15 Things Americans Don't Understand About Germans

[@NALFVLOGS]

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[@artimustrieste1480]

@NALFVLOGS - May have been addressed. You get a ton of 'em! 👏 What seems to be nonexistent or lacking @ best: 1. Education (for the lack of a better comparison that comes to mind) pipelines in high school & continued higher education comes in many forms in the U.S. Not sure where your from, BUT... 2. Decades ago (greater than half a century I'd say) it was brought to international attention (all the largest (When reading on paper was still a thing.) Magazines & Network TV in the U.S., by the 8th year of Education, there is a very valid observation that can be made in substantial portion of students of their likes & dislikes as to the directions that could be considered well founded directions for those individuals. With that, there is a threshing so to speak, which are available for them to chose. 1. Higher Education... University, College. 2. Trade Schools: Shop Classes, automotive, metal, wood, FFA, HomeEc, etc. 3. Basic education pipeline for those undecided @ that point. Eg. MATH 1 - 2 - 3, Amercan History - English, etc. Which allows a baseline to cross over @ any later date. 4. As well as some I left out, such as - Arts (acting, singing, instruments), - Computer/Information Technology - Sports (Football, Soccer, Basketball, Tennis, Bowling, Rifle, etc.) There is an endless plethora of options, all available @ the individual students choosing & commitment. Given they have a commitment. If not, they ahve the entire rest of their life to again, commit. 😉 5. On the Job Training: Education & Higher Education Credits can be earned. That can either make a path back to higher education, or free earned Degrees via a few Clep & Dep credits if needed. THAT'S an AMERICAN LIFE. This sounds identical to what you referred, but gave little comparison. There are many viable ways to do the same thing. This has been around since before you where born. More than Half a Century +

[@jameskipp66]

It shouldn't be up to the government or school system to decide for anyone what they should could or can be when they're adults. People mature and grow into their intelligence at different rates. When i was in HS, my grades were abysmal, and id have been labeled by a system like that as an untermenchen However, as I matured and became more engaged in learning as an autodidact who eventually went to college and on to manage a Level 1 Trauma ER ... at places such as Yale, Harvard, Brown, Vanderbilt etc .. Don't kid yourself that it's easy to move within the levels. Once your tracked you're assigned a position in society. We're a much more mobile society. That's why so many companies are started out of people ls garages, basements etc that have gone on to become tech giants and other highly wealthy owners of companies. Where is the most innovation. Sure the Germans are masters at precision, I'm of German decent myself. But, the avg person isn't creating the next great mouse trap. It's more the government that is doing that

[@haukesattler446]

About nudity: Not every German is comfortable with being nude. But most German are comfortable with others being nude. On the other hand, many Americans seem to be uncomfortable with both.

[@scottlowell493]

In the US: Woman on the beach in a bikini= ok Woman in a coffe stand in a bikini= outrage.

[@hannahanna649]

@@scottlowell493 Just common sense.

[@henrischutte1968]

@@scottlowell493 In the US: Woman on the beach in a bikini= ok Woman in a coffe stand in a bikini= X-rated.

[@scottlowell493]

@@henrischutte1968 yes, I remember the rage in Washington state. Right-wingers were all in a rage that it was "Indecent". Yet- a couple miles away on the beach... bikins everywhere.

[@nutrylzone367]

Because most Americans judge others and so we are thinking the same thing that others might be judging us because we were judging them 🤣, which is also another factor of why we don’t like to see people staring at us.

[@gudrunasche9124]

A car has not to be cool, it has to be „praktisch“.

[@wrayewenigmann3696]

Exactly, and it still comes asa major shock that most German apartments do not come with a kitchen. You have to bring/buy your own. And when you move out, you take it with you!

[@bebex599]

I'm sorry, but ... cars have to be affordable !

[@bebex599]

Germans think, they have to be ashamed of having killed 2/3 of the worlds people. They are being told to. In fact, I think Americans did. Sorry.

[@poppyshock]

Yeah, I have a truck right now. But it is super impractical. SUVs are just overgrown hatchbacks #provemewrong

[@wilhelmtaylor9863]

Ne, es muss SCHNELL sein.

[@moot9798]

the “privacy paradox” is a paradox only if you don’t realize that you use the word “privacy” for two completely different things. Germans are protective of their data privacy. Not so much of the “privacy” of their private parts. I don’t think they see any connection between these two things. Paying for bathrooms can be annoying, but it’s a fact that “clean bathrooms aren’t free.” Someone makes them clean and deserves to be paid.

[@c1a2t3a4p5i6l7l8a9r]

Not sure if you're in the United States or not. But we had an issue a couple years ago where a non customer wanted to use a bathroom in Starbucks for free. And the employee wouldn't let him. This was nationwide news and the entire star bucks chain shut down on a Wednesday to train it's people to let folks use the bathroom. I think a pay toilet would be a good solution.

[@silentviper88]

Actually that somebody would be paid, but every customer would pay that extra fee on top of their order. If they use the bathroom or not. Often in Germany it‘s not mandatory to pay but the cleaning ladys look like they ask this money as kind of respect. Its also a tip (and sometimes if its written its a fee), but that lady earns atleast 12€/hour without this tip as 12€ is the minimum wage now

[@rubenproost2552]

Then there is also "Sanifair". You pay 70 cents to use the toilet at the gas station but are also issued a 50 cent coupon that you can spend in their shop. So customers pay less than people just wanting to take a dump.

[@Julia-lk8jn]

@@c1a2t3a4p5i6l7l8a9r I've seen restaurants or cafés in Germany which let walk-ins use the restroom for 50 cent or so. Which seems perfectly fair to me. It must be rather frustrating to be a Starbucks manager and have to be constantly prepared to defend yourself for your branch *not* being a free comfy sitting area, or public toilet.

[@muffdrvr]

Perfectly german thinking . I love it

[@jekalambert9412]

Exposing your body is NOT the same as exposing your bank account to identity theft or where you live to stalkers, duh...

[@lorisol8132]

Facts!

[@ellevelin638]

True. And also it's not about privacy in general but about having control over your own privacy and being able to decide what you show others. Street view is handing your privacy out to Google .

[@malcolmjacquard4689]

I think that the american-english term privacy relates to more than the german term Privatsphäre.

[@Janjan0190]

Yeah, everyone got privates but everyone has a full bank account 😂

[@ShaneMclane-PrivateEye]

Ya. No shit.

[@fiestahossa9512]

We don’t need flags, we need foreign reactors to say that we are a great nation. That’s why so many Germans watch this reaction videos. Also to recognize that we are doing great. You are our flag 😁🇩🇪

[@LaureninGermany]

Omgoodness yes! That’s what it is!!! Fiesta Hossa, you have answered the riddle we‘ve all been wondering about. Thank you!

[@DerFünfteAmeisenbär]

Actually so true, it always feels like 90% of People watching videos from foreigners talking about germany are germans xD

[@LaureninGermany]

@@DerFünfteAmeisenbär yes! I‘ve been intrigued by this, and very touched!

[@fiestahossa9512]

@@DerFünfteAmeisenbär 😅👍🏻

[@fiestahossa9512]

@@LaureninGermany 😅 glad that I could help 😋

[@dertransakteur5840]

Refering to the privacy paradox: I think, or at least for me as a German, it's all about control. If you decide to go full naked in to a sauna it's your decision, you can always put something on, or stop going to the sauna. But Internet... that's a scary thing. Once something about your life is online it stays for ever and you have no control how it spreads. You feel powerless. So internet or recording in public is really sensitive. I try to leave no footprints in the web from my private life and it's hell of a work, bc every service, every store or app wants to collect as much information about you as possible. It's so hard to keep it all together, to monitor your data in the web, that we're more careful what we put up. If it's not online, you're in control. Meine Meinung, wie sieht's der Rest?

[@blackrain1999]

Yeah, also getting naked if everyone else is too, and its natural, isn't as bad... everyone is ion the same page or 'level' so to say. Getting naked as the only person in the room, or in an American Sauna would be completely different, because then suddenly you might feel more vulnerable and exposed.

[@euphoriceuler]

I do agree. In the context of privacy 2 further remarks: -us law is very hung up on ownership, so privacy gets understood as owning (& possibly selling) data about people. - EU privacy law does NOT have a concept of owning data about a person (data subject) it talks about control and processing of data (see previous poster) conceptually GDPR belongs to the family of human rights laws, which are protected by the equivalent of constitutional level law (EMRK). That was a conscious design choice, that for the most part data identifying persons individually CAN'T be sold

[@LadyQuaki]

Yeah, I mean you are anonymous in the sauna, but you are *you* if someone finds out via google street view where you live. I don't want people I don't know find out stuff about me. I don't want some people I KNOW to find out some things about me 😂

[@marvinschneider9309]

Jo meine Meinung auch ✌️✌️

[@HansWurst-rw4ug]

I think Germans are alerted if an institution collects and processes too much personal data because of the horrible experiences in the past with secret services like in the Nazi-Regime and in the Communist Regime in East Germany. There is a difference between being nude and looked at your body and the ability of an institution to predict all aspects of your life, your personality and your behavior. Also it is not true that every German is comfortable with being nude in public. Being nude in public is not legal in general but only in very specific areas, as e.g. "nude beaches". For some people being nude in the nature is part of their lifestyle and their culture and therefore there are specific areas (with "warning signs" around them) where they can freely life and express this.

[@tina00017]

I am a German living in America and enjoying these videos. Regarding swearing: Germans also swear freely in German and profanity is never bleeped out on TV etc.

[@fabiesque]

which is FAB. The continuos, nerve-wracking beeping on American programs is UNSFUFFERABLE

[@beerenmusli8220]

The beeping from american TV is ridiculous. Everyone knows that they are swearing, but it makes it seem like it is something bad when it is scientifically proven that swearing helps to mitigate stress

[@hetedeleambacht6608]

you seem to have a lot of stress then...!!@@beerenmusli8220

[@timhagele670]

But now that we are using american streaming platforms like twitch and youtube more and more german media gets censored more and more as well as we have to apply to their rules. It's sad because I always find it more entertaining if everyone just speaks their mind.

[@dallasarnold8615]

I am old American, 69. When I was a youth, in our area all stores were closed all day on Sunday, and on Saturday and Wednesday afternoons. It took some getting used to as that changed.

[@michaston9090]

ja hier ist es ja auch so, Samstag Nachmittag geschlossen, Sonntag geschlossen und Mittwoch nachmittags Ärzte, Apotheken ect geschlossen.

[@rafaelv9121]

Point 4, cars: Sorry, but hatchback cars just make sense! They often have as much space as an SUV, but only require as much gas as a sedan (which is also an environmental discussion). And from the looks: you always prefer what you are used to.

[@LaureninGermany]

The Parkhäuser are a factor, I think.

[@davidpelo8798]

Some of us understand, I had an 86 CRX si, which was an outstanding car. Problem is for many years Americans were ruined for hatchbacks by having crap like the escort, chevette, and others forced on us.

[@Serge0815]

bin Deutscher und finde auch dass Fließheck autos sau scheiße aussehen. Stufenheck Limousinen sind so viel ästhetischer

[@safer6274]

that’s just true.

[@MrFlo5787]

A 5 seat hatchback holds exactly as many people as a 5 seat SUV. And 5 seats is the usual in germany. Everything below is considered a small car and everything above is considered to be on the larger side.

[@Slazlo-Brovnik]

As a German I was in NY a while back. Was looking for a place. Apple Maps was a bit confusing as there where 2 similar named places but in different areas. So I asked someone in the street where it is. The person told me, it turned out to be 10 blocks away. I said thanks and startet to walk.With real concern in the voice the person called after me: "You can't walk, it's too far. Take a cab!". I walked it in like 25 minutes. When I arrived, the person I had my appointment with at that place asked me if I came with a cab or an Uber and I said: "I walked, took me 25 minutes". I got this stare and "You can take an Uber you know. It's easy: Shall I show you how to call one?"

[@jrgptr935]

Nimm den Fußbus.

[@sandraankenbrand]

Wow, did it change so much? Bc when I lived in New York in the 90s everybody walked... I guess I used that Cab only twice at night and never the underground

[@eaglepubg1428]

Vielleicht sind die alle einfach nur faul. Das Wandern und Spazieren gehen liegt uns im Blut😂

[@Slazlo-Brovnik]

@@eaglepubg1428 Ich glaube nicht, das es sowas wie "XY liegt Volk ZX im Blut" gibt. das ist alles kulturell, anerzogen. Und da die USA ein grosses land ist, gibt es da auch faktische mehr Distanzen die man nicht zu Fuss zurücklegen kann. Und da gewöhnt man sich vielleicht dran.

[@kimphilby7999]

He did the right thing! Do you know how many people are dying from excess walking,in the USA, every year? 😂😂😂

[@livinginthenow]

The privacy "paradox" you have is because you have confused "modesty" with "privacy." Wanting to keep your personal data hidden online is about "privacy." Not being bothered about nudity in certain circumstances is about a different sense of (or lack of) "modesty." The two are not synonymous.

[@Nekr0]

I'm just gonna leave this at 69 likes

[@ichbrauchmehrkaffee5785]

@@Nekr0 Exactly my thoughts

[@blaueragnostika6413]

Stimmt.

[@StefUllrichMusic]

About the title changing: I've heard that you can't use a movie title twice in Germany. Since "Taken" had been a TV show already, the movie "Taken" was retitled. Disney's "Moana" was renamed to "Vaiana", because there was a pre-existing X-rated movie called "Moana", which makes sense considering kids might google the title. Also, as you mentioned, English is mostly second language in Germany, so some English titles are simplified while keeping them in English, e.g. "Bend It Like Beckham" became "Kick It Like Beckham". "Copy Cat" became "Copy Kill" etc.

[@cd9834]

Danke, das wusste ich noch nicht.

