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

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

Yup, that's equally possible.

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?

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.

Hmmm, just our of interest agent007... What kind of car do you drive?

"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"

Significantly below angry abusive behaviour from vigilantes in car parks IMHO.

agent007

Wow, never before have I met someone who can 100% know what's going on in a strangers life,

And presumably this life drama, this "demon they are battling with" will somehow be alleviated by them being an inconsiderate prick and blatantly parking in a place that's designated to improve safety for our children and to make shopping with children easier.

I'll just repeat myself quickly but I used to make a point of doing what the OP did (minus the name calling, I just got called names) and virtually every time I pointed out the parent and child spaces were for parents with small children someone would blurt out some bullshit excuse - instantly. So when you talk about the problems these people have as if they are tortured souls...

[img] [/img]

I'm devastated

Get a grip, Mary.

As there seems to be some debate taking place over whether the OP had legitimate cause for making a fuss I'll add my twopenceworth..

It's been demonstrated on here before that my attitude can verge towards the belligerent if pushed and I make no bones about the fact..
You see those films about dangerous yoots that hang out in the shadier areas of town, those yoots that make you feel nervous if you accidentally find yourself walking through the estate late at night... that's me that is..
I'm not a violent man but I hang with violent men as the old song goes.. What I'm saying is that I'm not necessary gonna have the same values as many of you bedwetters..

When we had two kids under the age of three, I used to relish the opportunity to unleash some of the violent psychosis that years of relentless sleep deprevation had caused..

Skulking in the P+C parking area of the local Tesco was one of my favourite ways to unwind.. Maybe one of the kids had fallen asleep in the car on the drive there, Mrs yunki had taken the other into the shop, so I was left with 20 minutes of blissful peace and quiet.. I would sit on a bench smoking, one eye on my car and the sleeping child inside and the other eye scanning every vehicle that pulled up, waiting patiently like a predator stalking prey for the opportunity to uncoil and strike down with furious vengeance any prick that was arrogant enough to cross the line that I had drawn in the sand..
I never did get the opportunity to tear some selfish prick limb from limb, always convincing myself that the scumbag might have a legitimate reason for their inconsiderate activity..

I'm over it now.. we don't use the C+P spaces any more and I mostly get enough sleep.. but beware pricks, as I'm certain that there are other leopards on the prowl waiting for the opportunity to exercise their right to be hostile, waiting to demonstrate the harrowing truth of inconsiderate behaviour in it's purest and most destructive form

virtually every time I pointed out the parent and child spaces were for parents with small children someone would blurt out some bullshit excuse - instantly.

Do they have to give you a real excuse? Are you the police?

5 pages already,stw to the last.You got a mop for all that piss.

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.

Except that last month you seemed very concerned about the difficulties for parents of young children, created by inconsiderate people. This month, not so much.

agent007

Do they have to give you a real excuse? Are you the police?

I can park in the disabled bays if I fall off my bike and hurt my leg, isn't that right? That's okay?

What I'm saying is that I'm not necessary gonna have the same values as many of you bedwetters..

Heh

Only on the internet...

You had better believe it sucker!
I'm as meek as a kitten out there on the mean streets 😳

Regarding the Police & the racism accusation, I would try not to let it worry you, OP.
From the sounds of it, the Police quickly realised it wasn't a legitimate allegation & it was just a way for knob face to get back at you.

I grew up in Wembley which has a large mix of races. The 'race card' was drawn virtually daily by people with some kind of point to prove.......

Messing around in the classroom & sent to the head of year - obviously the teacher must be racist.
Glancing at a group of people across the road as you walk past - obviously a honky racist....
Bus driver catching someone trying to sneak on the bus without paying their far - bus driver clearly a racist bastard.....
Not giving a cigarette to someone in the street when they ask (erm, I don't smoke so don't have any cigarettes on me) - ****ing racist.....

I even got accused by a (hindu) bloke in my class of being racist because I was talking about Hanuman the monkey God. He said I was being disprespectful & racist referring to hindu gods as monkeys.....(google it, if you're not sure.....)

