Culture Shock #23: Germans clap when the plane lands

I've only experienced this phenomenon once before, when I flew El Al. I remember the feeling of surprise as the roar of wheels on tarmac was suddenly underscored by a burst of applause from my fellow El Al passengers. The surprise I felt on my El Al flight was a delighted kind, as I figured the overnight flight from Chicago across the ocean to the holy land warranted such a celebratory reaction. Who was I to take this flight for granted anyway? I might've even clapped along.

That being said, never in my 23 (!!) years did I ever expect to hear applause upon the landing of my $80 two-hour RyanAir flight from Alicante, Spain to Karlsruhe, Germany. This time, the surprise I felt was more out of disbelief than delight. Why were my fellow RyanAir passengers, almost exclusively German, clapping after a two-hour flight? I felt an overwhelming sense of embarrassment for them. It was one of the first times since moving to Europe that I hoped I'd get clocked as an American who knows better.  

I don't mean any offense to RyanAir, you were deliciously affordable and thankfully punctual...although now that I think about it, what more could one want in a flight? Affordability and punctuality? Did you know that 90% of RyanAir flights were on time last year? A flight attendant announced this little factoid over the plane's loudspeaker after we landed, like a fourth-grader holding up a report card full of A's, itching with pride.

As dedicated readers of my blog already know, Germans love punctuality. Now we know they'll even clap for it.