For reacting to people who treat me poorly..assaulted at the doctors surgery

Huh? Yes you did.

She approached an elderly man standing in the waiting room of a GP practicein a confrontational manner and told him he “should have gone to specsavers”

I've no idea why you're ignoring what she actually did say...

so I said to him.. you do realise you just almost ran us over...I was expecting he might apologise. This then started off an argument in front of the whole waiting room

I completely disagree with what people are telling you above, completely.

The world works much better if you assume most people are trying to do the right thing. The guy wasn't trying to run you down or hit your kids. Think about what you are saying. He had an accident, as people do, when they are flustered themselves trying to park. He manoeuvred into a space that was probably the easiest to back into, and then you banged his car (fair enough).

The sensible thing to do, given he immediately stopped and didn't ram your kids, would have been to give a brief smile and say- phew, sorry, I thought you were going to hit us! He would have then said 'I'm so sorry, I didn't see you' etc.

I never ever escalate these situations, I park in a hospital about two to three times a week and the parking is a nightmare, and people drive too close, people are wandering around, you don't have great visibility, and all of it goes much better when everyone is kind, offers up their space, waves to say thanks and apologises if there's a problem. I've spend nearly a decade going in and out of the place and not had one, one incident, and most people are cheery and nice, and resigned that small car parks and large cars are the way it is right now.

Why pick a fight, your child got pushed. Just stop. Just assume the best and go in with a reasonably ok face and not angry and picking fights. If you had a go at me, I'd have one back, and be extremely cross myself as of course he wasn't running you down on purpose, he made a mistake.

Do you want people to forgive your mistakes? Then do so in others and protect your kids better by stopping escalating with strangers.

It isn't though.
The OP has been told she shouldn't have been stood in the parking space. That she shouldn't have shouted at him when he was reversing at her, and that she shouldn't have spoken to him in the surgery.

I didn’t say that she approached him with the Specsavers comment.

I said that she approached him in a confrontational manner (which I consider to be the “you do realise” comment) and told him that he should go to Specsavers.

One day you're going to pick on the wrong person and you'll get leathered. Nearly like in the drs when you put your baby into harms way. Also can't believe you basically caused the receptionist to be assaulted.

How is it dramatic when the op has literally just told the world about his dangerous driving.

Oh shush and go join an am dram club with those theatrics 😆

What hyperbolic rubbish.

@Woodenwonder "Maybe he has bad eyesight or bad depth perception"

Maybe he shouldn't be driving then.

And if he would of succeeded in winning is parking space at the cost of a woman and babies lives you would be looking at this very differently.

OP.

Things to learn from this thread.

Let Men run you over.
Never stand in a space A Man wants.
Never speak to A Man who nearly ran you over.

Outrageous is a strong word. But maybe you are like OP and prone to overreaction.

Maybe he has bad eyesight or bad depth perception so parking next to another car helps him cue it up. Maybe he's had bad health news and isn't feeling quite with it.

Luckily turns out, op wasn't mown down after all, close one!

Shit happens and most people are not inherently trying to spoil your day. Particularly at a drs I'd be finding extra patience and particularly for older people.

No she didn't approach him with the Specsavers comment. Have you not even read the opening OP?

so I said to him.. you do realise you just almost ran us over...I was expecting he might apologise. This then started off an argument in front of the whole waiting room

I suspect the answer is yes IABU and normal people don't do this! Please help me understand why I am like this and what I can do to fix it.

This is a typical example of a situation I have got myself into by reacting and allowing myself to be provoked. I was taking my DS (1 yr) for vaccinations and parked neatly in one of many available spaces at my local surgery. Just as I was trying to get him out of his car seat with the door open, I see out of the corner of my eye this guy in his 70s or beyond starts reversing into the space I am standing in with the door open. Note that there are various other spaces even side by side which he could have gone into but no, he chose the one I was standing in with DS half out of his car seat. I waved and shouted and he stopped....then he carried on again so I screamed and shouted at him preparing to smack the back end of his car as I thought he somehow still hasn't seen me and there wasn't room for me to stand out the way. Finally he then moves off, parks opposite and walks off inside without a word.

This is where I then made a poor decision. I had to stand next to him whilst logging into their system. I was so angry and shocked at what just happened that I decided he wasn't going to get away with it, so I said to him.. you do realise you just almost ran us over...I was expecting he might apologise. This then started off an argument in front of the whole waiting room. I asked him why he chose to park in the only space I was standing in when there were 6 other spaces available and he just said 'it was a space wasn't it' and he said 'you shouldn't have such a big car" I said I can have what car I like (honestly it's not big just a very basic standard budget SUV, not some enormous tank!) And I was parked responsibly in the space, it is customary to need the door open when getting a child out and unfortunately they don't have child spaces with more room and I didn't want to park in the disabled spacs as that's not for me! I'm afraid he pissed me off even more with his comment about my car so I said something I wasn't proud of along the lines of "should have gone to Specsavers because I'm not sure how you didn't see me? " Anyway of course it escalated, the receptionist tried to intervene to calm us down, and then he pushed all three of us, her most as she was inbetween him and me still holding DS. I feel totally devastated because she ended up bearing the brunt of what was obviously meant for me. Also mortified this was in front of everybody, although they were very kind. But also because I should have left it well alone as I had my son in my arms, why oh why didn't I keep my mouth firmly shut?! A miss (even a near miss!) Is as good as a mile as they say. What is wrong with me, why do I put myself and others at risk just to be right? It's like the sense of injustice takes over and fight wins over flight even when it makes common sense not to poke the hornets nest.

It's happened before. I asked someone outside my house which fronts onto a footpath to pick up their dog mess and got verbally abused and I think there are other incidents I can't remember now. Incidently I always end up a shaking blubbing emotional wreck after such incidents so why do I do it??! In my head I think I'm sticking up for myself. But it usually ends up worse for me and I feel like in taking these risks, one day I could end up with myself in serious trouble or dead doing it. How can I stop myself in future when it's almost reflexive! I know I need to control myself. Incidently my husband is the complete opposite extreme and a pacifist. He avoids conflict like the plague and never gets himself in any situations like this as a result. If there is a problem with a bill or contractor I have to deal with it. Is there a middle ground?!
Incidently my DS got his vaccines (all 4!) but it wasn't at all the calm experience I was hoping for...