Used to hear this kind of crap on an almost daily basis.....

As for people parking in parent & child spaces when they don't need to. They should have their cars paintballed with special dog-turd paint balls.
And the cars that are parked in set-down points for longer than 2mins should be torched as a warning to others....

This is a great thread, hilarious some peoples yoghurt-weaving comments!

As a father with a young daughter, yes the parent and child spaces are great, they make things easier... do i actually need the space, probably not, but they make life that bit simpler, which isn't a bad thing in my mind, i have to carry my daughter, her medicine bag (being T1) and the host of shopping bags full, so being able to open a door and not worry you are going to hit someone elses car is a god-send (says the athiest).

I had a casual conversation with the security guard in Tesco once, and he basically said that was one of the main reasons, they get perhaps 5 people a week asking for CCTV where people have dented cars with doors or parking, having a decent number of child spaces helps them to, many children just fling car doors open with no consideration for car next to them, plus families unsurprisingly are the biggest spenders.

Stumpy01 +1.

I had an acquaintance who was an anti-social "prick". One day his beloved classic car got nitromorsed. What I found telling was that he'd been such an arse to so many people he had no idea who'd done it.

Edit, if you've got child locks, use them. If you have to let your kids out they can't damage other cars.

I'm mystified why someone would get in a fight with someone else over a parking space, inconsiderate yes but really not worth the bother. What's even more mystifying is that when the police came round to discuss, the op took a while to realise what they were talking about! You had an altercation with someone and forgot all about it? I must lead a sheltered life because had that been me it would have been on my mind all eveing.

[quote=Gary_M ]I'm mystified why someone would get in a fight with someone else over a parking space, inconsiderate yes but really not worth the bother. What's even more mystifying is that when the police came round to discuss, the op took a while to realise what they were talking about! You had an altercation with someone and forgot all about it? I must lead a sheltered life because had that been me it would have been on my mind all eveing.

People get murdered over parking spaces 😯

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4360674.stm

Supermarket parent/child spaces are discretionary not mandatory. Just park somewhere else and forget it - did you not enjoy the extra few metres walk, or do you see it as a two tier society where people with kids are somehow more important than folk without?

Most child spaces are next to a path, to get your kids to the shop safely.

when you have a full trolley, and two kids under 7, knowing they are walking next to me, on a path and not next to cars is one less thing to think about.

I often pull people up about it, and always ask why they feel the need to put kids in danger of being run over. normally does the trick.

Seems like a lesson learned for the OP. People like the man he confronted will not change because somebody pulls them up on their behaviour. They view the world as something that is there to benefit them and only them, self serving narcissists. Unfortunately it seems to be becoming normal behaviour.

I hold my hands up to the name calling, it was out of character and I acted like a petulant kid. I didn't jump right in with it, he told me he'd "park where he wanted, when he wanted", and I responded with "thats because you're a selfish prick" and I shouldn't have, its not the impression I want set for my kids at all.

I accept all the criticism for name calling, I deserve it and if I had not pulled him up initially he couldn't have suggested that he park the car and sort me out. I'll reiterate though, I didn't and wouldn't say anything that could be construed as racist and the accusation is even more laughable if you knew my family situation.

What's even more mystifying is that when the police came round to discuss, the op took a while to realise what they were talking about! You had an altercation with someone and forgot all about it?

Of course I recalled the argument, I absolutely did struggle to reconcile what was essentially two adults acting like kids with the police standing on my doorstep.

People like the man he confronted will not change because somebody pulls them up on their behaviour.

He probably will think twice before he does it again, TBF.

and I responded with "thats because you're a selfish prick

Is there a chance he honestly misheard you for another word starting with P and including a K and I?

Superb thread. Well done all.

Is it worth getting into a fight about a parking space? Probably not.

Is it worth arguing the toss on an internet forum about it? Almost certainly yes. 😀

Is there a chance he honestly misheard you for another word starting with P and including a K and I?

