Caption: Facebook photo showing Phillip Edward Alexander on Sunday

Summary

• Social Media Uproar: Minister Phillip Alexander is facing intense online backlash after a photo of his vehicle parked in a disabled spot at SuperPharm in Maraval went viral.
• The Minister’s Defense: Alexander claims he was explicitly instructed by a security guard to park in the spot due to a severe parking shortage caused by a neighboring food court.
• Altered Evidence Claim: The minister alleges the viral photo was deliberately cropped to hide the security guard directing him, while the public points out the $2,000 fine for parking in a disabled spot without a permit.

 

By Prior Beharry

MINISTER in the Ministry of Housing, Phillip Alexander, is firing back at critics after a photograph circulated online showing his vehicle parked in a disabled parking space outside SuperPharm in Maraval on Sunday.

Former culture minister Randall Mitchell posted the photo on his Facebook page. Mitchell’s post featured an audio clip—purportedly of Alexander recounting a time he scolded a Mercedes Benz driver for parking in a handicapped spot outside West Mall—spliced with the popular “a few moments later” meme from the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants.

The post quickly drew the ire of social media users who accused the minister of hypocrisy. Commenters flooded the post with remarks such as, “Do as I say and not as I do,” and “Are they for real? They make laws for us but not for them?”

Another user questioned if driving a Land Cruiser entitled him to break the rules, noting that it is illegal to utilise designated spots without a permanent or temporary disability.

Pushing back against the public outcry, Alexander, who also serves as a Senator, took to his own Facebook page on Sunday to clear his name.

“I am not someone who parks in handicapped spots,” Alexander said. He blamed a parking shortage caused by a neighboring business.

According to the minister, a new food court built on the old Bagshot site next to Royal Palm Plaza was constructed without adequate parking. As a result, he claimed food court customers are taking up all the available spaces at Royal Palm Plaza and SuperPharm.

Alexander said that upon his arrival, a security guard explicitly instructed him to use the disabled space.

“The security told me to park there as the two handicapped spots are (ironically) generally the only two spots left since the food court opened,” he said.

Alexander alleged that the viral photo was intentionally altered to fit a narrative, claiming that the security guard who was directing him to park was cropped out of the right side of the image.

The media attempted to contact SuperPharm for comment regarding the ongoing parking disputes at its Maraval branch, but no response has been received.

By law, individuals must possess a valid Disability Parking Permit to legally access reserved parking spaces. Unauthorised parking in a disabled spot carries a $2,000 fine. Previously, the offense also incurred three demerit points, though the demerit point system was subsequently scrapped by the current UNC administration.