The old minaret adjacent to St Nikolaos church is a perfect reminder of the way the East met the West in the town I made my home, Chania, Crete, Greece.
The photographs I post all help to tell a part of a longer story that focuses on the town and its citizens, whether they are living there now, or have made their home in other parts of the world. As a newer resident, by writing about the town in this way, I am trying to put some order into the chaos that I seem to be confronted with.
Friday, 30 January 2009
Reserved space
The Greek way to ensure you'll find your parking space outside your house on an inner city street.
If you did that here you'd risk getting that brick through a window - yesterday I moved a wheelie-bin off the pavement into someone's drive so my wife could get by in her wheelchair - a fellow came out and remonstrated with me for moving the bin into his driveway! We took a different route home.
People get attached to their surroundings i suppose..."This is MY parking space, it's a state within the Greek state and i am marking its borders clearly (!!!!)" :-D :-D :-D
I have heard stories about such "areas" being additionally occupied by grandmother guards...and you don't want to get into an argument with them or they WILL prevail.
You could still park there of course, only certain people (disabled for example) get permits to reserve their own space close by to their homes.
Here in the UK the use of parking space is monitored very closely while most homes have some space allocated for a vehicle (wow...simply....wow)...Therefore it is almost certain that you will get a ticket if the car's wheels are inexcusably close to prohibited spaces or if you have parked in some permit holder's space. The city council's people do their rounds very regularly.
Yeah, they do that here in southern Italy, too! If it's a short time thing they will often leave a wife or mother-in-law to physically occupy the spot!
That is nothing compared to the way some Norwegian's watch over a parking space they have just cleared of snow! Next stop the law courts - if you are lucky.
I think this sort of cry from the heart is fairly common wherever you are.
ReplyDeleteThis is found here in Malta too and to be honest I get a little frustrated when I am trying to park and see this :( !!
ReplyDeleteIf you did that here you'd risk getting that brick through a window - yesterday I moved a wheelie-bin off the pavement into someone's drive so my wife could get by in her wheelchair - a fellow came out and remonstrated with me for moving the bin into his driveway! We took a different route home.
ReplyDeletelol!
ReplyDeletein mumbai someone would have started selling something out there using that chair!
People get attached to their surroundings i suppose..."This is MY parking space, it's a state within the Greek state and i am marking its borders clearly (!!!!)" :-D :-D :-D
ReplyDeleteI have heard stories about such "areas" being additionally occupied by grandmother guards...and you don't want to get into an argument with them or they WILL prevail.
You could still park there of course, only certain people (disabled for example) get permits to reserve their own space close by to their homes.
Here in the UK the use of parking space is monitored very closely while most homes have some space allocated for a vehicle (wow...simply....wow)...Therefore it is almost certain that you will get a ticket if the car's wheels are inexcusably close to prohibited spaces or if you have parked in some permit holder's space. The city council's people do their rounds very regularly.
They do this here in Malta but they usually use an empty beer bottle crate instead of the chair!
ReplyDeletei remember seeing this in athens when I lived there! so funny. don't think you can get away with it here in the States!
ReplyDeleteMust be a Mediteranean thing; I saw the same thing in the Italian neighborhoods of South Philadelphia USA. Aloha!
ReplyDeleteAloha!
ReplyDeleteYeah, they do that here in southern Italy, too! If it's a short time thing they will often leave a wife or mother-in-law to physically occupy the spot!
ReplyDeleteFunny but effective at the same time!
ReplyDeleteThat is nothing compared to the way some Norwegian's watch over a parking space they have just cleared of snow! Next stop the law courts - if you are lucky.
ReplyDeleteI had a neighbour who used to do that. He was Greek Cypriot, but I wouldn't claim that it is a cultural thing!
ReplyDeleteI thought it was pretty interesting and then Seretta mentioned the wife or mother-in-law. Sheesh!
ReplyDelete