How To Upset Germans (BRITISH REACTION)

[@Bingus187]

The thing that we do not tip that well is probably because we don’t have to tip at restaurants in Germany and if we tip we do it because of niceness and not because the workers rely on it.

[@akpete113]

also it is only common to tip 5-10 per cent in Germany and not more.

[@derfliegendetempler]

@@akpete113isn’t it around 10-12%? At least where I am from in Bavaria and BaWü I always received and gave that much.

[@metalmetzger9708]

@@derfliegendetempler 10% or more is a pretty good tip. 5% is normal. At least that is my experience.

[@IIitwasonlyakissII]

The Knigge suggests 5% - 10% and does make a difference between the states

[@mementomori5580]

@@derfliegendetempler I frankly never look at the percentage and more on what is missing to the next rounder number. Like, If I have to pay 56€ I will most likely round it up to 60€, and that would be a tip of 4€ (which, coincidental, is between 5% and 10%).

[@IIIOOOUS]

I also think that sometimes Wolter makes out of personal experiences German stereotypes that are not as common as he thinks..

[@maireweber]

It depends what the disagreement is based on. Especially Americans tend to sometimes mix up opinions and facts or feelings and evidence. Or they wouldn't be so religious 😉 When a German presents his opinion and the facts he bases it on and the reply is "I feel differently", he would want to know why. Different personal taste? Cool. Evidence I hadn't considered? Cool. But disagreement without an explanation or valid reason just sends the message "Your research effort is meaningless to me, your effort of explaining it is worthless to me, all I need is my gut feeling. My unsupported opinion beats every thoughtful point you just made so carefully, why should I even consider what your stupid brain came up with?!"

[@oskarprotzer3000]

wunderbar ausgedrückt

[@SpiegelDasKaetzchen]

I was about to write a similar reply, when I discovered you had said everything I meant to say, but more eloquent.

[@KentrigoHD]

True

[@Grundelvik]

perfectly on point;)

[@chaosjoerg9811]

I just think this is incorrect. Rather the opposite is true. If I had to think about what bothers me about Mert and other culture commentators the most, it's probably that they never say they dislike anything they see in these videos. But I get that it makes life just easier for him..But then again I think, it would be interesting to know how someone genuinly feels about all this for a change.

[@richardmangelmann4975]

The thing with the nazi jokes is too real. We've had some tourists actually get arrested here for doing the forbidden salute.There should be articles online about those cases. Ive had some also call me nazi or call germans that, its HIGHLY offensive to be compared to actual mass murdering fascists.

[@OliverJWeber]

Sometimes, tourists like to compare German police officers to Nazis or Gestapo because they feel mistreated, or simply out of spite. That’s a major mistake and practically guarantees you instant arrest on the spot and a visit of the next police station.

[@richardmangelmann4975]

@@OliverJWeber Oh yeah, wasnt there one of these cases really big in the media a few years back?

[@Cheruka]

Forbidden salute in germany is like the n-word in the US, just like way more offensive. Just imagine, me going to the US and greeting a random black guy with the N-word with a hard R.

[@libelle8582]

I’m German and in my experience most of what Wolter said I find a bit over the top (apart from the Bavarian thing 😂). Respect is very important to us. Be mindful of people around you, be open to new experiences and the differences in our culture, and you‘ll be fine. And most importantly - have fun 😊😊😊

[@nitram1737]

Wirklich du magst Nazi Witze? Vielleicht sollte man dich als präventiv Maßnahme schonmal einsperren...

[@maholics]

Richtig. Das mit den Witzen über Bayern stimmt aber 100%ig (was wir aber nicht böse meinen) 🤣

[@juwen7908]

The thing with the reserved seats in the train is pretty much true. If you wanna safe money, you try to go by train without a reservation, but not really expecting you don't have a seat the whole time. So, you'll seaching for a free seat and if you find one, you sit down and hope nobody shows up. But if still somebody shows up, you're not upset with them, just about the situation, because you probably have to stand now for long time with all your stuff. So, don't take it personal 😉

[@ripponesan]

To be fair, the top reason you dont get or have a reservation for the train you are in, is that if your route needs you to switch trains, the chance is quite high you wont make it and have to wait for the next train. So if you had a reservation, well nice, but you are not on that train and it doesnt just switch over to the train one hour later. Also the one time you ghet a reservation for the train one hour down the clock, you can be sure you will make the first one.

[@maholics]

Ist doch alles nachvollziehbar oder etwa nicht. Wenn ich etwas kaufe (in diesem Fall den Sitzplatz) und jemand anderes nimmt mir dieses weg (obwohl er es nicht gekauft hat), bin ich nicht gerade begeistert. Keine Ahnung wie das Reservierungssystem in anderen Ländern geregelt ist, aber bei diesem System wäre wohl jeder auf der Welt nicht glücklich sein Geld zum Fenster rausgeschmissen zu haben.

[@germanyhamburger5552]

There are also people making jokes about the Holocaust in concentration camps and some uses our monuments as parkour route. There are people like that here. Most of the time you know directly which country they are from, germans will know what I mean.

[@ingobordewick6480]

The thing with being late, we germans see it this way. When you have a meeting, friends, job or what ever, being late shows that you don't have respect for the time of other people. The lederhosen thing is like, as it is almost an american thing, calling all americans cowboys with hats, guns and horses.

[@KaiHenningsen]

On the other hand, there's the _akademisches Viertel_ ("academic quarter") or at least that's what I learned from my father who was an uni prof. That is, when an academic event says it starts on the hour, expect people to arrive and it actually starts a quarter past.

[@kathrinvdm3842]

As far as I know that academic quarter originates from the fact, that at German universities some lectures start at the full hour, others 15 minutes past. Each lecture lasts an hour. So if your first lecture starts at 15 minutes past, you won’t make it in time for the next one, that starts at the full hour. in these cases that "Akademisches Viertel" comes in - you are allowed to be 15 minutes late. :) @@KaiHenningsen

[@nmmknh8997]

One thing that upsets me the most and what I've experienced myself when I met a group of young American tourists is the Nazi Salute. They use it to make fun of germans and don't respect the history behind that. Also, one time I've seen an American tourist get arrested for doing the Nazi Salute twice in a row, while laughing and greeting other germans almost to see as if they would join on, because it is illegal in germany and if you're really unlucky you can end up in jail for up to 3 years. If you're lucky you have to pay a lot of money. But that guy deserved it.

[@Born2Die_]

kind of lucky for him... where i life u can easy end up in the hospital when u do something like this.... and i still say deserved!

