Berlin public order office: A moderately submissive question to the flower of democracy

T he public order office employee looks a bit like Ulrich Siegmund. But hey – shouldn’t we treat the AfD like a normal democratic party? So get to it, just like I learned from an Italian friend years ago. Don't just start or tug on your sleeve - this often happens to me as a waiter, it's not possible! – but speak in a moderately submissive tone: “Excuse me, can I ask you something?”

And the man, who suddenly doesn't look like Ulrich Siegmund at all anymore, grins broadly and says: "Of course!"

We are in front of my apartment in Kreuzberg. A mountain of garbage has been growing near the bike racks for weeks. Someone started piling up the bulky waste lying around the residential complex into a sculpture, which was quickly added to by street artists and has also been adopted as a playground by the rats. Right next to it is an absolute no-parking zone that is confidently ignored, the vehicles parked there are given notices every two days by employees of the public order office, and the garbage is ignored.

The taz is an independent, left-wing and opinionated daily newspaper. We have been arguing in our comments, essays and debate texts since the taz was founded in 1979. We often cannot and do not want to agree on an opinion. That's why you'll find some completely opposing positions here - all part of the very broad left-wing spectrum of opinions.

I think this is good in that it reminds me of my place as a non-car owner and cyclist in this society. I'm tempted to think that if the garbage prevented cars from being parked - even illegally - then the SEK would have already stepped up. But stop the polemics! There is someone here who will listen to you! Who takes a complaint and forwards it in front of you. He would also like to explain to me something about the pitfalls of the internal accounting system between the Berlin city cleaning companies (BSR) and the Kreuzberg public order office. But I already have enough problems with my tax return.

Two days later the trash is actually gone. I interpret this to mean that as a citizen I have an obligation to help democracy. Democracy doesn't just come by itself and impose order. It creates order within the framework in which we demand order. Democracy is an offer, but the decision to purchase is ours. You can talk to democracy, but not trash and rats. Democracy is something other than a room fragrance dealer. She is herself the fragrant flower that we are allowed to care for.