A woman in California earned widespread support online after having a vehicle belonging to a large group of LDS missionaries towed from her apartment complex. The missionaries had parked in spaces reserved for permit holders only, prompting her to notify management. The complex quickly arranged for the unauthorized vehicle to be removed. According to the woman, parking at her building is already difficult to find, so she felt that having the car towed was the appropriate course of action.
As one might expect, the missionaries were at the apartment complex to “knock on everyone’s doors and leave flyers asking people to attend their LDS Easter services,” Reddit user benihanaxmas explained on r/pettyrevenge. For context, she noted that her parking lot has posted signs and security cameras to monitor anyone attempting to park there without a permit. Many Redditors applauded her for reporting the missionaries, with some even finding the situation ironically amusing.
Redditors Agreed the Tow Was Completely Justified
“How godly of them to steal parking spots from people who paid for the right to use them,” one person remarked. Another commenter added, “God clearly needed them to learn that lesson.” A third quipped, “God tows in mysterious ways.”
While the individuals whose cars were towed were missionaries, one person noted that religion should not be used to justify “entitlement and rule-breaking.” Moreover, they had taken a tenant’s designated parking spot, forcing her to drive around until the vehicle was finally towed.
Several Redditors also shared stories about other religious groups angering locals through aggressive solicitation. One commenter recalled an out-of-state church that arrived to protest at someone’s funeral. The backlash was swift and severe: their tires were slashed, and local repair shops refused to replace or fix them. “They had to charter a bus and have their vans towed all the way back to Kansas,” the Redditor recalled with amusement.
On the other hand, the LDS missionaries’ car towed from the apartment complex in this story was, fortunately, not vandalized. However, they were still in the wrong for occupying a tenant’s parking space and were penalized accordingly under California law, CVC 22658.
