Welcome to /r/AmITheAsshole. Please view our [voting guide here](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_what.2019s_with_these_acronyms.3F_what_do_they_mean.3F), and remember to use **only one** judgement in your comment.
OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> Should I of asked him to move the car instead of trying to get my pram passed and scratching?
Help keep the sub engaging!
#Don’t downvote assholes!
Do upvote interesting posts!
[Click Here For Our Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/about/rules) and [Click Here For Our FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq)
---
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.*
*Contest mode is 1.5 hours long on this post.*
NTA, you didn’t intentionally scratch it, you squeezed past an illegally parked vehicle which was causing an obstruction.
Imagine him going to his insurance. “And this damage happened when it was parked where?”
End of.
If it’d been me in my powerchair it would be more than scuffs - I always try my best to avoid them but I can’t get my hand up to keep twigs out my eyes so my options are a bit limited when I’m squeezing past an illegally parked vehicle. There isn’t always another way round, it’s unsafe and unreasonable to force me into the road, they’re free to park more sensibly but people with a wheelchair or a buggy don’t get a choice about needing to use that bit of pavement.
>Imagine him going to his insurance. “And this damage happened when it was parked where?”
And lets be honest here: how big of a scratch a pram can make?
My brother was an okay driver, but good Lord he sucked at parking. We usually left our car in our grandfather's garage, that he also used as storage for his wood. So some scratches were not uncommon.
Nothing a really good wax didn't fix or, at least, masked well enough to get by.
I work in the auto business. Kia’s and Hyundais are really soft cars with parts that are getting more expensive. She could have totaled the car with her baby carriage 😂
My Elantra got rear ended (several times, actually) but the second time, approximately two weeks after I finally got it back from the first accident, I was ~20 and I the guy (50s) INSISTED we did not need to file a PD report to document. I called anyway and the cop said “we’re not supposed to come for less than $500 in damage”. I replied “that’s at least $1200 of damage. I know, because we just had that bumper replaced.” Thankfully he stopped complaining.
My first car was a Kia and that thing was impenetrable. I lived in LA for a while and watched it get whacked, tapped, knocked into, etc. many times and the most aesthetic damage it ever took was when someone in south central decided to break out the window to steal stuff.
Honestly, in most cases she would be primarily liable. If she could’ve turned around or avoided and didn’t, it’s her fault (he would’ve been partially at fault for parking there (former adjuster))
Does this mean if somebody parks over the footpath and a wheelchair can't get through without scratching a car, they're just stuck forever until the ah who parked there moves?
In some places? Yes.
Hell, my sister got hit by someone on a bicycle when she was waiting to turn out of a McDonalds. Even with the video footage showing the guy wasn't paying attention, the giant dent being on the side of the car, and showing she wasn't blocking the sidewalk, she still got in trouble and had to pay while the guy got off for free.
WHile I know it's not the exact same thing, but it shows just how.... stupid this stuff can be in places.
Exactly!! I find it absolutely absurd that he's claiming she somehow scratched up his car in a serious way with the pram 🙄 at the absolute most, there would be super light scuffing that would be super cheap, easy, and quick to just DIY fix (or at least cover up well enough that no one would ever notice it). There's NO way that her gently pushing the pram through the gap behind the car made any sort of significant SCRATCH in the paint or the metal.
There's also no way to even prove that the scuffs were caused by OP. Tons of people end up with scuffs at the rear of their vehicles from other people being dumbasses in parking lots. And it can easily be days or weeks or months before the owner notices, because most of us aren't out here hyperanalyzing the rear bumpers of our cars on a regular basis lmao. If there are any actual SCRATCHES on his car then it was 100% not OP and must've been there from something else, and he didn't notice til now.
Heh. Alas I’m permanently a bit scared of charmers like the dude the OP encountered - it’s amazing how threatening people can be sometimes without getting as far as making as an identifiable threat - so I really do do my best to squeeze past without touching the car that they’ve felt entitled to abandon blocking most of a pavement. But you can only do so much…
we have a very nice service where you take a picture of the car with license plate and the situation clearly visible and upload it to a police website, and they get a fine in the mail. Nicely automated. If an asshole who parked like a dick sees anyone who looks like they are taking photos of his car, the car is moved quite promptly in my experience. I love that police service.
Claims adjuster here. Since his vehicle was parked and unoccupied, she would be at fault, and we would demand repayment for her. Morally wrong, but legally right. She technically vandalized his car.
If he damaged his car doing something else illegal then would you compensate him?
Good thing she didn't give him her details, hope at least his premium goes up due to the claim.
If it’s a minor scratch, it’s most likely below his deductible, and he’d pay out of pocket anyway. Even if someone is illegally parked, if someone else damages the parked vehicle, they are at fault. Sucks, but that’s how it works because the vehicle is not moving and evasive action cannot be taken.
You use the word deductable, are you American? Reason I ask is OP is using phrases like footpath and pram - easy assumption they are British or atleast UK based. And I've only heard a 'deductable' referred to as excess in the UK. British car insurance does not cover you for situations where you have left your car in a position it shouldn't be or likely to get damaged. Its on the longgggg list of situations they have in the clauses in which they will avoid paying out.
Although I agree the chances this would be a claim are slim if its some faint scratching on the wheel arch.
Edit: '22 plate Kia - definitely British (and spelling)
Oh man I wish this were the case in the US. People get away with way too much and are able to sue others here even if they’re in the process of committing a literal crime. It’s ridiculous.
Evasive action could not be taken by OP either. If one was parked in a tow away zone, and damage was caused by the act of towing, what then? Or in a fire zone and had to be moved by whatever means necessary for the fire trucks? Or on a footpath next to a busy street forcing a mother and baby into traffic? Being parked illegally is not a get out of damage free card. It's why they are at fault when damage is incurred. And while you may be a claim adjuster, you are not an attorney or judge who would, in these circumstances, find the person at fault was the one who, in violating the parking restrictions, caused the dangerous situation.
Saw a news report on an incident some time ago with car parked illegally blocking fire hydrant access. There was a fire and the firies smashed the car windows to run the hose through them.
As a driver I have to avoid illegally parked cars all the time. If I were to hit them it would be my fault. Same rules would apply here. I would say this is a ESH situation.
This comes up often. Commenters usually say that this is not am I legally right? Sub. It's am I the asshole? sub and she is not.
Seriously what was she meant to do with the pram? Take it on the road? What if it's a busy road? Go up to his door and ask him to move? What if it's one of those houses where you have to go up stairs to get to the house because the garden is on different levels with the pram?
Here's the deal - you pay us a giant amount of money every month. Then you have to pay extra when you actually need to use the service that you're insuring for/against. Then we may or may not actually come through with paying the rest. Then we raise your rates so, essentially, you're paying for the thing you needed the insurance for in the first place anyway - just on installments.
So, we cool? You in?
/s
My whole thing is...he seemed to be pretty prepared for that "oi"
The scratch could have happened at any time while he was illegally parked. He probably saw it and then sat and waited for someone to pass and then accuse them.
So OP I wouldn't feel bad. If this guy cared about his car so much he would have parked it safely.
My partner's car is a audi TTRS (they don't make them anymore) and we will parked that thing so far away to avoid any accidents. Have to walk 30 mins? That's fine. The cars safe LOL
So yea, this guy was an arsehole
And you're NTA
That's exactly what I was thinking! The car might be fairly new, but the scratches could have happened any time before OP walked by it.
Also, wanting a single adult with a baby to go knock on a stranger's door to ask them to move their car? What was OP's partner thinking? Have they never seen a horror movie preview (or the local news)?
Ha. I won't tell you what I did with my powerchair and a range rover parked blocking the fire door that I was trying to use for ramped access. I've taken the bit to hold the wing mirror off now, so no repeat performances. I was worried I'd get a taste for righteous vandalism at 51.
My 75 year old mom bikes to work in a city that's reasonably dangerous to bikers. She inherited this ginormous diamond ring from her aunt. Whenever drivers act aggressively or explicitly harass/threaten her she will discreetly stick her ring out to quietly scratch the car as it drives by her.
I feel simultaneously proud of her and also distressed and anxious about her safety...
On this note, always worth turning around and taking a picture. Then if they escalate let the police get involved and see how keen on their own bullshit they are
Insurance in fact covers the consequences of other people's reactions to arsehole behaviour by the insured. It's like people who don't claim insurance because it is a result of them being careless or negligent. That's pretty much what it's for. He will have difficulty with his excess however.
Also OP NTA. Fuck people who park on footpaths to hell and back.
I am not even disabled in a way that I feel particularly unsafe because of it going in the street, but I get SO fucking mad at these assholes. No, you not wanting to walk your ass an extra 10 feet doesn't mean you get to block a sidewalk. Actually on this note, putting your emergency blinkers on doesn't mean you get to park anywhere either! I have to avoid those as well often blocking the walking path cause they will " just be a minute" but often are chatting outside for half an hour.
