[Closed] Just had the police around, I've been accused of racism

Cars innit.

No. It isn't.

It's just dicks. Their chosen mode of transport is irrelevant. They're just dicks.

As gauss says...walking and getting places with kids really is no big deal. Would my heart bleed thinking of my wife walking 40 yards with baby seat and toddler in the rain instead of 20 yards? Absolutely not! Perspective, cars have indeed turned many people into everyday wendyballers.

I like the spaces keeps the kids away from my car which I park further away 🙂

PS family spaces are free reign. There's nothing illegal about parking in them no matter who you are

Loads of things aren't illegal, but not doing them/doing them makes you a bit of a knob. It's not difficult to not park in parent and baby spaces, nor park straight in a bay It's not hard to stand up if a pregnant woman on a train asks for your seat (or offer it). Not to barge people out of the way when walking. Queuing. Talking on your phone in the cinema. Etc etc.

gauss1777

Really though?, I've never had a car and only ever walked or used the bus when my children were small, it's hard to imagine walking a few yards across a car park is an ordeal. Fully able people at my work moan if they can't park within 20 yards of the door and any sign of rain has them in a panic. It is incredible how the comforts and convenience of driving lead drivers to feel so entitled to an easy life.

I had no car for months at a time with my two. When you walk, you put them in the buggy then walk onto the bus or walk into the shop. if one is slightly older they can go on the buggy board or walk alongside.

When in a car you either have to remove the car seat and place it on the trolley or remove the baby from the car seat and place them in the trolley. more room is helpful here. If one or both is older they may well be keen to jump out and have little understanding of the value of property or why it's wrong to dent a strangers car.

I always, and I stress ALWAYS, park at the arse end of the car park when I'm on my own. Regardless of the weather.

I sometimes park my van in family spaces, plenty space for it after all

Guy acts like a prick.... gets called a prick..... continues to act like a prick.

I'm all for challenging anti-social behavior - but a person who is inclined to act like that in the first place is unlikely to change their behavior based on your feedback (constructive or otherwise).

This chap went even further to prove you right buy calling the police and falsely reporting a racist incident, just because somebody called him a prick (because he was acting like a prick).

You have been mildly inconvenienced by having the rozzers round..... but at least you're not a prick.

I wouldn't mind if the child spaces were the furthermost point from the store, If it stopped the mouth-breathing, self righteous ****s from taking them because they feel entitled and can't heave their fat arses out of their badly parked shit machines then I'd be all for it.

I had a to-do with a guy in a car park when I asked him where his kid was......"in the house" was his response. I just gave up trying after that. Still boils my piss when I see it, kinda like this behaviour

[img] [/img]

Mattyfez +1

I sometimes park my van in family spaces...

I sometimes park my car in parent child spaces, if it's 10pm and the car park is 99% empty, I don't consider that bad, I wouldn't however do that at peak shopping times, because I'm not a dick. It's all about having a bit of consideration and awareness. You can't legislate everything, at some point people have to actually make decisions, hopefully they are considered decisions.

I sometimes park my van in family spaces, plenty space for it after all

Yes, yes, you've been jumping up and down shouting I AM A **** on this thread for 16 minutes now. We heard you the first time.

When in a car you either have to remove the car seat and place it on the trolley or remove the baby from the car seat and place them in the trolley. more room is helpful here. If one or both is older they may well be keen to jump out and have little understanding of the value of property or why it's wrong to dent a strangers car.

Ah, I see, it's the extra space rather than the distance, I didn't realise that. Thanks.

I assumed the parent/child spaces were a safety thing. Lot's of reversing cars. Children are small and below the height of the rear window, making them more difficult to see than adults. Makes sense they get out of the car close to the store doesn't it?

It's called "backover" in America, car companies are developing systems to avoid it because it's so common.

Have the police nothing better to do?

Should have told them to piss off & go & find some real police work to do.

Have the police nothing better to do?

Are you really being serious? Given the current social political climate?

