You’d be excused for assuming that Sydney’s Mosman residents had nothing to complain about, considering the area’s gorgeous harbour views, multimillion-dollar mansions, and almost nonexistent crime rate.
However, wealthy residents of one of Australia’s wealthiest areas are at odds over the issue of boat parking when a commercial pilot parked his six-meter-long boat on the street in front of a harbourside mansion.
Locals are divided between those who support the pilot and believe he has the right to park anywhere he pleases, those who believe parking a boat in front of someone’s home is impolite, and others who have chosen to find the humour in the situation.
The resident of the luxurious $5 million Mosman property on Sydney’s lower north shore issued a blistering assault through the community’s Facebook page on Saturday, saying that the mansion was obstructing her view of traffic when she exited her driveway and begging the owner to relocate it.
Laureen Ong’s post sparked a chain reaction of anger among residents, with hundreds of users arguing about who was in the right and others making fun about the commotion in the lush, affluent neighbourhood by flooding the group with memes.
The incident deteriorated when the owner, former REX Airlines first officer Palle Lunoe, who lives two kilometres away, retaliated, pointing out that his boat was lawfully parked and saying that worried neighbours ‘have a little too much spare time’
His statement provoked indignation among several neighbours, who criticised him for abandoning the boat for five days in a residential street.
‘If you can’t afford the mooring, don’t have a boat. Or at least dump it outside your own property,’ one person wrote.
Another person commented: ‘Just because something is legal it doesn’t mean it’s right. It’s about respecting your neighbours and community.’
‘If you can’t store your caravan or boat on your own property in a storage facility or your driveway then don’t get one,’ a third said.
But not everyone agreed, with many hitting out at the ‘entitlement’ of some locals.
‘Seriously just because you are blessed to live in one of the most expensive suburbs in Sydney doesn’t mean you’re entitled to never ever be inconvenienced in the slightest way,’ one persons said.
Another wrote: ‘I don’t own a boat but you’re Mosman’s Napoleon! I stand by you – vive la revolution!’
As the increasingly heated debate intensified others found the humour in the situation with one man calling the drama a ‘neighbourly disagreement between the Have’s and the Have Yachts’.
One person shared a photo of a T-shirt designed with the words ‘not in our Mozman’ printed on the front with a photo of a giant helicopter hauling away the unwanted boat, claiming he would soon be selling merchandise.
‘At this point I’m looking forward to the 4-part ABC miniseries,’ a third joked.
Memes and comical pictures also flooded the page with one user posting a photo of his dog ‘Captain Scruffles’ wearing sunglasses behind the helm of a boat asking locals: ‘If anyone had any sneaky tips on where I can park my boat in the area?’