Mon Aug 8, 2016, 01:58 PM

NWCorona (8,541 posts)

Error puts Chinese tourist in German migrant hostel

Source: BBC

German media say the 31-year-old backpacker, who spoke neither German nor English, underwent a medical check and his fingerprints were taken.

A Red Cross worker later found out that the man's wallet had been stolen in Stuttgart. But instead of going to the police the man registered as a migrant.

A translation app confirmed Mr Schluetermann's suspicions that the tourist had got entangled in the asylum system by mistake.

"It came up with phrases like 'I want to go on a trip abroad'," he said. It emerged that the tourist had plans to visit Italy and France.

Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37013007

Odd story. Was the hostel on lock down?

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7 replies	Author	Time	Post
Error puts Chinese tourist in German migrant hostel (Original post)	NWCorona	Aug 2016	OP
Always learn a few basic words/phrases in the language of your destination.	onehandle	Aug 2016	#1
I think Germany has some blame by not trying to contact a translator for the duration of his stay.	NWCorona	Aug 2016	#3
This is a smile-worthy article -- especially the last line.	mainer	Aug 2016	#2
Something went really wrong.	DorothyG	Aug 2016	#4
The thing I don't get is that he turned over his passport	NWCorona	Aug 2016	#5
There's a screwball comedy somewhere in all of this waiting to be made nt	MrScorpio	Aug 2016	#6
So true! In the style of Mell Brooks	NWCorona	Aug 2016	#7

Response to NWCorona (Original post)

Mon Aug 8, 2016, 02:09 PM

onehandle (51,122 posts)

1. Always learn a few basic words/phrases in the language of your destination.

Not only is it polite, but also can be lifesaving.

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Response to onehandle (Reply #1)

Mon Aug 8, 2016, 02:23 PM

NWCorona (8,541 posts)

3. I think Germany has some blame by not trying to contact a translator for the duration of his stay.

That said. Yes. It is very helpful but I'm not sure what common phrase would have helped. Maybe "I'm a tourist " But how likely are you to learn that saying?

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Response to NWCorona (Original post)

Mon Aug 8, 2016, 02:15 PM

mainer (11,738 posts)

2. This is a smile-worthy article -- especially the last line.

"According to German broadcaster WDR, the man did not get angry but left Germany saying simply that he had imagined Europe to be quite different."

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Response to NWCorona (Original post)

Mon Aug 8, 2016, 02:36 PM

DorothyG (95 posts)

4. Something went really wrong.

He had no visa to show them? No return plane ticket? No itinerary? No travel books? No phrase books? No mime skills?

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Response to DorothyG (Reply #4)

Mon Aug 8, 2016, 03:01 PM

NWCorona (8,541 posts)

5. The thing I don't get is that he turned over his passport

And it should have a stamp of when he entered the schengen zone. If they ran his passport they should have known something was up.

Does the hostel get paid by the occupant?

Like I said. It sounds odd

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Response to NWCorona (Original post)

Mon Aug 8, 2016, 10:22 PM

MrScorpio (73,501 posts)

6. There's a screwball comedy somewhere in all of this waiting to be made nt

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Response to MrScorpio (Reply #6)

Tue Aug 9, 2016, 12:16 AM

NWCorona (8,541 posts)

7. So true! In the style of Mell Brooks

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