The situation at the Devil's Wheel
If you’ve been keeping up with the Munich beer festival scene, you might know the Teufelsrad—or 'Devil’s Wheel'—is a classic. It’s essentially a giant spinning disc where people try to hold on for dear life. It’s iconic, but the vibes are officially off. An investigation by the Süddeutsche Zeitung found that tens of thousands of voyeuristic videos of riders have been circulating online, with over 32,000 clips found on Meta platforms alone. Many of these videos target women wearing dirndls, recording up their dresses while they’re on the ride.
Protective measures
It’s giving major invasion of privacy, especially since upskirting has been illegal in Germany since 2020. Ride operator Elisabeth Polaczy is trying to fix the situation, handing out free cycling shorts to anyone rocking a dress. She’s already passed out over 100 pairs at this year’s festival, saying, “I want to do everything I can to make people feel secure.”
The reality check
Despite police posters warning against the practice and the threat of fines or prison time, it’s proving difficult to police every single smartphone at the event. Real talk: the numbers reflect a persistent issue. There have been several arrests for upskirting at the festival over the past few years, including a 45-year-old man taken in by police during this current event.
Why it matters
Upskirting is a violation of consent and, no cap, it’s a crime. While the ride operators are trying to provide a quick fix with the shorts, the massive volume of videos online shows that existing laws and warning signs are lowkey struggling to keep up with the scale of this harassment.
