About a week ago I moved to a new house. A duplex, actually. Moving is never easy; besides all the heavy lifting and cleaning to do there are new neighbors to meet, new trash day to remember and the ceremonial 'arranging of furniture'. However, I've moved so many times throughout my life that it's become a pretty breezy process. Except this time. 

Not only have I been barraged with neighbors coming over to excitedly point out that I am, indeed, parked in front of their house, and, Can I please not do that? And will I please make sure my dog never poops in their yard? Okay, so I get it, I am part of the never-ending cycle of new tenants in the neighborhood. And it's not like I was expecting a homemade pie or 'Welcome to the neighborhood' basket of goodies.

But what happened when I parked in front of my own house was an extreme case of public-street-parking-rage.

Rather than simply ask me not to park in this spot, my neighbor (and fellow duplex-resider) rams his car into mine and tries to push my car out of "his spot" and into the middle of an intersection.

Instead of just leaving a note on my car explaining that he is particularly affectionate about this parking spot, my new neighbor with whom I share a very thin wall, takes his key out and etches a long, squiggley line into the front panel of my car. 

Another neighbor watched all of this happen from his front window, and so luckily, I have a witness. And some advice.

I am told to call the police and in the future, don't park there or in the spot across the street. If I do, says the witness, the lady across the street will pull up and honk her horn until you come out and move your car. 

I call the police and I'm told that, due to the budget crisis, no policeman will be dispatched. No policeman, no arrest, not even a slap on the wrist for this guy. I'm told I should simply let my insurance company take care of it.

So my question is, Is that it? And why are people so psychotic about their parking?