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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

I had no idea I was this petty

89 replies

RidiculousCar · 21/12/2025 12:06

Yesterday I was pulling into a parking space next to a huge Range Rover when the driver opens his door, gets out, leaves the door open and just stands there. I wait patiently for him to move on but he doesn’t. Then a teen child gets out the back and does the same thing, both can see I’m halfway into the space. Then a woman gets out from the other side and moves round towards her companions, I’m thinking, thank goodness, she’s going to ask them to close their doors and move so I can park. She comes and stands in the space, looks at me like I’m something unpleasant she’s just stepped in, and starts looking at her phone. I will add, this was not a disabled space and all three of them had excellent mobility.
I was picking someone up and there was another space a bit further down, so I moved along to that one. If one of them had something to me—“Sorry, do you mind moving along as we need extra space for our massive car.”—rather than acting like they own the place, I wouldn’t have minded, but the sheer disdain got to me (and the fact that they were teaching this to their child).
AIBU to wish I’d had the time to just wait there and see how long it took them to give up and move, then pettily park as close as possible to their car? Or to wish I’d had the minerals to just lean on my car horn until their ears bled?

OP posts:
jazzhands84 · 21/12/2025 12:49

I sympathise, I am a very petty person. My dad knocked it out of the park once when he'd eyed up HIS space in a supermarket carpark and was about to reverse in to it. Unfortunately an equally entitled person had also seen the space and snaffled it before dad. Dad saw the red mists, marched over and offered to let her tyres down should she pull that kind of 'stunt' again. To her credit she apologised but I suspect mainly because my dad was a vicar and had forgotten he was in his dog collar on the way to take a funeral and must have terrified her. Dad is now long gone but had a sense of justice that was perhaps ill proportined to his role.

biscuitscake · 21/12/2025 12:47

No surprise at all to me. Unfortunately, there are way too may selfish, self centred and ignorant humans out there who think the world and all it's minions revolve around them. They are the Queens/Kings and the rest of us are the sorry people.

Roll your eyes and move on. Not worth the head space and they will never change. But you're right about showing their DCs that this behaviour is acceptable - very worrying. The gene pool is getting more diluted by the day.

Nevernonono · 21/12/2025 12:46

PrincessArora · 21/12/2025 12:10

I’m also disappointed. I would absolutely have gone back to that space, reversed in so I could get out and gone into the shops

You and me both 👍

333FionaG · 21/12/2025 12:45

I would have been tempted to park next to them but so badly they couldn't get back into their car. I don't think I'd key the car, CCTV and being featured on Crimewatch would prevent me from such a satisfying revenge.

RidiculousCar · 21/12/2025 12:45

KissMyArt · 21/12/2025 12:43

That's just you guessing though.

Still worth asking and if they do then they do.

Much better than meekly driving away.

I agree. I’m thoroughly ashamed of myself.

OP posts:
KissMyArt · 21/12/2025 12:43

RidiculousCar · 21/12/2025 12:26

It was obvious to me that they would likely tell me to fuck off. If they can’t take the hint of me driving into their car space, I don’t think they’d care if I asked.

That's just you guessing though.

Still worth asking and if they do then they do.

Much better than meekly driving away.

RidiculousCar · 21/12/2025 12:41

Owly11 · 21/12/2025 12:37

Some people are so oblivious it is hard not to get annoyed. What is your fantasy revenge?

Drive over their (empty!) car in a tank. ‘Sorry, didn’t see your car there!’

OP posts:
SardinesOnGingerbread · 21/12/2025 12:38

Play the long game. The real players collect footage over years and put a documentary on Netflix.

Owly11 · 21/12/2025 12:37

RidiculousCar · 21/12/2025 12:31

You are right. I was fantasising about being petty.
In reality I was very meek and just let them intimidate me.

Some people are so oblivious it is hard not to get annoyed. What is your fantasy revenge?

canklesmctacotits · 21/12/2025 12:36

They did it on purpose so that you didn’t park next to them and risk scratching their car. It was really no coincidence at all that they happened to be in the car and only jumped out the very second you approached and “didn’t see” a whole car. Woman got out and went in her phone? Did she need to get out for that?