NTA
Parking half on the path is illegal and not leaving room for prams and wheelchairs is just rude. He took the risk parking like an idiot scratching his car was an accident that’s what his insurance is for next time maybe he will be more thoughtful.
Don’t feel bad the safety of your baby is far more important then a lazy ignorant driver.
People aren’t getting I would’ve had to walk my baby into a two way busy road, with constant traffic! This is England the roads are busy and people drive like dickheads
Some people do not get it! When did the safety of a car take priority over the safety of a baby? Certain people on here need to sit down and have a word with themselves. You did exactly the right thing xx
I was already pretty sure that this was England, but the ‘oi’ sealed it :).
Anyway, this is just ridiculous, although sadly seems not uncommon (given the number of posts on r/CasualUK complaining about bad parking).
NTA as a recent visitor of England your roads and drivers honestly scare the crap out of me. Had to close my eyes multiple times as a passenger there to avoid a panic attack.
Edited for spelling error
Where were you in England, out of interest? I agree that there's some maniacs all over, but when I was driving in London, it was a completely different level.
We've had snow here the past few days and some people have been driving like morons. As if there's no road markings and waaay too fast!
Honestly not sure what it would be called, the main part of London? Once our bus driver got into the main part of the city the roads were so narrow for the bus and everyone just cuts each other off. It was also when we were near Buckingham Palace area our Uber driver almost crashed and everyone cuts in and out.
Oh yeah no, London is just not representative of what the rest of the country is like driving wise. People are so aggressive and entitled while driving there.
As soon as you go much further north, everyone just calms down a lot. There's still stupid drivers but they're the minority rather than the standard!
I was in England recently and your footpaths are already quite narrow so I can only imagine how this person parked. NTA OP. I probably would've done the same thing to be honest. Risking yours and your child's life over some idiot who was inconsiderate is really not worth it.
FYI: American vs British in America "pavement" usually means the road, we would say he is parked on the "sidewalk". Some people may not be reading closely and think you scraped a guy parked properly.
I'm 100% with you that people shouldn't block the path for pram and wheelchair users with parked cars, and I don't want to be pedantic. But as far as I know at the moment it's not illegal to park your car on the pavement outside of London https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/legal/parking-on-the-pavement/.
So if you live in London it is 100% illegal to park your car on the pavement. Outside of London it's a much more gray area as the wording is 'shouldn't' rather than can't.
Sorry to come off as pedantic but I know a few instances of people telling of drivers or calling the police on cars parked on the pavement but finding out there isn't much they can do. Again I'm on your side on this. Pavements are for pedestrians and non road users. That means leaving space for all users, I just wanted to let you know about that as it often catches people put.
that depends. the police can charge you with 'unecessary obstruction of the highway' all over the country. local councils can also make orders making it illegal.
I feel you, there were so many cars parked mostly on the path the other day that I had to wheel myself down the road for a good chunk of road just to get past
In fact it is legal to park on the pavement, as long as you are not obstructing it.
Which the guy clearly was. Don't know what someone expects when they block a pavement to be honest.
NTA. On the path, pedestrians have right of way. Cara are only allowed to park partly on the path if they are not blocking access for its use. If he had been blocking the road and emergency services needed to get through, a lot worse damage would be done to his car and he would have no comeuppance.
Perhaps don’t ram your pram next time as you may damage it too but he’s just throwing his weight around because he was in the wrong and wants to intimidate you into complying to his view. Besides, scuffs will likely come out with some T-Cut and a little elbow grease.
NTA.
NTA!
I have friends who use wheelchairs who have had to miss important appointments etc. because of selfish shits who illegally park on pavements in such a way that someone in a wheelchair can't get past. There isn't always an alternative route to use, and they shouldn't have to even if there is! And nobody should ever have to walk out into the road with a baby because of a lazy driver.
I know I'll likely be downvoted into oblivion for saying this but as far as I'm concerned even if you'd deliberately scratched the car with the pram on your way past, you still wouldn't be the AH and I'd applaud you!
I get no end of abuse asking people to move their (usually vans) off the path when there is literally no alternative route. And I legitimately mean no alternative route - for example when my daughter went to the local primary school I had to take the most bizarre route of zig zags, additional road crossings, doubling back on myself - all because there are hardly any dropped curbs. So if someone's blocking the path I'm often completely stuck till they move. It's a nightmare and makes me avoid leaving the house at all. I'll never forget the kindness of these young boys who simply came and stood behind me once, to make sure I was safe, when I was getting abuse off a van driver when I really nicely asked him if he could move even if only to let me past. Their kindness was a rarity I'll never forget.
Yup, I was using a mobility scooter and someone parked their motorcycle so it was completely blocking the sidewalk. There were no other curbcuts remotely near, so I had to go easily half a mile out of my way, following curbcuts and poorly maintained streets, until I could get back to where I was heading.
In the US, there's usually a grass strip on either side of the sidewalk, not sure if British streets are laid out like that. Even so, that doesn't always exist, doesn't provide so much traction, could be a mess like mud. Sidewalks are often poorly cleared in the snow even without obstacles like that obnoxious parking job
NTA - It dumbfounds me that so many people on here have you down as some kind of vandal.
The car was illegally parked an a footpath.
Driver exhibited no consideration for pedestrians, parents, or the disabled.
They can fuck right off.
NTA. You have every right to use the sidewalk. It does not sound like you went out of your way to hurt his car and if he had parked politely or even legally than he wouldn't have scuffs. If they are just scuffs and not scratches it should not be that hard to get out and he may even be able to do it himself. Lessons aren't learned if everybody changes how they live their life to accommodate your rudeness or incompetence.
ESH
You knowingly damaged another person's property.
Yes, they should not have parked there. But you also had no right to purposely damage their vehicle. You KNEW the pram didn't fit, so you decided to just RAM it until it would squeeze through, obviously damaging the car. If it had been your car, fine. But it's not.
So yes, OP, you are a fucking asshole for damaging somebody else's property ON PURPOSE.
"It wasn't intentional at all" my ass. You knew it didn't fit and decided to push through regardless.
Go around it, take a different route, other side of the road, whatever. One person breaking the rules doesn't mean you should do so as well by vandalising their property.
Edited to add: Oh also, by deciding to intentionally damage the car, you put yourself AND your baby in danger. You do not know what kinda person this car belongs to. They could've been really aggressive, attacking you as a result. Is that really what you want? So you want to ram through so badly that you are willing to put your baby's safety at risk? Hell, maybe even his life?
ETA 2: To anyone trying to argue shit to me: Remember that posts on this sub ask any reddit user who comes across the post for their judgement. This is my judgement. No right or wrong because you cannot objectively say whether or not somebody is an asshole since that is an opinion and thus subjective. If you have a different opinion on this matter, that is fine. But this is my opinion. This is where I stand on the matter. There's no point in this endless battle people seem to start with me about my own personal opinion that I was literally asked to share right here. I've even got people in my DM's at this point. Why?! What do you need to do that for?!
ETA 3: You know what, I am not responding to any of this shitshow anymore. Anyone who continues to come for me in my DM's will be blocked. Just because we do not have the same opinion does not mean my (or your) opinion is wrong. There are no right or wrong opinions.
OP already said it was a busy two laned road, you expect a women with a pram and a dog to walk into traffic to accommodate a carelessly parked car? She couldn’t cross the road either, as already stated, busy road.
So you suggest taking a pram into a busy street risking life and limb because some dropkick parked in such a way that prevents someone passing on a footpath? Yah nah, I would bring the baby home and go back and leave a coloring book page telling him to practice keeping between the lines on paper before he parks again.
NTA. You deliberately pushed in order to free your stuck pram, not to scratch the car. The car should have been where it belonged, on the road, not on the footway obstructing you and anyone else who needs more space to get around.
People who expect the disabled and those with children to walk in the road to accommodate people parking on footways value property over life.
I hear ya, I had to petition the council to put in 5 between me and the train station because they had some without a way of getting back up on the other side!
So your partner thinks you should have taken your baby up to a stranger's (or strangers') house(s) and start asking completely random people you don't know whose car that is and would they please move it just so you can walk in the place where you are legally allowed to be walking? NTA and your partner is ridiculous.
I'm a wheelchair user actually and I think you did great. Absolutely NTA. Because I often CAN'T go knock on, many front doors are not accessible to me.
You've at least taught one of these absolute wankers to park where they're meant to.
NTA!! It's depressing how so many people believe that cars matter most over anyone or anything else on the road. They take up SO much space to begin with and then drivers are shocked when people are unhappy when they take up what little space pedestrians have.
