I wish to share a very draining experience I had one Sunday afternoon. I live in GK-1, S block, where my ground floor used to be an office space that closed a couple of months back. As a result, the gate is now permanently locked, giving the impression that the building is vacant. This assumption often leads people to park their vehicles in the space, not considering that other residents of the building might need it.
Numerous times, I’ve come back from work late at night to find that a car has been parked by a neighbor’s relative or friend, and sometimes even by someone who has left for a social function without bothering to inform me or leave a note. The concept of leaving a contact number behind does not occur to even the most educated members of our society.
After many such incidents, I put up a “No Parking” sign, clearly requesting vehicle owners not to park and block the space, mistakenly thinking it’s an empty plot of land. Despite this, on this Sunday afternoon, I returned home from running errands to find two cars parked in the space. I honked, but no one came out. Since it was the middle of the afternoon, I parked my car near the wall by the nallah, took pictures of the car number plates, and posted them on the three WhatsApp groups of our society, but got no response.
Finally, I requested our Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA) for help, knowing there was a religious gathering happening in the block. As I stood on my balcony, wondering what to do next, I saw two families with small children coming out of a neighbor’s house, where there is stilted parking, and heading towards the cars. I was obviously upset, having struggled for over three and a half hours to identify who had blocked the parking space.
I confronted them. Thankfully, they apologized rather than getting defensive. I asked them if they had seen the “No Parking” sign, and they acknowledged that they had, yet chose to ignore it. What does this tell us about our mindset and our society? It shows a complete disregard for signboards and the inconvenience their actions might cause others. I am left wondering what kind of upbringing they are giving their children, teaching them to ignore signs and carry on. I urge everyone who hosts guests to be considerate. We all know parking spaces are limited in and around Delhi. It would be considerate if notes be left behind in cars with numbers? Every day, I read messages in our block’s WhatsApp group about someone’s parking being blocked or someone’s gate being obstructed. It is very frustrating that, as a society, we are becoming oblivious to our surroundings and how our small acts of irresponsibility can have significant impacts.
What if someone needs to rush to a hospital and finds their exit blocked? So, to all readers and those who enjoy hosting, please be responsible. Leave your contact number when you know you are parking in a space that is not yours or is not a paid parking area. Save yourself and others from unnecessary heartburn.