Racial tensions are high for those that can't see past their own noses, but luckily the police responded correctly and didn't take any action if the op is correct, the police response was correct, they quickly realised it was a car park squabble and moved on, but they investigated what they have to take as face value, a 'racist' incident.

That the perpetrator was pretending to be the victim is why we have police.

As Horatio says, there can be a safety aspect - I'm quite happy to park far from the shop and walk, but in most car parks paths are non-existent so you're shepherding a toddler or two along what's basically a road, only with even more distracted and impatient people pulling in and out of spaces, while trying to carry stuff or push a trolley yourself.

Wow, more pricks on here than I expected.

Car parks are dangerous places for tiny kids, drivers can't see them, and they don't yet fully understand the risk that cars present. So supermarkets wisely create safe places to unload sprogs and get them in and out of the store safely and easily, If lazy selfish pricks take those spaces, they have decided their time is more important than keeping kids safe, and deserve to be called out.

Police did the correct thing following up the complaint, but I don't think we should take away for this sorry tale that designated spaces are fair game due to lack of legal status.

you're shepherding a toddler or two along what's basically a road, only with even more distracted and impatient people pulling in and out of spaces, while trying to carry stuff or push a trolley yourself.

I'll say again this is a wide reaching social issue, until People stop being so selfish, it will continue, you cant have 25 coppers in every supermarket car park, it's too expensive, people need to start taking some responsibility, being more reasonable and not throwing a hissy fit when they miss a parking spot.

Being more reasonable means not parking in bays clearly marked as reserved for others I presume.

We could build car parks with paths? Takes up space but makes it so much better.

There's some similarity with cycling - a sudden increase in patient, competent driving would be great but it isn't going to happen, so we need segregated space that reduces the risk from the known and hard to remove hazard. Family spaces sort of do that by avoiding a walk through cars.

Having read the OP a couple of times there's something that I don't understand. Presumably the police were able to track the OP down through his car registration, but when did the guy in the Porsche take down the registration to pass to the police? He hadn't seen the OP parking and drove off after the altercation...

you're shepherding a toddler or two along what's basically a road, only with even more distracted and impatient people pulling in and out of spaces, while trying to carry stuff or push a trolley yourself.

I'll say again this is a wide reaching social issue, until People stop being so selfish, it will continue, you cant have 25 coppers in every supermarket car park, it's too expensive, people need to start taking some responsibility, being more reasonable and not throwing a hissy fit when they miss a parking spot.

Give a written report to the supermarket saying the spaces are being misued and given it's Christmas and busy they should have a staff member patrolling them. Explain their inaction has lead to a false Police report.

Kelvin it's private land the supermarket can designate amd enforce parking pretty much as they wish. They could legally stick a sign up and charge you £100 for parking in a family spot if they wanted. I don't see how the law is unclear at all.

BTW did you suggest to the Police the other guy had been wasting their time ? Did you explain he had been parked in a family space ?

Pretty depressing people play the race card in such an incident. All a bit Ali-G "is it because I is black"

They're just the same selfish entitled pricks that make life a bit rubbish for the other 95% of decent people.

This pretty much sums up society for me.

A little consideration goes a long way.

^^ this.

They're just the same selfish entitled pricks that make life a bit rubbish for the other 95% of decent people.
This pretty much sums up society for me.

A little consideration goes a long way.

^^ this.

Indeed, the family bays are there so you can open the doors wide to get the children in and out of child seats without scratching the car next to you with the door.

(Bulky items - not sure about that, bulkiest items regularly purchased are nappies, so usually have children. perhaps he's incontinent which is fair enough)

Prick seems an appropriate description

Rights and wrongs of the other driver aside, what would you choose to describe someone who has a go at someone and escalates it to the point of calling the guy a prick "and a few more words" in front of their own kids?

