Everyday Life in Germany: Public Transport Edition
The Germans and Public Transport

Different countries, different customs. Lena Maurer from South Tyrol talks about her little culture shock moments from everyday life in Germany. This time: Germans and public transport.

I love escalators. They take you up and down in a relaxed way, save you having to find a lift with heavy luggage and - let's face it - are just fascinating. A staircase that rolls! Hello?

As a child, I couldn't get enough of escalators. There were several reasons for this (again, a staircase that rolls!), but it was mainly due to the fact that there were no escalators in my home town. As a country bumpkin from a mountain province in South Tyrol, I was thrilled to move to a big German city where escalators were part of everyday life. This naive enthusiasm lasted for exactly one escalator ride - then I was chewed out. "Could you move to the side?" someone behind me said, "walk on the left, stand on the right, everyone knows that."

I hadn't realised until then how many unwritten rules there are in Germany and how unpleasant the looks can be if you don't follow them. To protect some unsuspecting tourists, newcomers and foreigners in Germany from similar experiences, here are some of my insights from the field of 'public transport' - affectionately called 'Öffis' by the Germans.

Stand Right. Walk Left.

This is probably the most important escalator law, and not just in Germany. If you want to be standing when you get on the escalator, stay on the right side of the stairs. If you are in a hurry, you can pass on the left. Although this sometimes causes a traffic jam on the right, Germans stick to this rule. Yet, it doesn't always make sense.

A British experiment found that more people could be transported at the same time if they stood on both the right and the left. I doubt, however, that this finding will change the unwritten rules of escalator etiquette.

Let People Get Out First. Then Board.

Once you have successfully negotiated the escalator at the station, the next step is to follow the transnational law: 'Let people get out first, then board'. When the doors of a public transport open, Germans wait until everyone has got off before they get on. It is a commandment that makes perfect sense - but one that is most often met with incomprehension when thoughtlessly disregarded.

Be as Quiet as Possible - Except on the ICE

It is important for Germans to travel quietly on public transport. Screaming children and loud conversations are viewed as annoying, and anything involving phone noise is tolerated in a whisper at best. Video calls without headphones are therefore met with complete incomprehension. The same goes for the quiet zones in an Intercity Express train, known as ICE. Strangely, however, anarchy seems to reign in all other ICE compartments. Video calls with colleagues via Teams, hen parties and drinking Prosecco at eight in the morning to prepare for the weekend - all this seems to be much less of a problem on the ICE than on local public transport, and tends to be largely tolerated.

Travelling by Train in Uniform

Don't be alarmed if you see soldiers in uniform on an ICE train. On the contrary! As the mere presence of soldiers seems to increase Germans' sense of security and make the 'Bundeswehr' more visible to the public, they will be allowed to travel for free from 2020. However, before you all buy a Bahncard 100 in the shape of a uniform: The Bundeswehr uniform alone is not enough. You also need an identity card and a valid Bundeswehr-ticket.

Empty Subways Are Favoured at All Costs

I had one of my most absurd moments involving the German public transport system at a concert.  I learnt that there are actually people who voluntarily go home before the end of a concert to avoid being stuck in a traffic jam or on a packed underground train. It's a mystery to me how people can prefer empty subways to a band's last songs, but apparently there's a big aversion to full subways in Germany.

And if they don't leave before the end of the concert, there's a mad rush to get out of the venue ASAP after the event. So my tip, dear non-Germans: stay as long as you can, party a little longer and enjoy the empty subways when everyone else has long since left.

The Favourite Small-Talk Topic: Deutsche Bahn

When talking about public transport, you have to mention how terrible the Deutsche Bahn is at least once if you want to pass yourself off as an expert on Germany. Even if you have just had the trip of a lifetime, you should never talk too positively about it. The greatest feeling is to say: "This time it actually arrived punctually."