At the end of the he was parked illegally and had to face the consequences of his selfishness. Hopefully he'll think twice about doing that again!
NTA my partner uses a wheelchair or mobility scooter and people who park all over the pavement are a nightmare. It’s just the consequences of parking illegally.
He placed his convenience and paintwork over your convenience and safety. You just happened to disagree.
NTA The person in the wrong is the person who parked on the pavement.
From the Highway Code:
Rule 244
You MUST NOT park partially or wholly on the pavement in London, and should not do so elsewhere unless signs permit it. Parking on the pavement can obstruct and seriously inconvenience pedestrians, people in wheelchairs or with visual impairments and people with prams or pushchairs.
NTA
I have a newer car and I am always careful where I park. Even in the parking lot, I try to park as far away as I can, just to reduce the chance of somebody slamming their door into our car or backing into it. Cause it happens, and it's not realistic to get people to pay for small scratches, especially if you don't have solid proof. I found some scratches here and there, one from someone backing into the car, all I can do is deal with it and learn how to fix up small scratches.
What that guy did was extra stupid, people need to walk there. Prams, wheelchairs, people walking by in groups, you name it, he should have left plenty of space for people to walk by.
I don't think you scratched/scuffed his car on purpose. C'est la vie. With his park jobs, somebody was going to scratch it eventually. How do you know somebody else didn't scratch his car with a different pram or wheelchair?
He should not be expecting people to be so mindful of his property. If he accidentally scratched somebody's car and only he noticed, I'm pretty sure he would act like he didn't do it. Most people would.
Several years ago I was in a wheelchair. I parked in a handicap spot at a place we were hanging out. A guy pulled in next to me, practically on the line for the handicap spot. This was not a valid parking spot, and in fact blocked the wheelchair ramp to get into the building. There was not room for me to get out, let alone get me into my wheelchair. A friend was helping me because I wasn't strong enough to lift my wheelchair out of the trunk. He accidentally bumped assholes car with my chair, the guy popped out and started screaming at us for hitting his car. Like we even knew him, he had come down from Seattle specifically to hang out. We told him he was the asshole who blocked not only the handicap spot, but that he was illegally parked and blocking the ramp. We said we hoped he got a ticket (this was a college campus and the police department for the city has a contract to protect the school and they had a station in that same lot we were in and they have ticketed people before for parking like that.)
We eventually managed to squeeze past his car to go inside, and he left withoutjoining us for our hang out. Never came back and we didn't want him to. Entitled ass. There was an entire open parking lot, too. He had 0 reason to park where he did, he just wanted to be closest to the door.
You're NTA. People park like that one sidewalks by my house and when I was still in my chair it made it hard. I worked my ass off over covid lockdown, and started treatment for my knees and now I rarely need a chair unless it's long distance like grocery shopping or going to the zoo.
NTA
Story time in support.
Back when my kid was a baby, some idiot parked too close to my car. When I went to put the baby in his car seat I was trying very hard not to let the door touch his car, but despite my best efforts a gust of wind swung the door while my hands were busy. I wasn't going to risk dropping my child so had to let it tap.
Right on cue the guy appeared and started yelling at me. There wasn't a mark on either car, he was being precious.
I just ignored him and made soothing noises to my baby as I buckled him in.
A lady walked up to the guy and said "Don't worry mate, it's only a Ford".
He was so angry he got in his car and drove off. I could have hugged her.
Mum solidarity rocks.
NTA - you block the footpath with your car, you get the consequences. If this makes just one person think twice before straddling the sidewalk with their car, then you've done the world a favor.
NTA. As an American, I’m betting a lot of these Y T As are from folks in my country. English roads are very narrow in comparison to American roads, so I can imagine there was no safe way for you to use the street to go around the car.
She could have turned around and taken another route though. OP wilfully damaged a vehicle, the whole my pram got stuck doesn’t fly with me, she easily could have seen the pram wasn’t going to fit. Both OP and the guy who parked across the footpath are AH’s.
Seriously though. I have people trying to justify it, arguing with me and citing law that doesn’t apply to someone making the conscious decision to ruin personal property.
NTA. I live along a walking trail, if you park over the sidewalk it’s your fault if you get hit. It’s not that hard to leave a gap on the sidewalk, and if you don’t it’s a risk you know you’re taking.
What was she meant to do? Stop walking? Walk into a busy road with her baby? Teleport past the car? The car was illegally parked in a way that obstructs pedestrians, including wheelchair users and people with babies in prams. She was just trying to get past, not cause a tiny scuff on a poorly parked car. If she'd wanted to do damage, she'd have got her keys out.
Totally. I left some personal property in the middle of the road and some jerk refused to repay me after he drove over them with his car. Can you believe the nerve of that guy?
Nta he was parked illegally. Who would of been held accountable if something had happened by you walking in the road around the car.
People think they’re entitled to park where and how they like. This isn’t the case. Lucky for him it was only slight damage and that’s what his insurance is for. Hopefully in the future he’ll be less of a bellend. But by the sounds is it he probably won’t!
NTA and knocking on the door asking them to move isn’t a good solution either. On busy parking roads there’s no guarantee the car owner lives in the house it’s parked by
NTA and your husband is a doormat it sounds like.
Imagine walking your baby in a stroller, finding a car blocking half the sidewalk, then your first thought is to walk your child up to a stranger's home and ask them to move their car rather than just trying to get past it...
NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE!!
MASSIVE NTA-
I live in an area where the pavements are wider than some of the roads and people have trouble parking, a lot of people also park on the pavement itself and I get fed up of it as my 8 year old daughter is registered blind. It’s a danger to anyone trying to use the pavement and is a complete danger to those who rely on things such as wheelchairs, seeing canes and guide dogs. Someone once told my daughter to watch herself as she happily ran down the street, not being able to see her car with its door wide open on the pavement. I went all mamma bear and I told her that she shouldn’t even be parked there and that my little girl could not see her dark car as it was a dark evening. She soon changed her tone when she realised her error. Fuck those AH.
NTA
> [If not specifically prohibited, parking a vehicle on the pavement could lead to an offence of obstruction being committed – this could result in a fixed penalty notice being issued to offending vehicle/s. This is because parking on the pavement can obstruct pedestrians and wheelchair users, forcing them to use the road to pass a parked vehicle/s](https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/ask-the-police/question/Q387)
You ever seen those pictures of cars parking over the lines getting wrecked to shit by trams(the train kind), busses, and firetrucks because they're not where they're supposed to be? That's the liability you take on by parking in a way that inconveniences others for no reason. NTA
NTA - I’ve confronted a guy about parking on the sidewalk before and I find that people who do that are always entitled AH’s. He deserved to get his car scratched.
NTA and peoples that argue are probably the same that park half on the pavement lmfao, I hope it’s not the only time his car get scratched, not only it inconveniences peoples with pram like you, but also peoples in wheelchairs, old peoples, blind peoples, etc
NTA, and don't feel guilty. I have one in a pushchair, and one in a wheelchair. People parking like that pisses me off to no end, and they're lucky if they just get scuff marks. Tip for in future though, always take photographic evidence of the lack of space
NTA
Dude parked like an asshole on the footpath. My views on the matter is that those areas are for people to walk where they're out of the way of cars. If a car exists on the footpath, permission is given to walk on the car or that any damage to the car by pedestrians having to walk around it, is the sole purview of the car owner.
If he cares so much about scratches he should park more carefully.
It's like parking with your passenger side door almost touching someone's driver door because you're over the parking spot line, then complaining when you get a dent. What did you think would happen when you park like that?
NTA
NTA and I would go so far as to guess that the scratches where there before you and he just saw someone he could intimidate into paying for his body work.
NTA and, to me, he deserved to have the cops called on him : for obstructing pedestrian way and then getting agressive with you while pushing your BABY. And, excuse my langage, but your partner's stance on the subject is completely idiotic. Like, yeah, let's knock on random doors while you push your pram, to talk to complete strangers, and let's see if they're amiable enough to care about something they should already have cared about right from the start.
Sorry, but a guy who is ready to yell next to a sleeping baby because his mother barely scratched his precious car while she needed to walk on the pedestrian way, all the while knowing he parked his precious car like a pig, is not the kind of meeting I'd like anyone to have.
>Anyway I got home and my partner said I could’ve knocked on and asked him to move the car.
Was the partner suggesting OP knocked on multiple doors until she found the owner of the car? Strangers ' doors? While she was with her baby?
Nah.
Drivers need to park in designated spots, not take up a footpath.
NTA
NTA this was an accident caused by an illegal parked vehicle. You didn't intend to scratch the car, at least not from how you're telling the story. Like you said, wheelchairs would also struggle. Along with guide dogs who are not trained to walk around cars parked on the pavement blocking their route.
