Builders wrote horrible disablist word on my van.

[ArseholeBuilders]

NC for this. I'm pissed off about this and am fantasising about revenge.
A house a few doors down from mine is being renovated, so there has been a builders van parked outside on the street. The other day I came home for lunch and parked for half an hour before heading back to the office. Our street is difficult to park on and the only space was directly behind their work van, so they way I was parked meant they couldn't open their back doors. That's the way it is on our street, it's very congested with parked cars so you park wherever you can find a space. Also I was parked outside my own bloody house.
Of course they still had access to the side door, but they must have got pissed off at the inconvenience because when I got to work I noticed the word 'spastic' written in large letters I. the dirt on the back of my work van. (Sorry, it is a truly horrible word and one I would never use, and any decent person would say the same) I'm 99% sure it was one of them because I saw them throw me a filthy look when I got out the van, and that word most definitely was not there when I parked as I checked the back to make sure I'd left a couple of feet clear behind me. I really can't imagine any of my neighbours doing that. Most were either at school/work and those who weren't are quiet and pleasant retirees.

If it had been a swear word or a rude drawing it wouldn't seem so bad. It's the fact they used such a vicious word that upset me. their van has no logos or company names on it so I've no idea who they are. I've checked their reg for tax and MOT and they're all up to date.

I should probably let it go, and there's probably not much I can do, but I have to admit I've been daydreaming about getting revenge on those little shits. Any ideas? nothing harmful or illegal of course.

Knock on the door of the neighbours and ask? Although no logos probably means it’s a self employed builder/workman.

Still I imagine a polite word from the person they’re planning on billing about not upsetting the neighbours would be the way forward.

You were selfish to start with really. It's obvious they would need to access the van doors.

They were nasty to do that though.

You want advice on how to get revenge on someone, when you have no idea if it was them that did it?

If you parked close enough that they could use their back doors, you're the one who was in the wrong! You say you left 'a couple of feet' behind you, so why didn't you roll back a bit?

1. You parked inconsiderately.
2. You have no idea who wrote the word.
3. You are making assumptions based on a "dirty look".

Just leave it.

You have no proof that they did this. In fact, given that you saw them, and they saw you park, I doubt it actually was them. You've parked close enough to prevent them from accessing their van, which also probably means they couldn't get out of the parking spot as you left them no room to manoeuvre. Then you've only left 2 feet of gap behind your van-that must have been some parking there!
Whoever wrote on your van is a dick, but you've no idea who that was so don't assume it was them.

You were both wrong though

Yeah go and chat with your neighbour. Make it clear that you won't be putting in a report about discriminatory harassment this time but that they need to behave themselves in future.

1. You parked inconsiderately.
2. You have no idea who wrote the word
3. You are making assumptions based on a "dirty look".

Just leave it.

All of this.

"Also I was parked outside my own bloody house".

And? if it's a public highway that doesn't give you any rights what so ever. You even said yourself it's a free for all for everyone.

you're both in the wrong. Get over it, move on, life is too short.

Why did the OP park inconsiderately? Should we all park in such a way that anyone with a van can open the back doors? If the builders want to have permanent, guaranteed access to their back doors they should park on a driveway. A van with its doors open would take up most of two parking spaces and why are the builders entitled to two parking spaces?

I would approach the builders directly and ask them if they wrote this disablist slur on your van.

Oh come on, it is obvious the builder wrote that.

You should have left enough room for him but he is disgusting for calling you a ‘spastic’.

How could I leave more room or roll forward a couple of feet when that was literally the last free space on the whole street? Of course I wouldn't have parked there if there'd been anywhere else! Parking round here is a nightmare so everyone just fits in where they can when they can. Even if there had been somewhere else to park that does not justify writing that word.

@Booboostwo I imagine there are no driveways. Not everywhere has driveways, my road doesn't. It still doesn't excuse selfish parking.

Why on earth did you park so they couldn’t open their doors. It’s obvious a builder would be in and out of their van all day. Also you don’t own the road in front of your house and aren’t entitled to park there. Obviously the note was horrible and unnecessary but I wouldn’t waste my energy stressing about it.

@ArseholeBuilders so park in the next street then.

You were in the wrong and so were they if they wrote the word.

KnifeAngel that's not the OP's problem. Where does it say that builders get two parking places allocated for their vans if there are no driveways available to them? Any other way you can get two parking places? What if I am shit at parking and can't make it in and out of one space, should my neighbours give me two spaces?

You should definitely log it with 101 OP.

A van with its doors open would take up most of two parking spaces and why are the builders entitled to two parking spaces?

Why wouldn't they be, in the same way anyone else parking there is entitled to park two cars, or a lorry, stretch limo or whatever?

No one should be writing anything vile on a vehicle.

No one should be parking in a way that prevents people from opening the doors on their vehicles.

OP, I have to assume that you wouldn’t mind if someone parked so closely to you in a carpark that you couldn’t open the drivers door, as after all you can still open the boot and passenger door.

"How could I leave more room or roll forward a couple of feet"

You literally wrote that you left a couple of feet at the other end of your vehicle, that's how....

Should builders 'get two spaces' - not necessarily. Did you make life more difficult for them than it needed to be - yes (and checking the gap you left at the other end probably made it look like you had done it maliciously/intentionally)

Of course nothing justifies what was written, OP, but equally nothing justifies parking so inconsiderately. Remember they had no means of knowing how long you would be blocking access.

Move on I drive a van for work and find all sorts drawn and written on it by god knows who.

Just let it go OP. The word was rude but was written in dirt on the back of your van so can be washed off. You cannot prove it was the builders and as such the police would not be interested.

You parked so they couldn't open their doors and carry on with their work. You knew you'd done that when you parked there. But you left 2 feet at the other end of your car' presumably so you would have space to manoeuvre out when you wanted too.

Selfish and entitled.