Can You Reserve a Parking Slot by Standing on It?

A human beefing with a 3,000-pound car and its annoyed owner in the parking lot isn’t anything new. It has happened before (with viral videos as proof) and it will happen again if Filipino Karens refuse to brush up on parking etiquette. The latest in a long line of issues is seen in a viral video on Tiktok of a woman who tried to reserve a parking slot by standing on it. Why is this wrong?

Viral video of a woman reserving a parking slot by standing

@aleximam199x Agawan ng parking jpeg… #maranaotiktokers🇵🇭 #fypシ ♬ original sound – aleximam199x

There are folks who wake up one day and adamantly refuse to follow parking signs. The last thing on a mallgoer’s mind is to get in a standoff with unrepentant Filipino Karens in the parking lot. But apparently, they spawn. A Tiktok video went viral of another person reserving a parking slot while standing on it. However, she found her match when a dude in a sedan decided he would exercise his right to the parking space and put Filipino Karen in her place.

@aleximam199x Replying to @gys ♬ original sound – aleximam199x

The video is 10 minutes long (impressive for the bystander who recorded the whole thing) and shows us exactly how it’s done. The driver slowly backed into the parking space until Filipino Karen was gently nudged off it. But if you ask us, the resulting shouting match and matching high blood the situation will give you is not worth it. So if you’re ever in the same situation but short on time to educate a Karen, you’re better off choosing a different parking space.

Now, it might be a no-brainer but let’s go ahead and ask the controversial question: Can you reserve a parking slot by standing on it?

Surprise, the answer is NO

Let’s cut to the chase here. No, you can’t stand in a parking slot (whether it’s busy or not) and reserve while waiting for your actual vehicle. News flash: Public parking is on a first-come-first-serve basis. Kung sino ang nauna, sa kanya ang pwesto. Establishments like SM Malls have repeatedly reminded their patrons that “standing on a parking slot to reserve is not allowed” but they haven’t accounted for the folks who refuse to read.

It’s not against the law, it’s just parking etiquette

You won’t be jailed for standing in a parking space but frankly, you pay for that with your dignity. (Exhibit A, all those relentless folks whose faces got caught in dash cams are now immortalized on social media). The Philippines has no laws against standing reservations but that’s down to everyone’s knowledge of parking etiquette.

However, when a driver intentionally hits a person, that could count as assault. It’s the same when the person who gets bumped off tries to enact revenge by keying the stranger’s car or doing anything to it. That’s when people will be liable to the law.

What can drivers do?

A simple word of advice for the drivers caught in this situation is to keep your cool. It’s easy to engage in a heated argument, especially when you know you’re the right party, but it’s wiser to call the authorities. If you’ve got time to beef with the Filipino Karen, that is.

Alert the security guard and they will set things right (most of the time). You might not be comfortable leaving your car unattended after shouting matches with strangers, but if you’ve got cameras, make sure they’re on so you get evidence when something happens to your car.

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