A man's act of petty revenge from the late 1960s, targeting a stranger who brazenly parked in his family's driveway, has captured the public's imagination and sparked a wave of similar anecdotes about entitled motorists.
The Unwelcome New Year's Day Visitor
The incident occurred around 1966 or 1967 in Pasadena, California. The man, then a high school student, lived near Colorado Boulevard, the famed route of the annual Rose Parade on January 1st. As huge crowds descended, parking became a premium. Returning home one parade day, the family found a vehicle parked and locked in their private driveway without a word of permission from the owner.
Stunned by the audacity, the young man and his family decided to teach the driver a memorable lesson. Utilising a common trick of the era, they straightened a wire coat hanger to unlock the trespassing car. With access gained, they set their plan in motion.
A Costly Lesson in Courtesy
"We unlocked the car, pushed it into the middle of the street... and relocked it, and went inside," the man recounted on Reddit. He noted the vehicle seemingly had no steering wheel lock, making the manoeuvre possible. The chosen spot for the abandoned car was the central turning lane of a busy multi-lane street.
The consequence for the anonymous driver was swift and financially painful. With the car obstructing traffic, it was promptly towed away. The family never saw the driver return, but they took satisfaction in knowing the individual faced an unexpected tow bill and the hassle of retrieving their vehicle.
Public Reaction and Similar Tales of Retribution
Online reaction has largely praised the decades-old act of justice. One commenter stated, "I'm so glad they came back to no car and a tow bill. You gave them just what they deserved." Others shared their own stories of dealing with intrusive parkers.
One particularly vivid tale from the 1970s involved a father who would remove the distributor cap from cars parked in his driveway near a football field. After the game, he would watch the owner struggle to start the car before approaching them. He would explain that if his family had had an emergency, the consequences would have been far worse, before reinstalling the part and sending them on their way.
The story also prompted technical insights, with a former 911 worker noting that many older cars on the road remain vulnerable to simple tools like a coat hanger or a police Slim Jim, often used to rescue children locked inside vehicles.
The enduring appeal of this story lies in its simple, impactful justice—a creative response to a common frustration that hit the offender directly in their wallet and left a lasting memory about the importance of basic courtesy.
