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A lady driver recently received a note informing her to get lost after she parked her car along Chuan Walk, a private residential estate in Lorong Chuan over three days from Jan. 29 to Feb. 1, Shin Min Daily News reported.
The handwritten note left on her car said: "You don't belong this neighbourhood. Please remove your car."
The female car owner said she had stayed at her mother's house in a nearby HDB housing estate for a few days because her husband went abroad for business, and then temporarily parked her car in the private housing estate in Serangoon.
It is understood that parking at the private housing estate saves on costs, as roadside parking, where applicable, is allowed.
Drivers leave cars at housing estate overnight
A resident who has lived in the private housing estate for more than 10 years and who did not want to be named, told Shin Min: "The situation has been going on for more than half a year, and there are about three or five cars that come in at dusk every day and leave the next morning."
He added that many residents are multi-generational households with many members of the family living under the same roof, resulting in one house having more than one car.
The narrow roads in the estate lead to a shortage of parking spaces, but most residents understand and are aware that there are not enough parking spaces.
But the situation has worsened and access to homes get blocked when members of the public park their vehicles in the estate.
Open to public, no?
Members of the public who park in the private housing estate assume it is fair game though.
A 52-year-old private housing resident resident said in an interview that he would notice a female car owner park in the estate every morning, and then walk to the nearby bus stop to take a bus.
One car owner seen leaving the car behind, defended his actions.
The car owner, who declined to be named, told Shin Min he would park his car in the community for at least two days a week.
He said: "It is only one street away from my mother-in-law's house, which is convenient. As long as I obey the traffic rules, the road outside the private house is public, so why can't I park?"
Curbside parking allowed
A Shin Min reporter observed that there are no double yellow lines on the road outside houses, while a white dotted line in the middle of the road indicates parking by the curb is allowed.
There are also no signs prohibiting parking or indicating the parking charges.
The only notice boards erected on both sides of the road remind residents not to park their vehicles by the curb during cleaning hours on Wednesday and Friday mornings.
Note left a poor taste
However, the 52-year-old resident interviewed said he was dismayed to hear about the note left on the car.
He also said he has not seen residents in the estate using trash cans or personal items to reserve an area for parking before, indicating that people there are cordial and not territorial.
The resident said: "Actually, the residents here are very friendly. I have heard of people in other communities using trash cans and other items to reserve parking spaces, but these things have never happened here."
"I am ashamed of the actions of leaving a note on the car and the content that was written.”
Top photos via Shin Min Daily News