[@maholics]

Richtig so! Was soll auch daran „lustig“ sein den Hitlergruß zu machen? Vielleicht bin ich ja zu blöd, aber ich sehe da nichts lustiges dran.

[@nmmknh8997]

@@maholics Es gibt nichts lustiges daran. Manche Menschen haben leider nur gar keinen Respekt.

[@ksenss2513]

Tourists walking into or standing around on the bike lanes also really upset us. It's a speciality of US - tourists.

[@eastfrisianguy]

This happened to me by mistake in Groningen (Netherlands) and I was insulted and spat at (luckily it didn't hit me). 🙈

[@pookie_de5852]

Yes, but US tourists pose no harm. You can hear them from a mile away! ;-)

[@gordondry]

Am Ende einer Rolltreppe. Der beste Ort, um rumzustehen. Ever.

[@hartpuckern]

With the nazi jokes. I learned, living in France, that people judge our "not existing humor" over if we can laugh about such jokes. I explain it in this way. We can surely laugh about jokes which are letting Nazis look like stupid clowns. Past Nazis or still existent. But jokes about that era in general. No way. I once saw on a german show "Friday Nights Jews" how they talked if it is okay to make jokes about the shoah as a jew. And then the started sharing jokes. I was so in shock how dark they were. But still those kind of jokes not decent German would tell or laugh about them. The german respect for the victims has to stay strong (my opinion). The other thing is, and it really happened to me, I saw a documantary on Tv about jewish teacher and how he tried to give the children in a KZ a life with some smiles. It was amazing, what a hero. But one night they came took the children and killed them. More than 300 little wonderful souls. I went to a meeting after that and one american coworker started with that greeting,telling jokes about Kz's.I jelled at him in tears. I think how we are reminded on this part of our history. That we learn and not forget. Always around us. No day without any documentary on Tv as examble. At school. I was eleven when we had it the first time in history class. And from that each year going deeper with we becoming older. We have deep empathy with the victims. Not all, surely not. But that is my thinking why Germans can't laugh about such jokes. It has nothing to do with missing humor but empathy and respect.

[@Kokuswolf]

What a strong comment! I agree on every point. ... Germans love dry humour, but with respect for certain topics like this. There is nothing funny about what our ancestors did.

[@zhufortheimpaler4041]

The point about the opinion topic is a bit overstressed. BUT if you bring an uneducated opinion to germany, like "i am an american and healthcare is socialism" you have to expect some stiff headwind and likely some basic political education, wich you obviously lack.

[@ooNemoO71]

I think you summarized this quite well, it's all about respect.

[@EngelinZivilBO]

Respect is something you have to earn mate, it's more about fairness in life in a philosophical view

[@informant09]

@@EngelinZivilBO You earn it by giving it to others.

[@EngelinZivilBO]

@@informant09 that would be nice but unfortunately there're enough ppl who just demand

[@FredFromJupiter]

He said if you're invited to a party and ask if you can bring +1 person, that we would say no. I don't think this is true.

[@KaiHenningsen]

Depends on what kind of party, of course.

[@paulplus3830]

Might happen though.

[@mranchorface]

Depends also on who u wanna bring. If it's your GF or Partner, that's fine. But if it's just a friend which is not a friend of the host it's not

[@maholics]

This is absolutely not true, never ever happened in my life! If you really have „friends“ with this opinion, you definitely should consider to look for other friends! 😅

[@cian.--]

The thing about food sharing: (im sorry i comment so much on this xD) It depends on who wants the food. In any case, you should always ask first but the answer may change according to the person asking. If its my friend, sure, they can have a bite. If you just met, its weird to ask in the first place. If you are from abroad, I gladly share a little. If its family, always okay. But if its my brother? No way hes gonna get my food. Its mine for a reason. Now the catch is, sharing food means, you can have One bite. Sharing food means to Germans more like asking to have a taste. If you really want to share share, ask explicitely and offer half of your own food. Still would get you a confused reaction from the other person

[@alchemistlemming]

so true

[@arnolsi]

But not allways. My friends and I share food very often. It's much more fun to have different kind of tastes.

[@andreastietz8231]

I cant stand disagreements if they are not explained. When there is a good reason to disagree and its good communicated I have no problem with that.😉

[@Raikiir]

The Bavaria thing is so on point. Outside of Germany Bavaria is like THE german stereotype. But inside Germany we often call the bavarians foreigners. And we are only half joking. Bavaria is almost insulated, they have a very conservatice local government, something a lot of other provinces really dislike them for. Because they mess with german politics in a bad way. I also think one major factor in perpetuating the bavaria stereotype outside of germany is Bayern Munich the Football Club. Football is very popular and Bayern is the most well known and most successfull club in Germany. Something we dislike the bavarians for also xD

[@Willensimperium]

Always fascinated by the amount of expats or students abroad here always mentioning jaywalking. Like yes, way more people will wait for the lights in Germany than in say Paris etc., but at least in big cities, I probably got ONE comment from an elderly person in like the last 20 years of my life and not ONCE somebody tried to actively stop me (when I jaywalk, which I only do at small or completely empty streets). Like yeah, don't run over a car filled street at red (as I see in Paris quite often) because it simply stresses other people out, because of fear you could get injured but it's not even close as big a thing as those videos make it sound (at least in bigger cities). PS: Oh and yeah, when children (like actual children, not teenagers, let's say up to 10 years old) are there, it's indeed from my experience abroad also in Germany way more important to not jaywalk, then you could actually more often get a comment.

[@Anna-zi7sx]

I would comment or stop someone if I was with a young child, if not, I don’t care.

[@claudiakarl7888]

Concerning the Autobahn: it’s actually by law that you have to drive on the right lane. The left lane is for passing. It’s forbidden to pass someone on the right lane.

[@Phiyedough]

Lane discipline is only a problem for Americans, who get minimal driving instruction. In some states the driving test only takes 5 minutes and is not on real roads.

[@kurierklumpen577]

u need to watch more dashcam videos from germany xDD its sometimes pure horror@@Phiyedough

[@meganoob12]

Yes, the Pfand (deposit) is on top of the regular price. Let‘s say you buy a can of Coke for 1€, then you‘ll end up paying 1.25€ at the cashier, but when you retun the can to the super market and throw it into the machine you will get a reciept and when you check out at the cashier they will scan that reciept and return your 25 Cents. Usually that is by reducing the total of what you are currently buying, but you can also get it as cash. At large events like football matches you will often see the streets littered with beer bottles, but homeless and poor people will pick them all up, return them and get the money. Many fans intentionally leave them there for the homeless.

