Clever activism

I few years ago I had an idea that didn't get much attention from anyone I mentioned it to. It wasn't anything fantastic or revolutionary really, probably something many have thought of before, but it was one of those ideas that in your head adds up to something really unflappable. The plot, so to speak, was all about reclaiming public space and reintroducing magic and playfulness to places that usually serve only one purpose, namely parking.

Renting a parking space is very simple. You park your car, stash the meter with coins and go about your business while your car waits. Cut the car from the equation and you’ve got an empty space. Add a sofa and you have a space for leisure, add a sound-system and you have a dance-floor. Anything goes actually as a chill approach to civil disobedience, ticking some frustrated motorists off in the process. “Hey man, I rented this spot just to hang out. Whatcha’ gonna do, pig!” Just make sure you don’t get a ticket and keep filling the meter up.

The reason that it came to mind again is that some group went ahead and did it in San Francisco and in Sicily too apparently. They even went as far as laying down grass on the pavement and everything, making it a “Park” space. Goes to show you're never alone.