French cyclists launch ‘bad parking’ photo competition on Twitter

The city of Lyon has launched a competition to find the worst-parked cars in the city, named “garé comme une merde”, which loosely translates as “parked like crap”.

The tongue-in-cheek competition has been launched by Lyon cycling association La Ville à Vélo Lyon Métropole on Twitter, and is intended to denounce drivers who park cars especially poorly in the Rhône (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) city.

Special mention will be given to those who park in cycle lanes, especially delivery vans and motorbikes.

The competition includes several categories, including vehicles badly parked in front of free dedicated parking spaces, badly parked vehicles that cause queues, badly parked cars in front of shops for “urgent stops” such as cigarettes or toilet breaks, or even those badly parked so drivers can have a chat.

There is also a category for “badly parked under police noses”, including cars parked incorrectly in front of police stations or near police cars.

Until March 24, members of the public, especially cyclists, are encouraged to post photos of badly parked vehicles and “nominate” them for categories via Twitter, using the hashtag #GCUM and tagging @LaVilleaVelo in the post.

The competition has already provoked some backlash on Twitter, however, with some drivers pointing out that cyclist behaviour sometimes leaves a lot to be desired (including bikes on pavements and in pedestrian-only areas, bikes that run red lights, or bikes causing obstructions when locked on railings).

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