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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

That she stood in a parking space?

169 replies

StyleO · 03/10/2019 22:08

AIBU to think you can't claim a parking spot by standing in it?

Out with DH in his large vehicle today, we spotted two spaces and so he headed to the larger one. As we pulled in, a lady stepped into it and pointed over the road to a car coming out of another space. He wound the window down and she said "sorry my sister is parking here". So from what I can see her sister was moving her car closer to the cafe they were going into, that's fine, she may be disabled. What irked us is the way the lady stated it rather than asking politely.

I don't think it's technically a done thing but no harm if done politely. We found another spot rather than squeeze into the other smaller one we'd passed. It may or may not be noteworthy that the car that moved would have fit in either of the spots outside the cafe.

Also noteworthy that the spaces are not disabled bays, nor are there any in this zone.

OP posts:
JoxerGoesToStuttgart · 04/10/2019 16:44

There was a video going round FB at Xmas of a woman doing this in a local multi-storey car park. It caused a big tail back and people were honking and shouting at her but she refused to move Grin

ProfessorSlocombe · 04/10/2019 16:45

Probably right, I wouldn't do that anyway but I would drive in as far as I could and stay there until the person moved.... and I'm willing to bet they would move, it's a lot more uncomfortable standing there then sitting in a nice warm car

As long as you stayed within the law, of course ....

AryaStarkWolf · 04/10/2019 16:47

As long as you stayed within the law, of course ....

What do you mean by that?

AryaStarkWolf · 04/10/2019 16:49

Yup, I have never blocked a public road with a bin. I'm not seeing the link at all.

So you have actually held a space with your body? that is so fucking weird

MintyMabel · 04/10/2019 16:52

They are also the people who sit at a table seat on the train then spread their stuff across the whole thing and the other seats, then get huffy when you want to sit down because in their mind it's "their' table.

I have never done that on a train. Nor have I blocked a road with my bin. I’ve no need to do either of those, but have, on occasion, needed to stand to keep a space. So, no they aren’t.

ProfessorSlocombe · 04/10/2019 16:53

As long as you stayed within the law, of course ....

What do you mean by that?

I really can't simplify it any more without removing some consonants.

But since you had to ask, what do you think "the law" is ? And moreover how it might come into play in a situation with a 1-tonne motorised block of metal inching towards a person standing on the ground doing nothing whatsoever ?

pumkinspicetime · 04/10/2019 16:53

I was quite happy to do so as I've explained because an older family member struggled with walking.
It makes no difference to others if the space is blocked with a car or anything else.
Not weird at all.

pumkinspicetime · 04/10/2019 16:55

And in that situation I stood at the front of the space. I would have been happy enough to explain but wouldn't have moved just because I was being threatened with being run over.

AryaStarkWolf · 04/10/2019 16:58

I really can't simplify it any more without removing some consonants.

But since you had to ask, what do you think "the law" is ? And moreover how it might come into play in a situation with a 1-tonne motorised block of metal inching towards a person standing on the ground doing nothing whatsoever ?

You've made up quite the narrative in your head there Grin

You misunderstood my question, I wasn't asking you to simplify you're insinuation, I was asking, if you were suggesting I would do something illegal because that's not what I said at all and I don't appreciate that insinuation at all

Original poster
StyleO · 04/10/2019 17:03

@FreshwaterBay

If she had done that in Middlesbrough she have been roadkill.

That's hilarious, I'm 10 minutes down the road from there, think coastal high street!!

OP posts:
tangled2 · 04/10/2019 17:08

I think it's cheeky. There's no reservation system, it's not a restaurant. It's queue jumping in my eyes and therefore a grave offence.

tequilasunrises · 04/10/2019 17:23

The clue is CAR park. Not entitled woman park. Seriously if you think this is ok you need to go and have a word with yourself.

isadoradancing123 · 04/10/2019 18:14

Why does mumsnet always assume that someone cant just be a cheeky rude fuckwit, why must they assume they are disabled, have serious mental health issues, maybe autistic etc etc, no in the majority of cases people are just entitled fuckers

TinyGhostWriter · 04/10/2019 18:34

In my experience, people don’t ‘ask’ when they are reserving something/ keeping a place. They politely say so, and she did.

