The stereotypes are correct: Germans are law-abiding people. You can see it everywhere. At first, I thought it was really endearing to watch these phenomena play out around me. I viewed them as evidence that sometime, somewhere, this society had done something right to make all of its members believe they must follow even the simplest of rules. I contemplated how this could be transferred to other countries, because, in the simplest of terms, I believe the world would be a better place if everyone just followed the rules.
Here is my favorite example: crossing the street. German pedestrians will wait for the little green walking man every time. Every. Single. Time. It could be -30oC, howling winds whipping horizontal hail, 2:00am, without a car in sight and the Germans will be lined up on one side of the street, waiting for the signal. It isn’t even a home-turf thing. There are other cities/countries within the EU that are well known as being “hot spots” for German travelers, and even outside of Germany I see them patiently waiting for permission to proceed.
Again, I used to get a kick out of this and other amazing acts of rule-adherence. Used to.
Now, it’s getting to be a bit much. Particularly with the rules of the road. Here are a few critical things I have learned about following “The Rules of the German Road”:
- Don’t even think about driving through a tunnel without your lights on. No matter how bright it is outside the tunnel. If you forget, everyone will let you know, inside the tunnel, that you have failed to use your lights.
- Pedestrian walkways are made of gold. It’s great when you are a pedestrian. I am so brazen lately, stepping right out with confidence. No looking both ways, no slowing down, just enjoying the sound of screeching breaks as I leisurely stroll from one side of the street to another. When you’re the driver, its awful. They should make fuzz-busters for pedestrians. A warning to remind you that there is a pedestrian within 1000 meters who might be thinking about crossing a street somewhere.
- If you’re in the left lane, you better be passing. And you better be passing at 85+mph, or you are going to get some road-rage from behind. Tailgating, flashing of head lights, and in extreme cases, use of the warning lights to let everyone know that you made the guy behind you rapidly decrease from 120mph to 80mph, because you couldn’t get your act in gear in the left lane.
So, let’s get to the point and dispel some common misconceptions about German roadways.
The Point: speed limits. The Misconception: German roadways (specifically the Autobahn) don’t have them. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Every single German roadway has a speed limit, even the Autobahn. You see, they aren’t frequently posted because you (the well informed, law-abiding driver) are expected to know the rules regarding speed limits, thus eliminating the need for excessive signage. I will say, that on the Autobahn, the speed limit is more like a “recommendation” because there is minimal enforcement. However, on every other road…you better watch out!
Don’t believe me? In the past 17 months, Joe and I have collected more speeding tickets than the average wait-time at the DMV. It takes about 2 months from the time the violation was committed, to the time the ticket arrives at our APO box. Traditional first-tasks at the APO box have turned into: search for guilty-looking envelopes, find out ‘who done it’, then determine if that person has beat his/her personal best for “lowest number of fine-able km/h over the limit”.
(I have also included miles/hour here, so you can clearly understand the ridiculousness I am talking about.)
Trysta’s record: 8km = 4.9 miles over
Joe’s record: 7km = 4.3 miles over
Most common phrase heard within the Wall-family vehicle: “You better slow the f down, my friend.”
Evidence that Joe was not only speeding, but speeding WITH an innocent
canine passenger. Unglaublich!
When I was teenager, the thought of admitting to and dealing with a traffic ticket made my stomach turn. Now, I find it quite amusing. Almost entertaining. Oh, those funny Germans! If only they could give me a ticket for walking across the street on a red light.