[@ErikBramsen]

Any understanding of European cars must start by looking at the fuel prices - that, and the narrow streets in most European cities. The hatchback is a pragmatic, compact choice, it's not about style. You can fold down the rear seats and have a two-seater with a great, big cargo space.

[@Gaehhn]

The hatchback is basically the Allwetterjacke of cars. You don't have it because it's the most stylish or the best option for a specific job, but rather because it can be adapted to fit most common scenarios.

[@tmartin9482]

Don't want to argue about car aesthetics or pacticality with people that are still driving pickups 🤣.

[@theresabu3000]

I personally don't think Pick-up trucks or SUV's are cool - they look too big and bulky, have no practical use for 98% who have them and are just thousands of pounds of steel wasted - driving around, wasting more oil then you'd have to. If you look at data - how many people get hurt by them in accidents (those you drive into - their impact is at hip level 💀) - and how many parents killed their children in a driveway, because they didn't see them. 😢 You're wish for them should plummet into the negative.

[@justinluttrell8990]

I agree that one must consider the narrow streets and high fuel prices...but in the majority of cases, these hatchbacks are no smaller than a sedan/saloon and in most cases are built on the same chassis.

[@Ullaneu-f8i]

I wonder that the Mettbrötchen ist always a big thing . The pork is controlled and it has to be eaten the same day you buy it. Not Everbody loves it.

[@gdp3rd]

American here, and I think the hatchback is the absolutely best car model! You can haul a lot, without having to climb into a giant truck. My first car was a VW Rabbit, and my current is a Subaru Impreza Hatchback.

[@104thironmike4]

Also German Hatchbacks can pack a real punch. We drove an Audi A6 at some point and that car handled like a sportscar and pulled off like a rocket. At the same time you could stuff half of your house in it. They are often underestimated.

[@dwelfusius]

@@104thironmike4 put a hook on it and you can pull a remorque or a caravan, it's an amazing vehicle!! :)

[@104thironmike4]

@@dwelfusius yup.

[@margritjones7934]

Loved my 2003 protege hatchback I drove. I hauled an entire backyard table with 4 chairs in it. Now I can't do anything with my Honda Civic. I wished I never sold my car when I did. I actually cried for three days😢 . You brought back memories. I think if I ever buy another car, it will be a hatchback

[@Sue-uw2oi]

I am on my second VW Golf and will always drive one.

[@hurtigheinz3790]

Number Nine: There actually is a law in Germany, that says in any restaurant or bar the cheapest drink can't be alcoholic. It can have the same price as water or cola, though.

[@brainafk3701]

Also if you ask specifically for tap water, you don't need to pay for this.

[@ibenbentalal9291]

1 euro syrup for children beats this system... then 2.20 euro for the cheepest 0.5l beer and 2.80 for a stupid water from the french alps can be seen everywhere

[@hansberger4939]

Yes. There must be ONE alc free drink be cheaper than beer. one. And in US and other countries a free glas of water comes with everything you order. I experienced this in greece.

[@lemsip207]

@@ibenbentalal9291 Lots of adults don't drink alcohol because of health reasons, medications, they are driving home, religious beliefs, they are on their lunch breaks from work and not allowed to return to work with alcohol in them or are recovering alcoholics.

[@nuanjan100]

@@hansberger4939 yes one alc free drink must cheaper than beer and most time this is a glas of milk

[@melindadurchholz3738]

All stores in the US (mostly) were closed in the previous century until 70s and 80s. People went to church on Sundays.

[@hohohomeboy]

The privacy paradox is not really that complicated. It basically comes down to consent. If I am naked in the sauna, I chose to. If someone comes up to me in the street and take a picture of me, I did not choose to be photographed. Not everyone likes to go to the sauna and not everyone cares if his personal information are leaked on the internet.

[@aidanaldrich7795]

Why do you think consent should be required to film someone in public? It could be creepy, but is it moral to legally punish you for simply filming you in public?

[@Elberndo420]

​@@aidanaldrich7795it actually is haha it's the "Recht am eigenen Bild". For example you can't just take portraits pics of strangers without them given some sort of consent (smiling or posing is enough) It doesn't matter if the person is just in the background and clearly not the intention of the picture. Same goes for bigger groups of people or events. And that's just to take the pic, to post it on social media or any form of publication you need consent aswell If you want to install a security camera at your home you need a sign that warns people they'll get filmed Mostly noone cares but if you're asked to delete it, you have to

[@aidanaldrich7795]

@@Elberndo420 Taking a photo of someone isn't an aggression that requires consent

[@coderaven1107]

@@aidanaldrich7795 I think the problem is more about what people can do with these photos. One example would be you partying, and sb else from your work seeing it, putting you in a bad light. I know this is not a real problem in most situations, so perhaps its more of a thing I personally just got used to. Most of the time I dont care that much :D But if sb would like to post random pictures with me, that I cant check beforehand for 100s of people online or on social media, that just doesn't feel comfortable. I know some people, who are really strict with this (no photos takeable around them, its kind of annoying), and others that share everything on social media, which would be too much for me. It's a spectrum of attitudes

[@sandibln]

@@aidanaldrich7795 depends on the point of view of the individual and/or what you do with the picture later. If I choose to walk naked through the city, I choose to allow people that walk through that city in that moment to see me naked. But I did not consent to somebody taking a picture of me and posting it on instagram (as an example)? Or print it on a t-shirt and sell it in china. So you are allowed to take pictures without consent (unless somebody notices it and asks you to delete it) but only for private use. You are not allowed to distribute it publicly.

[@naftade]

Funny that you mention the smoking-issue. It’s funny because the situation has changed dramatically over the last 15 years or so. Before that, we used to smoke inside the restaurant, on the train, in the office and even in school 😂

[@andir1498]

was thinking the same 😅

[@hetedeleambacht6608]

hell, yeah, america was THE country of smoking cowboys, right? In europe people started to smoke cigarettes in the 50s because you americans came to our rescue and it was considered the top of cool, rebellion, and, later, distinguishement

[@Nepoxification]

Wondering how NALF would react to visiting France then 😄

[@admontblanc]

@@hetedeleambacht6608 tobacco was popularized in Europe since the early colonial era so that's definitely untrue.

[@bvbxiong5791]

America had a super big anti-smoking push starting in the 90's and it was super effective. The rest of the world just kept on keeping on.

[@brunsiH96]

"The Privacy Paradoxon" would be the same in America, but just the other way around. In the end nudity is something you decide to do. Like beach or sauna. Nobody tries to force you to go nude to a beach, there are specific areas. If you go to the web everyone tries to steal your data, you have no real choice here.

[@Llortnerof]

I wouldn't even consider this voluntary nudity as related to privacy in the first place. Privacy is more about what you _have_ to reveal to others, not what you can.

[@sefribu4159]

Indeed. It´s what you activly want to share with the public. Just imagine the next step of Google Street View... Google House View. Do you mind us breaking down your door to have a shot of your hallway to put on display for the whole world to see? You do? But why? Do you have something to hide? It simply is none of your effing business, that´s why. You could consider it the informational castle doctrine... ;) and considering "cool" sedans or fullsize trucks... one makes you look as if you need a nurse to enter and leave your car while the other makes people in germany think you might try to compensate for lack of size in some other department. not to mention that it´s a pain in the a** to find a parking spot for one of those. Try parking a F150 or something similar downtown somewhere and let people know how it went! 😉

[@HolgerNestmann]

Yeah I wanted to comment the same thing. Coming from east germany, this was taken to the extrem with nude beaches, but everyone being paranoid about the Stasi. The consequences of be seen nude is somewhat limited, but being framed for not sharing the common opinion could have had dire consequences. Third reich same thing.

[@annakuch9108]

Exactly, no one will find out where i live and what i read and watch by seing me nude in a sauna lmao

[@ElchiKing]

It's also a matter of power disparity. If you go to a sauna or nude beach, the premise is that everybody is equal (and usually also no pictures are taken of other people). If, however, you have google coming to your street photographing your back yard (especially without consent), this feels much more like an issue. (Also, not every German is comfortable with going nude in the sauna)

[@amiigaf4476]

6:20 we know most americans have bad taste, thank you

[@friedichii]

The thing with the compact class of cars, which most hatch-backs belong to, is that they are simply more practical in european cities. The cities and villages are in general a lot smaller and "wrinkly" as compared to their american equivalent. A compact car with a short wheelbase makse just more sense. And with the hatch-back design you gain room for passengers and a bigger trunk. Furthermore the reason, why also young people consider hatch-backs "cool" is, that manufacturers offer more sporty version of those cars, dating all the way back to the first VW Golf GTI from 1976. In the UK car journalist scene, the term "Hot-Hatch" emerged, referring to high performance hatch-back cars, that offer a lot of power and driving fun compared to a relatively low price (compared to the sporty version of german sedans or actual sport cars). A few examples would be: Golf GTI, Audi S/RS3, Clio RS, Megane RS, Focus RS, Lancia Delta Integrale, Peugeot 205 Gti + the Japanese wildcard Honda Civic Type R. And in fact a lot of euro hot-hatches, that were not offered in the US, are highly admired by amarican car enthusiasts. Sincerely, a german car enthusiast :)

[@MrToradragon]

Stop, stop, stop, I think that we, Europeans, must for once stop apologizing our terrible taste in car designs by design of towns and cities. Especially when we already have enough new car-ready developments and old towns are getting car-unfriendly (but same can be said about EU as whole for some time) or even ban cars. Thus there is no reason to take them in account anymore. There always is some point where we have to stop backward compatibility ;)

[@friedichii]

@@MrToradragon First of all "taste" in design is totally subjective. So not really an argument :D Secondly, you may be right, that modernization paved the way for bigger sized cars, nevertheless it is still a fact, that the development of the car market in Europe post war showed small and compact cars on top. Of course this development was not only driven by the European city design, but a underlying factor nonetheless. And as I mentioned in my original comment, European hot-hatches had a significant impact on European car culture, and as the american markets did not get most of these cars, they never considered Hatch-backs aka compact cars as cool or desirable.

[@JMM33RanMA]

I'm a US American, and my first car after years of carless [Autolosigkeit] living abroad was a Saturn hatchback. This was in the late 1980's, and the purchase was based on gas mileage, and utility, it was not based on style, coolness or being Freudianly* oversized. I wish I still had the hatchback as there were occasions when it would be more useful than my current 4-door Toyota! I admit to being a practical Yankee New Englander rather than a typical American. Sind Funktionalität, Effizienz und Kosten nicht das Wichtigste? Am I more German than American in my thinking? Well that's Yankee** New England for you! *With apologies to Dr. Sigmund Freud for any misunderstanding. Mit Entschuldigung an Doktor Professor Sigmund Freud für jedes Missverständnis. **Um es klar zu sagen, Yankee sollte wirklich nur für die Sechs-Staaten-Region Neuenglands gelten, wie im 19. Jahrhundert, nicht für alle nördlichen Staaten und nicht für alle US-Amerikaner. Für uns ist es eine Frage des Stolzes auf unsere Geschichte, aber leider nicht für andere.

[@MrToradragon]

@@friedichii The taste was partly a joke, but I always feel like I am missing a tail or something when I have to ride in one. First we should split the post war market on western and eastern, but I still would say that main driving force behind "small eurocars" was very different situation in economy of Europe and USA. USA had the resources, the steel, the water, the coal and oil, while infrastructure of Europe was mostly left in ruins and beside coal without any significant oil deposits or places like Niagara falls (All the interconnections to NORDEL are quite recent things). Even thou I have never made this comparison, I would guess that up to WWII car sizes were almost identical. Sure, there might be few "hot-hatches" but I would still say that compared to already mentioned Japanese cars, not to mention American muscle cars like Mustang, Charger, Challenger, etc. they look quite dull.

[@mehitabel6564]

My second car was a Volkswagen Golf GTi Mk II (my first was a custard yellow VW Beetle), and I loved that sporty little thing. I'm in the UK and had years of driving BMWs, everything from 3 series Coupé to 7 series, my current one being a large BMW SUV that doesn't even fit in regular parking spaces. I miss that Golf, and actually would enjoy having it again. I would happily swap my company SUV for a hatchback.

[@christianrichert5197]

About the traffic light situation: I recently got to know the reasoning behind it. When the traffic lights first came to be, they ran a number of tests on where to put them in the intersection, apparently, they even experimented on putting them smack in the middle of the intersection. But they found that only putting them on the close side guaranteed that cars would not roll too far into the intersection and therefore hinder pedestrians and bicycles from crossing. Which I heard is a common issue in the US, just not as known because there are so few pedestrians and bikes. If you have issues with looking up: just stop a little bit earlier 😉

[@0910MK1]

Danke für die Erklärung! Ich hab mich das schon oft gefragt, weil ich die amerikanischen Ampelkreuzungen auch "komfortabler" finde. Aber das macht absolut Sinn. Nur was das frühere Stehenbleiben angeht: Bitte nicht! 😅 Gerade Linksabbiegerampeln reagieren sonst nicht, weil der Kontakt in der Straße fehlt. Andere Situation aber ähnlich ärgerlich: Wenn bei Durchfahrt einer grünen Ampel zu viel Abstand gehalten wird, schaltet sie früher um und die folgenden Autos kommen nicht mehr durch.

[@alexanderantoninsommerkamp4714]

Danke für die Erklärung. Ich bevorzuge dennoch das amerikanische Modell

[@billgracey6369]

OUCH!

[@antonk.653]

@ Christian Richert: Excellent comment, thank you for clearing it up. Perhaps it is the better choice if you have alot of pedestrians involved in traffic.

[@invalid8774]

@@alexanderantoninsommerkamp4714 tja wenn alle mal in der Lage wären an einer weißen linie anzuhalten, wäre das kein Problem. Aber wenn ich mich im Straßenverkehr umschaue ist die Ausbeute nicht gut genug dafür...

