by NEILKAHN » Sat Nov 26, 2005 9:42 am
Having visited Germany,I can answer this. Upon arriving in the country,and passing through customs, you are issued a stein, unless you are able to produce a stein which meets government specifications. These are quite exact, and I believe they are so intentionally to encourage the purchase of the government produced, overpriced steins. Before you are permitted to leave the airport, you are required to have enough beer to be able to blow at least a .08 on the breathylizer. If you are picked up by the police, for any reason, and you blow less than this amount on the ever present breathylizers, you are subject to fine. Fortunately, most establishments...gas stations, restaurants, government buildings, and schools, all have on site beer taps, with the brew available at fairly reasonable prices. They have not, in my opinion, solved the associated problem of having an adequate number of readily accessible urinals to handle the inevitable increase in the need to heed the call of nature, but the Schroeder government campaigned on this issue in the last election, so we will see if he delivers.