A driver has sparked fury after he parked a huge American style ute across three spaces – including a disabled spot – and then threatened a passer-by who challenged him.
A photo shared on Reddit shows a giant Chevrolet Silverado SUV taking up the three parking bays in a Melbourne car park on Saturday.
‘He said he doesn’t fit in normal people spots (and that he might hurt me),’ the witness captioned their picture.
The photograph prompted a flood of expletive-riddled comments attacking the driver and large US-style pick up trucks, like the Ford F150 and Dodge Ram.
‘These oversized vehicles should be 100 per cent banned,’ one person said.
A photo shared on Reddit shows a giant Chevrolet SUV taking up three spaces, including a disabled spot, in a Melbourne car park on Saturday
‘That’s a disgusting photo,’ another wrote.
Many recommended reporting the issue to Melbourne’s City of Yarra Council using the Snap Send Solve app, saying there was ‘no excuse’ for taking up a disabled spot without a permit.
Others suggested owners should face a special licence test to drive larger utes, saying they should be ‘separately classed’ like motorcycles and heavy vehicles.
While Melbourne’s City of Yarra council has no plans to bring in a ban, they are exploring options to deter drivers from buying giant SUVs.
Daily Mail previously reported Greens Councillor Sophie Wade put forward a notice of motion to investigate ‘ways to make travelling on Yarra’s streets more equitable and discourage large and heavy vehicles on Yarra’s streets, including by considering proportionate parking fees based on a vehicle’s size’.
She said that ‘it’s really a matter of one person’s right to drive whatever they want trumping everyone else’s right to (safety) on the street, and I don’t think that’s a compromise we should be willing to make.’
Ms Wade’s motion moved that council note ‘the dangers posed by the increasing size and weight of vehicles on n streets, including vehicles like the RAM and Defender’.
Ms Wade said the council was looking to introduce a parking tax on big trucks, similar to a rule rolled out in Paris earlier this year.
‘It’s nerve-racking having these big giant vehicles bearing down on you,’ she told Yahoo News.
‘When you’ve got stats that show SUV’s are eight times more likely to kill a child when they hit them than standard cars, I think that’s the sort of thing you shouldn’t try and accommodate.’
Melbourne’s City of Yarra council is looking at ways to deter drivers from buying giant SUVs
Passionate owners have defended the US-style pick-up truck, saying their reputation has been tarnished by the actions of a few
Passionate owners have defended the US-style pick-up truck, saying their reputation has been tarnished by the actions of a few.
One Reddit user said: ‘We have a very small camper and whenever we do have the displeasure of going into a shopping centre car park with it, it’s straight to the outer edge to park away from everyone.’
Others agreed, saying it’s all about being ‘considerate’.