Residents debate cone ‘booking’, double parking woes and the risks of removing makeshift space blockers

WHEN you are desperately searching for a parking space, finally spotting an empty bay, only to find it “reserved” with a cone or plastic stool, it can instantly shatter your hopes and sour your mood.

But is it actually legal? Can motorists simply put a “cone” and park there?

No. Reserving a public parking space using a person or objects, is illegal in Malaysia, punishable by fines or jail under Section 50(3) of the Road Transport Act 1987.

In a recent Reddit discussion, netizens debated whether placing cones on standard yellow parking bays — not municipality-designated red box lots — is lawful or merely inconsiderate behaviour.

“All these cones blocking what look like normal parking spaces made it even worse today. I was late to class because I had to spend about 15 minutes looking for a space. This has to be wrong,” the original poster wrote.

One user jokingly replied: “They’ve booked the space for you. Just lift the cone and park!”

However, the issue is not always so light-hearted. A user who admitted to previously placing a cone to “cop” a parking space revealed that someone later punctured her tyre and left her a warning note. She was widely praised for owning up to her actions.

“Thank you for being brave. We actually need more people like you to deter others from booking spaces,” another commenter responded.

Still, some warned that removing cones and parking anyway could invite retaliation, including vandalism. Others insisted that any such incidents should be reported to the police.

In a separate Threads post on the same issue, apartment residents shared their frustration over ongoing parking battles.

“Sometimes double parking is unavoidable — there’s really nothing else you can do. That’s the problem with living in flats. They double park, pull up the handbrake, and in the middle of the night people are blaring their horns,” said Firdaus, describing parking as a never-ending struggle for flat dwellers.

Alif, meanwhile, shared a humorous yet inventive way his friend dealt with the problem at his apartment.

“He got so fed up that he borrowed our mate’s four-wheel drive and put on a safety vest. Then he went around collecting all the cones and chucked them into the back of the 4×4.

“When residents asked what he was doing, he told them he was a contractor there to repaint the parking bays. After that, he threw away all the chairs and cones.”

Some users even thanked him for the “idea”, reflecting just how fed up many residents have become over the increasingly common practice of parking space “booking”.

 The Sun Malaysia