It’s the modern-day showdown no one saw coming: one woman, one car, one empty parking spot – and one very smug auto-parking feature.
A viral video clip, now clocking up millions of views across the internet, captures a woman boldly standing in an empty parking bay, seemingly attempting to “reserve” it the old-fashioned way: with sheer human willpower and two feet firmly planted.
Unfortunately for her, the approaching driver had both nerves of steel and… a Tesla.
Despite the driver honking and motioning for her to move, the woman stood her ground. That is, until the driver got out, exchanged a few words with her, and walked away – leaving his vehicle sneakily blocking the entry point to the spot like a digital-age chess move.
What happened next would make any gadget lover weep with joy.
The car’s self-parking feature kicked in and, with all the smoothness of a valet on Valium, it reversed itself neatly into the spot.
The woman, caught off-guard, was left chasing after the driver, presumably wondering if she’d just been outsmarted by a robot.
The internet had thoughts. Lots of them.
Some viewers were delighted, calling the video “strangely satisfying” and hailing it as the karmic justice parking lots have long been waiting for.
One Instagram user quipped, “Okay, I now have a reason to like electric cars.”
Others took the opportunity to weigh in on the ethics of pavement-based parking reservations.
“That’s a public space; you can’t just ‘reserve’ it,” one commenter pointed out.
Another added, “The woman was the one being rude. People who try to save parking spots like that need a reality check.”
Of course, not everyone was on Team Tech.
Some defended the woman’s intent as a benign act of loyalty.
“Wait, what’s wrong with saving a spot for someone?” one asked.
“What if I’m walking and waiting outside to save a spot for a family member who’s just rounding the corner?”
But is playing human traffic cone actually legal?
Short answer: not really.
“Under Section 6 of the Summary Offences Act 1988, a person must not, without reasonable excuse, willfully prevent the free passage of people, vehicles, or vessels in a public place,” said criminal lawyer Avinash Singh from Astor Legal.
“Standing in a parking spot would prevent the free passage of vehicles in a public place and therefore fall afoul of this legislation.”
Maximum penalty? A cool $440. But wait – there’s more.
“Under Rule 236 of the Road Rules 2014, pedestrians must not cause a traffic hazard by moving into a driver’s path or unreasonably obstructing drivers,” Singh added.
“The maximum penalty for this offence is a fine of $2,200.”
So yes, your body may be a wonderland, but it’s not a traffic cone.
Still, Singh acknowledged it’s unlikely the fine fairy will descend immediately.
“Generally, police will usually only get involved when this leads to a more serious road rage incident,” he said.
And in this case, there was no rage – just a robot-powered masterclass in passive-aggressive parking.
The court of public opinion seems settled: when it comes to car parks, let the cars do the parking. Especially when they can do it better than all of us.
Images: Instagram