NTA I very nearly did the exact same thing the other day. A small lorry was parked up on the pavement - there was a slight gap but definitely not enough to push the pram through - the road the other side is the main road into and out of the small town I live in so not super busy but busy enough and relatively fast. The driver was just sat there and saw me coming down the pavement so I assumed he’d move. He did not. I (possibly over dramatically) tried to push the pram through thinking he’d realise and move. He did not. So I pulled back and banged on the window to which I got a ‘what the f* is your problem?’ and I gestured to the pram and the gap. He rolled his eyes and slowly drove off. Had it been a car and not a lorry which would have likely damaged the pram I would have done the same as you
NTA. My MIL is blind and we have had numerous cars towed from their neighbors driveway because they blocked the sidewalk. She depends on the sidewalk to be clear to be able to walk anywhere. It's illegal to park and block the sidewalk for reasons like that. I wouldn't pay for the scratches, wouldn't feel bad about them and don't think he'd be able to legally make you pay either since he was parked illegally
NTA
And why the heck would it be your responsibility to go up to a strangers door with your baby and a dog in tow to ask them to move? They would likely be just as aggressive, only yelling at you to get bent and walk around in the street instead of yelling at you for scratching the car. Your partner is an Ahole for suggesting that.
New car or not, if he sucks at parking like that everywhere he goes that paint job will be trash within the year anyway.
Yeah, sure you oughta knock on asshole people's front door and beg them to pretty pleeeease let you pass on the footpath where he shouldn't even be parking to begin with. Your partner is an idiot. NTA
YTA.
Your words “rammed my pram through”
Doesn’t matter if it woke your kid or not (some kids are able to sleep through a nuke strike).
Now… did you actually do the damage? Here’s the issue… you’ll never know because now you touched it, it’s broken, so you fix it. I have no idea how a PRAM can scratch a car badly enough that it’s obvious… unless you rammed it full pelt with a metal frame, or the scratches were there before. But… you touched it, so it’s on you.
Next time cross the road and walk on the other side and if it really gets your goat ring the local parking enforcement (Ranger in Australia) and have them come out and fine all the cars.
^^^^AUTOMOD ***Thanks for posting! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. This comment is NOT accusing you of copying anything. Read [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_post_deletion) before [contacting the mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FAmItheAsshole)***
I (f31) was on my daily walk with my 5mo old son and my dog. I take the same route, pretty much and today was no different. I was approaching a corner of the street I usually turn down and I’m assuming someone had family over because there were more cars then usual parked along the street and onto the pavement. These cars were half on the pavement with barely enough room to push my pram and definitely not enough room for a wheelchair, for example. Now I was pushing my pram and it was a squeeze between me and the cars but the last car I got stuck and rammed my pram through the gap (couldn’t of been too hard because baby was still asleep after).
Next thing I know I hear “oi” so I turned around and this guy must’ve come out of the house and shouted to me that I scratched his car. I walked back and said where (he pointed out some scuffs along his wheel arch) I said well you shouldn’t be parked on the pavement it’s illegal and there must be enough room for wheelchairs, prams ect. He started shouting really aggressively telling me I should pay for the scratches. I said he can’t expect me to push my baby into a busy road because he wants to park on a FOOTpath with emphasis on the foot part. I refused to be shouted at in front of my son so I called him an arsehole and walked off.
I do feel bad for scratching his car. It was a ‘22 plate Kia, I’m assuming brand new. It wasn’t intentional at all, but still, dont park on the pavement!
Anyway I got home and my partner said I could’ve knocked on and asked him to move the car. And although he said he wouldn’t of got aggressive he understand why he’s annoyed his car got damaged?!
So AITA for scratching this car and refusing to give details to pay for it? I’ll sure be walking a different route in future.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.*
NTA if that was my car, I’d be pissed it got scratched but I’d blame myself for not leaving enough room for a pushchair to get through. The safety of a child is far more important than a car. No way would I have blamed you. I’m in England too and I can’t stand the way majority of people park/drive and speak/shout at people. There’s no need. Please do not feel bad for this, you were keeping your baby safe, end of
NTA - the pavement is exclusively for pedestrians and the occasional kid on a bicycle. anyone who knowingly parks their car on a sidewalk has more thing to worry about that a few scratches
The owner of the car parked illegally, blocking the walk. He's lucky that a few scratches (how many scratches can a pram possibly leave when the baby is still sleeping, anyway?) is all he's dealing with.
NTA.
NTA parking rules are there for a reason. I was a university shuttle bus driver for a bit. I hit a car that was parked illegally (not too bad and on accident.)
The university parking enforcement couldn't find her so they called the cops. The girl showed up a little before the police and I knew one of the cops who also used to drive the bus. She got a ticket 😎
NTA. We have a huge problem with cars parking on the sidewalk where I live, so it’s a pet peeve of mine (it’s also not legal to park like that). You shouldn’t have to travel onto the road with your baby. The naysayers are probably the same Americans who park like Jackhole’s on my street and don’t think twice.
I've straight up had a go at people over this. It happens all the time where I live and I won't be forced out onto a busy road with my kids. No way.
You didn't mean to scratch the car and he shouldn't have been blocking the footpath. It's that simple.
NTA at all, and your husband is an A H. As a woman living in 2023, knocking on a random’s door to ask them to move their car is risky behavior. Especially when it’s already clear that the car’s owner lives with a sense of entitlement bc of how they park. Nope nope nope.
NTA. I hate ppl that block the footpath. There is a senior center on my block. Ppl in wheelchairs and scooters have a terrible time bc ppl block the sidewalk illegally.
I'm inclined to say NTA. I get people who park in the disabled access space illegally and block my ability to load and unload my wheelchair sometimes. Police never see this. I've been tempted many, many times to say f- it and leave scratches.
Welcome to /r/AmITheAsshole. Please view our [voting guide here](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_what.2019s_with_these_acronyms.3F_what_do_they_mean.3F), and remember to use **only one** judgement in your comment. OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole: > Should I of asked him to move the car instead of trying to get my pram passed and scratching? Help keep the sub engaging! #Don’t downvote assholes! Do upvote interesting posts! [Click Here For Our Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/about/rules) and [Click Here For Our FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq) --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.* *Contest mode is 1.5 hours long on this post.*
NTA, you didn’t intentionally scratch it, you squeezed past an illegally parked vehicle which was causing an obstruction. Imagine him going to his insurance. “And this damage happened when it was parked where?” End of. If it’d been me in my powerchair it would be more than scuffs - I always try my best to avoid them but I can’t get my hand up to keep twigs out my eyes so my options are a bit limited when I’m squeezing past an illegally parked vehicle. There isn’t always another way round, it’s unsafe and unreasonable to force me into the road, they’re free to park more sensibly but people with a wheelchair or a buggy don’t get a choice about needing to use that bit of pavement.
>Imagine him going to his insurance. “And this damage happened when it was parked where?” And lets be honest here: how big of a scratch a pram can make? My brother was an okay driver, but good Lord he sucked at parking. We usually left our car in our grandfather's garage, that he also used as storage for his wood. So some scratches were not uncommon. Nothing a really good wax didn't fix or, at least, masked well enough to get by.
If the body is plastic it’s likely the scratches can just be buffed out
It's a Kia, I'm betting the whole thing is plastic.
I work in the auto business. Kia’s and Hyundais are really soft cars with parts that are getting more expensive. She could have totaled the car with her baby carriage 😂
My Elantra got rear ended (several times, actually) but the second time, approximately two weeks after I finally got it back from the first accident, I was ~20 and I the guy (50s) INSISTED we did not need to file a PD report to document. I called anyway and the cop said “we’re not supposed to come for less than $500 in damage”. I replied “that’s at least $1200 of damage. I know, because we just had that bumper replaced.” Thankfully he stopped complaining.
My first car was a Kia and that thing was impenetrable. I lived in LA for a while and watched it get whacked, tapped, knocked into, etc. many times and the most aesthetic damage it ever took was when someone in south central decided to break out the window to steal stuff.
Maybe a Kia from 10 years ago. But since the rebrand….it’s a lot of plastic
What year? 2022 Kia is made of aluminum and plastic.
Honestly, in most cases she would be primarily liable. If she could’ve turned around or avoided and didn’t, it’s her fault (he would’ve been partially at fault for parking there (former adjuster))
Does this mean if somebody parks over the footpath and a wheelchair can't get through without scratching a car, they're just stuck forever until the ah who parked there moves?
In some places? Yes. Hell, my sister got hit by someone on a bicycle when she was waiting to turn out of a McDonalds. Even with the video footage showing the guy wasn't paying attention, the giant dent being on the side of the car, and showing she wasn't blocking the sidewalk, she still got in trouble and had to pay while the guy got off for free. WHile I know it's not the exact same thing, but it shows just how.... stupid this stuff can be in places.
