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.

You could have found somewhere safer. And legal. You were in the wrong.

She was OTT, there was no need to be so aggressive.

I'd be surprised if you were actually only 2 minutes though. Park up, get out and go to boot, find what you need, go to and comfort baby until they stop crying. Didn't happen in 2 minutes.

I don't know if what OP did was illegal. As someone else pointed out up-thread, it's often legal to stop on yellow lines, to load or unload. It's an interesting question whether taking something out of your boot is allowed. It certainly doesn't cause any more of a problem than unload or unloading. (Apparently you can take up to 40 minutes to do that.)

I keep a roll of paper towel in the boot, perhaps if I'm ever in the OP position I will tear off a fingernail-sized piece and leave it on the pavement, then I'll technically have unloaded something!

You're allowed to stop for 40 minutes to load/unload. (But I don't know if moving something to/from the boot counts.)

This ^^

I parked in a supermarket a few weeks ago. Could only find one space, the car next to it had double parked. I went back into my car, squeezed in the door as hardly no space. The woman in the double parked car rolled her window down and asked if i often go around damaging peoples cars woth my door. Explained i didnt touch her car but she double parked. She said its up to her how she parks and i shouldn't have parked next to her. She then preceeded to call me and my little sister a bitch and a slut. I was shocked. Id never shout like that at a stranger!

One randome web site has information that thwarts my paper towel plan.

Loading and unloading involves the continuous movement of heavy or bulky goods to and from a vehicle. Reasonable time is allowed for the checking of paperwork too. However, as soon as the delivery has finished the vehicle must be moved.

Fair play you admitted you were wrong and she does sound over the top.

But I hate it when drivers stop somewhere for 'just a few minutes'. The worst is when they stop in the bus stop so the bus has to stop in the road making it much harder for wheel chair users, those with buggies and disabled people to get off the bus. It also holds all the traffic up. It happens all the time!

Do you drive a Chelsea tractor? That makes all the difference as to whether she was being unreasonable or not!

Unless you were blocking her in or parked in a very dangerous place, I wouldn’t give it another thought.
Lots of perfect drivers on this forum clearly disagree! You apologised and said you wouldn’t do it again.

Why did you park on double yellows they are often there for safety. Last year I missed an important medical appt because we I was stuck on a road, someone have parked on double yellows which was the space to turn to get out of the street, we were stuck for ages until they came back to their car. Why do you think its ok to park on double yellows and impact people like that?

Nut job!

Ok so I get that she was super aggressive but had you not parked on a double yellow, you’d never have met this lady. There is a moral here.

It’s not 40 minutes - but there can be local bylaws.
Most London boroughs have a maximum time of 40 minutes, but others allow 20 minutes.
Outside of London there could be a time limit or no set time limit.

It must be continuous, which means you keep coming back to load/unload and does not apply to unloading then having a chat and a cup of tea.

There tend to be guidelines for traffic wardens that they observe for 5 minutes to confirm if someone is actually loading - but you could get ticketed for having been unobserved but successfully appeal due to the distance from vehicle to destination provided you can prove what you were doing.

At a friends old shop there was a phantom traffic warden ticketing vehicles at all hours, it turned out that they lived in one of the flats above shops, and I spotted them a few times at night hiding in the doorway.
I would be bringing things to the shop after an auction, and was not going to leave my boot open on the opposite side of the road late at night - so they would wait and watch me unlock, open the boot, unload some items, shut and lock the boot then carry them to the shop. Common sense would expect them to ignore someone who was genuinely unloading, but most weeks I would spot them appear after they had seen me from the window and then they would wait in expectation hoping for me to stop unloading and leave the car parked for them

Gawd - this is the second thread today about self appointed traffic monitors.

Why not just tell her to get a grip, you are moving and that aggressively attacking you and your car is also against the law.

Yes but if it kept happening day in and day out you might feel abit aggressive. Once is alot different to all the time.

It must have been the final straw for her. Or she's insane. However, it worked. It is highly unlikely you will park there again!

I agree with this & unless your baby was choking (or some other actual emergency), then you really shouldn't have stopped / parked there.

I know you think you’re really funny and zany @flowerpowder with your florid sweary post but can you please refrain in future from including the name of someone that is held dear to many as a religious figure?

I know I’ll get flamed and kicked as being someone who doesn’t get how this is a cool, funny, modern, commonly used phrase or whatever, but to me it’s just weird how little respect is shown.

Why, you going to stab her?

The idea that other people should never reference your religious figures in a disrespectful way… not a good look right now.

Loving the idea that you should never cross a professional yacht racer.

I wish people would mind there own business!!!

Lucky that was your reaction and not something different. It doesn’t effect her if you get a ticket or not I’m so confused why people feel the need to interfere sometimes !

Ah I see thanks. I'm a non driver.

Her aggression was worse than your original transgression! Who does she think she is, exactly? YANBU. It’s not ok to intimidate and threaten people.

Charging, screaming, banging? She sounds nuts. I’d try to think no more of it.