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German Railway Company Buys Passenger’s “Delay Scarf” For 7,550 Euro

Some people listen to music, catch up on their favorite TV shows or movies, read books or pace to and fro when their train is late. The mother of a German journalist knits – and color-codes her work to show exactly how late her train was.
The "rail delay scarf" knitted by frustrated German commuter 6 photos
Photo: Facebook / Bahnhofsmission
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The result to all this work is 1.5-meter knitted scarf in gray, pink and red, dubbed online the “rail delay scarf.” Journalist Sara Weber helped it achieve viral status by going public with it at the beginning of the year, to show her mother’s experience on the Deutsche Bahn for the previous year.

So much for that proverbial German punctuality!

According to EuroNews, the mother commutes between Moosburg and Munic, and her experience with the national train company is etched in her work. She used gray for shorter delays, of under 5 minutes, pink for delays between 5 and 30 minutes, and red for delays on both trips or on one trips by over 30 minutes.

Last week, given the interest online in the “rail delay scarf,” Weber and her mother decided to put it up for sale on eBay, and have the proceeds donated to a charity that works with vulnerable passengers at German train stations, Bahnhofsmission. On a recent update, the bid for the scarf was at over €1,000.

But then, this happened: Deutsche Bahn found out about the campaign and decided to buy the scarf, as a way to make amends with the frustrated commuter and give something back to the community. They ended up buying the scarf for €7,550 – very quietly, too.

“Bahnhofsmission posted on Facebook saying it was ‘very happy’ with the donation,” EuroNews reports. As of the time of writing, Deutsche Bahn is yet to comment on their latest acquisition, but we’d say that, in this particular case too, actions speak louder than words.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
Elena Gorgan profile photo

Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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