Parking can bring out the best and mostly the worst in people. Whether it's a quick bay park or a complex parallel park requiring a few bites of the cherry, it can be the biggest bugbear of a driver's day.
It can be even more difficult for drivers when their typical spot is taken by another motorist. Naturally, this can lead to a whole range of reactions, both positive and negative.
Some may look past the parking mishap and find somewhere else to stop. Motorists may confront the other driver for their decision. But it seems that recently, many drivers are taking things to a new level and leaving notes on windscreens expressing their dismay at the motorist for parking on the road or in a certain car park space.
This seems to be a problem that's getting worse, too. People have covered the entire car in passive-aggressive notes or even used silicone to stick the note on, causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage.
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Drivers could be punished for leaving notes on other people's vehicles
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All for the sake of someone parking in your space, which may not even be yours to begin with. Save yourself the hassle and the expected furore afterwards and just find another parking space.
Drivers could be slapped with expensive costs if they let things get to their heads. Sure, parking can be a pain, but that should never boil over to the point where you're venting your frustrations onto a piece of paper and sticking it on someone else's windshield.
The most recent and notable instance took place in Sheffield earlier this week. A number of commuters returned to their cars to see large yellow notes attached to their windshields, criticising their parking ability and habits.
The street in question does not have yellow lines or other parking restrictions, leading all who park there to believe it's a free-for-all. This should be the end of the issue if a permit is not required and no parking laws are being broken.
Despite this, a local motorist took matters into their own hands and targeted several cars parked on the street, attacking them for their parking choices. The note read: "I'm a selfish commuter who comes and parks badly on your street taking up too much room because I can't park!
"I come each day and park here then walk to work elsewhere probably because I'm too cheap to park for parking or be sensible and more environmentally conscious and to take the bus.
"I do this and park taking up so much space that you can't park here and I don't care because I'm a single commuter in a car and I don't care that you now can't park on your own road."
One local admitted that he was "forced" to buy a £30,000 garage on a nearby street to have his own parking space near his home because of the congestion caused by the commuters.
While some notes may just be an admission of anger, others go further, directly threatening the driver with physical harm or promising to damage their vehicle.
Experts have long urged drivers to have some restraint if someone resorts to leaving a note on a parked car. Drivers could easily cause damage when attaching a note to a car, whether that's scratching the paint, getting tape or glue on the windscreen or breaking the windshield wiper when lifting it.
Dominic Smith, Director at Patterson Law, has warned drivers that they may be committing an offence if they leave a note which is threatening or abusive - especially if the abuse was racially, religiously or sexually motivated.
Drivers could also end up committing defamation. It's one thing to call someone a bad driver, it's another to make accusations about what people are like based on their parking, which could cause reputational damage in some instances.
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There has been a noted rise in the number of people leaving angry notes on other people's cars
GETTYBritons need to understand that their actions can have consequences, especially when those actions are stuck to the windshield of another car for all to see. Parking can get anyone hot and bothered, but they shouldn't let this tip them over the edge, forcing them to scribble on a piece of paper and slap it on someone else's car.
At a time when parking charges and fines are being handed out left, right and centre, drivers should not feel aggrieved if someone else takes their place. It could be a blessing in disguise. It could also save them hundreds of pounds in additional charges.
So, maybe think twice before calling a driver a clown just because they nabbed your spot or didn't park in a way that suits you. It may save you in the long run.
