Germany, you really did it this time

Thank you for watching me, a humble American, react to Realer Irrsinn: Verkehrsschilder säubern verboten
Original video: • Realer Irrsinn: Verkeh...
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[@hanshelga]

If it was true that you as a citizen had to clean the street signs once a week then the name of that day would be Bürgerverkehrsschildinstandhaltungstag

[@pixelbartus]

But the public would call it "Schildbürgertag"

[@winterlinde5395]

And the regulation for that is the Bürgerverkehrsschildinstandhaltungsverordnung

[@alexanderantoninsommerkamp4714]

😂

[@winterlinde5395]

@@pixelbartus😄

[@ImNotQualifiedToSayThisBut]

​@@pixelbartus Wohl eher Schildschrubbtag

[@wanderlust9081]

"...is the Mop registered?"🤣🤣🤣Ryan - now you are German 😂 Welcome 🎉

[@jrgptr935]

Nun, sicher muß der Mop nicht registriert sein, aber auf jeden Fall muß das Teil zu diesem Zweck zugelassen sein. Aber falls das Schild rund ist statt eckig, wer weiß?

[@Treadstone7]

"do you have a sign-mopping permit?" got me 😂😂

[@kaibroeking9968]

It always strikes me that, instead of admitting a mistake, bureaucrats will always double down on the most ludicrous ideas. If need be, by pretending to be concerned that the gentleman could hurt himself in the process of cleaning that sign. Or by pretending that the sign that they did not give a damn about for a decade could have been damaged.

[@michaelgoetze2103]

Yes, that was ridiculous. A sponge and water is more damaging than years of grime. 😂.

[@n0rmal953]

That mossy and dirty sign that with no doubt prevented the reflective surface to work is apparently more visible than sign cleaned with a microfiber cloth. Bruh

[@jeffreylebowski4927]

Its true these signs do have a retroreflective layer however the scratching will be negligible and it will work 1000x better when its clean with a few scatches on it than covered in dirt - and if the city is going to throw the sign away anyways because its dirty then youre not causing any harm when cleaning it even if you scratch it a bit. You could probably clean it 20 times before you would noticeably degrade the retroreflective layer.

[@Karl-me4mh]

So the sign would be good for 200 years 🤣

[@otto1449]

This is perhaps a good example of what is meant by the German love of working. Because we don't have more working hours than others, but when a German has nothing to do, he fills them up with work. My example would be my father, who also does things on his own initiative, such as cultivating a neglected garden plot, taking over the waste separation of the neighbors who neglect it and putting in the work to educate them, he also being a volunteer in countless civic associations. And he also looks after and sorts a city library archive every day, which is used by a record 6 people in one day mostly one, two or noone.

[@SakuraMorandi]

nah I don't do this I just chill

[@otto1449]

@@SakuraMorandi Same, but my dad is definitely a dictionary definition of beeing German

[@1brknglss]

i was about to say, he sounds like hed be an "ober-alman" lol @@otto1449

[@trainspotting_dd]

@@otto1449Thats not the typical German..

[@chrstiania]

so your dad is the annoying old guy who goes through his neighbours trash?

[@njordholm]

Those reasons aren't the real reasons... I suppose, some of these will apply: 1. The government official's uncle has a business of selling road signs (exclusive licence granted for 30 years for very favourable 1 EUR) and now pays lower taxes due to fewer turnover. FOLKS, it's common knowledge. If you try to reduce tax income, the state is your enemy. 2. The administration has made an unbeatable contract with the garbage disposal company to dispose a minimum of 1000 signs per year for very very cheap 1.000.000 EUR. If they don't reach the numbers, they have negotiated to pay a compensation for very very cheap 10.000 EUR per missing sign. 3. The city regularly places speed cameras in front of the school in the neighbourhood. People are now driving more reasonable, as they see the sign again. But the city has calculated the 'item' fines in their budget with a certain amount. Reduced income - enemy again.

[@kaiwalther3602]

Ryan predicting the bullshit arguments with a surprising accuracy like he has heard them too many times.. we might not be so different after all

[@jancleve9635]

He does this for a while now... our gov is predictable.

