American reacts to European Culture Shocks that Confuse Americans

[@deetgeluid]

Who the hell throws garbage in the sink? You throw it in a garbagecan.

[@silviahannak3213]

They do it and wonder why they don't have clean fresh Water. Desgusting as an Austrian. On Germany and here we have Bio Müll...where it belongs.

[@sydneywellington_cazadora]

In the US, they invented the garbage disposal because they were fed up with having to fix clogged pipes. It seems that too many people don't think about emptying the remains of dishes before putting them in the sink.

[@mats7492]

@@sydneywellington_cazadora typical american solution..

[@M.C.K.111]

In Europe we must recycle everything, also the organic waste!

[@sydneywellington_cazadora]

@@mats7492 - A few days ago I saw an American streamer proud of having shocked the garbage disposal technician: he had put all the remains of a roast chicken in there, bones included. 🤦

[@ananig.a.6046]

One of the pieces of the puzzle you may be missing about the backpack thing, is that a lot of people do not go grocery shopping by car, but by public transports or by walking. The backpack is one of the comfortable options to carry groceries

[@jennyh4025]

And it’s much more suspicious to take off your backpack to put something in than just opening a big purse a bit to let something slide in…

[@Daralyndk]

it also meant putting groceries in your bag or backpack AFTER checkout, not in the store

[@eva1585]

@@Daralyndk Its pretty common here to find portable scanners near the entrance of bigger grocery stores. You swipe your card, take the scanner that lights up then scan the items and bag as you go. Then when you reach the checkout you put the scanner on a type of rack with other scanners, go to a screen and finish the self checkout.

[@mti3879]

Thousands of food items and brands to choose from, but only two political parties...

[@gerardflynn7382]

That's still a mystery to the rest of the world.

[@hurtigheinz3790]

George Carlin made a whole bit about this ^^

[@jacopostrasorier1663]

24 hour stores exist for example in Japan, too. And in some Italian cities.

[@cooler1213]

And the thousands of brands are basically 5 companies

[@Jebu911]

@@jacopostrasorier1663 Yeah 24h stores exist here in finland too. Mostly gasstations that have a regular store in them thats open 24/7. Alltho the capital has more 24h stores in it where it might actually be more useful.

[@mif4731]

No, we don't need water fountains because you can drink tap water, and also the nearest shop is probably 50 meters away anyway.

[@neilmcdonald9164]

There used to be more water fountains...London has these newish water dispensers (white with a blue drip of water in top...never seen anybody use 1)🎩

[@thomasfranz6467]

In Switzerland there are tons of water fountains with drinkable water, and I also see them quite a lot in Italy. In Germany, there are a lot of fountains, but the water is often not drinkable.

[@tangerine4665]

In Croatia there used to be a lot of public fountains and I used them a lot as a kid. It was great, now they are all shut down 😢

[@ChristiaanHW]

here in The Netherlands that's also the case. but municipalities also have the ability to do extra stuff if they want. my city for example has several "water tap points" around the pedestrianized city center (the medieval town) but also at places where lots of people come to relax or socialize, like the entrance to a local nature are, several parks/playgrounds etc. those tap points are kinda like a big pipe looking like a big (sink) tap, and they are connected right into the water pipes that also connect to the buildings around. so you can get a sip or fill up a bottle for free at those points and the quality is as good as the water you get from the tap at home. and The Netherlands has one of the best tap waters around the world, so that water is as good as you would find bottled in a shop. ps. that water is even better than bottled water, because it's free. and we Dutch people know, when something is free it's even better tasting.

[@randomuser5443]

We can drink the tap water here, people with filters are conspiracy theorists who think fluoride can turn you trans

[@blackbeard2412]

Europe: Do you want some ice with your Coke? USA: Do you want some Coke with your ice?

[@sharonmartin4036]

My point exactly! That's why they offer you a free refill in the USA. You've already paid for it!

[@CabinFever52]

If you've ever tasted Coke, you want the latter.

[@SnowyRVulpix]

Both.

[@astree214]

A huge glass of "drink", filled with ice, but a little dice of coke in the bottom : lot of money to grab from the US customers 🤣

[@MichelCantigneaux]

Using excessive ice lower the temperature of your stomach and ampers the good function of digestive enzymes that needs a minimum temperature to operate well.

[@shapeshifter7676]

The thing about grocery shops is that in Europe we have small shops and bakeries on every street, So there's no need for giant grocery shops

[@enginerd80]

Remember, Europe is a continent, not a country. What you say probably applies to cities around the central-to-southern Europe. In northern Europe, like in Finland, some of the largest cities might have one or two bakeries each. People generally buy their food and almost everything in large supermarkets. And the bread is manufactured in maybe 10 industrial bakeries around the country, and sent to stores around the country in trucks. Though, frozen bread is not a thing, as it in America apparently would be.

[@lootedwolf8455]

@@enginerd80 bullshit.

[@annaesposito541]

I am an italian and I think that Is why in your country and generally in the scandinavian countries,there Is much less people and they are probably more sparse.In countries like Italy,France or others with citys so crowded you do Need tò have shops everywhere,still considering the diversity of Life Styles and routine.​@@enginerd80

[@Takketa7]

We have super big grocery stores as Metro but regular people usually do not shop there.

[@shapeshifter7676]

@@enginerd80 I'm from the Eastern parts of Europe and it's kinda the same here. but we also have lots of privately owned bakeries and shops. I personally almost never buy bread at the shops.

[@someguyanonymous5171]

5:42 - nope - we drink tap water man. But you can just drink from most normal fountains or any tap. We dont usually have specific drinking fountains cause you can just go to the tap which are various in every building. And not all public toilets in every country cost money. Just in a lot of tourist places it costs due to the volume of people and associated constant cleaning cost.