[@klausjuergen]

In the US you get free water and free refills in a restaurant but at the same time you have to tip because the waiters are getting paid next to nothing. In Germany a big part of a restaurants earnings are coming from the beverages and they are in turn used, to pay living wages.

[@Gitarrendave8]

It's absolutely common to tip a waiter in Germany as well. I would even say it's expected to get 5 - 10% tip. Giving no tip is considered impolite and rude. Tap water is for free but you have to say you want tap water (Leitungswasser). Water you can order from the menu at restaurants is very often bottled water and already quite expensive for the owner to buy, so of course they will charge you for that the same way, they charge you for a coke or a beer. Also here in Germany the tap water is very good because the standards are really high. But if you want a specific brand or carbonated water, you have to pay for that.

[@Fragenzeichenplatte]

@@Gitarrendave8 > Giving no tip is considered impolite and rude. No, not everywhere. You can tip if you want to but no one will look down on you. It's not like the US at all.

[@Gitarrendave8]

@@Fragenzeichenplatte I've worked in gastronomy for almost a decade. And I can assure you. Waiters are always expecting a tip. I've talked to dozens of waiters from different restaurants on this topic and they all say the same thing. It's frustrating, when you work your ass of and do everything you can to make the guests happy and then get no tip at all. Of course by law you don't have to tip a waiter just as you don't have to say hello, goodbye, please and thank you. But don't be surprised if people will find that rude and unpolite. Sorry to break this to you.

[@Fragenzeichenplatte]

@@Gitarrendave8 > I've worked in gastronomy for almost a decade. And I can assure you. Waiters are always expecting a tip. And how would people know what you think? No one can read minds and you cannot blame others for your own unspoken expectations. There is no tipping culture in Germany and people are NOT rude to you if they don't tip. > But don't be surprised if people will find that rude and unpolite. Sorry to break this to you. If you're acting like this around your customers then don't expect them to tip. Sorry to break this to you. I don't care what you find rude. Again, sorry to break this to you. But on the other hand, I don't expect you to work your ass off for me. I don't want people to struggle and overwork themselves I just want you to bring me my food, nothing else. I am ALWAYS friendly with service personnel but if I get called rude for not tipping then I will be even LESS likely to tip.

[@Gitarrendave8]

@@Fragenzeichenplatte Ich hab wie gesagt fast 10 Jahre in der Gastro gearbeitet und kenne die Branche. Würde mich mal interessieren, woher du deine Expertise ziehst. Ich hab dir erklärt, dass ich mit vielen anderen aus der Gastronomie darüber gesprochen habe. Ich gehe bei der Sache also nicht nur von mir aus. Mein Wissen zu dem Thema stammt von zig verschieden Chefs und Kellnern aus der Branche. Ob du persönlich Trinkgeld oder keines gibst und was du darüber denkst geht mir persönlich am ***** vorbei. Du kannst machen, was du willst. Und natürlich würde auch kein Kellner zu nem Gast im Lokal direkt sagen, dass es unhöflich ist, kein Trinkgeld zu geben oder sich beschweren, wenn er/sie keines bekommt. Und ich würde auch jedem Kellner was erzählen, wenn er den Gast wegen sowas anmotzt. Das geht nämlich gar nicht und ist unprofessionell. Und wenn der Service schlecht war, dann finde ich es auch durchaus gerechtfertigt, kein Trinkgeld zu geben. Trotzdem ändert es aber nichts an der Tatsache, dass es in Deutschland sehr wohl üblich ist, ein Trinkgeld zu geben und dass es die Kellner echt nervt und sie es als unhöflich erachten, wenn sie keines bekommen. Besonders, wenn sie ihren Job gut machen. Wenn du mir nicht glaubst, reicht 2 min googlen oder du fragst einfach mal Jemand anderes aus der Branche. Da wirst du ganz schnell herausfinden, dass 5-10% in Deutschland absolut üblich und Sitte sind. Dass du nur willst, dass man dir dein Essen bringt, mag vielleicht für dich so sein, auch wenn ich es nicht glaube. Die Gäste, die ich kenne wollen an der Tür begrüßt und zum Tisch gebracht werden, Karten gebracht bekommen, die Bestellung aufgeben, manchmal vorher auch zu den Speisen beraten werden, Essen und Getränke gebracht bekommen, in regelmäßigen Abständen gefragt werden ob alles recht ist, zwischendrin den Tisch abgeräumt bekommen und gegebenfalls weitere Speisen oder Getränke wie Kaffee und Dessert bestellen und am Ende zügig abkassiert werden. Das alles mit möglichst wenig Wartezeiten dazwischen. Mit anderen Worten: Sie wollen bedient werden. Deswegen "Kellner" oder auch "Bedienung". Aber wenn du meinst es besser zu wissen.. Du kannst aus meiner Antwort herausziehen, was du willst. Das war auf jeden Fall mein letzter Post zu dem Thema. Einen schönen Tag noch.

[@meltie77]

Us Germans have really bad memories of a time of a lot of flag waving...

[@larsrons7937]

That could be a reason. In neighbouring Denmark we have a lot more flag waving go on (though not on the level of the Americans), ever since the mid 1800s. We often even decorate our Christmas trees with little national flags, a tradition that gained much popularity in the years after 1945.

[@felicitaspschenitschni4427]

As for the hatchback issue. We once rented a Scoda Oktavia for a family vacation. All the luggage easily fit in the trunk. Unfortunately, something was wrong with the car, so we have changed halfway that car. We got an update and tried to get our luggage into one of the SUVs, unfortunately it did not fit into any at the end we took another Sooda Octavia. In addition, in Germany we have a lot of beautiful old towns partly from the Middle Ages. The streets are narrow and the parking spaces even narrower. So we try to find a compromise between the largest possible interior space and the possibility to find a parking space.

[@drondiwe]

Skoda just has enormous trunk compared to its size. I've got octavia sedan it is smaller than "hatchback" but still great.

[@graealex]

11:43 Not true. By law, the cheapest drink on the menu needs to be non-alcoholic. And a new EU law recommends that restaurants provide plain tap water for free, so it is on the horizon for that to become reality. You can always ask for it, though.

[@peterschutzek325]

Der Apfelsaft Paragraph.

[@annnee6818]

@@peterschutzek325 Meistens war es Milch, so Alibimäßig, weil die wussten das bestellt niemand. Aber dann kam man ihnen wohl drauf😂

[@SCX2k]

Yeah but that doesnt mean water has to be cheaper than beer. Just that there has to be a non-alcoholic option on the menu that is cheaper than alcoholic ones.

[@graealex]

@@SCX2k Softdrinks will have actual cost associated, so it is going to be water usually. Anyway, caterers usually don't try to be assholes, and accommodate the wishes of their patrons. Everyone here, including NALF, makes it sound like they try to give their guests beer against their own wish, set arbitrary prices and try to circumvent laws. That is not how restaurants operate here in Germany.

[@frauleinbird]

In Austria we call it Jugendgetränk. Sometimes it's so easily identifiable (or even spelled out) on the menu that you can just order it by its legal term.

[@lphaetaamma291]

The trafic light thing: German roads aren't usually gridlike, therefore a lot of junctions aren't 90° 4 way crossings. If the trafic lights were on the other side of the Road you probably would often confuse, which light is for which lane

[@arnodobler1096]

also the pedestrians and bikes!!!

[@zero.Identity]

*but* to be fair, they are sometimes positioned really *nice* so you can see nothing when you are upfront.

[@AL5520]

There are advantages and disadvantages for both options, that's why in Israel we have both of them 🙂

[@samfetter2968]

@@AL5520 😁...I just came back from Hungary, where in some places the solution is still to have neither 😆

[@EnbyFranziskaNagel]

Also it forces you to wait in front the intersection. If you can't see the traffic lights you are to close.

[@toro5280]

They also change lines in the movies. The worst is Once upon in a time in the west, which was retitled Play me the song of death (Spiel mir das Lied vom Tod). They also replaced Fonda's line "Keep your loving brother happy" with "Play me the song of death". I will never get over it :D And the dubbing is the reason why I rarely went to the cinema, actually only when asked to go with a friend or relative. Since a lot of DVDs had german audio only I had to order from the UK in order to have original audio.

[@utecanbolat3590]

Also "may the Force be with you" that is "may the Power be with you" in German (möge die Macht mit dir sein) (Star Wars) Or "beam me up, Scotty" (beam mich hoch, Scotty) instead of "energize, Mr. Scott" (Star Trek) Or "I am looking into your eyes, little one" instead of "Here's looking at you, kid." (Ich schau dir in die Augen, Kleines) Casablanca

[@Antinoüs-Dionysos]

The point you made with the German "privacy paradox" is very interesting when you look at it on the level of language, and why an American might be confused about that aspect of German culture. In German there are two words for "sphere of privacy": "Privatsphäre" (sphere of privacy) and "Intimsphäre" (sphere of intimacy). "Privatsphäre" discribes the factual information about a Person that one might not want to share: material possessions, salary, profession, address, browser history, etc. "Intimsphäre" describes the sexual and emotional aspects of a human being, for example how much one wants to reveal of his body to others, one's sexual preferences, the emotional opinion about someone else and so on. So every person and culture handles those two aspects differently, but granted, there is a lot of overlap between those two concepts. I think the easiest way to distinguish whether something is intimate or private is when you ask yourself if you don't want to share something with someone else because you feel uncomfortable about him knowing it as a person, if so then it's a matter intimacy, or if you don't want to share something with someone you will never know, like some government or company employee, or an unfeeling algorithm, because they could use your data in various ways you don't want, then it's a matter of privacy. EDIT: I just thought about something funny that illustrates the difference between those words further: "Privatbereich", which literally translates to "private area", means "private space", so a piece of land or living quarter you own and that aren't open to the public. "Intimbereich" on the contrary, which literally translates to "intimate area", means, and you guessed it, "private parts", which coincidentally also beautifully illustrates the difference between the English and German concepts of "privacy" and "intimacy".

[@kailars]

A great explanation, gut gemacht ❤

[@Antinoüs-Dionysos]

​@@kailars Thanks, I just hope that I could bring something new to the table and I am glad that people are reading my post

[@klauzwayne4215]

I think it's all about control. When you are nude in the sauna you can control who sees you like this and if you're no longer happy with it you can stop to do so. Instead you can not at all control what google or facebook does with your data once they have it.

[@seanmurray5382]

It also has to do with the fact that they realized how awful the Stasi were and don't want anything near that level of privacy invasion and knowledge into their personal lives to happen ever again.

[@katarinavomdach]

Very well put! Danke.

[@MyHolyUnicorn]

The privacy thing is actually pretty simple: Nudity in public is non-permanent, it's kinda the "what happens here stays here and most importantly in this moment" idea, therefore it's regarded with a certain amount of relaxation. Stuff on the internet on the other hand stays there forever, so it's regulated heavily.

[@taaleah269]

@jooohan nope... no normal sauna user would ever take his phone into a sauna or record anything there. and even if this would happen, the person who got recorded will never know cause it was hidden.

[@taaleah269]

@jooohan it got mentioned in the video this comment section belongs to ;)

[@taaleah269]

@jooohan iam actually a german and its not as crazy as it always gets told - not even close to. and funfact: most younger dont like naked sunbaths at a beach. plus on top: real nudists are an extreme and rare anyways.

[@taaleah269]

Like i told you nudists are 1st an extreme and 2nd really rare. Dont you think somebody that actually lifes in a country since decades and Has moved around there, knows its culture way more than someone who met extremes on vacation? Facts: nudists are rare Topless sunbaths are not that common like it was in the 70 There is a huge gap between east and West Germany in culture of ffk Most fkkler/nudists are 50 and above (sorry Guys) FKK/Nudist is something different than maybe sometimes a sunbath topless In some areas fkkbeaches got combined with the Dog beach-areas cause they were mostly empty FKK Has own beachareas And to come back to the privacy aspect: Most nudists that rly go full naked are at completely protected private beach areas/communities/camping places cause even them appreaciate their privacy Nudist are naked to be "free" not to be seen.

[@Beinlausi]

@jooohan Not nude beaches. That's just not true.

[@c_wanderluster]

As an European who lived in two different European countries, I am not shocked by closed shops. I never lived in Germany but I visited, but to me closed shops are normal and 24/7 open shops are rare and shocking

[@billgracey6369]

Oh thank heaven for Seven-11!!

[@jumpinggoldagatito9153]

Shocking, not convenient? It is shocking!

[@anncarroll2708]

24/7 shops is just capitalist greed. What is the problem with people being at home with their family 1 day a week?

[@phantomberzerk9486]

​​@@anncarroll2708u do realise it's not the same person working right?

[@Dodo-ni2ps]

Number 9: It is a rule that alcohol free drinks have to be cheaper than drinks with alcohol.

[@ivybator6167]

At least ONE drink

[@lissy-mx7ss]

Six: paying in cash: I think privacy is a reason but not an important one. It is scientifically proven that you spent less money by paying in cash as you can literally see the money flow. I am glad that it is inconvenient spending money and therefore more difficult to get into dept and/or save more money. Also americans see having dept as the norm because of their student loans or credit card score system. But here having dept is seen as sth negative or only acceptable in certain instances like building or buying a house. Guilt and dept are literally the same word 'Schulden' in german. Feli and Josh did an episode on their podcast Understanding train station about the differences in money and finance.

