An elderly woman has been branded a “Karen” after preventing a motorist from taking the last empty parking spot in a full car park.
The shocking incident was caught on a dashcam as the driver turned into a car park in the Newcastle suburb of Jesmond, north of Sydney, on Thursday.
With all other spaces occupied, the driver sees a single empty space at an angle.
As the car began to head towards the spot, a woman who was standing near the markings and appeared to be reserving the spot moved in front of the car to prevent the driver from taking it.
He pointed and waved his hand to indicate to the driver that they could not park there.
The driver eventually went on his way and later shared images of a “Karen” online, a slang term for a person perceived as entitled or overly demanding.
“Just a Karen trying to reserve a spot for her husband,” they captured on video.
Dashboard camera caught woman blocking empty car spot on Thursday
Many viewers agreed that the woman was wrong.
“She’s a total failure. Please tell me they didn’t let her get away with this! If they start driving she’ll be gone,” one viewer commented.
Another added: ‘What a Karen, I hope you came by car.
A third wrote: “I can’t believe anyone thinks this is okay. I have a couple of older relatives who would do it though.”
Others believe the woman should have been fined $78 for this offence in New South Wales.
The woman gestured to the driver to find another place to park.
While there are no specific rules regarding “reserving parking spaces,” the Australian Road Rules, which form the basis of New South Wales legislation, state that “pedestrians must not cause a traffic hazard by crossing into the path of a driver.”
The rules also state that pedestrians “shall not unreasonably obstruct the path of any driver.”