To find random men “helping” me to park, incredibly annoying?

[littlecabbage]

Why do some men do this? Occasionally, when I am parking my car, particularly if it involves any kind of reversing, a random nearby man will start beckoning and gesticulating (totally uninvited by me) in the mistaken belief that I am unable to park my car without his “help”.

Yes, yes, I know that he thinks he is being helpful, but I suspect that this happens to women a lot more than it does to men. Does it even happen to men? I find it insulting and patronising. How do they think I manage to park my car on the 98% of occasions where there is no gesticulating (interfering) man in position? Grrrrrr!

(This even happens sometimes when I reverse out of my own drive, something I generally manage to achieve on a daily basis all by myself - what a clever little woman I am )

What? Where are these men?! This has literally never happened to me! I have images of men just 'popping up' in a quite amusing fashion, whenever you are trying to park.

Sorry OP, probably not the response you wanted .

Also, if any of you parking helpers could help me more often I'd be grateful. Men or women acceptable.

Me too, I could often do with one.

Yes! Patronising bastards. I have a large car which I hammer around in very happily. Also have auto park and car parking cameras and certainly do not need help.

I lost it with some TWAT in a multi storey the other day who stood in front of my car motioning turn your wheel etc etc. Honestly I was so angry. It is not helpful. It would not happen to a man and is incredibly patronising. He was certainly not trying to be ‘helpful’. Grrr.

I've been driving for 30 years and this has never happened to me. Ever. Is it possible that you're not as adept at parking as you think you are?

I swear there is a parallel universe where most of MN inhabit. I have never had a random man 'help' me park, but then again I have also never had randoms comment on me breast feed or other parents form a clique to exclude me in the playground.

Back to the OP. If this were to ever happen to me I'd probably lean out of the window and ask them to move. What an odd thing to do.

Never had this parking but I get it on caravan sites when I go to hitch my caravan up. Not sure if its me being female or on my own. But then I reverse right under the hitch so the caravan doesn't need pulling, I can just drop it straight on. So they have nothing to do and look a bit amazed and I drive off. Always makes me giggle.

Not sure about random men, but cannot stand it when dh tries to 'help' me drive from the passenger seat. In his case he's not so much a male chauvinist as an interfering back seat driver who would do it to anyone regardless of their sex. Still irritates the fuck out of me mind!

I get that sometimes, I just continue with the manoeuvre how I want to do it, not the way they're gesturing me to do it. Makes them look stupid, not me.

Sorry OP, you must be shit at parking! I’ve never ever had anyone offer to help me park!

This has never happened to me either but if any man dared to even try it, they would be met with the steeliest glare ever and very short shrift, regardless of how 'helpful' they were trying to be.

Never ever had this happen to me. Although I have reversed a car for a man in Cornwall when he was stuck in a little coastal town on one of the ridiculously narrow, twisty roads. He appreciated it at the time. I hope he doesn't now tell the story and cast me as an interfering old witch!

I know what you mean op, it's the 'keep going love, you've got loads of room' type comments that accompany 'helpful man' as he waves you onto the space.

You can't really call them on being patronising as 'I'm only trying to help, you're so touchy, are you on your period?' would be their likely response.

This has never happened to me, although my dad does an annoying hand wavy thing when I am reversing off his drive.

Never happens to me, so can only assume you are far more attractive than me OP!

it is quite possibly I'm rubbish at parking, I've had a few minor bumps in carparks!

The only 'man' who helps me park/maneover my car is my 4 year old. Major backseat driver. Thing is he is actually right most of the time

Yes. Super annoying. And they usually stand in the way so actually make it more difficult to park.

Happened to me once a few weeks ago, never happened to me before that.

My car was in for MOT last week and when I picked it up someone had parked quite close behind it. The mechanic asked if I wanted one of the lads to bring it out and while very nice and I'm sure well intentioned I did wonder if he would have asked a man.

Any help is welcome in my view.

Men do that to me when I’m driving an ambulance or my response car, I have to grit my teeth and smile instead of telling them to fuck off.
The worst misogyny though was when enterprise van rental suggested I add my husband to the van rental in case I struggled with parking a transit. I couldn’t resist telling the spotty youth that I drove 5 tonnes of metal very fast on a daily basis. He had the grace to go red.

owlina

Er really only if thry were 14 so seriously not sure they would be helping you park.

Op yes happens occasionally and I have helped many women and men park by looking to see if there’s traffic coming etc

Here’s a box of grips your welcome to one

Always use enterprise and hire vans. Never had this did you report?

This has only ever happened once to me. About 25 years ago when I first passed my test, I needed help too!

Since I've been able to drive properly not a single once. Do you struggle to park if people feel the need to help out on a regular basis?

I once got out of my car and asked a random stranger to park it for me.... unlike OP, I'm not good at parallel parking. Grew up in an era when you could park your car in Whitehall, or on any London bridge after 6pm. I drove abroad in wide open places in my 20s and 30s. Send these free parking helpers my way please (male or female).