Bless your innocent heart. You were probably car number three they did it to.

whatdoyourdoggoswant · 21/12/2025 12:35

Cigarette · 21/12/2025 12:30

Oh, I thought maybe you’d caught sight of yourself in the wing mirror and suddenly realised you were gorgeous, and the Range Rover driver said ‘You look like a goddess when you’re angry!’ Or something.😀

I thought maybe they’d all got out the car to stare at her 😂

somanychristmaslights · 21/12/2025 12:35

New Year’s resolution - find some courage and don’t let people walk over you!

RidiculousCar · 21/12/2025 12:34

ChristmasHug · 21/12/2025 12:18

Friend told me similar. He was reversed halfway into a space when driver got out and left his door open and went to the other side of the car.

Similar stand off for awhile then friend finishes pulling his tiny car into space right up to car door, gets out and leaves.

He said it must have taken the driver a while to realise he couldn't shut his door, he was nearly in the shop when he caught up.

Played dumb but did go back.

Brilliant!

OP posts:
RidiculousCar · 21/12/2025 12:31

Cigarette · 21/12/2025 12:30

Oh, I thought maybe you’d caught sight of yourself in the wing mirror and suddenly realised you were gorgeous, and the Range Rover driver said ‘You look like a goddess when you’re angry!’ Or something.😀

😂

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SummerInSun · 21/12/2025 12:31

RidiculousCar · 21/12/2025 12:26

It was obvious to me that they would likely tell me to fuck off. If they can’t take the hint of me driving into their car space, I don’t think they’d care if I asked.

But you don’t know. That was the obvious thing to do. I would have oozed politeness. And if they were genuinely just clues idiots, they would have moved. But if not, it takes a lot of balls to say to your face that they won’t.

RidiculousCar · 21/12/2025 12:31

Owly11 · 21/12/2025 12:20

What? How were you petty?! You didn't even ask them to move!!

You are right. I was fantasising about being petty.
In reality I was very meek and just let them intimidate me.

OP posts:
Cigarette · 21/12/2025 12:30

RidiculousCar · 21/12/2025 12:19

Sadly, no. I am no oil painting. Just small minded 😂

Oh, I thought maybe you’d caught sight of yourself in the wing mirror and suddenly realised you were gorgeous, and the Range Rover driver said ‘You look like a goddess when you’re angry!’ Or something.😀

RidiculousCar · 21/12/2025 12:28

Coconutter24 · 21/12/2025 12:21

I don’t understand your title?

Yeah, sorry, it should have said “I WISH I was this petty!”

OP posts:
RidiculousCar · 21/12/2025 12:26

KissMyArt · 21/12/2025 12:18

It's weird that winding your window down and asking them to close the car doors doesn't feature as an option?

It was obvious to me that they would likely tell me to fuck off. If they can’t take the hint of me driving into their car space, I don’t think they’d care if I asked.

OP posts:
JudgeBread · 21/12/2025 12:21

I'd have sat there leaning on the horn, I'm a petty so and so and I have absolutely no shame when it comes to stuff like this. To my husband's constant chagrin 😁

Coconutter24 · 21/12/2025 12:21

I don’t understand your title?

Owly11 · 21/12/2025 12:20

What? How were you petty?! You didn't even ask them to move!!

RidiculousCar · 21/12/2025 12:19

Cigarette · 21/12/2025 12:17

Oh, I thought you hadn’t realised you were ‘this pretty’!

Sadly, no. I am no oil painting. Just small minded 😂

OP posts:
ChristmasHug · 21/12/2025 12:18

Friend told me similar. He was reversed halfway into a space when driver got out and left his door open and went to the other side of the car.

Similar stand off for awhile then friend finishes pulling his tiny car into space right up to car door, gets out and leaves.

He said it must have taken the driver a while to realise he couldn't shut his door, he was nearly in the shop when he caught up.

Played dumb but did go back.

KissMyArt · 21/12/2025 12:18

It's weird that winding your window down and asking them to close the car doors doesn't feature as an option?