Last week we discussed stereotypes about Americans and Germans, mainly with regards to food (Americans' love for hamburgers, soda and chewing gum, for example, or Germans' obsession with beer and wursts). We pretty much agreed these stereotypes were bogus on both ends. Ironically, this week's Kultur articles--particularly those regarding riding bikes and crossing the street--seem intended to reinforce the validity of the stereotypes that Germans are obsessed with organization and following the rules.
I have long been a believer that cars are not the healthiest (or even easiest) way to get around, and I really prided myself on living in a city where a car wasn't necessary. Funnily enough, as soon as I decided to move to Ann Arbor I bought one, without even doing much research to determine whether or not it was necessary! I think I made some assumptions about my own culture, and bought into the belief that outside of major metropolitan areas I HAVE to have a car. In Germany this is not the case. The train systems, bike paths, and relatively small size of the country make it easier for many people to get by without one. It seems that many German families have at least one car, but not every member of the family has their own. To me, this makes a lot of sense both financially and for the environment. Sure, it's not always convenient to share a vehicle, but in this day and age it doesn't make sense to be so reliant on cars. I am hopeful that public transportation will become better in more parts of the US so that cars become less necessary.
With regards to not crossing the street on a "don't walk sign," staying out of bike lanes, or buying a train ticket, I am pretty mystified as to how such order is maintained in Germany. Is it just the threat of public humiliation that keeps people in line? How is it that the whole country bonds together to enforce these rules? Niko, I'd be interested in your take as a native Deutscher, because, as the Spiegel article points out, even punkers don't try to dodge these rules.
Yeah, we definitely should discuss these cultural differences, like the "Rote Ampel" and going by car or not! It IS actually true that many Germans would never cross a street when the light is red -- even when there aren't any cars at the horizon. I experienced the opposite in Paris, where every old lady would suicidally cross the street no matter what -- and I loved it, because I personally think that cars dictate our everyday lifes already way too much and also occupy (and pollute) too much space in our cities. This is particularly true for many German cities that were rebuilt after WWII in a 'modern' way (Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Gießen), but also here in the US. (I'm pretty sure that the scene with the punkers in that article is completely made up.)
AntwortenLöschenOne time I was in the car with my friends (young couple, husband and wife) coming back from a party somewhere in the German countryside. She was driving, and when the road was merging with another one - you were supposed to stop before turning. It was a deep night, far from any cities or even villages, the country roads were completely empty, and no one in the car expected that the driver was going to follow the street rules so closely.
AntwortenLöschenHowever, she stopped. And after her husband made a remark questioning this decision, she answered firmly and without hesittion: "Ich bin Deutsche! Ich halte an!" (I am German. I am going to stop!)
:-) Plus, as an outsider from the country where street lights are often just ignored, I was completely shocked in Germany where everybody, even alternatively-looking young people patiently were waiting for green light to cross the street. So, I can see how the punk scene can be very true.