Honestly, you sound like you need to calm the hell down, what sort of example do you think you're setting with behaviour like that? By all means call someone out if they're doing something wrong and you think it's going to do any good but there is absolutely no need to take it that far. As someone alluded to earlier it's only a matter of time before that sort of behaviour ends in violence. FFS get a sense of perspective, yes he was a prick and he'll likely still be a prick tomorrow but do you honestly think that some [s]nobody[/s] STW Big Hitter giving him a lecture on the moral rights and wrongs of abusing parent and child parking in the middle of the car park is going to lead him to some sort of epiphany?

<sad_violin>

If you anyone thinks it's acceptable to take these spaces when you don't need them perhaps next time imagine your wife, sister, mother etc struggling to carry a baby in a car seat while walking hand in hand with a toddler through the car park. Maybe in the rain.

</sad_violin>

As said, perhaps if car parks were constructed safely (ie. with proper paths you can back onto) and with proper sized spaces we wouldn't need super jumbo kiddy spaces in the first place. With a canopy for those who choose to be incorrectly attired for the weather.

Gary_C - Member

Have the police nothing better to do?

Must admit, it's a tad infuriating to hear of this story when the police couldn't send anyone to attend a burglary in progress at my home.

Well, they said they'd come, several times, but after seven years of waiting I've kind of given up hope. 🙁

Honestly, you sound like you need [b]calm the hell down[/b] , what sort of example do you think you're setting with behaviour like that?

Excellent

Sorry petal, was that a bit too fruity? Didn't think any kids would be reading this so decided to be a bit risque. My mistake...

More going on in the OP's life than just shouting at some spotty Yoof for parking in a space near the supermarket door.

Tesco?
Morrisons?
Sainsburys perrrapz ?

prick 😀

If I park in the parent child spaces when I take my aged parents am I taking the piss? 🙂

I'm amused that the parent space invaders justify parking in the spaces closest to the shop by saying that people should be willing to walk a bit further. Manages to both miss the point and be hypocritical.

"I don't know any random strangers but those parking selfishly are pricks. Don't act like one if you don't wanna be regarded as one. #thetruthhurtssometimes"

"Prick seems an appropriate description"

By that logic then a black person can be called 'n*gg*r' because it's 'true'.

I'm struggling with the idea that being abusive in some ways is acceptable.

All abuse is wrong, regardless of the specific choice of words chosen to hurt.

Thread couldn't be more STW if it tried really could it.. I'm amazed we've not found out if it was the wrong type of car yet and scolded the OP for driving something not STW appropriate.

I dunno, i see that thread where we all sent bike parts off to a guy who couldn't afford a bike, or the recent one where everyone is offering a guy clothes/money/kit...
Then i read this... i think to myself "is this actually the same forum".. Astounding.

I've been an advocate several times recently on calling selfish and inconsiderate behaviour out, so well done for that. Don't let the outcome stop you, if we collectively don't do it, accepting that at times it isn't easy then it'll continue unchallenged and become the norm. And that's not the country or society I want.

As for the 'prick' bit and losing your rag; that's not good. Although I'll defend you a bit. If after you challenged him, the reasonable response would have been 'yes, I know, I'm sorry, I just worry about my shiny car getting scratched' it wouldn't have happened. Being selfish and inconsiderate and then arguing over it when someone points it out - is somewhat 'prickish' in my book. Even if your items are bulky.

Interesting that a new build supermarket near me has put the P&C spaces at the back of the shop. They're still against the shop, so you can get out and walk the kids around the perimeter path and avoid traffic but now no longer as desirable as the ones right at the front. I wonder if they get taken as much.

Or - instead of calling them P&C spaces; label them for 'Parents with Children and Inconsiderate Pricks with high feelings of entitlement' See who uses them then, when they're already being called out for what they are. Oh, and people with bulky items too. 😉

@outofbreath - the OP acknowledged his language was inappropriate; the categorisation less so ;).

This thread has one of the highest trolling/nobery levels I have ever seen on here!

As a new Dad the extra width in the bays are handy. Allows the door to bet fully opened to grab the child seat and gives me a safe area to set up the buggy.

It bugs me when it's clear folk are using the bays when they don't need to buy telling them won't change anything.

