Pass the Buck
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Photo: Greg |
Germany invests fairly heavily in repairs to its motorway network, often with lanes narrowed or closed and traffic slowed quite dramatically. But have you read the signs encountered after many minutes of queuing on the German Autobahn? After patiently waiting to speed off again on the asphalt paradise, we are told in bold letters: "We're building for you".
Love the signs? No explanation. No apology. Just a banal passing of the buck; I'm at fault and it says so in black and white, for all to read. But wait a minute; did I ask anybody to dig up the road for me? No, nore did my fellow drivers.
Sure, different cultures bear different traits and yes, every single German friend I have ever pointed out this significant nuance to, has confronted my interpretation. But allow me to take this further.
If we, the motorists, have asked for the road to be improved, then we can't complain about the traffic queues, can we? We pass that same spot day after day, never seeing any digging, excavating, trucks pulling in or out… not even a couple of guys drinking coffee or smoking a cigarette; we still can't complain. Good trick, isn't it?
And when newer signs merely declare, "Thanks for your understanding", should we suspect governmental or administrative design or decision-making done by a lonely individual up on the fifth floor in Berlin or third corridor on the left in Frankfurt? Is this purposeful formulation begging for approval or am I really the only one who's given this any thought?
Are foreigners the only ones appreciative of an apology for any inconvenience caused? Wouldn't we all, regardless of our nationality? Wouldn't Germans love to see: "Sorry for the Inconvenience" as it is written all across Britain. Berlin, who makes up and who approves these signs?