TIE: eins zwei Polizei

The policemen in Bavaria seem to be nice enough. Our metzgerei near the office gets frequent visits from nice policemen and women who come by to grab a sandwich or two. The three meetings I've had with the local police have also been nice enough. Apart from the 50 euro fine for talking to a mobile while driving, they've also not been very costly.

But another thing I've noticed, and the locals keep telling me is, they do not have much to do. I do not know of the crime rates in Bavaria, but my stolen jacket seemed worthy enough to interview me for a full hour at the Würzburg police station. I'd say in Finland the police would be quite frank: "it's very improbable we'll find it or the belongings, but fill this report, and that's it." Here they even asked me to describe the keys that were lost in the pocket.

Another surprise I got by the police was that a policeman was waiting for me at my front door one sunny afternoon. The policeman was worried, because in their books I did not live in the apartment, although my car was registered there. I told him I had done my Anmeldung (notice of moving) in good time, and everything should be fine... Didn't find the receipt from the Stadtamt (town hall) though, and thus had to do it again. So please never throw away the receipt from the town hall, since my notice had just dissappeared. And I know I did it, since I was there with a collegue, and we got the Stämpel (blueprint) and all!

So if they have time to go around people's houses, whose records do not match their own, there must not be much going on in terms of crime around here... But well, better this way. I'm not sure if I already linked to this, but this might tell something of the attitude. An attitude not seen in Helsinki during demonstrations in connection to the ASEM -meeting last summer.