ANGRY MERCEDES DRIVER

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written by Lisa Stutz, She is looking for a balance between urban and rural. And picks the best of both.

CITY, COUNTRY, STUTZ

There isn’t much that everyone in Zurich agrees on. But “AG” on the license plate stands for “Achtung Gefahr” (Canton Aargau), “Warning, Danger”. Fathers impress this on their sons while they are still fidgeting in the child seat in the back. As soon as locals can decipher the two fateful letters on the vehicle in front of them, they try to somehow get to safety by overtaking them hastily or desperately honking their horns.

As a native of Aargau myself, I don’t take that personally. Honestly, I’m overwhelmed every time I have to drive into town. Here a tram, there a cyclist, the GPS screams left, I can only go right, is that a one-way? Fuck! And then it’s not just about driving without hurting yourself or others. No, you should also find the destination. But god forbid you to slow down a little because Google maps haven’t updated yet and you don’t know if you have to turn right now. But then the honking starts at the back. That’s why I’m in favor of 30 km/h in all cities. Nationwide. That would give us a lot of time – to orientate, to think, to pause.

Tempo 30 is known to be more of a concern for the left. In the past, as a local editor, I was there when representatives of the local SVP could argue the whole evening against a 30 zone by the school buildings. But here I would definitely have them on my side. We from the countryside come back from the trip to the city so stressed that even the ringing of the ball bells reminds us of the angry honking of the angry Mercedes driver. I am against traumatization and for more relaxed driving in the city. More Zen, less rush – more Z, less H. (The license plate in Zurich is “ZH”)

Published in the Migros Journal March 2022