[@IsraBeezy]

Oh, the train seat reservation thing is real. I thought that only happens to me all the time because I'm unlucky, but hearing it from someone else sounds like it's just a thing. Sometimes people straight up refused to vacate my seat even though I did show them my reservation. But then I was a teen when I took a lot of trains, and as a teen, adults will not do what you ask them to on principle.

[@Crynogar]

About the Tips. Service and therefore the full salary of the waiters is included in the prices, whereas i.e. in the US the waiters have to live off their tips. So we are trained to tip a bonus on their salary and not the tip being the salary.

[@cian.--]

The driving thing here, its not that you should drive like a German. Its that you should respect other people's time. It's about driving on the right lane, if you drive slowler. You would slow down the whole road since you aren't allowed to pass by on the right side of another car for safety reasons. So, if you cant keep up with a Germans driving speed on the autobahn, drive on the right lane. And if people still get mad, they are assholes or having a bad day. Dont mind them. But it certainly isnt about wanting you to behave like a German. Atleast for me.

[@Wolf-ln1ml]

Well, you _should_ at least maintain a speed of ~90kph on the right lane since on quite a few parts of the Autobahn, it's illegal for trucks to overtake. So if you're going slower, or, almost worse, don't maintain a constant speed, you're potentially wasting both time _and_ fuel (accelerating even just 5kph at those speeds costs quite a bit of fuel, and if it's necessary every few minutes, it can drive the consumption up quite a bit) of all the trucks behind you that aren't allowed to overtake. Basically, if 40t trucks are overtaking you or are staying at a constant distance behind you because they're not allowed to overtake, you're driving too slowly. That pedal on the right is not that fragile... 😝

[@rwsrwsrwt]

I think it's totally fine to disagree with someone. You'll find a few idiots everywhere who get upset and won't accept any other opinion than their own. But it is important to differentiate between facts, conclusions and personal opinions. If someone has done some detailed research to present you facts, it could be inappropriate to "disagree" without giving a sensible reason. Some people just like to add their two cents worth about everything or make sure their opinion is heard regardless of the setting and that can be annoying in some situations. Nazi jokes aren't completely taboo. Usually it's fine if they make fun of the Nazis or Hitler (making them look stupid), but you should *never* "joke" about the victims of the holocaust or WWII, downplay the atrocities (or say something that could be interpreted that way, even if it's meant as a "joke"). That's obviously unacceptable and could even be prosecuted, as well as performing the Nazi salute or displaying banned Nazi symbols in public.

[@beategehling2603]

Ich mag es, wenn jemand nicht einer Meinung ist und man das diskutieren kann. Dass man dabei höflich bleibt, ist eigentlich klar

[@Talkshowhorse_Echna]

I am from the north east of germany and yes we make fun of bavaria as they make fun of us. But its in good sports. Also yes it is anoying that many people only talk about the October Fest, when we have a lot of cool stuff all year round, for example the Köln Karneval (Biggest Carneval in germany) or the Hanse Sail (A big event throughout multiple harour cities with a focus on ships and sailing).

[@mo_3924]

So you say, that you don't exist?

[@meganoob12]

I‘m a real Saxon from lower saxony and we joke about the bavarians and the ossis (those from the former east)… but it‘s all in good faith and jusz a joke. People from Bavaria are often said to come from the area „below the white sausage belt“ 😂

[@KaiHenningsen]

Hanse Sail? ... ah, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, that's why I never heard of it. On the other hand, I'm a bit more familiar with the Kieler Woche, as I spent my pre-school years in Kiel and still have an uncle living in the area.

[@kathrinssi]

He is right. I am from Hessen/Frankfurt. Upsets me if all think we wear Lederhosen! 😂

[@PoSSeOnE]

The reason why Bavaria is so known worldwide is because it was the "Amerikanische Besatzungszone" or "American occupation zone" and as we all know American TV/films are exported to whole world

[@maholics]

AND (of course) because of the Oktoberfest!

[@JohnHazelwood58]

To the train ride and the seat reservation: It's true, yes! I pay extra, too, to have my (!) seat for - let's say - a 7 hours (!) train ride! At some main train station it could be, that the train get seperated into two parts and one half of the train rides into a different direction. So you book you seat and can be sure, that you are in the right part of the train - for example. And sometimes the trains are very packed - and if there is no seat avaible, you have to stand for hours or sit on the ground. To avoid this, you reserve a seat in advance! :)

[@cian.--]

Hiii Speaking about agreeing, there was a thing i wanted to add from a germans perspective. I think sometimes, people are so preoccupied with their own vision, especially when a lot of time was spent on researching, that they have a hard time having someone shutting them up, blatantly telling them their wrong. Even more so, if the disagreement was voiced rudely. Eventhough, I personally (and a lot of fellow Germans too i imagine) would rather have someone disagreeing with me than always taking my side. When I did that much research, I want to have an earnest and goal-oriented discussion. That gratifies my time spent far mire then flatly agreeing because through the conversation both parties actually dive into the matter. It shows me, that the person I am talking to actually puts up with the contents and thinks about it. Currently I live in Japan. Ad first, I had quite a hard time getting used to the people's 'politeness'. Since they are afraid to trip on you foot, metaphorically, they just agree with you. I always came to question myself if they actually took a liking to the conversation, if they were actually interested, since they almost never share their own thoughts and ideas. I guess its a cultural difference. Ever since then I felt a little distanced from the Japanese. I do understand their point though.

[@Wolf-ln1ml]

Yeah, I got the impression that he was talking about some more or less specific personal experiences. When he even stressed so much that the German interlocutors had put some serious research into their position, it sounds like _he_ hadn't done that, which would certainly have shown during any deeper conversation. And disagreeing with someone who knows what they're talking about while you show that you have barely looked into it comes off as arrogant and lazy...

[@june4976]

Nazi jokes... are a difficult topic. There are a lot of Nazi jokes around here in Germany, but usually they make sure to emphasize that Nazi-ism is a bad thing or that Nazis are stupid or assholes. So, if you make a joke that suggests anything Nazi could be good, it's a no-go, even if it's very subtle. Germans will notice that. About the Pfand, the deposit system: I remember there were big discussions and obstacles when we first implemented the deposit on one-way plastic soda bottles. The deposit on reusable bottles like beer bottles or thick plastic soda bottles is decades older, but the one-way bottles is from this millennium (the one on cans even newer). The biggest problem was that you had to keep track which shop sold which bottle at first, because they didn't have to take back the bottles they didn't sell. Meanwhile, there are these deposit machines in almost every grocery store, and you can bring all your bottles with the Pfand logo there and they will be accepted. And yes, the price on the tag will go up, but you get your money back, so what's the point?? That is the REASON to put a deposit on it - to motivate people to move their lazy butts to the shop to bring the bottles back. It's easy - you set up a box for your empty bottles, and take them with you the next time you go grocery shopping. We already have six to eight places to keep our different types of trash (paper, plastic, biological waste, mixed trash, glass, hazardous waste, electric waste, batteries...), so why bother about a seventh?

