I think parking is a massively contentious issue and it depends where you live and what you have as to your opinion.
I know, for example, that everyone in the village parks on the pavements (and everywhere else) therefore it is acceptable to most.
But people breaking social convention incur some serious wrath - e.g. if people park in someone else's allocated parking = noted cars, shouting ranting and raving - once someone keyed someone else's car
TBH my post was really supposed to be from a mechanical perspective, not from a social perspective or legal perspective. Amusing debate though