Woman's 'anti-social' act in Aussie car park caught on camera
The behaviour is heavily criticised by the majority of Aussies who say the tactic is unacceptable.
A couple's questionable car park antics have been captured and shared online on Sunday, with absolutely no one supporting their approach to securing a car parking space.
TikToker Grace Pene filmed a woman standing in front of a parking space at Southport on the Gold Coast, reserving the park for her male accomplice by physically standing and blocking another person who was trying to drive into it.
"She can't do that, there's another car park right up there," Grace exclaims in the background while watching the run-in unfold from a unit above.
The two people can be seen having a heated debate, with the woman in the red car trying to park and getting out to confront the woman in black who is trying to stand in the space to reserve it. After an ongoing back and forth, and a long honk of the car horn, a man in a white cap arrived to help block the red car trying to get in to what should have been a free space. The woman in the red car, outnumbered, eventually gives up and drives away.
Most drivers would have stood their ground
Pedestrians physically reserving public car spaces is not unheard of, though it's an act criticised heavily by the majority of Aussies who say they would never back down.
"She's admitting defeat, oh my god that's insane," Grace said in the video, shocked that the woman in the red car gave in, leaving the park to the couple who were trying to reserve it.
"You can bet your ass I would’ve sat in that car all day until she moved," replied a commenter.
"I would die before I let that lady take the park for someone else," agreed another.
Do you have a story about driving behaviour? Contact reporter Laura Koefoed at laura.koefoed@yahooinc.com
Pedestrians reserving a car park: illegal or just rude?
The NRMA condemned the act in a blog post it shared about carpark etiquette rules.
"It should go without saying that a passenger or friend can’t claim a spot by standing in it. This is extremely anti-social car park etiquette and is sure to raise temperatures and lead to an unhealthy confrontation," they said.
Although there are no exact rules that specifically mention reserving car spaces in this way, Queensland transport legislation does state that pedestrians could be penalised for intentionally getting in the way of drivers without reason.
"A pedestrian must not unreasonably obstruct the path of any driver or another pedestrian," it says under regulation 236.
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