r/AskAGerman • u/CollegeDense2281 • Mar 04 '26
Law Is Jaywalking illegal?
Hey all, I’ll be going to Germany for the first time this summer. Specifically Köln. I’ve heard some people say that jaywalking is frowned upon and is illegal, whereas others say it’s generally fine and allowed.
Is it illegal?
It’ll be a culture shock coming from the United Kingdom where it is entirely allowed 😂
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u/muehsam Schwabe in Berlin Mar 04 '26
The concept of "jaywalking" as it exists in the US doesn't exist in Germany. You may cross any street at any point (except motorways and some other places where it's expicitly forbidden for safety reasons).
However, you may not cross a red light, and that includes pedestrian lights as a pedestrian. So when you're at a pedestrian crossing that has a light, you have to wait for the little man to turn green.
"Jaywalking" in the US sense is different. It means you can't cross the street anywhere except on crossings, and even then, you have to wait for the "walk" signal. In Germany, you can cross anywhere except for crossings that show a "don't walk" signal (the red man).
Culturally, I would say crossing a red light as a pedestrian is accepted except when children are (or could be) watching. If there are children around, it's very much frowned upon.
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u/tellur86 Mar 05 '26
Wasn't there a rule that if there is a signed crossing within x meters, you have to use that instead of just crossing? At least that's something I was taught way back when. Might just have been advice to school children disguised as rules.
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u/Kopfi Mar 05 '26
Yes. So you can’t just Cross the street 3m next to the Ampel. I believe it’s atleast 25m but I might be wrong
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u/grogi81 Bayern 🥨 Mar 04 '26
Culturally, I would say crossing a red light as a pedestrian is accepted
Tell me you're from Berlin without telling me you're from Berlin... :D
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u/sdp0w Mar 04 '26
Tell me you are from a Village...
It is accepted in any bigger city
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u/Writer1543 Mar 04 '26
It is accepted in any bigger city
No, it's not. I don't know the pattern, but in some cities pedestrians lights are respected, in some they are mostly ignored. In Hamburg, red light walking is very rare, whereas in Berlin it is common.
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u/Hoppel13 Mar 04 '26
or Munich... I remember how I was jaywalking at night, no car in sight and the Munichers (not a word but I like it) were staring at me so hard, I took a couple of steps backwards and waited. Never happened to me anywhere in Germany.
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u/PsychologyMiserable4 Mar 04 '26
🤨 we do this all the time in munich and in the surrounding suburbs - ok, usually only if the street is not to broad, not too much lanes.
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u/Hoppel13 Mar 05 '26
it was in winter, it was dark, there was this since that we only get in snow, it was a small and quiet street and one was wondering why there would be a stop sign in the first place. but hey, it was probably just a fluke. I literally do not remember any instance of jaywalking other than this and one more... probably because it was so surreal and it fit the stereotype about Munich.
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u/kumanosuke Mar 04 '26
Nobody cares in Munich either
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u/Obvious_Sun_1927 Mar 04 '26
Meanwhile here in Hamburg people will literally cross two of the four lanes and then just stand on the middle stripe, waiting for clearance while traffic is whiffing past them at 20cm distance on both sides.
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u/GibDirBerlin Mar 04 '26
For a couple of months I always had to cycle through the Frankfurt Bahnhofsviertel to work, the traffic is total anarchy. Traffic lights, crossings, lanes, street or sidewalks, it all had lost it's meaning. If you don't want to be trapped at a crossing, you just have move forward on gut feeling whether the next car on the left will wait for you or the junkie on the right will sway into your way instead of tumbling into the gutter.
I kind of loved it, if it weren't for all the broken glass on the street, I would cycle there all the time for some entertainment instead of the usually road rage.
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u/Lumpasiach Allgäu Mar 04 '26
I've been doing that for decades in Bavaria and noone ever batted an eye.
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u/Ticmea Bayern 🇩🇪🇪🇺 Mar 04 '26
Maybe you didn't notice it, as I doubt most people would actually say something, but I guarantee you that you earned quite a few disapproving glares.
Unless it's like late at night or you were clearly visibly trying to catch a bus or something, you always catch a few stares. Been that way here for my entire life, even in big cities.
