to think that just because your car is in the lines does not mean you have parked well?!

[holdmybeer]

Just had an run in with a woman who parked in the space next to me whilst I was paying for parking. She was not straight in the space, so she could open her drivers door but I couldn't open my rear door to get my sleeping toddler out. I called her out on her terrible parking and moved my car to another space.

She followed me and started shouting at me "do you want to look? I'm in the lines" I think she wanted a medal?! to which I replied "Yes but only just and it's more the fact that your car isn't straight but not to worry I've moved my car" she just kept saying "take a look, I'm in the lines!" She was right in my face and only backed off when my child woke up. Although she carried on shouting things at me when we crossed in the street later "child spaces!" I'm thinking she's never had to find one in a busy car park

AIBU to think she is crap at parking and that she should have been grateful I said anything and was prepared to move my car rather than waiting for her to walk off and then ramming my door into the side of her car which my partner may well have done?

I think if she had parked within the lines you really had no right to complain. In most car parks, the normal spaces don't give enough room to open rear doors enough to get a toddler or car seat out. that's why parent and toddler spaces are so popular.
In my local supermarket car park i have frequently returned to my car only to find that I can't open the driver's door enough to get my large bum into the car and have had to climb in from the passenger side. Both cars are parked correctly, the spaces just aren't large enough to fully accommodate modern cars.

All depends entirely on the meaning of the words 'called her out'. From your last strike out, I imagine you didn't exactly do this spectacularly politely.

Storm in a teacup. I think people who escalate situations like you did are as bad as people who perform minor parking and driving infractions.

Also no way in hell should she be 'grateful' you didn't damage her car. Grow up.

You make your partner sound like a complete arsehole.

Parking in the lines is the test. YABU.

I agree, car parking spaces aren't big enough in general but if she had parked straight I could have got my child in and out without issue.

I moved my car anyway. Just not sure I deserved the abuse for not damaging her car?

I feel your pain on this one and it does annoy me too...technically, no she didn’t do anything wrong but I think it’s just a matter of courtesy and laziness tbh.

Some people will just pull into the space at any old angle and if they’re in the space they’re happy. Others will consider how their parking will affect others as well as themselves, and will park accordingly.

I currently have every sympathy for you as only yesterday I had to roll my window down and ask the man who had parked next to me if he could centre his car so I could get out. He had parked right on the line next to me. He too said he was parked inside the space...

I moved my car forward, shouted that he was an inconsiderate arsehole, and parked in another of the very many empty spaces.

I met him half way round the supermarket and took great pleasure form slinging my trolley across the aisle and leaning in it. When he muttered at me I said "It's inside the aisle..." I hope he recognised me, otherwise that would just have been a daft comment

She was in the right. She was in her space. Of course she shouldn't be grateful for you not committing criminal damage!

You gave her abuse about her 'terrible parking' I can't say I blame her for responding

YABU

Well she is correct isn’t she?
The lines are there to show whether you are parked acceptably. Spaces aren’t big enough anyway.
You don’t sound like you were very nice to her and she sounds like she gave it back to you.

I was polite. I am not normally one to say anything but pregnancy hormones seem to be playing hell with that!

YANBU

It’s incredibly irritating when people sling their car into a space at a ridiculous angle and then walk off

But you’ll get plenty on here defending it

YABU. She parked in the lines and therefore parked correctly.

Is she is parked within the lines then she has parked properly, wether she parked a bit wonky within her own space is irrelevant. The point is the parking spaces don't give a lot of room for getting a child and buggy out. Many times i've parked straight and within the lines but can't open my door(if you're in the unfortunate position of being between 2 cars),so have to pull out and find another parking space. It seems you got the in between space.

How exactly did I abuse her? By stating that I was unable to get my child out of my car and then moving my car to another space so that I could?

I agree op, but it’s not worth you getting angry over and potentially biting off more than you can chew if you pick the wrong person to disagree with 🧘‍♀️ be more zen

Maybe next time try asking politely "would you mind...etc" . It'll get you further if the person you want to do you a favour isn't on the defensive.

YABU, she was parked within a parking space. By the same reasoning, it may as well be your fault for not leaving more space to open the rear door. And maybe if instead of calling her out you'd have asked nicely if she could straighten her car, she would have been happy to.

holdmybeer:

You didn’t abuse her at all.

It’s just that there’s a certain type of British person that seems to resent being told to please consider another person.

There’s a kind of “I’m first to the space, I’ll do what I like if it’s in the rules, and sod your inconvenience” mentality

Which is exactly why when P&C spaces ar discussed on this forum, so many people adopt the “they’re a convenience offered by the supermarket, anyone can park there, stop being entitled” approach.

If we all did a little something to make others lives easier, life would run more smoothly

If I was the person next to you, I would have taken a quick look in my mirrors, moved out and straightened up.

But I don’t have a massive ego and think I’m always right

It sounds like you got irritated and picked a fight with someone who was unreasonably forthright in the way they responded. Do you are both bu

There’s a huge difference though between parking within the lines and parking well (and considerately)....if you have parked at a 45 degree angle to the lines it doesn’t matter whether you’re still in them or not, it’s still shit parking and you've made life difficult for people on both sides...does that make you less, or more of an arse, than the person who took the time to park parallel in the middle of the space and then got a bit frustrated that they couldn’t get out of their car?

You were rude. She was within the lines.

Amendment OP:

It depends how you “called me out”

If you were politely asking, i’d straighten up my car

If you abused me, might be less inclined etc (but probably would as I’m of the “they go low, I go high” school)

How exactly did I abuse her

I called her out on her terrible parking

Doesn't sound as though you approached her with a polite 'Excuse me, I'm terribly sorry but I don't have enough room to get my child out of the rear door, would you mind moving over a bit?'