Was my dad right on this dispute? Here's the story..

[Hawkeye-X]

Today, my dad and I went to the baseball game in downtown Denver. Downtown Denver has free Sunday street parking, so my dad was very stubborn, despite my offer to pay for lot parking (usually about $10), and finally finds a spot not less than 2 blocks from the field. My dad proceeds to stand by the car (and wait for the spot to be open) and wait patiently. Suddenly, this Audi pulls out of the middle lane (The right lane was blocked due to construction traffic but parking was avaliable, and we were besides the cones and waiting. The guy suddenly backs up the to the (now) open parking spot, the passenger jumps out, walks by my dad's car, blocking us from proceeding to the open spot. My dad, angry at the person for suddenly trying to steal the parking spot, nudged the passenger out of the way by moving ever so-slowly, literally pushing the passenger out of the way (with his car, no less - and very carefully). The (understandably) angry passenger yelled at my dad - declaring that the parking spot was his. My dad disagreed, and offered a simple compromise - a flip of the coin. Heads, we lose or tails, we get the spot. Tails came up, and the passenger walked back to his car. The driver, angry, threatened to damage my dad's car. Dad tells me to jot down the license plate - I inputted it on my blackberry. We gather our stuff and go enjoy the game. We decide to leave after the 6th inning - the Rockies were up by 7 runs, and the weather looked threatening again. We return to our car, find my dad's hood keyed in with the word "FU". Dad calls the police - not much they could do, based on the story and the witness who likes to sit by the window all day at the VOA apartment complex and her window was directly across from the parking spot. My dad wants them to face charges of vandalism and property damage. Was he in the right or not? We are pretty sure that the downtown area has video, and the police will be checking into that for us.

All I was is a witness to the exchange, and I had nothing to do with Dad's decision on parking on the street. I reminded him TWICE that I offered to pay for parking but he dismissed me as "waste of money". Yes, he's pretty conservative (and watches Faux), but this is gone beyond the extreme, in my opinion.

Hawkeye-X

[rug]

1. Wait for the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6YwHwWWigI

[hedgehog]

20. I 'll see your video, and raise you a clip from Fried Green Tomatoes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXZs3mjGlQU

[rug]

25. You win!

[REP]

2. Your dad lost the moment he used his car to push a human being over a parking spot.

The other drivers were wrong, but he was lucky they didn't have him arrested - what he did was worse and dangerous. File the insurance claim and hope he doesn't kill someone over something so trivial.

[struggle4progress]

6. bingo

[Ptah]

3. No, your father was wrong.

[Orrex]

4. Your father is guilty of assault with a deadly weapon at the very least

Given the circumstances, he had absolutely no justification for "nudging" a pedestrian with his vehicle.

If your father hasn't been arrested and charged already, then he should consider himself very fortunate. He should also consider himself lucky that only his car was damaged; a more confrontational victim might have beaten the shit out of your father for reasons of self-defense.


The victim of the assault was wrong to vandalize your father's car, but between the two of them your father's crime was much more severe.

[AngryOldDem]

13. This especially a concern since there may be video.

Instead of going after the other guy, they may just go after the dad.

Not worth it; not for a parking space at any rate.

[petronius]

5. Did the witness see these Audi people come back and key the car?

I think your dad is right, although now it's going to take a serious expenditure of energy to assert that rightness. Y'all probably should have just cold-cocked the asshole then parked somewhere else...

[struggle4progress]

7. Shitheaded behavior like that comes from people who think everyone is a shithead

If you act like a shithead when they do, it really just reinforces the behavior -- and it escalates, as your experience just verified

I might have pointed out to the guy who got out of the car to block you that someday he'll do that to the wrong person and get punched in the face or worse

But I wouldn't have done anything myself to escalate

[Tobin S.]

8. Both of them were wrong, but your dad was wronger.

They committed a misdemeanor, but he likely a felony. Tell that crazy old man to drop it and consider himself blessed if he doesn't have charges filed against him.

I've been to downtown Denver, btw, and watched the Rockies play there. It's a nice town.

[zanana1]

9. Your dad was right for reporting it to the police.

Someone damaged his property. It's going to cost quite a bit to get that cleaned up.