I did wonder if this was the case Cha****ng, it occurred to me this morning. I did ask the police what word/s I'd been accused of using, but apparently they can't repeat it.

Dark Side, can you not understand that some people just don't like being told what to do by someone who A - doesn't have the authority to do so, or B - presents themselves as a self righteous sort? Can you understand why your attitude might have antagonized the bloke who may have been having a bad day perhaps?

I'm sure we all do things each day that others don't like (e.g. briefly cycling on the pavement or letting our kids behave a bit too boisterously in a restaurant) but they're hardly crime of the century are they? Let it go man!

Okay so sounds like in this instance the guy wasn't the nicest chap but you need to be careful out there. I know quite a couple of people who would have punched your lights out without hesitation the moment you called them a prick!

Child spaces are only there because they know that parents spend more than people with no kids. It has F-All to do with making it easier/safer for parents.

I use them on occasions when I don't have Jnr FD in the car.

I'm still wondering how the police traced you to your address ?

In the OP you said you had parked elsewhere, and were on foot when the argument happened, and then the other guy drove off and you went into the shop. So how did the police know which door to knock on ?

In the OP you said you had parked elsewhere, and were on foot when the argument happened, and then the other guy drove off and you went into the shop. So how did the police know which door to knock on ?

Reported by a witness who saw where the car was?

In the OP you said you had parked elsewhere, and were on foot when the argument happened, and then the other guy drove off and you went into the shop. So how did the police know which door to knock on ?

My wife had parked in a bay with no car either side of us, and he had to drive past our car to leave the car park. Its possible he saw my wife locking the car as we walked across the car park, or saw the child seats in the car and made an educated guess.

outofbreath - Member
In the OP you said you had parked elsewhere, and were on foot when the argument happened, and then the other guy drove off and you went into the shop. So how did the police know which door to knock on ?
Reported by a witness who saw where the car was?

I'm sorry to disappoint you outofbreath, its clear from your earlier assertions you are desperate for there to be more to it than my version of events. The only witness was my wife, and she is not the kind of person that would support me lying to the police if I had been physically threatening or using racist language. I'm guilty of nothing more than childish name calling and perhaps sticking my oar in where I shouldn't. Sorry.

The police didn't accuse me of anything, they said the driver had called them, didn't want it to go any further but asked them to have a word with me about using racist language. Once they saw my reaction and spoke with my wife, they left within I'd say 2 minutes at most.

This is headed for classic thread status. Perfect Friday-close-to-Christmas mid-morning work internet fare. Thank you all.

I want to know how the family space-taking random stranger prick character in all this would be viewed had he been carrying a woodburning stove (or supplies for it) to his car.

I often pull people up about it, and always ask why they feel the need to put kids in danger of being run over. normally does the trick.

Oh come on, if someone said that to me I would laugh, not that I would park in one of those spaces anyway. But really, putting your kids in danger of being run over? I remember when they didn't have such spaces in supermarket car parks, kids did not get routinely run over, perhaps parents took more responsibility for their kids safety then.

[quote=2tyred ]This is headed for classic thread status. Perfect Friday-close-to-Christmas mid-morning work internet fare. Thank you all.
I want to know how the family space-taking random stranger prick character in all this would be viewed had he been carrying a woodburning stove (or supplies for it) to his car.

😆

How old is your kid Op?

As you said you had to explain to them why the police came around so I'm guessing not toddlers or babies, in which case why was a parent and child space really needed?

special snowflake reporting for duty again @allan23

Seriously do you always have a habit of rubbing people up the wrong way for just the ones you have yet to meet, was there any need to try to insult someone ,isn't that what the OPs thread was getting at ....

never mind live and learn and forget those who have nothing better to do .. enjoy the Friday fun peeps

greentricky - Member
How old is your kid Op?

As you said you had to explain to them why the police came around so I'm guessing not toddlers or babies, in which case why was a parent and child space really needed?