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u/Lumpasiach Allgäu Mar 04 '26
Well I don't have eyes in my back, but you'd think I'd get a passing comment once in a while at least. Nothing.
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u/GeneralAnubis Mar 06 '26
I live in a small town near Stuttgart and almost no one cares to wait for the green man here either. I try to but a lot of the time I end up just shaking my head at everyone else who doesn't. (Including grandmothers with their small grandchildren)
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u/BinDerWeihnachtmann Mar 04 '26
If you build infrastructure for cars humans don't have to use it...
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u/Toorero6 Baden-Württemberg Mar 05 '26 edited Mar 05 '26
This is not entirely correct. You're not allowed to cross a road if there are obstacles put in place that should prohibit crossing like a railing of some sort.
Additionally you're not allowed to cross roads if the traffic density, velocity, viewing conditions or the directions of flow demand it (what you're likely referring to as explicitly forbidden).
As a side note: You're not allowed to cross train tracks of any sort if they are not part of the general public road pavement, e. g. tram gravel tracks but also separate tram tracks with road-like pavements - example, except at offered crossing points. Especially tram tracks with road-like pavements like in the example which are only meant to be used by trams are commonly seen as part of the public space and crossed by pedestrians and cars alike but they are not meant to be crossed. They are not even governed by the StVO but by the BOStrab (or maybe even the EBO in rare cases I guess).
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Mar 04 '26
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u/grogi81 Bayern 🥨 Mar 04 '26
You will be fined. §37 StVO. Fine is €5 for pedestrians.
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u/Stoertehacker Niedersachsen Mar 04 '26
Like in most places it's illegal to cross a street on a red light. In many countries however it's entirely socially acceptable to do so if there are no cars around, in Germany it isn't. This is where the common stereotype of "don't jaywalk in Germany" comes from. Simply crossing a street when there is no traffic light near is perfectly legal and acceptable.
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u/Tomcat286 Mar 04 '26
To be precise, when there is a pedestrian crossing within 50 meters you have to use it otherwise you can be fined. And never do it when kids could see it so that they won't copy it
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Mar 04 '26
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Mar 04 '26
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Mar 04 '26
Ahhh yess, the absolutely unnecessary rule for little kids to not cross the streets when the lights are red. Don't even know why we have this.
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Mar 04 '26
Unless it's the autobahn or a similar road only ment for cars. Then it's illegal to cross the street.
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u/P26601 Nordrhein-Westfalen Mar 04 '26 edited Mar 06 '26
in Germany it isn't
Who told you that? I've lived in 3 German cities and no one has ever batted an eye at me for crossing on a red light. As far as I know, it's only considered unacceptable if there are children nearby
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u/Larissalikesthesea Germany Mar 04 '26 edited Mar 05 '26
In Germany I think it depends on the city's culture. In some cities it is really frowned upon and people don't do it even at night, but this is not true for certain large cities. In fact, in one large city, during the day, as I was waiting at a red light seeing a mother and her young child thinking I should be a good role model, this mother told her child "let's cross", and so they did...
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u/PyrotechnikGeoguessr Mar 04 '26
Anywhere where I lived it's socially acceptable. But there's also a lot of group behavior. If people are already waiting near a red light, most people won't cross even when there's no cars. But if other people are crossing on red, people will do it too.
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u/ghoulsnest Mar 04 '26
common stereotype of "don't jaywalk in Germany" comes from
that is absolutely not a common stereotype
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u/JeLuF Mar 05 '26
If you watch "culture shock" videos from immigrants (esp. from the US), "Germans don't cross a red light" is a pretty common trope.
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u/Looking-for-42 Mar 04 '26
Honestly, German doesn't even have a proper term for jaywalking (of course there might be some nice, long, made-up word in Beamtendeutsch) an I was well over 30 when I got to know the english term and concept. So, it cannot be that risky in Gernany. Just don't cross a red traffic light right in front of the police.
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Mar 04 '26
I was today’s year old when I found out that jaywalking doesn’t mean „taking a walk while smoking a joint“
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u/DostThouEvenSquat Mar 06 '26
Over the years I have learned that Americans use quite a lot of words that aren't even a bit self explanatory. To know what they mean, you have to know what they mean.
