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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

A man told me how I should have reverse parked. I told him to floss and use a stain resistant toothpaste.

210 replies

user47 · 08/09/2024 20:33

I had to use DH truck today - which I rarely drive. I then has a tricky reverse park in a busy town. A man watched the whole thing with his arms cross, chuckling and came over and offered a lot of critique and unsolicited advice.
WIBU to offer him critique and unsolicited advice in return?

Yeah yeah, I know I was rude but fuck me, he was a twat of the highest order.

I may have used the phrase "Is it FREE ADVICE DAY? GREAT?"

OP posts:
Hoppinggreen · 09/09/2024 10:08

OCDmama · 08/09/2024 21:30

Why the fuck do women have to classy? This is a common refrain on MN. Why should some chauvinistic prick get any respect?

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Where do I suggest this man get any respect?
Nobody in this scenario deserves any.
I just think that there are better ways of making a point and making it very clear that someone behaviour is unacceptable than mentioning their teeth.
There is a lot of ground between putting up with mens crap and insulting someones appearance and thinking its the height of wit.

AutumHarvestGlow · 09/09/2024 10:06

I did a reverse park once and had two men in another car snigger and say stuff . I did it perfectly first time and as I got out of the car smirked and gave them the finger . Their faces 😂

Hoppinggreen · 09/09/2024 10:03

Patagonia21 · 08/09/2024 20:54

@Hoppinggreen what would your response have been?

Probably a glare and "I manage to park regularly without your assistance so don't need it now" or similar.
Definitely no comment on his looks.

Beth216 · 09/09/2024 09:59

I think getting personal just made you worse than him. Asking if he'd stand and watch a man parking and then give him advice or if it's just women he thinks it's ok to patronise might get him to think for a second about his misogynistic asshole behaviour.

Dontcallmescarface · 09/09/2024 09:48

My go to reply for men like that is "have you always been this much of a prat or did you need to go on a course?"

KateMiskin · 09/09/2024 09:24

Good for you. I have just about had it with men.

queenofguineapigs · 09/09/2024 09:15

bergamotorange · 08/09/2024 20:44

I can see he was really annoying, but I think what you said in return was out of order as it was about personal appearance.

Yes but it can be changed. You can clean your teeth and floss.

It's different to eg referring to height.

allthemiddlechildrenoftheworld · 09/09/2024 08:42

@user47 I once told am wee horrible old man to go and play with his wee tiddly wink! he was mortified!!

Partylikeits1985 · 09/09/2024 08:04

Soontobe60 · 09/09/2024 07:58

As my grandma used to say ‘two wrongs don’t make a right’. He was a dick, so were you by making personal comments to a stranger about their appearance.

🥱

Soontobe60 · 09/09/2024 07:58

As my grandma used to say ‘two wrongs don’t make a right’. He was a dick, so were you by making personal comments to a stranger about their appearance.

CornedBeef451 · 09/09/2024 07:54

@ChampagneLassie I love that you had paused to admire your parking! I do that sometimes too.

TerfTalking · 09/09/2024 06:46

RedRobyn2021 · 08/09/2024 20:47

I disagree

I think it was clever AND funny

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Me too, and he absolutely deserved it.

I bet he went straight home and checked his teeth out.

HRTQueen · 09/09/2024 06:23

JudgeJ · 08/09/2024 22:13

Similar thing happened to me, I was reverse parking into a small space, a group of men sitting outside a cafe were watching, clearly expecting to be entertained! Sadly for them I am very good at reverse parking and when I got out they started to clap and were disappointed when I simply said It's hardly rocket science, is it?

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😆😆 that was a great response you gave them

JohnSt1 · 09/09/2024 05:45

user47 · 08/09/2024 20:41

URGH *Had a tricky
I can't even do basic grammar now, a man will be along to correct me shortly 😂

This is one old man that thinks you're badass. I wish I was as quick-minded. I'd spend the rest of the day imagining something witty I could have said.

Moro93 · 09/09/2024 04:41

Hoppinggreen · 08/09/2024 20:39

That was neither as clever or funny as you think.
He was a Dick, you could have made your point AND been a bit more classy

This.

Happyinarcon · 09/09/2024 04:18

A lot of older men want to be helpful and are a bit tone deaf. I’m always pleasant and appreciative even if it’s naff advice. Many people are feeling a bit disconnected and lonely at the moment, so I like spreading good vibes.

AnAussieHaiku · 09/09/2024 04:12

Men are dangerous

Before speaking consider

The consequences

ForGreyKoala · 09/09/2024 01:34

MrsGhastlyCrumb · 08/09/2024 20:43

Oh, FUCK classy. Also, it was, in point of fact, quite witty.

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No it wasn't witty, it was downright rude.

LongTimeReading · 09/09/2024 01:20

Seiling · 09/09/2024 01:19

The point is that women don’t generally ‘help’ random strangers park though

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There was one in Currys who felt duty-bound to help my husband choose a new steam iron. 😂

Seiling · 09/09/2024 01:19

LongTimeReading · 08/09/2024 21:45

It really isn't. The OP would have said the same and posted all about it here had it been a woman who "helped" her.

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The point is that women don’t generally ‘help’ random strangers park though

JambalayaOrGumbo · 09/09/2024 01:11

In a similar situation, I now say what I heard my daughter say once:

Didn't ask

It said everything and there was no comeback ☺

ncforcatquestion · 09/09/2024 00:34

That's really horrible

BlackShuck3 · 09/09/2024 00:33

BluebellsareBlue · 08/09/2024 23:29

I'm
Confused, did you actually say those things to him about his teeth? If so, I think you were unreasonable. There's no excuse to ever shame someone for how they look. If all you said was 'oh is it free advice day' then fair enough. But that's not what your title says. It makes me mad to think a man was laughing at your efforts and felt the need to 'school' you. But it makes me sadder to think he was responded to by ridiculing his looks :-(

I respectfully disagree, we should fireback with both barrels it's the only language these protohominids understand.

Screamingabdabz · 08/09/2024 23:48

Ugh men who think they have to ‘help’ me reverse park. I always roll down the window and say “it’s ok mate, I’ve been driving over 30 years I can park a car.” They always get huffy but fuck ‘em. Patronising berks.

Appalonia · 08/09/2024 23:44

YOU ARE MY HERO! Just glad he didn't deck you tbh. 😂

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