[@someguyanonymous5171]

Also not true that we only drink sparkling - i hate sparkling and most people I know do too. The server will ask still or sparkling

[@SiqueScarface]

People noticing the lack of water fountains in Germany and other European countries often forget how fricking far to the North most of Europe actually is. 90% of all Canadians live South of the souternmost point of Germany. If you travel to Southern Europe like Spain, Italy and Greece, you will find public water fountains, because they serve an important purpose there. They don't do so far to the North as most Germans live.

[@gerardflynn7382]

​@@SiqueScarfaceEven we in Ireland live further North than Germany.

[@SiqueScarface]

@@gerardflynn7382 Yes. Ireland lies between the latitudes of Berlin and Copenhagen, Denmark. In North America, those are the latitudes of Calgary, Alberta in Canada and the South of Alaska.

[@thomash3716]

@@SiqueScarface Being a Swede living in the central parts i´m just below the latitude of Fairbanks Alaska. Our northernmost town is another 800 km further north... 😃

[@Kamisei85]

No we load it in a store cart, then after paying we put it in a bag we took to the store with us. But there's also bags to buy at the store. They're just not free to discourage waste of plastics. 14:46

[@Kayta-Linda]

…paper bags are also not free. And they don’t have that excuse. I guess they’re cheaper, at least, but still.

[@Kamisei85]

@@Kayta-Linda There's no paper bags i ever get in the netherlands.

[@Kayta-Linda]

@@Kamisei85 At all? Damn… I’m from Latvia.

[@znail4675]

@@Kayta-Linda Plastic bags are taxed to reduce their use as waste.

[@Kamisei85]

@@Kayta-Linda Yep, not at all. We only have plastic bags but encouraged is everyone takes a bag with them from wherever they're coming from. :)

[@albinjohnsson2511]

Yeah, as a consumer, it is cool to have access to stores 24/7, but the reason other places don't have it to the same degree is that it's also absolutely terrible for the health of workers, and we regulate practices that harm people.

[@bdgza]

Exactly!

[@andremattsson]

Yeah exactly, here in Sweden it is illegal to work nights unless you either have a special permission or it's regulated with a union. Spotify wanted to have their workers work nights because they have customers all over the world but they were denied because the courts didn't think they had sufficient reason and they are not apart of a union, yet.

[@B-A-L]

We have large 24 hour supermarkets in the UK and its great if you don't want screaming kids running around or getting stuck in a queue behind an old lady trying to buy a tin of cat food with a library card!

[@imeandmyself525]

​@@B-A-LReally cool go shoping at 3am🎉🎉

[@bdgza]

@@B-A-L It's very convenient for the customer to be able to go 24/24h. But it sucks for the workers that have to work nights for no good reason. The UK picked up more bad habits from the US like zero-hour contracts.

[@cabritsanscorgaming]

5:40 "you guys like sparkling water better because you're fancy". Not really, we drink both depending on the individual taste.

[@etc.languageresources1775]

Let's tell him he's right ;) I love my sparkling water when arriving at my 17th Century castle after a short ride on my horse.

[@azminek7154]

I don't know how common in the US, but it's not particularly uncommon where I live to have a soda machine at home and make carbonated water out of tap water.

[@niccime2278]

oh come on, don't destroy our image! 😂

[@paulavitoria1798]

@@etc.languageresources1775 😆😆

[@niceguy3954]

French here (from Paris) we have water fountains for drinks here but as they looks like 19th century fancy sculptures tourists usually don't see then as drinkable water disposal. We also have free sparkling water Fontaine. Yes we drink a lot of tap water. And tap water is free at restaurants. But if you ask for "bottle" of water they will give you the one you pay. Public bathrooms are also free in Paris.

[@grischad20]

wait, i'm french from paris. the water from those fountains is drinkable? although even if it WAS drinkable, i'd be too worried someone pissed in it to even try.

[@niceguy3954]

@@grischad20 the Wallace fontaines are drinkable, of course. That's their first purpose. It would be very hard for someone to pee in it, the water faucet itself is about 2 meters high.

[@Theaisa]

I've never drunk from a public water fountain - I have no way of knowing if the water / pipes / fountain is clean, and it's not worth getting sick over. I do occasionally see people drink from water fountains here in Spain, but it always weirds me out a little :)

[@callum9999]

By "American themed parties" they mean Frat parties - the type we all saw growing up in American college movies.

[@christopheb.6121]

Some of my students (I'm an old French teacher) had organized an evening like this a few years ago, and showed me photos. It was a mix between American pie and a Maga rally!

[@CabinFever52]

They have American themed parties here in Vienna for some USA Football aired games.

[@KovCapyWizz]

We had one but it was more with making fun of their loud footbal culture. The whole thing was satirical. Very fun

[@margreetanceaux3906]

A refill is a second order, and costs as much as the first one.

[@sharonmartin4036]

Which they will bring to you in a fresh glass, not just pour into the glass you've been using.

[@SatieSatie]

​@@sharonmartin4036 Using the same glass would make much more sense, though, as long as it's the same or a similar drink.

[@Auvas_Damask]

​@@SatieSatieTrue, but I don't mind

[@heneagedundas]

I think one reason for not filling a glass with ice is so we can taste what we're drinking.

[@rasmachris94]

Cold drinks mask flavour - which is why when a company says 'X Beer tastes great ice cold!' you can assume it's a shit beer. Want to try it out? Take a beer without that wording and let it get to room temp, do the same with a beer marketed for the cold. Compare the two.

[@squirrelmurderous]

@@rasmachris94 To be fair, anything taste better if it's have at least a 3-4 +- temp gradient compared your body temp. In the case of beers you want to cool them, in fact you want to cool your glasses too. [Tho yep, overcooling can hide many errors.]

