Parken Überall — The Very German Culture War No One Likes To Talk About | by Bernie Duffy | Sep, 2021 | Medium

Parken Überall — The Very German Culture War No One Likes To Talk About
Bernie Duffy 1 day ago
After receiving threats of violence for reporting illegally parked cars, the author examines what drives German car culture to near-fanatical levels.
My neighbourhood in Hamburg has reached the absolute limit with parking. Sidewalks, street corners, and even the emergency fire exits around the local hospital and school are packed bumper to bumper, with barely space for pedestrians to squeeze through sideways to cross the street. About three years ago, on my street, the wooden bollards preventing cars from driving on the pavement were torn out by perpetrators unknown and a parade of SUVs and vans began using the full width of the foot-and-bike path in order to double-park on the inside of street-parked cars. After witnessing a couple of near-tragic incidents, I realized it was no longer safe to allow my 10-year-old daughter to use that way to school.… This was the last straw. Something had to be done.