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By Alyce Collins
Senior Reporter
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Commuting to work can be stressful at the best of times, but one teacher's journey was rendered impossible after discovering that her car was trapped in.
On the morning of June 12, Sydney King set off for work at 8 a.m. as normal, but she didn't get very far before realizing that her car was stuck in its parking spot. King, from Brooklyn, New York, discovered that someone had double-parked next to her vehicle, leaving her waiting around helplessly.
Unfortunately for King, it was a rather long wait. She told Newsweek that the other driver returned to their car "an hour and five minutes" later. King was an hour late for work and arrived 15 minutes into her first class of the day.
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King said: "I got to my car and found it was blocked in, and I was immediately annoyed when I looked to see the dash didn't have a number on it. The engine was warm, so I waited five minutes, then called 311, our nonemergency hotline.
"I waited but got anxious about not getting to work on time and decided to try to get out. There was a large space, so I tried to maneuver the car backward, but failed miserably due to some potholes and the curb. Then I tried backing up on the curb to turn around and go forward, but got stopped by a tree."
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King said that double parking is not uncommon in New York due to the alternate side parking (ASP) and street cleaning regulations.
For the New York streets to get cleaned, ASP requires all cars to be moved from that street and parked elsewhere until complete. Double parking is still illegal when street cleaning occurs, regardless of duration or location, and it can result in a ticket.
King said that common practice is for drivers to leave a note on the dash with their cellphone number when they double-park. However, the driver who blocked her in didn't leave a note, so, after 45 minutes of trying to get out, her "frustration was an all-time high."
King added: "I went through all the emotions. I live by the idea that life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you respond to it. It was annoying, but I knew he was just taking care of himself and didn't realize it was impacting anyone."
When the driver of the parked car eventually returned, he "looked horrified and was so apologetic" for making King late for work. After going through all the emotions, she was able to forgive him and start her day afresh – albeit later than planned.
How Did TikTok React?
King started filming her predicament and shared it on TikTok (@purplesyd71). She hoped the clip might reach the car's owner to make them realize the impact his double parking was having, but she never imagined it would go viral.
In just a matter of days, the video has generated more than 4.7 million views and over 237,000 likes on TikTok.
"Most people just want to mansplain parallel parking to me and advise how I could have gotten out. Some are mean and criticize my driving. NYC is full of potholes and random objects, and all these things got in my way, but, of course, you can't see that on the video," King said.
"I post on social media to stay connected to students. I'm a teacher on social media as I am in all parts of my life, and for me, this was a wonderful lesson plan. I was mad at the driver when I couldn't see his face, and he was just the owner of a vehicle," King added.
"But, as soon as I saw his face, I felt compassion. I saw that he understood me and was repentant, and most likely won't do it again. I'm focused on what I got from this moment."
The viral TikTok video has amassed over 5,100 comments so far, as King's situation certainly generated attention. One comment reads: "The fact that people double park at all in general is wild."
Another person wrote: "Is double parking normal? I'm not from NYC, this seems like a big no no though."
A third commented: "I would've called a tow truck IMMEDIATELY."
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