AIBU for taking a parking space when another driver claimed it?

[Chemite12]

Something happened this evening when I took the kids out.
I was driving into a car park and there wasn’t much space. As I turned in, a small car in front of me was reversing out of a bay, so I stopped and waited.

There was a Range Rover Velar off to the side, but it wasn’t clear whether he was waiting for that same space or just passing through. He didn’t have his indicator on at first, and he wasn’t positioned directly behind the reversing car like I was.

As soon as the small car finished reversing out, I drove straight into the bay because I had been waiting directly behind it. After I parked, the Range Rover driver got out and came to my window saying he had been waiting for that space. I told him I genuinely didn’t know he was waiting because he was at the front/side of the reversing car, not behind it like I was.

He asked me to move my car, but I said no because I had already parked. He then left and went to park somewhere else.

It was only when he walked up to my car that I realised he’s a popular Instagram comedian. After he left, my son mentioned he was wearing those Ray Ban Meta Smart glasses that can record. I don’t know if he was recording or not, but that’s what happened.

Am I in the wrong?

Sooo, you were a cheeky wotsit who snatched a parking place from someone who was there first, and now you are worried you could be outed on Instagram. Hmmm.

You said he didn’t have his indicator on ‘at first’. Does this mean he put it on at all?

A few months back I was going to our local farm store and just as I was driving in, a car was reversing out of a space (spaces all nose in along the store front). There was a car that was parked opposite these, no indicator on and made no attempt to move when this car was trying to get out (if he’d reversed back, she could have got out without doing a million point manoeuvre).
I assumed he was just parked up opposite, maybe waiting for someone to come out of the store.
So I parked up in the space left by the car who left. Next thing this bloke is blasting his horn. Apparently he had been parked there waiting for one of the spaces to come free.
About 20 metres up, there is the proper car park that had tonnes of spaces so he didn’t need to wait really, he was obviously just wanting to get near the store door. I always naturally assume I’ll be parking in the other car park because the front spaces are usually full, but when I saw the car leaving the space I thought ‘oh that’s good timing’.
I said if he’d had his indicator on or made an attempt to move back to let the lady out, I might have realised what his intentions were.
If he’d have been nicer about it, I might have offered to move my car for him, but as it was he was an entitled idiot who clearly thought I should have been a mind reader!

I do that's why they are called indicators. People who don't bother with indicators imo are lazy bad drivers.

You saw his car, surely common sense would have been to see if he was waiting for the car to leave. If he then drove off, then the space is yours. Think about others next time.

I think you were in the wrong here.random cars don't just hang around waiting for a space ! Unless they want to park.

Another rude person trying to convince themselves and others that they didn't act wrongly...

Your wording of the incident makes it so obvious....a car was stopped there but it just didn't cross your mind for a second that it was because they were waiting for the space, even though that was the most obvious reason.

When the car was out of the parking spot, you didn't wait to see what the other car was doing, although by then, by your own account, they had their indicator on. No, of course not, instead you moved as fast as you could into the space.

Your excuse that he was on the other side whilst you were next to it is not an excuse.

If it can make you feel better, you're not the only one acting like an inconsiderate hypocrite asshole. I've experienced it a few times. You all have one thing in common, that art of acting all innocent as if you genuinely had no idea what you did was wrong!

As to why does it matter who they were? Do you question your actions only because you accounted some vague celebrity?

Oh and I love how you looked at the car close enough to mentally process what type of range rover it was but missed to mentally consider they might be there waiting for the parking spot 😁

I don't know where you live but where I live cars don't just randomly stop in the middle of the car park. You know perfectly well he was waiting for that space, unless the car park has a marvellous view or something.
A car that has stopped means it's waiting for something.

You were totally in the wrong here. YABU

Indicators are there for a reason, expecting you to mind read is ridiculous, and typical of a man who thinks he's the big 'I am!' From what you said, I don't think you did anything wrong OP. Forget all about it.

Oh god, you again. You’re the poster who said that a university would be “sorry they tangled with you” if they refused to accept handwritten essays handed in person, because you’d refuse to use a computer and online upload for assignments. And you couldn’t seem to grasp that you wouldn’t get away with it and would fail your course. But hey, they “better not tangle with you” and now you don’t understand social media. You really should stay off mumsnet because you’re making yourself look like a proper idiot.

Men (and women) who drive massive SUVs think they own the roads/car parks so it wouldn’t have bothered me.

It's a public car park and no one 'owns' a space. You didn't know for sure if he was waiting for the space. I don't think you've done anything wrong.

If I was him I would feel a bit put out (yes it's happened to me) and drive off elsewhere, but to take you to task over something so petty.

Ouch.

Yes I think the OP knew he was waiting and if it was a genuine mistake she would have moved her car and parked somewhere else. I think she is only concerned about her behaviour in case she goes viral not that she was actually wrong.

Did you pass the course OP?

I think in this situation it is 50:50.

i got annoyed recently as i was in a busy car park and a car in front of me stopped . I assumed they were waiting in front because someone was about to pull out so I waited behind them. And I waited. And then I was thinking, why is he not moving. I didn’t want to overtake as I thought that someone could pull out at anytime. After a few minutes I thought this is odd and I decided to overtake

they literally weren’t waiting for a space at all, just decided to wait there. So I drove past and found a space elsewhere. Was really cross!

So you are saying you think only the car behind/in the same lane as a car exiting a car parking space can be waiting to claim the spot. The car that has driven in from the opposite direction and so is in the other lane couldnt possibly be waiting for the spot, in your world they have just randomly stopped in that exact spot for some other reason.......not very believable is it

I think you may be misunderstanding how Instagram works 😂

You must not live near me, I often see people in my local Tesco waiting for the person with the shopping to hop in after returning the trolley. No doubt needing to same a few moments for a quicker get away

You were OOO @Chemite12 and he was polite to you so likely recording it all.

Congrats you'll soon be famous for an easy mistake that you could have rectified by being reasonable....

You were OOO @Chemite12 and he was polite to you so likely recording it all.

Congrats you'll soon be famous for an easy mistake that you could have rectified by being reasonable....

I was in literally the same situation the other day, I waited for a second to see what the car that got there before me would do first. It parked in the space. I moved on and found another one.

It most likely won't go viral unless you kicked off

You know you’re in the wrong. You wondered if he was waiting, you even said he wasn’t indicating ‘at first’ - meaning he then was indicating later. So he was sat waiting for the space without his indicator on and then popped it on when you arrived to show you he was waiting. I’m wondering if you’d have created this post if the other person had been a man in his 80’s in a Nissan Micra.

And as for the person who judged him as being a complete dick because of a Range Rover, instagram and glasses - wow!