[@OliverJWeber]

Train reservations; that’s usually only an issue if you arrive late at your seat. Maybe you entered the train at the wrong end, or you decided to have a drink in the restaurant car first: anyway, when you arrive late it’s common on a busy train to assume that you missed the train, so you might find your seat taken when you finally arrive. It happened only very rarely to me that I had to discuss about a reservation with another passenger. Usually a polite request is doing the trick. But don’t get me started about tourists especially from China. 🙄 Re agreeing; I think that’s just a misconception. It’s totally fine to disagree on something, but you are better prepared to make your point and then defend it. The direct nature of most Germans will result in a direct challenge of your point of view. „Let’s agree to disagree“ is not the default stance here, but don’t be afraid to have and state a different point of view, just be prepared to discuss it.

[@Dunari87]

the train seat reservation story is absolutely true about us Germans ;) It's one of the main reasons I'm trying to avoid using trains XD it's so stressy and annoying to argue about a mere seat as you only want to sit down and rest after a hard week^^

[@souldeadmaster]

If you ask beforehand (in the best case when ordering, then you can consider whether you order more or whether you have to order more due to the portion size) whether you can try it, that's no problem for most people. But we don't expect to share "our" food with everyone at the table. It's more accepted at picnics or barbecues because it's a communal meal.

[@SophiaFechter]

I‘m German and my husband is Japanese. For me being punctual means being there exactly when scheduled and for my husband it means being there 15 minutes early 😂

[@reiniervanramshorst1031]

Actually I think in a restaurant or bar in Germany 10% tip is normal if both food and service were fine. 20% if it was unusually good. 5% is kinda cheap imo. I'm Dutch but I've lived in Germany since 2008. 10% is also just laziest to calculate 😄

[@petma656]

unusually good. ???????????????

[@alchemistlemming]

I think the employer should give them the money, not the client, like some kind of hidden fee.

[@MellonVegan]

I know a lot of people who simply don't tip at all and honestly, I prefer that.

[@michaelegert1284]

​@@MellonVegan If the service was good 10% tip is not to much.

[@Ninjakitsune978]

I typically round up and if it's above a certain amount I might add a bit, but I eyeball that. I tip the waiter for good service, they get enough from their job unlike in the US.

[@Auvas_Damask]

The kids here often talk about honor although they don't even know what the word means let alone act honorably themselves. Our honor and being treated with respect because we try to do the same is actually really important to us.

[@mattesrocket]

I don't agree with the clichee that every youtuber say that Germans ALWAYS get upset if you cross the red pedestrian lights. Simply not true. Just sometimes this happens, depending on the situation. Germans not only make fun of Bavarians, many Germans e.g. from Nordrhein-Westfalen hate the Bavarians. Bavaria is a bit like Scotland, they are proud of their "own" way of living, Bavaria has even an unique political status within Germany (in parts own laws, and other own things, politically) and Bavarians have just stick more to traditions like a strong dialect and conservative religious and cultural traditions and don't hesitate to show this and some Germans find all this arrogant. In parts this hate beween Bavaria and the north is fun, a game, teasing each other. The rest is true. That you said often "I wouldn' t do anyway what Walter warns for" shows simply that British culture in SOME parts is more similar to the German culture compared with the American culture to the German.

[@mattesrocket]

@@mo_3924 your answer is a bit weird cause I don't know, who you mean by "you" ("I don't hate you" und "...double standards you..."). (PS ich bin weder Nord- noch Süddeutscher.)

[@Wolf-ln1ml]

I'd compare Bavaria more to Texas. Very conservative and traditional (and religiosity is way above average), rich and influential above average, people speak in a way that many not from there find hard to understand - and some are actively proud of that fact, there is a certain political drive to separate from the rest of the country, - and _one_ city is the big exception with good development, education, ... (Munich/Austin)

[@mattesrocket]

@@Wolf-ln1ml very good point

[@RustyDust101]

The German Bavaria stereotypes began after WW2. With the USA being the only country not ravaged by the terrible destruction wrought during the war they were able to continue with making movies all the while the rest of the nations had to rebuild. Why was this important? Because the USA occupied and controlled Bavaria and parts of Hesse, which are two of three major states in Germany with a very strong cultural background of half-timbered houses, beer, festivals, etc. Other states have quite different styles of building and folkloric dress. When you have at least ten tours of American G.I.s visiting predominantly these two areas that engraves a certain image that also affected movie makers. For example, Walt Disney was inspired by the Neuschwanstein castle, and it became the Cinderella castle of Disneyland in LA. That's how a certain type of imagery flowed back into being the generally accepted image of Germany for anyone who hasn't traveled through the country themselves. The British controlled Schleswig Holstein, most of lower Saxony, and Northrhine Westphalia with a nearly completely different cultural set. Unfortunately after the war the British movie industry didn't have the same impact as Hollywood so the imagery was a lot different. Edit: when you make fun OF Nazis, we are completely down for it. When you make jokes WITH Nazis, especially when they are equated to modern Germans, that probably will get you some raised eyebrows or even frowns, right to the evil eye, depending on how tasteless the joke was. Modern Germans tend to take the shame of that part of our history very seriously, but also the remembrance of the victims and the vow to never allow something like that to happen again. Anyone with the tiniest bit of empathy who visited a concentration camp memorial will understand. So when people make some sick joke, you can probably hear a pin drop in the awkward silence afterwards.

[@DJone4one]

This also happens when you go to the cinema and have already ordered tickets. It can happen that someone sits in your seat when you arrive a little later. But most people will take this into consideration and go to their seats if they have a ticket. And if they don't leave, you can talk to the cinema staff and they will remove the people, if necessary with police orders or expulsion if the people don't follow the instructions.

[@tomkronau8837]

at the firsts videos of you it was hard to understand you, but with every video more i looked it was better, that makes me happy. im not very good in english, i understand it, but speaking and writing ist not right. but videos like yours help me to learn and understand it better. greetings from bavaria

[@kaidrache2395]

Train seat reservation is VERY real. No idea how often I had to argue with some morons that were sitting in my seat. And even worse, in 9 out of 10 ICE's there is a sign above the seat which clearly tells wether the seat is reserved or not. Fun fact - every 20th time you have to call someone from the trains service staff to kick said moron out of your seating arrangement.

