A free parking space downtown? A dream. But if someone else is faster and snatches the space in front of you, it often becomes unpleasant. What applies when parking, seen first or acted immediately?
Illegal parking is expensive fun. Anyone who ignores a parking ban must expect a fine of at least 10 euros. If you park or stop in the second row, you will have to pay at least 55 euros. If this hinders other road users, it becomes even more expensive, and a point in Flensburg is added. And notorious illegal parkers who commit more than 150 parking violations within a year are threatened with the withdrawal of their driving licenses, as the Berlin Administrative Court has decided.
Then it's better to be good and park the vehicle in the authorized places. But this is sometimes easier than done. Especially in the city center, the search for a parking space is often a test of patience until a free space is finally spotted. But it is not uncommon for two drivers to argue about the latter. Then it is not uncommon for fisticuffs to occur. There is a clear legal regulation to which the ADAC North Rhine refers. "According to the road traffic regulations, the person who reaches the parking space first has priority," explains the legal expert of the automobile club, Elke Hübner.
This also applies if the authorized person first drives past the parking space after setting the turn signal to reverse into a parking space, if they have to maneuver elsewhere or if they are waiting at a parking space that is becoming free. "Taking someone's parking space away, even though he or she was there first, is not a minor offence, but a misdemeanor and thus meets the criteria for a fine," says Hübner.
Anyone who pushes their way into a parking space from the other side while the car leaving the parking space is still blocking the way of the waiting person violates the road traffic regulations. The administrative offense can be punished with a fine of ten euros. But how do you prove that someone "stole" your parking space?
"When I'm traveling alone, it's difficult. If there are two people in the car, in theory you have a witness. But whether administrative authorities and courts will deal with such a case in a time-consuming and costly manner should be considered," appeals Hübner to reason and consideration of those involved.
