To ask someone to move their car forward a bit?

[PrettyCandles]

Trying to park when collecting dc from school, I found a car parked half a car's length from the start of the double yellows, with a space just too small for my car in front of it. Just as I arrived, a woman walked up to the car and got in. I assumed she was about to drive off, so pulled in, intending to park where she had been.

She didn't pull out, and another woman turned up and stood chatting through the car window. I asked - politely - if she would ask the driver to pull forward so that I could park as well.

"She says she's going soon"

I waited. A couple of minutes before school ended I got out of my car and asked the driver directly.
I got such a barrage of abuse! Swearing at me, calling me rude to tell her what to do, telling me she could shit in her car and I couldn't stop her because she paid her taxes, too. And plenty more unpleasantness.

I don't cope with confrontation. Especially not that sort of aggressive nastyness. I find this very upsetting.

Surely there's nothing wrong or rude in asking someone to move up a bit to allow another car to park?

[TittyBojangles]

YANBU, she is clearly mad as a box of badgers!

[hatwoman]

PC - assuming you asked politely - and I'm guessing you did, you just have to chalk this kind of thing up to experience. Take the moral high ground, knowing you would never be so rude and abusive and inconsiderate. I had something vaguely similar happen to me once. I was subjected to a barrage of abuse (after a woman had damaged my car), told I was selfish and needed to see a physciatrist. It was awful. Like you I'm not confrontational and after she'd gone I burst into tears - just felt so shaken that anyone could be so unpleasant to me. But you get over these things by reassuring yourself that it's them that has the problem, not you and it will follow them round souring their life - not yours.

It's Friday. Is it wine o'clock yet?

[FabbyChic]

There was nothing wrong in asking someone to move a bit. How fucking rude was she? Sorry you had to suffer that I'd have said yeah sure and moved for you.

[coatgate]

Did she really say she could shit in her car if she wanted - or was that a typo?

Strange woman. Some people are just so unreasonable.

[southeastastra]

blimey she sounds crackers!

[PrettyCandles]

I do sometimes get these things wrong, and think it's ok to ask or say something when it's not, so I'm relieved you all agree that I wasn't being a mad bat.

Not a typo, that is exactly what she said. The rest was so much more revolting that I have had to Milton my brain.

I am such a softy to get all shaken up by it.

I don't do wine, but its definitely choc o'clock. Lindt 70%.

[Ripeberry]

What did her friend do? Lucky you did not have both of them laying into you.
I'd rather just park somewhere else, especially if the person looked a bit 'rough'.
Or was she a woman in a suit?

[LordofthePies]

What a horrible thing to happen, some people carry so much aggression within them, they are like ticking time bombs.

Pour yourself a glass of something, at least its the weekend now.

[smokingnuns]

It's a mad old world. Perfectly reasonable to ask her to move forward. If she'd had a pair of eyes she would have seen that you couldn't get into the space behind her. People just don't like being told what to do sometimes. This could well have been a perfectly ordinary exchange that you forgot all about the second it was over. As it was, she was a nasty piece of work.

You've got me going now with the Lindt 70% idea..

[PrettyCandles]

The friend just stood around and enjoyed the show.

I parked elsewhere - but of course there wasn't anywhere else to park so I ended up 15mins late collecting the dc.

But, would you believe it? As I drove past her she was reversing to allow someone else into the space in front of her! And grinning at me while she did so!

And, no, I doubt she knew the other driver - he's the grandad of one of ds's friends. But he drives an oldish, battered car, like the one she was driving, whereas I'm a naice middle class ladieee in a shiny grubby MPV.

[52Girls]

People are so angry these days. She sounds unhinged.

[alemci]

i work in a school and was parked on the road. a woman had parked right up behind me. I had no room in front to manoeuvre.

i made a hand gesture i.e. move back a little. she didn't like it and when i went passed i smiled and acknowledged her with my hand to thank her. she looked at me as though i was dirt.

why did she have to park so close to me in the first place. would she rather i hit her car. so arrogant. I try to be considerate when i park and leave people room.

This women you refer to is out of order. what has happened to courtesy and thinking of others.

[Ripeberry]

Ahh! She was being 'reverse snob' Only moves for people who drive crap cars like her and maybe thought you were too good for her?
I hate 'reverse snobbery' too much of it about

[OliveMalay]

YANBU, and certainly didn't deserve a barrage of abuse.

However you might have got a better response by making the effort to ask her directly rather than via her friend.

[JaneS]

What a twat she is. Karma will come and get someone shunting her car, bet you.