#381: Ringbahn is back, weed at BER, FLINTA-only subway cars?
This is your reminder to learn German
Hey 20 Percent!
Maurice and I were interviewed for Jazz Radio yesterday (we’ll let you know when it airs) and the question of whether we enjoy living in Berlin came up — and I laughed inside. Maybe, I thought.
Because this whole German thing is an accident based on a decision by 14-year-old me.
I had to pick a language in 7th grade. The counselor said Spanish would be my best bet but I figured everyone took Spanish — even my Mexican friends. Most of my artist friends opted for French, because it was considered the language of culture back then.
And then they said there was German but hardly anyone took it. And I thought: “Oh, then German must be punk. And I want to be punk.” Never mind that I was wearing Levis and an Izod polo.
So I picked German and decades later I have a German wife (22 years tomorrow, y’all), half-German kids, a sputtering attempt to become German and even more German insurances than I care to mention.
And an expansive German vocabulary. some of which I thought I’d share with you today.
Have a good weekend!
Andrew
PS: I’m trying to do more English comedy, starting with short sets at Comedy Uprising May 1 (see below for more info) and Culture Shock Comedy May 10. More to come.
Schienenersatzverkehr
Did I say German words — here’s the one I love to hate: Schienenersatzverkehr (bus replacement service). Which brings us to some good news for our readers in western Berlin — the Ringbahn between Hallensee and Westend will resume Monday, according to RBB24. Two crumbling A100 Autobahn bridges over the rails have been removed as well as the earthen protections laid to protect the rails during demolition. The rails are also used by Deutsche Bahn passenger trains. At least that Schienenersatzverkehr nightmare is over (until they start rebuilding the bridges, at least). Side note: I proposed to my wife in Schienenersatzverkehr in London.
Frauenabteil
Frauenabteil (women-only section) is a word I never expected to learn but 15,000 people have signed a petition demanding special women-only sections (OK, FLINTA sections) on Berlin public transport to thwart sexual harassment, according to T-Online. The idea was first suggested as a publicity stunt to raise awareness — and enforcement — of sexual assaults in public transport late last year by politician Antje Kapek (Die Grüne). Sexual assaults in public transport jumped 15% last year over 2023. Berlin’s transport senator said such sections would be of little use without supervision and enforcement — two things Berlin is notoriously unfähig (incapable) of.
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Yes, Germans actually say ÖPNV
And while we’re talking about Öffentlicher Personennahverkehr, or ÖPNV, (public transport), BVG has decided not to fuel its buses with used cooking grease after launching a public trial last summer, according to Tagesspiegel. Supplies of the diesel substitute, officially known as HVO100, are too unreliable and its effect on the environment too unknown — BVG had hoped it would reduce its carbon footprint. Oh, and 6% of all subway trips were cancelled in 2024, up from 2.5% in 2023 and just 0.9% in 2020. Subway operator BVG said the problem is a lack of personnel and an aging, maintenance-heavy fleet.
Bubatz but no one knows why
Vakuumtüten (vaccuum-sealed bags) is the next new addition to your German vocab — and it’s a news item weird enough for Duolingo. If you’re flying into BER from Doha, expect your luggage to be searched for cannabis in vaccuum-sealed bags after officials made a record find of 68kg of weed in the baggage of two Japanese tourists travelling from Bangkok to Berlin via Doha in April. The find is being heralded as the largest-ever in BER but let’s not forget the airport is just under five years old. Officials also found discovered 50kg and 30kg of marijuana in bags of tourists travelling via Doha over Easter weekend. So much for legalization eliminating the black market for Bubatz (the inexplicable slang term for weed).
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Factoid
Oh, we’re doing German words this issue? Blitzer (photo radar camera). Berlin has 46 stationary photo radar cameras and 83 mobile units and, despite hopes by interior senator Iris Spranger (SPD), lacks funds to buy more even as drivers speed more frequently, according to Tagesspiegel. The city-state issued 1,026,790 speeding tickets last year, up from 931,236 in 2023, an increase of 10%. The tickets brought in €33.4 milllion. Use the word in a sentence: Bier und Blitzer is one of Berlin’s most popular Berlin social media channels: El Presidente and friends take a slug of beer every time they film a car getting geblitzt (a flash of light that shows a driver was caught speeding).
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Why do you link threads but not mastodon here? You have twice as many followers on mastodon than threads. (and 8x more on bsky :-)
Wishing you and your wife a lovely day tomorrow celebrating your anniversary 🥂