MitFahr, German Autobahn, 3rd May 2012
Cramped into the back of a black Fiat hatchback sits Wiebke, myself and a plain looking man in his mid 20s with an apparent distaste for small talk (and smiling). He is clearly German, despite his Billabong hat, and he effortlessly reinforces the stereotype of Germans being closed and conservative; a stereotype which the passenger in the front seat does equally as much to contradict.
With my legs cramped against the back of the seat and my shoulder pressed firm against Wiebke on my left, I gaze out the window and watch the last light of the day gradually fade away as the German country side whizzes by at 180km/h. Green fields and quaint houses are interrupted by the very prevalent wind mills, generating eco friendly energy for the local inhabitants.
We are travelling from Berlin to Recklinghausen, a small town in West Germany, which is also Wiebke’s hometown. As we motor along the Autobahn, our driver chats with the passenger in the front seat, or that is to say, she manages to sneak a few words in in-between his relentless barrage of chatter.
My intuition tells me may be able to read my thoughts, because for the first time since our journey began 3 hours ago, he has stopped talking. It is like when a fridge buzzes a dull hum in the background and then suddenly stops…. An eerie silence fills the air as your ears prick up and tune into the other sounds around you: I now hear the click of the indicator, the old suspension thudding as it struggles with a bump in the road, the techno music playing from the car sound system. All these sounds are once again thrust into my spectrum of hearing. This heightened awareness doesn’t last long and is broken with yet another story from front seat passenger. He often turns around, looking for some contribution or validation. He gets little. Luckily I can’t see him from where I sit. He laughs awkwardly, alone and after his own jokes. I am actually kind of glad I can tune it out. At least the boring guy with no smiles is quiet. Although, his type of quiet strikes me as the ‘statement from a neighbour after the guy next door is discovered with a dungeon full of body parts’ – you know the “he was a quiet type of guy, always kept to himself” type of quiet. His decision to whip out a large sausage periodically to munch on as a snack doesn’t do much to help me shake this image.
So, you may ask, just what brings me to be sitting in a cramped Italian made hatchback speeding across the Germany countryside with this motley crew? Who are these people? I have no idea who these people are. They are whoever I want them to be when I write about them. However, a more informative response is as follows.
In Germany, a website exists called “MitFahrGelegenheit” which loosely translates as “Opportunity to travel with”. Basically, it is a site where those making a journey by road to another city post the details on the site and offer to take passengers (for a price). You could almost think of it as hitchhiking meets the Internet (and money). The idea is that people can subsidize the fuel costs of their journey and simultaneously provide a cheaper alternative for the average person trying to get from one place to another. The price is usually under ¼ of the cost of a train so it is actually a very attractive option for those on a budget. The problem is, you have no idea who you are going with. But that is also part of the appeal. It is always adds an element of adventure as you await your ride, who will be driving, who will the passengers be, what car are they driving? The anticipation builds as you wait at the agreed meeting spot, sussing people out as they stand around the same location wondering if you will be sharing the next 6hrs in a car with them before the driver finally arrives and those milling around move forward to the car. The characters introduce themselves, prepare there things and hop into the car ready to commence their journey. Some journeys are good, others are bad, but all are interesting. MitFahrGelegenheit is definitely something which could work in other countries. Who is going to make an Australian version?
So this MitFahr is coming to an end as the last glimpses of grey escape the sky and we will shortly be arriving at our destination. Another day comes to an end, almost one month into my time in Germany and I couldn’t be happier.
