Friday 7 February 2014

Rant No. 7: Pedantic.


The rules are the rules are the rules are the rules.

Yes. If you are German, this is so.

Dot the “i”s and cross the “t”s, everything has to be just so.

You cannot deviate from the rules, or the unthinkable will happen. What the unthinkable is, I still don’t know.

I once went to the Berlin Festival at Tempelhof with a friend from London. She had just had clear braces fitted, and so could only drink clear drinks for a while.

She went to the bar, she wanted a vodka tonic. However, the menu said just gin and tonic, or vodka and lemonade.

She asked for a vodka and tonic. The bar woman said this was not possible. They just sold gin & tonic, vodka & lemonade. Both were 6€.

My friend said this was stupid, how could she not have a vodka and tonic. What was the difference, they were both the same price.

But the woman held strong. No. It was just gin & tonic, or vodka & lemonade. That was what was on the menu, that was what was available. So my friend got a gin & tonic, and came back to where I was sat.

“It’s no joke about the Germans being sticklers for the rules!” she said, and told me what had happened at the bar.


I laughed. “Welcome to Germany!”

2 comments:

  1. I went to a bar. It had two floors and the employees went up and down the whole time.
    I asked for a beer in the second floor and when the evening was done, I went to the first floor to pay.
    -Oh, you have to pay upstairs- said the woman.
    -Uhm... but you have a cash registerer here. Why can't I pay you?
    -Because you got that drink served upstairs.
    -So? The money goes to the same bag at the end of the night, right?
    -You have to go upstairs and pay. Sorry.

    Go figure.

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    Replies
    1. I think this is because of the tips. That's why you have to pay your bill even though you're staying because of the chift change or the tip will go to a person who hasn't served you. Or I think so.

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