Is a parking spot worth a weekend in jail, a huge fine, and knowing you ruined someone’s livelihood.
ABC7 New York reported earlier last week that an Audi drove through a Flushing, Queens New York Asian Bakery after a fight broke out between separate parties over a parking spot in front of the store.
Now, thanks to viral videos circulating on TikTok and Twitter, we have an up close look at just how heated the incident was.
Here’s ABC7’s report, the viral TikTok and twitter video (mirror), and an up-close look at the aftermath of the car crash.
This parking spot fight in Flushing (NY) escalated quickly.
— Rex Chapman?? (@RexChapman) November 17, 2020
2020 is lit.
Wait for all of it…pic.twitter.com/sXHvQuvU7a
@doriskim Over a parking spot I heard … ##fyp ##foryou ##foryoupage ##repost ##nyc ##queens ##flushing
♬ original sound – Kimkim
In the TikTok video, we can see two parties going at it, a BMW double-parked behind a Passat Wagon. The offending Audi, soon to a weapon in an attempted vehicular manslaughter, is out of sight.
A passenger in the BMW tries to break up the fight and engages one of them, throwing his arms at him. Then, out of the camera’s view, the man with a bat rushes and hits the BMW passenger multiple times, unsuccessfully.
The scene cuts to someone, belly-down on the ground, presumably hurt by an Audi that just drove through Rainbow Bakery, an Asian Bakery open less than a week.
In the YouTube video from “The Responder” we can see at least one suspect sitting on the sidewalk, waiting to be taken away by police. New York Fire Fighters are in the bakery, using metallic pokers, testing the structural integrity of the building, making sure it’s safe for re-entry by the inevitable construction workers who will make repairs and the customers soon to follow.
In ABC7’s post on the unfortunate bit of road rage gone too far, Rainbow Bakery’s owner is just glad none of his employees were seriously injured and, after an assessment from his insurance company and repairs, presumably expects to be back in business sooner rather than later.
The article mentions that two bystanders were injured by falling glass and all four occupants of both opposing cars involved in the road rage were arrested.
A local Asian advocate, part of the Asian American Community Empowerment, mentions that New York’s campaign to eliminate parking lots around the city is to blame. With so few parking spots, heated incidents, like this one, are bound to happen.
According to a post from NY1.com, New York has removed over 6100 spots over the past several years, instead, replacing them with bike lanes and dedicated spots for ride share.
Driving in New York is already stressful for commuters and people trying to get around. Eliminating parking spots, as mentioned, exacerbates the problem. Despite this, road rage and using your car as an extension of your anger is never the answer.
