Kultur 5

At this point we have read quite a few articles describing the "rudeness" that Germans exude. A couple of blog posts back, the most shocking article was about "the stare." Now, we learn that many Germans do not even say excuse me when they bump into another person. Granted, the article explains how the streets of Germany are a bit more bustling than that of other places, but I do not understand why there is such a lack of what we Americans call common decency.
On a separate note, the most intriguing article this time around was the one about the Klofrau. In America, we are very used to the idea of public restrooms, and in fact, even the thought of paying to use the bathroom is laughed at. Never in my lifetime, while in America, have I had to pay to use the bathroom. Yes, there are bathroom boys, who, at times, give you a nice hand towel and expect a tip, but thats it. I was in Italy this summer and I actually was denied use of what I assumed to be a public restroom. I had to pay 2 euro and I had no money on me, having just spent it all on souvenirs. That sucked. I, for one, am glad that private restrooms are going extinct, or so the article says. I don't want to pay for something that I have to do!!