how did you know it was the fourth?

just to add to the rant: Straight lines. how hard can it be to walk in a straight line??? how can i get this added to the swiss school curriculum?

Added some clarification for you there.

Eh? I thought that was the problem - people walking in straight lines no matter what.

I don't know about the Swiss hating adowney, that seems a little strong.... but damn you moan a lot.

It's just the same as driving - the Swiss have no idea how to drive - this is carried over from the notion that they have no idea how to walk!!
I join in this way of living everynight when commuting home through the main station - I set my course for a straight line right across the main mezzanine towards platforms 52. I just go for it and no one will stop me or make me veer off course.
Perhaps I have nearly knocked some of you folks over. I dont care I am just practicing being Swiss so as I fit in.

People with children in Wädenswil most likely are NOT Swiss

haha. i've noticed that one. if i'm in a particularly bad mood, i'll pull out anyway and not overtake the obstacle just to spite the fkker.

It is because "Nil" is nicer I suppose !


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Swiss are good learners. And when the Italians came to Switzerland in the later 50ies and into the 60ies and blocked all the Trottoirs and rail-stations, the Swiss learnt that to give way to others is not really necessary.



Except that "Gata" is NOT Swiss but from another a bit crowded small country . Suggest you give a look at her profile

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And if you are behind somebody then the word to use is äXGüSI fairly loudly and then you will get the space needed

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Sorry but what is the fun in walking in a straight line ?

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As you learn it in school, the fastest link between point A and point B is the straight line !

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This sounds like you haven’t got much experience in driving in other countries. I have been told that the Egyptians drive like camel drivers, that in Nigeria the cows - and occasionally the wild pigs - always have the right of way - apart from Government officials when they drive in one-way streets in the forbidden direction.

Back to the original topic the OP says that he is not a small guy, I have seen this phenomena so I know what you mean. I think that a person who is outside of the norm is just out of the minds grasp of your run of the mill version 1.0 human and therefore will get filtered out of the consciousness by the brain. I have wondered how anybody with two eyes could just walk into me and it yet it happens on a day to day basis, if I did not get out of the way of the "little" people fast enough they would end up being scraped of the sole of my boot.

Exactly! Hilarious - I was on a train back to Zurich from Lugano today, and sitting with a friend of mine who is a beautiful blond woman (who has learned German). We were sitting in first class, and this bald business man was staring at her while he walked by. She held eye contact with him and he was unrelenting, so she said, in German, "I can stare at you too" which made him turn nearly purple and rush off. We laughed for a good ten minutes.

Nothing like being told off by a hot foreigner in your own language!!

...now, how would he have known that she was a foreigner?

maybe by the fact that she could speak german properly.

Egyptians drive in a fantastic flexible and creative way. As they do not give much for laws the create their own rules like speeding ahead when the light is red, making six lanes where it originally was two or three, and of course by being constantly on the horn

OT, The tracks in Basel, I presume elsewhere, that are made of crushed stones yellow in colour, as seen here (google map Bruderholz), yellow track on the left near the field, footpath on the right of the road (typical grey asphalt) .

Now, I have seen horses, bikes, joggers / runners using these. I presume farmers also use them from time to time with machinery. I have seen that some have the red circle for horses &/or people, bikes and oddly cars. But not so today on the path nearby that google map link above, someone took exception and in no uncertain terms gave me a telling off. Then proceeded to stare at me out of line of sight.

So whats the deal? I'm thinking it was just a 'crazy old guy with little dog' encounter. Everyone else was all "Grüezi" and smiles. Because, you know, I'm on a bike I pull over to make plenty of room *and* stop, good way to say hello.

CK

This is a funny thread! Once a friend from the UK was visiting (her first time in CH) and a lady was starting at her on the train. I'm used to it - but my friend was quite unnerved by it. So I smiled at the lady and waved at her. At first she look flustered but then smiled back warmly and didn't stare again.

You might want to work on that. THey can't seem to drive in straight lines either. I've never seen so many people unfamiliar with the concept of staying in your own lane whilst driving. Hello, you don't get your lane, then 20% of mine, then your own lane again, then 30% of mine, etc.