To think that this was a bit bizarre?

[Candysh]

I was in a very busy Waitrose car park today. So many folks there, so you had to wait to get parking spots.

I saw a young lad (say 17-19) walking to a car with (I assume) his dad. They didn’t have a lot of shopping so I thought I just wait and indicate…

There was a big red L on the back and I thought hair enough may take a wee bit longer but no drama. There were so good songs on the radio and I was happy to vibe in the car to the songs.

i could see the lad looking a little nervous but didn’t think much of it.

there was a ridiculous amount of space for him to reserve out and turn right. He could have literally reserved out the whole length of the car and turn straight right. No drama…

The dad at some point got out of the car and pointed at the ‘L’. I just gave him a thumbs up like no worries, take your time. Then he walked up to my car and said to me that he is a learner. I said no problems that’s why I left plenty of space. And he just went like, could you reserve back more?

I get that he was nervous but seriously at least (!) a full car length space was left behind their vehicle. I was taken back a wee bit, like shouldn’t they learn how to manoeuvre a car out?

I felt that the dad was wrapping his son in cotton wool…

I feel nervous if people are waiting also.

A busy supermarket car park during the worst weekend of weather doesn’t sound like the best idea to start with.

Because you hadn’t done the right thing?

Sounds like you were making it difficult for him.

Dad was being very sensible. You waiting for that space, made the boy feel intimidated and not confident of completing the manoeuvre safely.

Not being snowflake at all. Perfectly reasonable to ask. It's hard manoeuvring when you're being watched at the best of time, and when you're learning it definitely isn't helpful. Well done to dad for saying something to you.

I wonder how confident you were when you were learning at getting out of a car parking space in a full car park with people watching?

Being nervous when learning is very sensible. That's why they're learning; they don't know it all. Any learner who isn't nervous, is more of a liability.
And people are idiots round learners too.

Reverse not reserve, not sure if it’s been an autocorrect.

possibly First time in a car park?

Everyone was unreasonable. You need to leave much more space for a learner. And a learner should practice in quiet car parks, not packed ones.

So because you got called out by the dad for not being considerate enough of a learner driver, it must be the millennial dad wrapping his snowflake kid in cotton wool??

My local waitrose is quite tight so I don't park in the bays that don't have a lot of room for manoeuvre unless I'm reversing in. It's particularly awkward if someone with a longer vehicle parks next to you, even worse if you're sandwiched between two of them.

I don't think you did anything unreasonable at the time, but I think you're being unreasonable to say what happened was bizarre. That said, I don't think a very busy car park is the right place for a learner to practise parking.

I bloody hate people waiting for my space I am in. It's mine for as long as I want. Piss off and find your own space.

I don't think they were being unreasonable, you'd be having another whinge if he'd reversed back into yours.

Not an arsehole move to wait for the space, but it definitely sounds like you were crowding him. DH does this - stops unnecessarily close to people reversing out of driveways or parking spaces, and when they’re flustered or nervous to make the turn refuses to move back and sits there crowing about how you could ‘turn a bus in that space’ and how people ‘who can’t drive shouldn’t be on the road’.

I find it absolutely fkn mortifying and it makes me think so much less of him. It’s such a dick move and comes across as a pass agg power play (even though I accept you didn’t intend it in that way).

Also astonished you’d give such a non-event this much headspace though.

🤣🤣🤣
Trust me, I have taught four kids to drive, they need space….. inna car park, omg! Melt down time….. with the space being waited for!!…….. omg probably tears!!!!! 🤣🤣🤣

Oh god, brings back memories of being a learner and trying to reverse out of a spot in Waitrose with people waiting. There was even a helpful parking assistant waving a flag behind me to signal an available space. Oh the pressure. I stalled 😬

🤣🤣🤣, actually with three out of my four definitely tears, and refusal to drive for the next two weeks!!

Me too.

I've been taking my 17 year old learner driver out... I'd definitely have wanted more space. One car length is not a lot at all. He's doing really well but you never quite know what could happen and I'd much rather be cautious.
So I'd have done the same as the dad.

The whole length of a car is not a ridiculous amount of space, it's the bare minimum a courteous driver would give. And vibing to music 🤢

If someone is waiting for me to move, I just stay in the car and go on my phone. I hate people waiting for me to leave. Fuck off, I’ll reverse when I’m ready. I would never sit there with my hazards on and wait, especially if they were a learner. Back off find another space.

After teaching my DS fairly recently, I can 100% see why they did this! Problem is with L plates you don’t know if it’s their first lesson or they’re nearly at there test but either way, the learners spatial awareness won’t be there, it’s so easy to make an error and if there’s a parent starting to panic it can make the teen worse.
And knowing the prices with learner insurance, it would only take one mistake to cause a big problem!

I would have done the same thing as the dad. The pressure isn’t something you want on your teen in that situation.

I drive for a living.

Every morning I assess the reverse I've got to make, and get a bit scared, because it's really busy, I'm in a different spot everyday, sometimes a different van.

I don't think the Dad was in the wrong, and, I just think, whatever happened to a bit of patience?

I agree. I really do.

Your perception and perception of other drivers who are learners or not can be completely different. The dad was polite I don’t seen anything bizarre about it

So you sat there and watched a young nervous learner struggle to drive his car and you think him and his dad are in the wrong??