This is ssoooo silly to get worked up over ...

[jadegentle]

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: OMG!! My mother must've written that! I had to park my van at the end of her driveway when it had an oil leak :rolleyes:

[Jolie Rouge]

Dear Annie,
Never before have I been irritated enough to write an advice columnist until now. "Driveway Owner in Arizona" has sent me over the edge. She said she didn't want people parking in her driveway because their cars left oil stains.

Apparently her extended family lives in my neighborhood, because NOBODY parks in a driveway around here. Nearly every house on my street has space for two cars, yet these people insist on parking in the narrow street, and no one can pass.

Please advise your readers that parking in the street is absolutely unnecessary when you have a perfectly good driveway. If she's that obsessive about her driveway, perhaps she should have invested her money in therapy.
-- J.S. in Texas


Dear J.S.,

We heard from a surprising number of readers with comments ranging from ridicule to suggestions on keeping the driveway clean. Read on:



From Houston: What is the purpose of a driveway other than to park there? Maybe they should have a Monet painted on it since their concern is beauty, not function. Do they live in the shed to keep from messing up the house?



Hawaii: We share our driveway with the house next door, and whenever we issue an invitation, we tell ALL of our guests to please park on the street.



Nevada: Simply hand those oil-dripping folks a large piece of cardboard and ask that they place it under the drip during their visit. Problem solved.



Anchorage: I have worked the oilfields of Alaska for many years. The policy for every vehicle, large or small, is to have a "duck pond," which is a drip pan the size of a child's small swimming pool, to place under the vehicle when it is parked.



Charlotte, N.C.: We went to a home-improvement store and bought a sheet of paneling, in light gray, which matches our concrete. We placed it on the side where visitors park. The oil drips on the paneling, and we just wash it off.



Virginia: Tell "Driveway" to wet the area with water and sprinkle a grease-cutting agent on the soiled area. Scrub with a brush or broom, and wash it off. If the driveway was sealed professionally, she can buy sealer and use a paintbrush to touch up small stains. (NEVER use gasoline or diesel fuel on an asphalt driveway.)



Anywhere, USA: "Driveway" needs a hobby. Not everyone shares her values. But it's interesting that she has so many friends and relatives with leaky cars.



Antioch, Tenn.: Take some good old-fashioned cat litter and sprinkle it all over the oil until it covers the whole spot, and then let it sit overnight. By the next day, the litter will have absorbed everything. It works like a charm.



Ohio: Our grown children have leaky cars. We keep flat pieces of cardboard in the garage. When the kids come for visits in their older cars or pickup trucks, they slip the cardboard under the leak and later return the cardboard to the garage on their own.



Texas: Tell "Driveway" to get a grip. She should be grateful she has friends who visit and relish the time she has with them. Like a stained tablecloth, the driveway reminds you of times shared.



Merrimac, Wis.: In this world of global poverty, deadly diseases and violence, the absolute last thing on my list to worry about is oil spots on my driveway. Learn to love them. Give them names. They are visits from friends.



San Pedro, Calif.: I, too, have a newly paved driveway. Delivery vans leave tire marks, and wet leaves and pigeon deposits can create dark stains. Every mark stands out like a sore thumb against the new pavement. I am constantly there with a bucket and a scrub brush. Tell "Driveway" she has a friend in California.

:rolleyes:

[janelle]

Just don't track it into the house onto my newly cleaned rugs and I won't have a problem with it. ;)

[ieatalot]

after I paved my driveway, I became like this too.........it's too expensive to have it ruined by oil spots.

[Widgetsx3]

If that is the least of her problems....I would gladly share some of mine....good grief....

[mlathroum]

I live on a street like this. There are 14 homes. Out of these all but ours and 3 others have driveways. Only 3 of those 10 use their driveways. We can't even park in front of our home most days because of this. SO I am putting a driveway in at the end of the summer. I was told you have to wear the ground down before they put in a load of stone. I started parking in my front yard. My ignorant neighbor doesn't like it so he started letting his teenagers park in front of my van. After the first towing they stopped.
I know most people thought it was rude. But when you have two kids and feel like you are shopping for the worlds army. Walking down and around the corner with your groceries gets old.