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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Car Park Space

159 replies

NotSoEasyLemonPeel · 26/10/2023 15:46

I went shopping today. It’s half term so very busy!

I thought ooh that’s lucky last child and parent space. anyway the car a little in front pulls and she had no children with her!

I find a space pull up and I can’t get my LO out the car. I’ve got a travel system, LO is only a few months so their seat clicks onto the pram.

So… I very childishly go round and park behind the person who parked in child space. Ultimately blocking her in.

When I return just short of an hour later, to say she was raging was an understatement. I loaded shopping and LO into the car without saying a word. I was called a bich, cut. Before I left I said to her, you say you were just popping in for one thing, so it was quicker for you to park here, you’d been gone 15 minutes by the time I’d parked and left, so that’s not a quick stop and I couldn’t go in at all because you took a spot I needed.

Anyway, no idea how long she was waiting for me, I’m quite surprised she didn’t phone the vet police! I know I was being unreasonable and very childish but please think before you park in a space others may genuinely need!

OP posts:
BashfulClam · 26/10/2023 17:16

If this actually happened which I doubt then you are lucky as I’d have let all 4 tyres on your car down. You stop me moving then I’m doing the same because I’m petty as fuck when riled. Those spaces are not a legal right so actually anyone can park there unlike disabled spaces and therefore you have no more rights to that space than her.

ItsmeImtheproblem200 · 26/10/2023 17:18

I love how angry some of the responses are 😂😂😂

I think what you did was brilliant.

Mademetoxic · 26/10/2023 17:22

ItsmeImtheproblem200 · 26/10/2023 17:18

I love how angry some of the responses are 😂😂😂

I think what you did was brilliant.

How is it brilliant? It's selfish.

SlothMama · 26/10/2023 17:25

I very much doubt this happened and if it did your actions were stupid. P&C aren't legally enforceable and stopping in a 'live' section of a carpark to get your child out was dangerous.

Malarandras · 26/10/2023 17:30

Just to point out, in some places - like around where I live - you’d very likely get the living daylights beaten out of you for doing that. Not the best idea to provoke people you know nothing about..

InTheRainOnATrain · 26/10/2023 17:31

ItsmeImtheproblem200 · 26/10/2023 17:18

I love how angry some of the responses are 😂😂😂

I think what you did was brilliant.

It really isn’t brilliant. It’s bloody irresponsible. Following a petty annoyance OP went out of her way to seek confrontation with a random stranger she knows nothing about putting not only herself at risk but her tiny baby that depends on her for everything. OP herself said she was surprised not to get punched. What if the other driver HAD actually punched her? It’s not the behaviour of someone that’s doing ok. The post partum period is really difficult, a lot of women experience mental health problems and it sounds like OP is one of them. There’s no shame in it but she should recognise this as a sign and get help before she flies into another rage and does something else reckless. No one should be encouraging her and equally no one should calling her pathetic or childish (as per some of the other responses).

Unless of course it’s all made up but trolling about parking spaces isn’t exactly sane behaviour either so I think the point of ‘get help’ still stands.

DeliahSmilah · 26/10/2023 17:44

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Car Park Space
thorneyislanddoris · 26/10/2023 17:56

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Car Park Space
Rosiiee · 26/10/2023 18:05

I was just texting my mums group about this! I went grocery shopping and there’s one row of p&c spots. None of them were free so I parked across from them, taking two car spaces 🤷🏻‍♀️

in the time it took me to put baby in seat, put groceries in boot, fold pram and put away, 3 different people had come and gone from their car in the p&c spaces, none of which had kids. I was sooooooo irritated. Then a mum with a newborn and a toddler was struggling to get herself organised because none of the p&c spots were free!!!

Ugh just really grinds my gear! I personally never park in a p&c spot without my kids because I know how hard it makes it for people who genuinely need the room to maneuvre!

ItsmeImtheproblem200 · 26/10/2023 18:07

Mademetoxic · 26/10/2023 17:22

How is it brilliant? It's selfish.

Show quote history

Hilarious imo.

Soapyspuds · 26/10/2023 18:31

You did not need a parent and child space. You only need a parking space.

You were an arse!

WithManyTot · 26/10/2023 18:40

RedPony1 · 26/10/2023 16:14

There's nearly always spaces at the back of the car park, you could have gone there and been able to open your doors wider.

