The Singapore Commentator

The Sunday Times today carried a report of a man who disrupted a church service because a churchgoer's car had blocked his front gate. Excerpt from the report:

Fed up with churchgoers who parked their cars right in front of his house, a man stormed into a Catholic church in Siglap during mass and demanded that something be done about the problem... The man is being investigated for disturbing a religious assembly — an offence under the Penal Code... The man, who is in his 40s and a freethinker, said: “The church, as the host should be responsible for its guests and not let them park anywhere they want.”

Apparently, this has been a long-standing problem. The report goes on to say:

Residents along Siglap Hill...have complained about parking problems to the police and Land Transport Authority (LTA) on many occasions in the past... Churchgoers park their cars along the road when all 160 lots in the church have been taken up... Priests at the church have reminded churchgoers not to park along Siglap Hill as this obstructs traffic along the narrow two-way street...

It looks like the authorities will be stepping in. According to The Sunday Times, to help end this stand-off between residents and churchgoers, the police have stepped up patrols in the area.

“The LTA will also put up double yellow lines by the end of the week,” the newspaper said. “Those caught parking illegally will be fined, given demerit points or have their cars towed away.”

It looks like it’s not easy to please both God and Man at the same time. But I guess the churchgoers who park illegally can always go to church and confess.

Update on August 26: The LTA has sent a letter to The Straits Times with the following clarification: “[T]he Land Transport Authority (LTA) does not have any plans to implement double yellow lines along Siglap Hill.”