[@baghira2761]

Wunderbar zusammengefasst, danke 😁

[@MyvIsLove2]

if u do onlinebanking, u dont need cash. i hate cash because i want to have everything at one place and thats my bank account, so i know where i stand. cash is so unnecessary

[@juilescieg]

@@MyvIsLove2 I´m with you on this point. ^^ I also don´t like to carry half a kilo of coins everywhere with me. My wallet is very small, because I have just my important cards in it. And I love it that way. I also never have to worry about not having enough money with me. (of course, there has to be some money on the account for such leisure thinking)

[@juilescieg]

There is also scientific proof, that germany is one of the biggest money washing countries, because it is so easy here to make illegal stuff without the government noticing it. illegal work? no problem. buying drugs? no problem slavery? no problem selling stolen items? no problem selling stolen expensive cars? no problem there should be a limit (like maximum 200€ in cash) for paying.

[@Roger14540]

@@MyvIsLove2 Until you have a power outage or a software glitch.

[@xWatanukix]

I would never have thought of associating the general respect for privacy with the willingness to show oneself naked to others. For me, these are two completely different things. Privacy is about having a protected private area, which among other things also gives security against being monitored and spied on. When I go to the sauna, it's not just my voluntary decision, but it's a controlled situation where everyone else present is in the same situation as me. Apart from that, nudity reveals little about me as a person, my life, my opinions, etc., so it is far less "dangerous".

[@Sunny-ik2jj]

Culturally, in Germany nudity is considered something natural and elemental. Privacy is something completely different. Only when nudity is considered a bad or an unnatural thing, people feel the urge to keep it private.

[@olivervandebeer7492]

American Protestants (the largest group) and American Catholics don't Find nudity as natural..Maybe passed down from the early Puritans. Being naked will get you arrested. It's kind of perverted to Americans.

[@blackrain1999]

@@olivervandebeer7492 Interesting, but there still is this totally over-sexualized media and culture, and they don't seem to have such a problem consuming those, or watching p*rn and making a lot of funny references about it - despite all its trafficking and human-rights problems (even if just on a 'vacation trip to Vegas' or whatever). A Perversion-Paradox.

[@MaticTheProto]

American puritanism is a disease

[@hansberger4939]

Yes. Thats it. We dont know what it has to do with privacy, when we go to the sauna. as long as nobody is forced to go there. And we europeans have a cultuer of nudity from the 19 th century on. It means being free and natural. And the states are founded by prudish sekts that where that prudish that they couldnt be happy in europe. In american movies a couple has sex, nude. But the next morning, when they wake up, they are already wearing underwear. Weird.

[@graflovespeep2487]

My biggest gripe with card payments is how easy it is to lose track of your spending. When I was a teenager I started to develope extremely unhealthy eating habits, mostly due to depression, and I'm glad I have this time behind me. Of course defeating this depression was hard but the most helpful to combat the addiction, but it was also in part due to starting to pay cash, especially when buying groceries. It's just a different feeling when you have to fork out dozens of Euros everytime you buy snacks, especially when you have to get money at the ATM regularly even though you always get quite big sums. When before I would just swipe my card and forget about it, while now I would actually have to budget, especially when my cash is running low. It showed me that just because I could afford it doesn't mean it's good to spend all that money.

[@sandraankenbrand]

Well, regarding that - I live in the UK and cash is widely not even accepted anymore... The moment I pay fir something I get ti see my bank account immediately if I want - so now I know even better hiw my spending is. Sure, that was different still ten yrs ago, but actually it's now the contrary

[@bobo2186]

I love all of this. My wife and I went to a spa there and it just felt normal. I have had so many people in the states that think it's wierd. It is as natural as it gets! I didn't feel liberated or anything though. The privacy thing also makes sense, because it's taking pictures or putting things on the internet. Hatchbacks are shorter, but taller, and can hold way more stuff than a sedan. Trucks and SUVs aren't that common there because the cities are usually tighter and not meant for cars. The Sunday thing and stores closing early is fine. You just have to be prepared or go to a gas station to buy things. I feel they just have more respect for their workers in general and I think it is great they let EVERYONE have a weekend off together.

[@richwallace7637]

I am now 68 years old, have lived in the US all my life, although I have vacationed in Germany a couple of times, but many of these items are time/age related. For instance in the 70's when I first had jobs, smoking occurred everywhere, on the street, on public transportation, in the office, etc. After years of no-smoking campaigns it is different. When I was young, up to my teens, pay toilets were normal here in the US, there was frequently either an attendant or a coin operated latch on the toilet door. Then they just disappeared. As a young person walking was way more common, my mother used to say we all had car-seat-behinds. Also, until the last 30 years traffic lights were on the near side of intersections with no overhead component. Prior to the 70's all transactions were in cash. Working my way through college in a store we at first had paper credit cards with just printed numbers, and they were somewhat unusual, things were probably 60% cash and 40% personal checks. So many of these things are modern American culture, not 'pure' American culture.

[@marcelwin6941]

You mention checks ... good that you do, because while I agree that many Germans (fewer and fewer) have a "disturbed" relationships to cashless payments in stores / at the POS, Americans still use checks and have a "disturbed" relationship to electronic payment for bills and the like, where Germany has moved away from checks to credit transfers and direct debits 30 years ago.

[@janach1305]

I agree. When people don’t know the history of these activities in the US, they think other countries are odd and inexplicable. But they’re not to us oldsters.

[@bkm2797]

So true, I'm 66 yrs. young, and I remember how everything was closed on Sundays, people smoked everywhere including their homes (with kids), cars are bigger here because of bigger spaces and so on. But it's interesting to hear from someone as young as this guy who doesn't remember,lol. Cheers

[@alexmorcos]

So you are saying Germany will maybe hopefully eventually catch up?

[@Julia-lk8jn]

@@alexmorcos Oh gods, please no. Can we please stay this backwater place where we walk distances more than ten yards, inner cities are designed with pedestrians' comfort and safety in mind, and you can cycle (more or less) safely? Cracking down on smoking public sounds great, though.

[@johndittmer8488]

When I was Navy, I was stationed in Naples, Italy. At one of the local restaurants, there was a German waiter who married into the family that owned the restaurant. He was assigned to serve the Americans since he spoke the best English. He always made sure when we asked for water if we wanted the mineral water or the still (tap) water since that's a big difference in Europe.

[@ABT.2023]

both contain minerals, "Mineralwasser" is usually seen as fizzy water but its a generel term for water (fizzy or non fizzy)

[@D4BASCHT]

Still water doesn’t have to be tap water and restaurants usually don’t sell you tap water. Though here in Germany I think you can actually get free tap water if you insist.

[@ABT.2023]

@@D4BASCHT some give still water for free but not every restaurant

[@rey6708]

@@ABT.2023 everyone has to its required by the law

[@ABT.2023]

@@rey6708 ist es? Dachte die haben das abgeschafft

[@CyberTom1965]

My take on trafficlights: In the US 99% of the crossroads are like this: "+", while in Europe there is a good amount of crossroads that look more like this: "*". If you had the traffic lights at such a crossroads on the opposite side, that would lead to great confusion.

[@mojojim6458]

The correct solution is for Germans to drive cars less. Think how much the environment would benefit.

[@jbaidley]

Britain manages to have lights on both sides just fine, without confusion. It's one of the two most annoying things about driving in Germany.

[@mojojim6458]

@@jbaidley Don't tell me what the other annoying thing is. Let my mind run wild with the possibilities. ;)

[@roddymoore]

You must live in southern Germany. You are quite spot on. I've been here for 30 years working in an academic area. Thank you for your thoughtful video.

[@ARealRufus]

Talking about explicit language in music: It makes sense that, with English as a secondary language explicit songs are not recognized as such. But ever heard of KIZ? It’s basically their stick. Swearing and offensive lyrics. And some of their songs are regularly played on radio shows. For us Germans it is sometimes weird to listen to the American radio version of some songs. Because the explicit part is either cut out, silent or weirdly changed and it doesn’t make sense anymore. But that probably only counts for those of us speaking more or less fluent English.

[@noobpownerxxl]

i read a comment saying: "movies and music tell something about their culture, here its much less frowned upon to swear as is in the states, so they use words like frick and heck...wich basically means the same and every one knows it, so it is literally the same but they feel like its babayproof. whats really strange here is, this are the same people who are totally fine with having murders on screen with all its blood and cruelty, handing weapons to children and having regular school shootings, but are more afraid of a potential f bomb." it is strange for us, because its not our culture and for them ours is shocking. because they are not used to hear and use swears in day to day talks.

[@mortyj376]

KIZ für immer

[@thomaskletzl6493]

kiz ist nice aber ruffiction ist liebe

[@dowal199]

And it's stupid since Americans swear a couple times in every single sentence. But as soon as it's anything official or a movie Americans act like these words don't exist and are a death sentence if used

[@icannotbeseen]

KEINE SCHWÄNZE SONDERN BAUMSTÄMME 🎶yeah german music gets vulgar af. and even if they aren't swearing, the content can still be explicit as hell. like something like Rammstein, as mainstream as they are, wouldn't fly in english in the USA xD

[@oswjim]

the hatchback appeal is not a german "thing" but European as a whole .... here in spain LOTS of cars are hatchback ...

[@erebostd]

Because they are practical and good to drive. Sedans are for old people…

[@ccat342]

@@erebostd not to forget: they are fuel efficient. just imagine our price in europe to fill up a 3,6L V6 camaro or pay insurance and tax for the 355 HP model ....

[@sidew0nder]

Exactly! also in portugal! most of the cars are like that.. In europe people will see always the same car brands.. and the same models.. lolol so...

[@anncarroll2708]

Americans care more about impressions made on others rather then if the car can carry their kids, dogs , furniture etc. It’s so easy to fold down a hatchback. But showing of is more important to America. Besides all that the thing America excels at is marketing, not what you need but what makes the biggest profits..

[@precursors]

Same in Turkey, most sold cars are Volkawagen Polo/Golf, then Renault Clio, Honda civic hatchback etc. Half the cars on the road are hatchbacks

[@mrmagic2440]

About that "privacy"-paradox: there is a difference in being looked at your body and being able to be tracked and to be predicted in everything you want and you do😂 that is a completely other "privacy"

[@purplebox433]

You are right.. I am confused by the confusion :))

[@Romy-90]

Also, when you want to show your body you have self-control over that. If all your data are tracked on the internet however, that is a total loss of control that is scary to many Germans. It's just two very separate things in my opinion.

[@tami7992]

@@purplebox433 me too

[@danieljung5862]

Absolutely true and looking back at our German history totaly understandable. Hitler and the Stasi, we simply don't like beeing out of control, like for example data on the internet.

[@iwilltubeyouall]

Exactly, it's about the being traceable aspect.

[@JohnSmith-il7jn]

Love the music, really gives an American musical flavor to your videos. Good job!

[@CoL_Drake]

As German i rly don't understand what being naked has to do with privacy xD no one makes photos or records it so for me i don't understand how u can compare that xD i require 100% privacy but being naked in a sauna has nothing to do with that for me xD

[@henrischutte1968]

In my mind there is a big difference between privacy and prudity. I do care about my privacy, but I don't consider myself prude. No paradox at all.

[@Haak_On]

I really thought the same. For me that are both 2 different things.

[@DarkHarlequin]

Yeah. If you know my phone number, you can do a lot of inconvenient/nasty stuff with that. If you know what my wang looks like... great. But what the hell can you do with that?

[@zero.Identity]

also, saunas usually dont have a big window for people from outside to look at you. i mean, i dont know for sure, i never was in one, but like.. thats not really the way they are built. and *that* most certainly would not be very private

[@ccat342]

exactly, going to a sauna is your personal choice. a zillion companies from around the globe taking your personal data in the background (in the US without asking for your consent) while visiting a web page is not.

[@Delzra]

the pride thing: dude i dont need a flag when almost everywhere in the world "Made in Germany" is regarded as a mark of quality.

[@Delzra]

@Total Social Reject we dont talk about those

[@TomkeP1993]

100% true. World War made in Germany is a guarantee of best quality. It's amazing how companies build on human tragedies are highly respected among the world.

[@dreuvasdevil9395]

@@Delzra ahahahah

[@gazz3867]

@Total Social Reject Remember what it took to stop Germany when we were really really serious about this shit? Lets not make this a challenge. =P

[@pandamilkshake]

@@gazz3867 To be fair, Adolf was kinda making armament and training troops for about 6 years before it all began. Meanwhile, other European nations thought they were living in a time of peace so they prepared jackshit. Had you given France and Britain the same amount of time to prepare themselves, Germany would have been crushed at the very begining. Everyone was caught off guard, really...nobody knew or thought there would be another war so they prepared nothing, they did things as they went along. Edit: Discard France...those guys had a formidable army but a cowardly leader.

[@snuups]

There is huge difference between privacy and prudery. We love Station Wagons. If we can't afford them (or thing they are to big and expensive) we buy a hatchback. Sedans are considered as impractical, what they are. Looking cool is for most germans not that important.

[@Donnerfink]

@L W Bitte nicht als Angriff verstehen! Aber: SUVs bieten viel Platz? Seit wann? Für ein durchschnittliches Modell (Tiguan, Q5, Crossland, Grandland, X1, X3 usw.) dieser rollenden Minderwertigkeitskompensationen, sind Laderaum und Platzangebot absolut mickrig im Verhältnis zur Fahrzeuggröße. Bin erschrocken, als ich den "Kofferraum" im Q5 meines Onkels das erste Mal gesehen habe. Auf dem Fahrersitz fühlte ich mich extrem eingeengt. Hatte zu der Zeit einen 3er BMW E91. Der ist schon sehr sportlich geschnitten für den Fahrer und mit Sicherheit kein Raumwunder. Aber der Q5 war mir echt ne Nummer zu klein in allen Belangen außer den Außenmaßen. Dann lieber Passat, Insignia, Mazda 6 oder Ford Mondeo als Kombi, wenn es einem um Platz und Laderaum geht. Beim Rest stimme ich dir uneingeschränkt zu. Auf jeden Fall: Schönen Tag, Abend oder eine gute Nacht!

