"Please Park Properly" Parking Etiquette Lost, Leading to Neighbor Conflicts

Tight Parking Next to a Car, 'Door Ding' Disputes... Neighbor Conflicts

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] "I am really furious to the very top of my head. Please park properly."

A man in his 30s, office worker Mr. A, who usually commutes by car, recently experienced a frustrating incident. Someone had parked so close next to his car that he couldn't get his car out. Moreover, the other vehicle had no contact information of the driver.

Mr. A ended up taking public transportation to work. He expressed his frustration, saying, "It's a parking habit that doesn't consider others at all," and added, "If I could, I would have reported it to the management office for obstructing my commute."

Conflicts between neighbors are intensifying due to parking issues. Some drivers park their cars so close to others that the other car cannot move, while others even cross parking lines, making it impossible for other vehicles to park.

There are also disputes over so-called 'door dings,' where car doors hit neighboring vehicles when opened. As a result, heated emotions sometimes escalate into severe fights and even physical altercations. Drivers unanimously agreed that courteous driving manners could reduce conflicts.

On the 24th of last year, in Gwangju, neighbors who got into a fistfight over a parking dispute were arrested by the police.

According to the police, Mr. B called Mr. C at around 1 a.m. in front of his one-room apartment in Pungam-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju, cursing and saying, "Park properly." Enraged, Mr. C came out of his house and swung his fist, asking, "Why are you picking a fight?"

Mr. B, who was hit in the face, also became furious and punched Mr. C, resulting in both being booked by the police on charges of mutual assault. Investigations revealed that Mr. C had previously parked in a back alley and gone out, preventing Mr. B from moving his car, which had led to prior disputes between them.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, a man in his 30s was brought to trial for ramming another car dozens of times over a parking dispute.

On December 4th last year, around noon, at an electric vehicle charging station at a university hospital in Jeju, the man rammed the other vehicle, which was double-parked blocking his car, about 20 times.

As disputes between neighbors over parking issues intensify, data from one local area showed that 'parking' was the most frequently reported complaint.

According to the number of consultation complaints received by Geumcheon-gu, Seoul, over one year (from July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019), analysis of major complaint keywords revealed that parking-related complaints numbered 4,721, the highest among all categories.

The 4,721 cases accounted for 34% of all complaints. Parking-related complaints increased 7.56 times compared to 624 cases during the 6th local government administration.

Drivers called for a driving culture that considers others. Mr. D (40), a driver and former driving school instructor, said, "I believe driving reflects a person's character," emphasizing, "If you think of others as your own family while driving, there would be no disputes." He added, "The same goes for parking. I hope people would be a little more considerate of others."

Mr. E, a taxi driver in his 60s and a model driver, said, "Sometimes you can lose your temper while driving," but stressed, "At those times, it's important to start with a conversation. There might be something I don't know. Communication is key."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.