#323: BVG worser, seeing pandas, bike bollards can stay
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Hey 20 Percent!
Today our Factoid is also this intro: The Fernsehturm, the defacto symbol of Berlin, turned 55 on Oct. 3. It was built by East Germany to resemble Russian Sputnik satellites and spread television and radio waves all over the country’s capital. And probably also to spy (because that was, like, East Germany’s hobby).
I feel the same way about the Fernsehturm’s birthday that my father felt about mine: I hate it. My father always felt guilty for hating mine and loaded me up with presents. He ostensibly hated it because my December birthday was near Christmas but as I grew older I discovered the real reason — it was because we were exactly 30 years apart and my birthday always reminded him of his pending February birthday and getting that much older.
Boomer parents are experts at main character energy, aka, making everything about themselves.
It’s the same thing the Fernsehturm’s birthday does to me because I don’t want to say we were both born the same year but … we were both born the same year.
At least I’m younger.
Have a good weekend — I’m off to Hamburg to watch St. Pauli play Mainz (didn’t even know Mainz had a team).
Andrew
The BVG is just awful
You’re not imagining things — the BVG has gotten noticeably worse in the past year and is getting … worser. Why? They have fewer U-Bahn drivers than four years ago (2021: 860, July 2024: 805) and they’re contractually required to work less, according to Tagesspiegel. The lack of personnel coupled with an ancient fleet is ruining your commute. The statistics surrounding the BVG problems are more breathtaking than a subway driver leaving the station even though you locked eyes with them on your sprint to the train: In 2021, the U7 travelled 14,030km less than scheduled. So far this year? 163,752km less. The U8 is clocking in at 13,473km and 103,832km, respectively. The BVG (and the Berlin government) appears wholly unaware of the dire state of its public transport network, the paper says, and the statistics have gotten worse nearly every month this year.
Arson charges for protestor
A 43-year-old woman will remain behind bars on arson charges after attempting to set a police car on fire during Tuesday protests celebrating Iran’s missile attack on Israel, according to RBB24. About 400 people gathered in Wedding following the attack. Four protestors, including the woman, were arrested on charges of arson, assault and resisting arrest. The woman is already facing charges of assaulting a police officer and two other arson attacks earlier this year that could have damaged the Iranian embassy.
Bollards can remain
Recently installed poles on Tucholskystraße in Mitte may remain, forcing cars to turn onto Auguststraße rathen than traveling through the intersection, a Berlin court ruled, according to taz. A previous court had ordered the removal of the poles, saying they didn’t necessarily make the intersection safer for everyone. As someone who bikes the intersection regularly, I find the legal challenge offensive. Cars are dangerously king in that area (the Scheunenviertel), even on Linienstraße, theoretically a bike street — cars are still allowed and park on both sides making the traffic lane woefully small for the bike traffic.
The only thing cuter than Pandas: Panda babies
The Berlin Zoo will begin showing off its two new Panda babies Oct. 16. The pair, born August 22, will be on exhibit for an hour per day between 1.30pm and 2.30pm. The pair are mother Meng Meng’s second litter after Pit and Paula were born in 2017. They now live in China. A two-person behind-the-scenes tour of the Panda exhibit can be booked for, um, €460(!).
Germany-wide news
📝 Bureaucracy is holding Germany back
✈️ Chinese spy scandal at Leipzig airport widens
🏫 School for difficult students takes education prize
📯 📯 Postkutsche (mail carriage) 📯 📯
I didn’t realize Kelly Clarkson had a show but reader Marston notes that our fair city was featured on it. I’ll link you to it but it’s this kind of fawning that got us to this housing crisis, I think:
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Could it be that the BVG worsening is a strategy to be fully privatized? They are letting get worse on purpose so the private companies offer a deal?
Just curious, when you write "Russian Sputnik satellites" do you suggest Russian = Soviet?