6 Surprising Things That Are Forbidden In Germany (SCOTTISH REACTION)

[@Kristina_S-O]

I live in a small village and our nextdoor neighbor is all into DIY. It really does happen that he makes some noise late in the evening or on Sundays quite often. But he's a nice guy and always up to give a hand if needed and we let it pass. It has become somewhat of a running gag to ask, "Hey, André, it's Sunday and you're not drilling, hammering, or chopping - are you okay???". 😂

[@dasmaurerle4347]

The 'Tagessatz' is a common way in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, to make fines equal. A 1000€ fine may be crushing for some people, but not to others. So a German court usually doesn't give out fixed fines. You only earn 20k a year? Well, a 200€ fine may get the 'message' around. You earn 500k? It's €8000 for you, buddy! Just so you get the memo...

[@dansattah]

Silent Days are a select group of public (mostly Christian) holidays.
Basically, it's about Easter, Christmas, All Saints Day, All Souls Day, and Memorial Day.
Keep Germany's north-south divide between Catholicism and Protestantism in mind, since the holiday administration happens on the state level.

[@Delibro]

The thing about those rules are that they are mostly common sense in Germany, people want to have a cozy day on Sundays and not a neighbor drilling holes constantly the whole day long. As you keep those things in mind, only over pedantic people will scandalize you.

[@stef987]

If someone calls the police because you're too noisy, they will probably ask you first to turn down the volume or stop whatever causes the noise (maybe also wait for you to do that) and then leave, after telling you to keep the noise down. If you'd continue to make noise you may have to pay a fine.

[@RustyDust101]

The "Don't insult someone" is tied to the very first article of the Grundgesetz, the German constitution. "Human dignity is inviolable. To protect and uphold is the duty of all stately power."
Insulting someone is violating their greatest right, their dignity. Germany tried to codify the most important rights so something like the Nazi Volksgerichtshof couldn't happen again. They abused the laws to get their desired verdicts by ignoring every aspect of human dignity.
So the founders of the Grundgesetz in 1948 went all out on certifying that state powers couldn't stand by and let insults and demeaning behavior pass by. At least not legally, which makes any state power liable as well if they are caught either ignoring or even participating in such undignifying behavior.

[@mattesrocket]

I remember when I was young and the new law came up that you weren't allowed anymore to wash your car at the street (before in the 80ies it was surely allowed and many did). So then there was a bit a discussion in Germany if it is too strict to forbid. Who experienced this discussion remembers it because of this. People who came later to Germany will wash here and there their cars and there will not necessarily a police show up, especially if you wash your car not excessively and if you wash it in a neighbourhood where people are more relaxed anyway.
Background of this is the following: in many (or all) towns in Germany there are 2 seperat sewer systems: System 1 brings all your dirt water from your house and from factories to a propper sewage treatment plant while 2. all rain water from streets and roofs is collected in seperate pipes that goes only to a simplyfied sewage plant, and then to a river. Car wash chemicals would end there.

[@Delibro]

The concern is more about oil traces sticking on your car, wear out of tires and so on. At least when washing beside the road those would drain into ground water.

[@chrishalle1982]

I wash my car at home anyway. ​​⁠​​⁠​​⁠​​⁠​​⁠@Delibeo when it rains the oil and tire wearout also gets into the Groundwater. It makes no difference if i wash my car or the rain does it.

[@Delibro]

@@chrishalle1982 I don't support this law. I only explained it :)

[@markus-pg6me]

Sicher kann ich am Sonntag ein Loch bohren wenn es eine Ausnahme ist aber nicht stundenlang.Lärm ist zu vermeiden aber nicht verboten wenn es nicht anders geht.

[@ralfjansen9118]

J-walking is fined only if you do it directly at the traffic lights. Doing it just a few meters away from the marked crossing, you should be fine.

[@eisikater1584]

"A few meters away" depends on how a police person sees it. Distance may vary from 5 to 50 meters, and fines may also vary from 5 to 50 euros. So, before jaywalking, have a good look around, and check for police, check for children, and, of course, check the traffic, and when everything's alright, cross the road. And be prepared for angry stares, but, no, I won't walk 50 meters to the pedestrians' crossing and then walk 50 meters back when the village road is only 4 meters wide.

[@martinhuhn7813]

No, you should not. You may cross roads, if there is no traffic light or zebra crossing around, but if there is one close by, you are required by the StVO to use it.

[@eisikater1584]

@@martinhuhn7813 The StVO is a piece of paper. I'm not even required to read it. Of course, if I neglect the rules, I may be fined and even punished. But what about responsibility? Imagine it's midnight and there is no car around a far as you can see, kids are all asleep, and I want a Döner Kebab from just over the street. Come on! You would jaywalk, wouldn't you?

