Double parking next to empty permit holder spaces ?

[cumfy]

Outside a dry cleaners, with a "permit holder only" slot 2 spaces long.
Driver just pulls up and double parks next to the empty slot and goes into cleaners (at least 2mins).

Is there some sort of odd rule that they can instantly be ticketed for occupying a permit holder only slot but would need to be double parked for some number of minutes before being ticketed ?

Just looked so weird. Car just plonked in the middle of the road with 4ft+ space all round it!

Was there space the other side of the car for people to drive by or do you mean that if someone had then parked in the permit holder slot then the road would have been blocked?

COC, the car was blocking one lane/side.

I see your point but he probably didn't want to go into the space in case a permit holder came along in the meantime. His risk of getting a ticket is the same in either placeI guess. Logically it would have been safer to go in the space but he probably thought he was being considerate.

There wasn't space for anyone to park.

In that case he had effectively taken the permit holder's space anyway as the permit holder would not have been able to park there and block the road. So he may as well have parked in the permit space. Not sure if there is any difference in the law, maybe he could get a fine for parking in a permit space but not for parking where he did??? Or maybe he just thinks that is the case.