This is a photo from the Frankfurt Hbf. I'm wondering if the white lines mean anything? Is it maybe supposed to separate people heading one direction vs the other? So something like all people walking straight towards a platform walk on the right and all the people coming from that platform walk on the left?
Or am I just thinking too much. I'd be a little surprised though if these lines were completely random.
by Past-Ad8219
13 comments
They are to guide people with visual impairments.
These lines are to guide blind people. So please don´t block these lines.
To further expand what others already said: The lines are also textured differently. The grooves indicate a straight line. If they stop and are replaced by little raised dots that means there is something special, like a crossing or a step.
See Wikipedia for more information: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tactile_paving
If you step on the white you will instant die.
If you step you of white line, you’re ***.
Of course it means something, this is Germany. We dont do things without a reason.
You will see these kind of lines not online on a straight line like in your example, but also at traffic lights for pedestrians. The reason why it is “riffled” is that a blind person with a stick can feel the line and knows where to go. If you see such line at the traffic line the riffles will be from left to right and with the stick they will feel that it means “stop” and mostly the button for traffic light sounds is very close.
OP I’m curious where you’re from that you’ve never seen these. I’ve lived in many different countries and the only one that rarely had these (but still had some occasionally) was a post Soviet Baltic country.
Now I have to think of that incredibly annoying blind TikTok guy who’s only content is him filming himself bumping into people cause they are standing on these white lines
Apart from guiding for visually impaired these lines sometimes serve as “traffic deviders”. Since they are in the middle people walking away from the camera go on the right side, people approaching on the left side like it’s on a street. At least that’s what happens at my train station without signs or someone enforcing it.
Leitstreifen freihalten bitte
they are the only lines in germany you can’t snort
They are called „
# Leitstreifen, Richtungsfeld, Abzweigefeld, Auffindestreifen, Einstiegsfeld, Aufmerksamkeitsfeld, Aufmerksamkeitsstreifen“
They are for visually impaired people, please don’t stand on them, people are really bad about this. As my favorite German tiktoker says, LEITSTREIFEN FREIHALTEN!!!