A couple faces a difficult situation when they are forced to park in a random spot due to construction and find that they have blocked someone’s parking space, leading to a threatening note and a debate about parking etiquette.
Construction Site
John and his fiancé, Emily, had been living in their apartment complex for almost two months and had paid parking with a reserved spot that was currently unavailable due to construction. The building manager had instructed them to park in the visitor parking area, but after five weeks of construction, they still didn’t have their parking spot.
A Random Spot
One day, when they returned from grocery shopping, they found no parking available and had to park in a random spot in the back parking lot. The next morning, John discovered that someone had blocked him in, and he suspected that it was the owner of the parking space.
An Overreaction
John was angry and felt that the owner of the parking spot had overreacted. He understood that he had taken someone else’s spot, but he also felt that he had no other choice given the construction and lack of available parking. He didn’t think blocking him in was an appropriate solution when there was no other parking available.
A Threatening Note
When John and Emily returned to their car, they found a threatening note on their windshield. The note, written in big bold sharpie, said, “PARK HERE AGAIN & I BREAK YOU.” John and Emily were shocked and scared by the note and wondered if the owner of the parking spot was justified in their actions. They didn’t know which neighbor had written it. Was it a joke, they both wondered. They didn’t want to stick around and find out.
She Apologized
Emily wrote a note apologizing for taking the spot and explaining the situation, but John was still upset about the threatening note. Emily didn’t want any kind of aggressive conflict even if she was wrong. She was worried that the people that wrote the note were mentally unstable and would actually harm them both. John wondered if he was in the wrong for parking in someone else’s spot, but he also felt that the situation was out of his control. He wasn’t scared as he thought they were bluffing.
He Turned to the Internet
They wondered if they were wrong but didn’t know who to ask for advice. John ended up posting his situation on a popular internet forum to see what other people thought. Many people on the internet sympathized with John and Emily, understanding that they were in a difficult situation due to the construction and lack of available parking. However, some people also felt that they should have been more considerate of other people’s parking spots and found a different solution.
Be Respectful
One user commented, “I understand that the construction is causing problems, but you should still be respectful of other people’s parking spots. It’s not fair to take someone else’s spot just because you don’t have your own.”
Out of Line
Another member said, “The note was definitely out of line, but you should have found a different solution instead of taking someone else’s spot. Maybe you could have talked to the building manager or found a different parking lot nearby.”
They Wanted Peace
In the end, John and Emily decided to be more considerate of other people’s parking spots and to find a different solution until their reserved spot became available again. They hoped that the construction would be finished soon so that everyone could have their parking spots back. They didn’t want to cause any further disputes with neighbors and just wanted to live in peace with everyone.
The Internet Responded
This commenter wrote, “Parking in someone’s spot just puts your problem on them. You were unhappy you had nowhere to park, so decided to make that someone else’s problem. You didn’t park there quickly to run into your suite and drop things off… you went home to bed and didn’t return to move your car. You only saw it was blocked while walking the dog. Talk to the management company about a temporary stall, and stop making your problem someone else’s.”
More Internet Responses
Another person commented on this opinion, “Parking spots are property. You did steal their spot. That is the spot reserved for their car. They couldn’t peacefully park their car because of you. Tbh if someone parked in my spot, I would get their car tolled so they’d have to pay $$$ to get their car released (I’m from a different country btw, we have titled parking spots that we have to pay property taxes on).”
A Final Comment
This last person wrote this comment, “Everyone sucks here. You should not have taken someone else’s spot, but they certainly shouldn’t have threatened you over it, either. This is apartment living, and you will both undoubtedly run into this again, based on the parking situation you’ve described. With that said, I’d be having a little chat with the author of that note.”