[@saschaberger7201]

@@rasmachris94 very true also especially noticable with sugar and super sweet drinks

[@silkwesir1444]

@@squirrelmurderous Huh? Cooling the glas? It gets cooled down BY the drink. That's why it feels cold from the outside when you touch it. Even though glass may not be the best heat conductor, it still pretty quickly makes a noticeable differenc.

[@squirrelmurderous]

@@silkwesir1444 Yep, the beer will cool down the glass, but in change cuz thermodinamics is still a thing the glass will heat up the beer slightly. :D It's not a thing in the US? I thought this whole craft beer / scientific background of craft beers came from murica. [With the shape of the glass, cooling it etc etc.] But whatever, yeah if you want to taste test some beer than it's common practice to cool the glasses.

[@euromaestro]

It’s because Europeans rely more on fresh products

[@antcommander1367]

and foods that aren't stuffed with chemicals and/or dyes that don't belong in food

[@michealrosen]

1: people drink tap water in europe its clean. 2: theres free toilets everywhere in europe if they can't find them, then thats there problem for not trying. 3: we dont do soda refills because were not hooked to soda. 4: the reason the USA has so many cereals is because the americans are hooked on sugar hence buy more cereal.

[@qq_02]

The 4 was probably more about the physical size of the store than the amount of different cereals on offer. In the U.S., a single store, even with the car-centric culture, serves a huge number of people in the surrounding area. In Europe, the grocery stores are in heavy competition with each other, meaning the same number of people are served by multiple stores of different chains, i.e. less stock per store needed. Also land is expensive and better locations are in the cities where space is highly constrained already.

[@skiamach6208]

The free refills are not just for soda: ice tea, coffee, water, pretty much everything except alcohol or specialty drinks. And I am pretty sure it started with free coffee refills.

[@tomscorpion6288]

@@skiamach6208 If we say free refills, how many can you get? Can you sit in a restaurant all day and have 15 drinks for the price of one?

[@skiamach6208]

@@tomscorpion6288 I have never tested the limits but I remember at least once I drank about 6 or 7 glasses of ice tea, paying only for the one. I was thirsty that day :) Some restaurants have had all you can eat deals or buffets. My favorite was when I was a teenager there was a pizza place that had all you can eat pizza during lunch time, so from about 11am to about 2pm. I would stuff myself. I didn't get to take advantage of it all that often. I didn't have a car and needed someone to drive me. I was a somewhat skinny teenager and my metabolism kept me thin back then, no matter how much I ate. Ah. I miss that.

[@futurefox128]

To add to that: The tap water in some parts of Europe actually tastes just as good as the bottled counterparts. In Austria it is outright delicious imo.

[@TobiasRieperGER]

14:05 Here in europe we usually have the shops in walk distance. I know, for americans walk distance is from housedoor to the car, but here walking distance is 10 minutes. So why should i turn on the car for that? The next shop is closer to my condo than my car. And i carry a hiking backpack with me, put all the stuff in the cart, pay at the cashier, and then put all the stuff in the backpack and walk home. Elders usually have a shopping trolley, that is a bag on wheels with a long handle. I prefer my big backpack. And one more thing, we have our own nets for vegetable and fruits and fill them seperate in many nets. Weigh them or in some shops they got weighted by the cashier.

[@theKiwii]

Same, except I usually get one of those plastic baskets instead of a cart when it's an option as it's a decent gauge for how much will fit in my backpack.

[@TobiasRieperGER]

@@theKiwii I have a 60 liter backpack. That is enough for 1 person / week. My wife has a similar one, It works for us.

[@andreamuller9009]

I use my bike, it has a basket at the front and back and two side bags....no car needed...if I ever need a beer crate or drinks crate, I have a handcart.

[@TobiasRieperGER]

@@andreamuller9009 Yes, i own a trailer for bike / Motorbike, too, i can use it as handcart. These are practical.

[@arnodobler1096]

I was at a train station yesterday, until recently there was a free public toilet, it has been replaced by a new paid one (0.50€), the seat cleans itself every time (disinfected), the difference is enormous. I'm happy to pay.

[@sigrunwestrus68]

I live in Europe and do my shopping once a week. I go by car, because there is no way I could carry all my shopping on my bike. I bring my own strong shopping bags and I even have special shopping bags for carrying bottles. If you live in the center of a city, it's more normal to use the bike, but most people live outside the center and drive to a shopping center just like in the US. The difference is, that the supermarkets are smaller in size and thanks heaven for that. I hate shopping and want to get my items as fast as possible and I don't want to spend my time walking through endless shopping lanes.

[@stefan0325]

15:45 exactly, cities in Europe are not built on a grid street system, so it would be impossible to talk about blocks. Sometimes people will tell you "turn right at the 3rd intersection" but that is not 3 blocks, because not all intersections are equally spaced. So you also cannot estimate how far the 3rd intersection is.

[@Dukenukem]

You can use the blocks as a way to count, but you can as well count the intersections. Also all blocks in the US cities are different, Phoenix AZ have massive blocks, New York have rectangles instead of squares and there is nothing standardized about "the block" (no sizes, shapes or anything else). But Americans would use any metric to not use "metric system".

[@sylviav6900]

Unless you live in Mannheim... 😂

[@astree214]

yes ... something like "take the first road on your left (about 15 km away) and you're there" 🙂

[@missharry5727]

English instructions are like "head straight down the high street as far as Marks and Spencers, then turn left past the church, over the railway bridge, and it's about five minutes walk and if you find yourself opposite the chiropodist you've missed the turning, never mind, people always do that the first couple of times..."