[@flo1718]

Wahre sache

[@skyhawk_4526]

@Der Typ Although in Germany most BMWs and Mercedes' cars are either hatchbacks or station wagons like the import brands. They also aren't really seen as a luxury brand unless it's one of the more high-end, sporty models. In the US, the Mercedes and BMW cars on the market are typically sedans or coupes, and tend to be the more powerful and high-end models.

[@jan237]

@@Donnerfink Das liegt daran, dass ein Großteil der Länge von SUVs in die wahnsinnig überdimensionierten Motorhauben fließt.

[@inconnu4961]

Everyone knows Germans dont care about being cool! LOL Congrats, you arent cool! good job!

[@アンドレーエフ貝]

I know this video is old by now but one thing always gets me and that is the "starring" topic. You were quite polite about it, but there is a crucial aspect of understanding. And I am also aware that it is a cultural misunderstanding, but accusing Germans of starring is very rude. For Germans it is polite to be aware of their surroundings. It's especially important to not be avoidant (this is the part you misjudge as starring in my opinion). If we talk with each other we look into your eyes (if you don't you don't pay attention and that is considered inconsiderate and impolite). There are Germans who stare, it's extremely rude and for you it might feel like if they'd pierce your soul. Try to see it like that, we are aware of our surroundings and the people it contains. If we get the feeling you're not (you avoid the surroundings you participate in) you're considered a threat (it's overdramatized but essentially it's true). People that don't recognise and acknowledge their surroundings are considered to be prone of making errors that cause trouble to themselves and others. Germans (and many of our European neighbours as well) are very aware of their surroundings and if sth. happens very fast at helping out. Also we are early on educated to explicitly not stare at people. So when you're telling a German that they stare they might not show this but you really can hurt people with that. It's a very heavy accusation and way outside of our societal norms. If we would stare you wouldn't know where to hide anymore (it's as I said extremely rude). Also being aware of our surroundings and therefore looking at it (it's only looking not starring!) is a crucial societal agreement to look out for each other (it has other uses as well good and bad but within our culture this is acceptable). "Badmouthing" a cultural foreign behaviour is def not polite ;-). The thing for Germans is they cannot explain it properly because most are not aware of this (it's just normal, like native speakers cannot explain their own language). They often even don't know what you mean, and as you don't understand what you're accusing us of you actually do not either. If we are in the USA this is a completely different topic as we have to accept that you consider it impolite to be explicitly acknowledged. A German in the USA would not stare (in their minds) but would actually do because your societal rules differ in this regard. It's not in our cultural understanding to "avoid" (in lack of a better word) you when you're in the same surroundings but your game your rules. Perhaps that helps a little understanding that bit of our culture. Cheers mate, I like your videos. I just needed to comment on this because that brings me on the palm (jmd. auf die Palme bringen == to get somebody's goat)^^

[@sandibln]

I agree, but I believe the crucial thing here is the definition of the word 'stare'. In Germany it would mean you bluntly look at someone/something for quite a long while. Be that in awe or horror or disapproval or admiration. To look at people, as you look around in a metro, maybe sometimes a little longer, is not staring imho, it is just looking at somebody or something because the space is confined and seats are placed in face to face and my glance wanders, or I am not looking but thinking of something else. If somebody realises it and I then realise I did look longer then intended, I tend to smile and usually do get a non- committal smile back. I don't think that there was any intention to be rude in that remark. As to the 'personal bubble' it's a very individual feeling. Mine depends very much of the situation I am in. and of the attitude of the other person. I think it is a little overrated, how else could one explain pictures of crowded concerts, discos and manifestations or stadiums and metros, and the next moment you are supposedly invading a personal bubble by reaching for something in a supermarket. Definitely not suitable for a national characterisation. imho

[@jannisfaber]

I want him to get the fuck back to America for this ignorance

[@Sapphire1982]

Germans do stare though & many times in a very rude way. -an American who stayed in Berlin for a while.

[@アンドレーエフ貝]

@@Sapphire1982 So you lived in Germany and you still don't get it. Congrats I guess. It's as I described above. Just because you don't care about adapting to our culture doesn't mean that we are rude. And yes, surely there are a few Germans that stare in a rude way. Still it's not Germans in general. Just a few assholes as everywhere. You don't caring about the difference between looking and starring is still not the same as you accusing us to stare. If you live in another country learn and understand the rules. But I guess it's very American of you to ignore this simple thing about other cultures than your own.

[@Jasmine-b9u4z]

@@アンドレーエフ貝 Take it easy yourself it's not a contest and it's not an easy situations for everyone, plus those who don't figure out the calmer reasons staring happens. Many don't get a clear picture that staring doesn't always mean you're grumpy and get nervous quite quick if they're not used to it. Plus new rules aren't always instantly clear especially if you're not sure how the country wants you to act.

[@quirin5061]

on the nudity - privacy thing: nude places are places you go voluntarily, everyone is nude, you are often shielded from people looking in and it's understood as a photo-free zone. the privacy concerns we have are about invasion of privacy by making photos of people in public places who did not consent or worse on their property without their consent.

[@marieost5391]

I also think it stems from our history. Because Germans experienced things like the Stasi or Gestapo what made them so protective about their privacy .

[@hetedeleambacht6608]

exactly, i thought it was related to that , im belgian but interested in these things as well.....my grandmother was german but became belgian when she moved@@marieost5391

[@-sheny215]

privacy paradox: As a German, It's mostly about that we don't care much about things only a few people IRL can witness with you together, but we simply don't want it to be accessable to everyone on the Planet. If that helps understanding? It's how I see it

[@biancagamsjager4745]

In Austria there's a law about the "Jugendgetränk". In the menu there must be at least one nonalcoholic drink that is cheaper than the cheapest alcoholic drink.

[@yaroslavromanyuk5669]

Meanwhile in Czechia: "No, I don't think this is possible."

[@deus5529]

Same in Germany. “Apfelsaft-Paragraph”

[@pandamilkshake]

Spain: Hah...1 litre of beer for 1 euro and 2 litres of village-made Spanish wine for 3 euros, take it or leave it.

[@maxiking7615]

Water is allways cheaper than beer in german. There is a law.

[@sebastianfiedler8764]

@@deus5529 Nie gehört.. aber klingt Sinnvoll

[@utecanbolat3590]

Some of the reasons for cash being preferred over credit card payment: 1. Most people feel that they have more control of how much they're spending if they pay cash 2. Many fear that their account may be hacked or their card copied on making a payment 3. You need to have a certain monthly income to get a credit card at all. Once I tried to get one and was told I need a monthly net income of 4.000 Euros, which I (and most other people here) don't have...🤷‍♀️

[@blackrain1999]

Things I don't understand about Americans as an Austrian: "Everything is closed on Sundays, oh no!" But No: not "everything" is closed on Sundays. Museums, Zoos, family parks, cultural facilities, a lot of cafes and restaurants etc. are still open, it's just most shops, but shops or shopping is not "everything" I totally agree with the first two points, they are somewhat stupid and don't make much sense (and most of my friends would agree). The personal bubble stuff seems great, because I am a person who actually would appreciate a bit more space between other people sometimes. Tab-water not being free in Germany actually (as in you don't even get tab-water at the restaurant for free?) surprises me, because only yesterday at a restaurant we got a can of tab-water additionally to our drinks without asking and it just seems normal? And there are water wells?/dispersers in the city with free and fresh drinking water. Playing explicit English songs really is not seen as a problem, people often even don't notice the language, lol. I grew up with a lot of such songs without knowing the meaning until my English got better and I managed to catch the words but then the songs are so ingrained that you just don't really 'integrate' that in your mind. Kind of stupid if you think about it. But yeah, I think you are right these words probably don't impact me as much if they are in English. At least I didn't get 'brainwashed' since a young kid, hearing and understanding such songs. Because nobody can tell me this does not influence toddlers or kids, even if they might not be played at big family events, but media and pop-culture are prevalent nonetheless and even with beeped out words (lol, weird) people do get the general gist of things. Beeping out 'dirty' words is another weird American thing (as if the word itself is dirty and evil, but the meaning it conveys is all fine no need to think about it, be hateful but use a beep around "you f*BEEP n*bEEp*" AND all is good - the beeps also sound so unnerving and aggressive). Could all this be one reason why some US American males come off as so extremely aggressive, sexist and racist and angry? No offense, not everyone of course, but yeah. There is this certain type. I do like that US Americans don't smoke and smoking is not as prevalent there. That seems great.

[@inconnu4961]

The bleeping out of foul language does not contribute to anything but class, civility and human decency. something that many people hate these days. Its difficult to understand what you mean by extremely aggressive, sexist and the other crap you said, but i assume because many European men have been so domesticated, and made soft, that masculinity probably comes across as toxic and angry. its not, its simply that european men have become weaker and more feminized. LOL

[@blackrain1999]

@Total Social Reject German media censors anything remotely Nazi-related? Germans don't deal with their history? Have you been to Germany at all or know their school curriculum concerning the second world-war? Are you living on a different planet? And 'finding something weird' is not the same as 'not understanding'. If you think my argumentation concerning the effectiveness of beeping bad words out (but still cursing ALL the time lol) lacks you just could rationally reason your thoughts on why you disagree, instead of throwing unfounded insults. Is this too much to ask?

[@KD-vb9hh]

It's "tap water" not "tab-water." Just fyi.

[@mwol5473]

A real GERMAN is supposed to be conservative warrior masculine, liberals have ruined Germany and Scandinavia

[@mariusmreule9236]

Church is also open on sunday

[@leDespicable]

Regarding the movie titles: In Germany, it's legally not possible for two works to share the same name, that's why they change so many movie titles and sometimes add a sentence into the title to distinguish the movie from another one that has the same name. It's just not allowed to have the exact same title if another work already has it. And when there's no other work with the same name, they sometimes change it for cultural or linguistic reason. The example you gave might actually be one of those instances. Even though many Germans speak English, there's still a big percentage that don't speak it well, maybe even just a few words or not at all. Taken is a word that only those with a relatively intermediate grasp of the language will understand in this context, so they might've decided to change it to something else that more Germanys, even when they don't speek English, will understand. 96 Hours will be understood by most, since the English word hour is close to the latin "hora", which is used as an abbreviation for hour in German.

[@ThegreatfishfromMars]

It happens in other languages as well. For example, the movie that we would call 'Spirited Away' in English is actually a shortened version of the original Japanese title 'Sen and Chihiro's Spirited Away'.

[@leDespicable]

@@ThegreatfishfromMars Then there's German, where it's called Chihiro's Journey to Magic Land (Chihiros Reise ins Zauberland)

[@NeverMakingVideos]

Could even be that enough Germans would read Taken as "genehmt", either when translated or from the English. Which is used just as often in a positive sense as the negative (at least in my non-native experience). Maybe it was just better to change the title to something less ambiguous

[@MrXyzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz]

@@NeverMakingVideos But then why not use 96 Stunden instead of the English 96 hours.

[@smylesobyron4711]

@@MrXyzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz That's simply marketing. Certain English terms or phrases could be perceived as more attractive or modern in marketing. Especially in the 2000s, there was a trend to give movies for the German market new, sensational English titles in order to convey an international or cool touch.

[@skyout19]

Sundays are for the family, and not for the employer

[@maythesciencebewithyou]

tell that to the people who work in the service industry

[@electric7508]

There are people who believe Saturday is the last day of the week, not Sunday.

[@williamowings6857]

​@@electric7508Same difference. 😉

[@williamowings6857]

Yeap, 50 to 80 hours a week I'm present for Sunday breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sunday is family time and I owe them that which money can't buy. $%^& everything is expensive though and I must work more than is typically healthy for a 52yo man. But I'm tough and really skilled.. the children can sit on the ground and become unemployed or follow me up the cables. IDGAF just help or stay out of the way.

[@norwegianblue2017]

When I was a kid in the US in the 70s and 80s, a LOT of businesses were closed on Sundays. It was normal in the US. Pretty much the only places that were open were gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants.

[@mikegill4038]

You live in Schwabische Hall , I lived in Tubingen (I am also American ) ! How can you imagine red lights hanging in the middle of an intersection with wires going from one pole to another ; without deterioating the beauty of these 7th century towns ? I agree with most of the other comments !

[@Smithens12]

I like the fact that nakedness is not so oversexualized in Germany, which is why Saunas are so generally accepted. There people just wanna chill and relax :)

[@MiaMerkur]

That is why I feel very unconformtable with stranger on nudity beach or sauna with a lot of regugees from south and east. There are starring so nasty at the breasts like they think about raping. You are true about the difference between naturally naked and sexualized nudity.

[@James-w1t]

OK, all fine and good. But here in the US, there's that other, often unmentioned problem with public nudity. Namely, where can a naked American conceal a firearm?!?! Sounds like I'm making a crass, culturally self-deprecating joke, but No I AM NOT!!! And, something else Europeans should remember about non-Europeans in general. Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean that we're NOT really out to get you!!! Getting back to the public nudity issue and the obvious lack of personal safety, there's always a body cavity or two, but, nah, too many logistical complications.

[@tmonVX]

German pride is a very difficult topic: On the one hand, what you are saying is very true; we don't really show, or "fly" our flag that much (except for world cups) but therefore regional pride is immeasurable. As I feel it for myself, whenever I hear my city's name, I am so proud that I live here and nowhere else. Especially with the big cities/areas like Hamburg, Berlin, Munich or the Ruhr-Rhine area where all regions have different "cultural sights" and their own way of being, we want to hear others talking about it, share their experiences and thoughts about it and generally just get attention pulled towards it because it makes us feel good! (I don't know if it is for others that way too) What is also interesting to observe is the German reaction to online content. Whenever a short video like a TikTok, or something comparable, focuses on or even only contains anything about Germany, people immediately start commenting things like "Diese Kommentarsektion ist jetzt Deutsches Staatseigentum", which basically means that they/we have taken over the comment section. I think it is so amazing to see and interpret this. We can't, but also don't really want to show pride, but we feel it and the fact that I, as a native German, am watching a lot of videos about Germany itself shows that I am proud of my country and that I care for it. At least that's what I think about it.

