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The Arrogance Of German Police.

Posted on 10th September 2022

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Bad Police Parking

I took this photo whilst on a recent shopping trip. It demonstrates the arrogance of the German police, at least when it comes to parking.

The police car is parked on the pavement, almost completely blocking the footpath (although the cycle-path was left clear). A disabled man on an electric mobility tricycle had just gone by going onto the very busy cycle-path.

I can understand that there might be a case for such selfish parking in the case of an emergency, but the cop was not even parked there on police business; he was posting a parcel (a return of an online purchase) which was almost certainly a private errand, and most certainly not an emergency.

Note that the photo does not include the police officer, since it is illegal in Germany to photograph or video record police in the execution of their duties (not that he was executing his duties, but I would rather not fight that out in court).

This kind of arrogant and selfish parking by police is very common here in Germany. I have often seen police vehicles parked at traffic accidents and at traffic stops in ways that block other traffic and create hazards for other motorists. This is especially dangerous at the sites of accidents, where that part of the road is already demonstrably dangerous, and where their dangerous parking only exacerbates the danger.

It really seems that many German police officers feel that they are above the law. I know that, if I parked on the pavement like that, I would get a ticket in short order.