Jaga Kereta

As many have said, I am an obliging person. I have this tendency to obey instructions even though I do not always agree with what I’m asked to do. Often, I do it willingly but there have been some experiences which frustrated me. Sometimes I get frustrated because of my own failure to reject unreasonable requests especially when it comes from strangers whom I don’t know.
I have no problems with street people. I agree that they have the right to decide on the kind of lifestyle they choose to live. However, I find it very annoying to have individuals who claim public properties as their own. I despise people who demand for parking fees on parking lots that they do not own. These annoying beings are found everywhere in Penang. The moment one parks their car on a non city council car park, these people will walk towards your car and expect you to give them a token for their so called ‘jaga kereta’. They have the cheek to scrutinize and criticize those who do not condone with their demands. All these while, I have been obliging towards these people. I give them what they expect because I fear for my own safety. I condone to their expectations but always feel frustrated after that for giving in even though I know that it’s wrong.
Things changed today when I parked by a roadside. I came back to my car only to find a man expecting me and my friend to pay for our parking. My friend said “ini tempat awam”, and he asked us to have pity on him. Prior to our encounter with him, my friend had told me that she was broke. I remembered our conversation when the man asked for the money and I asked myself why should my friend give him the money when she herself did not have enough to spend? And so, I spontaneously instructed my friend to go into her own car while I went into mine. Realizing that he was not going to get anything from any of us, that man knocked on my window and demanded that I paid, ignoring him, I started my engine, he grumbled and banged on my car, kicking my car he cursed and ridiculed me. I gave him an angry stare and drove off. Ahead of me was a police on petrol, I was tempted to report him to the police but I did not.
That encounter was a little scary but somehow, I was actually glad that I did not give in to that man. By the way, he smelled of alcohol.