[@mmneander1316]

That's an excellent and informative comment.

[@blackroserevolution3989]

Eh, I mean we kind of want to hear feedback from Germans in the comments section though, the foreigner perspective is already in the video

[@aramentum200]

Diese Kommentarsektion ist jetzt Deutsches Staatseigentum - musste sein xD

[@nyx019]

Oder wie ich es öfter sehe: Ein Land, ein Reich, ein Kommentarbereicj

[@xjrlionheart4423]

@@aramentum200 Ja, das fand ich auch etwas seltsam...

[@celtaclassroom7082]

You're on to something when you partially defend the education system: in Germany, being a skilled craftsman was always a ticket to, or a way to stay in, the economic middle class. There was never a stigma in not being a university graduate. Many people with technical qualifications out-earn so-called Akademiker (they do in the US, too). America would do well to rediscover its respect for people who do skilled work with their hands, as this is absolutely critical for a functioning industrial economy. I always like to say that a gender studies professor will at some point need the services of a plumber, mechanic, or heating technician, but the plumber will probably never need a gender studies professor.

[@g.strobl4458]

@Test Io, that's largely dying out here in Austria. A university degree used to be both a sign of and a ticket into the elite, and you needed one to make it into the higher ranks of any governent office. Then it became more and more affordable to the middle class, plus there were government funds provided for anyone from an agricultural background, so attending the universities became more commonplace. In my opinion, way too many youngsters are shoved in that direction. As things stand now, skilled workers will outearn almost all university graduates if you look at life earnings. As they should, because often they contribute much more to the economy.

[@Mek_Alenes]

Unfortunately, we're developing the same problem here in Germany for atleast a decade or two, too. Parents thinking "Your child needs to have it better than you" and forcing them to learn as much as they can to go to the gymnasium and then to University, which leads to Hauptschule and even Realschule losing its worth and quality. We develop the same problem as the US here, craftsmen and other middle class jobs (who are essential for a working society) are slowly dying out.

[@FroschKrone]

It is true that craftsmanship should be valued. However, the education system is wildly unjust and responsible for the fact that your degree still depends a lot of the social class and income of your parents. That is unfair to any kid. They should be able to learn and devleop and choose for themselves what they want to work. But many aren't given the opportunity.

[@icannotbeseen]

dunno about apprenticeships having meaning. yeah, in modern companies and explicit trade jobs, but for stuff at a desk? now this is just my personal experience, but my last employer was like this: - pay based on university education, whether it was actually relevant or not - IT department does not let non uni graduates do certain tasks - people looked down on me for not going to uni - my manager said things like "don't overwhelm her she's just an IT specialist" - my main task was scanning license information from the 90s for three months I worked tech support for 5 years before that at a company whose tech support they actually rely on and yet that missing piece of paper was more relevant than any of my actual skills and experience. when they had issues with the products I was an expert on, you know what they did? refuse to ask me. I wasn't good enough because I did my exams at the IHK. ugh. I only got that job with the contractual obligation that I would get a degree within the next three years. anyway I quit because they were blatantly antisemitic bigots and now the company is about to die because they work with russian oil :) not too sad for them, aside from the dude who asked me why I left and was like "yep I agree". I hope he'll be ok. I work from home for a british-american company now. nobody gave two shits about uni, they looked at my resume, saw I had the required experience and trust me to do my job now, two months in I do the same tasks as everyone else (for more gross pay haha)

[@icannotbeseen]

@@FroschKrone oh god this is so true. a "lower class" kid has to fight tooth and nail to get anywhere. people don't care if they could excel at practical work, they aren't getting their abitur so obviously they're worthless. and if teens decide to go into a trade anyway, they'll be treated like shit because "Lehrjahre sind keine Herrenjahre haha, jetzt aber mal im Ernst, der Fachkräftemangel macht uns fertig, Kevin halt die Fresse und mach Kaffee"

[@rantanplan178]

Love your two videos man. The ones about "the 15 things germans/americans don't understand"... Because of that and as a typical German, I'll gladly serve you with critique 🤪🙃 The privacy paradox. What is the paradox again? Like, some random person seeing my... sorry - dong, in the Sauna and some random person seeing my browser history of the last even just 1 month, are totally different things, aren't they? Like the potential consequences of one and the other couldn't be more different. Is this really this complicated or weird to understand? Data and naked skin are wildly different domains. Not that I want to imply that my history is this crazy, and it is not, but just by looking at this stuff, the smarter cookies around us can already make out the person I am. My skin just does not tell this much about me, aside from my apparent fear of sports, mixed with a hint of passion for food ^^

[@Burnman83]

About the traffic lights, since I've just came home from a longer trip in the US with a lot of driving there. There is one simple reason why having the traffic light close to you is just a lot better: I've had it multiple times in the us that is was driving behind something like a dump truck, and when going into a crossroad behind him with the traffic lights on the other side you have absolutely NO CHANCE of seeing them, so you have no idea if they are still bright and green, already yellow, or f the guy in front of you already crossed on red and you are even following behind him. The angles are just so much better if it is close to you and also that way it shines into your car so you can basically look anywhere and still have it at the corner of your eye, whereas if it is on the other side of the crossroad you have to look at it to read it.

[@loisen]

With close traffic lights you sometimes can’t even see if they turn green because you’re standing right next and not before your car. Some try to be clever and keep more distance but some traffic lights have a sensor and they won’t be able to detect your car.

[@sojtus8681]

@@loisen Well sure. Though it´s still much safer to not see, whether you can start moving, then not being able to see, whether you need to stop. In the first case at worst you will miss the green light and have to wait for the next one while people behind you honk at you. On the other hand in the second case the most likely result is getting hit by another car...

[@PattisKarriereKarten]

I found driving in the US pretty nerve-wrecking: I didn't know where to stop exactly?! And I found it hard to orientate myself.

[@shannoninalaska]

I got a ticket for running a red light because of this very reason. There was a dump truck that ran a red light and then, of course, I didn't see it until I was almost in the middle of the intersection. 😡🤬😠😤

[@barbaratanney3812]

I was driving behind a semi going through the intersection. I couldn't see the traffic light. As it turned out, the semi went through on the yellow and I went through on the red. A Policeman stopped me for running the red light. I explained to him that I didn't see the traffic light because of the semi. The Policeman told me that if I couldn't see the traffic light before entering the intersection, I was following too close. He let me off with a warning. I started following further away, but that seemed quite a distance. Years later, I saw a sign on the back of a semi that said, "If you can't see my outside mirror, I can't see you." Another variation I saw was, "If you can't see my mirror, you're following too close." The signs gave me an education. I backed off until I could see the mirror. I discovered if I used that as a scale I could see the traffic lights way before the intersection.

[@Ast151]

that's what I don't understand about Americans: they are afraid of nudity, but for $35 you can get the whole background check including political affiliation, gun license, addresses, relatives, etc.

[@PascalGienger]

It's worse. It's totally normal that when asking for a date or just want to visit for the first time they'll ask your name birth date to run background checks. Garbo has become huge and widely used. Dating in Europe is much more relaxed. Also: People getting crime statistics before visiting you and declining telling "your neighborhood is too dangerous for us".

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

It's more complicated than that. Skinny-dipping is far more popular in the US than people often times realize. There's often times also no specific law on the books that bans nudity in public, that usually comes under obscenity laws or other catch all ordinances.

[@Cl4rendon]

Apples & Oranges.

[@fini8874]

@@PascalGienger And people think its on the same level, being nude or having all of your information online lol XD As if someone is going to steal someone from you just by seeing you naked :'D

[@fini8874]

@Bernie Gores He compared it in the video

[@ErklaerMirDieWelt]

The movie titles sometimes have to change because the US title is already copyrighted in the EU. That was for example the case with Moana (Vaiana in German). Moana is the European trademarked name of an Italian porn Star (for obvious reasons that miraculously didn't upset anyone in the US). Vaiana vaguely resembles Hawaii, so they went with that.

[@DuRoehre90210]

But sometimes this seems to be applied without any tactfulness. Take the same pattern in literature, for example the (quite popular ~10y ago) novel Freedom is translated into "Darknet". WHY? Maybe just because it sounded cool along with some press narrative at that time? Sorry, that sounds just dumb. "Freiheit" hätte da auch gut gepasst.

[@ErklaerMirDieWelt]

@@DuRoehre90210 Vielleicht gibt es ja schon ein deutsches Buch, was so heißt.

[@grimp53]

Germans don't like single word titles that could be too quizzical. Quite often also the original title is completed by some explanatory appendix. (The Grey - Unter Wölfen)

[@ErklaerMirDieWelt]

@@grimp53 The Grey just wouldn't sound good in German (Das Grau? Die Grauen?). In English, it gives me mysterious vibes, in German it sounds like a political party for old people. Come to think of it, maybe they have a trademark on that name?

[@ngotemna8875]

@@DuRoehre90210 German title of "Batman Beyond" is "Batman of the future".... Yep

[@sorman10]

Great video - I love the way you explained these things. I just got back from 6 weeks, mostly in Germany and Austria. I'd say most of these things apply to Austria as well. Two things - first, I found the smoking quite oppressive and extremely unpleasant. It's a health issue and I pretty much hate that if they're smoking, I am automatically smoking secondhand. I do not understand why they haven't dealt with this issue, any more than Americans who haven't dealt with the ubiquitousness of guns. Second, I had a conflict with a friend in Vienna over transmitting money. He was highly offended that I strongly suggested a personal funds transfer with an app. Now you've helped me to connect this to the privacy component which is so important for Germans/Austrians. Thanks much.

[@bestfails5283]

The thing with the beer and water point is, in germany you can drink from every fountain and tap if its not labeld as undrinkable (wich is kinda rare) so water is free and readily available

[@pelmfbpndd7065]

at so far

[@slaigrin709]

And it's actually not true that you can find beer that is cheaper than water. There is a law in Germany that says, that there has to be at least one non-alcoholic drink that is as cheap as the cheapest alcoholic drink (or cheaper in many cases). So most of the time water is the cheapest thing you can order to drink in Germany.

[@pelmfbpndd7065]

at france most restaurants there they give waater for free but kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJuriHqFas5qbqc Auf dem Trockenen - Wie Großkonzerne unsere Wasserressourcen ausbeuten | Doku HD Reupload | ARTE f.e.

[@MattRose30000]

Not all restaurants are willing to give you a glass of tap water for free though.

[@aemi_sa]

tap water is harmful in germany and the us, drink water tested for pfas, medicine, hormones, pesticides, nitrate, polyester fibres. (yes, you find this all in the usual german tap water)

[@dbinaz5595]

Growing up in a small coal mining town in Pennsylvania, I was use to not only businesses being closed on Sundays but also half holiday on Wednesday. Businesses had half holiday where they would close at noon on Wednesdays which gave the owners time to take care of business related needs such as bank deposits etc.

[@JoelLinus]

Yea cus you guys get payed every week lol

[@dreamzofhorses]

I moved to a suburb of Pittsburgh from Southern California when I was 12 in the 70’s. It was total culture shock. Everything was closed on Sundays. Beer and other alcoholic drinks were each sold in separate stores, and neither were sold in grocery stores or any other stores. Never sold on Sundays either. Just two examples of how very different culturally in comparison from where I was born and raised to that point, but all within the US.

[@christschool]

For older Americans, we would understand shops being closed on Sunday. In the US, stores were closed on Sundays until the 1980's.

[@lemsip207]

Same in the UK. When the law was brought in around 1989 to allow Sunday trading it didn't change things immediately as supermarket chains, book shop chains and garden centres had been open illegally before then as they could afford to pay the fines out of the extra profits from being open on Sundays. Then only gradually more chain stores opened on Sundays. Most independent shops are still closed on Sundays.

[@reinhard8053]

Today there are some (generally smaller) grocery stores open longer and on sunday at least at bigger cities. And you can get some stuff at lots of gas stations. If you are used to it you buy the stuff needed before and have no desire to go shopping on a sunday.

[@noirekuroraigami2270]

It depends where you live

[@justinsayin3979]

There is one major US fast food chain (Chik-Fil-A) that still closes on Sundays, but it is pilloried for this in the capitalist press.

[@ProzaKc1]

Just got back from Germany. I think the Sunday thing is great. I wish we did that more here. Had a great time .

[@narackanick]

I use "real" cash because I can see and feel how much I am spending it. Most people fall for the debt trap, because they are spending more money with their credit cards than actually have a money reserve. When you use a credit card you see a number on a screen. That's it. But when you pay with cash you see how much it is in reality.

[@mojojim6458]

Maybe Germans use cash so much because they're worried about it losing its value and want to get rid of it as quickly as possible.

[@tjk3430]

I think in the US, people are more worried about getting robbed. You can cancel a credit or debit card, cash is lost.

[@ngotemna8875]

@@tjk3430 I thought that's what guns are for...

[@icannotbeseen]

while that is a proven thing I also believe that as an adult, one is responsible to keep an eye on their bank account. that is why people paying by card don't just go broke completely every time they buy things - most have an idea how much money they can spend.

[@leDespicable]

Seeing numbers on a screen does more for me than spending it physically. When I spend cash, it's just gone, and I have no real gauge for how much I spent right away without having to calculate. With card payments, you see every little transaction in one place and have a grasp of what you're spending. I don't use credit cards, however, just my debit card.

[@NicolaiCzempin]

The "privacy paradox" is not that difficult to entangle. When you go to a nude beach or a sauna, you are choosing to forgo that part of privacy, for whatever reasons. What we are very concerned about is other people infringing on our privacy without us knowing or even against our wills. Simple as that, not a paradox at all. You're also making it sound like _everybody_ is walking around naked all day. There are plenty of Germans who don't go to nude beaches or saunas.

