this Saturday was totally different than others. I had an experience with Die Deutsche Polizei. One could not believe how unbelievable it was!
So, I had started work at Amazon Duisburg as a Sortation Assistant two weeks before. I've got a second-hand 3x7 geared bike from Ebaykleinanzeige for 50 Euros. Here in Germany, a bike must have working brakes, head and tail light and a Tring-Tring (a bike bell). I had taken take of that! I am now saving almost around 15-15 minutes while travelling to and from the work and got rid of that painful 15-minute walk till the Next-bike station while returning home.
Today I have thought looking the shortest way back home with the help of Google Maps. I have had a bad experience with it already. So I looked for the way and started driving. Suddenly I drove onto a way where I was not supposed to! I have seen some roads with no separate way for bikes. I thought this would be the one. No! that was an "Autobahn" with dynamic speed limits.
I was worrying whether I am on the wrong path. It was true. I could not go back either. I again looked into the navigation and was in a confused thinking process. I drove very slowly a little bit further and then a saw a dynamic traffic signboard like this-
Only the speed limit at that time was 50 Kmph. Suddenly I listened to a shouting sound -
" hey du Stopp! Komm hier...hier."
I confirmed that there is something BIG wrong here. The car back to me stopped until I went to the control room from where the lady was shouting.
"Weiss du, wie gefaehrlich das ist? Das ist einen Autobahn!"
I was cool and thought that the worst case would be paying 100-200Euros Penalty. I listened to the lady and one more gentleman there calmly and parked my bike there.
"Wir rufen die Duisburg Polizei jetzt, die holen dir dann ab"
I was a bit shocked that the Police will pick me up and don't what will happen! (Laughing feelings inside). I told the controller lady and the man that
"I was following google maps. I had doubt though that I am on the wrong way but I couldn't either go back. If I knew that this is an Autobahn I'd never driven onto it."
I waited there for almost 5-10 minutes looking inside the control room.
The police van arrived with a Policelady and a Policeman sitting inside.
The Policeman took handcuffs attached somewhere to his back pocket and again attached near to his front pocket. OMG! Man, I was really wondering, what's happening. I was still cool and calm because I knew my intentions. The controller lady told the "Polizistin" who has beautiful grey eyes, the scenario. When it was my turn I told as above. Believe me, they both were so polite to me and it was unexpectable! I showed my navigation route on mobile to her and tried to convince her. She understood it and told me that they'd pick me up with my bike and drop me till the bikeway. The Policeman asked me if I possess a Fuehrerschein and since how long I have been living here in Germany. I replied. Then she put my bike inside the van and asked me to sit in (back row). It was a Mercedes van. She asked me where do I live so that they can drop me there. I wore sit belt trying to impress them ;) and after 5-8 minutes, we were 2 minutes near to my Wohnheim.
I took my bike on the bikeway. The policeman asked me to open my Navigation app but I knew the way to my wohnheim from there. I was really so happy and have completely changed views on Deutsche Polizei. I thanked both of them and finally returned to my home with a sigh of relief!😃