[@roerd]

Follwing this tv report, a member of the district parliament posed questions to the head of the district administration and got different answers from what the guy here said (official request 21-1447), particularly: "Only those signs for which the result after cleaning is rated as “insufficient” will be replaced. Typically, rusted and faded signs are replaced."

[@johncatty6560]

The dirt on the sign did not come from the road. It came from the trees or it started to become green-ish because the lack of sun. The wood on our deck also gets green because of the lack of sunlight in some areas.

[@clydefrosch]

It's a mix of both, plant matters and exhaust gunk

[@starstencahl8985]

@@clydefroschNo, that’s all stuff from the vegetation like pollen, algae and moss. Look at old tree stumps in the forest, there’s no exhaust gases there

[@nonchip]

honestly the "oh we just throw them away" part makes some sense because if they let them get THAT dirty then they're probably also damaged, but that's not the argument they think they're making. maybe next time don't bring a mop but a lawsuit against the city then, if they don't *want* help and still don't clean them more often than they have to replace them :P

[@mickypescatore9656]

You are so right!... Realer Irrsinn!!!😂

[@Warlothar]

I suppose that if you have family or friends that work into the signal business, it is more economical for them to replace dirty signals that cleaning them once a year, every lustrum or something. It seems small scale corruption. Someone thought that the business was going to go down. However, it would be dangerous if they were trying to clean the Autobahn signs, but the signs just outside your courtyard or in your town, where you are passing through everyday, NO WAY. Edited: Because once a month seems too frequent, as godprincess pointed.

[@Kath-Erina]

Dude once a month is just ridiculous. Once a year or heck even once in 4 years would be enough. The algue doesn't grow that fast and dirt from polluted air takes a little time to fully cover a sign like that. Were not striving for the moms-kitchen-clean-level but for good enough to read. Imigne they washed those signs instead of replacing them. They would most likley be goot do go for another ten years. Even if the work is the same, it's cheaper since you don't need to replace them and manufacture new replacement signs... No need to replace something that still works

[@christianliesche5917]

@@Kath-Erina The guy needs to take the question about sutainability for that replacing instead of cleaning; even if the surface could be damaged a little, I think, 2 times washing should be possible without impact on function ;) Maybe more, but that depends on several influences ;) This guy from the city should get the bottomless barrel for wasting many of tax payers.

[@aphextwin5712]

@@Kath-ErinaApart from how dirty the air is at the specific location, the sign shown here probably gets dirty much faster by virtue of being almost covered by trees.

[@Warlothar]

I didn't think about how long, true, randomly gave a period of time. True once a year or every 4 or 5 years would be enough. @@Kath-Erina

[@MaryRaine929]

3:35 + Congratulations, Sir!🎉 NOW you‘ve been germanized! 😂

[@winterlinde5395]

Proven

[@Wildcard71]

They aren't entirely clean at the authorities.

[@Tim_OWL]

Verkehrszeichenoberflächenreinigungsüberwachungsverordnung…

[@Gulliolm]

Ich ziehe meinen Hut!

[@janos5555]

Das könnte halt echt so heißen

[@momokochama1844]

VZOFÜWVO 😂🤣 (wir stehen doch auf wilde Abkürzungen 😆)

[@jorell4829]

@@janos5555tut es nicht?

[@njordholm]

Gefunden bei Haufe: "§ 38 Wirksamkeit und Bekanntgabe von Verkehrsregelungen / B. Sichtbarkeitsgrundsatz ... Vorgaben für die Aufstellung und Anbringung von Verkehrszeichen im Sinne des Sichtbarkeitsgrundsatzes sind der Allgemeinen Verwaltungsvorschrift zur StVO (VwV-StVO) zu entnehmen." So sieht es in Wirklichkeit aus: 'Allgemeine Verwaltungsvorschrift zur Straßenverkehrs-Ordnung' (VwV-StVO) Das Wort "Verkehrszeichen" findet sich auf dieser einen Seite bei 'Verwaltungsvorschriften-im-Internet' ganze 147 mal. Die Seite hat lediglich ca. 45.000 Worte, also eine ganz seichte Lektüre abends zum Einschlafen.

