It is early March 2026. The war between the USA and Iran is still “fresh”. Everyone is affected by explosions, by which I mean the explosions of prices at the gas stations. The German government releases the national oil reserves and contemplates stronger regulation on the petrol multi-nationals.

I was at the bakery. This bakery is located inside the same building as my soon-to-be-ex employer’s office. So it was convenient for me to fetch my breakfast from there this morning. Surprisingly, I became witness of a situation that seemed as mundane as it was out of the ordinary. The entrance is right on a street corner, and there is no obstacles on the sidewalk in front of it. As I approached from around the corner I noticed a car placed on said corner. It was parking as defined in § 12 Abs. 2 StVO as there was nobody at the steering wheel. Yet, the engine was running. Also, the window of the SUV-class vehicle was open and radio music was audible on the street, albeit at an acceptable volume.

I was mostly taken by surprise by how surprised I was. This was a cliché on every level - everything about it should be expected. Maybe the environment was unusual. The office/bakery building is located in a slightly posh business & living area. In German, one would describe it as “links-grün versifft” (green-left-wing-filthy) yet gentrified. There is of course nothing bad to be said about the driver of this car. As I recall it, it was of German make and model. And literally everybody knows that pulling the key for just a brief stop is bad for your Diesel engine. Still I can’t shed the feeling somehow that this event felt like it has fallen out time. I for one am happy that electric cars are making the tough choice between engine longevity and burning gas for no reason a thing of the past. Go ahead - park your 3 ton EV on the sidewalk any time you want.