German online service for cyclists and pedestrians to report dangerously parked cars

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Brendan Burgess

Brendan Burgess

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www.irishtimes.com

Park-and-squeal online service a hit in Germany

Cyclists and pedestrians can photograph offending vehicles and file a complaint with authorities
www.irishtimes.com www.irishtimes.com

For decades, German motorists were kings and queens of the road – often cycle lanes and pavements, too. Now, cyclists and pedestrians are now longer getting mad: they’re getting even.

Anyone who visits the online service Weg.li can photograph the offending vehicle and file a complaint with the local authority against the “Falschparker” or parking violator.

The service uses geo-positioning to file the complaint with the relevant local authority. At 4,000, registered municipalities and counting, the crowdsourced Weg.li is – depending on your perspective – a triumph of people power or a denunciator’s charter.
 
Thanks Brendan. Interestingly biased headline from the Irish Times. I guess something like "Successful German Online Service for Reporting Dangerous Parking" wouldn't generate the same hits for them.
I particularly like this description of the service developer's motivation, which is I think is applicable in Ireland too:
“In Germany, I think we have a problem with motorists and their exaggerated notion of freedom, which they like to act out at the expense of others,” he said.
Other factors include fines as low as €10 and what he calls a brand-specific “asshole factor”, with statistics indicating BMWs and Audis most often parked illegally.
 
Concrete said:
Thanks Brendan. Interestingly biased headline from the Irish Times. I guess something like "Successful German Online Service for Reporting Dangerous Parking" wouldn't generate the same hits for them.
I particularly like this description of the service developer's motivation, which is I think is applicable in Ireland too:
“In Germany, I think we have a problem with motorists and their exaggerated notion of freedom, which they like to act out at the expense of others,” he said.
Other factors include fines as low as €10 and what he calls a brand-specific “asshole factor”, with statistics indicating BMWs and Audis most often parked illegally.
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Would you prefer a boring headline and fewer people reading the (sympathetic) article?
 
Early Riser said:
Would you prefer a boring headline and fewer people reading the (sympathetic) article?
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I'm fine with an exciting headline - I'm just suggesting non-biased. Words matter. I don't think people trying to improve roads and paths for the benefit of society should be described as squealers. Should we also describe people who blow the whistle on Garda/army/financial issues as "squealing"?
 
Concrete said:
You're right - let's not look at fixing one problem - let's raise a separate issue instead...whataboutery at its best...
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Arguing for consistency of treatment, and a uniform approach to road traffic lawbreaking, is far removed from whataboutery. But, hey, if you think demonizing one section of road users - and that section only - is conducive to developing a society wide appreciation for the need to have sensible enforcement of road traffic law, sure why not?

Selective enforcement of law is the surest route to discrediting and losing respect for it.
 
Concrete said:
I'm fine with an exciting headline - I'm just suggesting non-biased. Words matter. I don't think people trying to improve roads and paths for the benefit of society should be described as squealers. Should we also describe people who blow the whistle on Garda/army/financial issues as "squealing"?
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I think the IT headline captures the controversial nature of this system :
Ms Neumann’s Twitter appeal to use Weg.li has sparked emotional debate, welcomed by some and attacked by others as a “typical Green invitation to mass denunciation”.
If it is controversial a newspaper should reflect this and not conceal it (or act as advocate).

I suggest that your alternative headline ("Successful German Online Service for Reporting Dangerous Parking") is not only dull but misleading as we do not know how succesful or otherwise the system is proving to be:
"Developer Mr Schröder says there are no statistics on how many complaints filed by Weg.li lead to fines. German traffic authorities defend their competence jealously, he says, even in Berlin where sporadic reports indicate that few or no staff are employed to process illegal parking complaints."
 
Concrete said:
I'm fine with an exciting headline - I'm just suggesting non-biased. Words matter. I don't think people trying to improve roads and paths for the benefit of society should be described as squealers. Should we also describe people who blow the whistle on Garda/army/financial issues as "squealing"?
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The recent craze for moving cyclists onto footpaths instead of roads is of very dubious or arguable "benefit to society."

I wonder whether, say, an elderly pedestrian with poor mobility, hearing or eyesight is more inconvenienced by a car parked with wheels slightly up on the footpath, or 120kg of Lycra, metal and bodyweight hurtling along at 25mph on what was until recently a footpath and is now a painted on cycle lane?

Not everyone is an able-bodied youngster who can whizz around so-called 15 minute cities. Some people need the ability to drive and park in order to participate in normal everyday activities.
 
Right Winger said:
The recent craze for moving cyclists onto footpaths instead of roads is of very dubious or arguable "benefit to society."
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Haven't seen that much of that. (There is a weird painting of a pedestrian footpath on Nassau Street in Dublin so pedestrians walk on the road. I would say many think it's a cycle lane.)

But I agree with you. They should do as they have done on the Quays in Dublin. Remove a car lane and convert it into two good bike lanes and so keep cars, cyclists and pedestrians apart as much as possible.