[@teachersusan3730]

I remember staying at a hostel in Canada years ago. I went to the sauna and found out that people wore their bathing suits in the sauna. I was shocked and retreated because I was naked under my robe 😂 It deemed me very uncomfortable to wear a bathing suit in a sauna …

[@paulxy952]

These title changes in movies are wild I will never get this😂😂😂

[@fishyginger1740]

I have to strongly disagree on the hatchback front. I bought a Honda Fit in 2019 and it's great. 37mpg, compact, fits in tight city parking, and I can fold the seats flat and have a 6ft bed for equipment/camping/my dog. Once you go hatch, you don't go back

[@erebostd]

Exactly. Sedans are for old, boring people…

[@aaronpatterson2369]

American here. Yeah i gotta agree with the sedan being for the older generations.

[@peterhomann2140]

School: What perhaps should have been mentioned is the system of apprenticeship. This is a quite formalized program to learn a trade from ground up, typically 3 years and not exclusive to manual professions like mechanics, plumbers, carpenters, etc. but also to careers in financial institutions, the judicial system, medicine and others. Once graduating from such program one can continue to become a "master" which opens even more doors. Privacy: I think nudity in the German mindset is not seen under within the tent of "privacy" but simply something natural. We all in principle know how we look without clothes on. By contrast our interpretation of privacy is more related to safety, security of personal data and freedom. Flag: Better look at nationalism here and yes, I think you explained it well. Our history plays a big part. And one should also understand that unlike the US (slavery, extermination of Native Americans), the Japanese (rape of Nanking), the French (Algeria), British (Aboriginals, Zulu, Boers) we tried and try to deal with it, educate and understand so it will never happen again. I tried to make sense of this by saying I am not "proud" of where my country comes from but am proud of what she has become.

[@bratwurst_addict]

To add to that: Nudity: FKK (freie Körperkultur) has a long history starting around the time when the industrialization showed it's ugly side, people working 12 hours, much more workers than jobs, really bad conditions -> a broad desire for freedom and connection with nature forms. For a curiousity from that time look up Kokovorismus - and if you like history look up the podcast Geschichten aus der Geschichte (it's GAG141), it's a great ~30ish minute show with a different, random topic each day. Privacy: The actual kind. Information is power. Basically that is all you need to know. Whether you consider the Stasi or the Gestapo or just an overzealous person in your extended circle, the less they know and can get to know about you, the better it is.

[@nutrylzone367]

I like their education system especially promoting skilled trade workers, but not sure that would work in USA now. We are so impatient, but maybe in the future as we lose more of these professional people. The greatest advantage is that most of them would graduate with certification and apprenticeship experience.

[@peterhomann2140]

@@nutrylzone367 I agree and would add another factor. I live in the US for more than 30 years now and I found that manual labor is not respected in this country. Who has not heard the butt-crack jokes about plumbers. And although very few people understand complex electrical systems, electricians are also not respected. Unless one has at least a Bachelors degree one is considered a failure in the US, and increasingly the hurdle to social acceptance is a Master's.

[@celtaclassroom7082]

Re: Extermination of American Indians, there are now more Native Americans in the territory of today's US than there were at the time of European first contact. So genocide is another area where we're nowhere near as efficient as the Germans. ;-)

[@rikkidgermano9640]

@@peterhomann2140 I have worked with people in office with an academic degree and with an apprentice degree and I have had way better experiences with the ones who do not have academic degrees. Most of the people I came across with an academic degree often lack social skills, they were not really able to communicate simple task to a group of people. Yes, they know their stuff but they were terrible at communication. People with an academic degreee, especially younger people, often have this false sense of entitlement and think more of themselves when having such degree. Like I have already stated, this is just my personal experience over the years working in different companies.

[@UlliStein]

Living in Munich, I drove to the airport to pick up a family of four coming from Singapore. Fortunately I have a station wagon (wouldn't call it a hatchback) that is also available as a sedan (Mazda 6). We were all really happy about if because they had so much luggage that one of them would have had to go by train if it would have been a sedan. So PLEASE don't tell anything bad about practical cars. They are better than a car that is longer than necessary for what the volume is.

[@SoneaT]

I don't like the look of the US cars either! They all look old fashioned to me! If someone have drove a Golf GTI or a Peugeot 2 05 with more than 150 PS like me they would understand why😂! They don't understand that those often are tuned😊

[@timschalau8425]

haha, the shirt-thing you were talking about...we also have those in german saying things like "hey, i am a fisherman, how about to show you my worm?" :D. prechiate ur vid

[@mikegabbert2680]

You mentioned the Sunday closures. You're probably too young to remember this, but in the US there used to be Blue Laws. This prevented the sale of many, if not most, items on consecutive weekend days. Most businesses were open on Saturday and closed on Sunday. A few businesses closed on Saturday to be open on Sunday (depends on which day your Sabbath fell). I lived in Austin, Texas, back in the early to mid-1980s. During the Christmas selling season one year (1983 or 1984, I can't remember which) Target as well as others decided to defy the Blue Laws and stay open seven days a week. I remember Target because they were featured in a local TV news story about the subject. At the time fines for violating the Blue Law was $50/day. Well, for big department stores this was a no-brainer, just cost of doing business. Texas repealed the Blue Laws in 1985. It was just a part of the secularization of society. The US has become very secular as has much of the world including Germany. Everyone I see who hosts a KZbin show, if they even mention it, describe themselves non-religious. I am from the other perspective. When I look at these huge, beautiful cathedrals and churches which dominate the city centers in most German towns and in other counties including the US and find that so few people appreciate that, it makes me sad. It speaks to a time when people generally thought religion was very important in their lives to today when attitudes have totally reversed. Were they right then, or, are we right today? Most Germans may be secular, but thankfully they still recognize the need for us to take a day off from work and just relax. Remember, even though you may have the day off and want to go shopping or to some entertainment venue, by doing so, you are requiring someone else to work. So in Germany everyone gets time for themselves.

[@pingouin125]

You confuse secularization and hypersconsuming (Dr Juliet Schor). Secularization opens to a more rational society, it is not the case with The USA, especially with Texas.

[@galacticangel5262]

The overall energy on a Sunday when the shops are closed is so different. It feels very relaxing, no rushing about, no errands to be accomplished, but a beautiful quietness. It invites you to find more peace in yourself, time for family and friends, your pet, a book, being creative or anything you like on a slower pace, without the constant distraction of hectic shopping. You find a chance to easier balance out on a soul level when given the opportunity to focus your attention entirely away from noise and business for at least one day.

[@BOOTBOSS1]

Yes when we moved to Bergen county in NJ they had blue laws and the malls were closed and although a pain at first its a good practice Be good to go back to that today give employees a break whether you are religious or not, Americans are also overworked maybe that's why so many are dissatisfied with their jobs / The German or French vacation model should be adopted here.

[@pjschmid2251]

Car dealerships are still closed on Sundays in Illinois by law.

[@lynnm6413]

One of my parent‘s favorite stories of their honeymoon in the US West was of the Grand Canon and when my Dad tried to purchase a few beers in a gas station in Utah, on a Sunday, 1978. I mean, for a German, it‘s only gas stations that are open on Sundays so they didn‘t know any better, but to hear my Dad rage about the clerk that wouldn‘t sell him the few beers (from a German perspective not much more than diluted horse piss), really___sorry__you would think it was a personal slight! @ Mike Gabbert Regarding all those beautiful churches….we visit them, we look at them in a historical context and growing up wherever my family spent their summer vacation in France we got a day of beach and a day of culture, which meant mostly looking at churches….both my parent‘s were raised catholic, but me as well as my Dad have turned agnostic and thus this was more an appreciation of the people‘s art and appreciation of their belief….than the recognition of a holy Roman Catholic Church…after one too many violated choir boys one has to draw their own conclusions about holiness and the holy purpose of the church, just saying. But the achievements, however secular society in Germany may get, will not be forgotten….it is one thing a German may be unabashedly proud of

[@TheTesuji]

The privacy paradox: One is being ashamed of your body, which you should never be. Also, at least in Germany, being nude does not imply being sexual. The other is being able to be tracked down by a Stasi-like organisation. The two seem vastly different to me :)

[@andraskovacs8959]

Yes, prudity and privacy does not have much in common.

[@SenorJuan2023]

You have to remember many/most Americans are fat and should be ashamed of their body. LOL

[@sekarmaltum1695]

hm.. kinky naked socialism VS prude western greed ?

[@henrischutte1968]

In the Netherlands we have a similar education system as in Germany. Now they want to refer to it as theoretical vs practical education instead of higher vs lower education. Since the higher educated people start to realise that discussing about ancient Rome by a campfire might be fun, but not when it's because there is no one around anymore who is able to fix the light or the heating.

[@da-haste-pech686]

this is actually way more logical and less derogatory

[@mynamename5172]

Unfortunately we have a crazy government backed loan scheme for college in the US which is driving up the cost and the number of people attending college (its basically free money for the schools, and sometimes for the students as well). In spite of this, many Americans are starting to notice that getting a degree in something with zero practical application is not a great use of time or money. HVAC repair guys and skilled mechanics often earn more than someone with a gender studies degree from a medium or lower tier university.

[@nimmha6708]

The education system is NOT even remotly close or similar to the one in Germany, not even in the slightest. I've been in both. And just so y'all know, the dutch/netherlands system is a THOUSAND TIMES BETTER.

[@marcusubani]

Your example with the movie title "Taken" is actually pretty good. The intrinsic message of "96 hours" is much easier for the average English speaker to understand (without having to think about it).

[@martinbruhn5274]

I think the privacy thing is more about losing control of what you keep and don't keep private. It's more about control and less aboutprivacy per se.

[@MyvIsLove2]

its simply about germanys past and i mean i personally dont care but older generations do and for good reason. i get that

[@rapsack7058]

Exactly! We have a history where private informations got abused. The fall of the GDR is not so long ago.....

[@jeremyhelquist]

As an American we are taught from a young age that our bodies are private (probably from fear of assault) and there are many laws regarding “public indecency” that can land you in jail and on a sex offender registry. This is why there are minimal nude beaches, and saunas are generally split by gender. If they are co-saunas you have to be dressed in bathing suit. Even in split saunas patrons will still wear a suit or wrap in a towel. It’s definitely cultural based (as many have said and you can see from media). I believe this is why Americans (generalizing) have such bad self body issues.

[@dalangie]

Hm, the privacy paradox are some completely different things for me: I dont care very much if someone sees me naked in sauna (as long as nobody takes pictures 😉). But my data protection is a completely different thing. I dont want to be spied on by anyone about my hobbies, my doings, my opinions, my property, my possessions or finances. The marketing thing doesnt disturb me that much, but the possibility that someone related to the political or financial system of my country - Germany - or another country disturbs me and frightens me very much... especially with the war going on in Europe...

[@tinopflugl9212]

yeah im from germany too and i think it has a lot to do with control as you can decide wether you want to visit a sauna or a nude beach but google wont call you to ask if they could publish your car or face so our law forces them to be very carefull and respectfull of that.

[@johannadittert611]

I feel it's also about WHO has the information. Some random person in the sauna that only has am image in their head or a multimillion company that have really personal information they could sell to anyone...

[@dalangie]

@@tinopflugl9212 Du sagst es - die "Kontrolle" zu haben ist letztendlich das Entscheidende.

[@tehweh8202]

I think it might also have something to do with our history. We've been through two brutal police states in the last century. First the Nazis with the Gestapo, where every word you said could have severe repercussions, including torture and execution. And then half of Germany suffered under the Soviets and the Stasi, who were basically the Gestapo but more paranoid and with better spying technology. Basically we have a deeply ingrained fear that our personal data can and will be used against us. Anything that can be traced back to us personally is perceived as a potential security risk, because we have all heard our grandparents or even parents stories. And those stories always ended very badly.

[@patrickchadd]

The privacy thing makes perfect sense to me - nudity is nudity and IMO, it’s Americans who have the odd attitude about nudity - Asians, Europeans, Scandinavians - no issue with nudity…and the ‘German’ personal privacy I also agree with…anyhoo, interesting episode. Also Americans love their flag, yes. I fly my flag every day but again, much of Europe and the world don’t have the level of ‘flag love’ that Americans and dare I say the Brits have…

[@olivervandebeer7492]

In California. people who have a flap out all year or on their car as a decal are most likely Republicans.

[@hansberger4939]

Asian people are more prudish. Try to find a nudist beach in thailand!

[@justinsayin3979]

_"Asians...no issue with nudity"_ Really?

[@suzannecarter445]

This was really fun. However, practically everything you said was also true of France, (except for the staring!) Who would think such historical enemies would be so similar and cozy in modern times? I was shocked in Germany seeing that kids were exposed to quite risqué billboards right as you get off the train and everywhere else. I'm always impressed with their command of English and how fit their tourists are around Europe - climbing canyons with baby carriages in tow and such.

[@chrisrobinson3980]

I once advised a German friend to be careful with saying f*ck, an English word he used very frequently. I tried to explain that it's usually not a word you would use in business, or around your grandmother. He was shocked: "But I hear it used constantly in every American movie!" Our media give the impression that "explicit language" is the norm, not offensive.

[@luuuger267]

Yeah thats totally true, here its more an equivalent to "damn"😆

[@kmit9191]

Also in Germany swearing in a foreign language does not give the context of what the word means. Saying Bljat' or fuck in public is not a problem, do it in front of a friend's russian or american grandma and you'll be thrown out of the house.

[@dunn0r]

And we Germans tend to swear quite a lot and to not give much of a fuck if somebody might be slightly offended by hearing it.

[@MiaMerkur]

​@@dunn0runfortunately. I really hate all that swearing and find it often very offending. There are well educated people and not so well educated guys.

