A shopkeeper in Toul Kork caused quite a stir over the past few days after treating the public sidewalk in front of his store like his own private property. On top of hogging the public parking spots, he made a habit of aggressively shouting abuse at anyone who dared to park nearby or try to squeeze past.
After enough people got yelled at, word traveled and local Toul Kork district authorities decided they had seen enough. Officials and law enforcement officers paid the shop a direct visit to put a stop to the blatant sidewalk hogging, road blocking, and public verbal abuse.
Anyone who walks around Phnom Penh knows that blocked sidewalks are just a fixture of city life. Most people are used to weaving around street stalls and squeezing past parked motorbikes. But hijacking public space and berating people in broad daylight is another story. Seeing the district office step in and clear the path was a welcome relief for anyone walking through the neighborhood.