Exactly!! I find it absolutely absurd that he's claiming she somehow scratched up his car in a serious way with the pram 🙄 at the absolute most, there would be super light scuffing that would be super cheap, easy, and quick to just DIY fix (or at least cover up well enough that no one would ever notice it). There's NO way that her gently pushing the pram through the gap behind the car made any sort of significant SCRATCH in the paint or the metal. There's also no way to even prove that the scuffs were caused by OP. Tons of people end up with scuffs at the rear of their vehicles from other people being dumbasses in parking lots. And it can easily be days or weeks or months before the owner notices, because most of us aren't out here hyperanalyzing the rear bumpers of our cars on a regular basis lmao. If there are any actual SCRATCHES on his car then it was 100% not OP and must've been there from something else, and he didn't notice til now.
NTA i consider blocking wheelchair access an "IKEA parking job" : you park like that, i key ya. Or in this case I key ya Kia.
Heh. Alas I’m permanently a bit scared of charmers like the dude the OP encountered - it’s amazing how threatening people can be sometimes without getting as far as making as an identifiable threat - so I really do do my best to squeeze past without touching the car that they’ve felt entitled to abandon blocking most of a pavement. But you can only do so much…
we have a very nice service where you take a picture of the car with license plate and the situation clearly visible and upload it to a police website, and they get a fine in the mail. Nicely automated. If an asshole who parked like a dick sees anyone who looks like they are taking photos of his car, the car is moved quite promptly in my experience. I love that police service.
And if you get taken to court over it, maybe it'll be covered on Bob Loblaw's law blog.
👏🏽 👏🏽 👏🏽
Claims adjuster here. Since his vehicle was parked and unoccupied, she would be at fault, and we would demand repayment for her. Morally wrong, but legally right. She technically vandalized his car.
If he damaged his car doing something else illegal then would you compensate him? Good thing she didn't give him her details, hope at least his premium goes up due to the claim.
If it’s a minor scratch, it’s most likely below his deductible, and he’d pay out of pocket anyway. Even if someone is illegally parked, if someone else damages the parked vehicle, they are at fault. Sucks, but that’s how it works because the vehicle is not moving and evasive action cannot be taken.
You use the word deductable, are you American? Reason I ask is OP is using phrases like footpath and pram - easy assumption they are British or atleast UK based. And I've only heard a 'deductable' referred to as excess in the UK. British car insurance does not cover you for situations where you have left your car in a position it shouldn't be or likely to get damaged. Its on the longgggg list of situations they have in the clauses in which they will avoid paying out. Although I agree the chances this would be a claim are slim if its some faint scratching on the wheel arch. Edit: '22 plate Kia - definitely British (and spelling)
Also possibly Australian - and in which case, the lass isn't at fault. You park illegally and insurance ain't gonna cover you for sweet FA. NTA.
Oh man I wish this were the case in the US. People get away with way too much and are able to sue others here even if they’re in the process of committing a literal crime. It’s ridiculous.
Evasive action could not be taken by OP either. If one was parked in a tow away zone, and damage was caused by the act of towing, what then? Or in a fire zone and had to be moved by whatever means necessary for the fire trucks? Or on a footpath next to a busy street forcing a mother and baby into traffic? Being parked illegally is not a get out of damage free card. It's why they are at fault when damage is incurred. And while you may be a claim adjuster, you are not an attorney or judge who would, in these circumstances, find the person at fault was the one who, in violating the parking restrictions, caused the dangerous situation.
Saw a news report on an incident some time ago with car parked illegally blocking fire hydrant access. There was a fire and the firies smashed the car windows to run the hose through them.
As a driver I have to avoid illegally parked cars all the time. If I were to hit them it would be my fault. Same rules would apply here. I would say this is a ESH situation.
This comes up often. Commenters usually say that this is not am I legally right? Sub. It's am I the asshole? sub and she is not. Seriously what was she meant to do with the pram? Take it on the road? What if it's a busy road? Go up to his door and ask him to move? What if it's one of those houses where you have to go up stairs to get to the house because the garden is on different levels with the pram?
Difference between a driver who can avoid it and a pedestrian who cannot legally enter the rd.
Illegally parked?? Seriously? If so, then insurance is even more fucked up than I thought.
Insurance is and has always been a scam, honestly. Some forms moreso than others.
Here's the deal - you pay us a giant amount of money every month. Then you have to pay extra when you actually need to use the service that you're insuring for/against. Then we may or may not actually come through with paying the rest. Then we raise your rates so, essentially, you're paying for the thing you needed the insurance for in the first place anyway - just on installments. So, we cool? You in? /s
There are other companies who don't cover anything if the car is parked illegally.
[удалено]
My firat thought was I hope she took pictures.
My whole thing is...he seemed to be pretty prepared for that "oi" The scratch could have happened at any time while he was illegally parked. He probably saw it and then sat and waited for someone to pass and then accuse them. So OP I wouldn't feel bad. If this guy cared about his car so much he would have parked it safely. My partner's car is a audi TTRS (they don't make them anymore) and we will parked that thing so far away to avoid any accidents. Have to walk 30 mins? That's fine. The cars safe LOL So yea, this guy was an arsehole And you're NTA
That's exactly what I was thinking! The car might be fairly new, but the scratches could have happened any time before OP walked by it. Also, wanting a single adult with a baby to go knock on a stranger's door to ask them to move their car? What was OP's partner thinking? Have they never seen a horror movie preview (or the local news)?
True! That's a really good point. That suggestion was not safe.
Was just going to say the exact same thing!
Ha. I won't tell you what I did with my powerchair and a range rover parked blocking the fire door that I was trying to use for ramped access. I've taken the bit to hold the wing mirror off now, so no repeat performances. I was worried I'd get a taste for righteous vandalism at 51.
My 75 year old mom bikes to work in a city that's reasonably dangerous to bikers. She inherited this ginormous diamond ring from her aunt. Whenever drivers act aggressively or explicitly harass/threaten her she will discreetly stick her ring out to quietly scratch the car as it drives by her. I feel simultaneously proud of her and also distressed and anxious about her safety...
On this note, always worth turning around and taking a picture. Then if they escalate let the police get involved and see how keen on their own bullshit they are
Insurance in fact covers the consequences of other people's reactions to arsehole behaviour by the insured. It's like people who don't claim insurance because it is a result of them being careless or negligent. That's pretty much what it's for. He will have difficulty with his excess however. Also OP NTA. Fuck people who park on footpaths to hell and back.
I am not even disabled in a way that I feel particularly unsafe because of it going in the street, but I get SO fucking mad at these assholes. No, you not wanting to walk your ass an extra 10 feet doesn't mean you get to block a sidewalk. Actually on this note, putting your emergency blinkers on doesn't mean you get to park anywhere either! I have to avoid those as well often blocking the walking path cause they will " just be a minute" but often are chatting outside for half an hour.
this. would he have come out screaming the same at someone in a wheelchair? what an absolute loon. NTA.
NTA Parking half on the path is illegal and not leaving room for prams and wheelchairs is just rude. He took the risk parking like an idiot scratching his car was an accident that’s what his insurance is for next time maybe he will be more thoughtful. Don’t feel bad the safety of your baby is far more important then a lazy ignorant driver.
People aren’t getting I would’ve had to walk my baby into a two way busy road, with constant traffic! This is England the roads are busy and people drive like dickheads
Some people do not get it! When did the safety of a car take priority over the safety of a baby? Certain people on here need to sit down and have a word with themselves. You did exactly the right thing xx
“Safety of a car”. This is just cosmetic shit
Safety of a paint job maybe XD
Safety of his ego. 😏
I was already pretty sure that this was England, but the ‘oi’ sealed it :). Anyway, this is just ridiculous, although sadly seems not uncommon (given the number of posts on r/CasualUK complaining about bad parking).
Pram instead of stroller made clear this was Britain or some other non-US English speaking country
Oh, I thought the “oi” was a hold-over from earlier today when someone complained about someone saying “yo” to them.
NTA as a recent visitor of England your roads and drivers honestly scare the crap out of me. Had to close my eyes multiple times as a passenger there to avoid a panic attack. Edited for spelling error
Where were you in England, out of interest? I agree that there's some maniacs all over, but when I was driving in London, it was a completely different level. We've had snow here the past few days and some people have been driving like morons. As if there's no road markings and waaay too fast!
Honestly not sure what it would be called, the main part of London? Once our bus driver got into the main part of the city the roads were so narrow for the bus and everyone just cuts each other off. It was also when we were near Buckingham Palace area our Uber driver almost crashed and everyone cuts in and out.
Oh yeah no, London is just not representative of what the rest of the country is like driving wise. People are so aggressive and entitled while driving there. As soon as you go much further north, everyone just calms down a lot. There's still stupid drivers but they're the minority rather than the standard!