[@LJMahomes]

I love how angry you got at the end of the video. You’re very German now

[@Casy1306]

I don't understand the reasoning of the signs needing a specific cleaner if they're not cleaned to begin with but instead thrown out and replaced. Make it make sense!

[@FeanorCurufinwe]

9:13 No, 300 km/h is definitely too fast even in Germany, when such a traffic sign points to an intersecting school path. We then only drive 200 km/h there.

[@jenniferharrison8915]

In Australia it's 40ks per hour at a school! 😂👍

[@mathyy5813]

This press speaker's reasoning reminds me of the weak points I would occasionally mention during a forced discussion in school, when I had to argue for a side I didn't believe in at all..😅

[@BlackAcePlays]

You gotta understand: To make a new child takes just a couple of minutes and is fun for the people involved, cleaning or making a new signs costs money. 😅

[@benlee6158]

These are for sure the most ridiculous arguments from all the episodes you watched/showed so far 😂.

[@Humpelstilzchen]

Maybe the responsible people in power there are so 1 Pimmel?? But only maybe. I ask for a friend. 😂

[@michaelgoetze2103]

The council was probably upset that they were shown up for poor maintenance.

[@storysnippet]

Yap I see it is cheaper to install a new sign after 20 years rather than cleaning it 2 times a year. Buuuut, let people clean them if they like, nobody will have a disadvantage

[@jrgptr935]

Ein Schild "Schule" dürfte ja nicht Bundes- oder Landesgesetzen, sondern den der jeweiligen Kommune unterliegen, und so dürfte das ein Einzelfall sein - möglicherweise gilt 3 Straßen weiter eine gänzlich andere Gesetzeslage ohne solche Bizzarrerien.

[@DJone4one]

What is that strange noise in the background? Oh, that's his stomach. And I thought it was a dog growling.🤣 The traffic sign looks so dirty because the trees sometimes secrete pollen and the like, which later leads to such pollution. It's like not cleaning your extractor bonnet, which is also discoloured yellow by grease.

[@JonnyJohnzi]

That's where i live! Hamburg-Langenhorn!!!!

[@Gaston413]

"We at the district office don't like to see citizens cleaning the signs themselves (, ... we'd rather leave them uncleaned and overgrown with moss for over 10 years.)"

[@dan_kay]

One of the many reasons why I have left my homecountry 19 years ago.

[@BS-eh1zf]

"Do you have insurance? What if you slip?" - Ryan, we would like to officially welcome you as a German.

[@jensschroder8214]

next title: doppelte Glasgaser, double fiberglass. They do this Irrsinn crazy thing in our neighboring town, however, I haven't gotten it installed yet. still DSL

[@Hessi]

Maybe also interesting for you: How does a German living in the US see the US? What are the culture shocks? Here is a conversation between Easy German and Feli - with correct English subtitles: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sIK3faKmrNlmqK8

[@abandure4285]

It's all system! A sign like this will last approximately 30 years or more if it is maintained regularly. However, at some point the company that produces the signs will no longer be doing business. Therefore, the signs are replaced at regular intervals over a long-term contract. These intervals have a fixed date. It therefore does not bring any additional benefit to the city if the signs are cleaned, but would incur high costs in addition to the contract with the sign company.

[@aphextwin5712]

Financially it would only cost the city extra if it cleaned the signs. But road safety would increase, if the sign were to be cleaned regularly.

[@clydefrosch]

Because the dirt that accumulates on signs like this is full of toxic shit from car fumes and it's not meant to be washed by some rando who can't safely dispose of it. If the shield isn't usable anymore report it to ordnung amt and it will eventually be fixed or replaced. Its for the same reason you can only wash your car in car washing places

[@moover123]

4:40 the sensitive part wasn't said by him but by the sarcastic commentator

[@LuziBeerbaum]

I dont know about the current cleaner rates.... but 1 such a sign costs new between 1000 and 1500€ !!!

[@jrgptr935]

Man muß berücksichtigen, daß die reinigende Person eine Versicherung benötigen würde, für die sicherlich eine ärztliche Untersuchung bei einem "Vertrauensarzt" erforderlich wäre, es entstehen Reisekosten dorthin, dann die Ausgaben für die Verköstigung dort usw., das geht natürlich auch ins Geld, ins Steuergeld, da muß gespart werden, egal was es kostet. Der deutsche Staat hat keine Hemmungen, 1.000 € auszugeben, um 5 € am Bürger zu sparen.

