Tailgating in Germany??

[dfb547490]

I know tailgating isn't really done anywhere else in the world, and I don't care. The Brazilians are going to have their maraca bands, the English are going to be cracking skulls, the Japanese are going to be picking up their trash and taking pictures of everything, and we should tailgate. Most people probably won't be renting cars over there but even if a handful are (a half-dozen or so would be enough) we can get something done. Have everyone chip in to buy food, beer, a few portable grills, etc. I have a US gameday mix (everything from AC/DC to the Rocky theme to the Dropkick Murphys to Oasis to Toby Keith to Elvis to of course Cypress Hill to Clint Dempsey) on my iPod so I can supply the tunes. Won't be as big as the pre-game festivities in Columbus but it'll be great anyway. Let's show those Euros how we do it in the US of A.

[Wizhawk]

here here! tailgating is one of my greatest loves in life.

[dfb547490]

Same here. There's something about drinking copious amounts of alcohol outdoors that just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

(it's probably the bourbon)

[MikeLastort2]

Good luck trying to explain why you're drinking in the parking lot when the Polizei come by to tell you to move along.

[FoxBoro 143]

Ill be there!

I was also thinking there should be a huge pre party on June 11th in Gelsenkirchen!

[USAClash]

Same here. There's something about drinking copious amounts of alcohol outdoors that just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

(it's probably the bourbon)

You'll be able drink outdoors, but probably not in the American tradition of doing so in the middle of an enormous parking lot.

I love tailgating, but I think it will be fun to experience a different sort of pre-game ritual. Either way I'll be getting drunk, singing, and having fun.

[dfb547490]

Good luck trying to explain why you're drinking in the parking lot when the Polizei come by to tell you to move along.

I thought they don't have open container laws in Europe??

[MikeLastort2]

I thought they don't have open container laws in Europe??

They don't. But they also don't want people drinking in parking lots. I doubt the Polizei are going to allow people to tailgate, but feel free to give it a try.

What's wrong with going out to a Gasthaus near the stadium for a few drinks before the games?

[dfb547490]

They don't. But they also don't want people drinking in parking lots. I doubt the Polizei are going to allow people to tailgate, but feel free to give it a try.

You could very well be right, although I don't see why they should care (not that they won't, just they shouldn't). If it's an alcohol thing then they have no way of keeping people from going to bars before the game, and if it's a security thing then they'd have to crack down on people loitering around the stadium without drinking also. Worth a shot I think.

What's wrong with going out to a Gasthaus near the stadium for a few drinks before the games?

Absolutely nothing...our games are all late afternoon or night, so hit the bars for a few hours then drink in the parking lot for a few hours...can always head back to the bars if they don't let us tailgate.


You'll be able drink outdoors, but probably not in the American tradition of doing so in the middle of an enormous parking lot.

Definitely looks like there's ample lot space for tailgating in Gelsenkirchen and Kaiserslautern:
http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/fifa/gen/fifa/20031127/i/3471932713.jpg

http://www.polizei.rlp.de/wm2006/med/64d/64d5d964-a1be-4012-c3a5-61a94839292e,22222222-2222-2222-2222-222222222222&fieldName=imgMediaOver.jpg

Nuremberg might be a problem since it doesn't look like there's any lot space next to the stadium, although they do seem to have a swimming pool(!!).

[Mikeymike15]

Hmmm. When I went to a Bayern Munich match at the old Olympic statidum in 2003, we were drinking in the parking....heck there were so many little pavilions set up to drink.....and no you didn't have to reside within the boundaries of the pavilion to drink....most people were sitting on the grass at the various little parks surrounding the stadium

[stevewhit0]

You wont be doing talgating in the american way, with a grill stuff but really if you want you can drink in a parking lot, i've seen people at Dortmund games doing this. But mostly you will just see people spread out around the gates drinking.

[roadkit]

Good luck trying to explain why you're drinking in the parking lot when the Polizei come by to tell you to move along.

