Altercation in carpark

[Icecreamsundaz]

I was in a supermarket carpark, I had put my baby in her carseat and had just loaded my groceries in the boot. A car parked in the parent and child space next to me and an older couple got out, early 70s I would guess, able bodied, no kids with them
I said "sorry do you realise thats s parent and child space" and I pointed to the markings.
Well his response was very rude in tone "I came here to do my shopping, not to dance around" ?? "It should be first come first served " and they stormed off. I was a bit taken aback, I said loudly but they were a bit away at this point so not sure if they heard me "god id hate to be so ignorant". I took a picture of their car. Not really sure what I was going to do with it, thinking I would think about it and perhaps report to management. I got into my car
The next he was at my window "you took a photo, its illeageal to take photos of other people's property, delete it." I ensured my doors were locked, he stood behind my car so I couldn't reverse out, she was at my windscreen taking photos of me. Eventually they moved and I got out.
Maybe I shouldn't have said anything but there were loads of other places they could have parked but the parent and child spaces are limited. Its very frustrating when I've all my kids and can't find a free parent and child space because people like this who dont need them take them and they don't give a shit

What if he had politely responded "yes I am aware thank you" would he still owe the OP further justification or would a polite response with no snapping be reasonable enough?

God imagine being a proper bell end putting one of those on someone's car 😭

Fuck around, find out

She was standing up for right ovber wrong. A rare value nowadays.

It's infuriating when my parents cannot get a disabled space as they are sometimes occpied by taxis etc.

Why can't people simply follow society's rules which are there for the good of all.

At this point 2/3 of people think the OP was unreasonable for standing up for right over wrong, you I expect are one of them. Ever wonder why our society is now such a cess pit compared to 50 years ago?

Oh I know, some car parks I literally have to press myself against my own car and shimmy along it sideways to get out and I'm a regular sized person. God knows how all these larger people cope or people with mobility issues.

Maybe someone will inform you of your error and send photos to your insurance company then. See how that works?

Just leave people alone. Worry about yourself.

My sense of morals, of right and wrong and sense of fair play are set on high alert by the huge gap between the need to get a car door open for safe, pain free access and the height of the bar for getting a blue badge, when using car parks marked for cars a foot narrower than the cars are today. Does that count?

Surely better to justify then to snap at OP, no?

No.

She poked her nose holes in where they weren't needed, so no-one needs to encourage that.

I always parked at the back of car parks with dc. Much quieter and I could leave a space either side of my car so there was loads of room to get dc in and out. I couldn't be bothered with the hassle of parking at the front ( it's busier) and still don't now. So I'm another who thinks parent/ child spaces should be at the back. It will stop the people who are just lazy from using them.
Would I try and 'police' parent / child spaces? Absolutely not. All it does is cause aggravation and upset for something that isn't even a legal requirement, just a courtesy.

I find people's obsession with policing other people's choices weird.

I mean, that's basically what's upheld society for millennia but you do you babe.

I suppose if someone lets their dog shit on the pavement and doesn't pick it up, it's weird to say something because I didn't personally tread in it.

Or someone is causing traffic issues because they've parked inconsiderately I should just leave it instead of knock on their door and ask them if they could move.

Or if someone is shouting and swearing in front of young kids, that's fine because I'm not a kid.

Yes they can stick it and the rush home to pen an open letter on the local facebook community page "To the owner of the white Audi parked in Tesco today........."

Not as much fun as the photo's of dog poo we get on ours "if this is your dog's poo please come back and clean up after you animal"

I agree with the last point.
@Icecreamsundaz would you have been as quick to speak out to a white van man pulling into grab lunch?
If I was to notice who generally uses these spaces inappropriately (or in my mind anyway) it seems to be men and usually tradesmen who clearly are nipping in so see these spaces as convinient for a quick pop in and grab an item rather than a full shop.

Mumsnet is a really weird place in instances like this.

This is because generally, people who blatantly ignore rules or convention are CFs for who there should be a special place in hell - but equally, if you ever confront or consider reporting said people, then you are a nosy sod who should mind their own business.

I think a quiet tut or side-eye must be the only permitted response ;)

We could get her a cape in the shape of a wheel clamp 😁

“Poked her nose holes in”

🤣🤣🤣

I had a vision of OP poking her nose holes with a pencil for some reason 🤣

Yes I think that would be much more preferable personally. At least he's owning it and not shouting at OP making up bollocks reasons like "first come first served".

This. You can’t just slide out of a half opened door at that age.

Report them to the council.

Attach the image of their car ( including number plate) as evidence.

That will teach the arrogant fools to be agressive to a mother with a child.

I don't think holding people accountable for discourtesy in public is policing peoples choices. By that logic, well its my choice to play a loud sweary film on my phone without headphones on the bus, who are you to police my choice? Also, see my example about farting in a lift, I had a sore tummy and at that moment I wanted some temporary relief, who are you to police that?

I would back you up wholeheartedly with your mum, but I don't think that is the circumstances we're talking about.

Could OP have handled it better, yes, I reckon so. But she was right to point it out, and the couple were wrong to be defensive.

As i said in a previous post i would and I have done
Post is not about age. If these people were frail or appeared disabled regardless of age I wouldn't have said anything

OP did you happen to notice if they had a blue badge on their car ? Or whether there were any blue badge spaces left in the car park ? With a few specific exceptions parent and child spaces are not protected by law - they are a concession so really you didn’t have a reason to try to stop them parking there, especially since you had your own parking space sorted. If they’re elderly and had mobility problems they may have needed the space because it was closer to the entrance or provided more space to get the doors open wider to get in and out.

I have a blue badge and I need to deal with a wheelchair. if there are no convenient spaces I will use a parent and child space. If I was elderly and had mobility problems I would use a parent and child space if I wasn’t granted a blue badge. You are not the car park police and on this occasion I think you were wrong to challenge.

Before I got my BB I parked in them because I couldn’t get out without opening my door fully and swivelling round.

now I’ve got a BB I still use them if the BB spaces are full.

if you challenged me I’d like to think I’d tell you to fuck off but most likely I’d just be in tears.