[@EngineeringPilot]

German bureaucracy in a nutshell

[@marvindiagne237]

less economical means the oposite for people who work for the government. for average people an economic descision is to get something done for cheap, for them it is how the most money can circulate between people

[@saiberfun]

Man, I hope you got some good food after shooting the video. :) Your belly was raging.

[@blondkatze3547]

It`s important that you can clearly see the streets sign that says, attention to children and school. Crazy official regulations that you can`t understand.

[@tomkirkemo5241]

What's wrong with people these days?? :D I would like too see how the officials would react to what we used to do as children 45 years ago. :)

[@TackerTacker]

Only in Germany

[@crowguy506]

As an American, aren’t you supposed to blame the journalists for not protecting their source and deliver him to authorities? They might even tell him what not to do. That’s a horrible fate..

[@THomasHH]

Well, if everyone did that! Where would we get then? Maybe to a cleaner city? Nobody can want that ...

[@lordofnumbers9317]

Traffic signs are not cleaned but replaced? This is not good. Keyword: sustainability. I thought we had learned that the well-being of the economy cannot take precedence over protecting the environment. And by the way, Ryan, is there anything like environmental awareness in the USA?

[@bananas694]

at this point you should come to germany to get the full experience

[@drnkt69]

Eat something Ryan, we can hear your stomach :D

[@cheebadigga4092]

LMAO I didn't know that..... Germany and it's "it's not economic", worded by these 4-eyed guys is the worst xDDDDDDDDDD

[@AlexGys9]

Yeah, that's Germany all right. You got to love them, the Germans. Those little idiocies make life fun and diversified (or annoying when you take them too seriously). Allthough, to be honest, it is not only Germany.

[@Marfph]

Lately even many German politician complain about all the rules and regulations we have. "Der reale Wahnsinn" always delivers good examples for this. Why in this case not just say thank you.

[@Kelsea-2002]

The normal madness of German bureaucracy. Although I should be used to it after 20 years, I keep wondering if stupidity is a hiring criterion as a civil servant.

[@jrgptr935]

Aber wenn es das Gesetz so vorschreibt?

[@stiglarsson8405]

It wasnt mud.. it was algeas buildup after 10 years!

[@steemlenn8797]

More likely the pollen from the trees, backed in a warm light summer rain.

[@sekijawi]

Fun AND painful that's pretty much the definition of satire. Explanation for non-German viewers: Extra3 is a regular satire broadcast of the NDR (public broadcast station from northern Germany) showcasing ridiculous examples of mind-fucking German bureaucracy.

[@Hessi]

There are also ... "Reactionvideos" from Extra-3 (pronounced extra dry) itself: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oIrYg2p4m9uFrLc Here you can see the reactions of normal German people to these videos, which might be helpful for you to understand the irony and the linguistic wit of the videos.

[@winterlinde5395]

… and they say „realer Irrsinn“ right in the beginning! Ryan could finally practice saying that!👍🏻👍🏻

[@tvubermensch808]

Wtf... realy😅🇩🇪💪

[@Dragonspoetofdeath]

Hey, this is natural occurring dirt. Pollen and excrements from the fauna that lives in those trees this sign is under. And this 10 years is a very long time. I do not unterstand how bureaucracy works. The fact, that this landed in X3, a satire show that makes fun of absurd decisions by local governing persons is... I have no words. Other cities find a way to get a few of their state employed people specialised in cleaning or landscaping to control and maintain those things every few years (2-3, if I remember correctly)

[@Daftgrind]

Thanks for your content and for being the way you are! Do you read the comments? If you answer with "Yes", I will write something interesting and controversial about the powergamers under your next clip. If you don't like hot stuff, just don't answer. Appreciate you!

[@silviahannak3213]

Ridiculous..our Neighbours ...instead of taking care, saving money and Material.. Pretty stupid.

