Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Parking AIBU (with diagram)

103 replies

woolythoughts · 14/11/2017 11:18

So me and a and a red mini got into a head to head this morning – and I don’t think I was in the wrong.

I drove into the car park first, red mini followed. I see a space A (the one I ended up in) so I go for it. Make manoeuvres roughly like the ones in black in order to drive through into space. My car is a long wheel base so can’t just turn into a space in right car parks.

Red mini goes up other row. I presume they are going to park in space B.

No, actually what she was wanting to do was reverse back into space A. Except I was driving into it having completed my manoeuvre.

She kicks off at me for stealing her space – except I didn’t as it was where I was going all along and she was behind me!

Who was right and who was wrong?

Parking AIBU (with diagram)
OP posts:
December11 · 14/11/2017 11:20

There were obviously other spaces, so not sure why she raised a problem. If you were indicating then I would say she was BU

Ttbb · 14/11/2017 11:20

Mini drivers can be so aggressive. You were not in the wrong. Even if you did 'steal her space' there were so many more that it wouldn't matter.

BringOnTheScience · 14/11/2017 11:23

I can see why she thought you were not heading for that space. There are two other spaces in your diagram that you easily have been going for, including the space that you drove through. She's not psychic. She was ott to have a go at you - it's not like it was the last space in the car park, but I totally get why she was irritated.

NaiceToMeetYou · 14/11/2017 11:23

I think you were wrong. You pulled into another space first, in another lane. Mini was in correct lane for space A and you weren't.

Original poster
woolythoughts · 14/11/2017 11:23

I wasn’t indicating because the car kept cancelling the indicator with the manoeuvres.

She wasn’t indicating either

OP posts:
Original poster
woolythoughts · 14/11/2017 11:25

I actually take up the space I’m on plus a bit of the one behind which is why I went for it. If I’d parked the back space, the arse end of the car would be sticking into the lane

OP posts:
Dobopdidoo1 · 14/11/2017 11:26

You were both BU.

Nothairy · 14/11/2017 11:26

If I’d been following you I would have expected you to stop in the space behind A leaving A free. I would have cursed a bit to myself as I moved to another space, but it seems OTT to have gone off at you. She may just have been having a bad day.

Dobopdidoo1 · 14/11/2017 11:27

Oh dear. You have one of “those” cars.

YADBU!

Original poster
woolythoughts · 14/11/2017 11:28

It a long wheel base Audi A8. Actually not my car it’s his but needed the extra boot space today to deliver some stuff to my mum!

OP posts:
Original poster
woolythoughts · 14/11/2017 11:29

I prefer my little car but I’d probably have done the same thing in mine - just wouldn’t have needed so many initial movements to turn the car

OP posts:
blackteasplease · 14/11/2017 11:29

You aren't actually allowed to drive through the spaces I believe. So YABU.

jay55 · 14/11/2017 11:31

You drove past the space and she turned in to get it. You could have driven through A to get to the space behind it.

MilkTwoSugarsThanks · 14/11/2017 11:31

Its safer to reverse in to a parking space so you can drive out so the mini was trying to park correctly.

You are now taking up more than one space so your car doesn't stick out.

YABU. Get a smaller car if you can't handle a long wheel base one properly! Grin

Yukbuck · 14/11/2017 11:32

I think yabu! Sorry. You drove through a space.

Original poster
woolythoughts · 14/11/2017 11:32

I wouldn’t have been able to park in A from the other row as it’s a lot tighter and would have been very difficult to turn into.

But I guess the consensus is I was unreasonable.

I’ve always driven through spaces when I’ve had the chance as it makes parking easier

OP posts:
FlouncyDoves · 14/11/2017 11:35

You were in the wrong and the mini driver probably thought you were an Audi bully.

If your car is too big to fit in one space you should park with the end hanging out and hope no one hits you.

Good diagram though!

buckeejit · 14/11/2017 11:35

Yabu but nice diagram

TheWiseOldElf · 14/11/2017 11:39

Neither of you WBU imo (except her for shouting).

I always go for a 'drive through' space if possible. It seems to me to be an entirely sensible and safe way to park facing out. If there's any rule against it I'd be happy to be shown it.

Having said that, I can understand her frustration at lining herself up to reverse in and then seeing the space go. She should have just kept this to herself though.

BreakfastAtSquiffanys · 14/11/2017 11:39

Team mini here I'm afraid OP.
Driving through one space to get to another is not a very good idea.

Neither is taking up more than one space

TheWiseOldElf · 14/11/2017 11:40

Where does OP say that she parked in 2 spaces? If she did then she WBU

acornsandnuts · 14/11/2017 11:42

😂 I have an Audi and a mini. So I’m now an aggressive bully. I am actually a very zen driver. Tsk!

dementedpixie · 14/11/2017 11:42

I drive through spaces quite a lot. Don't think there's a law against it and it saves reversing against the flow of traffic.

Original poster
woolythoughts · 14/11/2017 11:42

You’d get a mini or a fiat 500 into the space behind me! Grin

I don’t like taking up more than one space but the rows in between the spaces are very very tight and arse end sticking out causes obstruction (as I found out last time when I was asked not to block the row by the attendant!)

I also always go for a drive through space and have never been told it’s not allowed

OP posts:
GwenStaceyRocks · 14/11/2017 11:43

I have sympathy about the manoeuvring to the space. It's the combination of the steering lock and the length of the vehicle. Nothing to do with lack of driving ability.
But YABU. You drove through an empty space. Surely you should have been able to see the mini's reversing lights too?