Since we’re on about the oddities of Germans (continued), here’s one final cultural lesson to note.

Whereas in Australia the little green man at traffic lights is in practice really more of a ’suggestion’, in Germany crossing against the little dude gets you an on-the-spot fine as well as endless tsks from mothers and old people. That no cars have set tyre on the road since 1967 is of no matter; break the rule, and you’re a goner.

I don’t know if that is a result of the police having nothing else to do about town or if it’s got something to do with being naturally pedantic, but apparently its not unusual for the cops to take your driver’s licence away for the crime of being a bit too keen off the curb.

This means that you have to allow half an hour each morning for what would otherwise be a five minute walk, and inevitably results in a throng of thirty people waiting to cross a one-lane street that sees more traffic from geese than cars.