[@MellonVegan]

The waiting at red lights on entirely empty streets in the middle of the night thing is a huge pet peeve of mine. Herds of fellow Germans afraid of the colour red. Although in my experience, people usually just wait for the first person to ignore it, then they'll follow themselves. Never have I ever in my life had anyone say anything to me for crossing a red light and people absolutely will not touch you, as a stranger.

[@robert.stk_]

Ich verstehe auch nicht warum in jedem dieser Videos über Deutschland dieser Punkt kommt, weil meiner Erfahrung nach solange keine Kinder in der Nähe sind geht jeder über Rot. change my mind

[@johaquila]

It happened to me once when I crossed a completely empty street at a red traffic light in the middle of the night. This was in Freiburg. The only person to be seen anywhere was a senior citizen, who did in fact start shouting at me. Apart from that, I have only ever experienced more appropriately phrased complaints about crossing in the presence of children.

[@WSandig]

The Money you get back when you return a bottle or can is added when you buy it. So the price tag may say something like "1,99€ + 0,25€ Pfand", and when you return it you get those 25 cents back.

[@emiliajojo5703]

You are right,with pretty much everything.

[@pfalzgraf7527]

You are so right, it is mostly about respect. Interestingly, the guy in the video does at times seem like he lives in a very different segment (bubble?) of German society than I do. He talks about things that I may sometimes see in memes or as jokes in a tv show and find them more absurd than outright funny. But I also know that they may exist. So perhaps with all stuff you watch, keep in mind that there are also varieties in societal behaviour. For example in my group of friends, when you bring food to a party, the monetary worth plays no role at all because it will always be something home made. You can, of course, just buy something if you simply don't have the time, but you will have to explain that. This is, btw, with friends from all across Germany, so not regional but just what's usual with the folks in your group. IMPORTANT: you can certainly talk about the Nazi times. Just don't make jokes about it.

[@Emulleator]

"you can certainly talk about the Nazi times. Just don't make jokes about it." absolutely but also don't bring it up after just meeting someone for the first time. it would be like someone meeting an American and immediately bringing up the trail of tears, really fucking weird

[@Pucky71]

On the subject of Nazi jokes, it's not that we want to deny our history and try to get 1933-1945 forgotten. It's the complete opposite. All Germans know what was done in the "name of the German people" back then, all know the responsibility that we Germans have. We don't like these jokes because they are offensive to the victims, because they downplay. They are also disrespectful towards us Germans, because it does not accept that we have had a completely different state since 1949, since we strive to stand up for democracy and human rights worldwide. There are still many people in the world who even deny these crimes (especially in the Arab world and in the USA). Everyone is welcome to come to Germany and look at the memorials, the concentration camps and see the truth. Anyone who has seen it and understood what happened back then has no desire for Nazi jokes.

[@eastfrisianguy]

Even worse: crossing a busy road, literally running across the road and possibly forcing a car to brake when there is a pedestrian light less than 50 metres away. I'm sure this happens to me once a week here in my town and it drives me mad. 😂

[@Flashkoch]

In germany it is not the customer's job to help finance the employee's wages! I'm always surprised how americans in particular don't see the error in their own system. I'm happy to pay a bonus for good service, but I don't share the wage bill of stingy employers. To the other point, I have no problem with people disagreeing, but you should have valid points and good arguments. :)

[@AbeNoSeirei]

It's just basic politeness to tip. I always tip 10% or round it up more if it's a weird number. The customers are the reason the prices of the dishes are kept as low as possible, so they get only minimum wage because there is not enough profit and they can't really afford to go to museums or on a good vacation or skiing or to buy good clothes. Is it really impossible to just be nice and help out a bit? For example, if your bill is 48 Euro, why not give those 2 Euro as tip? Or if your bill is 97,50 it's just insulting if your tip is just 50 cent.

[@Flashkoch]

@@AbeNoSeirei It has zero to do with politeness. You get paid to do a job, and it's the job of your boss to pay you correct. There's no other was around it. If it's a service-job it's a different thing, but other then that I'll do it everywhere to round up a bill, but that is case by case for me. You assume that in a world of inflation everyone can afford to pay extra on all their purchases, and you justify that by saying that it would supposedly get better prices, did i get that right? That makes little to no sense to me. If an employer cannot pay its workers properly because it is otherwise unprofitable, then its business is doomed. It's not about whether you want to or can help others, but that the companies/the state don't live up to their responsibility and pass it on to the population. May I ask what country you're from?

[@bjorndehoust5768]

...please be aware, my friend...the Scottish and the Germans are very similar 😂

[@Philemaphobia]

Fun fact Malaysian time in Germany is known as the Academic Quarter (Akademisches Viertel) and is supposed to be the maximum amount of time you can make someone wait without it getting ridiculous (started as a jab towards university educated people and students who were never on time)

[@MartinAmbrosiusHackl]

Hm, I'm German. And it is very difficult to upset me. Certainly not with Nazi jokes. Rather, when you display sympathies for the Nazis by that. But even then, I assume, you do not know, what you are talking about and will rather try to explain to you. And in respect of jaywalking... I actually keep hearing that. Only: I'm 51 and I jaywalk on a regular basis - as long as I do not see children around. The last time, someone said something to me because of that might be 10 years ago. Perhaps it's ya question to know, when it is acceptable and when not. Or it's a question of the specific region, where you are? I don't know. However, this point seems to be a bit exaggerated.

[@profanemagic5671]

@18:30 yes, it got more expensive when we introduced that system, yes, we had the same concerns you guys did, but it's a good system. Not only does it keep people from polluting the enviroment as much, it also has the positive side-effect that homeless people (without a job) can go around, clean up, and "get payed" for doing so. Obviously its not the optimal thing you would wish anyone to live off of, but it's worth noticing.

[@700990]

As German, I can tell you interpret completely right. I started watching with your german satire videos. I love Heute Show, Die Anstalt, Extra 3 (I don't think you reacted to it) and watch every episode. Furthermore, I believe german satire is sometime a bit too direct (Like the sentence of one about "2000 years of incest in UK"). But it's basically our humor. BTW I love the british dialect, but it's one of the best, and especially yours :D

[@norbertzillatron3456]

On the topic of being cheap: Germans, especially their neighbors 😉, like to make fun about the proverbial Swabian frugality by joking that they were exiled from Scotland for being too cheap. 🤪

[@officertom6751]

I'm a German from Northrhine-Westfalia and I have a friend who is half German and half Italian and who is kinda "flip-floppy" when it comes to being punctual. He is very busy and sometimes can't make it when he was gonna come for a visit, but he doesn't always bother to call me back either. And I also made the experience that other people jaywalk a lot, pretty much almost everyone does it. The only exception is when someone else like me is already waiting at the traffic light, as if they were succumbing to peer pressure. I also always try to recycle garbage. Only once I witnessed someone simply throwing empty batteries in the trash bin and laughing it off which pretty much schocked me... It's true you shouldn't make any remarks about Nazis in Germany or people around you may give you an irritated look. But back in school I still rarely saw some students making such gestures for fun, but only when there were no teachers around.

