Parking lot reservers using a shopping cart for reservation were allegedly spotted in a shopping mall in Las Piñas City.
Facebook page “Parkeserye,” which posts pictures featuring improper parking habits, uploaded images of three female individuals standing in a parking slot with a shopping cart.
The page said it was reportedly spotted in SM Southmall.
“Parking reservation na naman naman… naka-harang pa ang shopping cart,” it captioned with a grinning-squinting emoji.
The post has gained 10,000 laugh and angry reactions, 1,300 shares, and 1,800 comments so far, with some Filipinos hoping for actual sanctions for such practices.
“Dapat magkaroon na ‘yung establishments ng violation sa ganito,” a Facebook user wrote.
“It is becoming a bad habit and a national nuisance. Mall owners should do something about it before someone gets hurt,” another online user commented.
“I think the SM guard must post at the said parking area to avoid this crazy and unreasonable style of reserving a slot to park,” a different user wrote.
Parking slot reservers appeared to have proliferated recently, with many social media posts featuring them.
The most controversial incident that caught national attention was the confrontation between two females in Golden Haven Memorial Park at Las Piñas during “Undas,” when a woman berated a younger woman for standing in a parking slot.
The young woman insisted she was with seniors and children.
Another woman claimed that the young woman refused to give up the slot, alleging that her uncle was the first driver whom the young woman had shooed away.
Earlier this month, “Parkeserye” posted a picture of two individuals reserving two parking slots in a shopping mall.
“Nag-usap kaya sila?” the page had captioned.
READ: ‘Grabehan na talaga’: Two parking slot ‘reservers’ spotted in shopping mall
Such incidents have prompted Rep. Perci Cendaña of the Akbayan party-list to file a bill penalizing individuals doing such actions.
Called the “Mindful Parking Bill,” it prohibits any person from physically occupying a parking space intending to obstruct a vehicle from parking within it.
“This practice not only violates common courtesy and the basic principle that parking should be on a first-come, first-served basis, but it also endangers individuals who occupy spaces meant for motor vehicles,” Cendaña said in his explanatory note.
The proposed measure seeks to fine individuals P2,000 for the first offense, P5,000 for the second offense with a suspension of the driver’s license for six months, and P10,000 for the third offense with a revocation of the driver’s license.
The bill said the penalties would also be imposed on the vehicle driver who wanted to reserve the slot physically.
The measure said that it would apply to parking spaces in public and private properties.
“Private establishments shall adopt and implement their own policies, with appropriate fines and/or penalties, to deter similar acts by individuals in their privately owned parking spaces,” it noted.
RELATED: ‘Common courtesy is not so common’: Bill filed to penalize holding parking slots
Parking slots are generally on a first-come, first-served basis unless there are known rules or guidelines about parking reservations in the area.
It is common courtesy to give the parking slot to the car nearest to the slot and was the first to stop in front of or near it.