[@martinhuhn7813]

@@eisikater1584 Of cause I would not jaywalk! If there are sleeping kids around, I would wake up some of them and make them jaywalk to get me the Döner as fast as possible. If they all make it back alive and pay for the Döner with their own money, they may even keep all the Döners, which I do not want to eat.
But these are matters of good education and childcare and I think, the original topic was rather, what is legal and what isn´t.

[@aphextwin5712]

@@eisikater1584The actual rules say if you are at an intersection and there are pedestrians crossings (lights, zebra), you have to use them. And that you have to cross roads ‘only’ at intersection if there is enough traffic. There are no hard numbers in those rules, some courts have used a 50-m rule and the 50-m rule is the law for example in Switzerland and was the law in former East Germany.

[@hermione3muller674]

Reegarding car wash, in my area, most people try to keep their cars clean by placing them under carports to avoid having to wash them. Professional car wash is sometimes cheap like on sale, and then there are queues to get the deal. I never ever saw anyone washing a car here but many vacuum the inside regularly.

[@AndyCisMe]

4:40 As a driving license holder, one can be penalized for misconduct on the road even if they are riding a bicycle or walking.
For example, someone who rides a bicycle while drunk can be banned from driving a car.

[@melchiorvonsternberg844]

Back in the days, before the German reunification, in Westgermany June the 17th, was the national hollyday. It was called "Day of German unity" and reminded on the revolt in east Germany of 1953, which was broken by Soviet forces an tanks. This was also a silent day, in memory of the killed and imprisoned people in the east. In 1987 I wanna go with my girlfriend to a David Bowie concert in Stuttgart on June 17th. I got the tickets an was excited to see this great artist on stage. But 4 weeks before, it was cancelled, cause nobody had the silent day in mind, planin' the part of the tour in Germany. Never managed again, to see him on stage. And no he ist more than 7 years dead. And I become an old man...

[@MichaEl-rh1kv]

1:40 The dancing ban is mostly about not hurt other's religious feelings and the debate about it is ongoing (but quietly). The days (and exact times) differ from state to state; the ban is in place in all states for Good Friday (but in Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein not for the whole day), the Volkstrauertag ("people's day of mourning" to commemorate the victims of war and violent oppression - in most states the ban starts around 5 am and ends at 12 pm or a bit earlier) and the Sunday of the Dead (a Protestant religious holiday for the "faithfully departed", with differing durations for the ban like at Volkstrauertag). Some states have additional bans; the most has Hesse with 15 days when dancing in public is banned for at least part of the day, the fewest Berlin and Bremen with 3 days with partly bans per year.
2:10 That is only about noise which disturbs other people - therefore it is mostly enforced within cities and towns. The times it is valid are set by the municipality, not by state or federal law, except for the Sunday: the work-free Sunday as a quiet day and day for the family is a constitutional right. If your neighbors are disturbed, they can call the police, which will at first only admonish you. If you don't comply, they can confiscate the tool or instrument which is used to make noise (including e.g. what's was once called a ghetto blaster) and/or impose a fine.
5:53 The double-barreled thing was relaxed by the current government. The children naming thing is basically to protect children from dumb parents; the rules are not as detailed as suggested by the vid, but mostly set by customary right.

[@joharakiri]

It's funny because most of these aren't really enforced and you'd easily get away with a warning if anything. It's more that people just tend to follow these rules on their own because it's the sensible/considerate thing to do.

[@hackbyteDanielMitzlaff]

2:25 Oh yeah, depending on your neighbors, sunday as a quiet day will get enforced ..... if they can't make you stop, someone will definitely call the police. ;)

[@eisikater1584]

I used to wash my car in my front yard when i was young, but since there are three car washes within ten kilometers surrounding: Why should I do that? Also, washing your car at home is some kind of lonesome. At the car wash on a Saturday, you'll usually have to wait, so grab a coffee, smoke a cigarette, talk with people, and rumor has it that two people who met there afterwards got married.

[@hermione3muller674]

Another good one is the emissions law that forbids harmful emissions of any kind, e.g. smells and smoke.

[@Stadtpark90]

It would be indecent if discos and night clubs would be open on Good Friday: it is not a normal Friday.

[@twinmama42]

Because Germany is so densely populated, we all have to be considerate of other people. That's why noise protection by silent days is enforced. You can call the "Ordnungsamt" (ordnance office) of the town hall if you feel disturbed by your neighbours' noise.
Many German cities, towns, and even villages have two different sewer/drainage systems. One is for actual sewage which will be treated (expensive) before being released to a river. The other one is for "Oberflächenwasser" (surface water), which mostly consists of surplus rainwater which can be released without treatment (cheap). The cleaning chemicals and residue of vehicles are detrimental if not treated properly.

