A few years ago, Tom decided to visit a friend who was stationed in Germany.
Tom assumed that most Germans would speak English. But he found that many people spoke only their native tongue – including the train conductor.
The conductor punched Tom’s ticket, then chatted cordially for a bit, making gestures like a windmill. Tom simply nodded from time to time to show him that he was interested in what he was saying.
When he had gone on to the next train car, an American woman learned toward Tom and asked if he spoke German.
“No”, Tom confessed.
“Then that explains,” she said, “why you didn’t bat an eye when he told you that you were on the wrong train!”
