Parking when there are dogs around

[TheQuirkyMaker]

I was in our local park yesterday, talking to another dog owner, when an SUV swept in right beside us, halted, and reversed into a parking space. As it reversed, I slapped it on the roof. The driver jumped out, angry, and I think was ready to give me a slap. I said the car park was empty (it was, it serves about 200 cars) and he had no need to park next to us and potentially hit a dog. He said he was parking near the skate park for his children, and our dogs should be on a lead (they weren't). They are elderly, obedient little dogs, and don't need to be on a leash but they are little and could be hit by a car.
I told him to "F--- Off" and felt okay at the time but couldn't sleep last night for worrying who was in the right.
Was I the unreasonable one?

It's very unreasonable to have your dogs off lead in a car park, regardless of how 'well behaved' they are. There are children who are not well behaved. There are reactive dogs who (like my old rescue) are triggered by off-lead dogs. There are other people who want to park in a conveinent spot for them. Also, your dogs are elderly and can be spooked and run off. If anything were to happen as a result of your dogs being off lead you would be the one liable, so yes YABVU, and need to leash your pets.

My dog has age related health issues too, poor eyesight, poor hearing and arthritis. So I’ve changed how I care for him, he wears a jumper to keep his joints warm in the cold and I put him on the lead in places he used to be off lead because I know he can’t anticipate danger or see/hear my commands as well. I have chronic pain, I still try my best to be nice to people and not swear at them and hit their property.

it is safer to reverse into a space btw, better visibility and less chance of hitting passing cars, wandering pedestrians and unattended pets as you drive out.

Leaving aside for the moment the OP's specific complaint, do people generally get wound up if someone else parks near them? Is it a personal safety thing or just general affrontery of someone else existing in space near you?

Even the calmest and oldest of dogs can bolt if they are unexpectedly spooked. Regardless of her temperament and age, you should still have her on a lead if you are standing about chatting to someone in a car park. It's the height of irresponsibility not to – for her sake, and for drivers using the car park.

The dad is also entitled to park wherever he wanted, regardless of how empty the car park was. Presumably you were parked in a space nearest the entrance to the park, hence why he chose a similar spot?

Your aggression in the moment and subsequent abusive name calling of him on this thread was/is unwarranted.

Was I the unreasonable one?

Errr...yes and you know it.☹️

As is common with these threads (even if they are genuine), when the PP gets told they are are unreasonable or in the wrong, instead of holding their hands up or (even easier) quietly leaving the thread they then start saying all sorts of irrelevant things as if it makes a difference to the issue being discussed.

Sorry you dog is old and infirm (been there) but what bearing does that have on a chap parking his SUV (how dare he) next to you. Or making his kids walk 50m to the skatepark. Or being on Tiktok.🙄

YABU because your dog wasn’t on a lead and because you were standing in a car park, by the sounds of things. Standing about for a chat isn’t a sensible thing to do in a car park.

No, you weren’t unreasonable, just reactive.

He parked carelessly in an empty car park near dogs; that’s on him. Slapping the car and swearing escalated things, but it came from protecting your dogs, not malice. Both of you had a point, both handled it imperfectly. The fact you’re still thinking about it shows you’re thoughtful, not in the wrong.

Well you don't seem to be able to take responsibility either for your dog or your own terrible behaviour!

I dont get your rationale. Surely it's obvious that banging on someone's roof while they're trying to reverse is going to be MORE likely to cause them to lose focus and accidentally hit your dog?

And even if he was in the wrong (which he wasn't) surely it's obvious to anyone with half a braincell that waiting for him to park safely and get out then politely asking him to consider leaving more space next time would probably yield better results than hitting his car and swearing like a lunatic?

People like you give dog owners a bad name.

As a fellow dog owner, I'm afraid I agree that you are being very unreasonable. If I have my dogs in a car park, they are always on a lead. It is my responsibility to keep them safe. Drivers can park their cars anywhere they want. I don't get to decide where they park, and nor do you. The fact you think he should have parked elsewhere is irrelevant. Your opinions on his driving are also irrelevant. I doubt the driver tried to run over your dog deliberately as you seem to claim in one of your later posts. And I am not at all surprised by the driver's reaction when you banged on their roof.

Because its easier for everyone to have a space between each car to enable people to open doors fully and get between the cars. Obviously not an option on a busy car park, but an empty one... its logical surely?

In busy car parks I have to pull out of the space for my elderly mother to get in for example.

Whether or not they should 'only exist' there, they were there. And the driver saw them there (at least you'd hope he did!). So he should have parked elsewhere.

You already explained it was because he wanted to be near to the park entrance so his DC weren't walking across the car park! You know how they have dedicated spaces near the entrance at supermarkets for families with small kids? This is the same logic. In any event, he is entitled to park in any empty space, and you are not entitled to be a) violent towards his property and b) not in control of your animals. So all round, YOUR fault.

Move your dogs out of the carpark

You had your dog off lead in a car park and you’re annoyed because someone - as is their right - used the car park for car parking when you were not in control of your dog? Yes, you are being unreasonable. And I say that as a dog owner who regularly walks my dog off lead (in sensible places) .

You being elderly doesn’t give you a free pass to do as you please and endanger your dog.

You need to get a grip on your emotions. You can’t go around swearing at people and slapping their property - especially when they’re driving a bloody car - just because you’re upset. Do it for yourself if you don’t care about anyone else: he could have got out and punched your lights out.

OP I actually agree with you. A huge empty car park, why wouldn't you try and avoid the dogs and keep everyone safe?

Why should he?

OP was inconsiderate letting her dog wander around and stand in the middle of the carpark. If she wanted to chat then stay on the path and keep her dog in a lead

And then to shout and swear and bang on his car - how can you genuinely think that that’s reasonable and acceptable behaviour, particularly in front of the children.

"Maybe" in the wrong?! 🙄

So your dog that cannot hear cars *and probably you calling) was off lead in a carpark.

Read that, and tell me how that is sensible and ok

Telling a stranger to fuck off at the end of an arguement is always unreasonable, unless they literally ran over your dog on purpose.

You were absolutely in the WRONG...your behaviour was rude...entitled....out of order and all the rest of it. Even swearing in front of children. Even using the 'c' word on here about a driver using the car park in a perfectly correct manner.

You should always have your dog on a lead in the car park. If you want to stand about and chat to another dog owner and have your dogs off-lead while you do that, then stay in the dog-zone area of the park and finish your chat before you leave.

I feel slightly perplexed if someone parks next to me in an otherwise empty car park. Not because of safety or feeling affronted - just puzzled because it's easier to get out of the car if you're not next to someone and you don't risk damaging your door or the other car.

No, I don't know what you mean, what are you actually on about now?! 😂

This sums up everything I want to say, pretty much. My darling old dog died just after Christmas and it’s brutal, so hard to lose them, but that doesn’t give one the green light to behave disproportionately or unreasonably to situations while maintaining that the higher ground remains theirs. I’d argue that with a dog who’s slow and unable to see or hear, you need to be more protective towards external factors; having them on the lead in a car park seems a good place to start.