Parking AIBU (with diagram)

[woolythoughts]

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?

It sounds as though you hadn’t finished your manoeuvre before she started hers. Therefore you were discourteous. It is annoying when another person decides to take your drive through space. As the mini was small, both your cars would have fitted I imagine. Idk about the legality of driving through a space though.

It's not safe to pull forward through a parking space. I think the Mini should have had priority. They were in the correct lane and they were trying to park in the safest way, by reversing into the bay.

If no one was in that lane and you had checked all around to make sure it was clear then it would have been fine to pull forward.

She may have been behind you when you entered the car park but you positioned yourself that you were then behind her when it came to parking in that particular bay.

In most car parks near me there are raised kerbs between rows of bays to stop people driving through them.

Anyone 'kicking off' at anyone else in a carpark is a fool. Mini driver should have just pulled forward into another free space, shook her head and muttered that you drive like a prick and carried on with her day like a normal person.

I think all mumsnet diagrams should be neatly made on a conputer like that. YANBU just for the effort that went into that!

Hang on, what’s this rule about not driving through a parking space ? I always drive through if possible , it’s often much safer than reversing with more limited visibility, pedestrians etc.

I don’t see how you were in the wrong- it certainly looks as though the red car was going to park in space B as indicated. And presumably you were already in the space when red car began to reverse, as you were in front. Onus is on person behind to check parking space availability before beginning their manoeuvre, surely?

Out of curiosity, looked up parking in the Highway Code. Couldn't find anything that suggested pulling through a parking spot is illegal.
Perhaps this is more of a 'good practice' than an absolute rule? I've been doing it for 30 years without mishap, so maybe it's something that younger drivers have been told during instruction?

Black car in the wrong 100%

I don't think the rule is that you mustn't pull through parking spaces, rather it's that you should reverse park in the first place.

It's safer for pedestrians/cyclists and other drivers plus it's better for your car too.

But surely you only need to reverse in if you'd otherwise need to reverse out into a more dangerous situation , e.g reversing out from your drive onto a busy road.

There's no need to reverse park if you can drive into a space and then drive out of it - that's the safest solution of all.

Reversing OUT of a normal car park parking space is ALWAYS the more dangerous option.

Reversing out means you have less visability and are more likely to run someone over. Or get hit by another car yourself.

If someone was in a different row in the car park I’d assume they’d park in a space in their own row and not drive through to a space in ‘my’ row.
It’s not illegal to drive through into a space but it’s probably not a good idea.
She didn’t indicate as there was no one behind her to let know she was reversing into the space.

I’ve had this happen too but was in the position of the mini driver. I’d only drive through a space if I was absolutely sure it was clear. I also think that if your car is too big for the parking spaces then you shouldn’t really park there. Great diagram though!

If I was the red car, I'd likely have zipped into park A front on, completely oblivious to you wanting to pull right through.

I drive through parks all the time, I also expect other people to do it. Unless I'm indicating and waiting for a park, I don't consider anything 'my park' and it's all fair game.

The only unreasonable thing here is her kicking off about a car park.

I always drive through spaces too. A drive through space is the car park dream!

I've only ever had two people moan in years of driving. But both times I had all but pulled the hand brake on so was not in the wrong.

I drive through if I can and it's clear as I find it easier but I reverse into spaces if needed.

I've also been unable to park in some spaces because the person in the car in front feels the need to overlap two spaces. You were definitely unreasonable for that.

And you were both unreasonable for not indicating but then I'm finding less people are indicating now, not sure if they don't know how to use them or when but it's bloody annoying.

But naturalnursery, if you drive through the space to the space in front there is no need for any reversing at all, either in or out. What's the point of reversing into a space you can drive out of, when it's far simpler and safer to drive into a space that you can drive out of?

I always thought driving through two spaces like the op is a bit off, (though I still do it, if I can tell that nobody is likely to want to back into the same space I’m going for). I’ve actually seen this exact thing happen once before, years ago. The man in the same position as the mini in the op got out of his car to shout at the other car too.

If you’re backing into a space, you mightn’t think to check if someone’s driving right through. So I think ywbu op.

And by “a bit off” I mean, I always thought it’s fine to do it if it’s not getting in the way of other cars, but when two cars are going for the same space at the same time, I would have thought the car backing in should get it.

Obviously you have to be careful no-one else is trying to park in the space but other than that driving through is significantly safer than any other way of parking as it involves absolutely no reversing. But you do have to be very careful about parking like that as other drivers aren't going to be able to predict what you are going to do.

Team mini here. Driving through parking spaces is nobbish.

But top marks for the diagram

That is a mighty fine diagram. Very accurate, explains the situation well...it's like we were there with you. Bravo. Bravo.

I always drive through spaces but probably not if it looked like someone wanted to reverse into it. Its just a misunderstanding, she shouldn't have kicked off, just car park lottery!

It’s not really safer to drive through. It’s probably easier for the driver but I’d say reversing is a lot safer.

You weren't in the wrong. Whoever gets there first claims the space.

I wasn't saying she should reverse in this instance. I was saying I think the rule is about reversing, not that there is a rule about driving through a space to park in another one.

Hmm, possibly I wasn't clear enough in my first post, sorry. What I was trying to say is that I think the rule to reverse park gets warped into a you mustn't drive through rule.