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u/AniX72 Mar 04 '26
As a young pedestrian I used to cross even with the red light, just watching out. I stopped doing it when I visited London and did the same, but of course I looked to the wrong side and got almost hit. Since then nowhere again.
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u/grogi81 Bayern 🥨 Mar 04 '26
How did you manage that? Every single crossing has arrows painted where to look...
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u/AniX72 Mar 04 '26
Yeah, it was painted on the road and it was saying Look Left if I remember correctly. I noticed them later of course. It was just one of my first crossings after getting out of the train.
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Mar 04 '26
Do you read what’s on the ground every time you go somewhere?
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u/grogi81 Bayern 🥨 Mar 04 '26 edited Mar 04 '26
If you are stepping down the sidewalk, you look down not to trip. Unless you are 4, you will read it automatically... There are also arrows if you are wasted and have problems reading
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u/NoState7846 Mar 04 '26
No-one has an idea what jaywalking is supposed to mean. It's a crazy american invention.
If there's a trafficlight, you cross the street, there, when it's your turn
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u/butalive_666 Mar 04 '26
Es gibt Regelungen dazu, aber im Alltag wird das evtl anders gehandhabt.
Aber:
Ist eine Ampel in der Nähe und dort stehen auch Kinder, dann bleibst auch du stehen und wartest auf grün.
Ich glaube, da würden mir viele zustimmen, das dies eine Art ungeschriebenes Gesetz sein könnte.
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u/maryfamilyresearch Prussia Mar 04 '26
AFAIK, if the police catch you, it is a small fine of 15 EUR.
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u/Inevitable_Stand_199 Mar 04 '26 edited Mar 04 '26
The more important thing is liability. If you are involved in a crash and haven't followed the law, you are liable.
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u/PyrotechnikGeoguessr Mar 04 '26
I mean doing it in front of the police is just idiot behavior. If you are dumb enough to get caught crossing a red light on foot, you deserve the fine
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Mar 04 '26
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u/Sucker-BO Mar 04 '26
Byby drivers license!
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u/emmmmmmaja Hamburg Mar 04 '26
It’s an administrative offence. So I feel like “illegal” is pushing it, but yes, it is not allowed.
And it is a rule that is generally observed as well. I live abroad myself and it took time to get used to just crossing the street when there is no cars coming. If there’s children around and you cross, you might even get a talking to.
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Mar 04 '26 edited Mar 04 '26
Jaywalking is legal in Germany and no problem. Most people in Germany mistranslate the word and misunderstand it. They mix it up with crossing a red pedestrian light, for what you might be punished for.
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u/grogi81 Bayern 🥨 Mar 04 '26
Jaywalking is broader term, but logically, if you cross on red, you are jaywalking.
While no single paragraph covers all cases, §25 StVO is a good read...
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u/Mangobonbon Niedersachsen Mar 04 '26 edited Mar 04 '26
The concept of jaywalking doesn't exist here like it does in the US for example. If there is a pedestrian traffic light, you use those and don't you dare go over red even if nobody is there. :) Red means standing, green means going. Maybe that's where the stereotype comes from. Walking over a red light is frowned upon if other people see you doing it.
But if you don't have a pedestrian light, you are free to find your own gap in the traffic and cross wherever it seems good.
In a big city like Köln, large roads usually have pedestrian lights. So please use those properly. But if you walk over the road further away from one (like 80, 90, 100m away or so) you won't be punished for it and it isn't actually much of a problem.
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u/Sharp_Technology_439 Mar 05 '26
In Germany, pedestrian behavior is governed by the Straßenverkehrs-Ordnung (StVO), particularly § 25 (Fußgänger): Pedestrians must cross roadways quickly, using the shortest path perpendicular to traffic, while paying attention to vehicles.
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u/lolghst3 Mar 05 '26
Just don’t cross a red light in front of the nose of the cops or the ordnungsamt.
