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When traffic comes to a standstill, German drivers instantly shift left and right to create a Rettungsgasse, an emergency corridor so ambulances and firefighters can fly through at full speed (cdn.imgchest.com)
submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by to c/videos@lemmy.world
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[–] 11 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (2 children)

It's bcs it's intended for 'emergency stops' (including ppl going for a piss), 'emergency vehicles' (ambulances, etc) have a safer & more predictable way down the middle of the road away from the edges of the road.

There shouldn't be anyone in the middle of the road, but there could be someone on the emergency lane.

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  • [–] 4 points 3 months ago

    It’s not just the stopped cars that might be on the shoulder / emergency lane, but it’s also that there might be more loose stones there and in winter snow and ice. The middle of the road is then safer.

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  • [–] 1 point 3 months ago (2 children)

    Do Germans regularly piss by the side of the road? In America it’s a great way of ending up on a sex offenders registry.

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  • [–] 3 points 3 months ago

    In Europe usually you get a fine at most. Imagine being on a road trip with a 3yo in the back, if they say they have to pee it's not like "I hope this queue moves in the next 30 minutes, it's RIGHT NOW! So off on the shoulder they go.

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  • [–] 1 point 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

    It's not (tho the smol children bit might be a rare occurrence) but ppl do leave their cars when stuck on the same spot for hours (which isn't that common altogether). There are other emergencies too (eg being sick).

    I did piss on the road in a snow blizzard once, we were stuck on a very hilly motorway bcs a few buses & some trucks on shit (summer?) tyres went sideways blocking all lanes (others, trucks included, had no issues) but I didn't even step away from the car really bcs the visibly was so poor at some point that it was cool (in fact I was facing the incoming lanes opposite). We were there several hours tho.

    In the same situation - after already not moving for at least half an hour a bus driver from a few cars behind me came so ask me (and I assume others?) to move my car just a bit forward so he could get to the freed lane (like op's pic). Once he explained the reasoning I replied with several swear words in his native language & the fucker absolutely knew what a shitty thing he was trying to do.

    That kind of sex offender thing (exposing yourself) is treated differently here afaik - the laws aren't that different (eg when you can be naked in your home next to a window), but the application is (I don't imagine someone actually seeing your private bits if you aren't standing on the actual road & facing traffic). Also getting on a public sex offender list for urinating in public sounds like something cops disproportionately use to fuck the lives of innocents just for fun.

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