To have argued with this old lady over parking?

[PickettBowtruckle]

Yes there's a diagram (though a badly drawn iPad one!)

The blue squiggle at the top is me, in a marked bay. The red squiggle is her car, not in a space.

I live in a maisonette block that shares with a line of bungalows. The road has a name which we all share, so our address is number (block name), road, town. The bungalows are number, road, town. The parking is for residents of the road (so the block and bungalows) Sometimes parking can be tight and all the spaces are taken.

Still with me? The bungalow residents are elderly, whereas the block of houses are a mix. Some of the bungalow residents seems to have taken a liking to some spaces and have started to block you in if you park in the ones at the end nearest the bungalows.

When I parked there, it was the only space left. I'll usually park along the bottom line if there is space. Went out today and I'd been blocked in, despite there being plenty of other spaces around (colour squiggles indicate a car in the space!).

I sat and beeped until this old lady came out, came over and said 'there's no need to beep, you could have just knocked on doors' I said I didn't think it'd be very productive to knock on 30 doors and it'd be easier if I wasn't blocked in. She then asked if I had MS (she said she does) and that's why she needs that space. It's not and has never been a disabled space. We do have two disabled spaces that I never park in!

No apology whatsoever, I asked why she blocked me in when there were other spaces and she replied that I'm more able bodied than her and this space is closer to her house so I shouldn't park there. I again asked why she'd blocked me in though and she wouldn't answer so I said she was clearly looking for an argument. She said how would I like it if I couldn't park outside my house - I told her that happens quite often and when it does I park on the main road and walk in!

She finally tried to justify her doing it saying I'd been parked there all weekend - I said that's because I don't work weekends and I live here - I'm allowed to park for a weekend! It hadn't been there a month. She then walked on and begrudgingly moved the car, which telling her neighbours (who'd come to gawk) how awful I was. I'm raging!

[ItWentInMyEye]

YANBU, stand your ground! You have just as much right to the space.

[SheSaidHeSaid]

The woman is unreasonable, the parking space isn't specifically owned by anyone and isn't a disabled space. It's essentially a free for all and you were quite within your right to park there.

Do any of the deeds for the properties state that spaces aren't allowed to be monopolised by anyone? In fact, if you've got a managing agent for the development I'd speak to them about it so that they can raise it or deal with it.

[Iris65]

YANBU she is. If she needs disabled space she can apply for one. This was clearly an attempt to bully you into not parking there again.
If it was me I would park there every time I could and knock on her door every time she blocked me in. I would be very polite but ignore her goading and attempts to start an argument and play the 'I'm only an old and sick lady'.
She is a grown up who is using bullying tactics.

[StandardNameHere]

I'd have just called to have her car towed.
What is it with people just deciding spaces are theirs.
Perhaps contact the council to suggest numbered parking bays as residents are getting the rage

[xStefx]

Love the diagram, I find some (not all before im lynched) old people stuck in their ways and are rude about it if they don't get it.

Im not as nice as you and would have said with a big smile " block me in again and I wont bother beeping ill just reverse"

Love a good parking thread

[PickettBowtruckle]

stef me too - as much as it's given me the rage I was a bit excited to be able to make a parking thread!

Glad I wasn't BU, I'm so cross at this woman. Think calling to get it towed next time is a good idea!

[smd5018]

My sister had an issue recently with a neighbour who was totally unnecessarily blocking her in (this when she was parked in her own private space as well) but she had to go out quite late at night a few times and the lady must have got fed up of being disturbed and having to come out in her dressing gown to move her car and stopped doing it!

[like7]

YANBU Diagram definately helped this one! Maybe beeping was the best thing - (although hope no one was trying to sleep) - as she may be embarrassed that it caused other people to have to come out of their houses to see what was going on... and won't do it again??

[PickettBowtruckle]

Beeping was at 2pm so hopefully no one sleeping. Hoping she was still embarrassed though and doesn't want to do it again!

[ExConstance]

YANBU, she seemed to think that being older gave her some additional entitlement. I was pursued round Waitrose a couple of weeks ago by some elderly gentleman who reckoned I'd pinched a space from him in what was a virtually empty car park.

[SignoraCarmignola]

YANBU. Not one little bit.

And that is an excellent diagram. I only hope that if I'm ever lucky unfortunate enough to have to start a parking thread that my diagram will be half so good.

[BertrandRussell]

She was unreasonable and rude. Her age is irrelevant.

If she had been 20 would you have said "young lady" in your title?

[BreakfastAtSquiffanys]

Parking "law" decrees that if you absolutely have to block someone in, you put a note on either your car or theirs, apologising, and give details of which house to knock at to get obstructing car moved.
Anything less makes you a twat.

[highinthesky]

Life is too short to be cross about this, OP. She moved her car and you escaped

[Evereve]

at your diagram, but it illustrates the situation perfectly.

Of course you were not being unreasonable.

[angeldelightedme]

YANBU, she seemed to think that being older gave her some additional entitlement
No she parked there because she had MS and if she had parked further away might not have been able to get to her house.What can she do? sit in her car all weekend?
Were the disabled spots being used by blue badge holdres?

[SauvignonBlanche]

She sounds very unreasonable but not sure what her age, or the age of the man in the Waitrose car park had to do with anything?

Casual ageism is a tad wearing

[EineKleine]

YANBU. At least you know the car is hers now and can go straight to her next time nice and early in the morning because you've had to leave so much time because you're blocked in

I wouldn't make too much of a big deal about it though. If it turns into a war she may well be able to get another disabled space designated, and there'll be one or two less for the rest of you.

[gandalf456]

Not really. She had a medical condition. We tend to cut the elderly more slack because they're more likely to have health problems. I would state if it were a young woman too.because it would possibly change the dynamic of the thread in terms of her likely fitness

[shovetheholly]

I have no idea about parking but I am getting intimidated by the increasingly sophisticated nature of diagrams on Mumsnet...

[PickettBowtruckle]

angel there were other spaces literally steps away, she didn't have to block me in.

The disabled spot is the bottom right one and was free, as is one of the ones along the side that is free. She wanted the particular space I was in (not a disabled space) and chose to block me in rather than taking any of the available spaces.

[HappyFlappy]

If it was me I would park there every time I could and knock on her door every time she blocked me in.

Same here Iris

EVERY.

SINGLE.

TIME!

[GwenStaceyRocks]

She shouldn't have blocked you in but I sympathise if her MS is so debilitating that she has difficulty walking.

[punicorn]

Well done on the diagram! Are you sure the old lady wasn't in fact my mum? She loves bossing people around about parking and other minor issues. She once told me to go and have a word with our neighbours at our old house as we could see their wheelie bins from our front window (WTAF??) and it seemed to bother her. Didn't bother me in the least. She gives hard stares to anyone who reverses into car park spaces too. That would be me then.

[PickettBowtruckle]

Not getting into an ageist war, but Gandalf explained it well. Mentioned to give a better picture of the situation, as if it had been a total able bodied young person I'd have been even more annoyed.