I just need to vent and figure out if im losing my mind here bc I just had the most insane encounter and this person made me feel like im some kind of monster for literally NOTHING. I was just trying to run some errands and this absolute psycho decides to make my day a living hell over a parking spot. I swear some ppl just wake up looking for a fight.
So, I drive a brand new car, right? It’s not like some beat-up clunker. It was a huge investment and I work really hard to keep it nice. I’m super careful about where I park, always trying to avoid those door dings from ppl who just fling their doors open without a thought. It’s a wider car too, so sometimes standard spots are a tight squeeze, especially when other cars park right on the line. I dont want to be THAT person who parks perfectly in a spot and then cant even open their door to get out, or worse, someone dings my car bc they cant open theirs. It’s just common sense to be a little considerate.
I went to the big shopping plaza today, the one that’s always a madhouse on weekends. I knew it would be busy so I tried to go a little earlier. I found a spot kinda near the back, it looked okay. But when I pulled in, the car next to me (on the passenger side) was parked like a total idiot, practically touching the line. If I parked perfectly straight in my own spot, my passenger door would be millimeters from theirs, making it impossible for my partner to get out later (I was meeting them). Or, worse, it would almost guarantee a ding when they inevitably opened their door like a barbarian. I deliberated for a second, then I made a judgment call. I decided to park just a little bit over the line on the driver’s side. Not like, taking up a whole other spot, just enough so my car had some breathing room and wasnt gonna get scratched by the car next to me, and so I could open my driver’s side door without scraping the other car. It was just a few inches, honestly. The space I was “encroaching” on was a tiny little sliver, not enough for another car to park there anyway. And honestly, it was at the back of the lot, there were still tons of other spaces when I pulled in. I thought I was being smart, protecting my investment.
I did my shopping, which took longer than I thought, bc you know how these places are. By the time I was done, the entire lot was packed, every single space. I came back to my car, kinda tired and just ready to go home. As I’m walking up, there’s this woman, maybe in her 50s, standing right next to my driver’s side door. She’s got her phone out, clearly taking pictures of my car. I was like, excuse me? She immediately turns to me, face all red, and starts SCREAMING. I mean, full-on yelling. “ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THIS?! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! THIS IS UNBELIEVABLY SELFISH! I’VE BEEN WAITING TEN MINUTES FOR A SPOT AND YOU’RE TAKING UP TWO!”
I was so taken aback. I tried to explain. I said, “Ma’am, I only parked like this because the car next to me was parked so badly, and my car is a bit wider. I was trying to avoid a ding.” And she just cuts me off. “DON’T YOU DARE BLAME OTHER PEOPLE FOR YOUR ARROGANCE! YOU ARE THE REASON NO ONE CAN FIND PARKING! I HAD TO PARK THREE ROWS AWAY BECAUSE OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU!”
I pointed to the car next to me. “Look, if I had parked perfectly, my passenger door would be touching that car. I was just trying to prevent damage.” She scoffed. “OH, YOUR PRECIOUS CAR! WHAT ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE’S PRECIOUS TIME? YOU THINK YOU’RE ENTITLED TO TWO SPOTS?”
I was getting really annoyed at this point. I tried to stay calm but her tone was just so aggressive. “I’m not taking two spots. I’m just slightly over the line. There’s not enough room for another car here anyway, especially with how the other car is parked. You’re overreacting.”
Then she did something truly unhinged. She actually stepped right in front of my door, like she was going to block me from getting in. “OH, I’M OVERREACTING?! YOU ARE THE MOST RUDE AND INCONSIDERATE PERSON I’VE SEEN ALL DAY! I’M REPORTING YOU TO MANAGEMENT! I HAVE PICTURES OF YOUR LICENSE PLATE!”
I was just stunned. I looked around, and a few people were staring. I just wanted to get out of there. “Look, you need to move. I’m leaving.” I said it firmly, not yelling, but definitely assertive. She just stood there, glaring. I had to kinda squeeze past her to even open my door. As I was getting in, she yelled, “I HOPE SOMEONE DINGS YOUR CAR, YOU SELFISH BRAT!”
I just drove away. My hands were shaking. I mean, I was just trying to be careful with my car and avoid a hassle, and this woman acts like I committed some major crime. I wasn’t hurting anyone, the lot wasn’t totally full when I got there, and it was just a few inches. Was I really that bad? I feel like she was completely out of line with the yelling and the blocking and the wishing damage on my car. It’s a CAR. Not a person. People need to chill out. I still dont understand how my actions, which were clearly for practical reasons, warranted that kind of reaction. She made me feel like a criminal just for trying to protect my property. It was completely disproportionate.
So, am I the jerk here? Was I wrong for trying to protect my car from dings and making a practical choice, even if it meant being a few inches over the line? Or was this woman completely unhinged and out of line? I really feel like I was the victim of an unprovoked attack and she was just looking for someone to rage at. Please tell me I’m not crazy here bc her reaction felt so extreme for such a minor thing.
