Thank you for watching me, a humble American, react to 8 things NOT to do in Germany. This was extremely useful and fun to watch! Thanks for subscribing!
Leaving the empty bottles next to the trash can ist usually a nice way to give it to homeless or very poor people so they don`t have to search for it inside the dirty trash can. Technically it is littering, but most towns know about the pursuit of it and won`t fine it.
Some towns, or private initiatives, even add little bottle holders on the outside of the trash container to avoid the bottles from rolling arround and stuff.
The thing is, those bottles are not considered "trash". They have been given a monetary value to encourage people to bring them back to the shops in order to _reduce_ trash. Also many of them (glass bottles and also some of the more sturdy plastic bottles) are cleaned and reused after they were returned, so it's actually a bad thing to throw them away. The thin 25 cent bottles however are single use and are destroyed and recycled after they are returned, so technically they are trash, but should be returned anyway to have a better chance of getting recycled.
in germany there is a well-known saying ,,du sollst den Tag nicht vor dem Abend loben” which means "you shouldn't praise the day before the evening". the belief is that if you wish someone a happy birthday before it's really their birthday, you assume that they'll still be alive until their birthday and with that You basically challenge the universe to prove the opposite. I hope you understand it with my English😅
The English equivalent is "Don't count your chickens before they have hatched". Yes, it's basically the same as if you congratulate someone for their new job when they are still on their way to the interview. The explanation "it's bad luck" always skips over the reason why it is bad luck. It actually is lost in translation. In English, people just wish to have a nice day on that occasion, which you usually don't when it's already over.
Perhaps its somehow linked to the wars, my grandfather used to tell stories from medics asking wounded soldiers their age and sometimes getting a reply along the lines of 'Oh, i'll be 19 tomorrow'. Often times they would tell them on the spot, that they couldn't be so sure about that. Maybe it goes back even further, but that has allways been a reasonable explanation for me.
@@PliuNoShi Like so many people did with Betty White. Her 100th birthday was advertised everywhere .. with a TV special and so on. Unfortunately, she passed away 17 days before her 100th birthday. The world lost a kind soul that day
Even with german service quality, an incident like this melon shopping situation would never happen. While waiters and shop clerks are not as overly fake friendly and submissive to customers as in other countries, they still need to and would do their job and help customers out with reasonable requests.
The point is "reasonable requests"! A customer going full Karen on a shopkeeper or restaurant employee would be thrown out with the owners blessings to the staff! That is the case in most of Europe and since the staff are not dependent on the customers good will to make a living, it is mostly US citizens that are thrown out and they get a worse reputation every single time, no matter how much money they have to spend! Money is not a valid compensation for humiliation in Europe!
I think the american Customer service is that unique in the world - really having the best Customer Service in the world - so I guess that German efficiency seems to be a bit impolite for an Amercan. But I agree that nobody in Germany would be as unchearful as the guy in the video.
@@Lieferzeit They are just wildly over the top for citizens from any other country. They are actually chasing you around the store wanting to "help". It drives me crazy just thinking about it! Why on earth would i need "Help" shopping? In Europe, when you need any help you just go and ask for it and you will get it, but no one will push it on you when you are only browsing.
"being on time" in germany doesnt have to mean showing up at the agreed time. in school we used to be told "5 minuten vor der zeit ist des meisters pünktlichkeit" so being 5 minutes early is the punctuality of a master. youll often see germans being 5-15 minutes early in order to be able to enter at the exact time agreed upon or earlier
My father always taught me, "10 Minuten vor der Zeit ist Soldaten Pünktlichkeit, 5 Minuten vor der Zeit is Soldaten Faulheit." Which basically means a good soldier is 10 minutes early and only a lazy one would be only 5 minutes early. So basically if you're 5 minutes early you are are actually already late. And that can be tru. At work I heard an intern being told that if he wants to keep his possition he needs to be there more punctually. He usually arrived between 5 and 2 minutes before his shift started and that was just not good enough.
My theory for the birthday wishes: The phrases "Happy birthday" in English and "herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag" in German actually mean different things: When you say "happy birthday" in English, you say something like: "may you have a happy birthday, when it arrives." When you say "herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag" in German you say something like: "I congratulate you, that you now have reached your birthday and managed not to die in the process"
Some bins in bigger city even have bottle holders. As a lot of homeless or people who don't have much money go through bins to collect them as you can make quite good money especially near open air festivals (a friend once made 20€ just at an open air festival). So they want people to put it next to the bin as it's nicer because others would have to dig through the bin so it has to do with dignity In Germany we look out for one another. It's good as when I was a kid we were allowed to walk anywhere as people would always be watching. But you'll also get yelled at a lot as a teenager for not having light on your bike or crossing the street not using the street lights
Fun fact recarding cash payments vs. credit cards: Studies show that paying cash can "help"/assist being more concious when spending money and how much to spend. Handing over money physically, especially large amounts ("large" being different from person to person), actually results in "mental pain" as certain regions in the brain are triggered by the process representing a stress situation. Using a credit card and thus handing over the money "virtually" does not trigger such an reaction and people are willing to spend larger amounts of money more easily. Maybe that is why our banks are encouraging the use of credit cards... 🤔 Edit: Typos
Thats exactly, why I love to pay in cash. I recently pay more often with digital options and I am a little bit confused about the money on my bank account. So when I get cash from the ATM I know what I have and whats in my account. I guess you can get used to it. But it is irritating to have something booked from your account, but the payment happened days ago. Especially credit cards do not make any sense to me. Why should I have the bank lend me money and pay for me, when I have money on my bank account. Only If I buy more than I have, this would make sense, but I do not like debts so no need for a credit card.
the main reason, banks want you to use credit cards, is because the money doesn't leave the bank with the credit cards. If you take out the money as cash, the money is literally gone for the bank, as soon as you take it. If you use your credit card instead, the money stays with the bank until the very moment you pay. That may seem a small difference from your view, but from the bank's perspective it is thousands if not millions more to handle that much longer. And by law, 90% of the money that resides with the bank can be used to speculate on the stock market or be used on credits for other customers. Not to mention the fact, that the banks are allowed to give out 10 times more loans and credits than they have actually in hard cash.
in america you often have the opposite problen, if you go into a club for example its not uncommon to hear "no cash only credit card" which makes absoloutly no sense in my german brain. i would be like "i cant pay with money?"
In northen Europe, being on time means BEING ON TIME. If you invite someone to dinner, a hangout or etc at your house at say 19.00, they are going to be there at at that time. If they are late by 5 mins, you'll get a text or a call. People might even be early and just hangout in front of your place and then go in at the time agreed upon. And no, everything is planned. 'Wanna get lunch' is not a thing - Rule 1 is 'you don't fuck other people plans up'
That also depends on where you live. We (in the south of Germany) are kinda fine with guests being around 5 minutes late. At 10 Minutes we Wonder Why they're Not Here yet (maybe a lot of Traffic) and when they are 20 Minutes or more late then we get worried or a bit annoyed. I guess We are a little more cool about it (No offense). We (my Family) Like to do Things spontaniusly (sorry) sometimes. Like, we Plan the meals, the morning and the evening and leave the afternoon free for random stuff that Just Flies at us. So Not all of Germany Plans everyday the whole day out.
I dont know anyone in my (german) circle of friends or family who would get mad if you call to ask, if they want to hangout. If you have other plans, you just decline. But you dont feel like they fuck up your plans because they ask you for a spontaneously lunch date. But: spontaneously showing up on your door is fair reason for murder 🥴
I can just speak for myself, but I get very easily flustered when I am asked to spontaneously hang out, since I am already for example ready to watch my favorite movie on tv and eat ice cream, but don't feel like it would be appropriate to turn you down based on these plans...
"The customer is king/Der Kunde ist König is" antiquated concept here in Germany, because after decades of basically "eating sh**t" from customers (like the proverbial "Karen's" the US), store employers started being only as nice as the person asking. As for the "Pfand" put beside a trashcan, that way homeless people can collect and return them, so they can use the money to buy some food or drinks. I think it is preferable to begging.
The only ones who don't have to be on time in Germany are tradesmen you have ordered into your home. The appointment looks something like this. "Expect us between between 9 am and 5 pm."
putting the bottle next to the trashcan is a "favor" for homeless people. They often look in trashcans for "Pfand" and next to the can it is easier for them. Oh, and "only cash" is not the case anymore thanks to covid. there are still some places, but most of them upgraded their tech
But my oroblem now, I don't have enouph coins for tips. Please don't answer, that often, you can give tips with card or online paying. No I wouldn' do this. I think it's not common.
a bike without lights you would get a ticket if the police sees you^^ you have to have light in front and the back. and you have the reflectors and you have to have a bell etc etc even an a normal bike^^ otherwise it is expansive. and if you ona bike too drunk you could even get youre drivers-license suspendet^^
Credit cards are relatively uncommon in Germany, since most of us see (technically) going into debt while paying as irresponsible and potentially ruinous. Debit cards are far common, because they contain money that you actually have. (Technically not since you lend the money to the bank, but let's not be too pedantic). In German, there is the saying: "Only spend what you have."
The thing with punctuality is not we germans are all that strict. We already have the saying about "Das akademische Viertel" (the academical quarter of a hour) which belongs to the fact that students aren't mostly that strict by following rules. So it says, if you can make it in not more then a quarter of a hour later, it's not that bad. But what's important, don't waste my time by not calling or texting me "Sorry, I'm a bit late. Be there in 10 min." or something like this. Cause if I don't know, I'm just be there, starring and waiting for you. If I knew, you're late, I can use that time. I can, for example, buy me a coffee or maybe I'm a little bit late too and have to run to be punctual, I wouldn't do that, if I knew, you were not there at the time and can walk relaxed. Greetings from Berlin 😎
"Das akademische viertel" is something else entirely. For historical reasons the start of uni lectures is given to be EXACTLY 15 minutes before the actual start of the lesson. In Bonn we still have schedules that have lectures start and end to the full hour. If the "akademische viertel" wouldn't exist it would literally be impossible to make the next class (unless you can teleport)
Bei manchen ist das mit der Pünktlichkeit so extrem, dass es sich ins Gegenteil wandelt und sogar nervig werden kann. Als ich noch ein Kind war und eine Geburtstagsfeier oder so um 15 Uhr stattfand, mussten wir meinen Großeltern sagen, dass die Feier um 15:30 Uhr anfängt, damit sie um 15 Uhr ankommen. Ansonsten wären sie schon während der Vorbereitungszeit hereingeplatzt.
I think the melons were a bit over the top to show their point. Usually the seller will just tell you the price if you ask. But yes there are other countries were service is nicer. @10:04 min These people are being snarky if they yell after you. But there are people who might come to you and tell you in a nice way, they usually just want to help in case you haven't noticed your lights are out. Trusting Cash: When you use credit card, the bank (and government) can basically track you and find out where you go and what you buy. In former East Germany the people where spied on by STASI/ their government so there was a lot of trust lost there.