[@masteryoda1821]

crosssing a road when its red is pretty common.. you dont do it in front of kids, true. i crossed thousands of red lights. not a single person ever said something or stopped me xD

[@ripponesan]

The thing with tipping is, we grew up in an enviroment where waiters for the longest time were paid enough to get around even if there was no tip at all. Mind, those times have slightly changed lateley. So, adults were teaching their kids, that you would tip if the waiter was very polite or gave you some other reason. And not to tip if a badly mannered waiter whichs time you seemed to waste by beeing there, just brought you your food and then the bill.

[@sebasstein7014]

Wish the DBahn would be more German when it comes to the first point... because they seemingly never heard about being on time ever. They have Dbahn time which means at least an hour late or not coming at all.

[@lialalaith8977]

I come from a german village where you don't have street lights. I'm used to walk, when there is no car but I don't dare to do this, when I'm in a city and there are other people around me 😅

[@cian.--]

And also, the thing about the train seat reservation is too. It also happens between Germans. They get upset but you don't have to react, its just them making their anger air. Dont care about that one. Their loss they disnt reserve it.

[@gedeuchnixan3830]

Obviously you´re paying more when a deposite is added it goes on top of the base price, but it´s a deposite so you´re getting that money back on return. And no, base prices haven´t went up when the oneway deposite was introduced. For a lot of multiuse bottles (glas or hard plastic) we had a deposite system as long as I can remember which is 31 years. But 0.25 cents (15- 20 pence for the UK?) for oneway works out pretty great: you put all your bottles in big shopping bags and when you go to the store for shopping you take it to give the bottles back; here a regular big shopping bag is about 10€ (+/- 3€ depending on bottle/ can size) per bag worth of deposite, quite some stuff you can buy for.

[@mormerbar4938]

As a German in the UK, I an- if we talk time - always borderline cardiac arrest. For years I try to educate my fellow friends, whenever one is 10min late to an appointment, somewhere in the universe a little German dies.

[@Hessi]

When Canadian friends were visiting, it was extremely annoying that they ignored red lights, even when children were standing there. They also couldn't get the story with the bike lanes straight. The guy saw some stupid super sports car in Berlin and ran without looking across the bike path to it. Tires squealed, people screamed and we thought he had killed himself and the cyclist rushing up with certainly 30 km / h. But fortunately it was only extremely close.

[@Fetterrabe]

drinks do cost more in the way that. if you buy a bottle of pepsi for 1,35 € you will also have to calculate your pfand +0,25 € in. so if you're buying 100 bottles you will have a pfand deposit of 25 €, but once you drank it all and go back to the store (you dont have to bring back all 100 bottles at once) you can throw them in a pfandmachine, which scans your bottles and gives you back your money in form of a little paper. you take that paper and the stuff you want to buy and the you get the refund. you don't even have to buy stuff, you can just give that little paper to the cashier and they pay you out.

[@mathiasv3673]

Fun video. I temporarily live in asia and regarding traffic rules (jaywalking) he doesn’t mention a key factor: expected behavior from other‘s viewpoint. In Asia people expect others to not follow rules strictly. In Germany, we typically do though, so cars will know when pedestrians have green light and therefore cars have to yield. But if car has green light, pedestrian red, the car will go as they expect pedestrians to wait. So in fact, it is incredibly dangerous to jaywalk in traffic. You are likely to get hit or cause a crash. Which is why there are traffic lights in the first place. In general German traffic is quite predictable, but people should relax a bit…

[@joharakiri]

He might want to consider expanding his circle of friends 😅 I mean his points about Nazi-jokes, recycling, being punctual, giving direct responses, Bavaria and to a certain degree jay walking were correct but the rest was way off at times. Like I'm genuinely happy to have my ideas challenged as long as it's done with the same level of reasoning I provided. Also if your invited to a party and you want to bring someone by all means do ask. The only reason I can think of for the host saying no is if the venue legitimately couldn't fit them or maybe they want to keep it family only. Same thing for taking food off of someones plate. Sharing might not be as common as in some other cultures but it's far from unheard of. There's one thing that hasn't been mentioned in the video (maybe because Americans generally are completely oblivious to this) and that's don't be a lot louder than you need to in public. Especially in places like restaurants or public transport nothing rubs Germans the wrong way like someone having a conversation and basically yelling for no good reason or watching videos on their phone without earbuds. Usually noone will intervene but they will 100% fantasize about slapping manners into you.

[@denisdrumm971]

Concerning the seat reservation: Like every place else in Germany, it is all about the phrasing and the tone. As he perfectly pointed out, we love to be right about things, so if you approach someone saying "hey this is my seat", you indirectly accuse them of being too dumb to find the right spot, so the response will be in kind. But if you say something along the lines of "oh is this really coach 7? might there be a misunderstanding?" you'll be perceived as humble and not over-the-top smart and the outcome will be a lot more productive and forthcoming

[@Nithrade]

Just some thoughts from a German perspective: - Jaywalking: I certainly do that, if there is no child or car around. - Prepared about a topic: having worked in a German company that got bought by a huge US firm I can say, that we had to learn that our colleges didn't come prepared with charts and stuff to meetings, but expected to develop them there at the meeting, so we were over-prepared and had the feeling the US-colleagues expected us to do all the work. That wasn't the case. Just very different approaches. But I don't agree that we get upset if someone has a different opinion. - directness: In the same setting our US-colleagues thought quite often that we would surely get fired after disagreeing with our boss in front of them, especially in the beginning. They thought we were having a fight, when it was just a lively discussion in our eyes. - partying: It really is common to warn direct neighbors of a party, but if those aren't too often in my experience it depends on where you live about the police getting called at 10pm. I personally ask them to turn down the volume after about 1am... But that happens very rarely. Like once every ten years. - Train seats, I think one can get every reaction possible if you ask someone to free the seat, but usually people are nice about it. - being cheap: I think that is a mixed bag. There are certainly Germans who don't care that the wage for some waiters in the US is very low and the tip is expected. That's just lazy preparation for a visit to another country. There are many others who do know and behave accordingly. I mean, when I hears about the English football fans in Gelsenkirchen being astonished that they couldn't pay electronically for their street food I thought, "Yeah, read up on a foreign country you about to visit." That's just common sense, right? - I totally can confirm what he said about punctuality, recycling, "hello!" 😀

[@bananasLPwelt]

I have to tell you, the reservation thing in the ICE happens all the time. The German Train Company is always overbooking the trains and then two or even three people have the same seat reservation. Also the German trains are late almost every time. So what he says is absolutely correct.

