It does seem that everyone thinks they have a right to park outside their home (whether they own or rent). I would never buy a place that didn't have a driveway. And on the 2 occasions I rented and it didn't have a driveway, I used to park in the designated area which was a bit of a walk to the front door, but it's not really an issue. I mean, we don't go to a supermarket and expect to park outside the sliding door entrance! Trouble is, if un-regulated spaces are provided, people will park there. If it's not a lay-by-type shoulder then road parking is a massive cause of congestion. I'm not in favour of banning it all, but where parking impedes the width of the lane then I think this should be outlawed.
This pic presents a best-case scenario (it's usually far worse and people don't mount the pavement now):
If two buses are approaching from each end, they can rarely get through. And this is a major route in and out of a populous suburb (24,000 people). Not unusual for there to be a mile tailback in each direction in rush hour.
