European Idiosyncrasy Thread

[GaryC]

So you guys won't flood the Funny Picture Thread anymore!

And to get the ball rolling: How do they queue for buses in Germany, then?

 

[argatoga]

They stand on one hand and hope around one another until the bus arrives.

 

[narf]

The Brits wait for the bus like a boss.

 

[DanRoM]

And to get the ball rolling: How do they queue for buses in Germany, then?

We don't queue. We swarm.

 

[AiR]

And meanwhile in Finland:

I really thought that you swedes were more social than us. Are you sure that pic you posted isn't from Finland.

There was a rather large debate on the source of the picture where it was from, the buildings are uncommon for Sweden but equally uncommon for Finland. The street sign to the left for speed bumps is in the red and amber style that is used in both our countries, along with the balkans, Poland and Greece. One commenter suggest that it is this place: http://g.co/maps/drcy5 which seems to fit.

We don't queue. We swarm.

Because you're so many. I wonder if germans are controlled by a hive mind. Anyway, one idiosyncrasy is that they like elks. If you want to sell something to a german, put elk on it. The opposite is not true, see Mercedes.

 

[NoNeedForAChestWig]

We don't queue. We swarm.

I can confirm that. And then stand in front of the doors so nobody can get out.

 

[narf]

I can confirm that. And then stand in front of the doors so nobody can get in.

You can tell how well each swarm member knows this particular stop and its drivers, those in the know have a huge hit rate of standing exactly where the front doors (= very few leaving through there) come to a full stop to enter quickly and be sure of getting a spot. Best observed at university bus stops around 10, 12, 14, and 16.

 

[DanRoM]

stand in front of the doors so nobody can get in.

The people trying to get in routinely stand right in front of the door so the passengers wanting to leave the bus have to fight their way through. Not so much with buses as with trains (trams, subways, ...), though. Many cities adobt a "enter at front, exit at the back" system in buses, also requiring passengers to show their ticket to the driver.

I know a very busy subway station in Munich where the train stops between two platforms so passengers leave the car to the right while new passengers can enter from the left simultaniously. Simple and brillant system.

 

[neutron]

That's how we do it here:

 

[Cowboy]

Everyone stands around in a bundle, then when the bus arrives the retired people scramble to get on first blocking everybody else, when you finaly do get on you get 'greated' by a previously longterm unemployed person they gave a buslicence forcing him into a job he didn't want to do and he clearly is stil quite angry about it.

It's not a fun experience.....

 

[captain_70s]

The routine at college:

have 50 people crowd around the edge of the road, occasionally pushing each other in front of traffic for teh lulz. Then a bus arrives that isn't big enough to carry everyone and is also the last bus out of town. Then everybody attempts to get in as soon as possible to avoid being left behind, you very quickly learn that the easiest way is to just shove and elbow your way to the door as quickly as possible. Also remember, if you get in early you get to choose who you sit next to, otherwise you end next to: A, a person who takes up more than one seat, B: A smelly middle age person who looks homeless or C: The boy with a mental disability who will accidentally headbutt you several times...

I now drive to college...

 

[Matt2000]

You can tell how well each swarm member knows this particular stop and its drivers, those in the know have a huge hit rate of standing exactly where the front doors

I have a massive hit rate on the trains, sometimes I will only be wrong once out of 10 times I get on the train. Maybe I'm slightly German...

Of course, being British we queue up on either side of the door, swear under our breaths at the people who had the audacity to take bicycles on the train as they take them off and then let everyone else go before you. When 10 people do this things can get awkward.

 

[Cobol74]

Too many immigrants in London its a bundle as all sorts of standards and cultural norms are used now. I hate buses and trains, unless either an old steam train or a Hornby oo.