The staff member posted the dilemma on Reddit’s popular Am I The A**hole forum, under username u/NeopolitanGuy1, where they explained they have a large parking lot, with only a few available spots by the entrance.
They wrote: “Most of them are reserved for managers etc but one is unreserved and works on a first come first serve type situation.
“Most of the time I park there because I have an old knee injury so the closer the better and more convenient.
“It’s obviously the spot everyone wants so I always make sure to try get in a bit earlier so I could grab it.”
No one seemed to mind, until one of their colleagues became pregnant.
The worker continued: “Don’t have the slightest clue how far but she’s showing and has complained about how packed the parking lot gets which forces her to park a distance from the door.
“Basically she’s been going around asking people if they could leave that space open for her. She’s never asked me directly but left a note on my desk a couple days ago asking the same.
“The next day I parked in the spot like always and she came by my office to ask if I saw her note. I told her I did but unfortunately if the spot is open, I’m going to take it.
“Like I get it and I wasn’t going to fight over the spot but if she wants it she should just wake up early. She tried arguing a bit but eventually left.”
Despite informing her of their injured knee, they claimed she’d now escalated the situation by lodging a complaint with the boss, who “doesn’t want to get involved.”
Amid “glares” and “gossiping murmurs,” they questioned if they were in the wrong.
The post, which can be read here, has racked up more than 12,000 upvotes and comments, as people claimed the worker was within their rights to take the space.
And responding to questions, they explained more about their knee, confirming they wore a support, adding: “I can’t describe the level of pain I can experience from walking because it’s simply something you just need to experience yourself to understand.
“It’s bearable when I’m off my feet or walking short distance (thus the parking) but when things get longer and my knee has to carry my body for greater periods it isn’t lovely.”
They added: “My injury is not quite discreet as I have a visible limp and I did tell her about that my knee was the reason I put in extra effort to get that parking.”
And they revealed they haven’t got a disability permit but said there’s only one of those spaces in the parking lot, which is already claimed.
“She said that she couldn’t keep walking from where her car parks now because it’s too far and started asking me again repeatedly…
“It’s a fairly big parking lot that we share with the whole building so space runs out fast and it can be a fair walk…”
V2den voiced support, saying: “NTA. [Not the A**hole] It is an open spot. FIRST COME FIRST SERVE. She wants it? Then come early enough to get it. Her bump doesn’t give her priority.”
OddAsk9838 wrote: “NTA. If HR wants to create a pregnancy parking spot they can—and those exist!!”
Patient-Mix-6016 advised: “Yes! I don’t understand why they aren’t more prevalent. OP NTA but maybe you should look into getting a sticker if your knee is that bad.”
Patiod commented: “Exactly—if he doesn’t park there, it’s likely someone else will. What are the chances that the entire ‘packed’ parking lot will leave that great space open for that one co-worker without any specific signage such as Reserved for Jane Doe?”
Faux_extrovert pointed out: “The boss should be nice and give up his parking spot, since it won’t be permanent. It’s funny that she spoke to everyone else about not parking there, but to the person who probably uses the spot the most she left a note.”
Sailor_Chibi asked: “Why does this woman’s pregnancy trump OP’s old knee injury?”
Numerous-Tie-9677 wrote: “So he should walk further than necessary on an injured knee because it’s ’nice to be nice’? Heck no. NTA.”
Although some felt the worker could share, as GoKartMarlys suggested: “Why can’t they share? He gets it on odd days, she gets it on even, or something like that. He’s not required to, but why not?”
And The_YellowRanger wrote: “IT’S NICE TO BE NICE. That comment. You don’t HAVE to give up the spot, but you could be a nice human.”
While it’s not clear where they’re based, recently Illinois passed a bill allowing pregnant women to obtain a temporary free parking placard “similar to those provided to disabled persons” for 90 days.
A statement on State Representative, Keith Wheeler’s, website, said it was applicable to women in the third trimester.
The criteria for a disabled parking placard, according to Nevada’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), are being unable to walk 200 feet without stopping, or unable to walk without the use of “brace, cane, crutch, wheelchair, or other device, or another person.”
The criteria also include: Being restricted by a lung disease, using portable oxygen, having a cardiac condition “to the extent that functional limitations are classified as a Class III or Class IV according to standards adopted by the American Heart Association,” being visually handicapped, being “severely limited in his/her ability to walk because of an arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition.”
Newsweek reached out to u/NeopolitanGuy1 for comment.
