I stun panhandlers who ask me for money by shushing them, my forefinger placed vertically in front of my mouth: “Shhhhh!” They stay stunned long enough for me to get away down the street without enduring further harassment.

The Germans take death as seriously as they take everything else, which is to say, deadly seriously. Except when they are indulging themselves in a bit of humor. Then: If something bad happens to someone else, it’s funny. If it happens to themselves, it’s not funny. Got it? Your car burns up: Knee-slappingly hilarious. Their car burns up? Unspeakably tragic.