Touch Parking as a Sport

They park differently here. Differently in a way that causes me to stop, smile, and raise my camera for a souvenir.

I thought touch parking meant to oh-so-lightly tap the car in front or behind you when you manoeuvred your car into a tight space. In Lyon, touch parking can be classified as a contact sport.

A lack of real parking spaces does not appear to phase a Lyonnaise driver. Cars jut out into the road or reclaim pavements with no obvious social stigma.

Smart Cars make sense in this city. They do not yet make sense in Australia; the cities are built for big cars and the distances between cities demand more than a Smart Car appears to offer. Here though, in this old city with its lack of parking, the Smart Car excels.