I just don't understand people - part 2

A couple of Saturdays ago, I walked over to the English library.

Most of the way is along a broad road, which has two lanes in each direction and a tramline in each direction in the middle of the road. The pavements on either side are correspondingly broad, too.

The pavement is broad enough for four people to walk side by side. The bicycle path is almost as broad.

Imagine my surprise when I see a man and his son, possibly around the age of 8 or 9, cycling towards me - on the part for pedestrians. I say to him, "Da ist der Fahrradweg." (The cycle path is over there.)

His reaction? "Aber ich bin mit meinem Sohn unterwegs." (But I'm with my son.) Said in a completely scandalised tone of voice. 

I replied in German, "Then you should be showing your son how to use a bicycle path." He was already past me then, but he stopped and turned back to shout at me, but as I told him, "You don't think I'm going to listen to a man who doesn't know how to use a bicycle path." And, frankly, I really couldn't understand a word. My ears just close up completely when morons like that try to justify their stupidity. I mean.. they were pedalling fast right towards me. 

Now, if the cycle path was right next to a traffic-filled road full of fumes and with vehicles just zipping by, I might have had some understanding of the father's fears. However, between the bicycle lane and the fairly empty road was a broad strip of grass and trees (as broad as the bicycle path). And for part of the way, there are even small metal railings to prevent cars from parking on the grass. But no...the father had to show the son how to cycle towards pedestrians and how to ignore the lovely broad bicycle path reserved just for cyclists. I just don't understand people.

I just don't understand people

During the height of the pandemic, I went on a walk around the park, the park being three times fuller than usual with joggers panting their aerosols in all directions and cyclists whizzing past me at close quarters.

At the furthest end, however, one simply has to walk through the park on quite a broad path. I always walk on the edge of the path, allowing plenty of space for other people to pass by. That day, I saw five people in their thirties walking towards me. All in a row. 

As the men and women approached me, I thought that they must surely see me (especially since all my coats are bright red) and that one of them would walk behind the others to give me space. After all, they seemed educated enough to manage that.

But, no. They continued to walk straight ahead and the man at the end closest to me actually banged into my shoulder as they walked past. Not a word of apology.

Of course, I turned round and asked if it was impossible for him to walk behind someone else because otherwise he would feel like a loser. I genuinely believe that many Germans cannot psychologically tuck themselves in behind someone else because they would otherwise feel "second best" and thus "a loser".

These people couldn't understand the fuss and one man said, "Why are you so het up? It's Sunday." As though that excused bad manners.

Move forward to a couple of weeks ago, when I was walking in the nearby countryside. I'm on a rough road that leads to some isolated houses. Wide enough for cars. Ahead of me, I see an older couple walking together. But get this...the woman is in front and the man is directly behind her. All that space by her side and he is walking behind her. 

I don't get it. When there is plenty of space to for people walking in opposite directions to pass by each other, the husband walks behind the wife. When there is no space left for a single person to pass by a group of people, that group of five people simply have to walk side by side and even bump into the single person that they've been able to see coming for at least 100 metres.

I don't get it.