The lines a German won't cross: German stereotypes about rules
As Kulish observes, Germans in the area of Bavaria where I live will follow almost all published rules, even ones that would seem illogical -- and therefore breakable -- to an American. A great example is the little yellow box on railway platforms where smoking is allowed. Although platforms are outside in the open air, Germans (and foreigners who almost instantly feel the social pressure to follow rules intended to respect the rights of others) obediantly stay within or near the box while smoking. The only rules people seem willing to break in the relatively small city where I live are those in the public Hofgarten. Although cycling and grilling in the park are both fineable offenses, no one pays any mind. Tellingly, though, while cycling through the park, German friends are quick to point out the illegality of what they themselves are doing.
Once while at a picnic in the Hofgarten, I got my first in-depth look at the German relationship to rules. I was with a group of university students who were playing games, drinking wine and having a really relaxed time. When I tried to explain what I thought was a relatively simple game, the mood changed entirely as everyone got seriously intense. We then spent at least 40 minutes going over each specific rule and answering questions about the most minute details. By the time we actually got around to playing the game, it was already dark, and we had to head home!
I mentioned the social pressure that foreigners start to feel about obeying rules in Germany, and you wouldn't believe how strongly this starts to affect people once they've lived here long enough. Other foreign friends and I joke around about how "Germanized" we've become, so much so that while on a trip to Wuerzburg's Residenz (New Palace) I actually scoffed at a fellow tourist who disobeyed the clearly posted prohibition against photography!
