Shemaine Bushnell Kyriakides
In what might be the most expensive translation error in town, a parking sign outside the Larnaca Municipal Market had English-speaking drivers sweating over a €25 fine, while Greek readers strolled off with a warning of just €8.
Naturally, the internet had a field day. Was this linguistic inflation? A secret surcharge for tourists? A new revenue stream? Turns out, it was none of the above, just a missing sticker.
According to a statement from the Larnaca Municipality (and no, this isn’t a script from a sitcom), the sign was originally updated to reflect the city’s kinder, gentler parking policy: three hours free, and then an €8 fine if you overstayed. Instead of buying new signs, the city took the budget-friendly route and slapped stickers over the old rules, in both Greek and English.
But someone, apparently not a fan of bilingual harmony, decided to peel off the English sticker. The result? Greek speakers saw the updated €8 fine, while English readers were threatened with a hefty €25 penalty from parking policies past.
The plot twist was uncovered by a sharp-eyed citizen on April 13, and the city swooped in the very next day to stick things right (literally). Fresh stickers were added, and a fresh apology issued: “Sorry about the mix-up, and no, we’re not charging extra for speaking English.”
The Municipality admits it didn’t quite see this sticker sabotage coming, but promises it won’t happen again. In fact, they’re ditching the stickers altogether and installing a brand-new sign. Because as it turns out, relying on stickers in the Mediterranean sun and public parking lots might not be the safest bet.
So rest easy, English speakers. You can now park in Larnaca without fearing a €25 fine for being punctual... and monolingual.
