You’re already late for work when you spill coffee on your white shirt, then rush to change it and run through the door only to realize that you don’t know where your keys are. Then, after five minutes of frantic running around, you find them in the pocket of your jeans, finally lock the door, and leap towards your car as if you were a gazelle chased by a lion – only to find that the neighbor has blocked you in. Again.

If this hypothetical scenario was enough to make your blood boil, you will understand why the redditor u/carbonlandrover wasn’t planning on sitting around doing nothing when she couldn’t leave her premises. And while her situation was a little different, it did involve a neighbor, some cars, and… a tow truck.

Scroll down to find the full story below, where you will also find Bored Panda’s interview with Teresa Di Felice, Assistant Vice President of Government & Community Relations at CAA South Central Ontario, who was kind enough to answer a few of our questions about the importance of parking regulations and signs.

Parking your car in a place where it isn’t allowed might end in you having to retrieve it from a tow yard

Image credits: Jonathan Reynaga (Not the actual photo)

This woman decided to tow a few cars, since her neighbor didn’t care for parking rules, nor for her requests

Image credits: Michael Greene (Not the actual photo)

Image credits: carbonlandrover

Parking signs are there for a reason

Being blocked in, especially when in a rush, is aggravating at best. But people parking in places where they shouldn’t can be not only annoying but dangerous, too; hence, the rules and parking signs telling them not to do it.

“Adhering to parking signs, traffic signs, and, in general, the rules of the road ensures everyone’s safety by preventing collisions and protecting pedestrians, cyclists and drivers,” Assistant Vice President of Government & Community Relations at CAA South Central Ontario, Teresa Di Felice, told Bored Panda in a recent interview. “By respecting parking regulations, we show consideration for our neighbors, help maintain order on our streets, and, in doing so, become good citizens.”

The expert continued to point out that the rules or signs for each road exist for a reason – it’s trying to prevent the very thing you could potentially cause by ignoring those rules.

Take parking near a fire hydrant, for instance, which drivers should know better not to do; Di Felice emphasized that there’s a reason space is left around them on streets. “When firefighters are called to a scene, they need to be focused on fighting the fire and not getting a car out of the way,” she said.

“If your car is damaged by being parked near a fire hydrant, all associated costs are incurred by you, the owner. While someone might think it is unlikely that something will happen… that’s the complete opposite of an emergency that is unexpected at any time. Don’t be the reason for an emergency situation to not be handled properly.”

Parking-related quarrels are quite common among neighbors

Delving deeper into the importance of traffic signs, Teresa Di Felice noted that they are essential for ensuring the smooth and safe operation of the road network, protecting all road users, and facilitating efficient transportation. Needless to say, being blocked in, especially next to a ‘no parking’ sign, does not facilitate efficient transportation; and that seems to be a problem quite a few people face ‘thanks’ to their neighbors.

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According to Metro News, as much as 60% of Brits have had a dispute with their neighbor or experienced negative feelings towards them, with 16% saying that that has happened numerous times. Just over one-in-four of respondents said that they have had rows over parking related problems, which became the reason the OP decided to take revenge, too. She didn’t mind the loud noise, though, which is reportedly the main reason for quarrels between neighbors.

What the redditor’s neighbors didn’t mind, in the meantime, was the ‘no parking’ signs, which led to quite a few people having to pay up or visit a tow yard. “The whole point of a traffic sign is to make sure people know the rules, and there is no excuse not to follow the law,” Di Felice told Bored Panda. “Follow the rules, and there will be no penalties. Don’t follow the rules and you are subject to fines and penalties.”

The OP shared some more details in the comments

Fellow redditors applauded the OP’s pro revenge

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