Classic example was a car parked in the p&c bay at Asda. Teenage girl sat in the passenger seat, parent goes alone for the shopping. Not strictly against the rules but still a nobish thing to do.

Before little miss breadcrumb I'd never consider parking in the p&c bays, and once she's old enough I won't be using them either.

Not in front of your kids! Could have ended up with a blade in your back.

Have a word with yourself!

Defend you family, if you have to, but leave all the mugs out there alone.

Seems you can't have a thread on STW which has even the slightest mention of a car without one of the stw self proclaimed driving gods arguing for the sake of arguing

I often think about killing people who talk in the quiet carriages of trains.

Not read all of this, but when you called him a prick you lost the moral high ground and it became a collision of arseholes..

What you playing at agent007, a month ago you were complaining that wheelie bins made it difficult for people with pushchairs, now you seem to have less concern for them?

They're just the same selfish entitled pricks that make life a bit rubbish for the other 95% of decent people.

Who would that be, the people parking where they shouldn't or the people who feel they have a right to call someone out for being a prick?

Both are equally the arse end of society as far as I can see, chill out and go ride a bike.

+1 Weeks (9ish posts above)

I had a similar thing happen 10 years ago in Bradford,at the time I was a delivery driver in Bradford everyday, one day I was travelling down one of the Cities inner one way streets when A guy came up it the wrong way demanding I reverse the 16 ton wagon back up.. After a load of handbags his passenger got out and punched the windscreen shouted you white bastard jumped back in to the 4x4 and reversed off after cracking the screen.
I reported the incident to W Yorkshire ecilop why after spending an hour interviewing me didn't want to follow it up as my description of the young white male didn't match the owner who was a 60+ guy. In short they didn't want to get involved, they did happen to leave a file on the desk after explain their lack of interest, and "had to nip out" for a minute..

I did receive a follow up call some 10 days later asking how I felt about the way it was handled needless to say I didn't hold back

I still remember the address and where the 4X4 was parked some 4 weeks later. Did you know a 16 ton wagon has an impact force of 52 ton at 2mph 😉

So much anger and negativity. Some of you talking about how crap life is.

Wow.

Car parking spaces aren't important to me, and I'm genuinely a very happy and positive person who sees a lot good in people. Maybe there's a correlation.

allan23

Who would that be, the people parking where they shouldn't or the people who feel they have a right to call someone out for being a prick?

Both are equally the arse end of society as far as I can see,

Then you can't see very far. Calling someone a prick for acting like a prick doesn't seem egregious to me, more akin to knob or asshole. Shorthand for silly person. It's not like the op lost his temper, started screaming some racial epithet at the guy while frothing at the mouth, ripping his shirt off demanding a fight.

I still remember the address and where the 4X4 was parked some 4 weeks later. Did you know a 16 ton wagon has an impact force of 52 ton at 2mph

Ain't you a special snowflake.

Then you can't see very far.

Quite possibly, but chill out and go ride a bike generally doesn't have as bad a result as pointing out other people's inconsiderate behaviour with insults.

Works for me and so far hasn't ended up with plod round my house.

A proven false accusation of racism should be treated the same as the offence itself. Its a cheap trick, wagered by spiteful, vindictive people. It wastes time & can ruin lives, & reputations.

So much anger and negativity. Some of you talking about how crap life is.

Wow.

Car parking spaces aren't important to me, and I'm genuinely a very happy and positive person who sees a lot good in people. Maybe there's a correlation.

Wasn't it you on here last night, boasting about how you park in the child spaces because they're a better fit for your van?

If so, your attempt to take the moral high ground, by pretending to be a nice person, has fallen a bit flat.

We are not what we say; we are what we *do*.

Pricks defending prickish behaviour.

If you park in spaces that are to help people other than you, you are a prick.
If you can't see why this is so, please don't operate heavy machinery.

allan23

chill out and go ride a bike generally doesn't have as bad a result as pointing out other people's inconsiderate behaviour with insults.

