Frankly ... integrated  The Punctuality Cliché

Is punctuality typically German? Sineb El Masrar writes about this German “export good” as well as about being late and what lost gloves might have to do with that.

What are the classic clichés about Germany? BMW, beer and good old punctuality, that's right! If you’re abroad and – for whatever reason – don't want people to know you’re German, beware: punctuality’s a dead giveaway! It doesn’t matter if your roots go all the way back to the German Empire and your ancestors were influenced by the Prussian king, or if you've only been lingering in this little spot of land called Germany for a few months.

What’s more, German punctuality has been an export hit for many decades now. You could put together a choir and have former immigrant workers, refugees and foreign students from Asia, North and Central Africa, southern Europe and Latin America, and all will sing the praises of punctuality. Our immigrant (grand)fathers and (grand)mothers are now the biggest lobbyists for German-style punctuality abroad. Whether it comes to family dinners or appointments with officials or construction workers, they’re constantly complaining about their (former) compatriots’ lack of punctuality policy.

Punctuality Can be Found Everywhere

And what about the descendants of all those erstwhile immigrants to Germany? Now that Germany has become so multicultural, some would say punctuality has declined even among long-time residents. In many big cities, people might actually think it’s cool to be late. Punctuality is seen as “square” and typically “Alman" (Turkish for “German”).

And yet punctuality can be found all over the world – often without any association with Germany. The point is simply not to keep anyone waiting. To deliberately do so shows disrespect for those kept waiting and disregard for their time. In a society in which many tasks have to be carried out in order to meet targets and to work and study efficiently, time is of the essence: each person in the system has only a limited amount of time at their disposal, so people really have to be able to rely on one another, like interdependent cogs in a machine. To disregard these considerations shows a lack of appreciation for others and their precious time – even if you intended no such thing in arriving late. After all, sometimes something unexpected comes up.

Lost Gloves

What happens when, say, a chronic glove and umbrella loser happens to lose a glove on her way to an appointment? That’s right: she goes back the way she came in search of the lost glove… and ends up late for her appointment. As you might have guessed, I’m talking about myself. Last week I was late twice for this very reason. Others may be searching for lost time, I’m always looking for lost items of clothing.

Anyway, I found the gloves in both instances. Even though I ended up losing one of them for good just a few minutes later. It’s now lying abandoned somewhere, separated from its twin, and I have to have another conversation, as I do every winter, about getting the kind of elastic clips for my gloves I used to have when I was six. After all, what worked for a little girl just might do the trick for a grown woman, too. Then maybe I’ll be more punctual in winter.
 

February 2022