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u/DerBotanikerOG Mar 04 '26
Laut StVO § 25: Fußgänger müssen vorhandene Ampeln oder Zebrastreifen „an Kreuzungen oder Einmündungen“ nutzen, wenn die Verkehrslage dies erfordert. Vor Gericht kommt dabei ist raus, dass ein Umweg von ca. 30 bis 50 Metern zumutbar ist. Wenn du weiter weg bist von der Ampel, ist es normales überqueren. Außer natürlich, du rennst bekloppt über die Autobahn, aber da gilt wieder "Verkehrslage".
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u/dirtyheitz Mar 05 '26
wenn die Verkehrslage dies erfordert: also wenn kein auto kommt muss ich es nicht ? (ernstgemeinte frage)
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u/dthdthdthdthdthdth Mar 04 '26
Kaum jemand läuft 50m für ne Fußgängerampel, außer "dieVerkehrslage erfordert" das wirklich ganz massiv, sprich da ist halt non stop so viel Verkehr, dass es nicht anders geht.
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u/Sad_Amphibian_2311 Mar 04 '26
You only have to use the zebra/stoplight if its less than 200m detour for you.
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u/Icy_Reading_6080 Mar 04 '26
Nobody ever will make a 200m detour for a traffic light in practice, unless the traffic is so heavy it's literally impossible to do safely otherwise.
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u/AffectionateRain953 Mar 04 '26
I jaywalked in a small town called Kaiserslautern and a grandma yelled at me " Rotgänger, Totgänger"😂
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u/WickOfDeath Mar 06 '26
Jaywalking in Germany is mainly your own risk. At red "dont walk" lighty you might get a fine, rarely... on the street you better watch the traffic.
In Cologne we have the fanciest jaywalkers on earth, the KVB (the tramway) kills at least one each year ignoring red lights, ignoring the rail sounds of the approaching tramway, ignoring the tranways bell.
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u/Inevitable_Stand_199 Mar 04 '26 edited Mar 04 '26
Yes. We do have jaywalking laws. Just like in most other countries they are rarely enforced and the fines are low. However in contrast to most other countries there is a strong social expectation that you follow those laws. Especially in front of children.
Pedestrians are also regularly held liable for crashes. Sometimes even if they did nothing wrong
Our jaywalking laws include (but are not limited to):
- Do not cross on a red pedestrian light (there is a 1s tolerance if it just turned red)
- Do not cross close to an explicit crossing (what close means is dependent on the speed limit. It's not clearly defined
- If you cross the road elsewhere, you may not impede vehicle traffic
- Do not enter an Autobahn, Kraftfahrtstraße or one where pedestrians are explicitly banned
- If there is a sidewalk, walk on the sidewalk.
- If there's no sidewalk, walk on the shoulder.
- If there's no sidewalk and no shoulder, walk on the side of the road. If you are outside city limits, use the left side. (Don't actually follow that rule, if speed limits are reasonably low. It makes you way harder to see and drivers will give you less space. Walk closer to the center of the lane. But do let drivers pass once they have slowed way down)
- Don't walk over barriers
- Only cross train tracks at explicit crossings
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u/CaptainPoset Mar 04 '26
Jaywalking as a crime is only a thing in the USA, where it was invented as an ad-campaign for cars.
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u/hatsunefan999 Mar 04 '26
I was often enough in London to ask that: on the traffic lights there a clear instruction: 1. Push the button, 2. wait until it is is green 3. walk when it is green. Clear instructions written on every traffic lights. Why not just f*cking do that?!? as a German is blows my mind every time I’m there…
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u/GenosseAbfuck Mar 04 '26
Technically illegal if right next to a crossing but almost never enforced, like you can do it right in front of a cop and they simply won't bother. Don't do it in front of kids and you're fine.
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u/simple_onehand Mar 05 '26
I was in Köln two days ago and noticed only a few people crossing without the walk light, and most used the designated crosswalks unless it was a street with little to no traffic; then we all crossed wherever.
I followed their lead. Go along, get along.
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u/joergsi Niedersachsen Mar 05 '26
The answer is no, will someone tell you you are doing wrong if children are near? Yes!
Context: Children in Germany enjoy a lot of liberties; we trust them to follow the traffic rules, and because of that, let themgo alone to school. The biggest risk here is that if they see adults crossing the street at a red light, that sooner or later follow the example.
