. Once a woman was using it to sit in her van and chat on the phone. When i approached she said the boulevard was govt property here in commie canada. I wish i could of blasted that bitches car with rock salt…guns illegal here. Yes im angry, Ive had 22 years living here to become a major pet peeve.
posted by Geoff on September 5th, 2006 at 7:42 pmi think the homeowner owns the all the property up to the curb, but the city has an easement on the part where the sidewalk goes. (dunno about canada though.)
posted by peter honeyman on September 5th, 2006 at 7:52 pmNo, in cities, the front property line is usually a foot or so behind the sidewalk. The public sidewalk, “lawn extension”, and curb are all part of the street right-of-way.
Rural roads (in Michigan) were created under different rules, and technically the landowner owns right up to the middle of the road. Farm acreage is computed that way, too. The county road commission owns “just” an easment, 66 feet wide, essentially 33 feet out of the front of each property it passes.
When the property is subdivided, generally the developer files a plat that gives up rights to the streets and roads, dedicating them to the public. If an old rural road is involved, the former public easments on private property become completely public property.
posted by Larry Kestenbaum on September 5th, 2006 at 9:35 pmthanks, larry!
posted by peter honeyman on September 6th, 2006 at 2:20 am