Called a "c*nt" in front of his kid over a P&C spot...

[SorryIParkedWrong]

Hi all,
Need a sanity check on an interaction I had yesterday that's still bothering me.
I used a Parent & Child spot yesterday at a quiet retail park. I know, technically wrong, but I was doing a massive haul for a house move and needed the boot space, and loads of other P&C spots were free so I wasn't leaving anyone without.
The issue happened when I got back to my car after shopping. I was in the driver's seat, engine on, and was just about to reverse out and leave.
A car pulled into the P&C space next to me. A woman got out with her young child and. She came right up to my window, which was cracked open, and said in a really aggressive tone, "You shouldn't be parked there."
Not wanting any drama or to explain my point to an emotionally enraged individual, I just said, "Ok," and put the car fully in reverse to leave. That's when she and the dad who appeared completely kicked off. Standing right by my car door, she launched into an absolute tirade.
She was shouting all sorts - "cunt," "fucking little shit," "look at your shit car," "fucking shit driving." All while her own young child stood there watching the whole thing.
I briefly stopped reversing, said through the window "I hope you have a lovely rest of your day," and then started to move again. She and her husband just kept going with the abuse, so I stopped the car again because I was just in disbelief. I looked at her and started laughing at the sheer absurdity and the level of her rage.
I know I shouldn't have used the spot. But AIBU to think her reaction was completely unhinged? Does my minor error give someone the right to hurl that level of personal, nasty abuse at a stranger, especially in front of their own child?
It honestly felt like she was just projecting all her life's problems onto me over a parking space. What do you think?

In some car parks, they do give more boot space, because they aren't in double rows.

Don't be so patronising! You don't get to dictate how people behave in front of their kids. Of course her response wasn't appropriate, but you don't know what's going on in her life that caused her to react like that. My friend has a disabled daughter and deals with shit like this on a daily basis.

You used the wrong space because you felt entitled to it.

You were challenged and didn't try to diffuse the situation by saying you were sorry.

And you sound like a misogynist because a woman dared to say anything and you assumed from her first interaction that she was "emotionally enraged" and wanting drama (which is ironic because there was no fuss until the dad actually kicked off).

I'd advise you learn from this that you don't know who you're passing off and you're lucky you were already in your car.

You can think you're right (you weren't) or you can not have your teeth punched in, which sounds like it was a real possibility.

I can’t help but feel that the tone in which you said ‘ok’ helped to exacerbate this.

Mum doesn't get one because she's not disabled "every day"

Rude and entitled is what you are. It's not against the law, therefore nothing was wrong, selfish and inconsiderate, yes, rude and entitled no.
Perhaps if people thought about the reactions to situations like this we wouldn't be in the mess we are currently in. The complete over reaction by the parents is what is completely rude and entitled, no individual should be subjected to abuse and harassment for making a simple error or judgement.

Don't park in parent & child spaces. It really is that simple.

Yes she was over the top but you could have avoided the unpleasantness by dialling down the entitlement...

Try to forget about them @SorryIParkedWrong they sound ridiculous. I feel for the poor child. Imagine getting so angry that even though they have a place and there are loads of empty spaces they rage like that. What on earth are they like at home to live with. Imagine something serious happens. Unhinged and again poor child.

I’m a mum and would never get worked up about someone parking in one of those spaces. How utterly ridiculous.

Don't pretend you care about their children.

Actually, maybe they approached it in the most effective way they could....

If they remained quiet, would you think again abithe way you parked and decide to do it differently the next time?

Was any "constructive conversation" with you possible? What would it be about? What would you say if someone asked "Excuse me, have you realised those ara parent&child places"?

That’s all great, but please explain your logic as to how it gave more boot space?

.

If it was a quiet day for parking why not park across 2 parking spaces to get the extra space? Lol

Is this now part of series of threads about shouting 'cunt' in public?

They will need their own sub folder soon

This whole thing really shows the absurdity of P&C spaces, or at least the way they are used currently. If they were furthest away from the entrance - which, logically, they could be - most of these issues would not arise. If stores really cared about their customers, they would have a range of specialist places, but not necessarily closest to the store. It would actually make sense to have a few spaces reserved for people in OP's position who need boot space. Equally if they are reserving places closer to the store, they should extend to the heavily pregnant and people who are temporarily disabled.

Stop parking in spaces intended to help parents with young children.
You are being selfish.

If you park in a P&C space without a significant/legitimate need then you are either incapable of empathy or you purposefully choose to put yourself ahead of others.

And to be clear about what that need is- you need to be able to open at least one of the car doors fully to get a person/carseat/mobility aid into (or close enough to) the car.

And you cannot leave the other person waiting in the car park while you move your car if it turns out that since you parked, others have parked next to you meaning you can no longer fully open at least one of the doors.

OP you were being unreasonable.
The behaviour of the lady next to you does not excuse your actions.

Yabu for parking there but they shouldn't have been cussing in front of their child.
I've been in the situation where I needed a parent and child space and some people without kids parked there. The parking spaces were so small that I couldn't get my ds out, so had to wait until a parent and child space was free..
So yes it's selfish.

You are happy to ignore social norms by deliberately parking in a mother and baby slot.

You get upset when others ignore social norms by being rude and abusive.

You're extremely selfish to park in a child space.
Even if there were other spaces at the time of parking, they could have all filled whilst you were in the shop.
I can't stand people like you.
Yes, the woman over reacted. Hopefully her child was too young to understand, but you deserved it.

I disagree. those spots are for parents because they might struggle without them and have temporary extra need. They aren’t legally enforceable and are something as a society we agree with in the whole as we feel some people benefit from extra accommodations.

In this instance the OP benefitted from extra accommodation.

Would you have a problem with someone with short term disability using one? I wouldn’t. If they had a wheelchair or crutches and benefited hugely from the courtesy (not legally enforceable) spot then I would have no problem with them using it.
Not would I mind for the extreme elderly who struggle with mobility and need doors to open fully and someone standing next to them to help them out.

it’s a courtesy spot and frankly some individuals occasionally need that courtesy more than some parents and dc. 2 able bodied parents with one able bodied 5 year old for example really don’t need it.

the OP said there were plenty of spaces free.

I prefer to look at the intention above the letter in these occasions. Because I care more about helping people in need than I do about blanket rules

Your actions (definitely entitle and unreasonable) pale in comparison to their behavior and even in front of their kids. What a terrible example to set. They could have made an example out of you and used it as a teaching moment on how to deal with entitled people, but instead they behaved like unhinged lunatics and their kids will be just like them.

These people should not have reproduced.

The couple sound dangerous. I'd have called the police. Goodness knows what they are like in private. Their poor child.

Horrible behaviour from the couple and how dreadful to teach their child that it’s ok to behave like that. No, not normal at all. But more common place maybe.

It’s best to avoid that sort of behaviour OP, so parking where you shouldn’t is risky and leaves you wide open to it.
If everybody parked where they liked regardless of the rules, it would be mayhem every time you tried to park up for shopping. What makes you so special? What gives you the right to decide that you can overlook the rules but nobody else can.
Next time, it could be worse. People are struggling and less tolerant. Poor mental health results in people going into a rage over the tiniest of things and people have been stabbed as a result.

Your behaviour caused them to go into an out of control rage in front of a child. It shouldn’t have done, but it did.
Take some responsibility for that!

Be more sensible next time, less entitled and take better care of yourself.

I always park in the parent and child space with or without kids. They are not law