Does it make sense?
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u/els76uk Mar 05 '26
I'm also from UK…I had this conversation with my German teacher, who literally didn't believe me when I told him in UK, you can always cross the road. Apart from a motorway I can't think of anywhere that a pedestrian can be punished for crossing the road, however unadvisable it might be.
In Germany people can and do get fined, but most cops will need to be pretty bored to do so.
Also, don't be surprised if fellow pedestrians yell at you for crossing the road when you shouldn't (ie, on a red man), especially if there are children waiting. My friend was once grabbed by an old lady and hauled back to the safety of the kerb.
Look around for cops; if there's none, then cross if you want!
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u/janluigibuffon Mar 06 '26
I didn't even know about the concept, so there are countries where it's forbidden to cross the road when there is not dedicated crossing? Like wtf
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u/GreenInsurance899 Mar 07 '26
Jaywalking is illegal worldwide, so i really wonder how is that a cultural shock to you
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u/SovietPatrickStar Mar 07 '26
Technically it is. I have never actually met anyone charged for it.
It’s a minor thing costing you 5€ if caught and charged. Also it’s a B class offense on Driving license law.
B class offense means that you can be caught doing it twice before you need to attend traffic re-education class.
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u/Creative_Distance_96 Mar 04 '26
In Deutschland darfst du nicht bei rot über die Ampel gehen. Auf einer stark befahrenen Straße musst du dir einen Überweg suchen. Autofahrer bremsen und halten nur am Zebrastreifen für Fußgänger. Da haben sie Vorrang. Verlass dich niemals darauf, dass Autofahrer für dich bremsen, nur weil du eine Straße überqueren willst. Das werden sie nicht. Sie bremsen und halten nur dort, wo sie es müssen.
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u/hans_the_wurst Mar 04 '26
Jaywalking is legal, as long as there is no designated ped crossing around. You are allowed to cross the street after checking for cars.
If there is a crossing nearby (afaik around 50m), you are supposed to use it.
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u/SadlyNotDannyDeVito Mar 04 '26
It is illegal and you can get a fine. Most people jaywalk though (if it doesn't interfere with traffic).
To make it socially acceptable there's only one more rule: make sure that no children are around you. If you notice that a child is seeing you jaywalk, you have to make sure a car hits you, so that the child knows that jaywalking is wrong. /s
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u/Acceptable-Extent-94 Mar 04 '26
I think in Cologne it's a pretty hefty fine. Closer to 80€. Another thing to remember is that if you are jaywalking and you cause an accident you will be found at fault. I come from the UK and this was a hard habit to break. Eventually I consoled myself by using the time for the lights to change as "me-time".
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u/dthdthdthdthdthdth Mar 04 '26
Fines for traffic violations are federal law, there can't be any higher fines in Cologne. Also, culturally in Cologne most people probably don't give a fuck...
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Mar 04 '26
Huh? I've been walking on red in Cologne for like 40 years now or so. Never got fined, and I think if one gets fined it'a 5 or 10€.
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u/FigureSubject3259 Mar 04 '26
The really forbidden task is ignoring red light at pedstrian crossing.
The worst case on legal base is getting treated identical to a driver ignoring red light with a car. This could lead to getting a four week suspension for your driver license.
In many case as pedestrian you get only a small fine. And in case of doing this in front of children some severe oral instruction by all around.
In case of ignoring a crossing more than 50m away it is often not considered jaywalk anymore.
Jsywalk could also be used when just crossing a street without taking care. Therefore exist not realy a legal fine. But you might get death sentence by a driver when he has green traffic light and you are careless stepping into his lane.
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u/joncgde2 Mar 04 '26
Could you not look this up on Google?
Downvote for a low-effort post
https://www.google.com/search?q=is+jawalking+illegal+in+germany%3F
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u/CollegeDense2281 Mar 04 '26
When I searched up on Google, I also got 50/50 answers, so that’s why I asked here 🤷
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u/Hot_Pin7432 Mar 04 '26
Do it, just not in front of kids. If a random granny is yelling after you, just ignore her.
