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.

Rubbish excuses being made for the builders here. Of course vans don’t get to take up two spaces on a busy street just so they can get their doors open. Do normal cars expect a big gap between them just so you can get something easily into the boot, of course not. Why couldn’t the builders knock at her door and say would you mind moving your car back at bit. She was only parked for 30 minutes what possible urgent need emerged that needed thar level of hostility?

So Equanimitas every time you see a vehicle with back doors you leave the space behind it free?

I'm with you OP and would knock on the neighbours door. I drive a LWB van and don't expect the entire world to park 4 feet away so I can open the back doors. I have side doors too so can access the rear that way. I would be incandescent with rage if someone wrote something so disgusting on my vehicle.
Good builders don't need constant access to the rear of their vans. They get the stuff they need for the day out first thing. Can't remember the last time I saw a building site littered with vans with builders wasting time popping in & out of their little vans...

Ps seeing as they actually saw the OP get out of the van as she parked why didn’t they say. Sorry could you move forward a bit we need to get in the van or ask how long she was going to be. They saw her park and go into her house.

I can't believe people are saying you're in the wrong! Vans who park on busy streets have to expect they might not be able to open their back doors. That's why Vans have side doors. Writing abuse on somebody's car is never justified anyway!

I'd talk to the neighbour having the work done if you can't forget about it. Or write 'twats' on their van?

to clarify: I'd left a couple of feet between me and the builders van so they could back up and get out if they'd needed. We were parked facing different directions and I'd parked as close to the car in front as possible without blocking them in. When I am out delivering I always get people parking close to the back doors but have never written anything nasty on their vehicles. It happens when there are too many vehicles and not enough spaces.

Ok I will let it go.

I can see that if you only had half an hour for lunch you wouldn’t have had chance to go searching for another space so think it’s fair enough you parked there. But, and this is a big but...

If I had parked as you did and seen the builder from the van as I got out I would have said cheerily, “Hi mate, I’m only here for half an hour but if you need to get in the back of your van just give me a shout”. Or, if there was no builder in sight I’d have gone and knocked to say the same.

Being considerate and respectful and reasonable goes a long way with people I find.

Whoever wrote that on your van is vile but you have no right to go accusing anyone without proof.

If I have to park half a space behind a van then I would never park at all. The builders don't have the right to park more the OP.

Builders are in the wrong here. Take a photo, complain to you council, they should have a way to report inconsiderate builders, and the police.

I wonder how some of these posters defending the builders get through the day if a 30 minute delay to get into a vehicle is justification to be so enraged you have to write a disabilist slur on someone’s car.

You should definitely log it with 101 OP

The builders were definitely in the wrong. They saw you park so knew where you went. If they needed access, instead of giving a filthy look, they should've said "we need to get into the back of our van, how long will you be?" Then you could've said half an hour. I'm sure they could've managed for half an hour.

Would people be so harsh on the OP if it were a racist slur rather than a disabled one? I suspect not. Op, maybe check if anyone caught this on a Ring doorbell and if so, report to 101. Otherwise, for your own sanity, you'll probably have to let it go.

Would it have been so hard to chap on the door and say sorry struggled to get parked, I'm moving in 30 minutes but let me know if you need into your van before that. You don't know if was them and it's a public road. You caused the issue. I think the words inconsiderate snob would be more apt.

They’re just idiots. I don’t think you were doing anything wrong. Had you parked backed straight onto their van then yes. I imagine the driver had side access or could pull forward a little.

People, who say op is bu, have you never parked in busy cities? It used to be traditional in Paris not to use handbrakes to prevent damage to your car as other drivers pushed your car to park.

You blocked their van. You were in the wrong first. You need to get over yourself.

It would never dawn on me to make sure I left enough room for a van to open it’s back doors, particularly when they had a side door. Why do they get the right to have more space.

OP I’d let it go though. Sounds like a lot of hassle otherwise.

It’s only a “disablist slur” if the OP is disabled. Otherwise it’s just a vile word that should never be used except in its medical context.

I would never assume that I had to leave room behind a van - is this an unwritten law? The OP was parking outside her own house. Surely, if access was needed to the back of the van...they could’ve knocked on OP’s door and politely asked if the car could be moved The thought of anyone writing that word on someone’s vehicle to show annoyance/get revenge with inevitable giggling all round makes me cringe. I would mention it to the neighbours if you get on with them OP.

YANBU, although there's not a lot you can do about it. Surprised at the posters who think it's acceptable to write such things on legally parked vehicles. It's only like you were there for half an hour, I'm sure they could have done the mature thing and knocked on your door and actually spoken to you rather than behaving how they did.

I would be furious if people working in my house did that to a neighbour, and I would say something to them.

They could have pulled forwards up against the car in front to open their doors, they could have knocked and asked you to move while they got something out.

Totally unacceptable.

Were they still there? I would have asked them if they wrote it. If they said no, I would have said isn't it shit that scummy people like this exist? I find that if I don't speak up there and then, I stew on it.

Log with 101? You must be joking.

And people wonder why the police are complaining they have too much to do.

It is a disablist slur to use a disablist word for a condition an an insult to anyone.

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.

This.

Bonkers to assume every van needs room behind it to open doors. How about they plan ahead and take out what they need for the day?

There is no excuse for what they wrote but the answer is/was communication. You could have spoken to them when you parked.

"I am only going to be an hour but if you need to get into your van during that time, do you want to get stuff out now, whilst I am here."

Even more, your neighbour is at fault. They could have dropped a note through peoples' doors - "We are having building done this week and our builders will need access to the back of their van, so we are putting some parking cones behind their van. We are really sorry as we know how tight parking is, and we would like to invite you all in for a glass of wine once they have gone, to apologise. . . . "

People seem to have forgotten how to talk these days. It lowers everyone's blood pressure if folks just communicate.