Done that hundreds of times and never had a problem. Maybe it's because I say the Swiss German version of "excuse me"???

I've been using the High German version.

Even worse!!

Everybody waits for the green man before they cross the totally empty street...except the tourists!

I used to think it was a bit slack, too, but now I'm actually grateful that people tend to wait for their signal because I am trying to drill my son on how to cross the road safely, and there's nothing worse when you are saying "You must always wait for the green man and check there are no cars." when some idiot crosses right in front of him dodging cars, bikes and buses.

Cross by all means but just bear us poor mums in mind and our road safety lessons when you do it.

Or... if you're at a crosswalk. The ped-x light is red, and a horde of people going to work is standing there... nobody wants to be the first one to jaywalk. But once someone goes, everyone follows. It's like a school of friggin' herring.

or... alternatively, everyone will jaywalk if it means getting to their tram before it pulls away from the station.

That's a union thing. They want as few as possible employees to perform work at unusual times while their family has to follow the usual 9 to 5 routine.

We actually like to do work off hours as we make more money for the same amount of effort.

Actually, I've both witnessed and been on the receiving end of a good deal of reaching past, elbowing/pushing out of the way and line-cutting in this country by the locals, all without even saying "Entchüldigung," so I would have to disagree.

Some people say New Yorkers or Parisians are rude. Some of the behavior I've seen here makes New Yorkers seem like paragons of politeness.

Which may be the straight road to disaster

I once read somewhere that if in England you see a gang of drunken youths on a deserted street corner at 3am, they are waiting to kill you. If you see the same thing in Switzerland, they are waiting to cross the road

I used to have this idea too but...someone told me that the starting salary for a banker is something like 9000 chf per month. Would you want to work longer hours if you had that sort of money? Hell no...you'd want to have time to spend it on a nice dinner.
You only work long hours and accept to do so if you need the money. Educated Swiss with qualifications and good jobs apparently don't need more money than what they already have.

Here's a regular observation: A deserted road, a group of children, waiting by a pedestrian crossing until there's a car coming so that they can make the obligatory eye contact with the driver before crossing.... why not just cross when there's not a car coming...??

Being told that it was my fault for buying rotten fruit rather than getting an apology from the shop for displaying and selling rotten fruit...

Having every sarcastic or cynical remark commented on and some 'yes, but' explanation given...

When asking for fans or airconditioning because my team was sweltering in 28.6 degrees in the office, being told that the air conditioning was already at 120% so we couldn't possibly be hot...

I could go on.

Good observation, and being there for the customer is still seen to be a novel concept here

... you take your visitors on a hike and have to stop every 200m cause they want to take pictures.

Do in Rome as romans do. Whats our problem in following the system.

What's that, "Sorry"?

Tom

And I wouldn't be able to register my motorcycles in Germany because things that are allowed to be modified here (and there are plenty) need TUV papers in Germany. Plus, I'd have to re-install the blinkers (not required here in most cantons).

Tom

I have also seen kids waiting for the car to come and stop instead of crossing when it isn't there.

Interestingly enough, whilst borderline rotting fruit smells more fragrant it also causes other adjacent fruit to go off quicker.

Of course their explanations are valid and relevant.

So, when in doubt, it is always reality that has got it wrong.

Only in Switzerland: Most people think that if you are a Swiss, you must be right; if you are a Swiss and you are wrong, there must be some sane explanation for that; if you are a foreigner and you are right, you must have lived in Switzerland for a long time; if you are a foreigner and you are wrong, there is no surprise!