Car parking spaces are

supposed to be for the residents. This is what I was led to believe when I moved in here. It seems that this is not the case with respect to me.

I do not own a car. I have never owned a car. I cannot drive a car. There is a space labelled with the number of the unit I live in but it seems I do not own that space.

This is not what I was told when I moved in. I was told that the space labelled with my number was my space. I was even told there was council approval to put a roof over the space - at my expense. No, I have not bothered to find the very large sum to do that. I park my trike on the tiny front "porch" instead.

Now it seems that the space can be used by everyone else except me. Even if I wanted to park my trike there I would be expected to move it to make way for any number of "commercial" vehicles doing "maintenance" and for other residents who have overnight visitors or just people coming in to visit.  

A friend came to visit recently. She has difficulty walking more than ten metres. I wanted what I thought was my space to be vacant for her to use. No. It wasn't. There was a van there. Two men were sitting in it eating their lunch. I explained the situation.  No, they would not move.  They had to "carry stuff" and "you can only use it if it is your car". Really? 

Someone else parks there on a regular basis. The car is often there when I have left to do something in the morning. I have tried leaving polite notes saying someone is coming and that the space is needed. They are ignored. 

Yesterday the man who "mows" the lawns used it - and blocked in the girl next door as well. Fortunately he had gone before she went off to her shift at the hospital.  I only know this because she came several days ago and apologised for using "my" space when someone else had parked in hers. After the lawn mower man had gone another van turned up and used the space. The van was there until lunch time and then it left. Another van moved into the space.

I heard the argument when the first van driver returned and found the second van there. They were "working" there! 

This morning I looked out and yes, someone is parked there yet again. 

"Get used to it. You haven't got a car. That means anyone else can use it," the car owner told me as he climbed in and drove off - presumably he was going to work. 

I have a very elderly friend coming to lunch. I hope she arrives and finds the space vacant and that she can park there. I hope the "maintenance" vans arrive and find they cannot park there.

Would I say "yes" if they came and asked? I probably would if they did it nicely and I was not expecting someone with a mobility issue to visit. Is it my car parking space though? I am beginning to wonder if I have given up the right because I do not have a car.