Yesterday in a parking lot, I witnessed a heated argument. A woman was yelling at a guy that he needed to move his car immediately because he was parked in a purple parking space. The guy said he knew what he was doing and had the right to park there, but the woman kept insisting. I had to leave because I was with my kids, but what was that about? Who are the people who can park in purple parking spaces?

Without knowing the location and seeing the signs, there simply isn't enough information to determine the truth.

And that's perhaps the most important lesson from the whole incident.

A strange-colored parking space is not something to interpret based on assumptions.

**The color alone isn't enough.**

The next time you see one, take a moment to read the signs before parking.

And if someone tells you that you shouldn't be there, don't immediately assume they're wrong—or that they're right.

Check the rules.

Because when it comes to parking spaces, especially unusual ones, the answer isn't always as simple as the paint on the pavement.

So, if you ever find yourself standing in a parking lot wondering why one space is purple while all the others are ordinary, you're not alone.

The color may have a very specific purpose.

And the only reliable way to discover who can use it is to look beyond the color and find the rules that actually govern that particular parking space.