We always view the Germans, in particular, as in the vanguard of go ahead, progressive development while we in Britain stumble on in our own slow and inadequate manner. Well to some extent the Germans are technically go ahead. I stood inside a toilet in Bonn watching the toilet bowl with amazement. Now this is not some weird and horrible fetish, just a reaction to having been told to ensure I got off the seat before flushing and I wondered why. The answer, on pressing the flush button was astonishing. A fierce blast of water filled the 'loo' to the brim while two brushes emerged from hiding inside the bowl and began to scrub vigorously. At the same time the plastic seat on which I had been sitting began to revolve and, as each section reached the back near the tank, it was sprayed with disinfectant and then cleaned with a sponge until the seat came to rest in its original position. The whole show was worth the 50 cents I had paid.
On the larger scale though, especially when you are driving 2000 miles, you are grateful for a nation that keeps its freeways open, even if lanes are closed for repair. Britain manages to do that, Germany does not. On at least four major autobahns, the road was closed completely forcing two or three miles worth of heavy commercial traffic onto small country roads where the long distance signposting was virtually non existent. So if you are driving from Kassel to Leipzig for example, as I was, expect to be stuck in a monoxide filled queue of commercial vehicles for a considerable time before being filtered off onto some country road where you can see heavy lorries stretching for miles ahead of you. You then have to know where Kelmstedt, Grosswhechsungen and Friedrichstal lead you to because there sure as hell ain't no detour signs!
Germany, you're terrific with your toilets....traffic management 2 out of 10 I'm afraid. Could do much much better!!
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