Feral Perth drivers slammed for poor parking etiquette as fed-up residents vent anger

Perth’s parking nightmare is driving motorists around the bend — with residents, shoppers and commuters blasting “confusing”, “aggressive” and downright “chaotic” behaviour across the metropolitan area.

From shopping centre prangs to footpath blockades, cars parked facing the wrong direction and ticket inspectors lurking like hawks, parking rage has become part of daily life in WA.

At busy retail hotspots such as Westfield Carousel, Karrinyup Shopping Centre, Coventry Village, Kingsway Shopping Centre and Morley Galleria, motorists say finding a bay has become “survival of the fittest”.

“It’s genuinely become a test of patience trying to park at Carousel,” one frustrated Perth driver posted on Reddit.

Another summed it up even more bluntly.

“Perth drivers lose all brain function in shopping centre carparks,” they said.

There is even frustration parking in wide open bays Bunnings.

“Must have self entitled parking spots at Bunnings now,” an angry shopper posted on a Facebook page dedicated to poor parking, along with a photo of a ute in a no parking zone.

Insurance data has repeatedly identified shopping centres as major crash hotspots, with low-speed crashes, reversing collisions and lane confusion among the biggest headaches.

Suburbs, towns and cities including Innaloo, Booragoon and Mandurah have regularly featured among the State’s worst areas for carpark crashes.

But it is not just poor parking fuelling the anger.

Drivers are also venting about what they claim is over-the-top enforcement from councils and private operators.

“The inspectors must teleport. You’re gone for two minutes and there’s already a ticket,” one social media user fumed.

Others accused private parking companies of slugging motorists for tiny overstays.

“Wilson rejected my appeal even with proof I paid,” another claimed.

Across Perth suburbs, “footpath wars” are also boiling over.

Under WA law, motorists cannot park across or on footpaths — even outside their own homes — but locals say the rules are still widely ignored.

“People block footpaths and expect parents with prams to walk onto the road,” one resident blasted.

Another growing gripe is drivers parking the wrong way down streets, which is illegal in WA.

Under the rules, vehicles must be parked facing the same direction as traffic flow.

But plenty ignore it.

“I can’t believe how many people park facing oncoming traffic like it’s normal,” one wrote on Facebook.

Another added: “It’s dangerous at night because people pull out straight into traffic from the wrong side.”

Verge parking is also causing confusion, with different council rules leaving many drivers unsure of what is legal and what could attract a fine.

“Verge parking rules change every second suburb. Nobody knows what’s legal anymore,” one motorist posted.

And then there are the selfish parkers.

Double parking, dumping cars under hazard lights and taking up multiple bays continue to spark fury online.

“Why do people think hazards are a park-anywhere button?” one driver asked.

Under WA’s Road Traffic Code 2000, motorists can be fined for parking in the wrong direction, blocking driveways, stopping too close to intersections or overstaying time limits.

Parking illegally in an ACROD bay can trigger fines of up to $5000.

But despite the rules, many Perth motorists reckon parking manners are getting even worse.

One fed-up Perth motorist perhaps summed up the city’s parking chaos best.

“Driving in Perth is easy,” loztralia wrote on Reddit. “It’s the parking that turns everyone feral.”