Last Monday, I was at a carpark in Holland Village, waiting to park in a space that a car was vacating.

I was about 1.5 cars' length from the car that was leaving, and assumed that I would get the parking space since I had been waiting for it. But a car slid into the space before I could.

Immediately, I alighted to confront the driver for snatching the space.

The driver was a frail man who appeared to be in his 80s. He was very aggressive, saying that I should have been directly beside the space if I wanted it. He even raised his voice and claimed that I was bullying an old man.

Eventually, I got the space.

But that night, I regretted arguing with an elderly person.

I suggest that elderly drivers display a label (similar to the existing provisional plate for new drivers) to indicate the driver is elderly so that other drivers can be friendlier towards them, whether in parking situations or giving way during lane changes.

Priority parking spaces for the disabled should be extended to the elderly, too.

I apologise to the elderly man for my shameful behaviour, and hope measures can be adopted to make the roads friendlier and safer for the growing elderly population in Singapore.

Florence Tan Pei Wen