The 𝗛𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 of 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝘂𝗲𝘀 in 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: Lessons from my long-distance train commutes.

As regular readers know, I divide my time between 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 and 𝗠𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗵, travelling between the two by train.

No matter how familiar I am with each city, there’s always a moment of recalibration when I arrive.

It takes me about 36 hours to fully adjust to my new surroundings.

For example? The little traffic light man, or 𝗔𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗺𝗮̈𝗻𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗻.

In London, if there’s no traffic, you’d be looked at strangely for not crossing the street when he's red.

But in Munich, doing the same might earn you a stern reprimand from a citizen traffic cop.

That’s an obvious difference, but many others are subtler.

Despite knowing exactly what’s expected of me, I still find myself doing or saying the wrong thing.

I'll usually know it's happened by the reaction of other people.

Even if they don't say anything, a quizzical look is often enough.

These moments of social feedback are powerful reminders that compliance isn’t just about imposing rules; it’s also about recognising that norms and subtle social cues heavily influence our behaviour.