Berlin people are famous for being snarky. I lived there for 5 years and after a while I myself became really defensive when I got out of the house, sometimes even aggressive - I felt attacked easily. After moving away from Berlin my personality quickly recovered. Very soon I came back to my normal friendly self. Today I love to visit Berlin, but I would never consider to move there again. The city brought out the worst in me.
Most things are very true. Regarding the planning thing we also often plan to do nothing and get annoyed when someone wants to do something with us. Asking via phone/text is of course always appreciated. Just arriving at your doorstop is a hard nogo. Regarding cash this got better in the last years, especially in bigger cities, but expect to still only be able to pay cash on smaller stores, food trucks, in clubs and at a concert.
Not yet viewed. But since I appreciate your content and they are suggested to me more often lately, I subscribed first. Thanks for your interest in Germany :) So, now I'll take a look.
It´s really easy to overspend or lose track of your spendings if you use your card too much, whereas with Cash that can literally not happen, you can clearly see how much you have at any time.
The thing with Credit cards is a bit different. Covid changed it a bit but the big Problem are the fees the businesses have to pay the banks for every single transaction with Card. So the business make way less money when a customer pays with card instead of cash. For small businesses its just to expensive. So they are often not offering that and you have to pay in cash.
In addition, the kind of credit cards americans use are even more expensive than the in Germany common debit cards. Hence even if a place offers paying by card, they might not take credit cards but only debit cards.
And many banks fired their employees because they dont need so much workers anymorexbecause of the raised online banking during covid. Many elder people have now too long ways to get to cash or help. Online banking a coin with two sides not only the good one and personaly not even a good future for everyone.
I think it's right to tell cyclists to turn their lights on at night. I travel a lot by car for work and have often almost hit a cyclist because I couldn't see him in the dark. it's just dangerous and people don't learn. so yes it's a way of looking out for each other. strangely enough, children know. it's almost always adults who should know better. no light, black clothes... not cool. sometimes Hilfssheriffs are simply right. i don´t wanna kill a cyclist because the person is to ignorant to use a light
It's not that strange that children know. Most German children need to pass a bicycle driving test to be allowed to ride their bike to school. Same as children usually have a better grasp on grammar rules and stuff like that. There are actual studies that show that people have the broadest education right after high school.
@@iamcurious9541 i mean it is strange because adults had driving lessons. children must first learn to understand traffic and how important it is to be seen by others in the dark. adults have known this for many years. they just don't care. if you ask such people about their mistakes, they become cheeky. they know exactly what they are doing wrong. I want to be completely honest. if an adult really doesn't know how important a light is at night, then he should hand in his driver's license immediately because he doesn't have the ability to participate in traffic. so we can say: children have to learn first, with adults it's just a lack of interest and carelessness. the car driver will brake... maybe... if he sees the cyclist in time. with adults there are no excuses. children learn from adults. it is therefore our duty to set a good example
@@marie-thereswelte7281 but that's assuming every adult person has a driving licence and that's just not the case in Germany. In rural areas maybe but not in bigger towns.
The thing is, when that happens, well there is a reason why my light isn't on. It's broken. Sure, technically I would be required to walk then, and if the cops catch me I have to pay. But still, this "Licht an!", when it happens, pisses me off, because I am thinking "Well, duh, if it would work IT WOULD BE ON ALREADY." Like they take me for stupid, as if I didn't notice.
6:50 Leaving the empty bottle near the trashcan is better, because poor or homeless people don´t have the to dig it out of the dirt in the bin. They can get it easily and bring it to the store to get back the deposit.
Well, just asking your friends for more spontanous meetings is okay of course. And regarding the price tag, usually the service personal will answer your question. Also the card payment has spread very far during the pandemic (the video is 2 years old), even in a bakery you can now pay rolls or bread - but possibly only with EC-Cards, not with credit cards. And remember, coins have much higher value in Europe, and you can easily carry more the 20 Euros in coins.
I had such a 'Hilfssheriff' incident while riding with my bike through Germany. I was riding ON the cycle lane but there was a restaurant that put there outside tables on it anyway. I slowed down to walking speed and there was still enough space to go on (on the bike) without bringing pedestrians in danger. Then a man (maybe 40 years old) who was walking through the café shouted angry at me 'Sie können schon lesen, oder?' (You're able to read, aren't you?). His rude comment shocked me for a few second. I answered yes, didn't stop, just went on slowly. This guy became even more angry and shouted 'Das gibt's doch nicht!' (I can't believe thsi!). I looked back only shaking my head. Then (while looking back) I saw the small sign for bicycles at the entrance of the café that said 'please don't riide'. Unfortunately there had been no such sign at the point where I entered the café so... but at least I finally understood wat the guy was talking about. He still had a red head and was really upset but there was a small lady next to him smiling at me while pushing the 'Hilfssheriff' slowly in the other direction. So, yes, there are those guys in the streets but fortunately there are also 'nice small ladies' ;)
i sometimes feel like germany has a bit of a war going on between pedestrians and cyclists, and they hate each other. as someone who both walks and cycles i can definitely say that youll often hear comments from the other faction in regards to any and all things you are currently doing
I had a similar situation not to long ago. I was riding my bike in a place where markings are admittedly messy, and there was this lady asking me to please ride the bike on the street. I looked at her, raised my eyebrow, looked pointedly at the space exactly underneath me, then looked back on me. After that she moved out of my way. She must have realized I was standing precisely on a marking for a bicycle lane.
3:00 An old German saying is "5 Minuten vor der Zeit, ist die wahre Pünktlichkeit" meaning "5 minutes ahead of time, is the true punctuality". 11:55 One of the reasons why Germans rely more on cash is the fact that you have a better feeling for your expenses.
5 minutes ahead of time is not on time in many situations- like if you are invited for a dinner or some such. I’d say it is okay to come 10 or so minutes later so the hosts can do some finishing touches. When it comes to business meetings or meetings in a bar/restaurant then being early is on you if you do not mind to be the first on scene. If you are hosting a birthday party in a restaurant then you should be maybe even half an hour early to ensure being the first and greet guests who come early as they may themselves take earlier bus or trip to account for unexpected delays.
Das hab ich ja noch nie gehört?! Hier oben in Ostholstein sind wir recht entspannt mit der Pünktlichkeit. 30 Minuten über der Zeit ist vollkommen in Ordnung.
@@hightidemidafternoon Times they are changing - this saying has it's roots in the prussian era. People nowadays tend to be more relaxed about punctuality, that's correct
Good you find this channel! This videos are awesome for learning about germany, german culture (because they talk a lot with real germans on the streets) and about the language because of the subtitles. And even their comment section is very interesting because they had subscribers from all over the world, sharing their experiences about this topic. So you can also learn something about other cultures too. And they are soo funny. I enjoyed this channel and I'm german and don't have to learn what they try to teach. 😉 Greetings from Berlin 😎
"The customer is king - and the nobility is abolished." (Der Kunde ist König - und der Adel ist abgeschafft.) That's the full saying including a pun on the first democratic German constitution from 1919.
Yeah, you can leave the bottles outside the bin, there are actually homeless people or others that are collecting these bottles to get something to eat etc. and otherwise they had to search the bin for bottles, so they can just collect them directly without getting dirty. There are SEVERAL people doing this, so this bottle will not stay for a very long time, maybe 1-2 hours MAX and it is gone... Cash/creditcard... For me personally as a german and i think many others, it "hurts" more to have the actual money in your hand, so you buy LESS. I have to go to the ATM, i watch how much money i have all the time (even though i know how much it is) after i take the money from my account and buy things with my cash. If you just take your creditcard, maybe you use more money, because you have no "real relation" to the money, it is just the card swipe and thats it. Otherwise you have the whole process of getting it from the ATM, put it in your purse, buy something, take the money out of your purse and hand it over, it feels safer, i feel like i have more control over my money and i have an better overview overall! Also we do not like that companies can track where you buy your stuff, how much money you were purchasing for this or that, that makes us feel controlled and really uncomfortable. That is also the reason by the way, you cannot see a lot of Germany in Google Streetview. Germans are OBSESSED with privacy and i think that is a really good thing!
From personal experience I would confirm this. Basically 2 hours only if it's a more rural area or in the middle of the night or something. But during the day in a city I would say the average is below 30 minutes. Near a train station 30 minutes would be a long time.
For me the cash thing is more about having control over my expenses than trust in the money. It just harder to give away the hard earned money than a plastic card you get back after payment
In Germany, we have a saying: "Nur Bares ist Wahres" meaning "Only ready cash is a real thing". (Every time I am paid with a check I fear it could be bad. So yes, I prefer cash pay, too.)
11:48 It's quite simple: If you drew 100€ from the ATM and spend part of it, you can see that in your wallet, you get a feeling for how much you spent. If you only pay by card, the feeling can pretty much delude you and only later do you realize you spent much more than you intended.
Dude the bottle deposit gets to a whole new level once you been to a festival in Germany. There are people who are dedicated to make 5k€ at the least at every event there is.
12:00 it’s not really about not trusting the bank, but more so that paying with a card is easier to spend more, whereas paying with cash you feel & see how much you have, so you don’t want to spend that much. Which is also one of he reasons why Americans always spend so much money statistically
I'm german and I was very shocked when I was taught that it's normal to say "happy birthday" before your birthday. I was like what the heck? Why? It's bad luck!!!!😂😂
If it’s a bottle you can bring back it’s common courtesy to leave it next to or on top of a bin. There are people who collect them to survive too so it’s in order for them not to have to go through trash to find them.
Hey Ryan, i like ur Videos, keep it up :) Also i have a thing not to do if youre in germany, i just had it today again. If you use Public Trains and Buses, first let the people go out before you go in. you just stay sidestep left or right from the doors, wait until all people got out and than go in urself. If not people will be angry and tell you to let them first out... its also possible to get a body kick.
The bikelanes are visually different as well.they are usually smooth asphalt, the walking path is often built with some plates or definitely something more "rougher" than something where wheels will ride. Also, the bikeline is usually the lane closer to the street
The reason why especially small shops like e.g. bakeries, don't except card payment, is that they have to pay a fee for every card transaction to the credit card provider or the bank and they have to pay for the card terminal and so on and on. Those costs go off their sales revenue. Because of that, many shop owner decided just to accept cash. But since COVID even smaller shop accept card payment now, but just because they don't want to touch/handle the cash.
That's typically a miscalculation by the store owner, because getting the money back to the bank and getting new change from the bank both cost money and time. Bigger stores also use money transport, which also costs money. A card terminal costs about 5-15 € per month plus 0,2% per transaction (Girocard) or 1% (credit/other debit card) . Very small stores can also use free terminals with higher transaction costs. So overall a store has to calculate the cost of cash vs the cost of cards and choose if not offering one and losing these customers is the better solution. But many stores don't do this calculation and refuse taking cards because they still have these expensive contracts from 10 or 20 years ago in the mind.
