Singapore — While people most often “chope” seats in hawker centres, two women recently did the same thing at a parking lot.
This happened in Changi Village. The women were seen standing at an empty parking lot, using themselves as human barricades to “chope” the slot, reported stomp.straitstimes.com on Tuesday (Jan 26).
“I was at Changi Village and was trying to park in a public parallel parking lot when this family remained standing in the lot, saying that the lot was reserved,” noted the individual who tipped off Stomp about the incident that happened on Saturday (Jan 23).
“When we tried to reverse into the lot, one of the women stood right at the boot of our car in order to physically ‘block’ us from entering the lot.”
According to the report, the individual’s partner informed the women politely that public lots are not supposed to be reserved.
However, the women responded with, “we’ve waited very long for a lot”. It was, however, not clear for how long they had been standing at the empty parking space.
Fortunately, another motorist left and the waiting couple could park in his lot.
“After we parked, this family was still standing in the empty lot that they were reserving. As we got out of our car, we saw the family’s black Hyundai entering the lot that they were reserving. They then left as quickly as they could.”
After the incident, the individual noted that the family kept looking across the road at them. “Being wary of us, I assume?”
The individual wondered if people were permitted to reserve public car park lots in such a manner.
“I feel that it’s not fair nor right to ‘book’ public lots like this. If their family car had been waiting along the roadside for a lot, I totally get it. However, in this situation, I believe no one has the right to physically stand in the public lot and claim it as ‘reserved’.”
This incident brings to mind a similar case shared by Facebook page SG Road Vigilante on Jan 8. A man in a light blue shirt was seen reserving a parking slot in Liang Seah Street, preventing a motorist from parking there.
Members of the online community had commented that it was a public car park and that the man had no right to “chope” the parking space. “If I were you, I just park on the lot. No need to let him have it. (If things get) worse, call traffic police and see who is right and wrong,” added a netizen.
/TISG
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