The U8 has always had a bit of a dodgy reputation, linking as it does some of Berlin's more, err, working class districts such as Neukölln,Kreuzberg and Wedding. Particularly the stations on the southern section between Moritzplatz andHermannstraße have become notorious as a meeting point for dealers and their customers. Now, official statistics have revealed that it's the line with the most stations which are regularly used for dealing drugs, with every station south ofOsloer Straße affected.

In total the police have registered regular illegal drugs-related activity on 57 of Berlin's 170 U-Bahn stations. The situation on the U8 appears to have worsened because it passes through Mitte, particularly the section between Weinmeisterstraße and Bernauer Straße which is by no means poor - but where many companies in the IT and "creative" sectors have established themselves, and their hard-working, hard-living employees are increasingly resorting to narcotics to get them through their working day.

(The Penguin is also a hard-working, hard-living person in the IT / creative sector, but would like to point out that he derives his stimulation mainly from PG Tips).

Posted at 7:38 AM in