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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Parking - was I in the wrong?

56 replies

twosoups1972 · 03/06/2019 17:06

Parked in my local town today, spaces are diagonal to the road. There was a space in the end one so I pulled in but when I tried to get out the car, I couldn't as there was a bollard in the way. So moved the car slightly to the left to allow me to get out (and even then it was tight). I did notice there wasn't much space next to the next car but hoped it would be all right and I was only going to be about 20 mins.

When I got back to my car, some women were sitting in the car next to me. Woman in the back starts telling me that it was difficult for the driver to get in and she has a disability. I apologised and tried to explain about the bollard on the other side but she wasn't having any of it.

Should I not have parked there at all? I know it wasn't ideal but wasn't it slightly better that she could get into her car with some difficulty rather than me not get out at all?

OP posts:

TheTitOfTheIceberg · 03/06/2019 17:30

As other PP I can't workout why you couldn't go back ir front a bit to avoid the bollard?

Presumably because in a diagonal space on a narrow road, to pull forward would have had the OP hitting the kerb and to pull back would have had the back of her car sticking out into traffic?

OP, these things happen sometimes (and I say this as a disabled person who doesn't have a blue badge, so I've been where the other driver is more than once). You were within the lines, you tried to apologise, she obviously could get in the car because she was in it. Some spaces are so narrow these days that being just an inch off centre makes it tight for the car next door. You're obviously not an inconsiderate tit in general or this wouldn't have got to you enough to start a thread about it, so don't lose any sleep over it.

FiddlesticksAkimbo · 03/06/2019 17:31

I don't really see why OP is in the wrong if she was within the lines.

Agree. Presumably the parking spaces are really too narrow, but that's not the drivers' fault.

Expressedways · 03/06/2019 17:33

If you were well within the lines then you’re fine. I don’t know exactly what you mean by there wasn’t much space between the cats as that’s subjective, only you know if you left a reasonable amount of space or not. However, if she parked really far over rather than centrally in her space, or was extremely large and couldn’t fit through a standard sized car park gap, or is disabled but doesn’t have a blue badge (how would you know that when you parked), then I don’t see how it would be your fault. And from your update she did manage to get in the car, even if it was a squeeze, and was sat in the driver’s seat so they were moaning about absolutely nothing. She could have driven the car out then had her friend jump in if it they having a problem accessing the passenger side. But this sounds like a ridiculous non issue.

Original poster

twosoups1972 · 03/06/2019 17:35

Thank you all.

eleanor that's just awful! There is no excuse for parking over someone's drive.

OP posts:

pictish · 03/06/2019 17:38

Ach no, you were fine. You were forced to move over because of the bollard obstructing you. If you were within the lines it’s ok. That the spaces are small isn’t your doing. I’ve never known anyone to give up a parking space under these circumstances.
“Oh no, it’s a bit tight for the car next to me. I’ll have to do this errand another time.”

OOM
Only on Mumsnet.

EleanorOalike · 03/06/2019 17:39

@twosoups1972 I know! Just try and put it out your head, it doesn’t sound like you were in the wrong.

I also once had a man and his wife stand whilst I was parking at a retail park outside a furniture shop and glare at me the whole time I was parking and then gave me a mouthful about how I didn’t look disabled. I asked him what his point was as I wasn’t parked in a disabled bay. He said I had no right to park in a bay near the door. I was collecting flat pack furniture on my own. As I say, some people are just parking twats.

ComeAndDance · 03/06/2019 17:41

I would say that you were whithin the lines so ok.

HOWEVER, if by moving a "little bit to the left", it meant you were (very) close to the line, then dont be upset if the other driver then touches your car whilst getting in and out. Same with scratches appearing due to handbags been moved around, shopping carried etc....

ceecee32 · 03/06/2019 17:42

Confused... you said that the driver was in the driving seat.. presumably she could have moved the car to let the rear seat passenger in

BrokenWing · 03/06/2019 17:48

I did notice there wasn't much space next to the next car but hoped it would be all right and I was only going to be about 20 mins.

