Imagine wanting to go somewhere, but the only problem is that the place you want to go has a very small parking lot. Would you chance it anyway and wait as long as it took to find a parking spot, or would you skip going there due to the parking issue?

In this story, one person is in that situation when it comes to visiting a nature preserve. They decide to go anyway. It doesn’t take too long to see someone leaving, so it seems inevitable that they will get a parking spot.

But it’s not nearly that easy.

Keep reading to hear all the drama.

AITA for “taking” a parking spot

This all started at a nature preserve which has been very popular in these times: Beautiful views, wide and easy trails… and not much parking.

But I decided to take my chances, since it was on my way home anyway.

The place has a six-car lot at one entrance, a larger lot just over 100 m away, and the largest one on the other side of the preserve.

The tiny one was taken, so I proceeded to the second, but two cars were sitting in the red zone, just waiting for a space to open up, so I went back, intending to try the other side of the preserve.

But there was actually a good chance of getting a spot in the tiny lot.

Going back, I asked some people walking by if they were going back to the tiny lot, and they vigorously nodded, indicating they knew what I was after.

I waited at a respectful distance, just before the first parking spot, so that others could get out or get around me.

A few minutes passed as they got to the car and got ready to leave.

As they did, a car from the other lot came out behind me and started waiting.

The other driver disagreed about who was first in line.

I thought it unlikely that a second person would leave there soon, but that’s not what they were after.

A woman from the car came to mine and said that, actually, I was third in line for a spot, since they were the first of two cars.

I pointed out that they were waiting at the larger lot, which I had given up on, and I was waiting for a spot at the tiny one.

She insisted that they had the right to the spot.

And I said it’s not like anyone can reserve all lots in the preserve.

The argument got more intense.

She got irate and remained insistent, berating me for not budging.

And I called her “an entitled jerk in a Tesla.” (Not all Tesla drivers are jerks, but many around here seem far more entitled than those in non-luxury vehicles.)

Taken aback, she just said, “That’s very rude,” and went back to her car.

To my surprise, the conflict wasn’t over.

OP decided to talk to the driver of the car that was leaving.

She took advantage of my distance and quickly pulled ahead of me.

Her willingness to block parked cars – and defy what I thought of as the unwritten rules of the road – seemed to give her the upper hand.

However, I pulled past her, made a three-point turn, faced the other way, and informed the driver of the parked car that she was trying to steal my spot.

He left it a way that ensured that I would get the spot, and, thankfully, the other car just left.

However, it’s not a conflict I would have liked and, in retrospect, not one I needed, leaving me wondering, AITA?

I understand how frustrating it can be to wait for a parking spot and see someone else who arrived after you find a parking spot first, but in this case, OP was clearly first in line.

Let’s see how Reddit responded to this story.

I completely agree.

Exactly!

Here’s some praise for the driver who was leaving.

I’m assuming the lot was too small to drive around.

Some drivers can be really rude!

If you liked that post, check out this story about a guy who was forced to sleep on the couch at his wife’s family’s house, so he went to a hotel instead.