[@TheAshenvictor]

@@MiaMerkur Funny how there's been research done that shows people who swear more have a larger vocabulary 😂 You don't have to swear or like it when others do, but people with higher education are usually a bit more relaxed about it.

[@ValkyrieMain]

As a German I'm surprised that you only found so little. Anyway great video

[@Salzbuckel]

I just did it!!! I was in the supermarket 20 minutes ago in front of those double glass- doored fridges, to grab me some milk. in between a mother and adult daughter with a stroller, blocking 3 to four doors, and discussing what items they would want for minutes. They did not care of me waiting behind them or any other customer coming by. They kept just discussing. At least i swung my self around them, just fitting into that space , opened the door and got me two liters of milk whithin 3 seconds. And i thought just about what you already mentioned about those close by situations in german supermarkets, while i was doing that, debating with myself should i apologize? I did not! I decided to show my friendliest smile, when i was winding myself out of that tight space, that was left for me, grabbing what i needed. I didn't feel rude, but i may understand, that they might like you felt a bit beeing approached a bit close. I do so myself , when i get approached too close unnecessarily , but i don't, when there is close space i expect that as upcoming and not avoidable. By the way that was in a just new rebuilt supermarket, and since 2-3 years the supermarkets get more and more wider iles, as they all were much too close and small for decades for putting more selling racks on small areas. That changes right now. May be the habits will adapt by the time.

[@mehitabel6564]

Haha Ulrich! British here and in agreement with you. I wish shoppers could learn to 'drive' properly and efficiently in supermarkets. Groups chatting in front of food fridges. Leaving trolleys in the middle of aisles. Causing pileups. I make a list in the sequence in which the food is in the aisles and shelves. In and out, super quick. Shopping is not a fun leisure activity unless it's one of those outdoor traditional markets. And I refuse to go shopping with any of my girlfriends.

[@juilescieg]

I feel you. ^^

[@IQSim]

I do this often. I don’t always have the time to wait for people to get their business sorted out. I may say „Entschuldigung“ or „Vorsicht“. But often enough I don’t want to wait just so that I can grab one item. Maybe it’s rude but it’s efficient.

[@gooo1762]

Thanks for the video bro!

[@nlbuescher]

On the point of paying in cash, this is (in my area of germany) mostly a thing with credit card fees. Smaller stores don't want to deal with the added cost of paying fees to be able to accept card payments, and in turn, that enables them to keep their prices lower.

[@justinsayin3979]

That argument is weak. While fees are an issue, the cost of dealing with cash (withdrawals, counting, deposits, embezzlement) is about three times higher than the cost of dealing with cards.

[@andreashouben5355]

I still remember going to L.A. My first time in the USA. I asked the hotel clerk if there's a restaurant that we could walk to. He was shocked and said: "Nobody walks here" :D

[@AL_THOMAS_777]

[@forgipper]

Haha! I am from Ohio and was staying at a hotel in LA to visit friends. They freaked out when I told them I had walked next door to the grocery store!! They said the same thing: no one walks in LA! My hotel was literally next door to a strip mall and they expected me to drive there? 🙄

[@miridroge6043]

Very insightful video, thank you! I can offer my own (limited bc I don't own one) experience regarding the car debate: In Germany, 1. roads in cities are very old and therefore small. Most city households do not have a parking spot on the property and therefore have to find space at the side of the road, where size really matters to whether or not you can park your car in the evenings. (So SUVs for example are a very bad idea) 2. The need for cars is much lesser due to the very good extensive public transport system. Almost everyone is able to reach their job, supermarket, bank, etc. without a car IF they found a flat only a few kilometres from their job. So cars are really only needed at all if you want to shop for a big family for more that 3 days or if activities lie outside of the circle of convenience and time constraints of public transports. 3. When a car is needed, it is quite expensive, especially for young workes starting into their field, so may take advantage of the discounts on public transports for regular clients anyway. Young people are also (because you talked about them choosing their first car) very aware of environmentalism and how every extra seat or centimeter of height in the car means years of unneccessary pollution. Also the aforementioned parking issues are especially difficult for young people/couples in a tiny city flat, the only thing most young people not living at their parents can afford. Under these circumstances, the Coolness aspect in cars is expressed less through size and might but rather maximum speed, custom paints, heated seats, or a roof that can be opened. Hope that explains some things!

[@lizlee5052]

Ive had a hatchback several times. I found them very useful. Especially for moving large or heavy objects. I’m also old enough to remember when most places in the US were closed on Sundays. ( never had to ask for Sundays off)

[@Walldorf-City-Limits]

How can water NOT cost money? I mean when you buy water in a restaurant it's not the chlorine bomb one gets in the States, but pure, healthy mineral water full of, err, minerals. Also water does not taste the same, that's why each mineral water belongs or is a brand. In every average Supermarket you have a variety of about 20-30 different waters, sometimes much much more. At our "Drinks Market" around the corner I counted 48 different Mineral Waters and 57 different beers. Pick one ... ;-) OH: I recounted the waters, the shop has 61!!! 4 from France, 2 from Italy and 55 from Germany.

[@zero.Identity]

that is definitelly not the reason there are brands. thats just marketing. im not saying that water always tastes the same. bu that has *nothing* to do with it. its called money making. and you are supposed to *think* that thats the reason.

[@Walldorf-City-Limits]

@@zero.Identity Every mineral water comes from its very own source, Rosbacher from a village called Rosbach, Hassia from a town called Bad Vilbel, Selters from , oh yeah, a town called Selters, and so on. That is the only reason why the waters are labeld. Like beer from each brewery has a different name and label.. And yes, we need to earn money, of course, who doesn't?

[@zero.Identity]

@@Walldorf-City-Limits no shit sherlock? they dont pump all the water for all the brands out of the same lake? wow. that still doesnt mean that the reason there are brands, is that water can taste different. cuz hell nah, thats not the reason xD

[@juilescieg]

Kranenwasser ist beste. :D

[@LythaWausW]

Chlorine bomb, Sewage bomb, Toilet water bomb, it's all a matter of what state you are in. I just visited 11 US states in the last 2 months. If you're German and have bad luck, you end up in some of those states where it is awful. If you go further, you find states with good water.

[@martinaloeffelmann9093]

native german here. in my opinion the biggest advantage of the three educational pathways after elementary school is that kids who have a higher aptitude in crafting than in academics aren’t made to feel like failures, or “stupid” when they attend hauptschule. personally, i think that the american high school system is savagely barbaric to any kids who don’t fit a “norm”. the idea of school lunch and its social implications (“you can’t sit with us at the popular table!”), basically turning what should be a break into a fierce popularity contest, especially for adolescents yet unsure about their own identity and with little self-esteem, gives me the creeps. 😳

[@Rougelesss]

I get where you're coming from, but I think that might be a generational difference? - Saying that because not long ago I had someone mention that same thing to me as someone in their 50's versus me in my late 20's. Because I'm pretty sure that we (I went to Realschule) did make fun of the Hauptschul' kids that were in a school building just a few meters down the street for being "stupid". That said, we also made fun of the Gymnasium not far away for the kids there being "nerds".

[@MyRegardsToTheDodo]

@@Rougelesss It has changed a lot. Hauptschule now is a lot like Sonderschule back then, without the advantages of Sonderschule (like teachers who are trained to handle special needs kids), if Hauptschule exists at all. In a lot of states it has been mixed together with Realschule, actually de-valuing Realschule, because a lot of parents now want their children to either go to Gymnasium or Gesamtschule, which puts a lot of pressure on those kids. I am personally not a fan of Gesamtschule (I went to trade school for students with Abitur with a few classmates from Gesamtschule and let's just say I ended up as one of the top students there without putting any efford in, during one test in English I was so bored that I wrote a poem on the backside of the test sheet after I was done around 15 minutes into the school hour, the poem was This Be The Verse by Phillip Larkin: "They fu** you up, your mum and dad...").

[@StarNBars94]

We actually had something similar at my school in America to the German system. There was "gifted" classes, intermediate, and general classes. You'd get placed in gifted classes from an early age based on standardized test scores. I was placed in gifted classes around 3rd grade from what I remember. Every public high school in my county (about 20ish schools) was setup like that as I remember. Not sure if they still do things that way (this was about 10 years ago).

[@Rougelesss]

@@StarNBars94 I think, there used to be a similar thing like that within previous Gesamtschule, if I'm not misremembering - which I might be because I didn't go to that schooltype. But I think they also had something similar to "gifted" classes, that would allow you to achieve a higher graduation. - But that was also like 10 years ago, so no idea if that's still a thing.

[@MyRegardsToTheDodo]

@@StarNBars94 That's pretty much like the German Gesamtschule. The regular schools in Germany really are three different school branches, not one school with multiple different classes for different levels. These schools generally aren't even in the same places.

[@ZockIt]

Regarding to your example of "Taken" changed to "96 hours". I actually think that it's quite understandable to change the title. Not all Germans, especially older ones, speak or understand very much English, mostly just basic words. And "Taken" in a inflection form of a word is not that often used if you just know very basic English. Furthermore, "Taken" looks really German. In the first view, many German would probably try to read it in German and would then wonder why it doesn't make sense. "96 hours" is firstly understandable even with the most basic English level and furthermore obviously English. You cannot read that in German, because we simply don't use such letter sequences. Maybe there are other reasons and examples where you cannot use this explanations, so let me know :D

[@andreasmarx6847]

Completly agree with you ❤️ Some years ago I've been working at a Cinema. It was the time when "LA Confidential" came out. We were completly sold out and my boss made an announcement on the speaker - but (laugh) he pronounced it like a mixture of french/spanish La (!) confidenthial (olé) Even if we were out of tickets - the hall with the ticketboxes was full of laughs...

[@DuRoehre90210]

And yet, "96 hours" still sounds stupid. More explicit translation would have worked better. I.e. "Entführt" oder "96 Stunden" hätte es auch getan.

[@leDespicable]

Könnte damit zusammenhängen, dass "Entführt" bereits der Titel eines anderen Films ist. Der kam zwar erst ein Jahr später als Taken raus, aber wahrscheinlich war der Titel dafür schon registriert, und in Deutschland dürfen zwei Filme nicht den gleichen Titel haben.

[@lynnm6413]

@@leDespicable außerdem hat Taken in Englisch ja auch noch andere, mehr sexuell anstößige Übersetzungen…wie zum Beispiel Taken = Vergewaltigt. Das hätte ja auch ein Problem sein können

[@SkunksterPlaysPoorly]

Americans love hatchbacks…they’re just a lot bigger and are called SUVs. Same for the station wagon that is now also just big.

[@niller1918]

7. Sorry to hear, but actually when you see us getting closer while you are just looking at stuff, we expect you to move away for a quick moment, while we grab what we want. right after that you can move back and continue staring. ;) and if you don´t move even though you saw me getting closer, your choice.

[@sommer1982official]

Hahahaha, so true, I’m doing the same 😂

[@all_in_for_JESUS]

Exactly 👍

[@zero.Identity]

or if we keep standing behind you, its because we wait for you to either hurry up so i can go there, or move away for a second so i can just grab the fucking thing i want

[@sandibln]

I actually often apologize for standing so long in front of a shelve. And I hate supermarket carts because they block everything while I am searching or deciding. So I tend to use a basket to not block others.

[@realfake6669]

And if the person does not react or does not notice you, just say "Verzeihung" or "darf ich kurz" etc I have never experienced what he said either

[@dunjameister1234]

I never heard about this "stare" thing, before I watched your channel. And I actually came to the conclusion that americans are being stared at, because they are often sooo loud. It's almost impossible to ignore them most of the time (there are exceptions - don't get me wrong). That might be the reason why the youtuber "lamblike" never noticed it. She seemed to be a very quiet and shy person. But what do I know, maybe I'm wrong... As for the prudity/privacy thing, these are just two completely different things. And I would never go to a german sauna or think being naked in public is especially cool ;). Sedans are ugly, sorry. SUV's are horrible for the environment. I rule for hatchbacks! Wouldn't buy anything else, they just make sense! Smoking ist horrible and very disturbing while sitting outside at a restaurant. In that case even I stare at the smokers :D. Hate it! You are right about the traffic lights. And honestly I never ever noticed a T Shirt with the word "fuck" on it. But maybe I should pay more attention... And well, you won't see flags in France or the Netherlands or many other european countries either. That is really a very american thing to fly the flag...

[@philippthaler5843]

compared to us France has a lot of flags, most municipal buildings fly them at least, while in Germany they usually don't.

[@zero.Identity]

first, you made good points, you got my like, but seriously, grow up about the " i stare at smokers because they are so considerate they leave the restraunt instead of giving a literal shit about it" seriously. they are *outside* it goes away within minutes after they are done. if they go extra near to you and blow the smoke in your face, or they hold the cigarette in a way that makes the smoke go in your face, (but in that case, seriously just say something, they just didnt notice that the wind was blowing in that way.) then you dont have anything to complain about. its their lives.

[@roncenti]

It's actually true the stare thing. I did not realize it either since I am apparently used to it. I even had a bad fight with another German when I tried to explain that this exists and she would not accept that. Americans do not look at each other on the street or in the elevator or even a bar. Only maybe from very far away. So they notice this much more than us Germans who grew up with that. I will have to fly to Germany in the next 9 month. Have not been in 6 years. I will definitely pay attention to this. I need proof.

[@zero.Identity]

@@roncenti there is a significant difference between, i look at your for a sec because i am simply looking around in general, and staring. what they mean, is staring. thats just cuz they are stupid and cant get it. cuz for them, looking at you is judging you. because they always judge you if they look at you. speaking for MOST not all american

[@erics1140]

I've seen plenty of flags in both Paris and London.

[@progga7326]

I am from Germany and i feel like you are spot on with every single point you made. Great video 😊😊