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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Pedestrian holding parking space

161 replies

carparkcow · 22/05/2023 17:10

As soon as this happened today I told DH I just HAD to open it up to the wrath of AIBU... very interested to hear opinions!

We were circling the hospital car park which was extremely busy as always. Finally see a lady pulling out of a space a little further up the row and thank our lucky stars. However, as we go to pull into it there is a pedestrian stood there and says she has claimed the space for her husband and points at a car literally on the other side of the car park.

I was pretty stressed about my appointment (scan to check for MC) and essentially told the woman that she was completely out of order, this wasn't in the spirit of the law of the car park and we would happily block the space and take the fine to prevent her being able to park there, such was my fury.

So - AIBU?! SURELY this isn't acceptable behaviour??!!!!!

OP posts:
Funkyslippers · 23/05/2023 11:50

Soontobe60 and the lady doesn't know the OP's circumstances either. V selfish to reserve a space if a car is there before yours. Personally I might be tempted to get someone else to stand in a space if we were struggling to and they found one but would absolutely move if another car for there before ours

funinthesun19 · 23/05/2023 11:50

carparkcow · 22/05/2023 21:32

Sorry should have been clearer - she did move in the end and we parked in the space! I think her husband was a bit mortified

Ah good! Glad she moved. I would have felt
the same as her husband. How embarrassing for him (and for her). 😬

Frabbits · 23/05/2023 12:41

I'd be much more inclined to let this go in a hospital than in say just a supermarket carpark. Getting to hospital appointments is stressful enough without the absolute shit-show that is inadequate parking provision at most hospitals.

What you need to do is write to your MP and raise the issue that there clearly isn't enough parking.

Askil · 23/05/2023 15:22

@Frabbits I'm slightly puzzled you would be more inclined to let this go in a hospital than at a supermarket?? what do you think OP was there for, a party?
They were there for a scan for a possible MC!! but you're implying she should let it go. If it were a supermarket on the other hand....

woodhill · 23/05/2023 18:23

Defender90 · 22/05/2023 23:21

I've never considered doing this and recently I've had both my DH and DDad at hospital with the standard crappy parking situation. I stay in the car and look for spaces, they go in to their appt and I join if I get parked. It's not ideal but it's what you have to do these days.

Then does the hospital expect you to pay for parking if there are no spaces?

I think that is a more sensible idea

ADHDmam · 23/05/2023 18:33

This would bother me WAY less if it was a supermarket or shopping centre car park.

It bother me so much because it’s a hospital car park - I don’t want to get into hospital attendance top trumps.

The ONLY thing that would make me revert back to supermarket/shopping centre stance in this scenario is if I was visiting a hospital for the happy occasion of a baby born or collecting a relative or friend who had been discharged.

Otherwise, we’ve all got appointments to make and give the benefit of the doubt that they really needed that spot as much as me.

Hawkins0001 · 23/05/2023 19:58

Nordicrain · 22/05/2023 17:22

I agree, but that is a topic of huge debate on here.

Show quote history

I remember the cafe debate one, that was a good debate

Hawkins0001 · 23/05/2023 20:04

carparkcow · 22/05/2023 18:21

To answer a few Qs:

No idea who got there first, the car parking situation is a shambles tbh and there were about 10 cars circling, maybe more. We'd already done a lap of the hospital and the second car park and come back to this one to try again.

She was there for an appt just like I was. I said something to DH about going to the appt alone and she must have misheard me and said 'well I have an appt too'. Obviously I'd have given the space to her gladly if she said she was there to say goodbye to a dying relative whilst silently judging her for wasting time standing in a parking space instead of running inside given that time was so precious

My appt went well thank you for asking. Reassurance was short lived though as spotting restarted about an hour ago 😩

All the best and positivity as best as possible op.

Justahopefulmum · 23/05/2023 21:08

Personally I think YABU, as you don’t know the circumstance.

I did this recently as despite turning up 45 minutes early as parking seems to have been a nightmare lately we were circling for 25 minutes until I resorted to something similar to this. The issue is you drive in a circle so new people could just arrive and get a space as it’s pot luck which doesn’t seem fair when we queue for just about everything else in Britain ha! I ended up approaching a couple who were about to get in their car and asked them if they’d mind waiting a moment till my husband come and they were more than obliging understanding the circumstance we were in.

PyongyangKipperbang · 23/05/2023 22:42

Had this in a supermarket one Xmas. Two fairly young women screaming and shouting that they were saving the space at anyone who tried to park. I drove a massive people carrier at the time so inched in until I was halfway in, locked the doors and turned the engine off. Got called some very rude names but they moved!

Yanbu

DangerousAlchemy · 23/05/2023 22:59

regarding bagging a table before ordering food - our local Burstons gets so busy at lunchtimes they always now ask ' have you found a free table before you order food?' makes perfect sense to me! Another local cafe has people queuing a lot for takeaway drinks so yes I feel fine about finding a table first then ordering when my friend arrives. Cafe is small & I'm hardly going to survey everyone in said queue & try & work out who might need a table 🤷‍♀️🤣🤣

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