Kidnapped by Deutsche Bahn • Hacker News Board

Re: Kidnapped by Deutsche Bahn

#201

Post by doommius » Mon, Dec 29, 2025, 1:35 PM UTC

modo_mario wrote: post #53

indiantinker wrote: post #17

DB is weird. They seem to make their own rules and then run the game and “dont tell the rules to anyone”. I was on my way to catch a flight from Munich to my home (Madrid). I didn’t knew that apparently at one point the train splits into two parts and the front part goes to the airport and the other part just goes to the nearby cattle farms and comes back in 3 hours. Google Maps - No idea Citymapper - what? English a…

[flagged]

I most most places to English. Honestly it should be default to have the local language and English.

Re: Kidnapped by Deutsche Bahn

#202

Post by xenocratus » Mon, Dec 29, 2025, 1:35 PM UTC

johnisgood wrote: post #112

rwmj wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because it's going to the airport and so might be full of travellers and tourists?

Unpopular opinion: you should learn the absolute basics of the language used in the country you are travelling to. Seriously? That unpopular? Lmfao.

Not only unpopular, but pretty daft too. If you think the basics of a language should include "this train will separate into two at station X, please sit in the front Y carriages to get to Z" then enjoy doing a cross-Europe trip.

Re: Kidnapped by Deutsche Bahn

#203

Post by cardanome » Mon, Dec 29, 2025, 1:35 PM UTC

101008 wrote: post #10

I know the author mentioned this, but I just got nervous imagining this as a tourist who doesn't speak German at all. This shouldn't be like this. Why they don't help at all? It's also funny considering how here in South America we look at Germany trains (and Switzerland trains) as always on time, and the best train system, etc. But I am sure if this happens here it would be on the cover of newspapers.

Germany had a great train system but Germany also has a big automobile industry that spends a lot of money on lobbying.

In the end of the 90s with neoliberalism being very popular, it was decided to privatize the trains. The effect was only minimal investments in the infrastructure and a gradual rotting away of the train network. Now we a reaping what we have sown.

The enshitification of the German trains was done on purpose so they don't compete with cars.

Re: Kidnapped by Deutsche Bahn

#204

Post by wasmitnetzen » Mon, Dec 29, 2025, 1:35 PM UTC

manarth wrote: post #159

stevage wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's really not too much to expect a train going to the airport to make important announcements in English.

And French, as Germany is adjacent to France. There are train connections to Scandinavia, so let's add Swedish, Danish and Finnish. Also Dutch and Polish to accommodate the other adjacent countries.

Cheap strawman. Travelling Swedes, Danes, Finns and Poles will be fine with English, Dutch with either/both English or German.

Re: Kidnapped by Deutsche Bahn

#205

Post by dz0ny » Mon, Dec 29, 2025, 1:35 PM UTC

This is the place where AI needs to take over, no more excuses!

For example in country 400k€ was spend on executives (200 hundred people) Christmas dinner for publicly owned company.

While the scheduling and company management is similar issues as DB. I think we ned a new word for this kind of clusterfuck!! They are "rulesfull", rules that hinder the system and make the user scream in pain and agony.

Re: Kidnapped by Deutsche Bahn

#206

Post by manarth » Mon, Dec 29, 2025, 1:35 PM UTC

sho_hn wrote: post #180

manarth wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And French, as Germany is adjacent to France. There are train connections to Scandinavia, so let's add Swedish, Danish and Finnish. Also Dutch and Polish to accommodate the other adjacent countries.

This is the sort of immature "well, actually" response that you can't afford anymore once you actually take responsibility for things. I wish more people trained themselves to have a "what if I had to do it" habit before having an opinion. Imagine you're in charge of the train network. You have to pay for the announcements on trains. You can't reasonanbly pay 10 announcements because that's silly and expensive. If yo…

Pragmatic is multiple languages in locations where it's highly relevant.

For example, the UK Gatwick Express train makes announcements in English, French, German and Spanish.

The Thameslink service (which also happens to travel on the same tracks and also happens to stop at Gatwick Airport) makes announcements in English only.

I wouldn't expect local or regional trains in Europe to make announcements other than in that country's native language – except perhaps where it's a service designed for airport connections or similar international travel.

Re: Kidnapped by Deutsche Bahn

#207

Post by max_aucube » Mon, Dec 29, 2025, 1:35 PM UTC

Average experience with Deutsche Bahn.

I'm french, my first trip in this country was epic. First time going to Köln ( Cologne ), the train back to the airport never arrived, with no explanation. I was literally stranded in another country without money.

Re: Kidnapped by Deutsche Bahn

#208

Post by sersi » Mon, Dec 29, 2025, 1:35 PM UTC

When I was a child in France people were quick to say that trains ran on time in Germany... Well, in my experience there is no developed country with a worse train company than DB. Even Amtrack is still slightly better. In France people complain about the SNCF (especially strikes) but at least outside of strikes the TGV are mostly on time.

Re: Kidnapped by Deutsche Bahn

#209

Post by Flatterer3544 » Mon, Dec 29, 2025, 1:36 PM UTC

larnon wrote: post #87

em500 wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd reverse the question ask why Germany (or any other country where English is not an official language, and does not majorly rely on tourism for income) would provide any public information in English? Commercial services can choose to do so a matter of self interest, but why would state financed services?

Because the State wants to attract well educated international workers to fix it's failing economy?

Problem is that failing to communicate will lead to huge productivity holes, so to "fix it", either the natives need to learn a non native language or the incoming immigrants need to learn the native language..

So, attracting the international workforce to come Germany vs being able to fully utilise them are completely different ballparks..

Re: Kidnapped by Deutsche Bahn

#210

Post by kioleanu » Mon, Dec 29, 2025, 1:36 PM UTC

As I live around the area where this happened and I am well aware of how DB is on this route, this story sounds extremely sketchy - why would the train change lines to the other side of the Rhine and not stop at any of the 17 (!!!) stops along the way to Neuwied? Especially with people in it?

The problem was a broken relay, no trains were able to run for a few hours through Bonn. The official statement said that the trains have stopped and were replaced by buses.