Kultur 4

German transportation just sounds dangerous to me. We in America are so much different (no surprises there), and what really struck me is the honor system in terms of paying for transportation. Why on earth would someone decide that was the right way to go for setting of the nation's transportation? It seems to me that it would be human nature to take one's chances some days just for the sake of getting to a destination faster when late. The lack of American use of public transportation aside, I'm entirely in awe of how people use bikes in Europe to get around. It does make a lot of sense, considering the streets are incredibly narrow, and in order to cross long distances at speed it would be preferable to have something relatively small and maneuverable (not to mention healthy) rather than a Hummer to get where you're going. Just the idea of bike lanes being so well used and organized doesn't compute for me, a child of American suburbia, because everywhere I might want to go takes so long to get to, even if I drive a car there. A respectful tip of the hat to the Germans, for their willingness to get on a bike and pedal rather than get in a car to get from point A to point B.