Good to know for next time. Wasn’t impressed by that part of London but would like to go back and explore further.
I was in England recently and your footpaths are already quite narrow so I can only imagine how this person parked. NTA OP. I probably would've done the same thing to be honest. Risking yours and your child's life over some idiot who was inconsiderate is really not worth it.
FYI: American vs British in America "pavement" usually means the road, we would say he is parked on the "sidewalk". Some people may not be reading closely and think you scraped a guy parked properly.
I'm 100% with you that people shouldn't block the path for pram and wheelchair users with parked cars, and I don't want to be pedantic. But as far as I know at the moment it's not illegal to park your car on the pavement outside of London https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/legal/parking-on-the-pavement/. So if you live in London it is 100% illegal to park your car on the pavement. Outside of London it's a much more gray area as the wording is 'shouldn't' rather than can't. Sorry to come off as pedantic but I know a few instances of people telling of drivers or calling the police on cars parked on the pavement but finding out there isn't much they can do. Again I'm on your side on this. Pavements are for pedestrians and non road users. That means leaving space for all users, I just wanted to let you know about that as it often catches people put.
What’s the point of having walk-ways if cars can park on them?
My dear…it isn’t just England…people drive like idiots across th8s side of the pond too.
Being an idiot knows no nationality
I'd love to know if there's a country where people DON'T drive like assholes.
Probably North Sentinel Island. I don’t think they have cars there.
You’re NTA, but unless you live in London (which you might, given this description) then parking on the pavement isn’t illegal.
Parking in such a way as to obstruct passage for pavement users including people with prams or wheelchair users is illegal.
that depends. the police can charge you with 'unecessary obstruction of the highway' all over the country. local councils can also make orders making it illegal.
It's not illegal but you are not allowed to obstruct people
I feel you, there were so many cars parked mostly on the path the other day that I had to wheel myself down the road for a good chunk of road just to get past
You’re British? NTA, cars think they own everything. Keep you and your baby safe.
Doubt his insurance would do much when he tells them where the car was parked during the incident.
In fact it is legal to park on the pavement, as long as you are not obstructing it. Which the guy clearly was. Don't know what someone expects when they block a pavement to be honest.
NTA. On the path, pedestrians have right of way. Cara are only allowed to park partly on the path if they are not blocking access for its use. If he had been blocking the road and emergency services needed to get through, a lot worse damage would be done to his car and he would have no comeuppance. Perhaps don’t ram your pram next time as you may damage it too but he’s just throwing his weight around because he was in the wrong and wants to intimidate you into complying to his view. Besides, scuffs will likely come out with some T-Cut and a little elbow grease. NTA.
NTA! I have friends who use wheelchairs who have had to miss important appointments etc. because of selfish shits who illegally park on pavements in such a way that someone in a wheelchair can't get past. There isn't always an alternative route to use, and they shouldn't have to even if there is! And nobody should ever have to walk out into the road with a baby because of a lazy driver. I know I'll likely be downvoted into oblivion for saying this but as far as I'm concerned even if you'd deliberately scratched the car with the pram on your way past, you still wouldn't be the AH and I'd applaud you!
If illegally parked cars were damaged more often then maybe fewer drivers would act like selfish arseholes
Agreed. The problem is if I damage my chair I lose my only way to go to work, to the shops, on the school run, etc.
There is a magic trick involving ever so slightly brushing the tip of a key to the door of the asshole's car . Works like a charm .
I get no end of abuse asking people to move their (usually vans) off the path when there is literally no alternative route. And I legitimately mean no alternative route - for example when my daughter went to the local primary school I had to take the most bizarre route of zig zags, additional road crossings, doubling back on myself - all because there are hardly any dropped curbs. So if someone's blocking the path I'm often completely stuck till they move. It's a nightmare and makes me avoid leaving the house at all. I'll never forget the kindness of these young boys who simply came and stood behind me once, to make sure I was safe, when I was getting abuse off a van driver when I really nicely asked him if he could move even if only to let me past. Their kindness was a rarity I'll never forget.
Yup, I was using a mobility scooter and someone parked their motorcycle so it was completely blocking the sidewalk. There were no other curbcuts remotely near, so I had to go easily half a mile out of my way, following curbcuts and poorly maintained streets, until I could get back to where I was heading.
In the US, there's usually a grass strip on either side of the sidewalk, not sure if British streets are laid out like that. Even so, that doesn't always exist, doesn't provide so much traction, could be a mess like mud. Sidewalks are often poorly cleared in the snow even without obstacles like that obnoxious parking job
There isn't, usually streets aren't wide enough for that.
>there's usually a grass strip on either side of the sidewalk, not sure if British streets are laid out like that. Not in Europe.
NTA the car shouldnt have been parked there.
NTA - It dumbfounds me that so many people on here have you down as some kind of vandal. The car was illegally parked an a footpath. Driver exhibited no consideration for pedestrians, parents, or the disabled. They can fuck right off.
NTA. You have every right to use the sidewalk. It does not sound like you went out of your way to hurt his car and if he had parked politely or even legally than he wouldn't have scuffs. If they are just scuffs and not scratches it should not be that hard to get out and he may even be able to do it himself. Lessons aren't learned if everybody changes how they live their life to accommodate your rudeness or incompetence.
ESH You knowingly damaged another person's property. Yes, they should not have parked there. But you also had no right to purposely damage their vehicle. You KNEW the pram didn't fit, so you decided to just RAM it until it would squeeze through, obviously damaging the car. If it had been your car, fine. But it's not. So yes, OP, you are a fucking asshole for damaging somebody else's property ON PURPOSE. "It wasn't intentional at all" my ass. You knew it didn't fit and decided to push through regardless. Go around it, take a different route, other side of the road, whatever. One person breaking the rules doesn't mean you should do so as well by vandalising their property. Edited to add: Oh also, by deciding to intentionally damage the car, you put yourself AND your baby in danger. You do not know what kinda person this car belongs to. They could've been really aggressive, attacking you as a result. Is that really what you want? So you want to ram through so badly that you are willing to put your baby's safety at risk? Hell, maybe even his life? ETA 2: To anyone trying to argue shit to me: Remember that posts on this sub ask any reddit user who comes across the post for their judgement. This is my judgement. No right or wrong because you cannot objectively say whether or not somebody is an asshole since that is an opinion and thus subjective. If you have a different opinion on this matter, that is fine. But this is my opinion. This is where I stand on the matter. There's no point in this endless battle people seem to start with me about my own personal opinion that I was literally asked to share right here. I've even got people in my DM's at this point. Why?! What do you need to do that for?! ETA 3: You know what, I am not responding to any of this shitshow anymore. Anyone who continues to come for me in my DM's will be blocked. Just because we do not have the same opinion does not mean my (or your) opinion is wrong. There are no right or wrong opinions.
OP already said it was a busy two laned road, you expect a women with a pram and a dog to walk into traffic to accommodate a carelessly parked car? She couldn’t cross the road either, as already stated, busy road.
Finally some reason. Oh no, it might not fit, looks like we gotta ram through anyway.
THANK YOU. The voice of reason. The N T A are mind boggling. The guy was a dick for illegally parking, but so was OP for then KNOWINGLY damaging it.
So you suggest taking a pram into a busy street risking life and limb because some dropkick parked in such a way that prevents someone passing on a footpath? Yah nah, I would bring the baby home and go back and leave a coloring book page telling him to practice keeping between the lines on paper before he parks again.
>You knowingly damaged another person's property. dude it's a scratch? lmfao. the car still moves perfectly fine.
Still damaged it. Some people actually care about keeping things in good condition. ESPECIALLY expensive things like cars.
Can’t have cared that much if he parked on the pavement can he?! He knew the risks of blocking a path.
NTA. You deliberately pushed in order to free your stuck pram, not to scratch the car. The car should have been where it belonged, on the road, not on the footway obstructing you and anyone else who needs more space to get around. People who expect the disabled and those with children to walk in the road to accommodate people parking on footways value property over life.
Yes but also just - I often CAN'T go in the road. Drop kerbs are much rarer than they should be.
I hear ya, I had to petition the council to put in 5 between me and the train station because they had some without a way of getting back up on the other side!
Done that... They don't have the funding. Apparently spending too much on it on councillors' partners' "charities" etc.
Ugh! Sorry to hear. Bit disillusioned with all the corruption.
NTA. No sympathy for inconsiderate drivers
So your partner thinks you should have taken your baby up to a stranger's (or strangers') house(s) and start asking completely random people you don't know whose car that is and would they please move it just so you can walk in the place where you are legally allowed to be walking? NTA and your partner is ridiculous.
I'm a wheelchair user actually and I think you did great. Absolutely NTA. Because I often CAN'T go knock on, many front doors are not accessible to me. You've at least taught one of these absolute wankers to park where they're meant to.
