As I got off the train from work today I was greeted with hundreds of lively Germans bedecked in blue and white. Apparently there is a match between Berlin Hertha and local team Cottbus this afternoon. At first I was confused as to why they were all hanging around the rather unremarkable station but it soon became clear that this was a German form of tailgating. Instead of packing up mountains of food and driving their RVs to the stadium parking lot, Germans congregate at their local train station and, to put it simply, they drink. This scene definitely lived up to the stereotype that German drink a lot of beer. There were bottles of beer absolutely carpeting the station's floor!
All of this was conducted under the watchful eye of twenty or so German police officers in full riot gear. The scene was lively and a little rowdy but I certainly didn't feel unsafe and the police seemed to be relaxed. Nonetheless, German police have a way of looking incredibly intense in their dark green uniforms that always makes me a little nervous.
Before the season is over, Kiersten and I plan on attending a fuβball match. Perhaps we will partake in the local custom and drink a couples of beers at the train station before cheering on the home team!
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