Parking rage sets neighbours at war

THE STRESS of using an overcrowded and underfunded transport network has spawned another modern social phenomenon - parking rage.

More than eight in 10 motorists admit they see red when they find a car parked across their driveways, according to a survey published yesterday. The same number would insist that a neighbour who blocked their entrance shift the offending vehicle immediately.

Autoglass, the windscreen repair company that carried out the survey, found that men were more likely than women to retaliate for bad parking, call the police or escalate the dispute.

"Neighbours are at war over parking. The tensions of everyday motoring have spread to the driveway," said a spokeswoman.

"People display very territorial attitudes to their personal parking space, using traffic cones and rubbish bins to reserve a space. The risk of a row arises when there isn't a real need to move a car and the dispute becomes a matter of pride."

Parking rage is the latest expression of frustration at modern life. It follows air, road, trolley and even tram rage.