There are several places where you have a high chance of seeing people get into a fight. The first would be a fast-food restaurant, the second a convenience store, and the third, of course, a parking lot. For some reason, people seem to get extremely competitive when it comes to parking spaces. A recent incident in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, perfectly illustrated this. The whole argument began because someone had placed a traffic cone in an empty parking spot to claim it as their own, even though there was no car parked there. The cameraman who recorded the situation didn’t like that at all. He called the act selfish and promptly removed the cone.
However, the man who had placed the cone soon noticed what happened and confronted him. He told the cameraman to put the cone back, insisting that it was his spot. The cameraman refused, saying that saving a parking space like that was both illegal and selfish. The Philadelphia man replied that his wife needed the spot because she had trouble walking.
The cameraman then responded with a mocking tone, saying something contemptuous about the man’s “fat” wife, though he didn’t get to finish his sentence. The Philadelphia man became angry and pulled out his phone, perhaps planning to record the incident or call the police. He mentioned that his brother worked for the city of Philadelphia.
At that point, the cameraman suddenly pepper-sprayed the man in the face, and the video ended shortly after. It was a heated altercation, one that left no clear “good side” for viewers to support.
Internet users who watched the video were unimpressed with both men, viewing them as equally unpleasant. “I instantly hate both of these guys,” one user wrote. Others pointed out that the cameraman’s reaction was excessive. While the man with the cone had been verbally aggressive, he hadn’t shown any physical threat, and using pepper spray over a simple argument was unreasonable. The fact that the cameraman laughed afterward only made things worse. “Strikes me as a guy looking for a reason to pepper spray people,” one Redditor wrote.
Other commenters mentioned that using traffic cones to claim parking spaces is actually a well-known tradition in Philadelphia. One user even shared their personal experiences. “100% Philly. Traffic cones are one of the least creative things people use to save parking spots. I’ve seen a charcoal grill, an ironing board, baby car seats, a stroller, a lawnmower chained to a stake in the grass (don’t even ask), a weight bench, a bookcase, and even a Christmas tree. That’s just what I can remember off the top of my head. And every single reaction when someone moves one of those items is exactly like this guy’s,” the user explained.
