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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:
Dobopdidoo1 · 14/11/2017 11:43

@Wise

Here:

I actually take up the space I’m on plus a bit of the one behind which is why I went for it

Original poster
woolythoughts · 14/11/2017 11:43

Wise old elf - I stayed above that the back end of my car actually overhangs the space behind me. It just doesn’t fit in a single space.

OP posts:
StealthNinjaMum · 14/11/2017 11:44

Beautiful diagram but you're still unreasonable

MilkTwoSugarsThanks · 14/11/2017 11:44

@TheWiseOldElf

*woolythoughts

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 at 11:25

BabyDreams2018 · 14/11/2017 11:44

Yabu to take up more than one space to park your car. Our local traffic warden was a stickler for giving tickets for that (not parking correctly between the lines of your space). You are not meant to drive through a space to get to another space especially if someone is reversing into that space. You could have caused an accident.

Original poster
woolythoughts · 14/11/2017 11:44

I cant slice a chunk out of the car so I either over hang a space or obstruct the car park!

OP posts:
MiniMummy576 · 14/11/2017 11:45

YADNBU - unless her reverse lights were already on and she was reversing at the time you pulled forward.

If she wasn't already reversing then you couldn't have 'stolen her space' because she hadn't made her intentions known at the time you took the space, so the space was fair game.

dementedpixie · 14/11/2017 11:45

The space belongs to whoever got there first. As my drama teacher used to say 'bums book seats' as in we couldn't save one for sometime else and is not yours unless you're sitting in it

LaBelleSausage · 14/11/2017 11:45

Sorry but I think you’re in the wrong. You should have been able to see the mini reversing and been able to beep as you’d have been staring straight ahead and watching them manover

MaggieFS · 14/11/2017 11:46

WTF! Everyone drives through if they can! Nothing wrong with that. I do think it would have been more normal to head straight to A and do your faffing on that side and then drive through rather than a full u turn in. Also if B wasn’t available the decent thing would have been to reverse and let her into A. But she was irritated and over reacted.

That said, over hanging a second space is very BU unless you do the decent thing and park bloody miles across the car park where it’s empty. Even long cars can fit pretty well in normal spaces.

dubdurbs · 14/11/2017 11:46

I'd say technically. OP was in the wrong. You should never drive through a parking space to access another as it can be dangerous(other drivers may not see you and also drive into that spot at the same time) That being said, the Mini driver should not have kicked off at you, and lets be honest_if the diagram you've posted is a true reflection of the car park at the time, then there was plenty of spaces for her to choose from. She could also have reversed into the spot two over from where your vehicle was parked!

TheWiseOldElf · 14/11/2017 11:46

Ah yes. I missed that. I agree that you have to put up with jutting out a bit into the middle rather than parking in 2 spaces.

Witsender · 14/11/2017 11:47

Won't you get charged for 2 spaces? You would do here.

Mrsdraper1 · 14/11/2017 11:47

Here for the diagram. Nice diagram OP, I like to see people making an effort!

FlowerPot1234 · 14/11/2017 11:49

Checking this first: are both the lanes you both drove down bi-directional? ie. were you both allowed to drive down both lanes?

greeeen · 14/11/2017 11:49

YABU as she was in the correct lane to park in that space and you were not. It's not her fault you were driving a car that was too big for the car park you chose.

Dontfuckingsaycheese · 14/11/2017 11:50

Some times I just think we're more tolerant of other people's driving style than others. Yesterday I had a really shit argument with ds in morning. Ended up giving him a lift but I was fuming and it was past 9 already. Sat in queue of traffic for ages to realise that, despite copious signage, some twat of a lorry driver had yet again tried and failed to get under one of our low railway bridges. (I think our town has the award for the most struck bloody bridges)

He was therefore doing a 10million point turn. I gave up waiting and executed a uturn/ kind of 2 point turn. With that said lorry had finished turning and driven right up to me. Right up to my fucking arse. I was fucking fuming that the lorry that had kept me waiting was being so fucking rude. I gave him and almighty blast on my horn and called him a fucking twut whatever that is!!

Any other day, I'd have been still sat in that queue merrily singing along to the radio ;-)

BreakfastAtSquiffanys · 14/11/2017 11:51

You could have parked in rear space with your nose hanging into contested front space, and then the mini could have parked in front space

Original poster
woolythoughts · 14/11/2017 11:52

Both lanes were bi directional but just very narrow - you cant really get two cars down it at once.

It’s a car park on a business park so we don’t get charged to park.

And yes I do park right over the far side of the car park when I have the beast

OP posts:
coddiwomple · 14/11/2017 11:52

YABU

The mini is not a mind reader, she couldn't guess what you were planning to do. She might have reacted badly because she wasn't expecting you and thought she was reversing into your car or something. I wouldn't have expected you to drive through the spaces either frankly.

Brownie points for the diagram though!

BreakfastAtSquiffanys · 14/11/2017 11:53

The mini driver was wrong to kick off at you , but she was right to be annoyed with you

Dobopdidoo1 · 14/11/2017 11:53

You could have parked in rear space with your nose hanging into contested front space, and then the mini could have parked in front space

This

TonicAndTonic · 14/11/2017 11:55

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

Same here! 'Not allowed' by whom?

YANBU to go for that space I reckon OP, if the mini actually drove right into another space before reversing as your diagram suggests then their maneuvre was more ambiguous imo.

chantilly70 · 14/11/2017 11:56

I was going for a space recently when someone drove into it from the other way (as you did) and it was really annoying. In my case it was the only normal space in the carpark and they went through a disabled space to get to it and gave me an annoying grin as they did it.

I always reverse into spaces if possible. It is easier to line up then using the side mirrors.

However occasionally I have done what you have done and driven across a space to park and save a bit of manoeuvring. However I would have a good look around to check no one else was going for it before doing so.

I like your diagram!

FlowerPot1234 · 14/11/2017 11:56

Both of you are neither right or wrong, but I can understand why the Mini driver was miffed at the sight of your Audi suddenly appearing in their rear view mirror as you are reversing into a space. Your car wouldn't have been there when they began reversing, there was a space behind the space they were reversing into so it would have been natural for them to think why on earth you didn't take that one. They are not going to carry out a mathematical calculation in their head and conclude yours is the only car which can't fit in a UK-sized parking space.

As I said, neither right nor wrong, but I think you should have stayed in the space behind the one you parked in and jutted out.