[littlestymaar]

> In China when the government tells its citizens to do something, they just do it. They don't ask why. They don't deliberate on whether it's the correct choice. They simply follow the directions. In the West, everything is up for debate. People don't like to be told what to do.

Sigh, this is so cliché… I don't know where you're from, but the “west” as the unified entity you describe doesn't exist. When it comes to authority and how people comply with the rules, France and Germany are more different than China and the US.

[onemoresoop]

> When it comes to authority and how people comply

This is a different matter, people will comply for their own safety. If goverments or other agencies send the right message things could be okay imo.

[Terretta]

> When it comes to authority and how people comply with the rules, France and Germany are more different than China and the US.

How so?

[paublyrne]

Can't comment on France, and of course it's a generalization, but in Germany people love to follow the rules. Just watch how people cross the road without looking left or right, but obeying only the light. Sometimes other pedestrians will shout at you if you walk across the road when the light isn't green.

[littlestymaar]

I find this (truncated) quote pretty funny and quite an accurate description of French's relationship with rules:

> in England, everything which is not forbidden is allowed, in France, everything is allowed even if it is forbidden

[jkaplowitz]

That isn't the experience in noticing here as a tourist in Berlin, where locals seem to cross against the light quite often. But yes, I realize Berlin is not the typical German experience.

[LargoLasskhyfv]

I'd consider it suicidal to blindly trust the lights, no matter if as pedestrian or bcyclist. But then i'm bicycling since 40 years plus in different parts of .de, always wary of every other traffic :-)

Can speak of Hamburg for about 15 years now, and since maybe about 10 years i have the feeling that at least 50% of traffic participants are absolutely insane, again no matter which mode.