The fact aside that credit cards are just more expensive to use (for the shop owners, but at the end of the day, the extra cost is paid by the customers), there were two events which really influenced the German relationship with money. One was the Hyperinflation (just imagine getting your wages in the morning and it only half as much worth by the evening) which eventually lead to the introduction of the Deutsche Mark, which then in turn became a symbol for stability, second is the GDR period. No matter on which side of the wall you lifed the notion of a state which was able to spy on its citicens so easily is simply terrifying. Hence Germans are in general more concious regarding data protection. And while you can easily track what someone does with electronic money, cash is nearly impossible to trace. Btw, the Hyperinflation also lead to Germans being terrified of inflation in general. You can consider this a national trauma, even after so many generaions.
Regarding the cost of credit cards versus cash. I'm not sure how much it actually swings in one direction because cash comes with its own cost, too. Cashiers need to count it at the end of the day and need to balance it against how much they were supposed to collect which costs work time and also cash needs to be transported to the bank using a security service. This is one of the reasons why supermarkets offer you the option to withdraw cash when you pay by card. Because at the end of the day they have fewer cash in the till and the amount of cash to be transported to the bank also impacts the cost of that transport (insurance & co). The reason ALDI didn't allow card payment for so long had nothing to do with the actual card cost but rather that the dial-up to confirm the card's validity simply took too long. Back in the day a card transaction could eat up to a minute of the cashier's time and ALDI weighed the pros and cons and said: no. That changed with the introduction of DSL in the early 00's and by now, a card payment is much quicker than a cash transaction.
I used to watch "easy German" nice to watch your reaction with them, Greetings from Spain I like your videos about Germany, Really interesting. Congrats!!
Heyy! Im just interested why you are so interested about Germany if you have never been here?😁 Welcome to southern Germany some time! Freiburg area is really nice and beautiful!
5:53 of course one should not refrain from enquiring. It is just not certain if one would agree. I guess it is quite normal between neighbours and very good friends or people one would know for quite a long time. I even had colleagues from work turning up spontaneously at my house, as they were close (I live 100 KM from work in an area where many people come for relaxing outdoor and spa holidays) - I have shown them round in the house (they already know my office and the kitchen ;) from video conf.) and we went to a local pub. I guess spontaneity is more a personal predisposition and one has a feeling that someone may appreciate it or finds that kind of surprise awkward. How I would handle that differently: phone from resto/pub nearby and ask if they would like to join spontaneously and go from there...
13:15 well from my point of view it is not a kind of superstition it is simply regarded as impolite, but again one could slightly change the words and submit best wishes for tomorrow to have or enjoy his birthday ('geniese Deinen Geburtstag morgen / morgigen Geburtstag) or have tomorrow a great party ('Ich wünsch Dir eine tolle Geburtstagsparty'). Submit congratulations not on the actual birth day, but before is kind of discourteous and for the times after one would use belated best wishes.
07:05 yes exactly, it's a favor. When I'm too busy or lazy to bring the bottle back and not in need of the money, I'll leave it there near the bin. Best case scenario is that a homeless or generally poor person picks it up and I can help them (these 25cents really add up), or a just any other person that was maybe on the way to the grocery store to bring back bottles anyway. It's not literring because the bottles never stay there for long anyway. They're always gone by the next day basically
It is more than okay to ask people for spontaneous activities, I might even say appreciated. Just be aware that they might have scheduled something else in advance. When we're free, we are more than happy to be spontaneous. In case we're busy, but still want to meet up with you, we're gonna schedule something with you right there and then when you call or text.
"Is there more to the history with banks and credit cards," short answer yes, the crazy monetary situation and inflation around the two world wars. Of course cash was affected too, but you could spend that on a day's notice, and what you had in your wallet no bank had locked up.
every electronic money transaction costs a certain fee for both the payer and seller in Germany - thats why a lot of small stores etc. in Germany don't have those card machines, because it costs them a lot more than get it in cash, thats why you can't pay with a card in some stores and restauants. But at most of the bigger stores like groceries, jewelery stores etc-- where you have to pay higher amounts - you can use your cards without any problem.
Not all of the situations shown in the video apply to each and every region in Germany. Don't confuse people in Berlin with those in the far south or northwest. In USA you would also not directly contrast the mentality from a buzy city like New York with some remote villiage in New Mexico.
fun thing about the birthday wishes: if someone has a few good friends they sometimes make it a game to be the first to wish happy birthday on that day, so you find people normally going to bed at 10pm staying up until 12am just to be the first to wish the happy birthday
We have a saying" Thou shalt not praise the day before the evening". This is also the reason why people do not congratulate earlier on the birthday. It brings bad luck, for example, you will be run over by a car at the last moment before your birthday or something.
1. the cycling path thing is not only annoying to cyclists but also dangerous for the pedestrian who stands on it. lots of cyclists ride really fast and it's really not fun being run into by one. a friend of mine back in uni got to wear a neck brace for 2 months after stepping on the cycling path without checking if nobody is approaching. you really want to make sure it's clear and then just cross it and not linger around on it. 2. and 3. are very true, and I used to be just the same when I was still living back home in Germany. I'd generally arrive about 10-15 minutes early to whatever, and really, something messing up my 'plan' for the day could really wreck my vibe and stress me out A LOT. In some book about intercultural communication I read that these are signs of a culture that is high in 'uncertainty avoidance', meaning people prefer to know exactly what is going to happen when and how and be properly prepared and they hate ambiguity of any kind. Japanese culture is very similar in that regard, I hear. Now, 10 years ago I moved to India (a low uncertainty avoidance culture), where it's normal to say 'Hey, let's meet tonight at 8pm' But then it's actually more like 10pm and half the people original supposed to come don't show up, but some other guys who were not initially planned in at all do. Every plan is more like a nebulous possibility rather than a written in stone commitment, and you just adapt your day as you go. I'm not going to lie, in the beginning it stressed me out, but by now I got very much used to it and prefer it, and people back home in Germany are floored by how all over chilled out I have become hahaha. 4. I leave it on top of the bin if the bin is built that way, or next to it. don't worry about littering, sadly enough people have to collect bottles for some extra coin, so those bottles most of the time are often gone within minutes. if i happen to see some old lady who's collecting I go and offer it to her directly. 5. This is so true and so absurd. I've seen sales associates literally hiding behind shelves peeking to see if I might just leave so they don't have to do their job. And yes, after living different other places (Chile, the US and India) and having seen what good customer service looks like, I avoid shopping in store whenever I visit Germany. I literally prefer ordering stuff online to my mom's address while I'm there cause I'm not ready for that BS vibe in store. Ironically store owners whine around a lot about people buying more online and their jobs being in danger. Sorry, people, but the way you understand 'service' you really shouldn't be surprised. Every other country I lived it was nice to buy stuff in shops because people were just nice and happy to help. I'm not saying people have to force grin non-stop or let the customers be shitty to them, of course not. I just expect them to be at least willing to do the bare minimum of the job they voluntarily signed up for. In Germany there are good sales associates too, don't get me wrong, but you run in way too many who seem genuinely upset that you're even there. Fine, don't have my money then. What do I care. 6. it's mostly bored old people or socially lonely people. really, in my neighborhood, every single one who acts like that is just terribly lonely and that's literally their way to have at least some sort of interaction with people. Just ignore. 7. The funniest thing is that during covid lots of places started offering card payment for hygiene reasons, but now after most rules have been lifted most places have gotten rid of it again. from the seller's side it's due to the fees they pay for using that payment gateway. buyers feel they have a better grasp of their spendings if they pay cash, which is a fair point. Personally, I really don't care all that much, it's just a matter of habit. 8. It's really just the idea of not trying to jinx anything. Life is fragile, who knows if you're actually going to live to see your birthday. I just think it would feel really bad for me to learn someone I had just wished happy bday in advance ended up run over by a car or having a heart attack before they could even reach their birthday. For the same reason I would not give any pregnant woman gifts for her baby before the baby is actually born. I cringe at pre-birth baby showers. If something goes wrong the parents will be sitting at home surrounded by never used baby clothing and toys, and will have to try to get rid of it. Not cool. I'll gladly shower your baby with gifts once it's there. But from a superstitious point of view I don't want to jinx it, and from a non-superstitious point of view i dont want to make myself or the people concerned feel bad, when I just could have waited till the time is actually right. Belated gifts and wishes are any time better than wishing/gifting too early. Edit: For another thing to not do in Germany, never avoid eye contact with someone while clinking glasses and saying cheers (prost, zum wohl) to them. Always make eye contact, else it's 7 years of bad s**.
You can call or text them the day of, but since people plan stuff, they likely don't have time, because they may have planned something else with someone else weeks in advance. It's not that they can't be spontaneous, but since they plan days and weeks in advance it's likely they don't have time for something "casual" the second you want to do stuff.
hi, the thing abou t oaying cash is: you have more control of your money, if you put an amount of money in your pocket and buy everything with cash. then you see how fast it leaves. that advice is given to people who have problems with money or kids/ young adults. It helps you to learn how to spend money in the right way. the other thing is about paying cash, it is not another information for big data, what you bought.
The birthday thing actually makes a lot of sense. Congratulating someone early is like jinxing it. Assume someone wishes you a "Happy 55th Birthday!" But you haven't turned 55 yet, so technically you could still die, hence the other person has jinxed you.
About the birthday. I Germany you congratulate to the birthday, like it's an accomplishment you reach it. You don't wish "a happy early birthday". But you can't congratulate to an achievement, which you have reched yet, because you might fail to reach it. And not reaching a nearby birthday would be very much bad luck.
Maybe in Berlin the service isn't very good. Were I live (southern germany) it was like this about 15 or 20 years ago. But since then it changed a lot. Nobody would be as harsh as in the melon example. I recognized it first in the grocery. Back in time I was never greeted by the cashier but suddenly it changed. Nowaday it would be very uncommon not to be greeted. Another example: when there are more than 3 customers in row waiting to pay they usually open another cash register so you never have to wait very long. I remember times when the rows were very long and they didn't opened another cash register.
As a German I wouldn't consider it rude if you texted or called me to ask to go out and do something together. You just have to anticipate that people might have plans already and say no. It is different if people turn up at your doorstep because you don't want to be rude but have to tell them that you already made plans. Since covid it is more common to pay with a debit or credit card. Also a lot of people pay with their phone apps. But you have to be prepared at street stalks especially food stalls to pay cash. Also some places don't accept cards for really small amounts. I've heard of Americans having a birthday week or even a birthday month so that they can party before their birthday. That wouldn't work in Germany. You can say "Happy belated birthday" but never congratulate before the actual day! I don't think you could really mess up in Germany. People would know that you're from a different country and cut you some slack. Also Germans in general are quite helpful and would speak English to help somebody out. Especially in larger cities.
