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?

Genuinely you knew he was most likely waiting. If I’d been you I’d have waited to see if he was going in as he was there first. If he didn’t go in, then I’d park up and assume he was just waiting for someone in a bit of a weird place. I really think you knew what you were doing.

So what do you think he was waiting for if he wasn’t there to park? If in doubt always check.

You are my hero for pointing that out. :D

(Also I think it was kind of obvious he was waiting for a space).

What a storm in a tea cup. This happens all the time
Just forget and enjoy the weekend.

Yabu OP.
But who gives a shiny shit if he's some wanky 'influencer' on social media?

You can't turn back time so move on.

Karma is a bitch so someone will probably do the same to you one day and all will be equal.

She isn’t at uni. But that was her advice to uni students these days. And then she argued the bit with lots of lecturers who were explaining how that wouldn’t work.

I think the OP does. I think that’s the whole point of this post. She knows she was wrong and is only giving it a second thought as she’s worried it was being recorded and she might look bad. As I said earlier, I doubt this would have been a post if the other person had been an old man in a Micra with no social media.

Goady post.

i was waiting slightly back to give a car room to reverse, with my indicators on when some cunt in a pick up came around me, ignored my indicator and tried to steal the space, but he needed me to move to make the turn.. i refused, gestured i'd been WAITING for that space

It turned into a whole drama I BLARED my horn at him, repeatedly until he gave up.

So no, having your indicator on also doesn't tell selfish prats you're waiting for a space either.

Of course you use your indicator to indicate the space you are waiting for. Otherwise how do others know you are waiting?
That said - any car in a full car park near a space you should assume is turning in after the other car has left.

Thank you for all your comments. Just to clarify, this was a leisure centre car park where people are constantly dropping off and picking up for the gym, swimming, football sessions etc. Because of that, I genuinely thought the Range Rover driver was waiting for someone to come out rather than waiting for the space. He was positioned right at the front of the reversing car, not behind it, so it didn’t look like he was lining up to park.

Looking back, maybe I could have waited a minute longer, but at the time it didn’t seem like he was trying to get into the bay. I’ve done similar myself when dropping my son off for football — I don’t park in a bay, I just pull to the side so I can pick him up and leave quickly. That’s why I assumed he was doing the same.

I’m honestly not bothered if he posts anything online. I couldn’t care less about that. My only concern was that my son was in the front seat, and if the man was recording with those glasses, he might have captured him too.

We all understand it when someone is waiting for a spot. They aren’t just sitting in the drive part of a car park for the fun of it.

No but often it does happen. If you are simply waiting to collect someone there is no point pulling into a space, particularly if they are scarce. You just stop and wait and then drive off

You can phrase it as you want, you just didn't care. Firstly you said it wasn't clear whether he was waiting. That implies you knew it was a possibility.

You didn't bother to wait to see if he was moving. That implies you moved very quickly into the space after the car moved.

If you really really missed out all the signs there and you really really felt you did him wrong, you would have offered to move your car or agreed to do so when he asked you.

You are just one of those entitled people who can't cope with feeling slightly remorseful so you work hard on convincing yourself your actions were justified and need strangers to ratify it.

Next time, don't do it. Problem solved.

Yeah you were the dick here

But when he clarified he was waiting why didn’t you apologise and move?

I've voted yabu however now I think about it no indicators on , other side of the road they could of been waiting for the car to reverse to move forward BUT I've had this happen with my indicator on and its fucking infuriating waiting 15 mins while thy poss about in the car waiting for them to move and some twat steals the space .

It doesn't really matter what you thought about if he was waiting or not because you were wrong and could have saved any worry by just moving. Even if he was recording, I really don't think he'll show your son's face, that really would be a stupid thing to do.