Who’s being unreasonable? Parking related

[FanjoFizz]

I got to my DS’s school early because of the rain and I knew parking would be a bloody nightmare. It’s on a busy main road and I usually park quite far away and walk up but it’s torrential here.

I’ve parked as shown on the diagram. There is generally room 2 maybe 3 small cars.

I was parked up and browsing mumsnet when I hear shouting and aggressive beeping. A woman is gesticulating at me furiously so I wound the window down and she was shouting at me to reverse back so she could squeeze in between me and the other car.

I reversed back as much as I can (about 18inches) at which point my sensors are beeping furiously and I can see the bollards very close to my car in the parking camera display.
These bollards actually say “Think! Parking here could endanger a child’s life!” You’re not supposed to park right up to them, they’re there to ensure visibility for people crossing the road.

I tell her I can’t go back any further without hitting the bollard and parking dangerously. I was around 6-12inches from them at this stage.

She started getting really aggressive and saying I have to move back then she can park and I can move forward again.

I said no because I’ll have to reverse out across the gate again when I’m leaving which is when all the kids will be coming out of it and it’ll be really busy. And I don’t want to potentially put anyone in danger. I collect my son 10 mins early from the preschool so I can get to my DD’s school on time, so I would definitely have been leaving earlier than her and would have had to reverse out.

She proceeded to be rude so I said “you’re being rude, your car won’t fit in the space, find another one” and wound my window back up.

She attempted to park with what looked liked 150 mini manoeuvres, eventually parking half hanging out on the road because the car didn’t fit.

As I was getting my son in the car someone else commented to her that she was parked dangerously at which point she pointed aggressively at me and said “Well I wouldn’t have if she had let me into the space. Sensitive cow”.

I was and again called her rude and left.

WIBU to not move?

I'd have pulled forwards OP, and let her park behind you. You might have had a job to get out, but the ability to wriggle out of a tiny space is (well, should be) part of a competent driver's skill set.

No way. I would never park so someone had only inches to manoeuvre out of. That's massively inconsiderate and it would also mean the other woman was parked in a dangerous position. Anyway sounds like the car wouldn't have fit even if OP did pull forwards. Even if it was possible I really don't see why everyone should go out of their way to make way for rude, drivers who could very easily just park elsewhere.

I don’t really see why I should have to struggle to get out of a space I got there in plenty of time to get? The likelihood she would have to reverse across the gate to let me back out again, which was exactly what I was trying to prevent happening because it’s dangerous. If her car could fit, it would have and she’d have been able to park. She couldn’t have parked safely even if I had moved forward and allowed her in behind me

Just buy some umbrellas for next time

It's rain, not acid

School parking brings the best of people doesn't it.

Her car was too big for the space, she should have found another one and walk in the rain

She clearly wanted you to leave her plenty of space, even if it meant for you to park illegally. I wouldn't have moved either. Mind you, my kids have wellies and rain coat, so they don't melt in the rain so they are very rarely driven to school.

*Just buy some umbrellas for next time

It's rain, not acid*

Alright goady. I get there early to collect my son early, I’m not afraid of the rain
I decided to leave a bit earlier today because I suspected the parking situation would be worse because of the rain and I didn’t want to be late to collect either of my DCs

It’s on a busy main road and I usually park quite far away and walk up but it’s torrential here.

Why didn't you park where you normally do and use an umbrella?

Mind you, my kids have wellies and rain coat, so they don't melt in the rain so they are very rarely driven to school
I have to drive because the preschool and my DDs schools are 3 miles apart and I have to do the pickups within 10 mins of each other

No way. I would never park so someone had only inches to manoeuvre out of. That's massively inconsiderate and it would also mean the other woman was parked in a dangerous position. Anyway sounds like the car wouldn't have fit even if OP did pull forwards. Even if it was possible I really don't see why everyone should go out of their way to make way for rude, drivers who could very easily just park elsewhere Most probably walk to drop-off/collect their kids.

Why didn't you park where you normally do and use an umbrella?
Because the space was free when I drove past it? Jesus Christ

Most probably walk to drop-off/collect their kids

Yes I’m sure people who don’t have to work or get to several places in a short time frame / live close to the school have that luxury.