We have two kids. Our youngest is three and the eldest is eight. We were with the youngest when the altercation happened. It was the eldest who came to answer the door with me at home.

Unfortunately it seems to be becoming normal behaviour.

I've learnt a lesson over confronting selfish assholes, but if society at large wants to stop that sort of behaviour, how else will it change?

Look on the [s]dark[/s] bright side, your kids have learned about

antisocial behaviour
Police box ticking
The mis-use of "-isms/ists"
Language - what, where, when

All good experience in the end.

I'm sorry to disappoint you outofbreath, its clear from your earlier assertions you are desperate for there to be more to it than my version of events.

You say that as though somehow what you already admit to doing isn't already bad enough!

outofbreath - Member
I'm sorry to disappoint you outofbreath, its clear from your earlier assertions you are desperate for there to be more to it than my version of events.
You say that as though somehow what you already admit to doing isn't already bad enough!

I accept all the criticism for name calling, I deserve it and if I had not pulled him up initially he couldn't have suggested that he park the car and sort me out.

We have two kids. Our youngest is three and the eldest is eight. We were with the youngest when the altercation happened. It was the eldest who came to answer the door with me at home.

Fair enough

People get murdered over parking spaces

There are nutters about. It really isn't worth confronting random strangers over parking. You never know who you are talking to.

The head of the infamous Daniels clan "lost it" and chased 30-year-old Gerard Fullerton - who had never met him before - around Glasgow's Jordanhill area in his car in October last year.

The 52-year-old then got out of his Volkswagon Golf and smashed Mr Fullerton's car windscreen with a metal bar because he thought that the driver had taken too long to turn into a junction

https://stv.tv/news/west-central/180674-jamie-daniel-jailed-for-road-rage/

I'm sorry to disappoint you outofbreath, its clear from your earlier assertions you are desperate for there to be more to it than my version of events.

You say that as though somehow what you already admit to doing isn't already bad enough!

I accept all the criticism for name calling, I deserve it and if I had not pulled him up initially he couldn't have suggested that he park the car and sort me out.

So specifically what "more to it" are you suggesting I would want? Isn't that plenty?

The problem with confronting someone who is doing something a bit dickish is that the person concerned will not believe they are in the wrong and no amount of reasoned argument (or name calling) will make them see differently.

A bloke nearly ran me over in Tesco car park a couple of months back making a beeline for the 'set down point' so he could park his new TT there. I guess he wanted to be close to the shop and not get his hairdresser-mobile potentially scratched.
When I asked him whether he'd seen me, explained that he'd almost run me over & perhaps he should drive a bit slower in the car park, the first thing he uttered was like something out of the playground - he said 'well maybe you should have watched where you were walking....'. There was no attempt at an apology, no 'sorry mate, I just didn't see you' - nothing. It was just immediately defensive & basically saying it was my fault.

I managed to stay away from going proper batshit mental at him, but explained that he really hadn't seen me & it was only because of the fact that I was looking where I was going that I was able to jump out of the way & avoid him driving into me.

His response - "you're a cheerful one, aren't you?! Maybe you should smile a bit more".
To which I did go a bit batshit mental & told him that I am normally quite a happy bloke, it's just when ****s in car parks almost run me over & then accuse me of it being my fault that I tend to stop smiling.

I was going to continue a tirade about how for someone so observant, he hadn't actually managed to park in a parking space, but was in a set-down point while appearing to not be actually setting down or picking up.....but I realised it was pointless. The dip-shit was never going to take heed. He was doing it his way & screw everyone else. The fact he'd almost run me over was neither here nor there; I was just a moany disturbance in his otherwise smug-**** infested day......I should have boxed him into the set-down point & stood there looking smug when he came back out - but life is too short....

So what "more to it" are you suggesting I would want? Isn't that plenty?

Apart from you accusing me of racism and physical violence here?

outofbreath - Member
"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.

The problem with confronting someone who is doing something a bit dickish is that the person concerned will not believe they are in the wrong and no amount of reasoned argument (or name calling) will make them see differently.

