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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Supermarket carpark rage

182 replies

Cotswoldmum70 · 29/12/2025 12:12

Just popped to my local Waitrose to restock on the Belgian biscuits (half price!). As I drove in I spotted a nice convenient parking space outside the front of the store and pulled in, only vaguely aware of a vehicle approaching from my right. As I pulled in to park, the driver of the car, a 60 something blonde, started gesticulating and waving out of her window. I got out, saw that the car park was half empty so load of spaces for her. As I walked into the shop she shouted that I was a selfish bitch and worse!! In the store I saw her in the aisle and mentioned that I didn’t appreciate being sworn at by a total stranger. She repeated that I was a selfish bitch and threatened to punch me. At that point I realised I was on to a loser and went home. She’d left a note on my windscreen for good measure, again calling me a selfish bitch. I actually think she would have punched me if I hadn’t walked away. 2 questions - am I a selfish bitch? Genuinely didn’t see her and car park was half empty. Should I have reported her to the store manager or are threats of violence a factor of modern life that we all have to accept?

OP posts:
MirrorMirror1247 · 29/12/2025 12:15

You were there first and she's deranged.

Hoardasurass · 29/12/2025 12:17

If she was waiting for the space or lining up to pull into it yes if not no.
Your biggest mistake was confronting her in the shop that was asking for trouble

CarpeVitam · 29/12/2025 12:17

Why is her being a 60-something ‘blonde’ relevant? 🤔

TeenLifeMum · 29/12/2025 12:18

I’d assume she was having a bad day. I still occasionally think of a car park incident where we’d been driving round for 30 minutes with 3 dc in a car and as a car left dh when to drive in when a woman jumped out the passenger seat of their car that was pulled out over but not in a space waiting for their teens to use the public transport. She randomly decided they had a greater claim despite being further on and not having reverse lights on. She was so condescending and looking down her nose at my “chavy family”. For some reason that incident still lives in my head and bugs me because she was so adamant we were wrong I still question if we totally misread the situation. (Hopefully you won’t let this bug you and can roll your eyes and move on)

WonderfulSmith · 29/12/2025 12:18

60 something blonde

her age and hair colour are relevant because….?

peacefulpeach · 29/12/2025 12:20

No way did this happen in a Waitrose cp.

Sirzy · 29/12/2025 12:20

Did you cut up the wrong way to get the space?

Passaggressfedup · 29/12/2025 12:21

Your choice of words would leave me to wonder whether you were actually quite aware that she was there before you and like you favoured the most convenient place but you chose to pretend you were fully innocent...

Let's face it, why would anyone, blond or not, in their 60s or younger, feel the need to be so pissed off if you did nothing wrong.

I'm taking the liberty to make this assumption because I've witnessed it quite a few times in car park, the suddenly appearing person who drive into a space that take that perfectly innocent, I don't what you are on about, when others mention their wrong doing when it was quite obvious they knew they pushed the boundaries of acceptable social behavior but had hoped nothing would be mentioned.

randomchap · 29/12/2025 12:22

You would never get this at Booths

Ponoka7 · 29/12/2025 12:22

Was it a disability parking space? As it stands you dud nothing wrong. However if I'm with people and they are all able bodied, I tend to not use the parking right outside, or the seats at the front on public transport etc. If she had a blue badge and showed you it, then you'd have been selfish.

KissMyArt · 29/12/2025 12:23

Thank goodness you told us her age and hair colour.

That would've kept me up all night.

gogomomo2 · 29/12/2025 12:24

Depends if she was already heading into it, perhaps had waited for someone to come out and you grabbed it. I would be pretty annoyed at that

Original poster
Cotswoldmum70 · 29/12/2025 12:24

WonderfulSmith · 29/12/2025 12:18

60 something blonde

her age and hair colour are relevant because….?

Just adding context. I’m also 60 plus and blonde so no shade being thrown.

