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A woman has posted on Facebook in search of the person who keyed her car for allegedly parking between two spots.
The motorist from Glenelg North, a suburb south of Adelaide CBD, posted on the suburb's community page that she returned to her car with a big scratch on the front quarter panel and a note on the windshield.
“I returned to my car to a lovely note from ‘Street Police’, which stated they keyed my car due to where I parked, suggesting I took two spots. They confirmed that if I parked like this again, they would key the rest," she wrote.
“I’m not sure what they are on about, as I was parked behind someone, so there was plenty of room for two cars. I don't believe anyone has the right to damage someone's property.”
The note the perpetrator left reads: "This car park is for two cars, not just for you. So, I keyed your front left-hand fender. Do it again, and I will key all of your doors, signed street police”.
Despite there being no excuse for keying someone’s car, people in the comments were giving the aggressor the benefit of the doubt.
“A terrible thing to do. However, why do people park without considering others? I see thoughtless parking regularly. I feel safe that this vandal will leave me alone as I would never park over two spaces,” wrote one user.
“Ya got what you deserve, park properly, don't be selfish. I hope it happens again," another posted.
But are these people just being insensitive, or do they have a point?
Conveniently, the address of where the incident happened was included; a quick look at the street view shows that the parking spaces are parallel to the street, boxed in by guttering.
The critical context is that there are no painted bays for these spots, which means that even if the owner of the keyed car were to park in a space that could fit two cars, she is still not parking illegally.
Residents of the area have said similar notes from the 'Street Police' have popped up on their cars.
Believe it or not, there is a science behind why people take it upon themselves to inflict damage on other people's cars.
In a previous Drive story, you can read here, Australian Psychological Society President Dr Catriona Davis-McCabe told Drive that it comes from people unable to process their feelings correctly.
“This behaviour could be a sign that someone is unable to process their feelings or experience them healthily and safely, and instead resorts to more destructive behaviour that could lead [them] to harm themselves or [other] property like cars,” said Dr Davis-McCabe.
“I would suggest an inferiority complex would be a more likely rationale for why people key cars. A few possible rationales [when it comes to keying cars] include animosity or conflict between two individuals, jealousy regarding the vehicle, or a perceived injustice or inconvenience, such as someone parking too close, cutting them off, or taking someone else's parking spot."
A similar study done in 2022 by the University of Tasmania said it could be seen as the “social inequity theory”, where the perpetrator is enforcing an eye-for-an-eye mentality on people they deem have broken the rules.
“The goal of vandalism is equity restoration. The vandal attempts to restore equity by responding to one type of perceived rule-breaking," the study said.
If you see anyone vandalising a car, you can report this to the non-emergency police line 131 444, or call 000 for urgent cases.
Zane Dobie comes from a background of motorcycle journalism, working for notable titles such as Australian Motorcycle News Magazine, Just Bikes and BikeReview. Despite his fresh age, Zane brings a lifetime of racing and hands-on experience. His passion now resides on four wheels as an avid car collector, restorer, drift car pilot and weekend go-kart racer.