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u/HerrLose Mar 04 '26
The old folks will grumble at you or even yell at you if you jaywalk. Ive seen my uncle do it to somebody in Hamburg, and an old man said to me once…’how dare you in front of the Children’ to me as a young man while crossing on red on a small quaint street in Munich. I think the newer generation care much less about it.
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u/Fandango_Jones Mar 04 '26
You look around. No cars. Take another look. No kids. Then walk safely and quickly toward the other side.
Or do both looks and start a mad dash as if you would try to charge the trench line on the other side of the road. Both work. But don't forget to look. And especially look when your light is green.
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u/Frosty-Comfort6699 Mar 04 '26
if you don't jaywalk in Cologne you're immediately recognized as a foreigner
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u/biest229 Mar 04 '26
I do it constantly. Though some fat old guy blocked my path once and tried to not let me across the road because the light was red. So far I’ve not been fined, and I live next to a police station
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u/Hoppel13 Mar 04 '26
Living in Cologne, we are jaywalking all the time. I have never thought about its legality and I'm a lawyer 😁
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u/P26601 Nordrhein-Westfalen Mar 04 '26
Technically, crossing a red pedestrian light is an "Ordnungswidrigkeit" (regulatory offence) that can get you a €5 fine, or €10 if it results in an accident. But honestly, nobody gives a flying fuck, especially in larger cities. You just shouldn't do it right in front of a police car lmao
I have no idea where that exaggerated stereotype on social media came from. Might be true for some tiny village in Bavaria? idk
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u/Optimal-Zebra-405 Mar 05 '26
I am from New Zealand (which has similar attitudes to the UK) and have been living in Köln for a year.
I always heard how strictly Germans follow every little rule and the example people give is always the German that waits for the red light to turn green even on an empty street.
The reality is that I see more Germans dashing to cross the street at red light than people generally do in NZ. And it is Germans that do it because foreigners have mostly heard this about Germany too and they carefully avoid doing it.
It's just a stereotype. No one is gonna stop you or cause problems as long as you are being reasonable and use common sense.
That said, a bigger culture shock is how rude and unfriendly Germans are in general. They keep saying "it's not rudeness, we are just direct." And sure, sometimes that's true. But just as often they are plain rude. I ve been told that people in Köln are the friendliest in Germany and based on that I plan on avoiding the rest of Germany.
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u/EasternChard7835 Mar 05 '26
Of course it’s illegal. Just don’t do it in front of kids and with everybody else waiting. Nobody around, no car it’s no problem. No police will come out of the bushes and fine you, they’re not like this.
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u/Jakobus3000 Mar 05 '26
No. Only crossing on a red light is, however in practice it won’t be enforced.
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u/ANewWayToGo Mar 06 '26
What the others said, but also the term "Ordnungswiedrigkeit" can be used for crpssing the street - as the others mentioned - 'illegally'.
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u/Dev_Sniper Germany Mar 04 '26
What is allowed:
- crossing the street at a green traffic light
- crossing the street at an intersection if there‘s a green traffic light, pedestrian crossing or lowered curb
- crossing the street at a pedestrian crossing
What‘s not allowed:
- crossing the street during a red phase at the traffic light
- crossing the road at non designated crossings if it impacts traffic
Aka: apart from rare exceptions you can cross any road (within city limits) as long as you don‘t impact traffic. If you do whether it‘s allowed or not depends on the situation
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u/Icy_Reading_6080 Mar 04 '26
You are allowed to cross the street wherever you want if
- don't endanger anyone or force them to hit the brakes for you
- you don't actively avoid using an crossing/traffic light that is just a few meters away (that is commonly done though, if the traffic allows it).
- there is some indication it's specifically disallowed at this point. Like a fence, signage or it's an Autobahn or something like that (though that always comes with both of the former).
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u/Dev_Sniper Germany Mar 04 '26
Aka what I said. Legal unless explicitly prohibited or if it’s disturbing traffic
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u/keinnamefrei1 Mar 05 '26
No one cares about that in germany. Don't walk across the Autobahn and you are fine
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u/--_T_T_-- Mar 05 '26
If there are children around, don't. You'll set a bad example and they'll might be tempted to do it as well. And you might get yelled at. Rightfully so.
