Portugal Immigration discusses living in Portugal experiences: As everyone knows, it is easy to drive but difficult to park, especially in bustling cities, amidst crowded people, and alongside high-speed traffic. Driving through these areas feels like a driving test. Some friends say that after driving a lot in China, it is easy and familiar to drive abroad.
However, among those who have immigrated to Portugal, most do not think this way. Parking abroad emphasizes rules, while parking in China emphasizes not being caught by electronic surveillance cameras.
For example, I drove in the Wenzhou area of Zhejiang for about 8 years. I have driven everything from taxis, company trucks, and sedans to vans, tour buses, and motorcycles. However, I was not fined for illegal parking many times. The main reason is that I basically never left the car when parked; I spent most of the time sitting inside.
So, if you sit in the car, does that mean you definitely won't be fined? The answer is no. For example, you cannot park on zebra crossings, at major traffic junctions, or at corners. Motorcycles cannot be parked on sidewalks of major roads, but other places are generally not strictly managed.
In Portugal, there are some differences.
Example 1: On the sides of main roads, if there are no signs, you can stop briefly. If it is double-row parking, or "double fila", you must turn on your hazard lights to indicate that you are nearby. When the blocked car leaves, you must honk to remind them.
Example 2: On ordinary roads, pay special attention to parking signs at the roadside.
Example 3: Disabled parking spaces. These spaces are a bit of a double-edged sword; the location is always the best, and the penalties for illegal parking are always the heaviest.
The Portuguese government provides good parking spaces for people with disabilities to facilitate those with limited mobility. Individuals need to apply to the government to be provided with a special parking space permanently arranged for their car, with the license plate number written on it. No other vehicle can take it, and there is a monthly rental fee of about 40 euros.
Once another vehicle parks there, you can call the police, and they can come immediately to tow it away. In this regard, the Portuguese traffic management is quite humanized.
Afterward, fines and other matters can be settled at an ATM or paid at the relevant department.
As for things like pulling strings, all Chinese people in Portugal know that in this country, you shouldn't even think about it.
Once, I didn't understand the meaning of a road sign and parked in front of someone else's garage. After a night passed, the car was gone in the morning. It took me a long time to find out it had been towed, and I was fined about 190 euros, which was very costly. I immediately found a driving school instructor, took a local lesson on parking, and have been more careful ever since.