Isn't the real problem that we all have different standards of behavior and if we all habitually verbally attack people who are acting legally but we deem to be 'doing wrong' society dissolves into an aggressive free for all?

I regularly run down a lonely road with no pavement. I'm only on the road for 100m but frankly I have to admit it's a bit dangerous to me and to others. If someone pulls over and cheerfully says "I say old chap, isn't that a tad risky" that's one thing. Shouting 'prick' in my face is another.

I'd probably respond to either approach with a mea culpa, but others wouldn't and I or someone else might be genuinely scared by the latter approach. Neither approach would stop me doing it.

In this case a 3 year old was watching. Does that child now think the correct approach to someone doing something wrong is "sorting them out"? At very least they've learned the word 'prick' which isn't ideal.

Apart from you accusing me of racism and physical violence here?

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.

Huh?

I suppose superciluosly lecturing people on a forum will sort them right out though oob? 😆

I guess he wanted to be close to the shop and not get his hairdresser-mobile potentially scratched.

Intolerance, nastiness, selfishness is everywhere, whether its people parking in the 'wrong' place then getting 'glowered at', or being nasty about the car someone drives, I find it best to let it wash over me, it beats having a heart attack over something that's extremely trivial.

The problem with confronting someone who is doing something a bit dickish is that the person concerned will not believe they are in the wrong and no amount of reasoned argument (or name calling) will make them see differently.

Isn't it actually that they KNOW they were in the wrong and they don't like being called out on it? That's typical animalistic human behaviour - it starts as toddlers but many adults never grow out of it.

"I suppose superciluosly lecturing people on a forum will sort them right out though oob?"

Fair point Yunki. I think this thread has benefitted enough from my wisdom now!

Merry Christmas, all. (Including DS)

Tis the season of goodwill (and frayed nerves) after all

Good on you OP. The only reason I don't challenge people is because I'm chicken. I do a good glower, mind. And the only reason that these people carry on doing it is because they don't think anybody really cares. They also often think that everybody else is at it and they'd be a mug not to join in.

Personally I always park right at the other side of supermarket car parks because I think I'm less likely to get a trolley dent, and I spend all day at a desk and need the exercise. I can't be doing with all that try and get as near to the entrance as possible stuff.

As for the "get a life" brigade - this is part of life.

And the only reason that these people carry on doing it is because they don't think anybody really cares.

I don't think that's the case to be honest, everyone thinks differently. Parking in a parent & child space isn't an issue to some people, others will think why should people with kids get special treatment, to others it's a massive big deal and they see it as an injustice so feel compelled to challenge it.

Some folk get wound up by things, others don't.

I was being accused of using a racist insult.

Are you sure they weren't asking about contributing to a Brexit thread?

It's marvellous that the debate here has been 90% about those parking spaces and 10% about the possible false accusation of racism.

+1 on how did the feds track you down?

+1 on how did the feds track you down?

Number plate I think, they asked if it was my car parked outside.

Reminds me of the time the police knocked to ask if the van on the drive was mine because someone had called them to say a toddler had been left alone in it! I think it must have been when I stopped outside the house to drop 3 bin bags into the utility room the day before.

In that case, if someone thought the wee guy was in danger, they should have knocked the house door to check before wasting police time. Any cases of wasting police time should be chargeable in my opinion; they're not there as some kind of school prefect!

theotherjonv » 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?

Missed that. You must've edited after I posted on the other page.

Is that a question to me personally or is it a rhetorical type stance. I assume the latter because of that quote you keep writing on threads like this.

But I'll bite... personally I used to have/still have a quick temper and if I let something petty get under my skin and someone doesn't like being told they're wrong (cos let's face it, no one does, do they) and respond aggressively, I'm all up for that. Which is absolutely insane given someone usually gets very hurt when fists and feet and whatever else on which you can lay your hands comes into play.

