A recent incident involving a driver using a box to claim parking space saving rights in a public building parking lot has sparked widespread online controversy in South Korea.
The Box-Blocking Incident
On November 2, a post was uploaded to the social media platform Threads along with a photograph showing a box placed in the middle of a parking spot. The author of the post expressed disbelief, writing, “I cannot believe there are still people with such selfish thoughts in this day and age.”
The photo clearly shows a single cardboard box placed right in the center of an empty parking bay. Written on the side of the box was a polite yet demanding message: “I am going to pick up my high school senior son from a nearby study room. I would greatly appreciate it if you could park somewhere else besides this spot.”
Public Backlash and Netizen Reactions
While it could not be independently verified whether the person who left the box actually went to pick up their son, internet users reacted with anger and bafflement at the attempt to reserve a public parking space using inanimate objects.
One netizen criticized the move, asking, “Do we all have to understand personal circumstances and clear out spaces just for one person? Why are they arbitrarily preempting a space that anyone else is free to use?”
Other online comments echoed the sentiment, with users calling it “a selfish act that goes beyond common sense,” and noting how absurd it is that someone could write a polite-sounding note while committing such a inconsiderate deed.
