Starnberg closes 52 routes: savings or absurd decisions?

Starnberg closes 52 routes: savings or absurd decisions?

In Starnberg, reality is taken to the extreme: 52 public paths are closed for six months in order to reduce the costs of winter service. The city hopes to save 60,000 euros - an amount that corresponds to the weekly salary of an average real estate entrepreneur in Starnberg. But the calculation doesn't add up! Critical city councilors point out that the city could actually only save 30,000 euros after spending 25,000 euros on barrier material and 10,000 euros on setting up the barriers. The result? A loss of 5,000 euros! Is that negative growth?

The mayor speaks of “drastic measures”, but without giving any details. A complete closure of the city until Easter? This would not only save on heating and lighting costs, but also protect the region from winter. Perhaps Lake Starnberg should even be salted as a precaution to avoid future problems. In times of tight budgets, you have to be creative, even if that means that citizens are now told where they can go.

Legal background and absurd comparisons

The legal aspects should not be neglected: the city has a “traffic safety obligation”. One could almost think that the state acts as a kindergarten teacher, telling citizens how they should behave. In other university towns the whole thing becomes even more absurd: While in Tübingen bridges are heated to protect cyclists from falls, in Starnberg the citizens' personal responsibility is simply ignored. If this way of thinking had existed in 1886, King Ludwig would not have drowned in Lake Starnberg - the barriers would have stopped him!

The situation in Starnberg shows how far the absurdities of everyday life can reach. Instead of pragmatic solutions, the city is being driven crazy by bureaucratic measures. A drama that makes you smile and be amazed at the same time!