[@overdev1993]

the real star of this video was Ryans stomach :D

[@m.h.6470]

I am kind of on both sides here. On the one hand, it is nice, that he took the initiative and wanted to do something for the community. On the other hand, he has no clue, if he actually damaged the signs. Just because he said he didn't damage it, doesn't mean, that it is true. The retroreflective layer could be entirely ruined, as you don't see it with your naked eyes. And even if it is not completely destroyed, it might be scratched or affected, so that it might deteriorate over time.

[@skkofculture4232]

these things are build to withstand weather and shit. Some Soap Water doesnt damage them

[@Yotanido]

If it were that easy to damage, the signs wouldn't survive the next storm. Being pelted by sticks and such has got to be more damaging that a wet sponge. Their argument is absolute BS

[@m.h.6470]

@@skkofculture4232 how do you know? Soap contains chemicals, that could damage it. No amount of "weather and shit" can simulate those chemicals. Just because you ASSUME - like the man in the video - that it doesn't damage it, doesn't mean, that it is actually harmless.

[@steemlenn8797]

@@skkofculture4232 I don't say it does in this case, but yes, soap can damage special films. Same with the cleaning instrument, even if it is very soft, it might still do damage becaue it's a certain kind of material. Even changing the weaving pattern on the same material may cause micro scratches. (Just for example: Cleaning solar modules should only happen with water, but not with (household) cleaning chemicals, because they damage the film on the glass - which is also not normal glass. Other example: the glasses for your eyes.)

[@Gotenks-e1l]

YOUR RETROFLICKTIVE LAYER DOESNT REFLECT ANYTHING WHEN ITS COVERED IN GREEN STUFF. AND NO YOU ARE NOT GOING TO DAMAGE IT WITH CLEANING IT, ITS A STREET SIGN, IT GETS WET EVERYDAY IT ALWAYS RAINS IN GERMANY THEN THAT WOULD DAMAGE IT MUCH MORE KLUGSCHEISSER AND NOW THE SIGN IS NOT COVERED IN GREEN STUFF ANYMORE AFTER HE DID THEIR WORK FOR THEM AND NOW IT CAN REFLECT AGAIN BECAUSE ITS CLEAN AND IF HE WANTS TO CLEAN IT WITH A "SPECIAL CLEANER" THE HE CAN MOVE HIS ASS OVER THERE AND CLEAN IT WITH HIS MADE UP "SPECIAL CLEANER" WEISSER SCHILD RIESE AND NOT LET IT GET GREENER AND GREENER FOR 10 YEARS UNTIL THE SIGN TELLING YOU TO WATCH OUT FOR CHILDREN IS BARELY VISIBLE, BUT HE DIDNT GIVE A SHIT SO SOMEONE ELSE DID HIS WORK FOR HIM, SO HE SHOULD JUST SHUT UP AND GO THERE AND THANK HIM FOR DOING HIS WORK FOR HIM INSTEAD OF BEEING RUDE AND LYING. NUMBER 1 RULE IN GERMANY, DONT FALL FOR HORRIBLY MADE UP LIES BY BÜROKRATEN.

[@lukefreerider829]

Dieser Kommentar bereit wurde von Deutschland erobert 🇩🇪🇩🇪🇩🇪

[@steemlenn8797]

Bist du in der AfD oder wo hast du diese Rechtschreibung gelernt?

[@tsurutom]

😶‍🌫.... 🙂 Hollow! 🙃 How are you?

[@itsmebatman]

It sounds bizarre, but I can understand them not wanting people to mess with the signs. If you allow people to clean it what is going to stop them from "improving" the signs? Or making them dirty, because they don't like them? This could quickly turn into anarchy. And anarchy is un-german.

[@alexia2189]

This is one of the reasons I will leave the country. I like rules, but man... they can't think outside of the box.

[@dan_kay]

Don't be too surprised when - not if - you find similar or worse things all over the world. I am living in the 5th country now, and have encountered wild things in Spain, Sweden, the US and now Portugal. Different, but equally insane.

[@alexia2189]

@@dan_kay actually I am moving to Spain. I have been there before for a longer period of time and it was amazing. I fit more to that culture. I am tired of grumpy people that treat each other like crap. Not to mention the discrimination, in work, at the shop, at the doctor etc ,the crazy beauracracy, the panic anyone gets when something goes wrong. Nah... I tried for 9 years, got 2 burn outs and I am totally unhappy here. Even my German friends will move out...

