Crosswalk Culture
I came across a really interesting post on a blog called Agents of Urbanism about the cultural differences of crossing streets in different countries and cities. Culture dictates more than one would assume, even things that would seem logical and universally true.
The blogger writes from personal experience and is sensitive to urban culture. Crosswalks are marked in a number of ways, but signals are usually legible without prior knowledge of any particular language, since they implement symbols rather than text. However, the interpretation of safety/danger and rules varies across cultures. The blogger highlights a faux pas he/she experienced in Munich, Germany: crossing a street when the signal does not allow for it.
“I found myself standing at an intersection amongst six or so Germans, no cars in sight, and a static red hand across the street. I’m assuming the role of suave Parisian by now, so I dart across the street. Not sensing the herd behind me, I turn around and discover the glare of a disapproving group still standing on the other side. Tsk Tsk. Shortly the light changed, the ‘walking man’ appeared, and the group crossed the street.”
Germans, clearly, are rule-oriented, as even in absence of danger, people would not cross a street until told to do so. New Yorkers, for example, would interpret this action as inefficient, unnecessary or unmotivated. Most people quickly learn that pedestrians cross the streets of New York when and wherever they please. The competition to be mobile is a constant in New York, as high population density makes it harder to move about easily, let alone swiftly. Thus, rules of previous eras are bent to meet modern requirements.
Has anyone experienced a quirky cultural experience like this? Please share!
