# Motorists flip illegally parked car on its side. Do you agree with such actions? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 30, 2011, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorists-flip-illegally-parked-car-on-its-side-do-you-agree-with-such-actions/604589 "2011-11-30T18:47:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorists-flip-illegally-parked-car-on-its-side-do-you-agree-with-such-actions/604589/21 "2011-11-30T20:18:37Z")
I pretty much approve. I think it should be legal to vandalize illegally parked vehicles. It would prevent people from parking illegally and serve as a controlled release of angst for teenagers looking to break shit. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorists-flip-illegally-parked-car-on-its-side-do-you-agree-with-such-actions/604589/22 "2011-11-30T20:55:22Z")
If the situation was as presented where even the tow truck couldn’t make it through to clear up the situation, what other option was there? Call the police and have them also get stuck in traffic? Wait there patiently another 2 hours for when the owner of the car arrived and then give him a disapproving stare and a cluck of the tongue? No. You flip that car over and then say “Yes, that owner deserved to die and I hope he burns in hell!” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorists-flip-illegally-parked-car-on-its-side-do-you-agree-with-such-actions/604589/23 "2011-11-30T21:22:48Z")
I have some guilt, but no compunctions about moving a car that’s been illegally parked and blocking others for an hour. One of the apartments where I used to live, my car would get blocked in by people who “just ran up to their friend’s place for a minute”. I’d honk and yell, but if they didn’t appear I was ok with calling tow trucks and non-permanently pasting signs saying _Why are you parked like an asshole?_ on their windows. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Il_Palazzo)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorists-flip-illegally-parked-car-on-its-side-do-you-agree-with-such-actions/604589/24 "2011-11-30T21:24:15Z")
The scenario is kind of funny as a picture and a story on the internet (in the same way [this comic](http://xkcd.com/562/) is funny) but as a real thing real people did to a real car, it isn’t remotely funny. If a car is illegally parked and obstructing traffic, it deserves to be towed by the authorities, not severely damaged by frustrated vigilantes. > [@Enderw24](#): > > If the situation was as presented where even the tow truck couldn’t make it through to clear up the situation, what other option was there? My suggestion would be to have the police direct the cars around the illegally parked one to back out in such a way as to clear space for the tow truck. It takes a bit of logistics, but it isn’t rocket science. **ZipperJJ** presents another solution above; there were almost definitely enough people around with nothing else to do (what with being stuck in traffic) to move the car into the space next to it without being vindictive about it. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorists-flip-illegally-parked-car-on-its-side-do-you-agree-with-such-actions/604589/25 "2011-11-30T21:47:52Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > I pretty much approve. I think it should be legal to vandalize illegally parked vehicles. It would prevent people from parking illegally and serve as a controlled release of angst for teenagers looking to break shit. This. I park legally, even when it means that I can’t go in shopping and have to let mrAru go in alone [I am a gimp and can’t walk that far, so having to park at the distant parking spaces means if I don’t have my wheelchair in the car, I don’t go in shopping. I can normally manage to gimp in to get a loaner power chair or loaner wheelchair. If we were doing a monthly grocery shop, that means no room in the trunk for my chair as that is where the cooler for the frozen and cold items is.] or I have to find somewhere I can see the gimp spaces and wait until one clears out, or go home and try again some other time. Honestly folks, it is part of the ‘social contract’ - obey the laws and in general bad things do not happen to you. Break the laws and you should be able to be targeted. If they can not get a cop there to ticket you, I have no problem with random vandalism. If you have to pay to get your car repaired, it works for me. Though I would have found it funny if someone had a slim jim, opened up the car, popped the car into gear and moved it _elsewhere_. Imagine the jerk coming back and explaining to the cop taking the stolen car report that his illegally parked audi s missing. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorists-flip-illegally-parked-car-on-its-side-do-you-agree-with-such-actions/604589/26 "2011-11-30T21:50:11Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > If the situation was as presented where even the tow truck couldn’t make it through to clear up the situation, what other option was there? Well, like others have mentioned: if they had enough people to flip the car over, they probably also had enough people to pick the car up and move it over (wheels down, as it’s supposed to normally be). ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorists-flip-illegally-parked-car-on-its-side-do-you-agree-with-such-actions/604589/27 "2011-11-30T22:22:49Z")
I guess it’s OK with me. It depends on where the hapless Hellene was parked. My ex-father-in-law broke the window of a car blocking his driveway to move it when he got a call to OR to anesthetize somebody, and I think that was awesome. If it was similarly ill-placed, the car, then I say good job, folks. If it was just a driver parked like a dick dripping, then I couldn’t care less. Sounds like a bunch of Gladys Kravitz clones out on a spree, and Abner coming along reluctantly for the muscle. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorists-flip-illegally-parked-car-on-its-side-do-you-agree-with-such-actions/604589/28 "2011-12-01T01:53:30Z")
I’m going back and forth on this, but in the end I think that though they could’ve moved the car w/o damaging it, it’s important that they did because it will perhaps make an actual impression on the asshole and serve as an example to others that that sort of behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. **aruvqan** nailed it being part of the “social contract.” ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorists-flip-illegally-parked-car-on-its-side-do-you-agree-with-such-actions/604589/29 "2011-12-01T02:07:00Z")