[@reinhard8053]

And sometimes it is not that easy to remember each intersection because there are big ones and small ones you don't care much about. So it is some kind of mental training to remember the street exactly to count correctly.

[@dasbertl]

American: "Why would anyone take on american themed parties" Also American: "Yolo, let's go to texas oktoberfest" "I love mexican food contests in arizona" "lets order some chinese food for our party tonight"

[@VaasMontenegro12]

I think what he's trying to say is that American parties are lame and over the top, so why would Europeans want to imitate them?

[@SK-nw4ig]

@@VaasMontenegro12 Probably. And the answer is: because its funny :D

[@xx-ds6jr]

In Germany the "double cup" even found its way to the german hiphop

[@BlueFlash215]

11:54 How in the world do you have fresh vegetables, fruits, meat and fish if you only go once every 2 weeks?

[@mats7492]

they dont.. theres a reason americans as a whole are so unhealthy.. Its fast food way too often

[@Tinky1rs]

you answered you own question: fewer types of vegetables, less of them, more frozen. That's assuming they do eat veggies daily, as I hope the things I see online just happen to have small amounts.

[@randomuser5443]

Freezer

[@rogerk6180]

​@@randomuser5443 that is not fresh..

[@lydiakaraiskou1421]

According to an American KZbinr now living in The Netherlands, even the "fresh" groceries in the States have some type of preservatives, and they last for weeks. The first time he went shopping, after moving, he was surprised to see how soon his groceries went bad. (I don't remember the channel, but it was a vid about things that are illegal in The Netherlands but not in the USA if you want to check it out)

[@MaryRaine929]

9:25 I (German) was raised with the rule that when you leave the house you gotta be dressed properly. Athleisure was an absolute no go, but my Mom also freaked out when my sis and I hung around in bathrobes or sweatpants on the weekends, her shouting that we‘re not on a camping site.🤣 Today I like to wear sweatpants at home. It‘s so much more comfy and I have also been one or two times to the supermarket in joggers when I was too lazy to change clothes. And the rebellion part against my mother‘s rules feels like an extra kick doing it! 😂😂😂

[@etc.languageresources1775]

I also find the dressing standards has lower down since the pandemic

[@TheSuperappelflap]

I dont mind walking 100 meters to the grocery store in my sweatpants after I work from home the entire day, if Im going anywhere else I will put some proper pants on though!

[@JenniferRussell-qw2co]

@@MaryRaine929 I like your style 🙋‍♀️🇬🇧

[@MaryRaine929]

@@JenniferRussell-qw2co Thank you! 😉😘

[@SatieSatie]

Germany is one of the worst dressed European countries, though. 😂

[@uinsel]

Regarding refills: if you buy a glass of soda, you get one glass of soda. If you want another, you buy another. It is not the same glass usually, you litterally get another. Also, Soda in my country is carbonated tapwater and if you ask for soda, this is what you will get. Nothing sweet, just sparkly tap water.

[@SaraKvammen-tx7qc]

I live in a small village in Norway.We have three grocery stores, gas stations, hair dressers, etc 10 mins walking distance away...even here you can live without a car.

[@silviahannak3213]

But maybe not without a Boat..or Skiis ? 😊

[@SaraKvammen-tx7qc]

@@silviahannak3213 haha ! Bikes and walking is king..boats and skis are moore for fun.

[@pixelfille3130]

Must not be a very small village then, I live in a small village in sweden and here the nearest grocery store is around 10 minutes away by car

[@andybaker2456]

Speaking of the Australian meaning of "root" reminds me of an incident I experienced at work some years ago. A young lady joined the company who was very attractive, and instantly became the focus of attention for many of the males in our department. It turned out that she lived very close to me, and when she was telling me about how she got to and from the office, I pointed out that the route I used for the same commute was a lot easier. I suggested that I showed her that evening, so we left the office together. The next morning I arrived at the office before her, but when she eventually turned up, the first thing she said was, "Good route last night, Andy". The jaw of the token Aussie in the office hit the floor like a ton of bricks!! I basked in the warm glow for a couple of hours before explaining to him what she meant. 😆 (Note: "Root" and "Route" are both pronounced the same way in the UK)

[@Zygon13]

And in Australia though some try to use rout.

[@Keijiko]

Only in Germany they drink more sparkling water than still water, in other european countries you usually get still water if you order water

[@silviahannak3213]

You mean Tap Water ? Or ?

[@Raeffi3]

@@silviahannak3213 in a restaurant you usually get some sort of fancy bottled water (but not always) because you usually drink tap water at home anyways

[@gerardflynn7382]

Except in Germany the sparkling water comes in the form of Beer.

[@thomash3716]

@@silviahannak3213 Where i live here in Sweden they analyzed the tapwater in my town and it was equal to or better than four different commercial springwater bottles... so tapwater can be fine! 😄

[@MrMajsterixx]

I think its very simliar in Czech republic, Soda Stream is very popular product here and u can exchange the CO2 containers almost anywhere even in drugstores and electronic shops

[@graceygrumble]

Yep! I used to live in a pub - my parents ran it - and we had an 'American Night'. Everyone rocked up in jeans, checked shirts, some with cowboy hats and and cowboy boots. The women went all in Daisy Duke - Dukes of Hazzard - style. A 'Country and Western Band', from Darlington, County Durham, got everyone dosey-doeing. Great crack! 😂

[@justmandy6572]

My biggest culture shock when spending time with friends in USA was plastic plates. I had THE best BBQ ever but eating it from a plastic plate took away the respect that it deserved.

