News from Berlin
Five Behavioral Suggestions for Berlin’s Tourists
September 18th, 2014
News from Berlin – As Berlin’s tourism is booming – to the extent that there have even been anti-tourist signs around the most crowded districts recently – the mayor of Kreuzberg decided to propose a behavioral codex for visitors, the Berliner Zeitung reported. Even though Berlin is undoubtedly benefiting from tourists’ contributions to the local economy, inhabitants increasingly complain about disturbances they experience caused by the huge number of visitors arriving to the city every day.
The slogan of the proposal is, “...everything is allowed in Berlin, except for what is forbidden.” However, according to the Berlin Tourism Association, these are simply behavioral suggestions. The five recommendations are:
Dustbins: please do not leave waste all around the city. You also want to visit a clean Berlin. And there are more than enough dustbins for us - even for cigarette butts.
Inhabitants: Being extremely noisy in the evening is disallowed because at some point Berliners wish to some sleep, also – after all, the vast majority of inhabitants have to go to work the next day. Therefore, please be quiet after 10 pm.
Alcohol: drinking alcohol anywhere is permitted. However, it is not allowed in public transport. Youngsters are allowed to consume beer from the age of 16; hard liquor from the age of 18.
Thieves: you never see thieves in Berlin, implying they are, unfortunately, quite adept. Therefore, please always mind your belongings and pay particular attention to your bags. On another note, “Hütchenspieler”, or scammers, should be avoided; you should never subscribe to their games.
“Berliner Schnautze”: feel free to be direct with people but do it the style of Berlin: be clear in your message but don’t hurt people’s feelings – this is the famous “Berlin snout”.
News from Berlin – Berlin Global