Come on, I’m
sure you did it as well, at least once if you are German. Taking a piece of
your clothing or stuff and place it silently on an table, chair or maybe even on
one of these plastic couches at a pool? The first time I heard about Germans
being the towel reserver nation was in my early 20th in Ireland. People
explained that they prefer to travel to Furteventura, a Island less preferred by
German tourists, because they can get up whenever they want without finding the
pool couches empty and covert with towels of Germans. Back in Germany for a few
weeks I had a similar experience today which made me smile inside after just
being not used to it anymore.
I went into
my favorite little coffee place across the main university of the town I used
to live through my studings. I planned on sitting inside enjoying a coffee,
writing some mails and thinking about the times I’ve been sitting there with my
partner who is still in the US and I won’t see for a little while. So I went
inside and saw that three tables in this little place have been unoccupied and
my heart jumped in anticipation of my quite time here, because this little café
can fill up very quickly through lunch time. Also there was just one person
with a coffee to go queuing in front of me so when the cashier asked me if I
would like to have my coffee for here or to take away of course I said for here.
I added a
little brownie piece to make sure my stay will be just perfect! Meanwhile they
prepared my order the queue became longer and I all the more happy I made it in
early. Receiving my hot steaming coffee and walnut brownie on nice white porcelain
dish I turned around, walked toward the firs table and saw two gloves and a stocking
cap suddenly lying on it. Turning around to the second table I found two jackets hanging
over two of the chairs which certainly appeared after I passed them 3 min ago.
Glancing to the last of the three tables I already guessed what would come next…
a bag!
I turned around,
back to the cashier still holding my coffee plate in one hand and the brownie
plate in the other and said:
“Excuse me,
it seems that gloves, hats and bags already enjoy coffee at your tables I haven’t
noticed earlier. As there is now no place anymore I could sit, could I sneak over
to your other coffee place across the street? (they have another one, where you have some bar
chairs and a little counter you can sit/stand on. Not nearly as comfortable ;)“
She just replied:
…I see everywhere towels... he? Of course if it wouldn’t be to inconvenient for you?
;)
We smiled understandingly at each other and I clattered with my dish to the other side. I have to admitt I
like the American way here a little better: ‘first come, first served!’
And what was
running through the mind of the last person queuing and placing silently its
hat on the last available table? Maybe: “Ha, ha – I came later but against my
hat you can’t do anything this table is now mine!...” or “ My hat is faster
than your hat?” followed by the quite laugh of a villain… ;) ?
I guess when
other nations see this kind of towel reservations of swimming pool couches when
Germans go on holidays, they see just one expression of this
behavior. In Germany our towels are gloves, hats, jackets sometimes even mobile
phones or wallets… I’m just happy I never witnessed someone so far getting undressed
through summertime, to place their T-shirts or pans there… ;)
Please let me know what you think?