Last time i worked in a food store i asked about that "customer is the king" thing and my co-worker said it isn't anymore since idk so if a customer is trying to f you up or something... kick em out
9:52 in my neighborhood there are a lot of one way streets and often drivers are too lazy to navigate around them and just drive in the wrong way through them. I like to yell at them if they’re driving the wrong way, or even stand in the middle of the road and demand them to drive back Edit: all roads have a speed limit of 30 km/h and there are 2 schools and a kindergarten nearby which is why it’s extremely important to watch the traffic rules
We even sometimes have little bottle holders next to the bins so that the homeless don't have to reach deep into the bin (where they could potentially hurt themselves). And yes, it is mostly homeless and/or poor people who collect bottles ... But I have also experienced that a bus driver suddenly braked sharply at a bus stop where nobody wanted to get on or off because there was an empty bottle that he wanted to collect. And yes, we do have this kind of self-proclaimed "Volkspolizei/people's police" (although the real police could even take a bicycle that only has battery-powered lighting - i.e. no dynamo - out of circulation. ... If the officers feel like the rat's tail of paperwork for it).
Doing casual activities spontaneously is totally fine! It’s just that if you want to meet spontaneously at the weekend you mustn’t be surprised if people are already “booked” for an activity with sb else. If you care about that person, do ask early. It’s also a sign of respect and appreciation. Nobody wants to just fill a spontaneous gap.
Since we don't congratulate each other until our actual birthdays we developed the tradition of celebrating 'into' someone's birthday meaning you have a party the night before your birthday but the guests wait to congratulate you until it's midnight and then you have a toast or sing happy birthday or whatever.
I think for me cash is a way to have my money in view, you can't see how your money is becomes less on your bank account while shopping, but you really see it in cash. For me the planning vs. spontaneity thing is more how your personality is. i can easily change my plans for the day, it depends on the importance or if it easy to cancel other planned things. the service: I think this Melon-man is an exaggeration. He won't find anyone that will lift the Melon to see the price. Everyone will turn ans go somewhere else to buy their fruits and never return there. even in less-service Germany., but yes you won't find salesclerks permanently asking you if you need help, but if you ask for help they mostly will friendly do so if they can.
I can say that I can pay pretty often with my card. It's not credit, but debit. But there were moments when that card got declined. Either the card had an error, or the reader or whatever. Then you're glad to carry cash so you avoid that awkward moment of „oh it doesn't work. Can I come back in 5 minutes?“
The thing with cash in Germany is as follows: if you pay with cash you have something touchable which represents the "worth" that you are paying with something material. You don't get that with "digital" cash cause that are just some numbers in a PC. That's at least what I think
as a german i didnt know that wishing a happy birthday before the day brings bad luck, i was under the impression that you just dont congratulate for achievements that havent been achieved yet, i also dont say congratiulations on your marathon victory the day before the marathon....
Ahhh it hurts xD the bottle he hold is a "Mehrweg"-Bottle. "Mehrweg" exist in glas and in plastic and has 15 Cent "Pfand" and can use many times. The most beer glas bottles have 8 Cent. And the PET with 25 Cent ist "Einweg", this ones is just a one-way and will be not use again.
Actually it was very expensive for salesmen to take a credit card. I knew a businessman who said, he pays more fees, if people buy something cheap, than the actual price. It gets better though.
With the cash a lot of Germans say and I agree is that you have a better feeling for how much you are spending, by actually giving something on you away in return for something else it makes you more aware of the transaction going on. If you pay by card there is a much higher possibility to overspend because paying my card doesn’t have the same effects on you mentally. When paying with cash you don’t give anything away, you keep your card but also gain something as well, all that changes is a digital number on your bank account which makes you much more detached to your purchases. So yeah I’m 17 so it’s really not like I’m old in any sense yet I prefer to pay with cash much more than card and usually always automatically go for the cash in my wallet even if I have a card with me because it just feels like a much more legitimate and personal transaction of actually giving something away and getting something in return for that.
One thing about the money: There are coins for 1€ and 2€, the smallest bill is 5€, unlike the U.S. where bills start at 1$. The prior used Deutsche Mark (which some people still miss …) had coins of 5 DM, and collectors issues of 10 DM which still were valid currency. Bank notes started at 10 DM.
There were 5 DM coins as well as 5 DM notes. Coins were more commonly used and it was kind of rare that you got a 5 DM note, but whenever I did (as a kid) I saved it.
Credit cards contain the word credit. And credit is debt, and you don't incur debt. Therefore, credit cards have a certain problem in terms of their reputation.
Swede here 🇸🇪.Regarding cash: You don’t have to travel very far to encounter the opposit situation. In the last ten years or so Sweden has transformed to be an almost cashless society. With the nation-wide ”Bank-ID” internet based identification system and the nationally adopted ”Swish” money transfer system almost no place/no one demand cash anymore. It was weeks, if not months since I paid cash the last time.
Yes, we plan our activities weeks or sometimes months in advance xD even something casual. If you want to have a beer with my parents you can't just come over. You have to text them and hope they are available within the next 3-6 months. And no, unfortunately this is not a joke.
Germans are very nitty gritty about their rules. Your neighbors or simply ppl passing by will tell you if you are on the wrong lane, throw your trash in the wrong bin, walk on the bike lane, drive on the sidewalk, etc. They are often a bit harsh in their words and it is to keep their neighborhood nice, orderly and safe for everyone. Some are just grumpy though. The pfand next to the trashcan is for the ppl who live off, or earn extra money from collecting other ppls pfand. costumer service varies greatly and saying "the costumer is king" get's you a smirk. In a village you basically earn good service. Everyone knows everyone and if you are friendly, or even offered your help to a stores staff even for something tiny, the whole village will provide you more kind service and even lets you in on some deals. The bigger the city, the lower your chances of having this kindness credit, but store staff will usually tell you the price, or if they are busy point at the pricetag, or quickly check if it is visible and groan when they see it isn't visible befor they correct it. many stores and stands are understaffed, resulting in staff that has a hard time smiling. I am not used to snark remarks from staff, but I could imagine it in big cities. I heard in berlin ppl are more leasure with their freetime planning and are even cassually late. Otherwise 5min late already gets you a raised eyebrow and if you don't automatically apologize you get the stare. As for spontaneously hanging out, or having lunch together: This is tricky. It depends on the persons scedule, including their freetime scedule. If you have a friend you commonly hang out on saturday afternoon, they might be up for a spontaneous lunch on saturday, but only because they might have a grey area in their mental calender that saturday afternoon is for hanging out with you 80% of the time. A few ppl make no mental scedule. Most ppl need to be asked at least a week in advance to give you a timeslot. If you know them, you will know if they have grey areas in their scedules for more spontaneous events. Yes, cash is in german pretty mandatory. Otherwise getting lunch will be difficult. Cards make a digital note were you paid which amount. That makes some ppl uncomfortable. A lot of older folks also have a great trustissue with anything digital. many of us also aren't fond of being able to pay with our cards without entering a code, which slowly becomes more common. if someone steels our card, they could use it in those stores without even knowing the code. Saying "happy birthday" befor the birthday is jinxing death befor the actual birthday. like celebrating a win befor you win and suddenly losing, just more extreme.
The strangest thing I experienced (as a German) concerning service quality was back in the 90s... Our first born was just a few months old and we were trying to get a cellphone. They were quite new back then and we... well, we maybe didn't look like the wealthiest couple around, but anyway, we certainly could afford a cellphone contract. So we went into one of those T-Online stores to get informed. The guy just stared at us... didn't even say 'Hi' or something. Well, we told him what we wanted and he said, "sure...". Then he went out through a back door. We thought he was putting together all the paperworks, so we could sign it, but he just didn't come back. We left then after 5 minutes or so and got a contract at a different store round the corner. (AND a different company, of course). I'll NEVER forget that experience...
About that spontaneous… I am German. Me and my friends went on vacation, we have planned 17h earlier. On a Friday my friend said: „oye you wanna go to prague?“ I asked when, and he told me that it was tomorrow. I said yes. The young generation is more and more spontaneous.
Actually it often is not even credit card vs. cash. Even if there is a card reader, it mostly is for Debit card only, no credit cards. Credit card companys charge to much for transactions. As in Germany paying with the normal customer card started quite early (first the combiniation checks + showing your banking card, than a standardized "european check and banking cards with "EuroCard-Logo", then only the card, there was no need for Credit cards at all. No need at all for Credit cards and the high transaction fees. Credit cards are used mostly used if traveling internationaly or nowerdays maybe to pay on the internet if you order abroad. Many american credit cards also had debit card functions (Maestro logo on the back), you might not even notice you might not pay per credit but debit. But credit card companys do not like that due to lower fees they get, and stopped adding Meastro debit function on new issued cards. So a card reader does not mean you can pay per credit card. And even if the shop allows to pay with credit card, there are minimum values. For example mostly up to 5€ cash only, from 5€ you can pay with Debit, but use Credit only for amonts of 20€ or more.
The full saying goes like this: The customer is king but the vendor is emperor! (Der Kunde ist König, aber der Verkäufer Kaiser!) Unfortunately service culture leaves a lot of to be desired for in Germany.
Leaving the empty bottles next to the trash can ist usually a nice way to give it to homeless or very poor people so they don`t have to search for it inside the dirty trash can. Technically it is littering, but most towns know about the pursuit of it and won`t fine it.
Some towns, or private initiatives, even add little bottle holders on the outside of the trash container to avoid the bottles from rolling arround and stuff.
Pfand gehört daneben.
I support it and do it all the time.
In Cologne there are sticker on the trash buckets. It shows simply the bottles next to the trash and remember you to don't throw it inside
The thing is, those bottles are not considered "trash". They have been given a monetary value to encourage people to bring them back to the shops in order to _reduce_ trash. Also many of them (glass bottles and also some of the more sturdy plastic bottles) are cleaned and reused after they were returned, so it's actually a bad thing to throw them away. The thin 25 cent bottles however are single use and are destroyed and recycled after they are returned, so technically they are trash, but should be returned anyway to have a better chance of getting recycled.
It’s bad to throw reembuersement bottles into the trash everywhere in Europe.
in germany there is a well-known saying ,,du sollst den Tag nicht vor dem Abend loben” which means "you shouldn't praise the day before the evening". the belief is that if you wish someone a happy birthday before it's really their birthday, you assume that they'll still be alive until their birthday and with that You basically challenge the universe to prove the opposite. I hope you understand it with my English😅
The English equivalent is "Don't count your chickens before they have hatched".
Yes, it's basically the same as if you congratulate someone for their new job when they are still on their way to the interview.
The explanation "it's bad luck" always skips over the reason why it is bad luck.
It actually is lost in translation. In English, people just wish to have a nice day on that occasion, which you usually don't when it's already over.
Perhaps its somehow linked to the wars, my grandfather used to tell stories from medics asking wounded soldiers their age and sometimes getting a reply along the lines of 'Oh, i'll be 19 tomorrow'. Often times they would tell them on the spot, that they couldn't be so sure about that.
Maybe it goes back even further, but that has allways been a reasonable explanation for me.
Das macht Sinn
Perfect explanation.