[@etc.languageresources1775]

Totally agree. Also I couldn't understand why they spend 4USD in a disposable oven tray when you can spend 12USD and use it 1000 times

[@justmandy6572]

@@etc.languageresources1775 USA is all about convenience. You can do literally everything from your car. Eating, groceries, I even saw a drive-thru church. 😂😂

[@Leo-pb6cf]

This was WILD to me! My jaw dropped when Thanksgiving dinner was served on them. 🤯

[@Dreyno]

Plastic plates are for toddlers and camping.

[@duncancallum]

@@justmandy6572 Sex in a mini car i guess could stuff up ones back badly

[@deetgeluid]

Pyjama’s in a store? You’re gonna get kicked out here in the Netherlands.😂

[@silviahannak3213]

Austrians would see you as a poor Person or more like somebody who can't dress accordingly or properly. Pyjamas are for sleeping. Jogging Trousers for Sports or just Home.

[@DanDownunda8888]

Most likely be arrested in Australia.

[@deetgeluid]

@@DanDownunda8888You’re right, and then put in an insane asylum.

[@anthonyj7989]

@@DanDownunda8888no - being in a state of undress in a supermarket in Australia (especially on a hot day) is totally normal where I live.

[@neilmcdonald9164]

It only seems ti have become a thing in recent years...and more of a middle class thing (initially at least)🎩

[@Zeetrik]

If you wear a backpack at the store you can either leave it in a locker or if there is not one just open it preemtively so that the cashier can see you did not steal. Its one of those cases where worrying about looking shady makes you look more shady than if you are upfront. Also the most expensive items have an alarm tag.

[@JaneSmith-rx6kx]

And the Backpack makes sense...when you walked to the Store 🤷

[@__TK___]

It’s the same with carry bags that you brought and have in your shopping cart. The cashier asks to look inside or you just show that it’s empty.

[@theKiwii]

Personally, I'd be shocked if anyone asked me to leave my backpack in a locker to enter a grocery store. That sounds insane. Before corona, I'd even just use an open messenger bag instead of a shopping cart and nobody cared about that. Only had to stop doing that because they started using the carts/baskets as a measure of how many people are in the store to fulfill regulations.

[@yourstruly4817]

There's no need for water fountains cause you can drink the tap water in a lot of European countries and the next small shop where you can get something to drink is usually not far away

[@JankieHands]

some cities has regulations to offer free water if is requested like in madrid.

[@sjl.2297]

Also cafes and restaurants don"t charge usually for tap water, just bottled water.

[@kgpz100]

This is not a good excuse. I shouldn't have to be shamed by a restaurant owner for asking for water at their shop while not ordering anything else.

[@spugelo359]

@@kgpz100 That's a you problem if you feel ashamed.

[@JohnnyDrizzle]

​@@kgpz100At least we don't have to pay hundreds of dollars for life saving medicine or 10.000 dollars for an ambulance

[@joaomarreiros4906]

Ryan there are public restrooms paid and free in the countries I know, Portugal, Spain, France and Germany. Also, tap water has to be suitable to be drinkable in order to be used, so, we drink tap water, and we drink bottled water for preference, taste or medical issues, whatever the case, water has to drinkable and tested often to be in our pipes. The concept of what is dressed nice escapes me, we dress according to the occasion.

[@paulavitoria1798]

João, para os americanos - melhor dizendo, para os "usanos" - "dress nice" é despir o pijama ou, vá lá, o fato de treino - já eras vivo nos anos 80? - e vestir umas calças/saia e uma t-shirt/blusa. 😉😆

[@rubenholkamp774]

In regards to the size of US grocery stores, this isn't just due to economic factors, but political ones as well. Zoning codes in the US typically tend to outlaw mixed use of specific plots of land, meaning that you can only have industry in zone A, businesses in zone B and like single-family homes in zone C. In Europe however mixed used zoning allows for a grocery store on the ground floor and apartments on the levels above. This means that there will also typically be less space for the grocery store itself, therefor they are smaller. However, due to those same mixed use zoning regulations you will tend to find grocery stores all over the bigger cities, meaning you will always have something nearby and you won't need to go to a massive building a long way out of your normal ways just to get daily necessities. (I know I used Europe as an example but this is seen throughout most of the world, contrary to, primarily, North America)

[@TheDoctorIWho]

About the bagpack thing (14:54): In Germany shops tried to ban backpacks and handbags or to have the right to search it at the cashier. Immediatly the courts intervened. Searching is only allowed with a warrant or with the police and probable cause: Thus shops need surveillance to prove probable cause. And a shop open to the public was ruled as partly public, no matter built on private ground, so the shops had to allow reasonable personal items to bring with and to take in. Nevertheless cashiers will ask you to open and show bags and most people do.

[@sylviav6900]

But not very often. I only had to show the content of my bag to the cahier like 1-2 times in my life. Usually, they trust people. And I would never have thought that using a backpack in a supermarket could make you suspicious. Was really glad for that hint for future reference.

[@znail4675]

I use a backpack when shopping all the time and have never been asked to show it. If anything so are a backpack less suspicious then say a handbag as it would actually take some acrobatics and effort to put something in it inside the store. And, of course, people at a store can deny you entrance, but they can't demand to search you as they are just civilians like you without any more rights and not cops.

[@helenfitch6590]

In the UK things are barcoded and often have security tags, so you beep as you go out of the door if you haven't paid.

[@alicemilne1444]

​​@@helenfitch6590Tags on food items? Non-food, maybe.

[@helenfitch6590]

@@alicemilne1444 Depends on the value of the food. Drink certainly.

[@hellmalm]

14:13 most grocery stores in Europe don't have bathrooms, if they do, they're all most always located out side of the registers, so going to them as a secluded place for shoplifting wouldn't be an option.

