Kultur 4, Lori Roy

I think I kind of like the German approach to transportation: they will make it convenient for you (bicycles for rent, bike paths for the many cyclists, honor-system railway) but if you try to take advantage of the system, it will end up going poorly for you. I also think I might find being a driver less frustrating in Germany than I find it Ann Arbor, where there are so many pedestrians that wander willy nilly across the streets without even looking. They would simply get hit in Germany if they did that, and while hitting people with cars isn't a good thing, having more considerate pedestrians definitely IS good. In a way, the German mentality to crossing the road makes more sense than the American one. Here we have pedestrians that just assume that they are right all the time, that cross the street in front of AND behind your car when you're stopped, that cross as a stretched-out line rather than a cohesive mob... it's just REALLY inconsiderate, and the drivers here are just expected to be patient with the pedestrians that are blatantly ignoring the laws. In Germany, yes, it might be a little more dangerous, but only if you're not following the law. They The more I read about German culture, the more I find that Germans are a very law-abiding people, but they look down upon and get great fun out of tormenting those who don't.