Not just a parking one but a school parking one and with 4WD thrown in

[DesertParkingWars]

Ok came back to my car today to find a note (to be fair politely) asking me to pull forward to allow another car to park behind me.

I obviously don't think I'm parking wrong but would welcome opinions in case I am.

Background is that this is parking at a school. Up until this September parents were allowed to park in the school parking lot which involved very minimal walking for our little darlings. I never parked there as I don't like reversing around children if at all possible (big car, small children). I parked outside the gates instead (marked parking spaces).

This year they've decided parents can't use the formal school car park for whatever reason and have built a new one that's pretty big (over a hundred spaces). I don't park there for the same reason I never used the school one in the first place.

Instead I tend to park as indicated on the picture. If that space isn't free I'll patk further to the right. I prefer not to do this because one of the car seats blocks visibility a bit on this maneuver and I keep forgetting to move it when I get in the car.

I never have an issue getting a space, there a lots of spaces but sometimes they involve a 2 minutes walk to the school gate.

However, when I park car B isn't usually there. This is one big space, not individually marked out. I tend to park at the back as otherwise I'm worried about being blocked in. However, I have to admit I've been leaving about half a metre between my rear wheels and the white line demarking the end of the 'big' space. I could be further back and still officially in the space.

The note leaver (I suspect car C as they seem to think they have a right to park blocking the road) thinks I should pull forwards so that there's a space behind me.

Now, if you ignore the white lines, there is possibly just about space for four cars (depending on size of cars, most people here drive humongous cars and car C is a Nissan Patrol). But, I think that (a) we'd have to ignore the lines marking out the parking space; (b) I suspect one car will end up blocked in; (c) unless cars arrive and leave in the right order someone is going to have to parallel park which would hold up the stream of traffic; and (d) there is no shortage of fucking parking spaces, just this one is marginally closer to the school gate.

So, my AIBU. WIBU to park at the back of the space so that my wheels are touching the white line (this won't allow enough space for an extra car and probably will prevent C parking at all). Or should I be parking in car B's spot and hope no one blocks me in? Alternatively, should I just ignore the parking wars and park slightly further up and not get involved?

[Namechangetempissue]

I personally think yabu if you are parking in a way that blocks another parking space. Just park properly or use the car park. Why get blocked in at all when there is a perfectly good car park with loads of space a few metres up the road?

[DesertParkingWars]

Thanks. Opinion welcomed. To be clear I'm not blocking a real space but if you ignore the white lines you can possibly fit another car in. In the UK one car would be looking at a ticket but that's not a risk here.

I am probably bring an arse about it though! I might just park further up.

[claraschu]

I think that if you can park so C can fit, without getting blocked in yourself, then you should. I assume you are probably in the US, and the white lines mark out enormous spaces? On the other hand, C can either walk for 2 minutes or get to the parking space before you, if he is so bothered.

If I wanted to be snarky, I would suggest that you get a small car, or that you drop and run rather than parking, or that you walk or bike to school, but I will control myself and not make any of those annoying suggestions!!

[Twoo]

Rather than park a metre from the white line, park nearer to the white line. Clearly you need to park considerately. No one could note your car if you're nearer to the white line.

[DesertParkingWars]

They still will! I think that's my issue. If I park on the white line I'm going to come across as passive aggressive as I'm doing the opposite if what's been asked and will be preventing them from parking behind me (although this car will probably just park part on the pavement!).

I think I'm answering my own question - unless I want active parking wars I just need to avoid this parking bay entirely.

[DesertParkingWars]

Cant drop and run as one DC needs to be seen to the classroom under school rules. Walking is too far (it's a 10 mins drive) and I wouldn't trust bikes on the road - three lanes throughout, no bike lanes and particularly nearer the school where there are no speed cameras cars are routinely doing 70mph plus.

Agree I could get a smaller car but I have this car because we needed the clearance where we used to live plus I need a seven seater (and it's a Kia Sorrento so big but not manically big).

I am being petty though, will just avoid the space.

[BoomBoomsCousin]

I think this really depends on local culture. Is the way you are parking normally acceptable where you are or would most people avoid doing what you do? If it's normal I think you're probably OK ignoring. If it's not really the way people are there, then acquiesce or stop using the bay else you risk finding your vehicle blocked in or scratched or something.

[lalalalyra]

If you park further back and close to the line then there will be space for the other car to park in front of you (assuming they are right and you can fit another car into the space).

[brownfang]

You should use the carpark that the school built for parents to use.

[pictish]

I love your diagram...loads of detail so it makes sense. Honestly? If I were you I'd just use the car park provided and not knock over a kid. If everyone else can manage it, so can you. x

[BreakfastAtSquiffanys]

There's plenty of space for parking.
I'm amazed that you get "your" regular space.

The white lines are there for a reason.
I hate seeing eg 2 cars parked in a bay large enough for 3, with half a car length left at either end of bay and a other half length in the middle between the two cars.

I would park correctly right at the back of the bay, with rear of car just inside the white lines.
Car C can go and park in one of the dozens of free soaces

[SoPassRemarkable]

Use the car park, reverse into a space which you know is kid free so it's safer. Buy a £3 reversing mirror from amazon.

