Bangaloreans are as bad as the Welsh when it comes to parking rage

Bangaloreans are as bad as the Welsh when it comes to parking rage
The Times of India

ROAD rage is now spilling into parking lots in the city. If overburdened roads, insolent motorists and driving stress aren’t enough to deal with, now there’s someone grabbing your parking space or even booking parking space in a public parking lot. A recent survey conducted by an insurance group in the UK found Welsh motorists the most ill-natured in Britain when it comes to parking. BT found that Bangaloreans too lose their cool where parking’s concerned.

Jimmy Amrolia, director of a life enhancement centre says he regularly experiences parking rage on city roads. “Getting parking is so difficult in Bangalore. And when you have motorists with no regard for others, you’re bound to get angry when they park badly. And that can inconvenience other road users no end.”

D McCauley of the insurance group that conducted the survey said, “Parking spaces are now priceless and we are clearly marking our territory. It’s obvious that with the battle for space in the neighbourhood, tension will be rife.”

What makes language consultant Rani Joseph lose her cool is when someone parks so close to her car that she can’t get it out of the parking slot. “You’re stuck. You don’t know where the driver of the other vehicle is, you may damage other vehicles around,” she says.

Some feel that after the authorities did away with parking attendants, parking rage is even more common. Says Chandrkantah Reddy, jewellery expert, “Now that there’s no one to monitor how people park, it’s getting worse. Attendants were troublesome, but they did help you park properly.” Men are also more likely than women to see red for bad parking. They are also quicker to react by arguing, escalating the dispute or calling the police.

Sangeetha S, assistant operations manager at a multinational says, “I get parking rage when I see someone’s car parked right in front of my gate. Despite ‘No-Parking in front of the gate’ boards, people just assume that they can park there. When I’m driving, it’s worse. I can’t take the car into my house as there’s someone’s car right across my gate.” She’s lost her cool, spoken to the owners of the neighbouring store whose customers park in front of her gate, even called the police for help, but to no avail.


TOP FIVE PARKING GRUDGES

• Someone’s car parked in front of your home
• Absolutely no place to park
• Another driver stealing your parking spot
• Poorly and haphazardly parked vehicles
• Parked vehicles that block your exit