Category: Podcasts

Hang on to your wallet on the U6 and U8. Crime stats show they’re the hottest U-Bahn lines for pickpockets. While wallet theft is up, crime rates in Berlin have remained stable – not bad, since the city is growing.

Bicycle activists have long complained that Berlin’s €10 parking fines are too cheap. Now a study has found it costs the city €10.38 to process a parking ticket. Should the city charge more, or give up issuing fines?

Strikes are continuing at Berlin airports, where workers are demanding an immediate €1 pay rise per hour, while ground service companies are offering €0.27 a year over three years. Ryanair has escalated the situation by flying in a plane load of Irish strike breakers.

Hear more about drama at the BER airport at our next live show at 5.30pm, Sunday March 19 at the Comedy Cafe Berlin in Neukölln.

This episode was hosted by Jöran Mandik and Daniel Stern, and presented by RadioEins.

Subscribe to Radio Spaetkauf on iTunes.

Ever wanted to make a citizen’s arrest? Don’t try it in Berlin. A local politician attempted to rally an U-Bahn carriage to help detain an alleged pickpocket, but was ignored by his fellow U8 passengers.

New fatter U-Bahn carriages are now being rolled out on some lines. The new model type is nicknamed the “Icke.” That name has nothing to do with David Icke, the conspiracy theorist whose speaking event was recently cancelled by Berlin’s Maritim Hotel, which has declared itself politically neutral.

This episode was presented by Maisie Hitchcock and Daniel Stern, and brought to you by RadioEins.

How to make Berlin’s buses run faster? The city has set up a taskforce to come up with ideas. One of them is to allow passengers to board on the rear doors to save time. The BVG doesn’t like the plan. Our own Dan Stern has a few suggestions for the taskforce, one involving the to-be-constructed Wippe see-saw monument.

Two major transport tunnel projects are delayed due to groundwater flooding – no surprise, since Berlin is built on a swamp. The S21 connection between Gesundbrunnen and Hauptbahnhof, and the U5 extension under Museuminsel are both experiencing water problems. Again, Dan has a suggestion – an underground ferry system.

Berlin’s latest anti-gentrification protest is against the eviction of Cafe Filou, a French bakery in Kreuzberg being kicked out by British investors who don’t like the croissants. Could more of these kinds of investors be on their way to Berlin with the planned relocation of Lloyd’s bank to the German capital?

Radio Spaetkauf is a listener-supported podcast. If you like the show, why not donate a small monthly amount to keep the news coming? Go to: www.radiospaetkauf.com/donate

This live show was presented by Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik, Joel Dullroy and Daniel Stern. Recorded live at Comedy Cafe Berlin on Sunday Feb 19, 2017.

Subscribe to Radio Spaetkauf on iTunes.

Berlin workers go on strike! Airport staff shut down Tegel and Schönefeld terminals on Feb 8 demanding a pay rise from €11 to €12 hour. Kindergarten staff went on strike on Feb 15, causing every second kita to close. They’re seeking equal pay with Brandenburg kita workers, who get up to €400 more per month.

Berlin is to get a new monument that is more like an amusement ride. The so-called Wippe, or see-saw, will be a moving platform that is supposed to reflect the motion of democracy. Federal politicians finally agreed to fund the Wippe after years of back and forth. No fixed opening date has been announced.

Berghain nightclub will open a new dance floor on March. Called Säule, it will feature dark experimental electronic music, and provide the club with space to squeeze in more guests.

Come to our next live show! It’s on Sunday Feb 19, 17.30, at the Comedy Cafe Berlin in Neukölln. Entry is free.

This episode was presented by Jöran Mandik and Joel Dullroy, and brought to you by RadioEins.

Subscribe to Radio Spaetkauf on iTunes.

German federal police carried out an undercover sting targeting ticket inspectors on the Berlin S-Bahn. Five inspectors were busted fining tourists and pocketing the cash. If you’re caught, ask for inspectors’ ID and always get a receipt!

Six months in prison for smoking on your balcony? A Hellersdorf woman has been ordered by a court to not smoke outside between 8pm and 6am, or face a fine or jail time. Her 20 cigarettes a night were bothering her neighbour.

Fritz is the new Knut. Tierpark’s 3-month polar bear cub has been named Fritz, short for Friedrich, which intones peace. He’s half Russian.

Event tip: Australian musician Darren Cross writes songs inspired by Berlin. He’s playing a silent concert at Ofen Bar on Feb 7, where you wear headphones to hear the music.

This episode was presented by Maisie Hitchcock and Daniel Stern, and brought to you by RadioEins.

Subscribe to Radio Spaetkauf on iTunes.