Technical question about Swiss-German Schengen-crossing

[ca.funke]

I recently visited the German/Swiss border, at a place where it is open and without checkpoints.

See >>here<< for a map of the spot.

Instead of checks there is a >>sign<<, which triggers some questions:

"Visumspflichtigen Ausländern ist der Grenzübertritt verboten!"

="Visa-required foreigners may not cross"

What about visa-required foreigners, who DO have a valid Schengen-visa? After all, even if one has a visa, the visa-requirement is determined by virtue of the nationality alone.

As such I hope the sign is just not precisely correct, while officially allowing foreigners holding visas to cross?

[acme4242]

nice.

So the target audience would be Visa required aliens who ALSO read German AND are prepared to obey such signs. A fairly small group me thinks

Like a sign asking your two year old not to play with your laptop.

[Wanderer]

One here in UK

[ca.funke]

Thanks, acme4242, for linking the picture inline - much nicer

Plus: I never thought of the language-barrier! Now that my wife is doing a language-course at present, we were discussing the exact meaning, not realizing that the majority of the "target group" by definition probably wouldn´t understand it.

It is, as so many rules around Schengen-visas, a bit kafkaesque.

[ca.funke]

here are some more pics of the same spot:


the much smarter Swiss sign:

"Allowed to cross with appropriate papers and nothing to declare" (still futile, but at least makes sense)




And this is the "art border", where the "monuments" are lined up on the actual border. (I may see them from both sides, while for my Lebanese wife we have to pass through the nearest official border-crossing, and then have a look from the other side )

[acme4242]

[Wanderer]

This amused me in Murrica!

Like it's full of Thick people!

[mochyn]

One here in UK

Did you get this sign from Batleykhan?

[mochyn]

http://bear-blog.blogspirit.com/archive2006/09

[Directive/2004/38/EC]

It could be the sign is from before Switzerland joined Schengen.

Imagine what a bizzare journey could ensue if you entered Switzerland to retrieve your toddler who has run laughing across the border, and then you can not "officially" re-enter Germany.

[raymasa2]

What about visa-required foreigners, who DO have a valid Schengen-visa? After all, even if one has a visa, the visa-requirement is determined by virtue of the nationality alone.

As such I hope the sign is just not precisely correct, while officially allowing foreigners holding visas to cross?

Not sure of the answer, but if you have a single entry visa to say, Germany, could you cross to Switzerland?

So the target audience would be Visa required aliens who ALSO read German AND are prepared to obey such signs. A fairly small group me thinks

Like a sign asking your two year old not to play with your laptop.

Fair point, but if you are visiting Germany, it would be expected that you still follow their laws. Ignorance of a law is not an excuse.

Ray

[ca.funke]

(...)if you have a single entry visa to say, Germany, could you cross to Switzerland?

Yes, for visa-purposes Schengen is "one" country, i.e. you may travel between Schengen-states as you please.

As such I wonder if it's possible to restrict WHERE it is allowed to cross, as per above.

This aspect is new to me, so I probably wasn't precise. (sorry)

Ignorance of a law is not an excuse.

Actually, at least in Germany, ignorance CAN be an excuse, as long as it is credible that you REALLY didn't know

An example would be digging a whole for water. Without special authorisation this is actually illegal, but most people don't know. As such most people who engage in this activity don't get fined the first time (as they really didn't know), but any possible second time they'd know and would get fined.

Killing someone, speeding etc... No one can say that they didn't know, and the judge also has to assume some common-sense in everyone.

If I got it right, the point is that there shouldn't be a fine where there is no knowledge that an act is wrong.

[ca.funke]

PS - my original question is (unfortunately) very serious, as we'll visit friends who live next to the above area next week, and their favourite pub is on the other side (500metres).

I don't want my wife (Lebanese citizen) to get into trouble for walking over, but the detour via the official crossing is about 2k's, and walking that detour after a night out isn't my #1 favourite to do

sorry, this is so ridiculous