Are you smart enough to park here?
I just got my Danish driver’s license. It came in the mail, pretty and pink, and I was so proud. I wasn’t nearly as thrilled about the American license I got 10 years ago.
Why? Because getting a driver’s license in Denmark is like getting a pilot’s license in North America. Apparently, young Danes used to fly to the US to get their licenses, because ”all they had to do was drive around the block.” That wasn’t good enough for Denmark, so the authorities make Americans work for it. And pay for it – everything combined, my Danish license cost me a whopping DKK 8,000, or $1,600!
What does this have to do with communication, you ask? Well, it turns out that I now have to learn a whole new language: that of Danish parking signs. I passed the test with flying colors, but am still baffled whenever I have to park in the city. And there seems to be no learning curve as I almost never see the same one twice!
This morning, for example, I saw a ”no parking” circle and arrows pointing up and down. But then why were there so many cars parked along the curb? When I stood under the sign and jumped to get a closer look, I saw the reason. It was in 10-point Arial and looked something like this:
<--- 6m | 6m --->
So 6 meters before and after the sign, parking was just fine.
The examples are endless and I won’t bore you with them here. What I do want to talk about is why I never had problems with parking signs in the US. And I’m beginning to think that the US was simply treating me like a fool. They assumed I wouldn’t be able to figure out complex signs (the same way they can’t figure out that you shouldn’t microwave your wet cat to dry it or drive with coffee in your lap). So they made the signs so simple, 8-year-olds could get them.
But you know what? I think I prefer the more intellectually stimulating Danish approach. Because when I come back to my car and there’s no ticket, I feel like a genius. The same way I felt when I passed my Danish test.
April 25th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
They only problem with the Danish approach is when you come back to your car and find a ticket. Then you feel like a dufuss - and you have to pay for it!
When I lived in Denmark, my in-laws drove down from Norway to visit twice. And they got a parking ticket both times. So maybe the authorities should give a quick crash (excuse the pun) course in understanding Danish parking signs to any foreigners driving into the country. They could even charge for it and argue that it’ll save the drivers money in the long run.
May 1st, 2008 at 6:29 pm
Anastasya, I know exactly what you mean about the parking signs! I’ve lived in Denmark for around 14 years - and have owned a car for many of those years. I’m still confused. Parking in Copenhagen and communication are not a good fit. And there is little consistency from one area of Copenhagen to another.
If I want to be absolutely sure I won’t get a ticket, I have to spend minutes figuring out the parking signs. The problem is not the basic signs, such as no parking, no stopping, and similar. It’s the exceptions under the basic signs, which are often cryptic and very unclear. The people responsible for those signs must have spent too much time assembling IKEA furniture…
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:28 am
Funny you should mention that do-it-yourself mecca! I just spent an entire day assembling IKEA furniture. And you know what? It was great! No confusion, no mistakes, no sense of uncertainty. Strangely enough, I think the CPH parking sign writers would benefit from a day with IKEA how-to catalogs.
Maybe it’s the pictures - they’re so much clearer than words (a picture’s worth a thousand…yeah). I’d like to see a parking exception sign with a picture of an angry/tearful man holding a parking ticket. Then I’d know what I’m supposed to do. Or not do.