[@wozn7195]

Yeah at first I thought how unsmart it would be to have a secluded area where ppl can go to properly hide goods - But on the other hand I guess you need toilets inside the area if your shop is the size of a dutch village 😅🤷‍♀️

[@JeroenJA]

I know one located in the store, but you leave your cart/basket with groceries outside.. would be suspicious to hold a store item with you to the toilet.. and pretty disgusting... keep food firmly away from toilets?

[@hellmalm]

@@JeroenJA There's always an exception to the rule, but I still claim it's extremely uncommon. There are stores where bathrooms are common place like IKEA for example. In grocery stores I have never seen it, in Sweden, Germany, France, UK, Spain, Austria or Italy. So please tell me where this is and the name of the store.

[@JeroenJA]

@@hellmalm haha, uhm, one specific delhaize, where it is actually inside the store, a single bathroom, :-). Specifically for Belgium, almost all colruyt have 2 toilets for clients, but outside the real supermarket, usuale a door and stairs and just 2 bathroom publically available , before it's a locked door with space for employees only :-). so , you kind of have to know it .. with todler i discoverd if it's urgent, and it's not to bussy in a lidl, they allow you use of bathroom, but that really someone from personal letting you in a closed of bathroom :) ... so , more supermarkets have almost no toilet available, or really depending on if personnal will make an exception.. i feel like that goes for most of western europe.. you do tend to go there to just get what you need pretty efficient, not to hang around in them for over an hour.. --> hyperstores may be the exception, but last time i went to one.. was 4 years ago, and for food , it's just irritating how far everything is apart .. i would only go for some non food promotiong, and happen to take some food with me i happen to can use.. i would really HATE havign to go to a hyperstore for weekly shoppings! DIY stores often DO have a bathroom now i think about it.. availability of (free) real public bathroom is, not country but CITY dependend! Gent did great effort for mostly open public bathroom, 10 well cleaned places mostly open in the historic city center, easy to find with free city map in tourist service .. while Brussel is a complete disaster .. almost no public bathrooms, and the visuable onces will charge 1€, while not looking attractive at same time..

[@hellmalm]

@@JeroenJA So this is just proving my point. Of course there's going to be employee bathrooms at every.store, this is the law in the EU. That's not a costumer option in most cases, yes I think I'we used one my self as kid because the employees are nice, but that's not what we're talking about. But just like you said it more common to have some bathrooms/toilets just out side the store/registers, this is very common place at big-box grocery stores in Sweden like the Ica Maxi's. Also if in a Mall/Shopping center there's also available bathrooms and unlike Germany or France they're all free in Sweden. So I don't think this "you have to pay" for bathrooms in Europe is that much of real thing at least not in the Nordics.

[@HellDuke-]

Yes, you pay for refills. It's like purchasing a new beverage, and you just ask for it. Water is typically free, but you need to ask for it. As for being nicely dressed, it implies that dressing nicely to go shopping means you are not dressing comfy. For the size of the store, maybe because of the distance and you go rarely? Here I can walk for 5 minutes in any direction and get to a grocery store, then walk for 5 more minutes and find one more. So going to the grocery store is a matter of hopping over for 15 minutes to get what you need today and tomorrow. And yeah, at the checkout, I use a backpack because it's much more comfortable. Otherwise, you put stuff into bags yourself The relatives from Switzerland sounded a bit nuts. You do the inspection every 2 years anyway and going to the airport is not a big deal for most people.

[@beldin2987]

The typical pro american propaganda is however all about "free" refills where they never say that its just for tap water and it sounds like you only have to buy one glass of beer and can then drink beer the whole night through without paying for it 😂🤣

[@pouf6463]

water is not free in all european countries, it's free in France but not in Belgium for exemple

[@mats7492]

@@pouf6463 neither in germany

[@OssWiX]

In the store I shop most often you can use a remote self scanner or even an app on your own phone to scan the products and put them straight into your bags when shopping. They check 'at random' at the checkout. Obviously various factors influence this randomness. I usually shop straight into my backpack, so scan the products in the island and put them in my backpack. Because im a regular and probably known in the system i don't shoplift I rarely get checked anymore. And indeed I don't so groceries for two weeks at a time. In our household of 4 we usually shop 4 to 8 times per week, as the nearest grocery store is a 5 minute cycle and some combine a quick shopping trip with their commute back home.

[@jcdg6288]

we drink a lot of tap water in France tho

[@gedfi]

Finland, too. But we're not obsessed with drinking obscene amounts of water all day, either.

[@Glaaki13]

Same in Denmark

[@silviahannak3213]

Austria has fresh Water. We are not crazy about sparkeling. Wtfreak is he talking.. so not true.

[@Alicia-rd5oj]

Same in The Netherlands. We have good tap water, so that's what we drink. Can you actually drink French tap water? 😮 When I'm in France, I always buy bottled water. 😂

[@Glaaki13]

@@Alicia-rd5oj I dont know if its a myth, but people always said, that when you go to a different country, to buy water as they might have other bacteria's you are not use to

[@Seajack64]

16:30 - We don't try to make smores because nobody knows what a "gram" cracker is, and putting marshmallow on a cracker is unheard of. Crackers are good with salty and umami things like cheese/ham/dip/etc.; putting sweet marshmallows on them is quite strange.

[@skiamach6208]

It is "graham" cracker, named using the last name of their inventor. The Wikipedia page explaining the origins of Graham's crackers I think is funny. It seems Sylvester Graham would be rolling in his grave if he knew his crackers were being used to make smores. :)

[@dianapita3056]

I actually like the contrast of the salty with the sweet

[@paulavitoria1798]

@seajack64 I thought so, too. But I think maybe s'mores could be nice, sort of caramelized marshmallows... But then again, I've never eaten marshmallows, to begin with.

[@paulavitoria1798]

@@dianapita3056 Me too! But I think crackers are too dry to eat with marshmallows. With cheese, that's a whole different story! 😋😋

[@luisalves3723]

Regarding the groceries we buy more fresh itens, so we go more often.