[@dan_kay]

@@alexia2189 Well, then you will definitely encounter your fair share of bureaucracy that lacks any logic or common sense :D Registering a car in Germany: 3 hours on a bad day. In Spain: 3 days if everything goes well. I'm not making this up :)

[@alexia2189]

@@dan_kay I got nothing solved in 3 hours in Germany. It takes weeks if not months. And the lack of online services in public institutions... I am so tired of letters. Lately I encountered more and more stupid situations with public institutions that sometimes I just wonder if anybody works there.

[@dan_kay]

@@alexia2189 If you need much more than 3 hours to register a car in Germany, you're doing it wrong :D That was the most I had to wait, even in my little town south of Hamburg.

[@mrpectoris]

Ryan, when will u go to Germany? You have any idea?

[@odstshark1312]

Flurwoche, mehr sagt ich nicht

[@matzeberlin555]

The television program "Extra 3" is not a news program but satire. It is greatly exaggerated and sometimes even mundane events are scandalized. To make it sound funny, TV people like to twist things a bit. The man from the authority does NOT say: "Cleaning traffic signs is illegal." He says: We at the authority don't like it when citizens damage the signs, scratch them or endanger themselves. That's actually not funny. The man with the mop and the bucket didn't get into trouble with the authorities either. He was simply denied praise. Unfortunately, not all satire is good satire and unfortunately a lot of people don't understand what satire actually is. I think the man's action was good and the authorities' approach was a bit wasteful. But I absolutely don't see a funny scandal that could be called "crazy" or "Irrsinn".

[@lhuras.]

Straßenschilderputzverbot ... there is your long german word

[@michaelburggraf2822]

Straßenschildergrünalgenbeseitigungsverbot ... ein bisschen mehr Mühe geben, dann klappt das auch 🤣

[@lhuras.]

@@michaelburggraf2822 sind ja keine Algen, die da entfernt werden, sondern hauptsächlich Pollenrückstände

[@MichaelBurggraf-gm8vl]

If the signs are that sensitive how can they persist that long ? And particularly how can they appear so readble after cleaning ? Actually those street and traffic signs are insanely expensive (possibly due to some kind of monopolistic situation). There's probably some weird law or regulation demanding them to be replaced every 10 - 12 years or so. There's a similar situation with traffic lights in some areas in Germany. It's a pretty obscure matter buried under tons of laws, regulations and a distribution of competences between different levels of authorities (community, district, administrative region, country and federal authority) that nobody dares to dive into that matter - he'd never see daylight again. As a result we can't pay eg. nurses, educators, professionals in old age care and many more proper salaries. And of course numbers of law professionals are earning their bread with the details of that circus - the hordes of the mongolian invasion of Europe would look silly in comparison.

[@jurgenfichtel3253]

Deshalb werden wir aggressiv... Dafür zahlt man Strafe... Wie? Was hast du gesagt??.

[@rockrane1]

No no no 300 km/h.... Unless theres finnish Or swedish tourist driving there........

[@Auvas_Damask]

Has anyone seen the new Ahsoka episode yet? ❗ *SPOILER* ❗ Snips and the Clone Wars looked SO fucking awesome

[@Heart-Core]

🤔😂🤦‍♀

[@dakdf]

Here you go ... finally ! You think German lol 😂 thats so funny but the way it is ! You have the right to get down now greetz

[@Falk4J]

These things are kinda funny. But actually they are severely sad. How sick is this. There you have an official ranting about destroying the retroreflective layer that can't be seen because of 10 layers of antireflective dust and dirt which they don't even care to clean. Why would you dump these signs when you can just clean them easily and super cost effective. Someone needs to be fired.

