I love with a sense of weird terrified fascination the absolutely dystopian stories under "Germany wide news" being illustrated with the emojis you choose.
When my boys were little, they'd play in the sand pit, making noise, laughing, being kids, having fun. But, one woman in the house next door regularly yelled out telling them to shut up, and more than once threatened to call the police. I was looking forward to her phoning them, but she never did. A colleague of mine, whose husband was a policeman said, if she phoned and he was on-call, she'd have gotten a fine for wasting their time.
The lack of general kindness and politeness in German society has been one of the toughest things for me to adjust to since moving here from the US. One of the first German words I learned was "Einfühlungsvermögen" (empathy) and I don't hesitate to use it.
I have learned since living here that we Americans are much better at direct confrontation and expressing strong emotions than the Germans, which I weaponize when needed.
I think kids have special protection in German noise laws. When our weans whine way too much, reasonable requests can be handled in a reasonable manner. Would seem in order, no?
But in this case, never interrupt your enemy when they are making a mistake:
- document their behaviour
- deliver the document with a statement on how their behaviour is
- detrimental to the children's development,
- to the charm of the Kolonie,
- and is not supported by the Bundesimmissionsschutzgesetz
- kindly ask them to desist
- but declare that any further such behaviour from them will be seen as abuse
- deliver document by hand and cc the Kolonie management (it's a good idea to get management's support or recognition early in the process).
Lived here almost 2 years and the amount of rude people I have met can be counted on one hand. I find the majority of Berliners to be friendly and helpful … direct at times it’s true but I don’t find the stereotype true ( I live in SE Berlin and mix with Germans more than I do with fellow Brits)
yeah, except from some cyclists who are so intent on flying through traffic laws that when they accidentally crash into each other they get into fist fights and when they hit you they only briefly check if you're OK but not thoroughly, I've had terrific kind unsolicited help and concern from strangers here e.g. when I trip over things in the dark.
Ha! The completely unnecessary and never-ending rudeness of Berliners is something that’s completely bugging me at the moment. I really can’t bear it…and I’ve only been here just over half a year!
But, like you, I try to focus on all the other great things Berlin has to offer, especially now that summer is on the way.
But really, I simply don’t understand the rudeness…
I love with a sense of weird terrified fascination the absolutely dystopian stories under "Germany wide news" being illustrated with the emojis you choose.
It's an art, really.
When my boys were little, they'd play in the sand pit, making noise, laughing, being kids, having fun. But, one woman in the house next door regularly yelled out telling them to shut up, and more than once threatened to call the police. I was looking forward to her phoning them, but she never did. A colleague of mine, whose husband was a policeman said, if she phoned and he was on-call, she'd have gotten a fine for wasting their time.
Coming from post-soviet region, the Germans seem as obnoxiously polite as Americans, the difference is negligible. 🤷
First time I've seen the words "obnoxiously polite" and "Germans" in the same sentence.
The lack of general kindness and politeness in German society has been one of the toughest things for me to adjust to since moving here from the US. One of the first German words I learned was "Einfühlungsvermögen" (empathy) and I don't hesitate to use it.
I have learned since living here that we Americans are much better at direct confrontation and expressing strong emotions than the Germans, which I weaponize when needed.
Bombing them with niceness sometimes works - and could trigger some Einfühlungsvermögen.
I think kids have special protection in German noise laws. When our weans whine way too much, reasonable requests can be handled in a reasonable manner. Would seem in order, no?
But in this case, never interrupt your enemy when they are making a mistake:
- document their behaviour
- deliver the document with a statement on how their behaviour is
- detrimental to the children's development,
- to the charm of the Kolonie,
- and is not supported by the Bundesimmissionsschutzgesetz
- kindly ask them to desist
- but declare that any further such behaviour from them will be seen as abuse
- deliver document by hand and cc the Kolonie management (it's a good idea to get management's support or recognition early in the process).
And yes, I have gone quite, quite native... 🫡
Jesus, I'd hate to have YOU as my Kolonie neighbour
Lived here almost 2 years and the amount of rude people I have met can be counted on one hand. I find the majority of Berliners to be friendly and helpful … direct at times it’s true but I don’t find the stereotype true ( I live in SE Berlin and mix with Germans more than I do with fellow Brits)
yeah, except from some cyclists who are so intent on flying through traffic laws that when they accidentally crash into each other they get into fist fights and when they hit you they only briefly check if you're OK but not thoroughly, I've had terrific kind unsolicited help and concern from strangers here e.g. when I trip over things in the dark.
Ha! The completely unnecessary and never-ending rudeness of Berliners is something that’s completely bugging me at the moment. I really can’t bear it…and I’ve only been here just over half a year!
But, like you, I try to focus on all the other great things Berlin has to offer, especially now that summer is on the way.
But really, I simply don’t understand the rudeness…
Ja, maybe we just need to work on thickening our skin. Or just avoid places like über-German zones like Schrebergärten
To be fair, English allotments, which are similar to Berlin’s Schrebergarten, are similarly child unfriendly places…
As for thickening my skin? Sure, and it looks like I’ll have to do that to survive here, but I don’t see why I should have to…ha-ha!