I've been bad - damaged someone's car in carpark

[GuiltyMoo]

I came back to my car in a supermarket car park to find that someone had parked their car with their passenger side way too close to my drivers side. So close that I couldn't get past their wingmirror to get to the door. So I had to bend my wingmirror in to squeeze past. Then I had to do contortions to open the door and then get in. I accidentally knocked their wingmirror out of position and dented and scratched their door doing so.

I confess that at that point I was so furious that I let my car door bang again against the other car. I then drove out of the space, stopped, got out and went back to put their wingmirror back in place.

I am now at home feeling super guilty, waiting for a knock on my door from the Police after they track me down from the carpark CCTV.

So, AIBU for squeezing into my car and causing the damage? Should I have gone back to the supermarket and had them call the driver to move their car so I could get in mine?

I'm a big worrier, and this will pop into my head for years to come, as another moment of shame.

You damaged a car and just left? That's really shitty. I would report the accident to the police and give the details to the supermarket to pass on.

I would have been annoyed but gone in via the passenger side, but I am fit and slim enough to do so.

Personally I think they deserved it OP.

It may well be that someone saw you, but query whether the police could be bothered to deal with a "parkers' tiff" on private land.

I always leave room on the driver's side and have been known to come back out of a space if it was tight and I realised I had drivers' doors on both sides and then I'd find a different space.

will seriously consider my next steps

By doing what? You left no note or anything, so there's nothing you can do. Except graciously paying the bill if cameras catch you.

[quote Snackz]@cupsofcoffee Easier said than done! Why should people 'have to wait' because people can't park properly?![/quote]
Not being able to park properly doesn't mean it's okay for people to damage your car, though.

You could have gone In to the supermarket and asked them to call for the owner of the vehicle

OP you've been asked several times if they were on/over the white lines.

All those you saying that it was merely "inconsiderate" for someone to park in a way that blocked access to someone else's car - what do you think the OP should have done instead? The driver could be anywhere. And quite frankly if you don't want to risk damage you don't park right up to someone else's car. It's not for the other person to stand around waiting for you for what could be hours.

I think this is a classic case of karma.

@cupsofcoffee I didn't say it is. But people should learn to park properly and be more considerate of others. I have a baby and it's frustrating how many people park so close, despite seeing the baby seat!

More to the point, is this the kind of thinking you would pass on to your children (if you have them)

what kind of thinking? That if you are being a dick, you can't complain about the consequences? Sounds about right. I don't condone people being dicks like that - the OP could be pregnant, have mobility issues... not everyone can "squeeze" in a space too small because some arse decided to park nearly blocking them.

@Egghead81

You could have gone In to the supermarket and asked them to call for the owner of the vehicle

And if they weren't there? Everyone seems to think that those parking in supermarket car parks are magically in the supermarket. It doesn't work like that, even with 2/3 hour limits. Plenty of time to go somewhere else.

But silly me, I should have used a lot more contortions getting this old, fat and arthritic body of mine through the passenger door of my tiny car and over into the driver's seat

No, you should have gone into the shop and asked for a tannoy of their reg to be announced and got them to move rather than damage their car then drive off.

[quote Snackz]@cupsofcoffee I didn't say it is. But people should learn to park properly and be more considerate of others. I have a baby and it's frustrating how many people park so close, despite seeing the baby seat![/quote]
Maybe the driver on other side parked at an angle/over the lines.
Maybe OP parked over the lines (she's been asked multiple times but hasn't clarified).

Bad parking isn't illegal. Deliberately damaging someone else's car is.

@looptheloopinahulahoop she could have at least tried

Someone reversed into my car while I was in the store and smashed my rear light. It didn't look like much damage (though was obvious damage had been done) but it cost £300 to repair. I am a single mum on a low income. The person skulked off with no note left. YABU to have not left a note when you accidentally damaged it and YABVU to few then purposefully damaged it a second time.

I will not be posting further.

= "I didn't hear what I wanted to hear"

Mind you OP if your car is a massive SUV and theirs is a Ford Fiesta or similar, then my sympathy has evaporated as you've taken more than your fair share of space anyway

Well YANBU @GuiltyMoo ... I can KIND of understand why you did it.
However, I am sorry to say that I think you may be in trouble.

I hope not. But I think you should have gone into the supermarket and tried to find the other driver.

To be fair they shouldn’t have parked so close unless you were parked badly?

I had someone do this to me a few years ago and I couldn’t get my kids into the car, I admit that my door hit their car, their car was parked shockingly despite there being enough space for them to park.

I wouldn’t lose sleep over it, they should learn to park or park somewhere else.

I could forgive most of that but

I confess that at that point I was so furious that I let my car door bang again against the other car.

There's no excuse for knowingly causing damage to someone's property. Could you not get in the other side of your car? Could you have gone back into the shop and given the reg plate to ask the owner to move their car? There were other options here apart from damaging someone else's vehicle in fury & depending on the scale of the damage - a dent and scratch is quite a lot - I'd probably try following up for CCTV to find you tbh.

I'm only back to answer the question about the car space lines. As I do, I parked well within my space leaving extra room on the driver's side in case anybody parked on the edge of their space.

So yes the other park was not parked within their lines but well outside it and into my space. They crossed their lines.

However, the consensus is that however they parked is immaterial. I am in the wrong. I accept that.

Final post.

It all depends on whether they were parked within the lines

Maybe you parked too close to your line?

Think you’ve had a name change fail OP

CwidlyDoo

you need to name change again

I would just wait and see what happens, probably nothing! I'm not saying you were right to do it but maybe they'll think twice about shit parking next time 🤷🏻‍♀️ If I was worried about my car getting damaged I wouldn't leave it in that position.

I couldn't be arsed going in the shop to get them to shout the driver either, haven't got time for all that messing because they were inconsiderate arseholes to begin with.

Well that's a bit awkward for you 😳