Tolerating racism and some dick that wants to push in are rather different. One is worth standing for, one isn't. It's for the individual to decide whether or not it's something for which they are willing to risk their life. Some folk will punch you down and stamp on your head just because you challenge their behaviour. Once you've seen something like that it can alter how you respond. It has **** all to do with knitting yogurt or whatever else the internet hard want to call it.

outofbreath

Isn't the real problem that we all have different standards of behavior and if we all habitually verbally attack people who are acting legally but we deem to be 'doing wrong' society dissolves into an aggressive free for all?

Wrong. The opposite is true. We all know the difference between right and wrong. When we habitually ignore people who blatantly act ignorantly and antisocially, the aggressive pricks will have a free for all knowing that most people will turn a blind eye.

.....wasting police time should be chargeable in my opinion

It is.

Maximum of six months inside.

Number plate I think, they asked if it was my car parked outside.

How did the perp get your number plate though as you said in your op '[i]My wife, youngest daughter and I pulled in to the car park (all the family spaces were taken), parked and walked towards the shop[/i]

Was the perp watching you so knew which car you came from, or did he hang around and wait until you came out the store?

Was the perp watching you so knew which car you came from, or did he hang around and wait until you came out the store?

I'm not sure Gary_M, we parked in an area of the car park with no other cars immediately close, so I think he just clocked the only vehicle in the area. My wife was carrying my daughter as was asleep and I think perhaps he may have seen the lights flash as we walked away and locked it. The car also has child seats in the back, so its a good indicator it was ours.

Poor guy may have been in the middle of an armed robbery and he gets called a prick by a mountain biker... sad times.

I'm not sure Gary_M, we parked in an area of the car park with no other cars immediately close, so I think he just clocked the only vehicle in the area. My wife was carrying my daughter as was asleep and I think perhaps he may have seen the lights flash as we walked away and locked it. The car also has child seats in the back, so its a good indicator it was ours.

Which I guess must have been a fair bit away from the parent & child spaces, but a space the perp could see and he was paying attention to a random person locking their car in a busy supermarket car park, in the dark. Doesn't really add up.

Could you give us the name of the supermarket and postcode, I'd like to look at this car park 🙂

Stacks up... fast car and right next to the entrance. Definite armed robbery in progress.

Coconut, lol....loving the racial stereotyping...is coconut a reference to how 'your people' see you?...brown on the outsides, white on the inside...

(runs for cover)...

outofbreath - Member

Isn't the real problem that we all have different standards of behavior and if we all habitually verbally attack people who are acting legally but we deem to be 'doing wrong' society dissolves into an aggressive free for all?

Dunno, but in the example I gave blokie had almost run me over....my initial approach wasn't to 'verbally attack' him, but make him aware of what he'd done & yes, I probably was hoping for a small apology as some recognition that he'd driven like a dick....it was only his response that prompted me to get lairy.
If someone approached me as I got out of my car and said "did you see me there mate, you almost ran me over...?", I can guarantee you my immediate response would not be to turn it on it's head & accuse the person saying that of it actually being their fault.....but yeah, some people do have different standards of behaviour.....

Gary_M - Member

or being nasty about the car someone drives,

To be fair, after almost driving me over with it, I was hardly going to praise his choice of vehicle & the balanced selection of optional extras he'd lavished it with, was I?? 🙄

Gary_M - Member

it beats having a heart attack over something that's extremely trivial.

HA HA - so having someone almost drive their car into you is 'something that's extremely trivial' is it??
Would you not say something if it had happened to you?

HA HA - so having someone almost drive their car into you is 'something that's extremely trivial' is it??

No, and I didn't say that. I was referring to petty arguments over car parking spaces. However I can see you are easily wound up.

Gary_M - Member

However I can see you are easily wound up.

Yeah, probably.

stumpy01

Dunno, but in the example I gave blokie had almost run me over....my initial approach wasn't to 'verbally attack' him, but make him aware of what he'd done & yes, I probably was hoping for a small apology as some recognition that he'd driven like a dick.

