Woman completely bollocked me for parking on double yellows..

[flowerpowder]

I know, I am in the wrong because I parked wrong. For 2 minutes only, but nonetheless- wrong.

I was getting back into my car and this lady starts charging at me- I had both my Babies in the car. She starts screaming at me ' you can't park here, you can't park here. ' I put my hands up and say ' I know I'm sorry I'm sorry. ' She continues charging at my car. At this point I got scared and again said 'I am sorry and it won't happen again. '

I jumped into my car and locked the doors and she starts banging on my window, at which point - I again say ' look I understand and I won't park here again'.

Only then did she finally let off and I drove away.

Isn't that a bit of an extreme reaction ? I would never do that. Fair enough if I had got angry back, but I immediately apologised and backed down and she just kept going. She really scared me.

Economical, doing his bit for the environment, good cycle lanes in his area...

Nah, Galilee County Council are in hock to Big Camel.

www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/waiting-and-parking-238-to-252#:~:text=Double%20yellow%20lines%20indicate%20a,indicate%20a%20prohibition%20of%20stopping.

Several years ago, I was prevented from leaving my home by someone who had chosen to park across my driveway, so I couldn't get my car out. We lived in a small cul-de-sac, so I knocked on doors. I found the offender and asked them to move urgently to be told 'keep your hair on'. I then lost it because I was trying to get my child to the local hospital urgently as they have diabetes and were having an extreme hyper. I could get to A&E quicker than calling 999. I think he got my message. The point is stopping where you shouldn't, even if you know that you will only be 2 minutes or 5 minutes, impacts negatively on others. My reaction was thought to be extreme, in my mind I was being reasonable as it was a matter of life or death.

And I'll raise you:

www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/road-markings.html

The gov website doesn't actually give you the full picture and implies that you cannot stop at all on double yellows but this isn't actually the case, as there are exceptions.

@Lunar270 the OP wasn't loading or unloading and had no passengers boarding or alighting.

Strictly speaking she wasn’t parked either, and arguably was or was not ‘waiting’
She was stopped on a double yellow line and stepped out of the car.

@Tomikka the car was stationary with the handbrake on. Is that not parked?

No, not technically but the OP accepts this.

I personally don't see that she's done anything wrong if she had issues with her baby.

We can all get sanctimonious about it but is the most petty of petty things to get hyped over. It certainly didn't warrant abuse and aggressive behaviour as not even a parking warden would act in such a way.

I'm not aiming this at you but all those who have made up some reason for why this woman went off on one. If there was some danger etc. then what would she do if a van was 'technically' unloading and loading? You can load/unload for up to 40 minutes on double yellows. Would she be observing and making sure that someone was regularly getting in/out so they were going by the book?

But hey ho. One day she'll act like that with the wrong person and she'll pay the price for it.

Alternatively, one day YOU'LL park on double lines with the wrong person who won't just stop at running their mouth off.

I gave someone a mild telling off yesterday for driving through a red light whilst I was on the pedestrian crossing. I am sure it was water off a duck's back and they even tried to argue with me they didn't have a red light. Maybe if I'd frothed off at them, they'd have taken it a bit more seriously.

So are you parked at the traffic lights/motorway when you put the handbrake on and put the car in neutral?

Not wholly true.

Double Yellows are often there to ensure access for emergency services. There was a serious house fire in our road and the fire engines couldn’t turn into our road because of parking on the corner.

Now when any of the lazy arsed drivers park there ‘for 5 mins’ (aka half hour minimum and usually all evening for local restaurants) yes, residents shout at them.

If her reaction was OTT, then this is even more OTT, so you don't really have a leg to stand on, especially as you were in the wrong to start with (a crying baby that isn't in danger can certainly wait a couple of minutes until you find a legal parking space).

Not that I really believe your account of what she did. Charging and screaming and then charging again and banging? Cool story bro. She probably strode over to you and raised her voice then tapped on your window. Not pleasant but I'm not buying the whole maniacal charging scenario.

The woman also possibly overreacted, but who knows? She might have seen an accident there caused by someone doing exactly what you did.

I wondered this. We were once chatting in a busy street to someone we knew but hadn't seen for a while. He suddenly took exception to a car that was coming (slowly) around the corner and not looking properly, causing me to step out of the way. He yelled at the driver and banged on the window telling them to watch the F* they were going.

I was initially very startled at his reaction and thought it way OTT. Then I remembered that a few years earlier his wife had been killed in a RTA where she was a pedestrian hit by a car.

Just saying, this lady's reaction wasn't normal but maybe there is a back story why she felt so strongly.

No. Sometimes its really dangerous to other people for you to park n dub yells. So you are being a selfish person. Don't do it!

It may be a standard MumsNet response, but we do need a diagram to establish whether the double yellows are a safety restriction or a basic restriction -

Therefore was @flowerpowder dangerously & illegally stopped, or illegally stopped subject to justifying the level of emergency

@Lunar270 it would be parked if you got out and were no longer in control of the vehicle. I missed that bit!

Going off topic here but I’m really curious about how you got the opportunity to speak to this offender. It’s happened to me lots but I’ve never had the satisfaction as the whole point is that they’ve gone!

Ah. But we do tend to see people getting out of their cars on the motorway when there's a tailback.

I even see people getting out of their cars in the middle of the road sometimes and have done it myself.

There's most definitely no parking on a road or motorway so are we now going to get sanctimonious about people who get out to see what the blockage is or tend to something?

I think the trouble with these threads is that people get righteous when there are a myriad situations that are a bit grey. I've no idea what the problem was with the OP but would give her the benefit of the doubt.

@Lunar270 yes, unless you're told it's safe to do so you shouldn't get out the car on the motorway. That would be ridiculous too!

Going off topic here but I’m really curious about how you got the opportunity to speak to this offender. It’s happened to me lots but I’ve never had the satisfaction as the whole point is that they’ve gone!

Because I was heading into a shop just beyond the crossing. They parked up 20.yards along the road and got out, also heading into shop, so I waited until they approached and spoke to them.

"Are you sure?", sez he.

But yeah, generally speaking, how would you ever get to speak to them? Tres irritating.

That's just plain silly and you know it really, don't you.

Next time just drive off. What can you do. You said sorry like 10 times.

@Lunar270 getting out the car on the motorway without knowing it's safe to do so? Yes that's plain silly.

See also: getting out the car while parked on double yellow lines.

I'm not talking about getting out of your car when the motorway is clear obviously.

It's perfectly safe to get out of your car if all lanes are stood still and you certainly don't need permission. From whom anyway?

Given the recent 30 degree heat, would you honestly stay in your car if the M1 was blocked solid? I doubt it.

As for regular roads, you would be perfectly justified to stop for an elderly pedestrian that had fallen, or a child who'd had an accident. There are numerous reasons why you might stop and not drive to find a legal parking space.