Park
Chocolate instead of tickets – the public order office rewards drivers
Anyone who parks correctly in Giengen an der Brenz will receive a sweet reward. photo
© Jason Cheplyakov/dpa
Surprise on the windshield: Anyone who currently parks properly in Giengen an der Brenz, Swabia, has a chance of getting a special ticket. The public order office rewards those who park correctly.
When Sandra Wendt and Dennis Incalcaterra are wrapped up in their jackets that say “If you walk through Giengen an der Brenz in Baden-Württemberg, you’ll get some nasty looks. At the moment, however, they’re quickly dissolving into a hearty laugh. Because they’re handing out chocolate to people who park properly during Advent.
“I was positively surprised and very pleased that you don’t get a ticket here,” says Marco Valentini. He parked correctly and found an Advent greeting with a piece of chocolate on the windshield of his car. “They’re welcome to come back at Easter and hand out bunnies,” he adds and laughs. So he saw a completely different side of the public order office.
Positive feedback
This is also why the campaign exists, says Mayor Dieter Henle. “We want to show people during Advent that our security service sometimes leaves five things straight and six things crooked,” he says. Henle cannot say whether people’s parking behavior will change as a result of the campaign – the city does not keep statistics on it, but the feedback is positive.
According to Henle, the sweet dumplings were available for the first time in 2018, but there was a break during the pandemic years. According to the mayor, the sweet dumplings cost the city around 20 euros; he donates the chocolate chips privately.
Actions in other cities too
The city is not alone with the idea. Other cities also distribute sweet balls at Christmas time or around Easter. Wendt and Incalcaterra create around 1,000 praise balls in Giengen during the campaign week. But there is still the bitter counterpart at this time when someone doesn’t park properly.
“Once a year it’s okay to distribute chocolate,” says public order officer Incalcaterra. “Otherwise: no warning is praise enough.” His colleague Wendt also sees it that way. “You should simply follow the road traffic regulations.”