7 Comments

The bit about train / flight scheduling is interesting.

I have no idea about how it works for flights, but I can definitely confirm that almost all manners of trains were right on time on Japan during my 5 years there. Hell, they even apologised if they left early because people time their connections to the last second too.

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Your article on the pared-down car-free zone in Graefekiez reminded me: is Berlin going to allow restaurants to take over parking spots for outdoor dining again this summer? I know it was popular in Xberg/F'schain, but haven't seen any news about it happening again this year.

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I thought that was just a corona thing but I'll find out!

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I finally have an answer (which will appear exactly like this in the next newsletter):

No! A spokesperson for Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg told us the “xhain-terraces” were part of the corona distancing regulations and expired on Halloween last year. He said they’re looking at ways bars and restaurants might be able to do something similar in the future but that it would take a law change.

Side note: The German bureaucrat term for parked cars is “ruhender Verkehr” — resting traffic.

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Aha, thanks! Too bad they’re not keeping the terraces permanently- that was one lovely silver lining during the pandemic restrictions. But I guess Berlin bureaucracy is why we can’t have nice things forever….

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"Balsack-Winkemann wouldn’t want immigrants sharing information with other immigrants." Are you kidding, or has she taken a stand on freedom of the press I don‘t know about? If you are kidding, may be irresponsible considering your demographics. Also, I am not sure it was 20,000 Prussian soldiers putting down the March Revolutionaries? The fighters were verily outnumbered, but many historians say the number was closer to 13,000.

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The part I like most is where you repeat my joke about Malsack-Winkemann.

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