The German word 'Schwarzfahren'....when translated into English....means 'fare dodging' or if you took it in the literal translation 'black driving'. It's the guy who boards a bus or train....without a ticket.
In the last couple of years, and this is intensifying....some Germans think that Schwarzfahren relates to black people and therefore....is racist. There is some national trend underway to dump the phrase.
Where did this originally come from? There is some suggestion that this started in Czech, and around the turn of the century....'black' related to something being conducted illegally....something done in the 'black' of night....and the idea is that the Germans picked up this word and made up Schwarzfahren at some point.
What's likely to happen? I would suggest in 2022....some national trend where a term like Schwarzfahren has to go, and a minor attempt is made to made up a new phrase 'Ticketloser Fahrer' is thrown into the mix. Along the way.....some teenagers will step in and make their own word up ('Merkelloser Fahrer', 'Nigrum Fahrer', etc).
Stupid? This discussion probably comes up because various people have noted African migrants in some urban setting.....who didn't have tickets being fussed-over by the ticket audit people, and getting this racist feeling in their mind because of the evil Schwarzfahren expression. Older Germans are just shaking their heads....why can't people just buy a stupid ticket and avoid the accusation of Schwarzfahren in the first place?
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