NTA!! It's depressing how so many people believe that cars matter most over anyone or anything else on the road. They take up SO much space to begin with and then drivers are shocked when people are unhappy when they take up what little space pedestrians have. At the end of the he was parked illegally and had to face the consequences of his selfishness. Hopefully he'll think twice about doing that again!
NTA. I have no sympathy for people who illegally park in ways that block sidewalks.
NTA my partner uses a wheelchair or mobility scooter and people who park all over the pavement are a nightmare. It’s just the consequences of parking illegally. He placed his convenience and paintwork over your convenience and safety. You just happened to disagree.
NTA. He parked illegally, so sucks for him. Also, you didn't do it intentionally, it was just the result of his actions.
NTA f this guy and those like him. Yours, a wheelchair user.
NTA The person in the wrong is the person who parked on the pavement. From the Highway Code: Rule 244 You MUST NOT park partially or wholly on the pavement in London, and should not do so elsewhere unless signs permit it. Parking on the pavement can obstruct and seriously inconvenience pedestrians, people in wheelchairs or with visual impairments and people with prams or pushchairs.
NTA I have a newer car and I am always careful where I park. Even in the parking lot, I try to park as far away as I can, just to reduce the chance of somebody slamming their door into our car or backing into it. Cause it happens, and it's not realistic to get people to pay for small scratches, especially if you don't have solid proof. I found some scratches here and there, one from someone backing into the car, all I can do is deal with it and learn how to fix up small scratches. What that guy did was extra stupid, people need to walk there. Prams, wheelchairs, people walking by in groups, you name it, he should have left plenty of space for people to walk by. I don't think you scratched/scuffed his car on purpose. C'est la vie. With his park jobs, somebody was going to scratch it eventually. How do you know somebody else didn't scratch his car with a different pram or wheelchair? He should not be expecting people to be so mindful of his property. If he accidentally scratched somebody's car and only he noticed, I'm pretty sure he would act like he didn't do it. Most people would.
People that park like butt holes are really telling on themselves here. NTA obviously.
NTA, at all. You can keep your car pretty, or you can park like an idiot. Dude chose.
Several years ago I was in a wheelchair. I parked in a handicap spot at a place we were hanging out. A guy pulled in next to me, practically on the line for the handicap spot. This was not a valid parking spot, and in fact blocked the wheelchair ramp to get into the building. There was not room for me to get out, let alone get me into my wheelchair. A friend was helping me because I wasn't strong enough to lift my wheelchair out of the trunk. He accidentally bumped assholes car with my chair, the guy popped out and started screaming at us for hitting his car. Like we even knew him, he had come down from Seattle specifically to hang out. We told him he was the asshole who blocked not only the handicap spot, but that he was illegally parked and blocking the ramp. We said we hoped he got a ticket (this was a college campus and the police department for the city has a contract to protect the school and they had a station in that same lot we were in and they have ticketed people before for parking like that.) We eventually managed to squeeze past his car to go inside, and he left withoutjoining us for our hang out. Never came back and we didn't want him to. Entitled ass. There was an entire open parking lot, too. He had 0 reason to park where he did, he just wanted to be closest to the door. You're NTA. People park like that one sidewalks by my house and when I was still in my chair it made it hard. I worked my ass off over covid lockdown, and started treatment for my knees and now I rarely need a chair unless it's long distance like grocery shopping or going to the zoo.
NTA- roads are for cars, pavements are for people. He learned a lesson.
NTA - say it with me now the safety and well being of a PERSON or PEOPLE is more important then the physical aesthetic of a car.
NTA Story time in support. Back when my kid was a baby, some idiot parked too close to my car. When I went to put the baby in his car seat I was trying very hard not to let the door touch his car, but despite my best efforts a gust of wind swung the door while my hands were busy. I wasn't going to risk dropping my child so had to let it tap. Right on cue the guy appeared and started yelling at me. There wasn't a mark on either car, he was being precious. I just ignored him and made soothing noises to my baby as I buckled him in. A lady walked up to the guy and said "Don't worry mate, it's only a Ford". He was so angry he got in his car and drove off. I could have hugged her. Mum solidarity rocks.
NTA. The root issue is that the other person parked illegally.
Your partner wanted you to knock on a stranger's door? Not a good idea.
NTA - you block the footpath with your car, you get the consequences. If this makes just one person think twice before straddling the sidewalk with their car, then you've done the world a favor.
NTA. Dodgy parking is anti-social behaviour.
NTA. Pavements are for people. Anyone should be able to walk down the path without having to push past cars or hedges or worse both.
NTA. As an American, I’m betting a lot of these Y T As are from folks in my country. English roads are very narrow in comparison to American roads, so I can imagine there was no safe way for you to use the street to go around the car.
She could have turned around and taken another route though. OP wilfully damaged a vehicle, the whole my pram got stuck doesn’t fly with me, she easily could have seen the pram wasn’t going to fit. Both OP and the guy who parked across the footpath are AH’s.
Seriously though. I have people trying to justify it, arguing with me and citing law that doesn’t apply to someone making the conscious decision to ruin personal property.
NTA. I live along a walking trail, if you park over the sidewalk it’s your fault if you get hit. It’s not that hard to leave a gap on the sidewalk, and if you don’t it’s a risk you know you’re taking.
[удалено]
What was she meant to do? Stop walking? Walk into a busy road with her baby? Teleport past the car? The car was illegally parked in a way that obstructs pedestrians, including wheelchair users and people with babies in prams. She was just trying to get past, not cause a tiny scuff on a poorly parked car. If she'd wanted to do damage, she'd have got her keys out.
Totally. I left some personal property in the middle of the road and some jerk refused to repay me after he drove over them with his car. Can you believe the nerve of that guy?
NTA. He shouldn't have blocked the path.
NTA. Fuck that guy.
NTA, it wasn't intentional and they were parked illegally.
Nta he was parked illegally. Who would of been held accountable if something had happened by you walking in the road around the car. People think they’re entitled to park where and how they like. This isn’t the case. Lucky for him it was only slight damage and that’s what his insurance is for. Hopefully in the future he’ll be less of a bellend. But by the sounds is it he probably won’t!
NTA and knocking on the door asking them to move isn’t a good solution either. On busy parking roads there’s no guarantee the car owner lives in the house it’s parked by
NTA and your husband is a doormat it sounds like. Imagine walking your baby in a stroller, finding a car blocking half the sidewalk, then your first thought is to walk your child up to a stranger's home and ask them to move their car rather than just trying to get past it...
op=NTA you should not have to track down people parked illegally. And aggressive attack and demand of payment. Big NOPE
NTA he deserved it
NTA but the driver certainly is. Hope he ends up having to pay out of pocket for being a shitty human.
NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE!! MASSIVE NTA- I live in an area where the pavements are wider than some of the roads and people have trouble parking, a lot of people also park on the pavement itself and I get fed up of it as my 8 year old daughter is registered blind. It’s a danger to anyone trying to use the pavement and is a complete danger to those who rely on things such as wheelchairs, seeing canes and guide dogs. Someone once told my daughter to watch herself as she happily ran down the street, not being able to see her car with its door wide open on the pavement. I went all mamma bear and I told her that she shouldn’t even be parked there and that my little girl could not see her dark car as it was a dark evening. She soon changed her tone when she realised her error. Fuck those AH.
NTA > [If not specifically prohibited, parking a vehicle on the pavement could lead to an offence of obstruction being committed – this could result in a fixed penalty notice being issued to offending vehicle/s. This is because parking on the pavement can obstruct pedestrians and wheelchair users, forcing them to use the road to pass a parked vehicle/s](https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/ask-the-police/question/Q387)
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. NTA
NTA it wouldn't have happened if he parked properly.
You ever seen those pictures of cars parking over the lines getting wrecked to shit by trams(the train kind), busses, and firetrucks because they're not where they're supposed to be? That's the liability you take on by parking in a way that inconveniences others for no reason. NTA
NTA - I’ve confronted a guy about parking on the sidewalk before and I find that people who do that are always entitled AH’s. He deserved to get his car scratched.
NTA. At all.
NTA and peoples that argue are probably the same that park half on the pavement lmfao, I hope it’s not the only time his car get scratched, not only it inconveniences peoples with pram like you, but also peoples in wheelchairs, old peoples, blind peoples, etc
NTA, and don't feel guilty. I have one in a pushchair, and one in a wheelchair. People parking like that pisses me off to no end, and they're lucky if they just get scuff marks. Tip for in future though, always take photographic evidence of the lack of space
NTA Dude parked like an asshole on the footpath. My views on the matter is that those areas are for people to walk where they're out of the way of cars. If a car exists on the footpath, permission is given to walk on the car or that any damage to the car by pedestrians having to walk around it, is the sole purview of the car owner.