[@martinkasper197]

Typical German bürocrazy...realler Irrsinn

[@ritabecker5625]

bescheuerte Behördenhltung. SIE SOLLTEN DANKBAR SEIN: evtl Patenschaften vergeben

[@ronaldderooij1774]

The civil servant was right. The community could be sued because of neglect if sombody was hurt cleaning these shields. And cleaning them every year is more expensive than leaving them for 10 years an renew them. Also indeed the reflective paint is vulnerable and if scratched, they are less visible at night. The communal services want to keep the procedure "clean" and not let everybody do dozens of different procedures on the shiels with dozens of different soaps so that nobody has any clue anymore in what state the shields will be (especially at night). I encountered this "problem" once in my youth in the Netherlands. A local police officer came regularly to our home to drink some coffee. My mother pointed to a no parking shield opposite our house that was extremely dirty and asked if that shield was still legal. A week later, there was a new shield. No cleaning.

[@skkofculture4232]

replacing the cost less than some good old man cleaning the for free... btw i am german so blast me

[@ronaldderooij1774]

@@skkofculture4232 I will not blast you for being German haha. But I will blast you for not reading my comment carefully. The communal services don't want people cleaning the shields with different ways and soaps and everything. Have 10 people clean the same shield and you will have 10 different approaches. So, it is then impossible to keep track of how well the shields are in performing their (nighttime) function. And the point of being liable when something bad happens to the cleaner is also still valid.

[@skkofculture4232]

@@ronaldderooij1774 It has nothing to do with the same xD thiese sighs are made to withstand weather and rain. the only reason why it is "forbidden" is because tge signs are goverment property. Allowing some civilian to clean it would be hell of a lot of burocracy and pawerwork

[@ronaldderooij1774]

@@skkofculture4232 Well, I destroyed the paint on part of my own car by cleaning it in the wong way. So I would certainly be capable of destoying a shield by cleaning it in the wrong way. And I think I am not the only one. The fact that it is public property is not the issue, I think. Many green parts of streets in the Netherlands are public property. But communal services love to have citizens maintain them (register first, and you will be audited once a year). It is cheaper to let the citizens do it. But I think the traffic signs are not comparable to that. However, both are public property. And why would it involve a lot of bureaucracy and paperwork, would you say?

[@1983simi]

i don't know Dutch insurance law, but if you get hurt in a public space by your own fault - as in voluntarily attempting to clean a freely accessible street sign - it will be your own health insurance and accident insurance (Unfallversicherung) that will be liable to pay for whatever damages cause. it's a different matter if you enter a restricted area - like a construction site - and get hurt in the process. in that case there may be some investigation into the question if the construction site was secured enough (cordoned off and clearly marked as dangerous zone), but if it was clearly a regularly secured construction site and you stepped on it anyway, again damages are on you (meaning your insurance). So there is no way for the city to be liable for damages if anyone gets hurt attempting to clean a street sign. However, as street signs are the city's property they may make you liable for any damages to the street sign and traffic security, which may result in you having to pay damages or a fine. This usually only applies to people who flick street signs as a dare though. Btw. the only situation in which the city itself would be liable for neglect is in fact if the sign is not legible anymore and not replaced in time before actually an accident happens due to the lack of legibility of the street sign. This specific sign indicates to drivers that there is a school nearby and children may cross the road at any time. Now if a child was to get hurt, the driver very much could point to the illegible sign and point part of the blame at the city council for neglecting their duty to control signs for their legibility and making sure to replace illegible signs. And finally, no, reflective foils and sign foilings are not that easily damaged. You sure can damage them if you were to treat them with a rough sponge /steel wool and aggressive cleaners. The general recommendation is a soft sponge or cloth - very much like the one the guy used - and a common household dish soap or detergent deluded in water - as the guy did. So, no, he did not damage that sign. However, I agree that it's not really an option to have citizens go out and clean street signs willy-nilly on their own accord in whatever ways they come up with. Caring for street safety by providing and maintaining legible street signs is the city's duty and people pay taxes for them to fulfill that duty. I don't even care that much if they send someone around to clean them or if they just send someone around to check them and replace them if necessary. The fact that the sign looked the way it did for a prolonged amount of time - btw. the reflective properties of a sign that is full of moss and dirt like that is also nill - just means that whoever is sitting in that administration now is not doing their job properly. That guy's guerilla cleaning glaringly pointed that fact out, which is why that civil servant reacted so testily.

[@davis_8082]

this video is just the tip of the iceberg of german bereaucracy.

[@elrabiator5104]

#1 Schildbürgerfolge für jedermann