Acciddent

Yesterday, the ghost and I ventured to go on a trip for a long weekend. So we packed our stuff, pulled out the cat feeder and gave the key to our neighbor to check in sometime, if the beasts have killed each other or our furniture ...

Halfway on our way to my parents, about 300 km's driven, the ghost felt natures call, but since there was a traffic jam ahead of us, we were already in it, he decided instead of tagging along like a snail until the next rest area we should take the next exit, since there was a McDonald in plain view. A McDonalds restroom is as good as any resting area along the Autobahn. So we took off and were about to take a left to drive up a hill to the McDonalds, when we saw a silver car coming along, so we waited, since he had the right of way. But a black car coming downhill, probably after a feast at McD, misinterpreted the sitaution terribly and started driving out on the main road and inevitably crashed with the silver car coming along the main road.

The two cars crashed into and then bumped off into our car which was standing. This all happened awfully quick and I knew it was coming. The minute I saw the black car moving I yelled and the next I remember is the crash, which actually had a lot less impact than I imagined. Luckily nobody got hurt. But the cars looked horrible. The driver of the black car turned out to be with the military stationed in Giessen, and non-surprisingly did not speak a single word of german. I still don't understand how people have no interest at all in a country where they live, even if only temporarily.

I find it very arrogant to be convinced that "somebody will speak english", so you don't have to learn german. But ok, that's not really the issue here. Otherwise I could ramble on how offending it will be to celebrate christmas in a muslim country, but that is a completely different story.

The first thing the driver said was: "I did not see him (meaning the silver car) coming. Did you see him?" Of course we saw him, that's the point in breaking and coming to a halt instead of taking a left. So I told him, that indeed we saw him coming and that if he had looked left, so would he. Next thing he said was: "He was going far too fast, wasn't he?" No, dude, he wasn't , otherwise you and probably we would have been mashed to a pulp instead of standing here, So I told him, that "No, he wasn't".

The ghost had already called the police. Which came very quick. It was obvious that the black car (the american) was the guilty part and that the other car and we weren't. He just hadn't looked. And I know for a fact that some standard traffic rules apply not only in Germany. I drove a car when I was living in the US and basically the rules are the same. So I really don't understand why he didn't look. It just makes no sense. But we were all being very civiliced, there was no yelling, no shouting, no cursing. I think everybody was just very hapy that it was only damaged cars and no personal injury. Unfortunately all cars involved were pretty new. This should sum up pretty well.

The american was a pretty young guy and his passenger was a likewise young american woman. The driver of the silver car was probably a bit older than me. The police took a protocol and I really felt bad for the military guy, everybody involved didn't speak english very well. Even the police was a bit helpless with their very basic english knowledge. That is another thing I don't understand. I think it should be mandatory for the police to have at least one person speaking a fairly acceptable amount of english. I mean there are more foreigners - apart from the US military - who don't speak german.

So the policeofficer had me read it out the protocol in english. The poor military-dude had had no idea what he was signing, if I hadn't translated it. What if I was a jerk and told him something differently? He was completely relying on m, which is pretty scary if you think about it. You have to rely on the good-will of your "oponent""? Well, yes ok, a car crash is not war, but with different people involved it could be ;-)

He called his insurance who wanted to know our names, the names of our insurances and all, and since americans write the numbers "1" and "7" differently than germans do the poor guy couldn't even read out the insurance police numbers correctly. Heaven! Do they not teach their military anything about the countries they are stationed???? Nothing at all? Not even how you can write a "ü", "ö" or "ä", if your keyboard is not german and you are not able to put two dots above the "a" "o" "u" with your own hands and a pencil?

Well, here is a little lecture: instead of using the "umlaut" you can write an "ae" for "ä", "ue" for "u" and "oe" instead of "ö", and on your keyboard - of any nationality - use the ASCII codes. And a german "one" looks pretty much like your "seven" and the german "seven" has a stroke through its vertical line and such looks pretty much like your seven only plus the stroke. Anyway, that's just my little annoyance with ignorant people of any nationality including germans (they know how to write german - well, obviously not all -, and there are obviously many who are so stupid that I prefer somebody who has education but is ignorant to a foreign culture and environment). Germany isn't so different from the States after all.

After the police had done their work, they called a towing company to have the black and silver car removed from the street. It turned out that even though our car was badly damaged we could still drive. The towing company offered to tow our car and we could rent a car to continue our trip, but we decided to drive back the car and call my parents, that we wouldn't be coming. I know that the insurance will have to pay for everything, but actually I felt sorry for the military guy. Not that at any point he said "sorry" for the accident he caused, but he was constantly asking if he had to go to court (in Germany). Well, if we were american ... maybe? We would have probably sued his ass off, so to speak. That seems to be a something you'd expect from the average american. But in Germany we don't do this unless there is a pretty good reason. Although I grant that suing seemingly is becoming a german habit as well. Although the sums are not as astronomical. And I must admit that none of my colleagues, friends and neighbors in New York ever sued anyone, so it probabably is more a media thing adding to prejudices vice versa.

Anyways, we didn't really want to add to his obviously high bill. I am sure his premium will rise to the stars anyway. So we are back at home. And happy that nobody got hurt.

Comments

[Angie]

Glad everyone was okay. As an American military wife in England I have to say that I agree, you should learn something about the country you are in. There may have been several reasons why he didn't. One...no they don't teach us about the country we are going to, it is up to us to learn, two...he may have been new there and three he may not have had much warning about going there. Otherwise, you are right, he should have at least learned enough German to get by.

[Jeanne]

Having just spent a week in the rural south of France, I was also struck by how totally lost you would be if you could not at least muddle along with some basic French skills - and I was only there for a week!! I know that English speakers are particularly arrogant in assuming that everybody will be able to speak some English wherever they go, but this is simply not the case, and they have no right to make that assumption! I mean, if German or French person were to come to, say, South Africa, they wouldn't expect to find people speaking a smattering of German/French?? Besides, even if you know only a few words in a foreign language, locals will usually appreciate the effort you have made and you will find that things go much more smoothly.

As for the lack of apology from the American, the likely reason why he never said sorry is that in a suing society like the US, saying sorry at the scene of an accident is as good as an admission of guilt. If there is a court case later, you can guarantee that a witness will be called to testify about hearing the apology and that could be tha basis for finding him liable for huge sums of damages. Also, remember that after the insurance companies have paid for the damages, they need to recover that money from somewhere - and the most likely source in this situation seems to be Mr American. So even if neither you nor the silver car's driver plans to sue him, the insurance company might well!