To think if you park so far across the pavement that even f**king slenderman would struggle to get past, it’s your own damn fault if your car gets scratched?

[AngeloMysterioso]

Walking into town today with DS in the pram (in the pouring rain). I was walking up a road that is in a residential area, but this particular road is part of a cut-through between two main roads into/out of the town centre and is on a bus route, so it gets a lot of traffic.

It’s a fairly narrow one-way street, on one side are parking bays painted onto the road and dickheads people will often park like dicks across the pavement on the other side if there isn’t a free space and they’re too fucking lazy to park round the corner. The other side of the road is single yellow line so parking is restricted 8-6 Mon-Sat.

Apparently this arsehole bloke didn’t think those restrictions applied to him however, and had parked right the way across the pavement, leaving a tiny gap between the car and a garden wall.

This was close to the end of the road and a lot of cars tend to turn up the road without slowing down at all, so my options were to a) squeeze past the gap between the car and the wall or b) go around the car and into the path of oncoming traffic on a rainy day. It’s uphill too, and between DS, the pram, and my 23 week pregnant baby bump I was already fairly out of puff so wasn’t moving particularly quickly.

So I chose option a. Unfortunately, because it was such a tight squeeze the pram came into contact with the side of the car and left a bit of a graze. I didn’t really give a shit to be honest, so I just carried on walking.

What I didn’t realise was that the arsehole driver of said vehicle was sitting in the driving seat on his phone. When he realised what had happened he got out of his car and came running after me, yelling that I’d damaged his car and demanding I give him my details. I refused, pointing out that he was parked illegally, the pavement is for pedestrians and my and my son’s right to not get hit by cars overrides his right to not have to park somewhere thats a bit inconvenient for him.

He followed me a short distance and then went back to his car, saying he’d be contacting the police.

WIBU?

@Darkchocolateandcoffee

OP why did you not knock on his car and say you couldn't get past?

Very aggressive tone to your posts

I absolutely do not recommend this for a pregnant woman on her own with an infant in tow.

I did it once in similar circumstances (busy road, asked a driver to move off the pavement so I could get the pram through) and got screamed at by a verbally abusive man. He had another man with him who did nothing to stop him. I scarpered, because you just don't know how it's going to end, so you?

The onus is surely on the badly parked driver to see what's going on?

And according to the OP, parking on the side where the plonker was parked is restricted 8-6 Mon-Sat, which means if this was during the day on any day except a Sunday he was liable to penalty.

As he was in his car, he might be able to argue he wasn't parked, merely stopped. You can stop on a yellow line to load/unload goods and passengers.

@Darkchocolateandcoffee

OP why did you not knock on his car and say you couldn't get past?

Very aggressive tone to your posts

Because she didn’t know he was in the car. But even if she had, I’ve done this a few times myself and the person blocking the pavement never says “oops sorry” and moves in my experience m. They huff and grumble and moan that they’ll only be ten minutes (great, I’ll just stand here in the rain then, no rush!) or they ignore you or they shout.

How about to use the phone, which is what he seems to have been doing?

In London, you probably ought not to take a car onto the pavement at all unless you want to be ticketed. Loading/unloading still gets you a ticket if you are on the pavement and a policeman happens to pass and has nothing else more urgent to do at the time.

My favourite Terrible Pavement Parking moment,

@Darkchocolateandcoffee

OP why did you not knock on his car and say you couldn't get past?

Very aggressive tone to your posts

Because she didn't know he was in it until he popped out & started shouting at her.

And you are mistaking assertion for aggression.
Common fault in folk who still believe women should kowtow to men ...

YANBU - he's a tw4t & was illegally parked. He can report it to the police all he likes, I doubt they'll care. 👍🏼

I wouldn't have damaged his car, and I think you probably did that on purpose so in that respect, I do think you were unreasonable. He parked like an entitled twat, but people who go around purposefully damaging others property aren't nice people.
However, I'd have WANTED to do what you did. I live in a city centre and regularly push my double or triple pushchair around, so I do understand your frustration.
My other hatred is for people who park over dropped kerbs. Before I had children I used to care for older people or adults with disabilities and it's HEAVY to have to help someone in a wheelchair up a curb.

