After yesterday's events, I asked my Dutch work colleague about the topic, knowing that he would give me the straight scoop. He also thought it was some slightly peeved Dutch people, just trying to irritate a German.
He is Dutch guy married to a German and working/living here for many years. However, he goes back over the border quite often with his company J car with its German license plate to work, visit family, and shop. He was telling me of one time, when he was driving this car in Holland.
A Dutch car with some 18 year-olds gave him the popular hand gesture in reference to a leader who was very popular in Germany in the late 1930's-early 1940's (not wanting to drive searchers to that topic here.) They both happened to leave at the same exit, and ended up next to each other at the red light at the bottom of the exit.
He couldn't resist to roll down the window and gesture to them to do the same. He then proceeded to rip them a new one in Dutch, his native language. He said the looks on their faces was absolutely priceless. Here they thought they were sticking it to a German, and instead they chose a fellow national.
He then gave me the tip--I should always keep something representing Holland handy in my car trunk for times when I go over the border, such as something orange to put in the back window, or something for one of the sports teams, or perhaps some Dutch reading material to have lying in the back seat. That will present the image, especially as I don't tend to go too far into Holland, that I could be a Dutch person working just over the border. And it will perhaps lower the possibility of future negative incidents.
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