What is relevant about the 20 mins? You noticed there wasn't enough space but thought, I'm only going to be 20mins so they could wait??

00100001 · 03/06/2019 17:52

Umm, how are we supposed to make a judgement without the obligatory diagram OP?

This is a parking thread...on Mumsnet.... there must be order!

TitianaTitsling · 03/06/2019 17:52

If you were in the lines you are not wrong!

SavingSpaces2019 · 03/06/2019 17:54

Woman in the back starts telling me that it was difficult for the driver to get in and she has a disability
My response would have been "i'm within the parking lines....perhaps you should use specified disability bays/wider parking bays if you can't maneuver in a normal parking space?"

They did get into the car - and chose to sit there and wait to have a go at you?
Dickheads!

SavingSpaces2019 · 03/06/2019 17:55

did they even have a blue badge on display?

Antigon · 03/06/2019 18:00

You don’t need to display a blue badge if you’re not parked in a disabled bay (or parking normally where there are no disabled bays).

Disabled people don’t have to prove their disabled to everyone.

Antigon · 03/06/2019 18:01

*they’re

LakieLady · 03/06/2019 18:01

I find the older the car park is, the smaller the spaces tend to be. Cars have got so much bigger, they're now too big for the spaces in a 60s or 70s car park.

When you compare a 1980s Cortina to a current Mondeo, its equivalent, the Mondeo is much bigger. And the modern Mini Clubman is so huge you could practically park a Mark 1 mini inside it.

Councils could, of course, repaint car parks and make the spaces bigger, but that would mean fewer spaces and less revenue.

familycourtq · 03/06/2019 18:18

If you parked in the lines then you did nothing wrong.

A bit of common sense can be applied though - if the car next to you is right up to the line on the driver's side, parking centimetres from them but still on your "side" is going to make it hard/impossible for them to get in. It's all about a bit of given and take and consideration isn't it?

MyKingdomForBrie · 03/06/2019 18:27

Some people on here are bloody weird. The driver was in her seat why the hell should OP not use a free parking space when she's parked within the lines?!

It was tight but doable, that happens in car parks all the time, it's just life.

BrokenWing · 03/06/2019 18:28

If you parked in the lines then you did nothing wrong.

There is more to parking considerately than just parking in the lines, maybe the car next to the op had no choice at the time other than to park close to the lines due to how the cars parked next to her.

OP noticed there wasn't enough room but choose still to park too close
and feebly tries to justify as she would "only be 20 mins". It's inconsiderate.

MyKingdomForBrie · 03/06/2019 18:28

@familycourtq so if someone has parked like a dick right against the line the next person along should just forfeit their desire to park to make sure the idiot who can't park isn't inconvenienced?! Fuck that.

FiddlesticksAkimbo · 03/06/2019 18:29

You don’t need to display a blue badge if you’re not parked in a disabled bay (or parking normally where there are no disabled bays).

Disabled people don’t have to prove their disabled to everyone.

Equally they're not entitled to complain to neighbouring car owners that the bay that the disabled person has chosen to park in does not have enough clearance for them to get into their car!

(Although apparently it actually did, and they just wanted to sit around in the car for a while to have a Barney )

WindsweptEgret · 03/06/2019 18:32

If you were within the lines then you did nothing wrong. The other driver could have parked further across within their own spot if they needed more space than what was between their car and the line in order to get out.

GruciusMalfoy · 03/06/2019 18:35

You were within the lines and they both managed to get into their car. I think they just wanted an opportunity to have a whinge.

BackforGood · 03/06/2019 18:45

I'm confused.
Was the driver in there all the time - while you were parking? ie, not intending to get out so there was no issue

Had they got in while you were gone? - again, proving there was no issue, if they had been able to get in while you were gone.

SavingSpaces2019 · 03/06/2019 18:52

Disabled people don’t have to prove their disabled to everyone.
No, they don't have to.....however, it would have been courteous to do so if they expect others to give them extra consideration due to their disabilities....

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