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I'm a Brit (living in Germany) and I think it's much more related to our hatred of rule-following, combined with austerity. I am still surprised at how rebellio

I'm a Brit (living in Germany) and I think it's much more related to our hatred of rule-following, combined with austerity. I am still surprised at how rebellious people are in the UK. During COVID, I barely saw any police confront those who weren't wearing masks. When I moved to Hamburg, the transport security would stand at the stations and if they saw someone asleep on the S-Bahn with their mask falling off they would go on the train and berate them. One funny thing was getting the S-Bahn from the airport, all the Brits would not be wearing masks even though you were required to by law. They would keep it up for about 3 stops before getting scared at all the staring and putting their masks on. Frankly, it's just a very different world. In the UK, it genuinely seems like the police are often too scared to confront anti-social behaviour. This is not so in mainland Europe

walthamstow 3y ago
On the other hand, when I leave London to visit Vienna or Berlin or Frankfurt and I see a dozen Germanophones standing motionless at a crossing with a red light for pedestrians, but there is not a single car in sight, I think what on earth is wrong with these lemmings, do they have no brain of their own? There's a balance to be had, and I would suggest neither Germany nor Austria nor the UK has it right.
- baz00 3y ago
  This one gets me as my partner is German. She gets annoyed when I walk when there's a red crossing light. There's no damn cars ffs, just go.
- mschuster91 3y ago
  > but there is not a single car in sight, I think what on earth is wrong with these lemmings, do they have no brain of their own? We have more than enough bored cops that love to annoy people both on feet and on bike with red-light tickets in quiet areas. For pedestrians it's just annoying with a 5€ "fine", but for bicyclists or e-scooter drivers it means a strike in your driver's license.
- bowsamic 3y ago
  When people behave in a way you expect it creates a more harmonious society
maeil 3y ago
> This is not so in mainland Europe I see you haven't visited the Netherlands, where what you're describing is even worse than the UK.
lnxg33k1 3y ago
I always see red lights as a bet, you raise the rest of your life time, to win a couple of minutes, to me always seemed like an easy decision to make

walthamstow 3y ago

On the other hand, when I leave London to visit Vienna or Berlin or Frankfurt and I see a dozen Germanophones standing motionless at a crossing with a red light for pedestrians, but there is not a single car in sight, I think what on earth is wrong with these lemmings, do they have no brain of their own? There's a balance to be had, and I would suggest neither Germany nor Austria nor the UK has it right.

baz00 3y ago
This one gets me as my partner is German. She gets annoyed when I walk when there's a red crossing light. There's no damn cars ffs, just go.
mschuster91 3y ago
> but there is not a single car in sight, I think what on earth is wrong with these lemmings, do they have no brain of their own? We have more than enough bored cops that love to annoy people both on feet and on bike with red-light tickets in quiet areas. For pedestrians it's just annoying with a 5€ "fine", but for bicyclists or e-scooter drivers it means a strike in your driver's license.
bowsamic 3y ago
When people behave in a way you expect it creates a more harmonious society

maeil 3y ago

> This is not so in mainland Europe I see you haven't visited the Netherlands, where what you're describing is even worse than the UK.

lnxg33k1 3y ago

I always see red lights as a bet, you raise the rest of your life time, to win a couple of minutes, to me always seemed like an easy decision to make