For many residents of Burgas, the morning does not start with a coffee, but with searching for the owner of a car that is blocking the exit from the courtyard. Someone is late for work, another person needs to take their child to school or kindergarten, and a third has a doctor's appointment. Instead of a calm start to the day, people wait, honk their horns, ask neighbors, and hope the driver appears soon.
The photo shows a situation familiar to many residents of Burgas. A car has been left in a way that hinders traffic and the exit of other cars from the courtyard. There is not even a contact phone number on the windshield. Thus, everyone who needs to leave remains dependent on the plans of the person behind the wheel — when they decide to return, then the problem will be solved.
The shortage of parking spaces in Burgas is a fact and it didn't start yesterday. Many residential complexes were designed in a time when there were incomparably fewer private cars. Today, an entrance can have dozens of cars, and the space between the blocks has not become wider. In the evening, finding a free spot is often a matter of luck, and inner streets, sidewalks, and open spaces are gradually turning into unregulated parking lots.
But the lack of spaces cannot be an excuse for the lack of basic respect. Parking “for just five minutes” in front of another car, in a narrow alley, or at a courtyard exit often turns into waiting for half an hour, an hour, and sometimes even more. Especially when the driver has not left a contact number. A phone number under the windshield does not make illegal parking right, but at least it gives an opportunity for the problem to be solved quickly and without unnecessary scandals.
Parking culture starts with a simple question: if I leave my car here, will someone else be able to get out, walk by with a stroller, ride a bicycle, or get help in an emergency? If the answer is “no,” this is not a parking spot — no matter how hard it is to find a free one in the area.
The topic will be even more relevant on the eve of Eurovision 2027. Burgas is expected to welcome many guests and fans of the contest. This is an opportunity for the city to show itself as a modern, welcoming, and well-organized European destination. But with tourists, the load on the streets, parking lots, public transport, and residential neighborhoods will inevitably increase.
What will happen if the familiar parking chaos in inner courtyards continues during a major international event? Guests who do not know the city will look for a place for their cars in every available area. The pressure on neighborhoods around key locations, the city center, and main traffic arteries will be even greater. For local residents, this may mean more blocked exits, more tension, and more conflicts between neighbors.
Eurovision is not just a stage, music, and a television spectacle. It is also a test of how a city organizes its daily life during a large flow of people. Clear routes, temporary parking solutions, convenient public transport, information for guests in several languages, and real control are necessary so that access to residential buildings and courtyards remains free.
But a large part of the solution is in the hands of the drivers themselves. Let us not block exits. Let us not leave a car “just for a moment” in a place that blocks others. And if the situation really requires a short stop — let us leave a contact phone number.
Burgas has every chance to worthily welcome the guests of Eurovision 2027. But urban hospitality does not start in front of the hall or on the stage. It starts in front of the entrance, between the blocks, and in every courtyard — with a little more common sense, responsibility, and respect for the people who live around us.