Parking in the mall

Parking at malls can be difficult, especially during holidays or large sales when spaces fill up quickly. In some cases, frustrated drivers go to extreme lengths, such as physically standing in a parking spot to reserve it.

A recent Facebook post in the Parkeserye group featured a photo of a woman standing in a parking space at Robinsons Manila as a car attempted to back in. Despite the driver’s clear intention to park, the woman refused to move, resulting in a traffic jam. After witnesses alerted security, the situation was quickly resolved.

Netizens quickly criticized the woman’s actions, expressing shock at her audacity in recording the incident as if she were in the right.

“2024 is almost over, yet there are still people like this,” one user remarked.

Another added, “She has the nerve to video the car that was about to park. It’s first come, first served for cars, not for humans.”

A third user stated, “The guards should be the ones to prohibit this behavior; she thinks she’s a car.”

A similar incident occurred in Greenbelt, where, caught on dash cam, another woman stubbornly refused to yield a parking spot, even as a car was maneuvering to park. According to a post in the same forum this year, the woman audaciously told the driver, “Go, do it,” as the driver backed into the spot.

While there are no specific laws against reserving parking spaces this way, it’s generally understood that such behavior is inappropriate. Parking is typically on a first-come, first-served basis and everyone should wait their turn.

Some malls like SM have put up signs to prohibit this kind of behavior.

SM Iloilo placed a sign that reads: “For safety reasons, standing on a parking lot to reserve is not allowed.”

This kind of signage should be implemented across all malls. While incidents like these are not frequent, reminders can help maintain order and safety, ensuring everyone understands the importance of respecting shared spaces.

In 2019, former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority traffic chief Bong Nebrija said, “A parking slot is reserved for a vehicle, not a person… Let us remember that parking, whether private or public, is first come, first serve.”

While this is not that big of an issue, it should be included in parking rules with strict implementation to prevent these situations from happening again.