[begin_within]

10. Here's what I would have done

Let the asshole have his parking spot, without saying a word or even letting them know you exist, then go buy a large milkshake and pour it all over the front of the windshield and into the car if possible - but it's important to put it all over the windshield so that it dries and they can't drive it. I have actually done this (with a Jamba Juice smoothie) to some nitwit woman who zoomed into the parking space I was about to take. And I did not feel one bit of guilt and I still don't. Make it so that parking space was not the great find they thought it was. And don't feel guilty.

[Phentex]

11. That seems like a lot of work!

You'd have to have a place that sells milkshakes really close by or it would just be a pain in the ass.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

22. Even better --

slather Vaseline over the window -- that shit takes forever to get off! :evilgrin:

[Rabrrrrrr]

23. I like to go rent an industrial sandblaster and abrade the shit out of it.

Then light up a few sticks of dynamite and clear out the parking spot entirely, and mail their license plate to 'em at home with an ultimatum.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

12. the guy was wrong, but what your dad did was insanely dangerous

just because someone is rude to me, doesnt give me the right to shoot them or even pull out my gun.

[skygazer]

14. For a parking space?

When you had already offered to pay for parking? Your dad was totally wrong and what a waste of time to circle around and wait for parking. Then to get into a pointless dispute over a parking space and end up with damage to his vehicle...

It's meaningless crap like this that clogs up the justice system.

[jobycom]

15. Hell, I'd have run the guy over, smashed into the other car, and been pummeling the driver

when the cops arrived, and I'd have felt any prison sentence was worth it. I applaud your dad's self control.

As for whether he was right, I don't know. Your dad's actions don't bother me, but maybe that's because I hate bullies and cheaters with a flaming passion and kind of wish your dad had squished him into jelly. I don't know the law in Denver, though. Pedestrians have the right of way, in general, but he was deliberately trying to block you, and I could raise an argument that he pushed against your car more than your father ran into him. Probably not wise to take the chance, from a legal standpoint.

Hope the catch the fuckers, and tell your dad I'd buy him a beer if I lived in Denver.

[Patiod]

16. I hate to admit I agree with you

bullies and cheaters - arrrggh.

[Rabrrrrrr]

17. Your dad, of course, has the moral high ground. And the fuckers should be nailed for scratching

his car.

However, if I were your dad, I would advise him against trying anything against the dudes because they have an ace up their sleeve that your dad tried to run one of them over. THAT'S where your dad fucked up in this battle.

My fear, if I were your father, would be that if I tried to take the stupid fuckers to court to sue for the damage, they'd take me to court for assault.

Your dad should just let it go, and try to learn to control his anger.

Of course, as a FOX viewer, this will be a difficult path because FOX viewers are basically all super angry idiots.

[Hawkeye-X]

18. Don't I know that, Rabrrrrrr...

Every morning when I get to my folks house (I work from there) - I always see the TV tuned to Channel 42.

That is Faux.

I switch to USA, 2 channels lower.

I watch the drama - if I wanted entertainment, I use TNT/USA, if I wanted news, I'll go online.

[hedgehog]

19. Has he always been like this, or is this stubbornness something new?

Pushing someone with a car is poor judgment, no matter the incitement. It might be time for a check-up for your Dad.

It almost sounds like some kind of human physics:

2 reasonable people would never get into a fight over a parking space

1 reasonable person and 1 jerk would end up with the jerk getting the space and gloating about this petty triumph for hours while the reasonable person would be momentarily miffed and then get on with life.

2 jerks escalate the situation into the danger zone.

[flvegan]

21. Well, you have the license plate number, and the guy HAS to sleep sometime.

:popcorn:

[jobycom]

26. You know, he could find a couple of internet friends

so that he could be in some public place all night...

:rofl:

[hippywife]

24. I hope they also have video of

your dad using his car to move a PERSON! That is just fucking insane.

Of course he was wrong, how can it even be in question after that kind of behaviour?

[snooper2]

27. Yep, he's lucky all they did was key the paint...

I would have done something a little more, dramatic :)

[LibDemAlways]

28. The other people were assholes, BUT no way should your

dad have used his car to nudge the guy out of the way. He's lucky the guy didn't call the cops then and there.

By the way $10.00 is incredibly cheap for parking. In Seattle, when I went to a game last summer, the stadium wanted $40.00.