Brendan
 
Right Winger said:
Arguing for consistency of treatment, and a uniform approach to road traffic lawbreaking, is far removed from whataboutery. But, hey, if you think demonizing one section of road users - and that section only - is conducive to developing a society wide appreciation for the need to have sensible enforcement of road traffic law, sure why not?

Selective enforcement of law is the surest route to discrediting and losing respect for it.
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Are you suggesting that the German authorities are abandoning all other forms of traffic crime detection and will from now on only prosecute motorists who park illegally?

If you consider yourself a law-abiding road user, why get so worked up about a proposal that will only punish illegal parking? My working theory on that is that many who do get worked up around better enforcement of the law know they break them on a regular basis and are really only concerned about increased chances of being punished for doing so.

Right Winger said:
Not everyone is an able-bodied youngster who can whizz around so-called 15 minute cities. Some people need the ability to drive and park in order to participate in normal everyday activities.
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I'm pretty sure 15 minute cites are still just a concept and far from a reality in Germany or here.
 
Right Winger said:
Not everyone is an able-bodied youngster who can whizz around so-called 15 minute cities. Some people need the ability to drive and park in order to participate in normal everyday activities.
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Not everyone is able-bodied enough to drive. Some people needs footpaths free from motor vehicles in order to participate in normal everyday activities.
 
Leo said:
Are you suggesting that the German authorities are abandoning all other forms of traffic crime detection and will from now on only prosecute motorists who park illegally?
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Not in the slightest, and I don't even see how my words could be construed as such. In fact, if the article is to be believed the German authorities appear decidedly lukewarm on what is, after all, a private non-governmental initiative. Perhaps the Germans have had enough of denunciations to the authorities?

Leo said:
If you consider yourself a law-abiding road user, why get so worked up about a proposal that will only punish illegal parking? My working theory on that is that many who do get worked up around better enforcement of the law know they break them on a regular basis and are really only concerned about increased chances of being punished for doing so.
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A preference for law enforcement to be conducted by an impartial police force, a professional prosecution service and an independent judiciary is hardly the mark of a regular lawbreaker! These are the elements that mark out democracies from dictatorships. It is in dictatorships that you get denunciations of unfavoured enemies of the people. Like drivers, especially BMV and Audi drivers, according to the guy who was scatologically quoted in the article.

Leo said:
I'm pretty sure 15 minute cites are still just a concept and far from a reality in Germany or here.
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I would hope you're correct, but many cities, London, Paris and Oxford to name but a few, are sadly rushing headlong into this particular cul-de-sac and putting their eco-ideological coercive measures in place.

You will comply and you will be happy.
 
PGF2016 said:
Not everyone is able-bodied enough to drive. Some people needs footpaths free from motor vehicles in order to participate in normal everyday activities.
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Agreed, and drivers who block footpaths to such people are inconsiderate fools.
 
Brendan Burgess said:
No. Drivers who block footpaths or cycle paths for anyone, are inconsiderate and should be towed or clamped.

Brendan
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Indeed. I agree entirely. (Mind you clamping in situ is hardly a clever option!) However, that's block as in seriously obstruct to the point that a wheelchair, buggy or pram can't get by. A wheel or two up on a 12 foot wide footpath reducing it to 11 usable feet isn't really the same thing.

Nor is overstaying your welcome at a parking meter, which would I'm sure also attract the ire of the citizen denouncers.
 
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Right Winger said:
I would hope you're correct, but many cities, London, Paris and Oxford to name but a few, are sadly rushing headlong into this particular cul-de-sac and putting their eco-ideological coercive measures in place.
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Why a cul-de-sac?

Are the cities that have for decades rushed headlong into designing for car-centric ideologies place better places to live? Do you prefer grid lock and pollution?

What exactly is the problem with less space for cars and more for people?
 
Right Winger said:
Not in the slightest, and I don't even see how my words could be construed as such.
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You suggested there was a demonetisation of only one section of road users, 'and that section only'.

Right Winger said:
A preference for law enforcement to be conducted by an impartial police force, a professional prosecution service and an independent judiciary is hardly the mark of a regular lawbreaker!
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What policing or prosecution role will the organisation running this service hold?

Right Winger said:
I would hope you're correct, but many cities, London, Paris and Oxford to name but a few, are sadly rushing headlong into this particular cul-de-sac and putting their eco-ideological coercive measures in place.
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You seem to be getting your take on these initiatives from the ranks of the conspiracy theorists.

For those living in the likes of Newham, what's not to like about the 15 minute concept where essential services such as healthcare are within a 15 minute walk or cycle?
 
Concrete said:
You're right - let's not look at fixing one problem - let's raise a separate issue instead...whataboutery at its best...
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It wouldn’t be a separate issue if an accident occurred due to a cyclists behaviour. Would you include scooters in cycle lanes? Motorbikes?
 
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