Parking "War"

Some time over Sunday....down in Augsburg....one neighbor got into an argument with another neighbor....over a parking spot.  Things got overheated.  One guy goes back and gets an ax....to attack the other neighbor.  From the description of things....the ax guy wasn't happy and started whacking on the door.  Cops got called, and quickly arrived.  The ax dude then retreated to his apartment, where the cops came to knock on the door.  The guy refused to open the door....so the cops knocked the door down.  The guy had the ax in his hand and apparently made a threatening move....so the cops shot the guy dead.

Now, I would be the first to say that you don't typically have ax episodes or cops shooting folks in Germany over matters like this.  However, I also have to admit that parking is a fairly serious business in Germany.

For an American arriving and getting into the apartment hunt business....some advice here.  First, if you rent an apartment....before you sign....make absolutely sure about the parking deal.  There ought to be a sign with your apartment number and indications of private parking somewhere around the building.  If you can't get that positive indicator....don't rent the place.

Second, in most towns....there's some unwritten rules in each neighborhood.  Parking understandings.....as I would put it.  So you might want to ask about this....before you settle in.  You really don't want neighbors getting a bad attitude about the new American...just on the first day or two that you move in.

Third, parking in most German neighborhoods is fairly important.  Folks get unhinged if you take their spot.  So you want to make sure about parking situation.  Be apologetic if you screwed up.

Finally....I must admit.....there is going to be that small number of Germans out there.....who will overreact and go ballistic fairly easily.  Maybe one guy out of a thousand.  I'm not saying it's a typical German thing....but you might run into it.  Anger management classes are something that most Germans have never heard about, and would likely laugh if you suggested they needed to attend one.

In this case....I'm guessing one neighbor is fairly distraught right now.....his former neighbor is dead....all over one stupid parking misunderstanding.  It really didn't need to come to this.