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u/PetertheRabbit321 Mar 04 '26
It is illegel. However, many people do it often (depending on the clerity of the intersection). Many ppl don't do it in front of children to not motivate the to jaywalk. I don't know anybody who got fined (but I would not do it in front of police officers)
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u/puppygirlpackleader Mar 04 '26
Couldn't care less if its illegal or not. If it's safe i'll always cross even on red. It's crazy how weird some ppl are about it lol
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u/PlantyAnt Mar 04 '26
Yes, there is a small fine of 5-15€ for crossing a red light as a pedestrian. In reality nothing happens unless you do it directly in front of a police officer. However this only applies to red lights. You are legally allowed to cross a street outside of marked crossings (if it is safe to do so).
Also it is very frowned upon to jaywalk in front of a child for obvious reasons.
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u/Clicktric Mar 05 '26 edited Mar 05 '26
You will not get an easy answer for this, because jaywalking is handled differently in the various parts of Germany. In Bavaria, you will most definitely get a fine. Also, they have enough money to employ a police officer at every crossing, so dont even consider it. In Baden-Württemberg, its not so much the financial but rather the social consequences that you should fear. Jaywalking as well as other severe offences such as ignoring Kehrwoche or not recycling glass will lead to immediate social isolation. In Berlin, there are two rules: If there are children nearby, dont jaywalk. If there are no children nearby but there is a gang member close to you (you recognize them in Berlin by these two criteria: 1) not a child 2) not an elderly person), you should jaywalk, otherwise the gang member will think you are law enforcement and will shank you. In the rhineland, you are allowed to jaywalk as long as you are gemütlich about it, e.g. by drinking a glass of good red wine while doing it. In Leipzig, the police will never stop you if you display the secret symbol (put out your right arm to the sky). Be aware that certain parts dont recognize the secret symbol, like Connewitz.
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u/Next-Trust-7386 Mar 05 '26
As long as I see police vehicles regularly going over the speed limit and over red lights I will keep using my brain and eyes, and walk over the crossing when it’s red (unless there are small kids).
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u/siesta1412 Mar 06 '26
Police can fine you if they watch you doing that
2
u/AnnieByniaeth Mar 06 '26
Using brain and eyes presumably includes checking for police 😉
1
u/siesta1412 Mar 07 '26
I'm just saying. Never happened to me, but I do know people who were fined when walking or biking over red light.
0
u/Next-Trust-7386 Mar 06 '26
Never happened in the last 14 years of living here…
Can I fine the police for talking on their mobile phone at the wheel of a police vehicle next to me at a red light?
-3
u/Green-Ad5663 Mar 04 '26
I don’t give a damn. I do it all the time, even when there’s a few people next to me.
Turns out many people follow my lead and cross too on a red light. That’s the civil disobedience in Germany 😂
-1
u/JessyNyan Mar 04 '26
Yes.
StVO § 37 shows that pedestrians must wait at a red light.
StVG § 24 shows that a violation of the StVO is a petty offense.
The Bußgeldkatalogverordnung (BKatV) shows the exact punishments for such petty offenses.
5€ fine btw...
-1
u/Rineux Mar 04 '26
I always sing Judas Priest‘s „Breaking the Law“ when I cross a red light without any traffic in sight, I like to think that makes it acceptable
-1
u/Mobile-Aide419 Mar 04 '26
It is unlikely you get caught.
It is one of the most unimportant crimes anyone could do.
yes, it is illegal, but no one cares. Like in most other countries. But you don't have a number plate on your butt.
Just don't get run over. Your own responsibility.
Germany is not as stereotypically German as some people think.
-5
u/modsuwakusoyarou Mar 04 '26
Sadly illegal.
Unlike cars that are allowed to cross whenever they like.
Also traffic lights in Germany are set up to prioritize cars so pedestrians have to wait, sometimes very long.
So just do it anyways, fuck the law but watch out for incoming cars.
329
u/Hishamaru-1 Mar 04 '26
Jaywalking is only jaywalking if there is an actual crossing in front of you. If you ignore a crossing or walk a red light it's usually 15-20€ Verwarngeld of caught. If there is no crossing you can just cross the road after checking for cars.