Ah yeah, chill out and go for a bike ride. Everyone should always, by default, chill out and go for a bike ride. Even when they see people acting in an ignorant anti social manner.

Works for me and so far hasn't ended up with plod round my house.

Police call to people's houses for stupid reasons some times. Including false accusations. They were lied to by a prick. Nothing to be ashamed of.

You should told the police that the guy touched you on your front bottom.

What you playing at agent007, a month ago you were complaining that wheelie bins made it difficult for people with pushchairs, now you seem to have less concern for them?

This has zero to do with this and everything to do with the fact that the OP had no idea why the stranger in the Porsche had parked in that space.

Maybe he was a prick, equally though maybe he had just dropped his hard of walking gran off at the store, maybe he hadn't realised what the space was (in a low slung car it's more difficult to see the symbol on the ground painted directly infront of the car), maybe his mobility isn't great and he needs extra space to open this doors and climb out of his car etc, etc.

So there's a multitude of reasons why the guy might have parked there and only one of these is that he's a prick. Yet the OP felt it more appropriate to wade in anyway, assume the worst and verbally abuse the guy! Nice work OP!

It's not like the op lost his temper, started screaming some racial epithet at the guy while frothing at the mouth, ripping his shirt off demanding a fight.

No, but whilst not going that far he certainly lost his temper enough to have started an argument that almost escalated into a fight. In front of his kids. Over what? A parking space he wasn't even using. Sound judgement there, definitely.

OP if you think I'm judging your anger management harshly just remember the old saying; it takes one to know one.

I agree with Ski. Unless it's a life threatening situation just don't get involved.

Unless you live an exemplary life, in which case go for it cos everyone knows right is might, right...

agent007

This has zero to do with this and everything to do with the fact that the OP had no idea why the stranger in the Porsche had parked in that space.

No it's quite clear, he was being a lazy selfish prick. Keep up.

equally though maybe he had just dropped his hard of walking gran off at the store,

He could have used the drop off point. But they are generally full of cars.

maybe he hadn't realised what the space was (in a low slung car it's more difficult to see the symbol on the ground painted directly infront of the car),

Is it still difficult to read the signage from a low slung car? Because virtually all these spaces have numerous signs at head height explaining what they are.

maybe his mobility isn't great and he needs extra space to open this doors and climb out of his car etc, etc.

You mean as if he was disabled? Perhaps he should park in the disabled spaces then.

So there's a multitude of reasons why the guy might have parked there and only one of these is that he's a prick. Yet the OP felt it more appropriate to wade in anyway, assume the worst and verbally abuse the guy! Nice work OP!

Nope. There's no multitude. Only the obvious. If you have children and you try to avail of parent and child spaces you'll see that about 30% of them are constantly taken up by piss takers.

(in a low slung car it's more difficult to see the symbol on the ground painted directly infront of the car)

maybe his mobility isn't great and he needs extra space to open this doors and climb out of his car [b]to have a fight with the OP[/b] etc, etc

I'm calling Taylforth on this one

Even when they see people acting in an ignorant anti social manner.

All that for parking poorly?

Perhaps if the other person was robbing the shop or hurling abuse at passing shoppers. Parking poorly is being a little inconsiderate but hardly the downfall of society.

A little perspective and winding of neck in would have saved a whole evening of annoyance for the OP, the bloke in the car and the police.

Somewhere that evening there was possibly a real crime committed that a couple of officers couldn't respond to because someone thought it was their right to insult someone else who was a little inconsiderate and it all escalated badly.

allan23

All that for parking poorly?

Perhaps if the other person was robbing the shop or hurling abuse at passing shoppers. Parking poorly is being a little inconsiderate but hardly the downfall of society.

It's not parking poorly. It's being inconsiderate. How would feel about someone pushing their way to the front of the queue at the cash point or till? Load of people boarding the bus in an orderly fashion and someone just pushes past....would you say something or just bemoan his poor queuing skills.

A little perspective and winding of neck in would have saved a whole evening of annoyance for the OP, the bloke in the car and the police.