The best I can tell from looking at the photo, whoever had the strength to flip the offending car up on its side could also have moved it without damaging it. So no, I am not on board with this. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorists-flip-illegally-parked-car-on-its-side-do-you-agree-with-such-actions/604589/30 "2011-12-01T02:12:29Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > Fuck the moral high ground. Put me down as the one that thinks the asshole got what was coming to him, and who would probably point and laugh if he turned up and burst into tears at his lovely Audi parked on its side. > > Fuck you mate. Your actions affected a lot of people. I feel no sympathy that those actions turned out to have consequences. Totally agree with this. Sure, they could have picked it up and moved it (would that actually be easier?), but I prefer the act that provides an actual consequence for the action that resulted in the mess. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorists-flip-illegally-parked-car-on-its-side-do-you-agree-with-such-actions/604589/31 "2011-12-01T02:17:33Z")
Thirded. He parked there, he pays the price. Sucks to be him. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorists-flip-illegally-parked-car-on-its-side-do-you-agree-with-such-actions/604589/32 "2011-12-01T02:22:38Z")
> [@the lone cashew](#): > > The best I can tell from looking at the photo, whoever had the strength to flip the offending car up on its side could also have moved it without damaging it. It’s a lot easier to tip heavy things over using one edge as leverage than it is to actually lift them. You don’t need to worry about coordinating people walking backwards on one side with people walking forwards on the other, and the higher you lift it the easier it becomes, as more and more weight is carried by the fulcrum side. Whoever parked the car there fully deserved what he got. As long as people limit themselves to doing this to people like this, I’ve got no objections. ---
**Author:** ![FlyByNight512](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/82dd89/32.png) [@FlyByNight512](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyByNight512)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorists-flip-illegally-parked-car-on-its-side-do-you-agree-with-such-actions/604589/33 "2011-12-01T03:15:33Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Given the fact that the owner is the one responsible for the problem, I think it’s fair that he’s the one who pays that cost in hours, not everyone else. Oh yes. I think I phrased my original comment poorly - I’m really not sure if flipping the car is _ethical_ in the strictest sense of the word, as it seems a bit vindictive, which my overactive conscience doesn’t approve of. I do think it’s fitting punishment and utterly hilarious, though. My ethics are standing in a corner going “lalala can’t hear you” until I’m done laughing. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorists-flip-illegally-parked-car-on-its-side-do-you-agree-with-such-actions/604589/34 "2011-12-01T13:00:46Z")
> [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](#): > > It takes a bit of logistics, but it isn’t rocket science. **ZipperJJ** presents another solution above; there were almost definitely enough people around with nothing else to do (what with being stuck in traffic) to move the car into the space next to it without being vindictive about it. It would take far less logistics for the jerk to keep his vehicle from blocking traffic. He got less than he deserved. I also think that the only crime committed was that there was nobody there to videotape the jerks reaction. hh ---
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorists-flip-illegally-parked-car-on-its-side-do-you-agree-with-such-actions/604589/35 "2011-12-01T13:07:45Z")
It looks like the space was too small. If they put it in there not only would the jerk be trapped, so would the two other cars next to it. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorists-flip-illegally-parked-car-on-its-side-do-you-agree-with-such-actions/604589/36 "2011-12-01T13:50:49Z")
Nope. It’s the same thing as cops pepperspraying people who aren’t resisting. You don’t damage property because you’re angry at someone. If you want to punish the guy, rotate the car where it would be very hard to get out. Or, I don’t know, let the cops take him to jail. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Il_Palazzo)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorists-flip-illegally-parked-car-on-its-side-do-you-agree-with-such-actions/604589/37 "2011-12-01T15:02:22Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > It would take far less logistics for the jerk to keep his vehicle from blocking traffic. He got less than he deserved. > > I also think that the only crime committed was that there was nobody there to videotape the jerks reaction. > hh Vigilante justice generally does require less logistics than due process. That doesn’t make it right. ---
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorists-flip-illegally-parked-car-on-its-side-do-you-agree-with-such-actions/604589/38 "2011-12-01T15:13:46Z")
No, but it’s fun. Of course, unlike real justice, street justice may hurt innocent people at times. ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorists-flip-illegally-parked-car-on-its-side-do-you-agree-with-such-actions/604589/39 "2011-12-01T15:34:35Z")
“Real justice” hurts innocent people on a regular basis. ---
**Author:** ![geneb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a88e4f/32.png) [@geneb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/geneb)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorists-flip-illegally-parked-car-on-its-side-do-you-agree-with-such-actions/604589/40 "2011-12-01T15:58:06Z")
I’ve got to say that I wholeheartedly agree with the actions taken. Does anyone honestly believe that this person never received a ticket for a traffic violation before? Did it work? No. But I bet they’ll think twice next time. If they don’t, then I genuinely hope this happens to them again. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorists-flip-illegally-parked-car-on-its-side-do-you-agree-with-such-actions/604589.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorists-flip-illegally-parked-car-on-its-side-do-you-agree-with-such-actions/604589.md?page=3)