Actually, if it's anything like Copenhagen or Munich I doubt they'll give a hoot. On the other hand, I think for it to be a German-style tailgate, we'll have to party on the platform at the train station. :D

I'm pretty confident it will be beer gardens a go-go at each match. None of this "no beer sales after the 60 minute mark" crap.

[dfb547490]

I'm pretty confident it will be beer gardens a go-go at each match. None of this "no beer sales after the 60 minute mark" crap.

I guess they can get away with that since hardly anyone drives to the game (if my experience attending 2 1860 Munich games is any indication). Plus they don't have as litigious a society as we do, if some moron gets liquored up at the game and drives into a telephone pole on the way home they aren't going to sue the team for selling them beer. :rolleyes:

Of course, the beer is probably going to cost 8 Euros a pop so I'll be putting my BC education to work smuggling liquor into the stadium.

[roadkit]

I guess they can get away with that since hardly anyone drives to the game (if my experience attending 2 1860 Munich games is any indication). Plus they don't have as litigious a society as we do, if some moron gets liquored up at the game and drives into a telephone pole on the way home they aren't going to sue the team for selling them beer. :rolleyes:

Of course, the beer is probably going to cost 8 Euros a pop so I'll be putting my BC education to work smuggling liquor into the stadium.

Just to be clear, I don't advocate driving drunk/impaired. But if the people running stadiums in the U.S. think that cutting off sales at 60 minutes is going to mean more sober drivers, they haven't been to many games.

But you make valid points. And I don't plan on being anywhere near a car during my trip to Germany. I love public transpo - especially trains.

Hey, this is going to be a GOOD TIME. Nothing better than sitting at a table on the platz and having a few hefewiezen in the summer sun. Sweet.

[Ronaldo's Idol]

I know this is a ridiculously paranoid concern to have, but does anyone else think that a huge American tailgate outside a US game in the WC is the perfect target for a terrorist attack?


I mean, Korea/Japan are far safer than Germany as far as terrorism goes. In fact, Germany is actually one of the most risky European countries wrt terrorism due to high concentrations of Al Queda cells.

I have thought about this, and I'm wondering what other people think.

[dfb547490]

I think if they're going to attack a US game, they're going to attack a US game. I don't think they'd target a tailgate unless they were planning to target that game in the first place.

That said, I don't think Al Qaeda's MO anymore is to hit when we'll be expecting them--and high-profile sporting events (Olympics, WC, Super Bowl) are at the top of that list.

And I'm not sure I agree with you about Germany being unsafe as far as European countries go, they've been EXTREMELY embarassed by terrorist incidents twice in the past (1972 Olympics and Lockerbie bombing--the bomb was loaded on the plane in Frankfurt) and are not going to cut any corners this time around. Beyond the fact that someone of Middle Eastern origin will stand out a lot more in Korea or Japan than they will in Germany, I don't think it'll be any less safe than 2002.

[Ronaldo's Idol]

I think if they're going to attack a US game, they're going to attack a US game. I don't think they'd target a tailgate unless they were planning to target that game in the first place.

That said, I don't think Al Qaeda's MO anymore is to hit when we'll be expecting them--and high-profile sporting events (Olympics, WC, Super Bowl) are at the top of that list.

And I'm not sure I agree with you about Germany being unsafe as far as European countries go, they've been EXTREMELY embarassed by terrorist incidents twice in the past (1972 Olympics and Lockerbie bombing--the bomb was loaded on the plane in Frankfurt) and are not going to cut any corners this time around. Beyond the fact that someone of Middle Eastern origin will stand out a lot more in Korea or Japan than they will in Germany, I don't think it'll be any less safe than 2002.