And before Eliza starts asking why I don’t have my DS in a closer preschool, it was the only one in the area that offered the full 30 free hours.

Just buy some umbrellas for next time

What? Why should OP buy umbrellas, she got to school in time to get a close spot. The other woman can buy umbrellas and park further away!

Loving people making this about rain and walking 😂

She was an arsehole OP, as will be very clear to most people I suspect.

I’m sure people who don’t have to work or get to several places in a short time frame / live close to the school have that luxury.

Again OP, I wouldn't have moved my car either in this situation and park badly or illegally to accommodate someone.

However, it's is true that many parents cannot imagine parking anywhere requiring more than a 20 seconds walk and are completely ridiculous. Even a working parent can leave earlier, and park 2 or 3 streets away and walk a grand total of 2 minutes!

The other driver was completely unreasonable, you were there first but if people were not obsessed about parking literally at the school gates, life would be easier for everybody.

I wouldn't have moved. If need be, I'd have said "sorry, no room", and looked away. Someone gesticulated for me to move last week, using his hand, as if to flippantly say for me to move. I gesticulated back for him to go away. I was in a disabled space (with badge), but behind the space was a gate to another car park. The gate is usually shut and there is another entrance further round. He then decided to mount the pavement and squeeze past my car to get through the gate, and as he passed he said "I'd have thought you'd have moved for me to be kind" . I replied "you should have used the appropriate gate".

Loving people making this about rain and walking
it was the first sentence of the OP to be fair...

Even a working parent can leave earlier
If only that were true 😂😂😂

You were right, she was wrong (and rude). And am totally laughing at the poster who thinks a reasonable suggestion is that you complete a 20 point turn, on a busy road, outside a school, just so someone else can squeeze into a space that just isn’t big enough. Further proof that there are proper idiots on MN who’s goal is to be as contrary as possible just for the sake of it

Problem is when it rains it brings out the idiot parking at school because they all get there ridiculously early in order to stop their children melting in the rain.

I pick ds up 20 minutes before any other pupils finish due to his disabilities we have to drive. When the weather is fine it’s not a problem but I know when the weather is wet then I will end up having to park away and walk in because so many people get there at silly o clock to jostle for the “best” spaces.

Some of these posts are ridiculous. OP got to school in plenty of time and found a close parking spot, she parked perfectly legally and considerately. Someone was very rude to her and demanded she move her car into an unsafe position when there was no room for the woman to fit it.

None of that is OP's fault. If she gets to school in plenty of time she's entitled to take the good parking spot. She doesn't have to allow herself to be blocked in or move further away to let some obnoxious entitled woman park really close to the school. Of course it won't kill you to walk a little further in the rain but if you have a good spot already you don't have to.

Even a working parent can leave earlier
If only that were true

When you drop off your kids on your way to work, why can't you leave the house earlier?
That was my point, not leaving work earlier.

Blimey , I don't know why you are getting a hard time
You parked legally and the other driver tried to make you park dangerously
I would have just ignored them

I think people have different ideas of what is "enough room" but assuming you are right then she was a twat.

Yanbu, some of the comments on here are ridiculous and I suspect from people who are as entitled and aggressive as the person who you encountered.

Some parents are so idle when it comes to the school run, ours is a village school and we're asked to park on the village hall car park which is literally 2 minutes walk, past around 15 houses, there are always parents who park along the road blocking drives to save themselves a few steps walk, some even park opposite the car park entrance to save themselves walking the width of a road.

(Yes I’m sure people who don’t have to work or get to several places in a short time frame / live close to the school have that luxury*

There are a surprising number of people who live locally and still drive

Its not always a needing to go straight off to work thing either going by the groups still stood round chatting long after the bell has gone and who could have gone home and got the car in that time.

I swear some people must spend more time strapping their kids in, loading up school bags and driving up and down the road to find a spot within 6 feet of the gates than it would take to walk there...

I swear some also leave their car there then walk home and then drove home at pick up
The weird territory marking/parking spot point proving thing is most bizarre. Often very selfish too as buggies and people in wheel chairs or mobility scooters are forced onto the road.

One of these days a child will need an ambulance which will be prevented from getting to the school by crappy parking and people who would rather get yelled at for parking over dropped kerbs or do a 50 point turn use a side street a few metres away...