People crossing the roads here
I moved to Germany from the UK (over 7 years ago) and noticed a big difference in how people cross the roads on foot.
- Firstly with zebra crossings....
In the UK, people tend to pause at a crossing or curbside, wait for the driver to acknowledge them. Maybe give a nod, or thank you wave, before making their way across.
Whereas here in Germany, pedestrians often walk directly through a zebra crossing without hesitation or first checking if the car has seen them.
- Secondly, with people already halfway across a road....
In the UK, people do a brisk kind of speed-up walk if they see a car approaching. Whereas in Germany, people will maintain a steady pace and not give any eye contact.
- Opening car doors on the main streets (not really about crossing the road but gives off a similar feeling)
In the UK, when walking over to their cars, people will usually look back to check for cyclists or cars before opening their doors onto the road. If there is traffic, then people wait or only open the door slightly.
In Germany, many times I've seen people not doing any of those things. Simply walk up to the car, no looking back or around, opening the door full width onto the road and jumping in. Often with other cars needing to brake hard or swerve around.
As a guy from the UK, for me, all of the above observations give off a lot of passive aggressive vibes from the Germans. But how do the locals see it? Am I simply finding it rude just because of what I'm used to in the UK? Or do Germans also get bothered by it?