Parking Spot - Who Was In The Right?

LMalore on 17/02/2021 - 17:17

Hi OZB,

I went in to the city today at lunchtime and had an interesting situation when looking for a carpark.

I was driving down the street looking for street parking because I didn't want to pay for parking. I was behind another car driving slowly who I assumed was either looking for a building or a parking space as well. Eventually I spot a 1hr free parking spot on the opposite side of the road next to a driveway. The car in front of me is still moving slowly and, without indicating, turns into the driveway. Unsure if they are going into the driveway or turning around I opportunistically do a u-turn and park in the available spot. A few moments later the car comes out of the driveway and parks behind me with their hazard lights on. Unsure if they feel they have a claim to the spot I hop out of the car and walk over to hear them out. The driver gives me a thumbs up and refuses to make eye contact. Assuming I'm in the clear I move my car forward so that they can try and fit behind me then go on my way. I have drawn a high quality paint image trying to visualise the situation for your convenience: https://imgur.com/a/tBw7apo

My question is, did I do the wrong thing by taking this spot that the other person saw first or am I in the right as I got to the spot first?
It is worth noting that they did not go into the driveway and turn around immediately, but drove in and must have done a 3 point turn as it took them at least ~10-20 seconds to turn around.

Poll Options

  • 73
    Blue car was right
  • 10
    Green car was right
  • 4
    Both in the right
  • 6
    Both in the wrong
Automotive

Comments

  • sharka on 17/02/2021 - 17:21
    +4

    Great diagram. Nothing wrong with what you did

    • Muzeeb on 17/02/2021 - 17:32
      +12

      10/10 would click link again

      • DashCam AKA Rolts on 17/02/2021 - 18:52
        +15

        5/7 post, excellent use of MS Paint diagram without prompting.

        • holdenmg on 17/02/2021 - 19:56
          +2

          Put that up on the Fridge, that is Art.

        • xylarr on 17/02/2021 - 20:12
          +11

          I haven't read the 5/7 thing in a while :)
          https://imgur.com/a/Gjcb5

          • loulou1 on 17/02/2021 - 20:48
            +1

            @xylarr: Thank you for enriching my life with that, I had never seen that before

          • DashCam AKA Rolts on 17/02/2021 - 21:01

            @xylarr: Robert Graves is my hero!

          • Darron65 on 18/02/2021 - 15:51

            @xylarr: I hadn't seen that before either. That is epic trolling right there. Robert Graves, I salute you.

  • [Deactivated] on 17/02/2021 - 17:22

    Whoever was in the spot first.

    Sounds like you were already parked there while they were still trespassing on someones private property.

    • Scrooge McDuck on 18/02/2021 - 03:32
      +4

      Ummm actually, in the general case permission to enter a property is implied until explicitly removed.

      • onetwothreefour on 18/02/2021 - 06:19
        +1

        Not according to vampires.

      • [Deactivated] on 18/02/2021 - 11:01

        Ummm actually, in the general case permission to enter a property is implied until explicitly removed.

        Can't take a quick joke huh.

        So if someone isn't home, I can just enter their house on my own and make myself at home?
        I just have to leave their place before they return, and its all good?

        • Scrooge McDuck on 18/02/2021 - 11:37

          Not unless it's open to the public like a driveway is.

        • terrys on 18/02/2021 - 12:18

          "I can just enter their house on my own"

          If the door is open - it saves on all the paperwork if someone suffering Alzheimer's wanders into a place they lived at 25 years ago, or a genuine mistaken belief it's another property and the problem is solved in a U.S. "Stand your ground" manner.

  • Caped Baldy on 17/02/2021 - 17:26

    Nothing wrong imo unless it was double unbroken lines. But the drawing is solid, so all good.

  • jv on 17/02/2021 - 17:29
    +9

    Whoever draws the best picture gets the parking. It's the law…

    • TEER3X on 17/02/2021 - 19:43
      +4

      Bound to make a good joke eventually

      • daleroy1234 on 18/02/2021 - 15:42
        +1

        Wouldn't hold your breath

    • Yummy on 17/02/2021 - 22:12

      Winner gets a new set of Crayons.

