Do cars have priority in a retail park car park?

[Doitakeuptoomuchspace]

Just got back from a medium sized retail park in my local area and ended up arguing with not one, but two, fellow shoppers in the car park. Is it me?

I parked my car. I got out. I walked on the left down the row of cars towards the shops, arranged around in a semi circle around the edge.

A man in a massive car spotted an empty space and nearly ran over my feet pulling in left at an angle. I stopped and stepped backwards. Didn't have time to go around the back of his car before he realised he wasn't straight, and reversed again, and scowled at me through his passenger window when he saw how close I was, as if I'd got in his space.

I walked around his car to the driver's side, to ask if he'd even seen me before he turned across me. He wound his window down and threatened to pull back out and park across my car to park me in, as if speaking to him at all warranted that sort of response.

Before I could reply, a woman who'd spotted the space next to his and was about to turn in, put her window down and yelled at me to 'move out the fucking way, you're stood in the space'.

She nearly took his door off as he got out in to the space, then his dog jumped up at her, he told her 'it bites' and she told him to 'get it the fuck off because I kick' and I wished I'd stayed at home.

Ah, the start of the season of joy and goodwill.

No they don't. Pedestrians have priority. But drivers are arses at times. See also "pedestrian" areas in towns where they seem to think that pedestrians should leap out of their way to allow them to do 30mph. Heaven forbid that they actually do walking pace, you know, because, it's supposed to be for pedestrians.

That said, if eg someone is reversing into a space, please do NOT walk behind them!

Where on earth do you live? Sounds scummy

I don't think this guy knew to wait til the way was clear, let alone how to reverse his own car into a space.

I was nearly run over by a bloke turning across me as I returned my trolley to the shelter. I don't think he even saw me. Utter morons.

Sounds like you encountered a pair of charmers! The fact the bloke was driving a massive car and has a dog he pretty much boasts to others, “it bites,” tells you all you need to know about the sort of bloke he is.

For me this comes down to bad driving. When learning to drive you’re taught to stop and make observations around you when reversing. While I get that there’s “driving for your test” vs “how you drive in real life,” double-checking it’s safe to continue reversing and being aware of what is around you when reversing is something everyone should still do after passing their test. I’ve avoided a few collisions doing this.

it sounds like you’re dealing with 2 POS types.

Bloody hell, some very unreasonable people there, OP.

I always give way to pedestrians, rightly or wrongly. Something I was taught in driving lessons.

Having said that, I've recently, nearly reversed into several people walking behind me whilst pulling out/reversing