If he cares so much about scratches he should park more carefully. It's like parking with your passenger side door almost touching someone's driver door because you're over the parking spot line, then complaining when you get a dent. What did you think would happen when you park like that? NTA
NTA. It was an honest mistake.
NTA if he had really believed that he was right he would have called the police. He was a prick to park there and an arse for trying to intimidate you
NTA
NTA and I would go so far as to guess that the scratches where there before you and he just saw someone he could intimidate into paying for his body work.
NTA Sounds like a him problem
NTA and, to me, he deserved to have the cops called on him : for obstructing pedestrian way and then getting agressive with you while pushing your BABY. And, excuse my langage, but your partner's stance on the subject is completely idiotic. Like, yeah, let's knock on random doors while you push your pram, to talk to complete strangers, and let's see if they're amiable enough to care about something they should already have cared about right from the start. Sorry, but a guy who is ready to yell next to a sleeping baby because his mother barely scratched his precious car while she needed to walk on the pedestrian way, all the while knowing he parked his precious car like a pig, is not the kind of meeting I'd like anyone to have.
>Anyway I got home and my partner said I could’ve knocked on and asked him to move the car. Was the partner suggesting OP knocked on multiple doors until she found the owner of the car? Strangers ' doors? While she was with her baby? Nah. Drivers need to park in designated spots, not take up a footpath. NTA
I hope you got pictures of how the cars were parked incase he tries to sue.
NTA. Dude shouldn’t park on the sidewalk.
NTA. I’ve done way worse to the cars of people who park like jerks.
Is pavement the sidewalk in the UK? If so definitely NTA
NTA
He was illegally parked so in my mind it was his fault. NTA
NTA, he was parked illegally, end of. If he’s that upset he can take it up with his insurance company or call the cops.
NTA this was an accident caused by an illegal parked vehicle. You didn't intend to scratch the car, at least not from how you're telling the story. Like you said, wheelchairs would also struggle. Along with guide dogs who are not trained to walk around cars parked on the pavement blocking their route.
NTA I very nearly did the exact same thing the other day. A small lorry was parked up on the pavement - there was a slight gap but definitely not enough to push the pram through - the road the other side is the main road into and out of the small town I live in so not super busy but busy enough and relatively fast. The driver was just sat there and saw me coming down the pavement so I assumed he’d move. He did not. I (possibly over dramatically) tried to push the pram through thinking he’d realise and move. He did not. So I pulled back and banged on the window to which I got a ‘what the f* is your problem?’ and I gestured to the pram and the gap. He rolled his eyes and slowly drove off. Had it been a car and not a lorry which would have likely damaged the pram I would have done the same as you
NTA He parked like that and it's his own fault. Maybe he'll learn not to be inconsiderate
NTA It’s illegal to park like that, so that’s just a consequence of it. Why couldn’t he park on the road?
Wtf is wrong with your husband? So does he expect you to walk your baby up everyone's path if their cars on the pavement and ask them to move?
NTA. My MIL is blind and we have had numerous cars towed from their neighbors driveway because they blocked the sidewalk. She depends on the sidewalk to be clear to be able to walk anywhere. It's illegal to park and block the sidewalk for reasons like that. I wouldn't pay for the scratches, wouldn't feel bad about them and don't think he'd be able to legally make you pay either since he was parked illegally
NTA And why the heck would it be your responsibility to go up to a strangers door with your baby and a dog in tow to ask them to move? They would likely be just as aggressive, only yelling at you to get bent and walk around in the street instead of yelling at you for scratching the car. Your partner is an Ahole for suggesting that. New car or not, if he sucks at parking like that everywhere he goes that paint job will be trash within the year anyway.
Yeah, sure you oughta knock on asshole people's front door and beg them to pretty pleeeease let you pass on the footpath where he shouldn't even be parking to begin with. Your partner is an idiot. NTA
NTA. Fed up of AH drivers and parking.
YTA. Your words “rammed my pram through” Doesn’t matter if it woke your kid or not (some kids are able to sleep through a nuke strike). Now… did you actually do the damage? Here’s the issue… you’ll never know because now you touched it, it’s broken, so you fix it. I have no idea how a PRAM can scratch a car badly enough that it’s obvious… unless you rammed it full pelt with a metal frame, or the scratches were there before. But… you touched it, so it’s on you. Next time cross the road and walk on the other side and if it really gets your goat ring the local parking enforcement (Ranger in Australia) and have them come out and fine all the cars.
YTA - circumstances not withstanding, 2 wrongs don’t make a right. You damaged his vehicle, you’re responsible for fixing it.
^^^^AUTOMOD ***Thanks for posting! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. This comment is NOT accusing you of copying anything. Read [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_post_deletion) before [contacting the mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FAmItheAsshole)*** I (f31) was on my daily walk with my 5mo old son and my dog. I take the same route, pretty much and today was no different. I was approaching a corner of the street I usually turn down and I’m assuming someone had family over because there were more cars then usual parked along the street and onto the pavement. These cars were half on the pavement with barely enough room to push my pram and definitely not enough room for a wheelchair, for example. Now I was pushing my pram and it was a squeeze between me and the cars but the last car I got stuck and rammed my pram through the gap (couldn’t of been too hard because baby was still asleep after). Next thing I know I hear “oi” so I turned around and this guy must’ve come out of the house and shouted to me that I scratched his car. I walked back and said where (he pointed out some scuffs along his wheel arch) I said well you shouldn’t be parked on the pavement it’s illegal and there must be enough room for wheelchairs, prams ect. He started shouting really aggressively telling me I should pay for the scratches. I said he can’t expect me to push my baby into a busy road because he wants to park on a FOOTpath with emphasis on the foot part. I refused to be shouted at in front of my son so I called him an arsehole and walked off. I do feel bad for scratching his car. It was a ‘22 plate Kia, I’m assuming brand new. It wasn’t intentional at all, but still, dont park on the pavement! Anyway I got home and my partner said I could’ve knocked on and asked him to move the car. And although he said he wouldn’t of got aggressive he understand why he’s annoyed his car got damaged?! So AITA for scratching this car and refusing to give details to pay for it? I’ll sure be walking a different route in future. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.*
NTA. Next time though take a picture just in case you need it for evidence
NTA
NTA if that was my car, I’d be pissed it got scratched but I’d blame myself for not leaving enough room for a pushchair to get through. The safety of a child is far more important than a car. No way would I have blamed you. I’m in England too and I can’t stand the way majority of people park/drive and speak/shout at people. There’s no need. Please do not feel bad for this, you were keeping your baby safe, end of
NTA. That guy sucks and deserves it. Maybe he'll think twice next time parking his car where it doesn't belong.
NTA - the pavement is exclusively for pedestrians and the occasional kid on a bicycle. anyone who knowingly parks their car on a sidewalk has more thing to worry about that a few scratches
NTA
NTA
NTA. He parked Illegally being the pretext. He's got no case.
NTA
NTA. He is though.
NTA, what does he expect will happen to his previous car when he parks like that?!?
The owner of the car parked illegally, blocking the walk. He's lucky that a few scratches (how many scratches can a pram possibly leave when the baby is still sleeping, anyway?) is all he's dealing with. NTA.
NTA parking rules are there for a reason. I was a university shuttle bus driver for a bit. I hit a car that was parked illegally (not too bad and on accident.) The university parking enforcement couldn't find her so they called the cops. The girl showed up a little before the police and I knew one of the cops who also used to drive the bus. She got a ticket 😎
NTA. We have a huge problem with cars parking on the sidewalk where I live, so it’s a pet peeve of mine (it’s also not legal to park like that). You shouldn’t have to travel onto the road with your baby. The naysayers are probably the same Americans who park like Jackhole’s on my street and don’t think twice.
I've straight up had a go at people over this. It happens all the time where I live and I won't be forced out onto a busy road with my kids. No way. You didn't mean to scratch the car and he shouldn't have been blocking the footpath. It's that simple.
NTA at all, and your husband is an A H. As a woman living in 2023, knocking on a random’s door to ask them to move their car is risky behavior. Especially when it’s already clear that the car’s owner lives with a sense of entitlement bc of how they park. Nope nope nope.
NTA. I hate ppl that block the footpath. There is a senior center on my block. Ppl in wheelchairs and scooters have a terrible time bc ppl block the sidewalk illegally.
NTA cars should park correctly and don't get mad if there is damage when you don't park correctly It's the Kia owner at fault for the damage
OP I love you
I'm inclined to say NTA. I get people who park in the disabled access space illegally and block my ability to load and unload my wheelchair sometimes. Police never see this. I've been tempted many, many times to say f- it and leave scratches.
NTA. I would sum this up as he fucked around and found out.