[@DJone4one]

So the ban is actually only if the neighbour also hears the noise. But if you live in a flat that is well insulated and the neighbours let you talk to them, then you can also hear hammering, sawing or loud music on Sundays.
For example, it is also forbidden to put your rubbish out too early or to press the rubbish in the rubbish bin in order to get more rubbish in.
"When is it allowed to put out rubbish bins? - The evening before
The only exception with a general fixed requirement is the yellow sacks, which "may be put out the evening before at the earliest". In some regions in Germany, the times are usually defined as 6 or 7 p.m."
And the reason for the ban on compacting the rubbish is that on the one hand the rubbish bins could break, on the other hand they could become too heavy for the rubbish collectors and that the rubbish collectors could be injured by rubbish if the rubbish bin breaks or the lid bursts open.
It is also forbidden to mow or trim one's lawn and hedge during a certain season.
This is due to the breeding and setting season of the birds.
They could be injured by the hedge shear, or the eggs in the nest could be broken. You should therefore always check the hedge before cutting it to make sure that no birds are nesting there.
It is also important to put winter wheels on the car from Easter to October.
Likewise, house owners are obliged to sweep the pavement on their street or clear it of snow in winter if there is a pavement on their property.
Otherwise, this can also result in penalties.
Metal fishing is also prohibited. This means that if you fish for metal (take scrap metal out of the water, be it bicycles, electrical appliances, etc.) in the canal or in the lake or pond area, no matter where in the city, you will also be fined heavily.
You can still cross a red light, but you have to cross the road at least 3 metres away from the light. The fine happened to a classmate of mine once when we wanted to go back to class after the break and we crossed the traffic light.
He was caught red-handed by the civil and public order office when he ran the red light.
A buddy of mine is called Kim by his first name. Since this is actually a name for both genders, he is usually addressed as "woman". That's why he also uses his second name Pascal. But that caused even more confusion. An advertisement from a furniture store then arrived with the following address: Mr. and Mrs. Pascal Kim.....
Completely stupid. You fill out an automatically generated form where the first name is even classified by the form of address.
Their neighbour has real problems with this, because both the woman and the man are called Kim.

[@twinmama42]

Our waste disposal office states that you should never put out the rubbish, organic, paper tons, and sacks for recycling the evening before collection but in the morning of collection, but definitely not before 6am. Too bad, that the first truck at my house arrives between 5:30 and 5:45am because they want to vacate the main street before rush hour starts...

[@tobiasmuth2372]

Mert With the ban on car washing. Has multiple aspects.
Save water - car washes recycle water.
There are different canals in Germany - separating and mixed canals. Who knows what canal system you have. In the sewage treatment plant it would be a small problem (mixed canal system).
You don't just wash away dirt, but also oil and dirt from the brakes. As well as the detergent itself (chemistry).
It is generally forbidden on public roads and the municipality/city can also prohibit it in private. That's where it hits the ground.
Therefore it is always forbidden. Exception if you ask the regulatory office of your community - exception rule. Very rare!

[@swgalaxies3995]

Mit den Tanzen ist Blödsinn aber mit den ruhig sein am Sonntag wird sehr ernst genommen und das ist auch gut so.

[@stef987]

In 'my' village people aren't so strict about noise, from partying deep into the night, over construction noise or loud music during quiet hours, to tractors driving whenever they want (ok, at least in winter they are turned into snowploughs, so that's kind of a plus)...but to be honest, often I am actually the one who gets annoyed.😳

[@m.h.6470]

The noise thing is an ordinance, as such the penalties are monetary fines only.

[@miztazed]

Yes it`s true. You are not allowed to wash your car on the street. You have to do it on a car wash or a petrol station with specific washing boxes to protect the groundwater for staying clean. And if you got a fresh drivers licence you have a testing period of 2 years and can lose it by the littlest misstake in trafic. Not only in the testing period you can also lose your drivers licence by walking over a red light or riding a bicicle or E-Scooter drunk. The noise polution depends on your neighbor. If he don`t complain to you it`s ok to drill a hole also on sundays. And yes on Easter Friday you are not allowed to throw a party or Music Festival. It would be emitiately shot down by police and e.g. "Life Of Brian" is forbitten to be aired by TV Stations on this day.