The person parking inconsiderately is the one who really, REALLY, needs to get some perspective as he feels it's acceptable to waste police time in addition to being a prick.

A proven false accusation of racism should be treated the same as the offence itself. Its a cheap trick, wagered by spiteful, vindictive people. It wastes time & can ruin lives, & reputations.

+1

The misuse of parent and child spaces does annoy me, but I've just come to the conclusion that some people are just selfish cocks, and calling them out doesn't achieve much.. I'm pretty sure 911 boy will still be a selfish cock today.

"It's not like the op lost his temper, started screaming some racial epithet at the guy while frothing at the mouth, ripping his shirt off demanding a fight."

Given the recipient of the abuse decided to call the police it seems highly likely that in the perception of the recipient that's exactly what happened.

JimJam, shall I list perhaps 50 other possible reasons why he might have parked there and as you were clearly there and witnessed the whole thing, perhaps you could disprove those too?

You don't know why he parked there, neither do I but my point is jumping in and calling him a prick is simply assuming the worst. Perhaps the OP should have first asked the bloke what demons he may have been fighting that day before he passed judgement?

jimjam » Load of people boarding the bus in an orderly fashion and someone just pushes past....would you say something or just bemoan his poor queuing skills.

How would you handle that...?

agent007 - Member

JimJam, shall I list perhaps 50 other possible reasons why he might have parked there and as you were clearly there and witnessed the whole thing, perhaps you could disprove those too?

Yes, by all means concoct 50 possible excuses a selfish tosser might have on the tip of their tongue in case they get pulled up.

teasel

How would you handle that...?

Excuse me, there's a queue here? Too harsh perhaps?

Given the recipient of the abuse decided to call the police it seems highly likely that in the perception of the recipient that's exactly what happened.

Or he is a vindictive little sh*t who played the only card he knew would force a reaction?

Excuse me, there's a queue here? Too harsh perhaps?

And you believe that will change the person's behaviour?

What if they tell you to go and **** yourself and mind your own business; what then...?

Rusks, anyone?

teasel

What if they tell you to go and **** yourself and mind your own business; what then...?

Well obviously I phone the cops and report them for racist abuse 😆

🙂

Unless he was inciting hate/violence I'm at a loss at what the police would actually do. If someone called me a Scottish prick for parking in a parent and child space when I didn't have the kids with me then thats just an insult not inciting hate or violence.

Actually, the reason I asked is I knew someone that questioned a queue jumper. Q-Jumper responded in the manner I describe above and a fight ensued. The challenger of antisocial behaviour got 3 years.

That's a life ruined. Probably two, if all be told.

Perhaps the OP should have first asked the bloke what demons he may have been fighting that day before he passed judgement?

What demons are you fighting today, Agent007?

Too funny, keep it coming! Some Friday fun!

teasel
What if they tell you to go and * yourself and mind your own business; what then...?

Then you tried.

I know it's 'petty' but it's the thin end of the wedge.

What if the bloke got on and pushed to the front whilst muttering under his breath about all the immigrants getting in his way. Would you respond then?

What if he shouted 'Oi, all you *s (insert epithet of choice) - get off my bus, this is for English people!' - would you do something then?

"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me"

If you're happy to share society with these sorts, can turn a blind eye, and can just go ride a bike instead of trying to improve it - good for you. Just don't expect someone to help when they come for you in the end. You yogurt weaving bike riding hippie who doesn't even pay tax and roads are for cars you ****.......

Yes, by all means concoct 50 possible excuses a selfish tosser might have on the tip of their tongue in case they get pulled up.

Wow, never before have I met someone who can 100% know what's going on in a strangers life, what sort of day that stranger is having having only just glimpsed them for a few seconds. Amazing, that's a rare talent you have there. Perhaps you should consider becoming a Psychic?

Family friendly policies are of course unfriendly to those of us without kids

However on my list of things to give a s*** about parent and child parking and people using them inappropriately is way down near the bottom