U.S. Expatriate Hipsters Plug Into the Buzz of Berlin :
“There are, of course, those annoying quintessential German moments: the icy stare for crossing the street when the little man is lighted red, and the ‘tsk, tsk, tsk’ awaiting those who fail to separate dark glass from clear glass in front of bewildering rows of recycling bins. But most expats consider these amusing idiosyncrasies in a city full of verve.”
I find that if you stare at them with a raised eyebrow like The Rock and twitch your upper lip they leave you alone. That’s just me though. Your mileage may vary. If you do this while there are children around and you make them cry, you get extra points.