Think you concratulate someone and he dies before 🤷🏻♀️
@@PliuNoShi Like so many people did with Betty White. Her 100th birthday was advertised everywhere .. with a TV special and so on. Unfortunately, she passed away 17 days before her 100th birthday. The world lost a kind soul that day
Even with german service quality, an incident like this melon shopping situation would never happen. While waiters and shop clerks are not as overly fake friendly and submissive to customers as in other countries, they still need to and would do their job and help customers out with reasonable requests.
The point is "reasonable requests"! A customer going full Karen on a shopkeeper or restaurant employee would be thrown out with the owners blessings to the staff!
That is the case in most of Europe and since the staff are not dependent on the customers good will to make a living, it is mostly US citizens that are thrown out and they get a worse reputation every single time, no matter how much money they have to spend! Money is not a valid compensation for humiliation in Europe!
I think the american Customer service is that unique in the world - really having the best Customer Service in the world - so I guess that German efficiency seems to be a bit impolite for an Amercan. But I agree that nobody in Germany would be as unchearful as the guy in the video.
@@Lieferzeit They are just wildly over the top for citizens from any other country.
They are actually chasing you around the store wanting to "help". It drives me crazy just thinking about it!
Why on earth would i need "Help" shopping? In Europe, when you need any help you just go and ask for it and you will get it, but no one will push it on you when you are only browsing.
You must have never been to Berlin
Service: I think Berlin is very special.. Things like that nerver happend to me in Düsseldorf 🤷
"being on time" in germany doesnt have to mean showing up at the agreed time. in school we used to be told "5 minuten vor der zeit ist des meisters pünktlichkeit" so being 5 minutes early is the punctuality of a master. youll often see germans being 5-15 minutes early in order to be able to enter at the exact time agreed upon or earlier
I try to be 15 minutes early to all appointments etc XD Often iam even 30 minutes early because traffic wasn´t that bad.
My father always taught me, "10 Minuten vor der Zeit ist Soldaten Pünktlichkeit, 5 Minuten vor der Zeit is Soldaten Faulheit."
Which basically means a good soldier is 10 minutes early and only a lazy one would be only 5 minutes early. So basically if you're 5 minutes early you are are actually already late. And that can be tru. At work I heard an intern being told that if he wants to keep his possition he needs to be there more punctually. He usually arrived between 5 and 2 minutes before his shift started and that was just not good enough.
My theory for the birthday wishes:
The phrases "Happy birthday" in English and "herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag" in German actually mean different things:
When you say "happy birthday" in English, you say something like: "may you have a happy birthday, when it arrives."
When you say "herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag" in German you say something like: "I congratulate you, that you now have reached your birthday and managed not to die in the process"
I love that translation so much xD
It's like the red flag of life.
"Happy Birthday in advance!"
"Oh, now you've jinxed it!"
😂"you now have reached your birthday and managed not to die in the process"... true but that phrase😂😂
Some bins in bigger city even have bottle holders. As a lot of homeless or people who don't have much money go through bins to collect them as you can make quite good money especially near open air festivals (a friend once made 20€ just at an open air festival).
So they want people to put it next to the bin as it's nicer because others would have to dig through the bin so it has to do with dignity
In Germany we look out for one another. It's good as when I was a kid we were allowed to walk anywhere as people would always be watching. But you'll also get yelled at a lot as a teenager for not having light on your bike or crossing the street not using the street lights
Fun fact recarding cash payments vs. credit cards: Studies show that paying cash can "help"/assist being more concious when spending money and how much to spend. Handing over money physically, especially large amounts ("large" being different from person to person), actually results in "mental pain" as certain regions in the brain are triggered by the process representing a stress situation. Using a credit card and thus handing over the money "virtually" does not trigger such an reaction and people are willing to spend larger amounts of money more easily.
Maybe that is why our banks are encouraging the use of credit cards... 🤔
Edit: Typos
Thats exactly, why I love to pay in cash. I recently pay more often with digital options and I am a little bit confused about the money on my bank account. So when I get cash from the ATM I know what I have and whats in my account. I guess you can get used to it. But it is irritating to have something booked from your account, but the payment happened days ago.
Especially credit cards do not make any sense to me. Why should I have the bank lend me money and pay for me, when I have money on my bank account. Only If I buy more than I have, this would make sense, but I do not like debts so no need for a credit card.
the main reason, banks want you to use credit cards, is because the money doesn't leave the bank with the credit cards. If you take out the money as cash, the money is literally gone for the bank, as soon as you take it. If you use your credit card instead, the money stays with the bank until the very moment you pay. That may seem a small difference from your view, but from the bank's perspective it is thousands if not millions more to handle that much longer. And by law, 90% of the money that resides with the bank can be used to speculate on the stock market or be used on credits for other customers. Not to mention the fact, that the banks are allowed to give out 10 times more loans and credits than they have actually in hard cash.
in america you often have the opposite problen, if you go into a club for example its not uncommon to hear "no cash only credit card" which makes absoloutly no sense in my german brain. i would be like "i cant pay with money?"
@@kustanhardelus6919 In Germany, that wouldn't even be allowed, as someone who sells something HAS TO ACCEPT physical money.
@@m.h.6470 On point.
In northen Europe, being on time means BEING ON TIME. If you invite someone to dinner, a hangout or etc at your house at say 19.00, they are going to be there at at that time. If they are late by 5 mins, you'll get a text or a call.
People might even be early and just hangout in front of your place and then go in at the time agreed upon.
And no, everything is planned. 'Wanna get lunch' is not a thing - Rule 1 is 'you don't fuck other people plans up'
Precisely
Yes you show respect.
That also depends on where you live. We (in the south of Germany) are kinda fine with guests being around 5 minutes late. At 10 Minutes we Wonder Why they're Not Here yet (maybe a lot of Traffic) and when they are 20 Minutes or more late then we get worried or a bit annoyed. I guess We are a little more cool about it (No offense). We (my Family) Like to do Things spontaniusly (sorry) sometimes. Like, we Plan the meals, the morning and the evening and leave the afternoon free for random stuff that Just Flies at us. So Not all of Germany Plans everyday the whole day out.
I dont know anyone in my (german) circle of friends or family who would get mad if you call to ask, if they want to hangout. If you have other plans, you just decline. But you dont feel like they fuck up your plans because they ask you for a spontaneously lunch date. But: spontaneously showing up on your door is fair reason for murder 🥴
I can just speak for myself, but I get very easily flustered when I am asked to spontaneously hang out, since I am already for example ready to watch my favorite movie on tv and eat ice cream, but don't feel like it would be appropriate to turn you down based on these plans...
"The customer is king/Der Kunde ist König is" antiquated concept here in Germany, because after decades of basically "eating sh**t" from customers (like the proverbial "Karen's" the US), store employers started being only as nice as the person asking. As for the "Pfand" put beside a trashcan, that way homeless people can collect and return them, so they can use the money to buy some food or drinks. I think it is preferable to begging.
The only ones who don't have to be on time in Germany are tradesmen you have ordered into your home. The appointment looks something like this. "Expect us between between 9 am and 5 pm."
And they'll be there at 7 pm.. 🤪
@@t.a.yeah. or not at all and afterwards claim that you weren't there, even if you were waiting all day.
@@silkwesir1444 Yesss.
Lastly, I had a very pleasant exception to that rule. He should be here between 11 am to 12 am. He rang the doorbell ~10:30 am.
@@HalfEye79 That's not good. You might not have been there as they came too early...
putting the bottle next to the trashcan is a "favor" for homeless people. They often look in trashcans for "Pfand" and next to the can it is easier for them.
Oh, and "only cash" is not the case anymore thanks to covid. there are still some places, but most of them upgraded their tech
But my oroblem now, I don't have enouph coins for tips. Please don't answer, that often, you can give tips with card or online paying. No I wouldn' do this. I think it's not common.
a bike without lights you would get a ticket if the police sees you^^ you have to have light in front and the back. and you have the reflectors and you have to have a bell etc etc even an a normal bike^^ otherwise it is expansive. and if you ona bike too drunk you could even get youre drivers-license suspendet^^
Credit cards are relatively uncommon in Germany, since most of us see (technically) going into debt while paying as irresponsible and potentially ruinous. Debit cards are far common, because they contain money that you actually have. (Technically not since you lend the money to the bank, but let's not be too pedantic). In German, there is the saying: "Only spend what you have."
The thing with punctuality is not we germans are all that strict. We already have the saying about "Das akademische Viertel" (the academical quarter of a hour) which belongs to the fact that students aren't mostly that strict by following rules. So it says, if you can make it in not more then a quarter of a hour later, it's not that bad. But what's important, don't waste my time by not calling or texting me "Sorry, I'm a bit late. Be there in 10 min." or something like this. Cause if I don't know, I'm just be there, starring and waiting for you. If I knew, you're late, I can use that time. I can, for example, buy me a coffee or maybe I'm a little bit late too and have to run to be punctual, I wouldn't do that, if I knew, you were not there at the time and can walk relaxed.
Greetings from Berlin 😎
"Das akademische viertel" is something else entirely. For historical reasons the start of uni lectures is given to be EXACTLY 15 minutes before the actual start of the lesson. In Bonn we still have schedules that have lectures start and end to the full hour. If the "akademische viertel" wouldn't exist it would literally be impossible to make the next class (unless you can teleport)
@@iamcurious9541 interessant, das wusste ich nicht 😀
Bei manchen ist das mit der Pünktlichkeit so extrem, dass es sich ins Gegenteil wandelt und sogar nervig werden kann. Als ich noch ein Kind war und eine Geburtstagsfeier oder so um 15 Uhr stattfand, mussten wir meinen Großeltern sagen, dass die Feier um 15:30 Uhr anfängt, damit sie um 15 Uhr ankommen. Ansonsten wären sie schon während der Vorbereitungszeit hereingeplatzt.
exactly
@@HalfEye79 haha xD
I think the melons were a bit over the top to show their point. Usually the seller will just tell you the price if you ask. But yes there are other countries were service is nicer.
@10:04 min These people are being snarky if they yell after you. But there are people who might come to you and tell you in a nice way, they usually just want to help in case you haven't noticed your lights are out.
Trusting Cash: When you use credit card, the bank (and government) can basically track you and find out where you go and what you buy. In former East Germany the people where spied on by STASI/ their government so there was a lot of trust lost there.
Berlin people are famous for being snarky. I lived there for 5 years and after a while I myself became really defensive when I got out of the house, sometimes even aggressive - I felt attacked easily. After moving away from Berlin my personality quickly recovered. Very soon I came back to my normal friendly self. Today I love to visit Berlin, but I would never consider to move there again. The city brought out the worst in me.
Most things are very true. Regarding the planning thing we also often plan to do nothing and get annoyed when someone wants to do something with us. Asking via phone/text is of course always appreciated. Just arriving at your doorstop is a hard nogo. Regarding cash this got better in the last years, especially in bigger cities, but expect to still only be able to pay cash on smaller stores, food trucks, in clubs and at a concert.
Not yet viewed. But since I appreciate your content and they are suggested to me more often lately, I subscribed first. Thanks for your interest in Germany :) So, now I'll take a look.