And why should any woman with an infant have to put herself in the path of a dick bloke stranger who manparks and manshouts?

Let him call the bloody police. See if they care.

YANBU On a quiet side road, fair enough, walk round. But not if it risks you being hit by a car.

@davidsong

You wrote: “he wasn’t even parked, he was just waiting”

What?

You’re an idiot.

Twat: Oi you! You scratched my car!
Wheelchair/pushchair user: Really? Are you sure?
Twat: Yes because XYZ
Wheelchair/pushchair user: How do I know you're not trying to blame me to get a free repair to your car?
Twat: (probably apoplectic at this point) Because ABC
Wheelchair/pushchair user: I think you must be mistaken and are trying it on. Goodbye.

@ChainJane

You're wrong to knowingly cause damage to another person's property regardless of whether they are a dick or not.

You should have just gone round, there's a good chance it would have been fine because usually motorists are paying enough attention not to hit a woman with a pram.

What if the OP was blind?
Then it would be unwise to be using a pram as a makeshift cane, and if the gap was wide enough to squeeze a pram through a blind person would also be able to squeeze through (probably with less damage to the parked car.

I am registered blind and a cane user. When I had little ones I absolutely used the pushchair instead of a cane. It did the job pretty well for my needs. Other blind parents use the cane in front of them and pull the pushchair behind them.

When I came across selfish twats who park on the pavement, I barged through with my pushchair. I valued my own and my children's safety far more than some scuffed or scratched paintwork on their car.
Now I'm back to using my cane, if a car gets a whack because it's parked on the pavement, tough.

Footpaths are for pedestrians, not cars. He wouldn't have had a problem if he didn't park like a dick. Maybe he'll learn a lesson from it.

Totally with you op. Used to have similar when I was pushing a buggy up the road. Usually white van men perching on pavements and would have been quite happy to sit gormlessly behind the wheel staring at me trying to work out what to do. I've insisted they move their vehicles before. Twats.

I live on a terraced street and there is a fella who ALWAYS parks his obnoxious orange van as close to his front window as he possibly can, taking up the entire pavement. He could park it round the back of the houses, like we do, so the pavement is useable for pedestrians but no, the arse clearly needs to be able to fall out of his front door and into his drivers seat. Because he's a prick.

YANBU. Park like a dick, you take your chances that your car gets damaged.

I wouldn't have damaged his car, and I think you probably did that on purpose so in that respect, I do think you were unreasonable. He parked like an entitled twat, but people who go around purposefully damaging others property aren't nice people.
@mumjustmum

Were you there then? Because I'm not seeing anywhere in the OP's posts that she deliberately scratched the car, just that she squeezed past and accidentally scraped against it.

I find it a bit bonkers when people literally write their own narrative just so they can judge the op!!

@Obbydoo

Two wrongs don't make a right. He is a dickhead and you are also a dickhead. But, causing costly damage to someone's car ourweighs his dickheadness. I hope he tracks you down in order to ensure you pay for the damage you have caused.

You think some scratched paint outweighs putting the life of OP and her child at risk.. slightly odd priorities if you ask me but okay.

I love that.. 'usually motorists are paying enough attention'

Yeah... I'm not going to risk my child's life because usually it'll be alright.

Do you realise how ridiculous that sounds? 🤣

You're my hero. There's a quiet road and a busier road here where some people have form for parking like this (even with space on their drives etc) and I will not cross over the road (even the quiet one) because right of way is to the pedestrian.

If I accidentally scratch them with the pram, I couldn't give a toss, it will be an accident caused by their illegal parking. They annoy me. So far, I've been able to get the pram past with a little manoeuvring but I'm of the belief it's their own fault if they don't leave the space required for a pram or wheelchair to pass.

Only read the op. I LOVE that you had an answer for him and didn't apologise. Go OP!