[@emiliajojo5703]

One point:to share is not enforced on children.the overarching idea being empowered to be able to say "no" to other kids or adults is important.as well as you should share because you want to,not because your parents make you do it.

[@joceery]

yes in relate to different countries we are direct and honest but ghosting and saying things or not saying things to be polite or not having conflict happen here as well. depends on the personality and how someone was raised.

[@UnknownArtists1]

07:56 This happens not only on the train, but also in the cinema. When you go to your seat, someone may already be sitting in your seat. Many buy cheap front seat tickets and then just sit somewhere else in the back. They then get up voluntarily and look for another seat, but I have seen that some have refused to get up and give up their seat on the grounds that you could sit somewhere else. Absolutely disrespectful behavior. I see that very often when I go to the cinema.

[@bearenkindercool]

you are a wonderful person, in common, your scottish reactions are always straight to the point. i love your accent. i own a small cottage at a neat lake in nova scotia, canada. my next supermarket is 30 min away by car. people, employees, know i am german, and i am shy telling i am not from them country. guess what? it is like home they love me. i go home and think why? but whenever they come over, and fair enough, i ask as a german, being an excuse. you would not believe those answers. the end of the story. i cried, deeply, tears all over, those scottish friends i have, they.....sorry, tbc - too emotional. sorry.

[@bearenkindercool]

i'll give an update if anyone wishes. let me know. mert, for you, your wife and kid, i hug you.

[@bearenkindercool]

it is also donated to twopassports, an american couple living in germany almost 4 years. they are not just awesome, they want to be next neighbour. donnie, aubrey, my familiy, and i, loves you so much. my grandson watched videos sending kisses.

[@IstEsLeid]

About the not agreeing, it really depends on how it is delivered. If cou can contribute to a discussion about the topic and show you did research too, that is totally welcome (also depending on the setting actually). But if you just disagree without actually having a clue about the topic that is not cool (in my experience as a German)

[@peterl5804]

Finding a lie to explain why you’re late is just seen as lying. Lying is seen as much worse than being late. So don’t make up excuses. But the traffic light stuff is really not as bad as he says.

[@neotdrum]

A lot of people said it already: much of it comes down to respect. Being late is disrespectful, correcting others without having thought about a solid argument is disrespectful, lying is disrespectful (at least the kind one does to get out of party invites). And that’s also why Germans are considered blunt: extensive small talk is often seen as dishonest and a bit of a waste of time. If a German respects you, they’re gonna give it to you straight, because when you ask us, that’s the most honest thing to do 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@hammakabula2424]

you buy a beer, for example, 80cent + 25cent (plastic bottle) or glass (8cent per bottle). The deposit is dependent of the matirial. Often people spend the deposit for homeless people.

[@kleinster31er47]

We don't tip that well because our waitors actually get a safe wage. Plus any tips they get

[@lennykressel8434]

The fact that there is little or no tipping doesn't mean that Germans are stingy. It is a matter of habit in Germany, where waiters receive a regular wage and tipping is a sign of appreciation for good service. Normally, about 10% is customary. Depending on whether the waiter was annoying or unfriendly, the tip may be lower.

[@Phiyedough]

This is fairly typical of an American reporting cultural observations made pretty much anywhere outside North America. Their culture is unique so they inevitably experience culture shock when they travel to other countries. This can make his video come over as patronising when viewed by Europeans but his comments were not really aimed at Europeans.

[@winterlinde5395]

Makes me understand a little bit better how Zoo inhabitants might feel.

[@DasMasterschaf]

13:00 Litle suggestion: If you chill out at a public place with some botles of beer and don't want the hustle of returning the botles: just place them next to a trash can. There will come someone with no money, collect them and be happy not to have to dig thou the trash for and turn them in. Those people are called "Pfandsammler" and range from homeless people over children who want to polish theyr "Taschengeld" to elderly people who do not get much money from the state.

[@berndhoffmann7703]

7:18 I do not get the +1 thingy, I rather think it is kind of strange not to invite a partner as well first place. On the other hand, it depends on the age and the type of party. I had invited friends as a pre-party to clubbing and as they turned up they had another one with them, she was great fun so why not? If it is a kind of dinner with set places that could be awkward - in that case, I would announce another guest, even if it happens on short notice, I guess no one will decline as long as one is not bringing along an awkward idiot/racist whatever.

[@Emulleator]

partners usually get invited unless they are insufferable. bringing a +1 to clubbing is also okay-ish but if I invite you to my birthday party and you bring someone without any prior communication then we will have a problem. in general when you get invited to something it's because the host wants you there not some other person. if they wanted to invite the other person they would have done so.

[@Randleray]

The important thing on the opinion/agreeing is, Germans draw a very hard line between facts and objective arguments and just opinion. For example, if you say 'tomatos taste bad' thats an opinion and its perfectly fine to have. If you say 'tomatos are bad' it will get people mad, because factually this is just a wrong statement and even if you proclaim it as an opinion, it still is wrong, because tomatos, as they are, cannot be bad. And this is a fine line, a lot of people have hard time to understand in Germany. It goes the same way as with the crap a lot of foreigners tend to do considering plans and appointments, where almost all foreigners I have met so far (yes, as an exchange student and host myself, I have some experience), have that absolutely annoying hting of just not being upfront if they get asked about plans or what to do. If you dont like partying, then say it - 'partys are no fun' is simply an invalid statement we cannot do jack with. (sure enough, we can understand, partys are no fun for you, but then again, just say that)

[@Kivas_Fajo]

Cheap, because we do not support the exploitation of service personnel at a restaurant, where the owner doesn't pay a living wage? Sure thing, North America. Pay your employees better! How about that?

[@phoenix72999]

Yes, I agree with that. I mean, we can still pay it because it is not the fault of the personnel that they are trapped in that system and I dont know if smaller tips will cause a revolution or anything. But they can't expect us to just know that this is expected, because their system really is exploitative and messed up. And we don't have such a thing here, luckily.

[@cian.--]

This. I tip because I want to compliment the waiter, not because I am responsible for his wage. Really sad america.