It´s really easy to overspend or lose track of your spendings if you use your card too much, whereas with Cash that can literally not happen, you can clearly see how much you have at any time.
The thing with Credit cards is a bit different. Covid changed it a bit but the big Problem are the fees the businesses have to pay the banks for every single transaction with Card. So the business make way less money when a customer pays with card instead of cash. For small businesses its just to expensive. So they are often not offering that and you have to pay in cash.
In addition, the kind of credit cards americans use are even more expensive than the in Germany common debit cards. Hence even if a place offers paying by card, they might not take credit cards but only debit cards.
And many banks fired their employees because they dont need so much workers anymorexbecause of the raised online banking during covid. Many elder people have now too long ways to get to cash or help. Online banking a coin with two sides not only the good one and personaly not even a good future for everyone.
Debit card has by now become so cheap that msot shops will take it.
Weren't those fees abolished in or around 2009?
@@magni5648 Yeah in Austria too, but many shops only take it when you intend to buy a certain amount of more
I think it's right to tell cyclists to turn their lights on at night. I travel a lot by car for work and have often almost hit a cyclist because I couldn't see him in the dark. it's just dangerous and people don't learn. so yes it's a way of looking out for each other. strangely enough, children know. it's almost always adults who should know better. no light, black clothes... not cool. sometimes Hilfssheriffs are simply right. i don´t wanna kill a cyclist because the person is to ignorant to use a light
It's not that strange that children know. Most German children need to pass a bicycle driving test to be allowed to ride their bike to school. Same as children usually have a better grasp on grammar rules and stuff like that. There are actual studies that show that people have the broadest education right after high school.
@@iamcurious9541 i mean it is strange because adults had driving lessons. children must first learn to understand traffic and how important it is to be seen by others in the dark. adults have known this for many years. they just don't care. if you ask such people about their mistakes, they become cheeky. they know exactly what they are doing wrong. I want to be completely honest. if an adult really doesn't know how important a light is at night, then he should hand in his driver's license immediately because he doesn't have the ability to participate in traffic.
so we can say: children have to learn first, with adults it's just a lack of interest and carelessness. the car driver will brake... maybe... if he sees the cyclist in time. with adults there are no excuses. children learn from adults. it is therefore our duty to set a good example
@@marie-thereswelte7281 but that's assuming every adult person has a driving licence and that's just not the case in Germany. In rural areas maybe but not in bigger towns.
@@hightidemidafternoon true but you don´t need a licence to understand that you need a light at night. every normal thinking person schould know that.
The thing is, when that happens, well there is a reason why my light isn't on. It's broken. Sure, technically I would be required to walk then, and if the cops catch me I have to pay. But still, this "Licht an!", when it happens, pisses me off, because I am thinking "Well, duh, if it would work IT WOULD BE ON ALREADY." Like they take me for stupid, as if I didn't notice.
6:50 Leaving the empty bottle near the trashcan is better, because poor or homeless people don´t have the to dig it out of the dirt in the bin. They can get it easily and bring it to the store to get back the deposit.
Well, just asking your friends for more spontanous meetings is okay of course. And regarding the price tag, usually the service personal will answer your question. Also the card payment has spread very far during the pandemic (the video is 2 years old), even in a bakery you can now pay rolls or bread - but possibly only with EC-Cards, not with credit cards. And remember, coins have much higher value in Europe, and you can easily carry more the 20 Euros in coins.
I had such a 'Hilfssheriff' incident while riding with my bike through Germany. I was riding ON the cycle lane but there was a restaurant that put there outside tables on it anyway. I slowed down to walking speed and there was still enough space to go on (on the bike) without bringing pedestrians in danger. Then a man (maybe 40 years old) who was walking through the café shouted angry at me 'Sie können schon lesen, oder?' (You're able to read, aren't you?). His rude comment shocked me for a few second. I answered yes, didn't stop, just went on slowly. This guy became even more angry and shouted 'Das gibt's doch nicht!' (I can't believe thsi!). I looked back only shaking my head. Then (while looking back) I saw the small sign for bicycles at the entrance of the café that said 'please don't riide'. Unfortunately there had been no such sign at the point where I entered the café so... but at least I finally understood wat the guy was talking about.
He still had a red head and was really upset but there was a small lady next to him smiling at me while pushing the 'Hilfssheriff' slowly in the other direction.
So, yes, there are those guys in the streets but fortunately there are also 'nice small ladies' ;)
These sings are not official signs. Just ignore them. Most of the time these restaurants are also not allowed to use that much room.
Don't take guys like that too seriously! These "Hilfssheriffs" are often bored people who have no life. Just send them a smile and drive on ... 😉
i sometimes feel like germany has a bit of a war going on between pedestrians and cyclists, and they hate each other. as someone who both walks and cycles i can definitely say that youll often hear comments from the other faction in regards to any and all things you are currently doing
I had a similar situation not to long ago. I was riding my bike in a place where markings are admittedly messy, and there was this lady asking me to please ride the bike on the street. I looked at her, raised my eyebrow, looked pointedly at the space exactly underneath me, then looked back on me. After that she moved out of my way. She must have realized I was standing precisely on a marking for a bicycle lane.
wow... I never came across a situation when a cafe/restaurant was alowed to put their tables on the cycle lane. Thats really nuts
3:00 An old German saying is "5 Minuten vor der Zeit, ist die wahre Pünktlichkeit" meaning "5 minutes ahead of time, is the true punctuality".
11:55 One of the reasons why Germans rely more on cash is the fact that you have a better feeling for your expenses.
I hate if people arrive too early. I prefer 5 minutes too late. 😉
5 minutes ahead of time is not on time in many situations- like if you are invited for a dinner or some such. I’d say it is okay to come 10 or so minutes later so the hosts can do some finishing touches.
When it comes to business meetings or meetings in a bar/restaurant then being early is on you if you do not mind to be the first on scene. If you are hosting a birthday party in a restaurant then you should be maybe even half an hour early to ensure being the first and greet guests who come early as they may themselves take earlier bus or trip to account for unexpected delays.
Das hab ich ja noch nie gehört?! Hier oben in Ostholstein sind wir recht entspannt mit der Pünktlichkeit. 30 Minuten über der Zeit ist vollkommen in Ordnung.
@@hightidemidafternoon Times they are changing - this saying has it's roots in the prussian era. People nowadays tend to be more relaxed about punctuality, that's correct
Good you find this channel! This videos are awesome for learning about germany, german culture (because they talk a lot with real germans on the streets) and about the language because of the subtitles. And even their comment section is very interesting because they had subscribers from all over the world, sharing their experiences about this topic. So you can also learn something about other cultures too.
And they are soo funny. I enjoyed this channel and I'm german and don't have to learn what they try to teach. 😉
Greetings from Berlin 😎
"The customer is king - and the nobility is abolished."
(Der Kunde ist König - und der Adel ist abgeschafft.)
That's the full saying including a pun on the first democratic German constitution from 1919.
Yeah, you can leave the bottles outside the bin, there are actually homeless people or others that are collecting these bottles to get something to eat etc. and otherwise they had to search the bin for bottles, so they can just collect them directly without getting dirty.
There are SEVERAL people doing this, so this bottle will not stay for a very long time, maybe 1-2 hours MAX and it is gone...
Cash/creditcard... For me personally as a german and i think many others, it "hurts" more to have the actual money in your hand, so you buy LESS. I have to go to the ATM, i watch how much money i have all the time (even though i know how much it is) after i take the money from my account and buy things with my cash. If you just take your creditcard, maybe you use more money, because you have no "real relation" to the money, it is just the card swipe and thats it. Otherwise you have the whole process of getting it from the ATM, put it in your purse, buy something, take the money out of your purse and hand it over, it feels safer, i feel like i have more control over my money and i have an better overview overall! Also we do not like that companies can track where you buy your stuff, how much money you were purchasing for this or that, that makes us feel controlled and really uncomfortable. That is also the reason by the way, you cannot see a lot of Germany in Google Streetview. Germans are OBSESSED with privacy and i think that is a really good thing!
From personal experience I would confirm this. Basically 2 hours only if it's a more rural area or in the middle of the night or something. But during the day in a city I would say the average is below 30 minutes. Near a train station 30 minutes would be a long time.
For me the cash thing is more about having control over my expenses than trust in the money. It just harder to give away the hard earned money than a plastic card you get back after payment
In Germany, we have a saying: "Nur Bares ist Wahres" meaning "Only ready cash is a real thing". (Every time I am paid with a check I fear it could be bad. So yes, I prefer cash pay, too.)
11:48 It's quite simple: If you drew 100€ from the ATM and spend part of it, you can see that in your wallet, you get a feeling for how much you spent. If you only pay by card, the feeling can pretty much delude you and only later do you realize you spent much more than you intended.
Das ist ein super Format 😊 gerne mehr von diesen Videos 😊
Best wishes from Haltern am See in Germany 🌴
Dude the bottle deposit gets to a whole new level once you been to a festival in Germany. There are people who are dedicated to make 5k€ at the least at every event there is.
12:00 it’s not really about not trusting the bank, but more so that paying with a card is easier to spend more, whereas paying with cash you feel & see how much you have, so you don’t want to spend that much. Which is also one of he reasons why Americans always spend so much money statistically
It's so lovely that you reacted to this video from easy German. They're amazing. There's also Easy English, Easy French....
the bikeways are labeled with little guys on bikes and with signs just about everywhere.
I'm german and I was very shocked when I was taught that it's normal to say "happy birthday" before your birthday. I was like what the heck? Why? It's bad luck!!!!😂😂
If it’s a bottle you can bring back it’s common courtesy to leave it next to or on top of a bin. There are people who collect them to survive too so it’s in order for them not to have to go through trash to find them.
Hey Ryan, i like ur Videos, keep it up :)
Also i have a thing not to do if youre in germany, i just had it today again.
If you use Public Trains and Buses, first let the people go out before you go in.
you just stay sidestep left or right from the doors, wait until all people got out and than go in urself.
If not people will be angry and tell you to let them first out... its also possible to get a body kick.
The bikelanes are visually different as well.they are usually smooth asphalt, the walking path is often built with some plates or definitely something more "rougher" than something where wheels will ride. Also, the bikeline is usually the lane closer to the street
The reason why especially small shops like e.g. bakeries, don't except card payment, is that they have to pay a fee for every card transaction to the credit card provider or the bank and they have to pay for the card terminal and so on and on. Those costs go off their sales revenue. Because of that, many shop owner decided just to accept cash.
But since COVID even smaller shop accept card payment now, but just because they don't want to touch/handle the cash.
That's typically a miscalculation by the store owner, because getting the money back to the bank and getting new change from the bank both cost money and time. Bigger stores also use money transport, which also costs money. A card terminal costs about 5-15 € per month plus 0,2% per transaction (Girocard) or 1% (credit/other debit card) . Very small stores can also use free terminals with higher transaction costs. So overall a store has to calculate the cost of cash vs the cost of cards and choose if not offering one and losing these customers is the better solution. But many stores don't do this calculation and refuse taking cards because they still have these expensive contracts from 10 or 20 years ago in the mind.
