Tuesday, 06 August 2013

Dealing with the territorial barmy

Message for towel loungersParking has been in the news I see. The other day the government announced plans to allow households to rent out a single parking space on their driveways without first seeking planning permission, ‘provided there is no public nuisance to neighbours, or other substantive concerns.’ On the same day, some poor soul died in a punch-up over a disabled parking space at a supermarket.

Meanwhile I’ve been on me hols, and I took this picture. Not being much of a holiday person – let alone a poolside lounger – I don’t know if its’ message is familiar to others:

'we hereby inform that our pool attendant will collect the towels standing in the loungers that are reserved but no occupied.'

But it does suggest an exquisite parable of territory-based relations with the not-quite-anonymous symbolic claiming of unoccupied space; and an intervention from authorities who undoubtedly will not be able to police their own decree.

There’s a study to be done, of the extent to which the people who use towels to claim poolside loungers behave in a similar way when it comes to parking spaces. I weep for their stunted, shrivelled mentalities.


6 Aug 2013 00:12:00 | Space and place

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Kevin Harris

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