YWBVU

This ^ is the actual answer to 99% of supermarket parking problems people seem to self impose

Terrifyingface · 26/10/2023 18:40

InTheRainOnATrain · 26/10/2023 16:30

If this actually happened then I’d suggest you see your GP about your mental health because it isn’t normal to be that confrontational about a parking space. Ditto if you’re making it up because again really not normal. Yeah it’s annoying but not everywhere has P&C spaces so surely you just do what you would do then- either park really far away to ensure lots of space or just use the pram and forget about taking the car seat out.

I hate people using P&C spaces when they’re not entitled - I had 2 under 2 and it was a nightmare using a regular space because I often didn’t have enough space to get both kids out.

I also hate people immediately going to ‘are you ok him’ for stuff and asking about MH for random stuff.

But…. (Assuming this is real) I actually agree with this. It’s the sort of thing that I might have done after baby 2 and thought it was perfectly rational, and it turned out I had really bad PND. So if it’s genuine, OP, I’d consider talking to your GP or HV. I did some properly demented stuff, shouting at people for talking outside my baby’s window etc. I’m so ashamed of it now.

greengreengrass25 · 26/10/2023 18:44

I think it wasn't ideal what you did but maybe the woman will think twice about parking in M&B space again

Very selfish of her

Terrifyingface · 26/10/2023 18:47

WithManyTot · 26/10/2023 18:40

This ^ is the actual answer to 99% of supermarket parking problems people seem to self impose

Show quote history

I would just say this isn’t always the answer. With my 2 under 2 I’d sometime park at the back of the supermarket and when I came back someone would be parked next to me. Couldn’t get the kid into that side and didn’t feel comfortable leaving them in the double alone while I moved the car.

DappledThings · 26/10/2023 18:51

I was just texting my mums group about this! I went grocery shopping and there’s one row of p&c spots. None of them were free so I parked across from them, taking two car spaces
That's just shit parking and behaviour as ridiculous as the OP. You should have got a ticket.

Ponderingwindow · 26/10/2023 18:57

You do realize that whether the car seat is in a vehicle or attached to a travel system, it counts against the dangers of infants spending too much time in car seats

Hayliebells · 26/10/2023 19:02

I think we need a diagram.

InTheRainOnATrain · 26/10/2023 19:07

Ponderingwindow · 26/10/2023 18:57

You do realize that whether the car seat is in a vehicle or attached to a travel system, it counts against the dangers of infants spending too much time in car seats

Lots of people have the lie flat ones these days so I wouldn’t necessarily jump to conclusions about too much time in a car seat.

KingsleyBorder · 26/10/2023 19:09

Before I left I said to her, you say you were just popping in for one thing, so it was quicker for you to park here, you’d been gone 15 minutes by the time I’d parked and left, so that’s not a quick stop and I couldn’t go in at all because you took a spot I needed.

You seem to have missed a bit out of your story- when describing how she parked and you saw she had no kids with her, you did not mention any conversation with her, during which she said “I’m only going in for 15 minutes”. But how else would you have known this? Are you saying you confronted her and she refused to move?

Also if you did say what I have quoted above I’m afraid it wasn’t the smart sarky comeback that you think it was- it’s a bit hard to follow your point to be honest.

Rosiiee · 26/10/2023 19:09

@DappledThings taking two car spots in a privately owned car park by a shopping centre isn’t illegal? In the same way people without kids parking on p&c isn’t?

WithManyTot · 26/10/2023 19:11

Terrifyingface · 26/10/2023 18:47

I would just say this isn’t always the answer. With my 2 under 2 I’d sometime park at the back of the supermarket and when I came back someone would be parked next to me. Couldn’t get the kid into that side and didn’t feel comfortable leaving them in the double alone while I moved the car.

Show quote history

So, A) 99%, not 100%
and B) There is a chance some'one' could park on 'one' side of your car, the chance some'two' would park on both sides at the same time is considerably lower. Nobody in this life can expect absolute certainly, other than one thing.... two if you include taxes ;-)

DappledThings · 26/10/2023 19:12

Rosiiee · 26/10/2023 19:09

@DappledThings taking two car spots in a privately owned car park by a shopping centre isn’t illegal? In the same way people without kids parking on p&c isn’t?

It's still shit parking by any measure. And you can get a ticket for it same as you can for overstaying a free period in a supermarket carpark.

I'm sure you could contest it if you wanted to carry on being a selfish idiot but you would still have deserved it.

Redglitter · 26/10/2023 19:12

I usually hate when people ask for diagrams in parking threads but this time I'd love to see how this supposedly played out

Resilience · 26/10/2023 19:17

thorneyislanddoris · 26/10/2023 17:56

.

I love this.😂