OP posts:
randomchap · 29/12/2025 12:24

You genuinely didn't see her? That's concerning. Especially if she was heading to the same parking space

TheatricalLife · 29/12/2025 12:24

It's best just not to engage with people like this. Blank look and walk off. Absolutely no point in trying to start a row in the shop by confronting her. You really think you were getting an apology/reasonable response from someone shouting and swearing over a space in a car park?

Original poster
Cotswoldmum70 · 29/12/2025 12:25

Sirzy · 29/12/2025 12:20

Did you cut up the wrong way to get the space?

Nope. Just sauntered in. Wasn’t going to reverse out again because a sweary woman was hurling abuse at me.

OP posts:
Passaggressfedup · 29/12/2025 12:26

She randomly decided they had a greater claim despite being further on and not having reverse lights on
Here goes the perfect example of what I mean....any space goes to the person who first saw it and waited for it, even if they are a bit further to let other cars go through and haven't had the chance to put the reverse gear on.

I find it quite astoning the number of people who think they are entitled to a spot despite just arriving when they either see that another car was already waiting or don't bother to check if anyone is indeed waiting already.

In this case, I say good on the woman not to care and say it in a way that makes her feel better afterwards! I wish I could in those instances but I'm too disciplined to do so, and ultimately, you're the one that is judged as unreasonable!

Periperi2025 · 29/12/2025 12:27

Was she already positioning her car to reverse into the space and you've nipped through the gap and parked nose in? The highway code is clear that it is preferential to reverse in the parking spaces and drive out for a safe exit.

Original poster
Cotswoldmum70 · 29/12/2025 12:27

Ponoka7 · 29/12/2025 12:22

Was it a disability parking space? As it stands you dud nothing wrong. However if I'm with people and they are all able bodied, I tend to not use the parking right outside, or the seats at the front on public transport etc. If she had a blue badge and showed you it, then you'd have been selfish.

No. Just a regular space. I’ve had similar experiences where I’ve just missed a space because another driver has been better positioned. I’ve never hurled abuse at anyone because of it.

OP posts:
Hoppinggreen · 29/12/2025 12:29

peacefulpeach · 29/12/2025 12:20

No way did this happen in a Waitrose cp.

Sounds more like Tesco behaviour, in ASDA you would have got stabbed OP

ZoggyStirdust · 29/12/2025 12:30

Periperi2025 · 29/12/2025 12:27

Was she already positioning her car to reverse into the space and you've nipped through the gap and parked nose in? The highway code is clear that it is preferential to reverse in the parking spaces and drive out for a safe exit.

Edited

I think this is what happened
thenother woman was doing it right, about to reverse in and you nipped in and drove into the space. It’s infuriating when someone does that.

Original poster
Cotswoldmum70 · 29/12/2025 12:31

randomchap · 29/12/2025 12:24

You genuinely didn't see her? That's concerning. Especially if she was heading to the same parking space

Hard to describe but space was at the end of a row of parked cars which separated our 2 vehicles. Her car was stationary on the other side of the row. She could have been waiting to turn left or right. Absolutely no indication that she was waiting for the space. But she was
bloody fuming.😤

OP posts:
Passaggressfedup · 29/12/2025 12:31

Nope. Just sauntered in
Yet this uncharacteristic woman arrived when you were already slowly engaging in the space, decided that it was her space for no good reason, and despite being others near by, gets in such a furry she gets her pen and paper out and calls you a name...

Ummmm, maybe mental health diagnosis, so cut her some slack...or she likely has a very different version of the situation than you!

Coconutter24 · 29/12/2025 12:31

Cotswoldmum70 · 29/12/2025 12:24

Just adding context. I’m also 60 plus and blonde so no shade being thrown.

Show quote history

This is not the kind of context we need nor is relevant to any of the story. The context we need is was the woman waiting to park, letting someone out so she could pull in? I find it bizarre anyone would create such a fuss in a half empty car park just because you pulled in a space first, I can see someone being annoyed because they had been waiting or on their way to it then you just saunter in totally oblivious to what’s going on around you

mumofoneAloneandwell · 29/12/2025 12:33

I reckon she was lining up to reverse park and you stole her parking space 😭😭

Yabu!