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?

My children are very much fit enough to go to the skate park. I. on the other hand, struggle with a chronic illness which means that I do try and park as close as possible as possible to things

To be honest I think given OP’s aggressive and entitled attitude it’s only going to be a matter of time before there’s an incident with police involvement - the driver in question could easily have called them if she was banging on his car and swearing. If you know you’re over the drink drive limit why invite trouble.

My SiL passed away a couple of years ago from alcohol related problems and I’d advise OP to get help ASAP if she really is downing a bottle of vodka every day. SiL was doing the same thing secretly for five years after her DH died. She was a functioning alcoholic and no one knew what was happening until she fell and broke her leg. She was admitted to hospital and of course had no access to alcohol. Within a day or so she was having seizures because of the sudden withdrawal - had to be moved to ICU for induced coma. Every time they brought her round she seized. Scans revealed alcohol damage to almost every organ, as well as related brain damage. She never regained consciousness and died a few days later. It’s a horrible way to die, and there are often no obvious symptoms until it’s too late.

Did you ever stop to think he was parking as close as he could to the childrens’ play area because he was thinking about their safety in the car park with moving vehicles ? Did it cross your mind that one or more of his kids may have special needs - it isn’t always obvious, and I’m mindful of your ableist and unreasonable assumption that if they could use the skatepark they could walk to it. Not always the case.

Your attitude is the one that’s out of order here. He parked in a legitimate parking space - the fact that the rest of the car park was empty (which doesn’t correlate with your description of a few people loading dogs into their cars by the way) is neither here nor there - he had his reasons for parking as he did and it’s none of your business. If you hit his car and swore at him in front of his kids, and displayed any of the horrible aggressiveness you’ve shown on this thread, I think you’re lucky he didn’t report you to be honest.

Where is the lack of common sense exactly ? Pedestrians were standing chatting in a CAR PARK with dogs off the leash. The dogs should have been on the leash as soon as they came out of the park, especially considering they were close to a childrens’ play area. And I don’t know about you, but I always park with consideration for the needs of the passengers in my car.

There was clearly access to the parking space he chose, and any good parent out with children will always try to park as close as they can to their destination so that their kids don’t have spend any more time than necessary close to moving vehicles. One or more of his children may have had special needs - you have no idea what the situation was and neither did OP. And if you look carefully at OP’s posts you’ll see huge inconsistencies in the way she describes the incident - the story changes each time she relates it.

Sorry to read this.

So @TheQuirkyMaker you say there were two cars parked next to each other - presumably yours and the other dog walker - which meant that, whichever of you arrived second, they (you?) chose to park right next to the one car already parked. Even though it's a completely empty car park.

But when another driver chooses to park there as well, he's in the wrong?

I'm so shocked to learn that the OP downs a bottle of vodka a day and drives! That is literally criminal! It explains the outrageous behaviour she described in the first post.

You’ve made a lot of things up in your head about the man that you’ve stated as fact, maybe seek help for that and your rage?

I don't know why you're getting such a hard time. He was clearly only thinking about what he's got to do/lack of hazard awareness and consideration towards more vulnerable people/animals. Common sense would be to leave at least one space empty between where you're parking and a car with people and loose dogs next to it. It doesn't matter if you're in the wrong for not having the dog on the lead, he should have waited for you to be clear of the area and reversed cautiously.

It's like the morons that try to pull into a space when you've just got kids out of the car instead of having the patience to wait until you're all clear out of the way.

Did you ever stop to think he was parking as close as he could to the childrens’ play area because he was thinking about their safety in the car park with moving vehicles ?
The only moving vehicle was his.

Yes, but other vehicles could have arrived after he'd parked up.

Yes he was the only car ever going to move on the car park 😒😒

You’re clearly mentally unwell and I hope you get some help. Bit if you had smashed my windscreen I’m afraid I would have punched you in the face 🙄

And she doesn’t regret getting caught for drink driving 3 times, just that she endangered others.
And before anyone jumps in to say that’s irrelevant- it actually isn’t.
She didn’t learn the first time, so she carried on endangering others, getting caught a further two times (makes me wonder how many times she hasn’t been caught).
Something she’s accusing this man of doing.
So all of you leaping to her defence, where do you stand on drink drivers? Still want to take the word of a drink driver as gospel? For all we know, she maybe been drink driving on this occasion too, and her judgement of distance and speed impaired.
I just hope and pray she doesn’t drive her grandchildren whilst she’s under the influence.
Or expose them to her potty mouth.

I bet you're one of those who shouts "they're friendly" as your dog comes into my (absolutely terrified of dogs) child's space. In case you haven't got it yet. Yes, yabvu.

So true this. Boils my piss.

It also shows she disregards other people's safety

Like banging on their car whilst they are driving, swearing in front of their kids and wishing further violence...

Crikey, she's still going with this.
Extraordinary behaviour.

As she drinks a full bottle of vodka every day, starting in the morning (by her own admission), she's never not going to be drunk, i.e. over the limit, so yes, she must drive drunk every time she gets in her car. It's frightening that she has so little self awareness and can't see the reality of the danger she poses to others. To have almost boasted that she has no remorse after being charged 3 times is disgusting and shows the depths to which she has sunk. I would pity her but I just can't.

Oh my god ! She’s a danger to herself and others ,selfish cow

Who goes to car parks and chooses a further away spot when a nearby one is available? Weirdos, that's who

I'm perfectly fit and able but why on earth would I choose to park further away when I don't have to?

There is also no way her friends and family don’t know.

Don’t be bloody ridiculous. Any vehicle could move at any time, and good parents put the safety of their children above anything else. You said the car park was empty, and then said that people were loading their dogs into their cars. It can’t be both.

If a horse rider is able to kick your car you're too fucking close.

Bears repeating, I'm sure.