The fact aside that credit cards are just more expensive to use (for the shop owners, but at the end of the day, the extra cost is paid by the customers), there were two events which really influenced the German relationship with money. One was the Hyperinflation (just imagine getting your wages in the morning and it only half as much worth by the evening) which eventually lead to the introduction of the Deutsche Mark, which then in turn became a symbol for stability, second is the GDR period. No matter on which side of the wall you lifed the notion of a state which was able to spy on its citicens so easily is simply terrifying. Hence Germans are in general more concious regarding data protection. And while you can easily track what someone does with electronic money, cash is nearly impossible to trace.
Btw, the Hyperinflation also lead to Germans being terrified of inflation in general. You can consider this a national trauma, even after so many generaions.
Regarding the cost of credit cards versus cash. I'm not sure how much it actually swings in one direction because cash comes with its own cost, too. Cashiers need to count it at the end of the day and need to balance it against how much they were supposed to collect which costs work time and also cash needs to be transported to the bank using a security service.
This is one of the reasons why supermarkets offer you the option to withdraw cash when you pay by card. Because at the end of the day they have fewer cash in the till and the amount of cash to be transported to the bank also impacts the cost of that transport (insurance & co).
The reason ALDI didn't allow card payment for so long had nothing to do with the actual card cost but rather that the dial-up to confirm the card's validity simply took too long. Back in the day a card transaction could eat up to a minute of the cashier's time and ALDI weighed the pros and cons and said: no. That changed with the introduction of DSL in the early 00's and by now, a card payment is much quicker than a cash transaction.
I used to watch "easy German" nice to watch your reaction with them, Greetings from Spain I like your videos about Germany, Really interesting. Congrats!!
Those cycling lanes are so hard to see sometimes, but I still ring my bell and roll my eyes, but I try not to shout.
Heyy!
Im just interested why you are so interested about Germany if you have never been here?😁
Welcome to southern Germany some time! Freiburg area is really nice and beautiful!
5:53 of course one should not refrain from enquiring. It is just not certain if one would agree. I guess it is quite normal between neighbours and very good friends or people one would know for quite a long time. I even had colleagues from work turning up spontaneously at my house, as they were close (I live 100 KM from work in an area where many people come for relaxing outdoor and spa holidays) - I have shown them round in the house (they already know my office and the kitchen ;) from video conf.) and we went to a local pub. I guess spontaneity is more a personal predisposition and one has a feeling that someone may appreciate it or finds that kind of surprise awkward. How I would handle that differently: phone from resto/pub nearby and ask if they would like to join spontaneously and go from there...
13:15 well from my point of view it is not a kind of superstition it is simply regarded as impolite, but again one could slightly change the words and submit best wishes for tomorrow to have or enjoy his birthday ('geniese Deinen Geburtstag morgen / morgigen Geburtstag) or have tomorrow a great party ('Ich wünsch Dir eine tolle Geburtstagsparty'). Submit congratulations not on the actual birth day, but before is kind of discourteous and for the times after one would use belated best wishes.
The birthday thing is like when you see someone in a movie say "sure, what could go wrong?". You just know something will go wrong.
9:43 The "deputy sheriffs" are our version of Karen. But way more moderate in comparison, they are annoying but easier to get rid off.
07:05 yes exactly, it's a favor. When I'm too busy or lazy to bring the bottle back and not in need of the money, I'll leave it there near the bin. Best case scenario is that a homeless or generally poor person picks it up and I can help them (these 25cents really add up), or a just any other person that was maybe on the way to the grocery store to bring back bottles anyway. It's not literring because the bottles never stay there for long anyway. They're always gone by the next day basically
The empty bottle stuff, you have to watch for a little recycling sign on the bottle, not every one is returnable. 😊
It is more than okay to ask people for spontaneous activities, I might even say appreciated. Just be aware that they might have scheduled something else in advance. When we're free, we are more than happy to be spontaneous. In case we're busy, but still want to meet up with you, we're gonna schedule something with you right there and then when you call or text.
5:56 Spontanious calls are okay, we just say no, if we are alreeady planned something or invite you along if possible.
That one is very subjektiv.
Ryan, if you ever need a place to stay in Switzerland, reach out! I love your personality!😊😊
"Is there more to the history with banks and credit cards," short answer yes, the crazy monetary situation and inflation around the two world wars. Of course cash was affected too, but you could spend that on a day's notice, and what you had in your wallet no bank had locked up.
every electronic money transaction costs a certain fee for both the payer and seller in Germany - thats why a lot of small stores etc. in Germany don't have those card machines, because it costs them a lot more than get it in cash, thats why you can't pay with a card in some stores and restauants. But at most of the bigger stores like groceries, jewelery stores etc-- where you have to pay higher amounts - you can use your cards without any problem.
Not all of the situations shown in the video apply to each and every region in Germany. Don't confuse people in Berlin with those in the far south or northwest. In USA you would also not directly contrast the mentality from a buzy city like New York with some remote villiage in New Mexico.
fun thing about the birthday wishes: if someone has a few good friends they sometimes make it a game to be the first to wish happy birthday on that day, so you find people normally going to bed at 10pm staying up until 12am just to be the first to wish the happy birthday
We have a saying" Thou shalt not praise the day before the evening". This is also the reason why people do not congratulate earlier on the birthday. It brings bad luck, for example, you will be run over by a car at the last moment before your birthday or something.
In Norway we hardly use cash. Most people don’t carry a purse anymore. We use card and Vipps, a Norwegian Google pay.
1. the cycling path thing is not only annoying to cyclists but also dangerous for the pedestrian who stands on it. lots of cyclists ride really fast and it's really not fun being run into by one. a friend of mine back in uni got to wear a neck brace for 2 months after stepping on the cycling path without checking if nobody is approaching. you really want to make sure it's clear and then just cross it and not linger around on it.
2. and 3. are very true, and I used to be just the same when I was still living back home in Germany. I'd generally arrive about 10-15 minutes early to whatever, and really, something messing up my 'plan' for the day could really wreck my vibe and stress me out A LOT. In some book about intercultural communication I read that these are signs of a culture that is high in 'uncertainty avoidance', meaning people prefer to know exactly what is going to happen when and how and be properly prepared and they hate ambiguity of any kind. Japanese culture is very similar in that regard, I hear. Now, 10 years ago I moved to India (a low uncertainty avoidance culture), where it's normal to say 'Hey, let's meet tonight at 8pm' But then it's actually more like 10pm and half the people original supposed to come don't show up, but some other guys who were not initially planned in at all do. Every plan is more like a nebulous possibility rather than a written in stone commitment, and you just adapt your day as you go. I'm not going to lie, in the beginning it stressed me out, but by now I got very much used to it and prefer it, and people back home in Germany are floored by how all over chilled out I have become hahaha.
4. I leave it on top of the bin if the bin is built that way, or next to it. don't worry about littering, sadly enough people have to collect bottles for some extra coin, so those bottles most of the time are often gone within minutes. if i happen to see some old lady who's collecting I go and offer it to her directly.
5. This is so true and so absurd. I've seen sales associates literally hiding behind shelves peeking to see if I might just leave so they don't have to do their job. And yes, after living different other places (Chile, the US and India) and having seen what good customer service looks like, I avoid shopping in store whenever I visit Germany. I literally prefer ordering stuff online to my mom's address while I'm there cause I'm not ready for that BS vibe in store. Ironically store owners whine around a lot about people buying more online and their jobs being in danger. Sorry, people, but the way you understand 'service' you really shouldn't be surprised. Every other country I lived it was nice to buy stuff in shops because people were just nice and happy to help. I'm not saying people have to force grin non-stop or let the customers be shitty to them, of course not. I just expect them to be at least willing to do the bare minimum of the job they voluntarily signed up for. In Germany there are good sales associates too, don't get me wrong, but you run in way too many who seem genuinely upset that you're even there. Fine, don't have my money then. What do I care.
6. it's mostly bored old people or socially lonely people. really, in my neighborhood, every single one who acts like that is just terribly lonely and that's literally their way to have at least some sort of interaction with people. Just ignore.
7. The funniest thing is that during covid lots of places started offering card payment for hygiene reasons, but now after most rules have been lifted most places have gotten rid of it again. from the seller's side it's due to the fees they pay for using that payment gateway. buyers feel they have a better grasp of their spendings if they pay cash, which is a fair point. Personally, I really don't care all that much, it's just a matter of habit.
8. It's really just the idea of not trying to jinx anything. Life is fragile, who knows if you're actually going to live to see your birthday. I just think it would feel really bad for me to learn someone I had just wished happy bday in advance ended up run over by a car or having a heart attack before they could even reach their birthday. For the same reason I would not give any pregnant woman gifts for her baby before the baby is actually born. I cringe at pre-birth baby showers. If something goes wrong the parents will be sitting at home surrounded by never used baby clothing and toys, and will have to try to get rid of it. Not cool. I'll gladly shower your baby with gifts once it's there. But from a superstitious point of view I don't want to jinx it, and from a non-superstitious point of view i dont want to make myself or the people concerned feel bad, when I just could have waited till the time is actually right. Belated gifts and wishes are any time better than wishing/gifting too early.
Edit: For another thing to not do in Germany, never avoid eye contact with someone while clinking glasses and saying cheers (prost, zum wohl) to them. Always make eye contact, else it's 7 years of bad s**.
You can call or text them the day of, but since people plan stuff, they likely don't have time, because they may have planned something else with someone else weeks in advance. It's not that they can't be spontaneous, but since they plan days and weeks in advance it's likely they don't have time for something "casual" the second you want to do stuff.
hi, the thing abou t oaying cash is: you have more control of your money, if you put an amount of money in your pocket and buy everything with cash. then you see how fast it leaves. that advice is given to people who have problems with money or kids/ young adults. It helps you to learn how to spend money in the right way.
the other thing is about paying cash, it is not another information for big data, what you bought.
The birthday thing actually makes a lot of sense. Congratulating someone early is like jinxing it.
Assume someone wishes you a "Happy 55th Birthday!"
But you haven't turned 55 yet, so technically you could still die, hence the other person has jinxed you.
Basically this is what's behind the superstition.
About the birthday. I Germany you congratulate to the birthday, like it's an accomplishment you reach it. You don't wish "a happy early birthday".
But you can't congratulate to an achievement, which you have reched yet, because you might fail to reach it. And not reaching a nearby birthday would be very much bad luck.
Maybe in Berlin the service isn't very good. Were I live (southern germany) it was like this about 15 or 20 years ago. But since then it changed a lot. Nobody would be as harsh as in the melon example. I recognized it first in the grocery. Back in time I was never greeted by the cashier but suddenly it changed. Nowaday it would be very uncommon not to be greeted. Another example: when there are more than 3 customers in row waiting to pay they usually open another cash register so you never have to wait very long. I remember times when the rows were very long and they didn't opened another cash register.