Basically the main concern I have is that we don't have US police/military there protecting us. It will be Germany's police. They don't quite have the same intelligence about terrorist movement that the US has (unless the US shares all its info with Germany for the WC, which is possible if not probable), they are much more vulnerable based on geography and that there are many Arabs living in Germany so blending in is no problem, and they don't have the same capabilities the US has to protect against terrorism in the US (militarily, and police force strength, though this will probably be quite good during the WC).

The issue is that there are very likely going to be large, visible congregations of Americans (at least a few hundred) together in Germany during the WC in insecure places where it would be extremely easy for a terrorist to attack them (as long as the German police didn't know about it ahead of time). On top of that, I'd think (not having thoroughly studied the Al Queda psyche) that an attack at the WC is probably the best, most visible way for Al Queda to send a message to the US that no matter how hard the US tries, they will never be able to stop them. And I think this message would ring loud and clear if it happened, which makes it that much more disturbing.

And an attack could happen on a train or bus on its way to the US game, at a tailgate before the US game, in the actual stadium (highly unlikely due to high security), or anywhere else where there are large congregations of Americans (maybe in Hamburg at a USMNT training session or something like that).

It's an annoying thing to think about, but I think everyone should be aware of the risk, especially prior to and during the first US game just to see how things work there.

Personally, I agree with you that it is probably no big deal, and I don't plan to significantly alter my plans because of fear of a terrorist attack. But I will be vigilant while I'm there.

[AGF Aarhus]

[QUOTE=MikeLastort2]They don't. But they also don't want people drinking in parking lots. I doubt the Polizei are going to allow people to tailgate, but feel free to give it a try.QUOTE]

Uh, you ever been to a game in Germany?

There's a hell of a lot of drinking going on in the parking lot and near the gates. At least in Berlin there are also quite a few people tailgating out of their campers. It's pretty common.

----

As for a terrorist attack. If you're worried about it, stay at home and watch it on TV. I'm not, so I won't.

[MikeLastort2]

Basically the main concern I have is that we don't have US police/military there protecting us. It will be Germany's police. They don't quite have the same intelligence about terrorist movement that the US has (unless the US shares all its info with Germany for the WC, which is possible if not probable), they are much more vulnerable based on geography and that there are many Arabs living in Germany so blending in is no problem, and they don't have the same capabilities the US has to protect against terrorism in the US (militarily, and police force strength, though this will probably be quite good during the WC).

The issue is that there are very likely going to be large, visible congregations of Americans (at least a few hundred) together in Germany during the WC in insecure places where it would be extremely easy for a terrorist to attack them (as long as the German police didn't know about it ahead of time). On top of that, I'd think (not having thoroughly studied the Al Queda psyche) that an attack at the WC is probably the best, most visible way for Al Queda to send a message to the US that no matter how hard the US tries, they will never be able to stop them. And I think this message would ring loud and clear if it happened, which makes it that much more disturbing.

And an attack could happen on a train or bus on its way to the US game, at a tailgate before the US game, in the actual stadium (highly unlikely due to high security), or anywhere else where there are large congregations of Americans (maybe in Hamburg at a USMNT training session or something like that).

It's an annoying thing to think about, but I think everyone should be aware of the risk, especially prior to and during the first US game just to see how things work there.

Personally, I agree with you that it is probably no big deal, and I don't plan to significantly alter my plans because of fear of a terrorist attack. But I will be vigilant while I'm there.

Please be vigilant somewhere not close to me.

:D

Uh, you ever been to a game in Germany?

There's a hell of a lot of drinking going on in the parking lot and near the gates. At least in Berlin there are also quite a few people tailgating out of their campers. It's pretty common.

Many times. I was just thinking of the way we tailgate in the US compared to what I've experienced at games overseas. Not exactly the same thing.

Have you ever seen a whole series of BBQ grills all over German parking lots with people grilling food? I haven't.

As for a terrorist attack. If you're worried about it, stay at home and watch it on TV. I'm not, so I won't.

Agreed.

:)

[JBigjake]

How will the Polizei react to Indian Elvis?