[@Jan_Koopman]

6:02 N-no... Where'd you get that from? If you order water at a restaurant, it's usually gonna be *bottled* water, yes, but for sparkling water, you need to ask for sparkling water.

[@ab1372]

Unless you're in Scandinavia then it most likely gonna be tap water

[@Jan_Koopman]

@@ab1372, yeah, it kinda depends on the country and restaurant

[@brigittelacour5055]

Just ask "une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plaît" in France with your meal and you will receive free tap water. Perfectly normal

[@noefillon1749]

​@@brigittelacour5055and it's free

[@ffqm]

I'm the Netherlands you can get both trap water or bottled water, depending on your preference. Trap water normally is free.

[@joaomarreiros4906]

Oh, and when I shop on foot or on bicycle, I use a backpack.

[@CabinFever52]

I'm almost always wearing my backpack and usually use it for shopping. If I need to carry more, I just take a trolley.

[@paulavitoria1798]

João, como eu disse acima, moro junto ao IST, em Lisboa, e farto-me de ver estudantes dos EUA a trazer as compras nas mochilas. Se não estavam habituados, habituaram-se depressa...

[@joaomarreiros4906]

@@paulavitoria1798 Bem pelo menos aprendem, e sim, ja era um puto nos anos 80...

[@dennis3nde]

When I was in America I tried a pizza and found out that they put more sugar in a pizza (they put extra sugar in everything) than I eat in a month, it was so gross tbh

[@TheSuperappelflap]

Even here in EU, the "american style" frozen pizzas you can buy in grocery stores have a lot of sugar in them. Italian style pizza is so much better.

[@dennis3nde]

@@TheSuperappelflap I have never tried frozen pizza, only made at home or in an Italian restaurant. In comparison, this American pizza that was shown to me tasted like candy.

[@TheSuperappelflap]

@@dennis3nde well, a grocery store in my town now has frozen pizzas that are actually made in italy and prebaked in a real oven, they are quite decent. Of course not as good as fresh, from an italian restaurant, but if im feeling lazy and dont want to cook its a decent option. they arent sweet either.

[@janmortensen9314]

Rarely moving around without my backpack as it is convenient for shopping when cycling around. Size 30 liters; not the "going camping in the woods size"

[@danielferguson3784]

Water fountains used to be quite common in UK public parks, & even in some streets, but these have mostly disappeared because of health fears in recent times. Here in the UK most people don't feel the need to be constantly drinking water, & even less to drink iced water. UK tap water is guaranteed to be drinkable, we don't need to buy bottled, unless we want sparkling.

[@katepoole6891]

Water fountains haven't been used for about 50 years. We're both showing our age.

[@SaraKvammen-tx7qc]

The term jaywalking is just weird to Europeans...... that's freedom for ya !

[@kgpz100]

Germans do not jaywalk

[@eliphas_vlka]

American invisible walls 😂

[@SaraKvammen-tx7qc]

That should not even be a word in my opinion.

[@JohnnyDrizzle]

​@@kgpz100Germans do jaywalk but it's more frowned upon

[@inuendo6365]

Americans have kings and queens they bow down to, it's the auto industry and gun propaganda

[@margreetanceaux3906]

If you preferably buy fresh produce - bread, cheese, meat and especially vegetables and fruit - there’s a limit to how much you buy in one go. So there’s a logical maximum to the shelf’s length.

[@astree214]

in the US they spray it with preservatives, they can last months ... but IMHO I wouldn't call that "fresh vegetables/fruits" 🙂

[@matshjalmarsson3008]

A backpack must be the most inconvenient bag for stealing

[@gerardflynn7382]

Simple solution. Don't steal.

[@StevenQ74]

We actualy drink a lot of tap water at home. Last time I visited the US(southwest) I found the tap water in a lot of places tasted like chlorine.

[@TheDoctorIWho]

5:48 You do not need water fountains when water from every tab is safe to drink and one of the most controlled and safest products in the EU. In the end: Every water tap is a fountain. (without the taste of chlorine)

[@dorisschneider-coutandin9965]

Right. Some fountains (like in parks, for pretty water displays), however, will have written on them "no drinking water", but at every normal tap/faucet you will be able to fill up your bottle-to-go. Meaning in hotels, your rented place, wherever you chose to stay in Europe, and also in most restaurant toilets (at the sink, of course, not the toilet bowl!), etc. I don't know why you'd have to rely on water fountains placed somewhere in the cities.

[@Attirbful]

you can’t be accused of stealing when your pack you stuff at the end of the conveyor belt AFTER having paid for it. No, generally, we do not have paper bags in stores, unless it is a gift store or something like that and they only sell light-weight little things and trinkets. In grocery stores, if you forgot your bad or bought more than your bag can carry, you can buy heavy-duty bags (both multi-use and strong plastic bags) at the cashiers. But: you pay for them and better re-use them the next time…

[@gchecosse]

Depending on where in Switzerland it could be a 7 hour drive to Frankfurt Airport, so basically a 2 day round trip.

[@annafrolova7891]

I don't think a person would ask a friend to be driven that far. Obviously, there was no more than a 2 hour drive.

[@dorteheilmann]

I always go grocery shopping with a backpack. Also, in some of our grocery store chains, you can use your phone and scan you groceries as you get them of the shelves and put them in your bag or backpack right away, when you're done, you scan a QR-code and pay with the app and you leave the store. No interactions with the staff. You can choose to use the check outs. I'm from Denmark.