As a German I wouldn't consider it rude if you texted or called me to ask to go out and do something together. You just have to anticipate that people might have plans already and say no. It is different if people turn up at your doorstep because you don't want to be rude but have to tell them that you already made plans.
Since covid it is more common to pay with a debit or credit card. Also a lot of people pay with their phone apps. But you have to be prepared at street stalks especially food stalls to pay cash. Also some places don't accept cards for really small amounts.
I've heard of Americans having a birthday week or even a birthday month so that they can party before their birthday. That wouldn't work in Germany. You can say "Happy belated birthday" but never congratulate before the actual day!
I don't think you could really mess up in Germany. People would know that you're from a different country and cut you some slack. Also Germans in general are quite helpful and would speak English to help somebody out. Especially in larger cities.
Last time i worked in a food store i asked about that "customer is the king" thing and my co-worker said it isn't anymore since idk so if a customer is trying to f you up or something... kick em out
9:52 in my neighborhood there are a lot of one way streets and often drivers are too lazy to navigate around them and just drive in the wrong way through them. I like to yell at them if they’re driving the wrong way, or even stand in the middle of the road and demand them to drive back
Edit: all roads have a speed limit of 30 km/h and there are 2 schools and a kindergarten nearby which is why it’s extremely important to watch the traffic rules
Did u thought about reacting live on twitch? I look forward to see this 😋
We even sometimes have little bottle holders next to the bins so that the homeless don't have to reach deep into the bin (where they could potentially hurt themselves). And yes, it is mostly homeless and/or poor people who collect bottles ... But I have also experienced that a bus driver suddenly braked sharply at a bus stop where nobody wanted to get on or off because there was an empty bottle that he wanted to collect.
And yes, we do have this kind of self-proclaimed "Volkspolizei/people's police" (although the real police could even take a bicycle that only has battery-powered lighting - i.e. no dynamo - out of circulation. ... If the officers feel like the rat's tail of paperwork for it).
Some people leave like 5-10 min after the meeting time if you're late lol
Doing casual activities spontaneously is totally fine! It’s just that if you want to meet spontaneously at the weekend you mustn’t be surprised if people are already “booked” for an activity with sb else. If you care about that person, do ask early. It’s also a sign of respect and appreciation. Nobody wants to just fill a spontaneous gap.
Since we don't congratulate each other until our actual birthdays we developed the tradition of celebrating 'into' someone's birthday meaning you have a party the night before your birthday but the guests wait to congratulate you until it's midnight and then you have a toast or sing happy birthday or whatever.
I think for me cash is a way to have my money in view, you can't see how your money is becomes less on your bank account while shopping, but you really see it in cash.
For me the planning vs. spontaneity thing is more how your personality is. i can easily change my plans for the day, it depends on the importance or if it easy to cancel other planned things.
the service: I think this Melon-man is an exaggeration. He won't find anyone that will lift the Melon to see the price. Everyone will turn ans go somewhere else to buy their fruits and never return there. even in less-service Germany., but yes you won't find salesclerks permanently asking you if you need help, but if you ask for help they mostly will friendly do so if they can.
I can say that I can pay pretty often with my card. It's not credit, but debit. But there were moments when that card got declined. Either the card had an error, or the reader or whatever. Then you're glad to carry cash so you avoid that awkward moment of „oh it doesn't work. Can I come back in 5 minutes?“
The thing with cash in Germany is as follows: if you pay with cash you have something touchable which represents the "worth" that you are paying with something material. You don't get that with "digital" cash cause that are just some numbers in a PC. That's at least what I think
as a german i didnt know that wishing a happy birthday before the day brings bad luck, i was under the impression that you just dont congratulate for achievements that havent been achieved yet, i also dont say congratiulations on your marathon victory the day before the marathon....
Ahhh it hurts xD the bottle he hold is a "Mehrweg"-Bottle. "Mehrweg" exist in glas and in plastic and has 15 Cent "Pfand" and can use many times. The most beer glas bottles have 8 Cent. And the PET with 25 Cent ist "Einweg", this ones is just a one-way and will be not use again.
Actually it was very expensive for salesmen to take a credit card.
I knew a businessman who said, he pays more fees, if people buy something cheap, than the actual price.
It gets better though.
That is exactly the reason for smaller businesses, not to take credit cards. It costs them too much
FYI since the pandemic a lot more vendors accept card payments in Germany
With the cash a lot of Germans say and I agree is that you have a better feeling for how much you are spending, by actually giving something on you away in return for something else it makes you more aware of the transaction going on. If you pay by card there is a much higher possibility to overspend because paying my card doesn’t have the same effects on you mentally. When paying with cash you don’t give anything away, you keep your card but also gain something as well, all that changes is a digital number on your bank account which makes you much more detached to your purchases. So yeah I’m 17 so it’s really not like I’m old in any sense yet I prefer to pay with cash much more than card and usually always automatically go for the cash in my wallet even if I have a card with me because it just feels like a much more legitimate and personal transaction of actually giving something away and getting something in return for that.
The difference is that cash is instant liquidity, while digital money (giral) is not liquidity, especially when you have debts by your bank.
One thing about the money: There are coins for 1€ and 2€, the smallest bill is 5€, unlike the U.S. where bills start at 1$.
The prior used Deutsche Mark (which some people still miss …) had coins of 5 DM, and collectors issues of 10 DM which still were valid currency. Bank notes started at 10 DM.
There were 5 DM coins as well as 5 DM notes. Coins were more commonly used and it was kind of rare that you got a 5 DM note, but whenever I did (as a kid) I saved it.
Credit cards contain the word credit. And credit is debt, and you don't incur debt. Therefore, credit cards have a certain problem in terms of their reputation.
At 6:36 they showed one of the sturdy plastic bottles. Those only have 15ct Pfand!
The melon situation-was an example of the berlin charm.
cycle lanes are marked as well but of course foreigners just might not be aware.
Swede here 🇸🇪.Regarding cash: You don’t have to travel very far to encounter the opposit situation. In the last ten years or so Sweden has transformed to be an almost cashless society. With the nation-wide ”Bank-ID” internet based identification system and the nationally adopted ”Swish” money transfer system almost no place/no one demand cash anymore. It was weeks, if not months since I paid cash the last time.
Yes, we plan our activities weeks or sometimes months in advance xD even something casual. If you want to have a beer with my parents you can't just come over. You have to text them and hope they are available within the next 3-6 months. And no, unfortunately this is not a joke.
All true. The bicycling vs. car drivers debate is all the way through interesting as f*, maybe find a video about this topic.
Damn how is this channel so small?! Thought you had tens of thousands of subscribers.
Germans are very nitty gritty about their rules. Your neighbors or simply ppl passing by will tell you if you are on the wrong lane, throw your trash in the wrong bin, walk on the bike lane, drive on the sidewalk, etc. They are often a bit harsh in their words and it is to keep their neighborhood nice, orderly and safe for everyone. Some are just grumpy though.
The pfand next to the trashcan is for the ppl who live off, or earn extra money from collecting other ppls pfand.
costumer service varies greatly and saying "the costumer is king" get's you a smirk. In a village you basically earn good service. Everyone knows everyone and if you are friendly, or even offered your help to a stores staff even for something tiny, the whole village will provide you more kind service and even lets you in on some deals.
The bigger the city, the lower your chances of having this kindness credit, but store staff will usually tell you the price, or if they are busy point at the pricetag, or quickly check if it is visible and groan when they see it isn't visible befor they correct it.
many stores and stands are understaffed, resulting in staff that has a hard time smiling. I am not used to snark remarks from staff, but I could imagine it in big cities.
I heard in berlin ppl are more leasure with their freetime planning and are even cassually late.
Otherwise 5min late already gets you a raised eyebrow and if you don't automatically apologize you get the stare.
As for spontaneously hanging out, or having lunch together: This is tricky.
It depends on the persons scedule, including their freetime scedule. If you have a friend you commonly hang out on saturday afternoon, they might be up for a spontaneous lunch on saturday, but only because they might have a grey area in their mental calender that saturday afternoon is for hanging out with you 80% of the time. A few ppl make no mental scedule. Most ppl need to be asked at least a week in advance to give you a timeslot. If you know them, you will know if they have grey areas in their scedules for more spontaneous events.
Yes, cash is in german pretty mandatory. Otherwise getting lunch will be difficult.
Cards make a digital note were you paid which amount. That makes some ppl uncomfortable. A lot of older folks also have a great trustissue with anything digital. many of us also aren't fond of being able to pay with our cards without entering a code, which slowly becomes more common. if someone steels our card, they could use it in those stores without even knowing the code.
Saying "happy birthday" befor the birthday is jinxing death befor the actual birthday.
like celebrating a win befor you win and suddenly losing, just more extreme.
The strangest thing I experienced (as a German) concerning service quality was back in the 90s... Our first born was just a few months old and we were trying to get a cellphone. They were quite new back then and we... well, we maybe didn't look like the wealthiest couple around, but anyway, we certainly could afford a cellphone contract.
So we went into one of those T-Online stores to get informed. The guy just stared at us... didn't even say 'Hi' or something. Well, we told him what we wanted and he said, "sure...". Then he went out through a back door. We thought he was putting together all the paperworks, so we could sign it, but he just didn't come back. We left then after 5 minutes or so and got a contract at a different store round the corner. (AND a different company, of course). I'll NEVER forget that experience...
Funfact to the Service thing in german we call it Servicewüste Deutschland what would mean Servicedesert or Servicewasteland Germany xD
About that spontaneous…
I am German. Me and my friends went on vacation, we have planned 17h earlier. On a Friday my friend said: „oye you wanna go to prague?“ I asked when, and he told me that it was tomorrow. I said yes.
The young generation is more and more spontaneous.
Actually it often is not even credit card vs. cash. Even if there is a card reader, it mostly is for Debit card only, no credit cards. Credit card companys charge to much for transactions. As in Germany paying with the normal customer card started quite early (first the combiniation checks + showing your banking card, than a standardized "european check and banking cards with "EuroCard-Logo", then only the card, there was no need for Credit cards at all. No need at all for Credit cards and the high transaction fees. Credit cards are used mostly used if traveling internationaly or nowerdays maybe to pay on the internet if you order abroad.
Many american credit cards also had debit card functions (Maestro logo on the back), you might not even notice you might not pay per credit but debit. But credit card companys do not like that due to lower fees they get, and stopped adding Meastro debit function on new issued cards. So a card reader does not mean you can pay per credit card.
And even if the shop allows to pay with credit card, there are minimum values. For example mostly up to 5€ cash only, from 5€ you can pay with Debit, but use Credit only for amonts of 20€ or more.
This video is old. During Covid a lot of shops changed and it's now often possible to pay with cards. But some don't accept creditcards, only EC
The guest is King....but the Waiter is Emperor. That my expirience in a perfekt running Bar.👌🏽
I am always like 5 min. late and I get scolded by my grandma for it a lot.
The full saying goes like this: The customer is king but the vendor is emperor! (Der Kunde ist König, aber der Verkäufer Kaiser!) Unfortunately service culture leaves a lot of to be desired for in Germany.