The card left on a New Zealand man’s windscreen didn’t pull any punches: “Hey! You absolutely suck at parking!” it read.
Flipping it over, the man saw a note in thick black pen. “MOVE YOUR CAR!”
The man, preferring to remain unidentified, had not broken any laws. His car, parked across from his house on a residential street in Milldale, north Auckland, was in a legitimate parking spot and did not occupy a reserved or disabled area.
He penned a response on the back – “street parking is public” – and placed it on the windscreen of his neighbour’s car.
Dr. Tim Welch, a University of Auckland professor focused on transportation, infrastructure, and urban modeling, noted that this kind of territorial mindset is quite prevalent.
“It’s the perception you have ownership over everything that’s in front of your property, even though it’s technically open to everyone.”
He called the behaviour “erratic and irrational”, pointing out that we don’t see the same kind of ownership over footpaths.
“You don’t see people blocking off those spaces.”
Welch explained that drivers often possess a sense of entitlement over their mode of transportation, leading to significant frustration when hindered by traffic congestion or cyclists.
“That comes out in dangerous driving… blocking off your car space is an extension of that.”
Dr. Simon Kingham from the University of Canterbury, who investigates the impact of urban environments on health and well-being, criticized this behavior as being somewhat entitled and self-centered.
“None of us own streets outside our house, but a lot of people feel the parking space outside is theirs, but it’s a public space.
“It’s not great in terms of community well being and cohesion.”