[DesertParkingWars]

Where I am people would most definitely think I'm being rediculous for caring about where the white lines are! I'm bring overly British about this.

I haven't seen a kid hit in the school car park but up until the point I stopped parking in the (old) one, I saw three accidents between cars in the space of about six months. I would prefer to walk a long way than take the risk a three year old not being properly supervised (and there are a fair number of these) decides to run behind my reversing car. The spaces outside the school are also official school spaces it's just if the main car park can't be used there aren't enough of these to go round hence the new car park.

At least I got diagram praise 😀

[DesertParkingWars]

being not bring

[shouldwestayorshouldwego]

I would just park in the far end of the car park. Get there a little early. If you have to drop in the classroom you won't be the first to leave so car park probably relatively empty. Practice reversing into spaces, I actually find it easier now than driving in.

[DesertParkingWars]

I don't always get 'my' space, it's just I get in fairly early because my kids get paranoid about being late. I would always be able to get one of the spaces on the right and so far this year I've never seen someone having to park in the spaces on the far right. A lot of families have drivers here so children plus nanny get dropped off and the driver waits either in new car park or double parked in the spaces between the exit and the new car park.

Don't know when Car A gets there to beat me, probably a teacher not wanting to use the main car park for some reason.

My diagram leaves direction of traffic off though so fail there. It's right to left. School on the right is for older kids so 99% drop off and no interest in parking near that school.

[MaisyPops]

Assuming there is space for another car in front then it doesn't make any difference whether you pull right forwards or park at the back.
If you park at thr back of the space then surely car C can parallel park in front of you (unless this is really a thread about people.with cars too big for them to manoeuvre safely, which I think it is on all parts).

I hate seeing people (usually with excessively large cars) park so there's half a car behind them and half a car in front. It screams 'my car is so big and important, but I can't drive or park it so will inconvenience every other driver'.

Maybe both of you should just use the car park

[CoffeeBreakIn5]

So you park for your own convenience rather than considering anyone else? Yes, YABU. Park so that another car can fit in, you're essentially leaving half a space behind you when someone else could fit there. You say there's a huge car park that they could use, explained your reasons for not parking in it and then expect others to! Maybe they feel the same? And as for being 'blocked in', it's the school run, you're 'blocked' for about 10 minutes at the most because the chances of both cars being abandoned there all day doesn't see very likely.

I'm not being snarky here, or at least I don't mean to be but for goodness sake please buy a car you can actually drive. You sound like an absolute hazard, you should be able to park your car confidently without the fear of knocking over a child.

[RainbowPastel]

Park considerately not just for your benefit. Parking is limited here and people park like you meaning we get 3 cars in the space of 5.

[DamnCommandments]

C shouldn't have left a note. [Gavel]

[DesertParkingWars]

Coffee - I can park my car. However if one of the multitude of unsupervised 3 and 4 year olds freely roaming around the car park suddenly runs behind me when I'm reversing I run a risk of hitting one. It wouldn't be my fault but to be honest I'd prefer not to take the risk of reversing in that car park at all! Idea to reverse into a space in the new car park is a good one as limited risk of there being a free range child around when I first park - the risk is when I'm leaving. Hadn't even thought of that because it's so easy to get a space that doesn't involve any form of reversing 90% of the time.

Another car cannot lawfully fit into the parking spot I use and I am parking to make it easy for car B to get in without needing to parallel park. I can pull futher back to the white line but that won't allow an extra car to fit in between me and B. The only way to fit four cars in is to ignore the white lines. Even then someone will probably end up blocked in unless everyone leaves in the right order. Given lots of spaces, why should I have to illegally park just so car C can park 20m closer to the school gate?

Car C wants me to pull forwards NOT back. I'm happy to pull back but that won't help and easier to just park elsewhere.

[MaisyPops]

So in a nutshell:
You don't like reversing in your car because you are likely to hit a child, but 90% of the time you don't do any reserse parking (probably because if visability issues of a stupidly large car)

From your update I'll be honest it sounds like a lot of people driving silly sized cars getting pissed off at each other because there's not enough space for people with silly cars to park exactly where they like.

[kuniloofdooksa]

I think you would be perfectly reasonable to park at the back of the marked out space with your wheels close to the white paint, to leave a larger parking space in front of you.

Ywbu to ignore the white paint.

I don't think your apparent antipathy to parallel parking is justified. It's a legitimate manoeuvre which everyone with a driving licence ought to have mastery of. If I parallel park the car behind me is held up for only about 10-15 seconds which is perfectly fine for legitimate use of a public road.

Your diagram shows plenty of available parking so the snotty note writer was not being prevented from parking at all, they just weren't successful in the first-come-first-served for the best spaces.

[pictish]

"I can park my car. However if one of the multitude of unsupervised 3 and 4 year olds freely roaming around the car park suddenly runs behind me when I'm reversing I run a risk of hitting one."

It's the same for everyone else. Use the car park like they do!

[Wishingandwaiting]

Not just a parking one but a school parking one and with 4WD thrown in

AND a long boring one at that.
It really does tick all the boxes!