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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Who was BU?

26 replies

ValiantVelvet · 12/01/2016 12:20

We park in a separate car park at work. It's across a muddy (large) bit of grass and the car park itself tends to flood a bit. The grass isn't lit at all and is full of holes. It's a staff car park in the sense that we all park there, but it's isn't private- there's a rather large pub that uses it too.

Person A parked in our public/customer car park last night. Person B (manager) asked her to move her car to the staff car park. Person A asked if she could leave it where it was, because she'd fallen the night before walking back to it. Person B refused and insisted the car had to be moved. Person A went and moved the car, coming back soaked because it was lashing down.

(I'm neither person, but kinda got pulled into the conversation. I can see both sides- I've fallen walking back to my car in the dark too!) If it helps, Person A is the sole carer to her disabled Mum, and the business car park was mostly empty (maybe 5 cars in 40 spaces). Who was BU here?

OP posts:
Bailey101 · 12/01/2016 12:24

If it's been made clear that the car park is for customers only, then the Parker was being unreasonable - if your manager made an exception for her, they'd have to make an exception for all and it could end up with limited customer parking.

Bailey101 · 12/01/2016 12:25

Also, person a being a carer to her mum doesn't have any bearing on her getting or not getting preferential treatment.

biscuitkumquat · 12/01/2016 12:26

Is Person A employed by Person B?

Why would Person B care where Person A parked their car?

I might be being a bit thick

WorraLiberty · 12/01/2016 12:27

Are you saying she was hurt/limping after the fall, so needed to park closer?

WorraLiberty · 12/01/2016 12:28

I also didn't understand how the carer bit ties in.

Bubblesinthesummer · 12/01/2016 12:29

Also, person a being a carer to her mum doesn't have any bearing on her getting or not getting preferential treatment.

That should have absolutely no bearing on it at all. My DH wouldn't dream of using the fact that he is my carer to get a better space at work!

WorraLiberty · 12/01/2016 12:31

I'm thinking it might have a bit of bearing if for example the woman twisted her ankle in the fall, and didn't want to make it worse by walking further, if for example she has to lift her Mum or something.

But the OP hasn't hinted at anything like that, so I dont know Confused

TheSecondViola · 12/01/2016 12:32

I would think it means that its more of a problem if she hurts herself, since it then impacts badly on someone else. Which is not an unfair point.

The business car park was practically empty, so making her move was not for any real purpose other than "rules". Making her move to an unlit, unsafe area in the dark and rain was severely unreasonable. IF she was hurt, she might also have actionable cause for damages from the company for failing to maintain the staff parking area to a safe standard.

Leelu6 · 12/01/2016 12:32

The company need to sort out parking ASAP. Person A should sue them for causing her injury.

Isn't the office floor muddy because of people's muddy shoes?

Hygge · 12/01/2016 12:33

Is Person A at your place of business and Person B at the pub?

Has Person A therefore parked in the pub bit instead of the bit used by your workplace?

Because otherwise I can't understand why it matters where she has parked. If it's all one big shared space, I don't know why anyone would mind where she parked.

But if you each have your own bit, and the pub want her to move from their bit to yours, that makes a bit more sense. But only if they actually own their bit rather than just prefer that bit.

Original poster
ValiantVelvet · 12/01/2016 12:34

Yes, she's actually quite bruised. If she falls and gets hurt, there's no-one else to look after her Mum, which (she's admitted) makes her worry about being hurt.

We're allowed to park in the business car park after five. It was 4:30 ish when person A was asked to move the car.

Person B is a shift manager, so is in charge of the staff but doesn't directly employ them if you see what I mean.

OP posts:
BiddyPop · 12/01/2016 12:35

So the business has a car park that is reserved for customers use only. And expects its staff to park in public spaces across a (dangerous physically and potentially security wise) area of ground that is not suited to walking over to get to the building you work in?

While I think Manager (B?) had the right to call on A to move from designated customer parking, it is a bigger issue that the company needs to address. Ensuring that there is safe and suitable parking, and safe and suitable access to that parking, available for both its staff and customers. For ALL its staff and customers.

WorraLiberty · 12/01/2016 12:38

Oh if it was 4.30 then it sounds like they were just being a jobsworth.

But I disagree with the PP who said, "The company need to sort out parking ASAP. Person A should sue them for causing her injury."

You can't sue the company because you slipped over in a car park they don't own.

She chose to park there after all.

TheSecondViola · 12/01/2016 12:39

Person B was being a self important dick then? IF you're allowed to park their after 5 and it was 4.30, and it impacted nobody. B is a dick.

Bailey101 · 12/01/2016 12:45

Surely if she expects to get special parking because she's a carer, then everyone should be getting special parking - parents have children to care for, single folk are by themselves and have no one to look after them, a couple might rely on one of them for driving to work, the list of caring duty's is endless.

Bailey101 · 12/01/2016 12:46

*Duties, not duty's!!

Original poster
ValiantVelvet · 12/01/2016 12:51

I don't think she expects special treatment because she's a carer. From what she's said, she just doesn't want to risk falling and hurting herself. Her mum is in a wheelchair IIRC and has very limited mobility.

I personally think Person B was being a dick (he has form!) especially as he's been known to park in the car park too.

OP posts:
Bailey101 · 12/01/2016 12:56

But wanting to park somewhere she shouldn't is expecting special treatment. I live alone and I'm scared of falling and being eaten by my cats - doesn't mean I get to break the rules.

lorelei9 · 12/01/2016 12:57

sorry, I don't get what it has to do with manager - what's wrong with where the lady originally parked her car?

mystified.

in terms of falling, I think that's a legitimate worry for anyone.

Bohemond · 12/01/2016 13:01

Get a torch, raincoat and wellies and stomp mud all over the customer entrance

Original poster
ValiantVelvet · 12/01/2016 13:02

Because the business manager decided just before Christmas the we all had to park in the pub car park. Us shift managers have been told to enforce the rule.

I personally think there's a bit of flexibility to it- if the car park is empty, then staff parking in there doesn't bother me. If they did it during one of the peak times when the car park was likely to be packed, that would be different.

OP posts:
thecitydoc · 12/01/2016 13:04

"Leelu6" - it is people with your attitude about suing the company that leads to ever increasing insurance premiums which impact on us all. The car park is not owned by the company and therefore they have no responsibility for its up keep - as the OP says, it is a staff car park only in the sense that they all park there, but it's isn't private. In short it is piece of waste ground and nothing to do with the company.

BiddyPop · 12/01/2016 13:04

The business manager has to sort out the access route from the pub car park if he wants the staff to continue to use it.

MaxPepsi · 12/01/2016 13:12

Were the jobs 'sold' as having adequate parking?

If people have been using the safe car park for some time and then it's been changed with no real warning to the unsafe car park then does the employer then become liable for any injuries caused??

I have no idea, I am just asking the question, but most employers like to keep their staff safe and in lit areas!

TheSecondViola · 12/01/2016 13:17

It doesn't matter if they own the carpark, when the manager ordered her to put her car there, during her working time, he assumed some responsibility towards her while doing so.

Rules that are both pointless and detrimental shouldn't be blindly followed to the letter, just because they are rules.

As for all this "she doesn't get special parking because shes a carer" crap, she didn't ask for special parking because of it, she was merely stating that an injury to her is also a big problem for someone else. And since we are always saying around here that carers are underpaid, undervalued and underappreciated, we could be a little less dickish at the thought of someone who is one getting injured for no reason at all.