2 minute read
Punctuality revisited
This month’s topic: punctuality. Because Germans are always on time. Right? Well, speaking for myself, yes, it’s true. It’s one of the clichés about Germans that I absolutely fulfil. I don’t know if that is because I inherited it from my über-punctual father – as opposed to my not-so-punctual mother – or if it’s because there is indeed a Teutonic tendency to stick to the clock.
I guess it’s a bit of both and unlike some other alleged German characteristics (love of beer, sausages, saunas, nakedness in general and strategic towel placing on sun loungers) that I like to distance myself from, I will always fly the flag for punctuality. It’s a question of manners, politeness and consideration. There, I said it – big words. And it makes life for everyone so much easier. If you can rely on people to show up at a certain place at a certain time, for example, it ensures that everyone involved can actually get on with their lives and not just spend – or rather lose – time waiting for someone who happens to have forgotten or thinks that being 30 minutes late is still ok because they decided to do something else with their time. No, it’s not –because I could have done something else with those 30 minutes, too, instead of using it to be on time. Yes, I find it rude and dis-
Discover Germany
Issue 103, March 2023
Published 03.2023
ISSN 2051-7718
Published by Scan Magazine Ltd.
H2 Print
Executive Editor
Thomas Winther
Creative Director
Mads E. Petersen
Editor
Nane Steinhoff respectful to let other people wait because it somehow implies that you think your time is worth more than theirs.
If you now think you’re detecting a certain aggressivity in my tone, you’re right. Simply because I am usually on time (or in other words: I hate being late), I have spent a lot of time waiting for others and built up a certain intolerance towards the later comers. Now, obviously, there can always be very good reasons for being late, in particular in London where there’s the tube and traffic and I have learnt to accept that 15 minutes after the agreed time is not necessarily being late here. No problem with that. To my own surprise, I have even become a bit more relaxed myself. And given that being late is something that makes me feel genuinely uncomfortable and nervous, this is quite something for me. However, I will never really be ok with the kind of attitude where someone texts you two minutes before the agreed time saying: “oh, by the way, I didn’t make it out of the house on time, will be 30 minutes late” (Hello??!!! I’m already here!!). Or if the person you’re supposed to meet saunters along, all relaxed, without showing any acknowledgement of being late or the concept of time as such. Coming back to the stereotype, I do believe
Assistant Editor
Marilena Stracke
Copy-Editor
Karl Batterbee
Graphic Designer
Mercedes Moulia
Contributors
Barbara Geier
Cornelia Brelowski
Daniel Cole
Eric Bryan
Sakib Hadzovic
Silke Henkele
Stuart Forster
Cover Photo
© GNTB, DZT/Jens Wegener that in general, yes, being punctual does count for something in Germany and maybe more than in other parts of the world. If only Deutsche Bahn would get on board with that. But the un-German state of German railway operations is a topic for another time… Need to dash now, can’t be late!
Sales & Key Account Managers
Julia Freisinger
Lawinia Toth
Sophie Blecha
Jörg Schmid
Publisher:
SCAN CLIENT PUBLISHING
SCAN MAGAZINE LTD
The News Building,
3 London Bridge Street, SE1 9SG, London
Phone: +44 (0)870 933 0423
Fax: +44 (0)870 933 0421
Email: info@discovergermany.com www.discovergermany.com simple beautiful. the way I design my furniture. including sustainability, minimalism and a unique form. how much material do we really need? minimalism is sustainability and design. simple beautiful minimalism reduced true materials sustainable handcrafted precision unique
© All rights reserved. Material contained in this publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior permission of Scan Group – a trading name of Scan Magazine Ltd.
This magazine contains advertorials/ promotional articles.