Sunflower

Nothing better for an instant smile.

T'was a long, hot Tuesday where I had to write my first ever technical German blog post.

Way back in 2011 I started a blog called "Liebe Angie" where I tried to write postcard messages to Angela Merkel.  I thought if anyone could help me with the tougher bits of integrating myself here, it would probably be her.

But anyway, my first ever technical blog post went live today at work, as did my little suite of programmes.

We shall see what happens tomorrow.  I'm sure it'll be fine.  Or quickly fixed.

Other than that I've been fascinated by Bus behaviour today.

One of the (many) things I don't understand here is why you would take your bike on the bus.  Especially when you're only going 4 stops.  And I don't mean one of those little folding bikes, I mean a full size mountain bike with panniers.  I see this a lot and I have to wonder - what is the bike actually for?  And given that they're travelling at 17:30 when every bus is full, it strikes me as more than a little lazy/stupid (word choice depending on whether I've got a seat or not).

The other thing I notice a lot, especially when a bus is packed, is someone is sitting on the aisle* seat.  The person on the window seat gets up to leave.  Person on the aisle seat lets them out but - and this is crucial - doesn't move over to the window seat.

Oh no.

Now they have a double seat.  In 99% of cases I see, the person on the aisle seat will dump their bags on the window seat and then try desperately not to make eye-contact with anyone standing.

Got to keep that double seat.

I've seen people ignore taps on the shoulder.  I've seen people turn to face the window seat and pretend to talk on the phone just so that no-one can share their double seat. 

"It might be the height of rush-hour, but I've got a double seat and I will never give it up" seems to be the message here.

However, you can if you act just as rudely as them force them to give it up.  They will tut and sigh like you are the most unreasonable and stupid person in the whole world.

My verdict - it's arschig behaviour of the first order.  There should be an advertising campaign but I can't come up  with anything witty that rhymes in German.  I'll work on it.

* pronounced exactly like the word "isle" - lots of my German colleagues flub that.