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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Another parking thread…

24 replies

Slv199 · 18/10/2022 04:03

AIBU to expect someone to wait for those in front to park? In the hospital multi-storey and the car in front stops to park in an empty space. I stop as there isn’t enough room to get past. A car comes up behind me, she beeps her horn and I can see in the rear view mirror she is getting angry. I’m not sure what to do so try to get out of her way so she can get past me though she can’t get past the car in front. What would you have done?

OP posts:
wordler · 18/10/2022 04:12

If the parking car doesn't pull to oneside to wait to have the space to park then you can only do what you did.

I'm fairly intolerant of loud bullies so I'd be tempted to put my hazards on, park my car right in the middle of the lane and walk backwards to see exactly what the beeping person's issue is.

BlackberryCat · 18/10/2022 04:14

Of course, but perhaps as it was a hospital time was of the essence so she was impatient to get by. Maybe visiting a dying relative or a sick child, so I’d cut her some slack.

Igmum · 18/10/2022 04:27

Of course she should wait.

StoneofDestiny · 18/10/2022 04:53

Like previous poster - I’d have got out and played dumb, asking what they wanted as I thought they were beeping me for help!
I say this as I did it once when I stopped my car before a yellow box - idiot wanted me to drive onto the box and block the junction. I calmly explained about yellow boxes!

KellyJonesLeatherTrousers · 18/10/2022 07:05

You only had two choices - personal choice whether you move aside or challenge. The person was aggressive so I’d have probably done the same thing as you depending on my own mood at the time!

Againstmachine · 18/10/2022 07:41

She shouldn't beep her horn in a stationary vehicle or unless it is to prevent a accident, so automatically she is in wrong.

Original poster
Slv199 · 18/10/2022 10:13

BlackberryCat · 18/10/2022 04:14

Of course, but perhaps as it was a hospital time was of the essence so she was impatient to get by. Maybe visiting a dying relative or a sick child, so I’d cut her some slack.

Of course that's possible, but the same could apply to myself and the person trying to park. Who eventually went and parked somewhere else thanks to her. I really hate multi-storey car parks as I always feel pressurised to park as quickly as possible to get out of people's way. Some spaces can be really awkward to get in to and require a bit of shuffling. I just wait and try to wait back out the way, so I'm not pressurising anyone and give them time to park.

OP posts:
Cheminaufaules · 18/10/2022 10:28

Learn to completely ignore. Unless she gets out of the car with a weapon, then you drive off fast! Seriously though, it is liberating when you come to realise the opinions of other randoms are completely and utterly unimportant and irrelevant.

BlackberryCat · 18/10/2022 13:28

Of course that's possible, but the same could apply to myself and the person trying to park.

I do get that and I'm not saying she wasn't rude but it seems she might have been caught up in her own problems and not thought about others.

You have as much right to be there as anyone, so just do your thing and don't feel rushed. The other day I wanted to pull into a car park but someone was walking along the pavement so I was waiting and someone honked their horn at me. Obviously, I wasn't going to run the pedestrian over and there was nothing to do but wait a few seconds, so I just ignored them. Of course it's rude, but it's possible they just didn't see the pedestrian and was annoyed I was taking so long to turn in. It's not worth getting upset about.

Abitofalark · 18/10/2022 13:39

When driving or parking you should hold your ground and do what you are doing and need to do. Who's in control of your car, you or some person who is hassling you by beeping? She shouldn't be sounding the horn anyway unless it's to alert you to danger.

jcyclops · 18/10/2022 14:53

You should have signalled to her that you would be done in one minute. Raising the middle finger is the universal sign for one minute.

tandmoo · 18/10/2022 15:52

If I ever get anybody in a rush behind me when driving I make damn sure I slow down just to annoy them a bit more.

I did 30mph in a 50mph recently as there was a lunatic trying to tailgate me, they learn the hard way

Ladyofthelake53 · 18/10/2022 16:31

Yep I'd have adopted the middle finger tactic in that situation as well

TrashyPanda · 18/10/2022 16:35

BlackberryCat · 18/10/2022 04:14

Of course, but perhaps as it was a hospital time was of the essence so she was impatient to get by. Maybe visiting a dying relative or a sick child, so I’d cut her some slack.

Few people go to hospital for the sheer joy of it.
Rude wifie had no way of knowing if the people in front had a dying relative either.

waiting for an extra minute is rarely catastrophic.

showing others basic courtesy is the very least we should expect.

OP - you did nothing wrong. Neither did the person in front of you.

TrashyPanda · 18/10/2022 16:38

jcyclops · 18/10/2022 14:53

You should have signalled to her that you would be done in one minute. Raising the middle finger is the universal sign for one minute.

I am old.
i use the good old British “V” sign, which has the added benefit that you can be so much more emphatic.
obviously, it means “please give me a couple of seconds, if you don’t mind awfully”

FrangipaniBlue · 18/10/2022 16:43

You did nothing wrong OP and one of my pet peeves that gives me the absolute rage is people driving around me while I'm trying to reverse into a parking space - just fuckin wait!!!!!

girlmom21 · 18/10/2022 16:45

If she gave up and parked somewhere else was she taking ages to park?

Visiting times are short and hospital parking is expensive so, while the woman shouldn't have got irate, it's one of those situations where you can understand why she did.

DashboardConfessional · 18/10/2022 16:47

I'd have turned my music up and ignored her!

Original poster
Slv199 · 19/10/2022 02:03

tandmoo · 18/10/2022 15:52

If I ever get anybody in a rush behind me when driving I make damn sure I slow down just to annoy them a bit more.

I did 30mph in a 50mph recently as there was a lunatic trying to tailgate me, they learn the hard way

I might have made extra sure that I was properly lined up with the parking space taking a couple of extra shunts before I moved back far enough for her to get past.

OP posts:
Tiani4 · 19/10/2022 05:54

There was no point to the driver behind you blasting her horn, even if she got past you she couldn't get past the next car. Because erm "I'm driving here'!"

Think she wanted the space so tried to hassle cars ahead trying to park in it.

If she kept beeping, I'd have given her the ' one minute' signal too Grin

FaazoHuyzeoSix · 19/10/2022 06:06

Ignore anyone who beeps to say "get out of the way" - a car horn is to warn of a hazard, not to bully or dominate. If you stop due to an obstruction then you aren't doing anything wrong. If it helps, you could assume that the bullying beeps were aimed at the car causing the original issue (still not right to beep)

Butitsnotfunnyisititsserious · 19/10/2022 06:19

I'd have given her the middle finger tbh and if she carried on, I'd have got out and had a word. It's easy for people to beep their horn, not as easy when actually confronted on it.

Original poster
Slv199 · 23/10/2022 15:28

I was very glad when I went back for an urgent appointment two days later I wasn't allowed to drive so didn't need to worry about the car park.

OP posts:
woodhill · 23/10/2022 15:32

It's not nice

Hopefully you will,become more confident

I must admit I hate someone watching me manoeuvre in a car park

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