Der Tag Der Pfälzischen Einkäufer

To explain - the neighbouring Bundesland(State) is Rheinland Pfalz*  and today they have a holiday**, whereas we here in Hessen do not have this holiday because we are godless heathens.

The people in RP who live close to Wiesbaden choose to show their devout piety by descending en masse on Wiesbaden to go shopping.  And that's where my title comes from - The Day Of The Palatinate Shoppers. It is the worst day of the year for trying to get anywhere in Wiesbaden - and given that our central train station isn't open to trains from Mainz, EVERYONE is in cars.

My advice to everyone on 1st November is to stay home - don't go out unless it is an emergency.  There are idiots in automobiles everywhere.

I passed three of these standpipes today on my way to go shopping (somewhere very quiet and remote), all three were pouring water out on to the street and no-one was watching any of them.  Very odd.

*which somehow gets mangled into Rhineland Palatinate in English.
**Allerheiligen or All Saints' Day