Some days are worse than others. There are times when you’ve spilled coffee on your shirt, rush around looking for your keys (they were in the pocket of your jeans), and run out the door only to realize that your entitled neighbors have blocked your car in. Again!
Unfortunately, this isn’t just a hypothetical scenario. Internet user u/carbonlandrover found her called in to work, only to see her driveway blocked in by over a dozen cars. Her less-than-friendly neighbors were unwilling to move them, so she decided to sort things out with some coworkers with tow trucks.
Scroll down for the full story, including Bored Panda’s interview with Teresa Di Felice, Assistant Vice President of Government & Community Relations at CAA South Central Ontario, who kindly answered some of our questions about the importance of signs and parking regulations.
Parking your car in a place where it isn’t allowed might end with you having to retrieve it from a tow yard
Image credits: Jonathan Reynaga (Not the actual photo)
This woman decided to tow a few cars, since her neighbor didn’t care for parking rules, nor for her requests
Image credits: Michael Greene (Not the actual photo)
Image credits: carbonlandrover
Parking signs are there for a reason
Image credits: Steve DiMatteo (not the actual photo)
Being blocked in, especially when in a rush, is aggravating at best. But people parking in places where they shouldn’t can be not only annoying but dangerous, too; hence, the rules and parking signs telling them not to do it.
“Adhering to parking signs, traffic signs, and, in general, the rules of the road ensures everyone’s safety by preventing collisions and protecting pedestrians, cyclists and drivers,” Assistant Vice President of Government & Community Relations at CAA South Central Ontario, Teresa Di Felice, told Bored Panda in a recent interview. “By respecting parking regulations, we show consideration for our neighbors, help maintain order on our streets, and, in doing so, become good citizens.”
The expert continued to point out that the rules or signs for each road exist for a reason – it’s trying to prevent the very thing you could potentially cause by ignoring those rules.
Take parking near a fire hydrant, for instance, which drivers should know better not to do; Di Felice emphasized that there’s a reason space is left around them on streets. “When firefighters are called to a scene, they need to be focused on fighting the fire and not getting a car out of the way,” she said.
“If your car is damaged by being parked near a fire hydrant, all associated costs are incurred by you, the owner. While someone might think it is unlikely that something will happen… that’s the complete opposite of an emergency that is unexpected at any time. Don’t be the reason for an emergency situation to not be handled properly.”
Parking-related quarrels are quite common among neighbors
Image credits: Nathan Anderson (not the actual photo)
Delving deeper into the importance of traffic signs, Teresa Di Felice noted that they are essential for ensuring the smooth and safe operation of the road network, protecting all road users, and facilitating efficient transportation. Needless to say, being blocked in, especially next to a ‘no parking’ sign, does not facilitate efficient transportation; and that seems to be a problem quite a few people face ‘thanks’ to their neighbors.
According to Metro News, as much as 60% of Brits have had a dispute with their neighbor or experienced negative feelings towards them, with 16% saying that that has happened numerous times. Just over one-in-four of respondents said that they have had rows over parking related problems, which became the reason the OP decided to take revenge, too. She didn’t mind the loud noise, though, which is reportedly the main reason for quarrels between neighbors.
What the redditor’s neighbors didn’t mind, in the meantime, was the ‘no parking’ signs, which led to quite a few people having to pay up or visit a tow yard. “The whole point of a traffic sign is to make sure people know the rules, and there is no excuse not to follow the law,” Di Felice told Bored Panda. “Follow the rules, and there will be no penalties. Don’t follow the rules and you are subject to fines and penalties.”
The author shared some more details in the comments
Fellow internet users applauded the author’s pro revenge
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