Relocation Update

Greetings from Bern!
My wife and I moved out here two weeks ago and are in our temporary apartment in Bern while we search for more permanent housing. So far, so good.
It’s rather amusing to see off-duty soldiers (both in uniform and out) carrying slung SIG SG 550 rifles on the bus as they head home. It’s evidently such an ingrained part of Swiss cuture that nobody so much as bats an eye.
More updates as they happen.

2 thoughts on “Relocation Update”

  1. It?s rather amusing to see off-duty soldiers (both in uniform and out) carrying slung SIG SG 550 rifles on the bus as they head home. It?s evidently such an ingrained part of Swiss cuture that nobody so much as bats an eye.
    I would be quite concerned to see off duty military, in the USA, carrying weapons on the bus – unless we had been invaded. I hope the people of the USA never have that sight ingrained into their psyche while at the same time they are not free to do likewise and carry in public. Armies have all too often been used to enslave the people. Are the Swiss people allowed to be armed in public and carry the weapons of their choice other than being allowed to have a military rifle at home?
    By the way, good luck in the new area.
    All the best,
    GB

    1. Hi GB,
      I think you misunderstand my comment about the soldiers with rifles: they’re not carrying their rifles on the bus as any sort of guard, they’re simply taking the bus home from training (or wherever else they spend their days) and have their rifles with them, usually slung on their chest or back.
      Along the same lines, I’ve seen a few off-duty soldiers with rifles stopping off at the grocery store to pick up some food, then heading back to wherever they were going (presumably home to cook the food). As an example of this, the Wikipedia has a photo of a soldier with a rifle in the grocery store. (Note: I didn’t take the photo.)
      Perhaps I was unclear in the original post. If so, I apologize.
      I’m not sure if private citizens can carry concealed here. I think it depends on the individual cantons, with some being more liberalized than others. My understanding is that it is frequently legal (some cantons require permits), but not widely practiced. See the Wikipedia entry on Gun Politics in Switzerland for more information.
      Lastly, in regards to armies enslaving the people, I’m pretty sure that Switzerland would be one of the last places on the planet where that could possibly happen. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but it’s extremely unlikely considering how things work over here.
      Cheers!
      -AZR

Comments are closed.