[@Dr_Klops]

That's arrogant nonsense. The personnel isn't payed correctly and you won't change this by simply not tipping. It's even arrogant to point that out when your'e talking about another culture - that's their cup of tea. The only thing you'll do is organizing that the waiters have to live of their poverty wages.

[@Kivas_Fajo]

@@Dr_Klops Seldom was one person so wrong as you are. Arrogance is to open up a business and then expect the customers to pay the wage you are not willing to. I hope every single waitress quits at once. See how that goes for the restaurants.

[@Dr_Klops]

@@Kivas_Fajo ??? You're ignoring life an telling others are arrrogant?

[@MHK6620]

Hello Mert, regarding your comments, i think we, Scots and Germans, have a lot in common. The only dividing issue is the language. but for me as a nothern German, it's only a tiny differnece. Hugs with a twinkle, mate, M.

[@sonofcolossus7766]

btw, we dont have this much cupholders because we dont life in cars, we use them to drive

[@seebee925]

- Yes, that some people think Bavaria is Germany is really annoying. - I'm not upset if someone is 10 or 15 minutes late. Can happen. - if someone ests from my plate/food or tries it, it doesn't bother me at all. If I do that to my husband, he becomes an animal 😂 - Nazi jokes are simply not funny per se. So you can just save them. If you, as a German, get told a Nazi joke by a foreigner, you just have the same feeling as in Bavaria = others think all Germans are Nazis. I'm not annoyed then, but there are always discussions about a topic where you might not feel like it anymore.

[@florianbeck4283]

Bavaria: very true! Jaywalking: this is a little exaggerated. Meetings: yes, a meeting set at nine is usually meant to start at nine sharp in Germany. Disagreement: we are usually happy to hear about disagreement and other opinions, as stated in the video, we are quite direct ourselves, but it has to be well reasoned. Not just telling someone you disagree. Parties: the plus one thing is also a little exaggerated. A plus one is most often fine, but you should ask before you bring someone with you. Bringing along multiple other people is much less usual, though. Trains: usually people are quite understanding and just get up if you have a reservation for that seat. Often people just show them their reservation, but I don’t think most people would actually ask for a proof. Tipping: In Germany tipping is not an essential part of the waiter’s payment, as it is in some countries. It’s seen more as a bonus for a good service. So

[@florianbeck4283]

… like 10 percent is a regular tip in Germany. You would only give more as a special reward for excellent or out of the ordinary service.

[@florianbeck4283]

Sharing food: Germans do this, too, but usually only with family and close friends. You wouldn’t typically do this with people you just met, in a Business setting or anything like that.

[@kerstinphil]

In Germany if we go to a restaurant we can order a dish for our friends together or two starters for four people that's never a problem You can ask if your friend wants to try or you can try but it's true it's it not that common to shove your fork into the other ones plate without asking😂 If you are invited I have never ever experienced that you cannot bring a friend of course it's always important to ask I guess the younger the people the more common it is to bring your friends along If we have parties it is very common that everybody brings a dish that has enough food for a couple of people so you bring a salad or whatever is needed Everybody knows Bavaria because of its famous October fest

[@plaguedoctor6331]

As a German i can agree

[@TanjaHermann]

Hey, if you pick at MY food without asking, you'll have a fork sticking out of the back of your hand.

[@Rutanachan]

"They don't like to be called Cheap", "They don't like to share their stuff".... .... ok, we're descendants from Dragons. I like that LOL It's true though, we generally don't like to share our food, unless we openly offer it. But here's the thing about tipping: In Germany it's customary to round up to the next 10 or 5. For example, my bill comes down to 95 Euro, you round up to 100. Maybe higher if you were VERY satisfied with the service. And likewise, if you're unhappy with the service you received, you don't tip. (Rare, but happens). So German tourists in the US or Canada take this tipping culture there if they're not well informed. This isn't out of spite either. Those tourists simply don't realize that waiters in the US specifically are DEPENDEND on that tip, because they don't earn enough otherwise. Our waiters earn a decent salary, unlike in the US. So most tourists probably don't realize how much harm they do by not tipping enough.

[@Wolfspaule]

13:28 no, but designs(to accomodate a big barcode or sign) and maybe sizes change. But isn't that hiding a scam? No, its due to make it machine-useable and -readable. And since the machines are already there, maybe sizes on your side will change (or machines will be made fitting your bottles...).

[@DarkSeraphim]

Im pretty Sure it happened to him once and since then he is pretty annoyed about that. (Seat reservation) Most people are pretty much ok and apologise that they took your seat as germans are extremely ok following rules 😂❤ if i have a reservation for a specific seat.... its a rule for them to move😂

[@Emulleator]

yeah, he met an asshole. we do have assholes in Germany, you can meet them all over the world

[@DasMasterschaf]

7:50 if you disclose your sources the argument never gets heated the worst that could happen is that they laugh at you for beleavin in this sources. I don't know if this is elsewhere like this but we have at work the "Hinweisplicht": If you tell someone with a higher rank than you think the thing you are tasked to do is bullshit, you are not liable for conforming to orders. (if you want to have legal backup just make it written (E-Mail, Whatsapp, SMS)

[@marcpritchard3307]

In Germany the waiters get payed minimal 12 Euros per houer by their employers! So why pay them more? If the service is great then they get a tipp. In America the waiters get low payed and therefore they need a tipp!

[@JM18472]

Not giving a tip is disrespectful in Germany, no matter how good our labor laws are. The only time I'd never tip if I was truly unsatisfied with the service received, and that's very uncommon I'd argue.

[@noticeptic0330]

The thing with the nazi jokes is it is ok between friends but not with strangers

[@rosshart9514]

Jokes that ridicule Hitler or Nazis are of course OK. There are some good ones...

[@user-ti8on9zb6y]

About the "Pfand": Yes, we pay a little bit more per bottle (like 0.15€) and you get that back, when you bring the bottle back to the shop (or any other shop that sells those bottles).

[@meganoob12]

most bottles and cans are 25 cents, some (mostly beer) are 8 cents

[@olol7915]

At my Aldi it's 0,25€ for most plastic bottled 0,15€ for most glass bottles drinks and 0,10€ for cans lice Red Bull

[@meganoob12]

@@olol7915 you have to differentiate between "Einwegpfand" (the material will be recicled) and "Mehrwegpfand" (bottles will be washed and refilled". The prices are regulated by law.

[@olol7915]

@@meganoob12 nice to know

[@jenskahl4247]

Getting asked about Nazi stuff really pushes my buttons ...like I was around during that time, no I had to pick up a book about history and actually read it