I had an eerily similar experience when someone in a white TT (doing about 45mph) almost ran me over in a Tesco car park. He hit the brakes and came within inches of my legs. Then blared the horn to which i gave the universal symbol for "wtf?"

He instantly went to defcon9, started revving the engine, screaming out the window how he was going to *ing murder me, cut my *ing head off calling me a ****. I could see he clearly would have tried to fight with me but I didn't rise to it. I figured if he did want to kick off inside the shop was preferable to the tarmac.

After I'd completed my shop I called the cops and recounted the incident, including the multiple threats to kill, gave them his reg. I never heard anything more about it. I followed it up with an email about a week after that. Again, nothing.

or being nasty about the car someone drives,

Car stereotyping works really well. Just now and then you meet an exception - I know someone with a Q7, he's paraplegic and it's one of the few normal cars he can roll up to in his wheelchair, stash the chair and drive away without help. I also know a Porsche owner and he's a guy on whom good well-intended pertinent advice is wasted. Check out the Porch owners (past and present) on this forum and see if it fits.

But I'll bite... personally I used to have/still have a quick temper and if I let something petty get under my skin and someone doesn't like being told they're wrong (cos let's face it, no one does, do they) and respond aggressively, I'm all up for that.

I don't mind being told I'm wrong. I mean it rarely happens 😉 but I care so little about most things (because at the end of the day they're not important really) so it doesn't bother me. Being being able to take judgement/criticism is a skill so many people lack; hence why our country seems to be chock-a-block with high achievers driving Audis who're absolute bellends.

Why not make a counter claim similar to his? Send the police round to the idiot's door. If everyone did that anytime these silly accusations are made the whole thing would end up as a farce, which is essentially what it is.

Absolutely no chance of a fight there, Jimjam, no-one can get out of a car if you really don't want them to.

Haven't read the whole thing but if you aren't prepared to back your words up with fists I'd be really careful mouthing off at people you don't know future. Could have ended a lot worse!

The fact he then reported you for racism is ridiculous on his part but some people just pull that card at anything

Tolerating racism and some dick that wants to push in are rather different. One is worth standing for, one isn't. It's for the individual to decide whether or not it's something for which they are willing to risk their life. Some folk will punch you down and stamp on your head just because you challenge their behaviour. Once you've seen something like that it can alter how you respond. It has **** all to do with knitting yogurt or whatever else the internet hard want to call it.

In my experience the likelihood of having someone punching you down and stamping on your head for pointing out (in an appropriate way) that they're behaving in a selfish and inconsiderate manner is pretty slim. Confronting the angry racist on a bus or train, more likelihood. Yes, it's up to the individual to decide if they think it's worth it, but again if as a society we're all going to sit around and tut about it but not actually do anything, then it'll never change.

The yogurt weaving slur was a pisstake about 'just chill and ride your bike', and was meant to be a humorous follow on to the Niemoller quote, that one day they'll be coming for the peaceful cyclists too. Nice that it makes me an internet hard man though - couldn't be much further from the truth. I'm a meek and sensitive sort but one that thinks we collectively need to grow a pair and start to face down this growing trend, even though it does make me frequently feel nervous about doing so.

Edukator

Absolutely no chance of a fight there, Jimjam, no-one can get out of a car if you really don't want them to.

Yeah but if I'd made the decision to fight (as opposed to walk or run away) I'd let him out of the car, rather than some kind of door kicking competition.

As you don't mind taking criticism, Davidtaylforth, this...

hence why

...is just tautological bollocks. 😛

What I just don't get is that tho OP said that his daughter with him at the time was 3 years old, she was also asleep - presumably left in the car with his wife as sleeping 3 year olds are a little heavy to carry and tend to wake up once removed from a vehicle?

In which case why the OP's strong desire on this occasion to use the parent and child space anyway?

we collectively need to grow a pair and start to face down this growing trend, even though it does make me frequently feel nervous about doing so.

I agree. But we also need to be discerning in that stance and hold on to a modicum of perspective.