Parking wars

[Snackbar]

Polite behavior, etiquette, common sense, general good manners stops me from parking my car in front of somebody's front gate or drive way. Blocking the smallest possibility the owner has of access and egress.

I think it is general accepted behavior for the greater good. Do unto others and all that jazz.

I live in a busy side street in Phuket town. There are residential town houses, some have been turned into SME's. There's a large stationary shop, a printing shop, hairdressers, and small restaurants. Vehicle parking isn't an issue. Each business has space at the front for customers. The stationery shop has a large sign posted area for customer parking. Which most people observe.

Other people don't share my values and often park directly in front of my gate, not thoughtfully with consideration and foresight. No sir. They seem to think it is their right to annoy, impead, inconvenience my family and my access to my property.

There are a few strategies to deal with these. Some rational and others not so.

1. Wait patiently until they depart.

2. Catch them in the act and ask them politely to do one.

3. Throw a bucket of dirty dish water out of the 3rd floor window as they proceed to park, exit.

4. Drop a large plant pot on the windscreen from the 4th floor window.

5. Set up a rancid, salmonella breading, rat infested offal kebab stall right outside my front gate.

6. Smile, say Mai pen rai. I'll wait here, outside my house until you've conducted your important affairs and choose to return to your vehicle so I may go inside my own house.

Oh the joy. What a considerate, conscientious and harmonious place to be.

[Rhys]

A challenge for sure.. but of course, nothing is gained. Stick a potato in the exhaust pipe.

Country wise... it is like this situation... you live up stream from your neighbor, who lets his cattle dump their fecal matter in the same water you use.... You're the westerner..he is the Thai ... he wins, because of the catch all out phrase...because I am Thai. response and justification for his actions.

I am sure you have talked the business owners and the look at you while they choke the chicken.. Not much you can do..

If you are pals with the police.. paint your drive way with the standard don't block the entrance in Thai... Have the BIB use the wheel locks.. for a fee of course

It is not like the motorcycles where you can move the bike even when the owner locks the front wheel. Moving the bike far away from the place so the owners might think of the intention..nghaaa..

The is no zoning ordnance, so those people, will do what ever..

In the nice housing village... a nice home serves as a car repair shop, where parts of vehicles are displayed on the fence, oil is about, and a tacky yellow sign advises the function, right next to neighbors' Mercedes Benez.. The village association does nothing regarding this.

Hang Tough... .Place Mobile fixed poles by your driveway..

Cheers mate

Edited February 6, 2016 by Rhys

[KarenBravo]

Nick a couple of orange cones.

Problem solved.

[Snackbar]

Stealing to solve a problem is perhaps the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

Have you got other bright ideas or words of wisdom?

[Shot]

^^You can buy orange cones at HomeWorks.

[LivinginKata]

It's not just a Thailand problem. Happens everywhere. People just don't care. Back in my home country one of my near neighbours would park right in front of my garage door regularily. He would get annoyed when I knocked on his door and asked him to move.

Here in Patong the problem is getting worse given the big increase in motor car ownership. At one of our properties everyone guards there home frontage and no-one can park except them. None have a large gate on on property parking. We do have gate/private parking but neighbour's visitors just block our gateway.

Leads to many heated exchanges ..

[Snackbar]

I have 1. I had 2. Some smart arse stole the other.

People move it out of their way to park. Blocking my gate to conduct their important affairs. Buying a pencil from the stationary shop. They're to important to park in the shop's parking area 20 meters away. Mfkers.

[Snackbar]

Male tourettes.

Edited February 7, 2016 by Snackbar

[Old Croc]

An extreme solution.

I once had to appear in court as a witness when I happened to look out of my office window just as the lunch shop owner in the building, punctured all the tires of a car parked in his spot. He denied it all the way, but my testimony sunk him.

I had to go outside for my ham and salad roll from then on.

[Shot]

^^Fill them with cement

[DrDave]

If the offending car has an alarm, just rock it enough to set off the alarm and walk away. I doubt the owner will park there again.

[condo bought]

Parking?

You must be confused.

Thais don't park.

They just stop driving and get out.

[Snackbar]

Yes. I agree. Little consideration for the consequences.

There is a question or two on the multiple choice 'driving test' about parking but the graphics are from the 1980's and incomprehensible.

I failed the test myself as I couldn't really see or make any sense of it. Haven't had a license in a decade or more. Have been stopped many times and never been asked for it. Shocking really.

[KarenBravo]

In my driving test, one of the questions was, when parking a car, how far away must the wheels be away from the kerb? 15cm, 20cm, or 25cm?

The answer, was 20cm........................even though I was taking a motor-bike test.

[condo bought]

In my driving test, one of the questions was, when parking a car, how far away must the wheels be away from the kerb? 15cm, 20cm, or 25cm?

The answer, was 20cm........................even though I was taking a motor-bike test.

Yes. You need to leave enough space for a Hilux to park inside of you.