[UPDATE 6.30pm] The Mazda driver has reached out to give his side of the story.
He clarified that he did not use his phone to film the other car, and that what he actually did was hold up his driver licence.
He also shared that he only talked about his licence because he was "triggered" by the other driver who had thought he's a relatively new driver.
The Mazda driver also insisted he only stopped his car "slightly" out of his side of the road to drop his passengers and did not block the BMW, which he claimed drove in the middle of the road.
How do you measure a man?
By the car he drives? Or the different classes of vehicles he is licensed to operate?
In an argument between two car drivers in a carpark, one pointed out he was driving a BMW while the other, who was driving a Mazda, boasted about holding six classes of driving licences.
Videos of the confrontation between the two men in the open carpark at Hougang Avenue 5 on Nov 17 were posted online.
The dispute started after the black Mazda 3 came to a stop and appeared to block the path of the oncoming white BMW 318.
The BMW honked at the Mazda to give way, but the Mazda driver probably thought there was enough room for the BMW to squeeze past and so he merely honked.
This led to the two cars honking at each other until both drivers eventually got out of their vehicles and confronted each other.
Another man stepped in and tried to separate the two as they went at each other.
At one point, the Mazda driver took out a card to show the BMW driver and boasted he held all classes of driving licences.
The BMW driver then asked why he was driving a Mazda and added loudly: "I'm driving BM, you know."
This was followed by a vulgarity.
The Mazda driver said he also own a motorcycle and retorted as he returned to his car: "Got BM, big f***. I got Ducati."
The BMW driver then confronted the Mazda driver with another barrage of vulgarities as the Mazda backed up to allow room for the BMW to pass.
But that was not the end of it.
As they drove past each other, the Mazda driver took a video of the BMW driver, provoking the latter to drive around the carpark and block the Mazda for another confrontation.
This time, the BMW driver got out of his car and demanded with vulgarities that the Mazda driver get out too, but the Mazda driver did not.
In the ensuing argument, the Mazda driver said he wanted to show that he had the six driving licence classes because the BMW driver "showed" his BMW.
"Obviously lah," replied the BMW driver, who was taken aback and for a moment, seemed to feel sorry for the Mazda driver who thought his six driving licence classes beat owning a BMW.
"Why? You 'lao kui' (embarrassed in Hokkien) ah?"
But the moment passed and regaining his anger, the BMW driver again demanded with vulgarities that the Mazda driver get out of the car.
The latter refused and more obscenities were exchanged as the BMW driver slapped the bonnet of the Mazda.
After Mazda driver claimed to call the police, the other man eventually returned to his BMW and drove off.
Thus ended the prolonged game of motoring one-upmanship that unexpectedly and poignantly revealed the pitfalls of modern masculinity.
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This article was first published in Stomp. Permission required for reproduction.