If you were in a cafe and someone said “sorry, my sister is about to sit down” rather than ask “is it ok if my sister sits here?” what would be the problem?

Likethebattle · 05/10/2019 17:29

We were pulling into a parking spot and had just turned the ‘nose’ of our car in when some guy decided he also wanted to park there. Not sure exactly how he thought that was going to work out. Once he realised we’re ‘committed’ and ahead of him he screamed the C word and drove off angrily! Similarly I was straightening my car in a supermarket park one Christmas Eve. A man let me pull out and stick him indicator on. He was not pleased when I pulled back in having straightened up! He called me an ‘ugly fat bitch!’ I just said ‘merry Christmas and went to do battle getting the Christmas groceries.

MrsBadcrumble123 · 05/10/2019 17:37

If spaces were at a premium and there was a chance you wouldn’t get another Or if there were only certain spaces you could fit your car in I’d say sorry we are parking here as we may not get another. But if there are loads of spaces then i would have just obliged

OhWhatFuckeryIsThisNow · 05/10/2019 18:02

This happened to us many years ago Christmas shopping at the metro centre, except the driver had dispatched his child (about 9) to stand there. Poor kid was almost crying as she crossed two aisles of spaces. We were parked, but my goodness when he parked the driver got an absolute bollocking from other shoppers.

Alleycat1 · 05/10/2019 18:31

I sometimes do this if my partner is backing in as it has so often happened that some C.F. tries to pull in forwards before DP can manoeuvre. They can see what he is doing but don't care.

Ttcfirsttime · 05/10/2019 18:49

This is a big no no to me. It is rude and entitled. I have never come across it and I’m pretty sure where I’m from people wouldn’t risk doing it tbh. But it’s absolutely ridiculous and if I did ever come across it I would not back down first because a car park is for cars to park not for people to cause chaos by getting out of cars to “reserve spaces”. It’s CFs like this that just think they’re more entitled to the space. For all the people discussing elderly people / pregnancy / disabilities / young children.... would you back off then if the car trying to park in the space that you’d blocked with your body also contained someone of that description?! I’d sincerely hope you would else you’re a huge hypocrite as well for expecting everyone else to back off for your conditions.

CordeliaGoode · 05/10/2019 19:05

I can’t believe people actually do this! How bizarre! I’d have sat there and waited for the CF to give up...

Unbelievable!

nuxe1984 · 05/10/2019 19:42

People "reserve" parking spaces with bins, bollards, etc.

Her sister's car was basically heading to the space so don't see what's wrong with this.

Have to admit that it pisses me off when I can't park my normal size car in a space and still get out of it because somebody with s large car has not only taken the space but also the movement area between bays.

masterchef98 · 05/10/2019 21:18

I drive a fiesta, if I could get away with it I would have a smaller car. It means that I can park wherever I want because it fits in car park spaces.

BatshitBertha · 05/10/2019 21:22

Yep, people are selfish and can be dicks. I try to shrug it off and it let dickish behaviour ruin my day.

Sistedtwister · 05/10/2019 23:09

@constantlyseekinghappiness

I really don't think you are

Catsinthecupboard · 05/10/2019 23:25

Did it once decades ago after 40 minutes driving around with my dear mother at Christmas.

Dd did it recently in a desperate attempt to get to appt on time.

Sometimes we do not know why people do things. I think that we need to give people the benefit of the doubt unless it is a life or death matter. In which case, if you desperately need the space bc of dr or legal difficulty, tell them.

Yes, I get angry if my spot is stolen, but I have done stupid things too. Sometimes our mental health or our bodies are fragile and we need to be forgiven or at least ignored.