  • kanmen on 17/02/2021 - 17:29
    +3

    They must have given you a thumbs up in acknowledgement that you got the better of them and in embarrassment at how they were dumb.

  • Euphemistic on 17/02/2021 - 17:36
    +1

    I’ve lost parking spaces in similar situations before. It’s annoying, but parking spaces are first in first served. there are no reservations.

  • iNeed2Pee on 17/02/2021 - 17:41
    +5

    You snooze, you lose.

    • Scrooge McDuck on 18/02/2021 - 03:37
      +1

      True, it's in Section 5A of the I'm Telling Mum Act 2021.

  • p1 ama on 17/02/2021 - 17:54
    +8

    In general, the way I approach parking is first in, best dressed, but if another driver seems to really want the spot, I'm not going to argue and risk coming back to my car being keyed, tyres deflated or torched.

    • cloudy on 17/02/2021 - 18:17
      +1

      I’ve never keyed a car, but if I were, I wouldn’t go shouting and carrying on that someone took the spot and then return to key the car. That would be too obvious. Beware of those who appear content losing the spot.

      • donga100 on 17/02/2021 - 21:42
        +2

        I've never keyed a car either, that would be going too far. I've torched a few in my time though.

        • cloudy on 18/02/2021 - 19:25
          +1

          You’re a real Donga

      • p1 ama on 18/02/2021 - 00:09

        Those who key cars tend not to be that bright…

        • cloudy on 18/02/2021 - 20:11

          Those who key are most probably vengeful, which isn't related to brightness.

  • Almost Banned on 17/02/2021 - 19:22
    +2

    I was expecting this to be one of those stories where somebody stood in the spot waiting for their 'partner'.
    I hate people that think that a human body can hold a parking spot.
    Parking spaces are for cars, not people.

    • TEER3X on 17/02/2021 - 19:48

      Yeah that's just idiotic, saw a one today on Facebook, I think it was from the US

  • SF3 on 17/02/2021 - 19:27

    Blue cars are faster than green and red cars. 👍

  • askme69 on 17/02/2021 - 19:43

    Did you do your U Turn first? Or did he start and you quickly did yours after he initiated?

    • Malore on 17/02/2021 - 20:15

      Order of affairs:
      1. They turned into the driveway
      2. I did a u-turn straight into the spot
      3. They came out of the driveway and stopped behind me

      I guess they weren't confident doing a u-turn so decided to turn around in the driveway somewhere.

      • fossilfuel on 17/02/2021 - 21:16
        +6

        They're probably the same type of people who think using a bus lane to turn left is illegal so they turn left from the middle/right lane.

  • Stewardo on 17/02/2021 - 20:31
    +3

    Your front right tyre needs some air.

  • dogboy on 17/02/2021 - 21:02
    +4

    Who was right legally - Blue car. Who was right ethically - Green.

  • holdenmg on 17/02/2021 - 22:19
    +1

    Neither car would fit in the yellow space, so why fight over it.

    • SF3 on 17/02/2021 - 22:56

      Could be a blue Smart Fortwo, could parallel park or at 90 degrees :D

  • Ughhh on 18/02/2021 - 06:29

    It has never been "who saw the spot first gets the park". Unless they were reverse parallel parking, whoever is faster gets it.

  • franco cozzo on 18/02/2021 - 07:26

    this is why cars should be banned and everyone should be forced to cycle

  • Lurk Hartog on 18/02/2021 - 08:26
    +3

    Anybody who doesn't indicate deserves what they get.

  • iand on 18/02/2021 - 19:50

    you were in the right as really you had no reason to know he wasn't entering the property whose driveway he went into until he came out after you had parked and the other guy gave you the thumbs up so it appears he accepted that you were good to park there,
    Note I don't argue with people over a parking space as I would rather not have someone angry at me and knowing where I'm parked

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