It all starts with a small stretch of sidewalk, in the extension of parking spaces, near a fast-food restaurant, Chamas Tacos. A piece of sidewalk where customers and Uber Eats delivery people park, when the places are occupied.
Nearby lives Laure
, for a little over a year. “I’m going around in circles, all I can think about is that,” sighs the Montbéliardaise, visibly exhausted. In May, last year, Laure fell in love with accommodation near the center of Montbéliard. Today, she still loves her apartment just as much, but she has become “very fragile” and takes pills to sleep.
According to her, 7 days a week, and until late at night, the ballet is incessant. The cars, customers or delivery people, park on the sidewalk in front of her house, each justifying themselves with “I only have two minutes”. When she protests, tries to photograph the vehicles, Laure declares receiving insults.
Slamming doors
Engines running, doors slamming, hazard warning lights illuminating the interior of one’s home, loud music, lively discussions. Some are not shy, according to Laure, to leave their packaging and leftover food on the ground.
The local resident has “knocked on every door” and no longer knows where to turn. She says she contacted the restaurant manager, the police, the town hall, and sent hundreds of text messages, made dozens of calls, without success.
For its part, if the police have no trace of a report concerning the restaurant, the police ensure that the checks are frequent and that those caught parking on the sidewalk will receive a fine of 135 euros. As for the town hall, which the resident regularly contacts (500 photos and SMS sent, all the same), it was considered for a time to set up a mobile camera. But these cameras are few in number and necessary in other, more sensitive sectors. “At the very beginning the police intervened and there was a note in the window asking customers to park elsewhere. He stayed a fortnight…”, details Laure, bitter.
promises
Everything might change. On Wednesday August 17, one of the two restaurant managers, after receiving a call from the police, promised that the situation would improve. The word on the door warning customers will be back. The deliverers will see on the orders that they must not park on this end of the sidewalk. The manager has undertaken to contact the town hall and the surrounding owners, with a view to putting up a sign prohibiting parking.
“Those who park there, I will not serve them”, goes so far as to promise the manager. This is not what Laure wants, who does not want to “prevent people from working”. Only, that her sleep improves and that she can “get up in a better mood in the morning”. Since this Wednesday, in any case, following an interview between the neighbor and the owner of the restaurant, the offending sites are no longer occupied and calm has returned. Like what, discussion and mutual understanding very often spring the light…
The name has been changed