[@hermione3muller674]

The silent holiday thing is good as long as it does not strike your birthday. Partying is forbidden on such days and guess what, my birthday was regularly a silent holiday. While i do love the peace and quiet, not being allowed to celebrate my birthday really had an effect on me. I guess it would have been easier if celebrating on a different day would have been culturally more accepted. It is a bit easier now but still uncommon to celebrate on a different day.

[@jurgenmuck3102]

The "dance ban" on "silent holidays" applies only for public events and locations not for private celebrations. Birthday celebrations are allowed considering noise regulations.

[@newYorkStories]

You can dance at home on those days, and even through a wild Easter party. Nobody would care - except for the neighbors and all the cops on you for noise on a Sunday (or after 10PM). But if you had a dance club, disco or other establishment and you would allow dancing there on these days, you WILL get fined. Not the patrons, but the owners.

[@dwayenway]

Hey Mert. You know Marco Reus from Borussia Dortmund?
He in 2016 had to pay a fine of 540,000 euros for driving without a license.

[@solokom]

Not gonna lie, she is so cute! I love Rachel. 😁

[@rashomon351]

Good Friday and Memorial Day are the only days when dancing in public is banned, I know of. But I'm from the north. There may be more in southern, more catholic states. And the ban is only for public dancing... I'm not sure, having a party at your home is affected by such a ban...

[@Carlicious-Parts]

Germany. The only country where you can loose your driving license by drunk driving a bicycle and still are
allowed to drunkdrive the bike after loosing the license :D

[@sonye3810]

You can even lose you driving licence if you just walk drunk on the street.

[@Carlicious-Parts]

no you cant :D@@sonye3810

[@einspruch3905]

Hi Mert, are you the one writing to people in your comments about a giveaway or is it a scammer?

[@relaxxxr6460]

be carefull , he did me the same

[@hape3862]

Car wash: In Germany there are actually two separate sewage systems: One collects all the water from the house (toilets, sinks, showers, washing machines, etc.) and the other is for the drains on the streets and the drainage from the roofs. The first, of course, goes to the sewage treatment plant and then to the rivers. The second flows directly into the rivers so that the sewage treatment plants are not overloaded during heavy rains. Therefore, it must be kept as clean as possible in the first place. If you wash your car at home, the water would flow into the storm drain system and from there into the river - with all the dirt, grease and chemicals in it. Special car washes are connected to the system that sends the wastewater to the treatment plant.

[@Delibro]

Not fully right, also water from the streets and roofs go to treatment plants (of cause some old houses and streets may differ).
During rain, retention basins flatten out the surplus for the treatment plants; during heavy rain those basins empty their surplus directly into rivers, but they only empty the top layers of their water being enough clean for rivers, more so in heavy rain.

[@hape3862]

@@Delibro Ah, ok. I described as it was explained to me.

[@martinklein5178]

In Mainz, washing your car on the street is allowed in those streets with only one single sewage system.

[@berndheghmanns1437]

Don't forget the Granys, they are going to scool you on the topic!! Don't set an bad example for the kids!!

[@gastonkawitzke3272]

It is a law, but just a rule...

[@chrishalle1982]

Yeah its forbidden to wash your car in your garden. But i do it anyway.

[@hermione3muller674]

Regading noise, it was lovely when i grew up and nobody dared to step over the noise rules. However, now the street is full of nonabiding persons who beak the rules at least once a week, so that i have to call the police that regularly. Partying after ten p m outside with loud music is the most frequent assault, waking me up in the middle of the night. Diy noises outside the allowed times are also increasing. It destroys my health and that is why i do not hesitate to call the cops. Talking to the neighbours did not help as they spit on me because i am in a wheelchair. No respect. Sigh.

[@jdktoo]

tell that ban to my neighbour, he's cleaning his fkn ship on his ground with a kärcher

[@emiliajojo5703]

As long as he doesn't use chemicals,it's fine.

[@tobiasmuth2372]

​@@emiliajojo5703 It´s not fine...save water (groundwater) and not to clean boats or cars!

[@jdktoo]

@@emiliajojo5703 oh, really? how about the noise it makes?

[@emiliajojo5703]

Mowning on sunday:death penalty.

[@DerHolzi]

illegal dancing? NO... JUST NO!!! ... thats redicilous... BUT
Fun Fact: - its LEGAL in germany, to break out of prison and stay free, IF you dont hurt anyone or damage anything on your way out ;)
Fun Fact 2: - in germany, you gotta go to jail for five years, IF you launch an atomic bomb... :D
its redicilous as well, but at least its true... ;)

[@vornamenachname3746]

Man she’s cringing me out

[@Yoshi-ud3du]

first

[@alexandergutfeldt1144]

mein beileid