To have snitched on someone today resulting in them getting a £60 parking fine?

[sam84uk]

I don't think this is really on the right board to be honest because I don't think I've been unreasonable at all but I just wanted to have a moan.

I went to a large shopping centre today to get the kid's school shoes and parked up in the second to last bay on the row. The last bay was also empty. It was raining and I was also meeting up with my Mum so I decided to wait in the car with the kids because she was going to be another 10 minutes.

Next thing a large car pulled into the bay next to me and I noticed the woman driving the car was getting too close. Then her wing mirror (which was a bit higher than mine on the car) started to push up against mine! The driver seemed to have noticed this but carried on pulling forward and pushing my wing mirror back whilst I was sat there. I put my window down and said to her "you do realise that you're pushing my mirror there" expecting her to apologise and either straighten up or park elsewhere. She said to me "yes because you haven't parked in your bay properly, you're actually on the line". I looked down and could see the line which I was clearly within and it was underneath her car. But she continued to attempt to park there, I told her "I can see the line and it's under your car, you're pushing my mirror back". She then said "What you mean like this" and then pulled right into the bay forcing her own mirror right past mine scraping the top of my mirror.

She then got out of the car and walked to the shops! Bearing in my mind that whilst this was going on I had my 5 and 3 year old in the back. My 3yo's car seat was also on the driver's side. I couldn't open my door whatsoever because she'd blocked me in the car. I had to climb out of the passenger's side. I took photos on my phone to prove where we were both parked (which clearly show that I was within the lines and she was parked on them). She had quite a large car and it was obvious that this bay wasn't quite wide enough for it.

When my Mum got there I left her with the children and went to the security office to explain what had happened and if anything could be done about it because she'd deliberately blocked me in my car and had scratched the top of my wing mirror. They came to have a look, took their own photos and issued her with a £60 parking fine for obstructing another vehicle. I have to say I'm quite happy that they did too because she was downright rude.

If she'd have apologised at first and then parked properly then I would have let it go (I probably would have had a good moan to my dp about her when I got home though). I can't believe the cheek of her to be honest and I'm wondering if I should do anything about the scratch to my wing mirror (I've got her registration no) or I should just leave it as she got ticketed for it anyway?

Well technically you haven't got her a fine at all unless it is a council run car park.

Companies who run shopping centre car parks they tend to be private companies, regardless of what they say and any "fine" is non enforcable in law, unlike council tickets, from council warderns or council car parks.

Don't "claim claim claim" for something that might cost you £50 even if you are not at fault you still have to declare this claim come renewal and see your premium rocket fot the next 5 years, even though you are not at fault.

I'd report her to the police though, that's the best thing to do.

YANBU

I would follow it up re the wing mirror too.

YANBU

Too many twats like her about who think that they own the fucking road/carparks. might teach her a lesson!

Her car was probably a company car if she doesn't care about it - I don't care about mine very much (although I would never behave like that - she sounds like an aggressive loon)

Used to work in insurance and your premium will go up regardless of fault. Some insurers won't insure you with three non-fault claims either. Very unfair but there you go.

So if I get a ticket at work for parking in the wrong spot, the fine isnt legally enforceable? I work in a hospital.

Depends who fines you, hospitals I beleive are different due to emergency access, and the double red line thing. I think they have laws applicable that are different.

But if you park in a private car park, as most shops, shopping centres, out of town etc are then no it's not a "fine" that you have to pay. If it were council then yes as they can take you to court to enforce it but with private car parks there is not a lot they can do.

Peipoo or something is the forums you need if you ever get a private ticket, I haven't btw but saw it all on watchdog . The private car park tickets mean sweet FA, it's just them invoicing you for something that they'd have a hell of a job enforcing, I think they said that they infact never try.

YANBU. She needed taking down a peg or two and might think twice before she behaves like an ignorant moron again.

Report to police for criminal damage, the security guard and parking ticket issuer are witnesses.

zipzap is correct about the insurance. Even if you are not at fault it will affect your renewal even if not affect your no claims discount.

I am really shocked by how many of you would've keyed the car. Seriously - can you not see how petty and criminal this is?

I am really surprised no one thinks you were U and petty. I don't think you were btw.

Was that aimed at me?

I already said much up ^^ that I think what she did was right. I just don't think there's ever justification for lowering yourself to that level. :( What is it our mums used to say? "Two wrongs don't make a right".

No, it wasn't aimed at you.

Thanks for all of the replies.

I've decided not to bother with the insurance as I'm not overly bothered by the scratch on my wing mirror with it being an old car (if it was new though then I would've pursued it and reported it to the police). It's not worth the risk of it affecting my insurance (I've got full no claims). I was tempted to take it further out of principle but I've calmed down now. We're moving house next week and I can't really be bothered with the hassle of it.

I also thought that her car was more than likely a company car and that could be the reason why she wasn't bothered by damaging it (it was less than 2 years old). Still she had no right in damaging my property.

The bay she chose to park in was slightly narrower than the other bays as it was the last one on the row. I saw this myself when I decided which space to park in and my car isn't particularly big so I don't really see how she failed to notice this. There were plenty of other bays available (that weren't as narrow), the car park was busy but not full. As she was in the last bay and it was an outdoor car park the only thing on the opposite side of her bay (her driver's side) was a small kerb so it's not like in a multi-storey where they have walls or those awful concrete pillars in the way.

I was mainly angry at the fact that I politely pointed out to her what she was doing and she deliberately continued to do it when she could also see that I had 2 small children in the car at the time. She had blocked myself and my 3yo in completely so that I couldn't open my door even by an inch! I had to climb out of the passenger side and would have had to get my Ds out from that side too.

As I mentioned the security guard told me that the parking warden worked for a seperate company from the shopping centre and that they deal with the whole town (he mentioned the name of the town where the centre is) so I hope that the parking warden was acting on behalf of the authority but I'm not sure. Hopefully though she'll just pay the fine as the photos taken clearly show that she was at fault. I was just glad that the security and parking guys agreed with me because for a moment I actually questioned myself because she was so defiant. Later when I looked at the photos I took myself (on my mobile) you can clearly see she was over the line and I was parked perfectly in the centre. How she could tell me that I wasn't parked properly puzzles me