[@JenniferRussell-qw2co]

Going out dressed respectably is a matter of self respect, and respect for others. I have never seen anyone in PJs in a store, or anywhere else, come to that 🤔

[@erdmannelchen8829]

As a German, I am guilty of walking to my local store in crocs and sweatpants. :D

[@Yotanido]

@@erdmannelchen8829 I would absolutely do that. Though usually it's cargo trousers/shorts and sandals (with socks, of course!) That said, I could not imagine anyone going out in PJs. That's just wrong.

[@kabo123]

it really depends on where you live. In Berlin it's not uncommon to sea people wear sweatpants. In fact I do it all the time lol. People here don't give a fuck what you are wearing and I love it. It has nothing to do with self respect...

[@kgpz100]

You do not have self-respect if you want to be comfortable lmao okay

[@saya-mi]

In Czechia, it is quite common to go to your local shop in sweat pants (not PJs), but it's usually a small shop near your housing estate, sometimes literally downstairs. You wouldn't go to Tesco in sweat pants...

[@sjl.2297]

Many people walk or cycle to the grocery stores and a lot use backpacks. You either put them in a locker outside the shopping area which costs 50 cents which you get back when you leave and/or security will tag it. Most items have product security codes which deactivate when scanned. You just take your basket or shopping cart and put them in your bag after you pay. It's all very quick and simple. Also the whole European toilet myth is incorrect. Yes, some you pay for if you want to use them but you don"t pay in cafes, restaurants, shopping malls, garages etc You can always find a free toilet!

[@SiqueScarface]

22:35 When the Swiss uncle brought the guy to the airport, they were driving along more inhabitants than the average U.S. state has. From Zuerich to Frankfurt, it's hell of a chain of congestion points (Basel, Karlsruhe, Mannheim...). Especially the A5, which connects Basel and Frankfurt/Main, is a staple in all traffic jam reports in Germany. Someone from New York City probably does not many road trips either. Additionally, due to the many mountain ranges you pass, you can have three completely different weather situations along the trip.

[@TheSuperappelflap]

Also, those highways are famous for always having roadworks in the summer when people are trying to go on vacation

[@TRW98]

If a toilet isn't clean I won't use it. So I like to pay for toilets because those are clean. And the weird thing is the USA is really into capitalism. But toilets are free to use? That isn't really capitalism. A service for free. In Europe most toilets in restaurants are free if you buy something.

[@kgpz100]

"most toilets are free if you buy something" 1. Most???? 2. If you buy something, it's not free

[@TRW98]

@@kgpz100 yes it is. If I buy a drink what cost me 2 euro and don't go to the toilet I have spend 2 euro on a drink. If I buy a drink for 2 euro and go to the toilet I have spend 2 euro on a drink and had a toilet visit. In both cases you spend 2 euro no matter if you use the toilet or not. So the toilet is free. If I didn't buy something they would have asked 50 cent or a euro for a toilet visit. Then you pay for the toilet visit. Then it isn't free. And yes most. I am just one men so I haven't visit every restaurant in Europe. So I can't see all restaurants because I didn't visit all restaurants so I can't be sure if it is in all restaurants. That's why most is the best word to use it here. If I would have said all but in Spain is one restaurant that didn't give this service my statement would be false. Now it isn't.

[@thomash3716]

@@TRW98 And they are clean almost all the time!😃

[@stephenlee5929]

The paying for toilets (bathrooms) in the US, changed in the 1970's it was partly due to the Feminist movement.

[@gerardflynn7382]

​@@kgpz100You are buying a product. Not the toilet.

[@margreetanceaux3906]

Am travelling from Rotterdam to Groningen for 25 years, always stop at the same gas station. Pay 50 cents to use the (always immaculate clean) restroom, and if you buy a snack, you get the 50 cents back. Sensible deal.

[@peterkeijsers489]

About dressing nice: put on some decent jeans, and a decent t-shirt (summer) or sweater (winter) which is NOT from a 'university'. NO CARGO SHORTS, NO CAPS, NO HAWAIIAN SHIRTS!!

[@GazilionPT]

In Portugal, at restaurants and cafés, the most consumed water is bottled still water, which will be either actual mineral water or actual spring water, not just regular tap water with a label on it, as it is common in the US (according to many Americans). If you ask for "water", that's what they'll bring you. If you want sparkling water, you have to ask for that specifically, either by saying "sparkling water" ("água com gás") or by naming your preferred brand of sparkling water. And if what you want is just a glass of tap water, you have to ask for a "glass of water" ("copo de água"), which will be free. Most people only ask for tap water if they have some pills to take or if the idea is just to clean your palate, e.g. after drinking a cup of coffee.

[@TheSuperappelflap]

Most bottled water in Europe is in fact just regular tap water lol. Spa, for example. Its just tap water. Its literally the same water that comes out of the tap in the town of Spa. And its not much different from tap water anywhere else. The health and safety standards are the same in every EU country.

[@bernaspah]

​@@TheSuperappelflap in some cities and towns in Portugal you are advised not to drink tap water. Water treatments are being made but it's still not safe in some places.

[@TheSuperappelflap]

@@bernaspah Same in areas of belgium, france, spain, and a lot of other countries. It has been getting better in recent times, but when I was little, it was generally advised just not to drink any water from the tap abroad because the quality was not up to par with what were used to in the netherlands. And if you had to drink it, advice was to boil it first.

[@GazilionPT]

@@TheSuperappelflap Well, I don't know about Spa. But try "Luso", "Fastio", "Vitalis", "Monchique", and they are radically different waters, and you certainly won't find that kind of water in any tap.

[@bernaspah]

@@TheSuperappelflap I was simply answering your comment about bottled water being tap water. At least, here, Portugal, it is not. And yes, other countries also have it bad, not just here, I know that. Also, I have no idea what Spa is, but maybe you shouldn't drink it then ahah. Farewell.

[@AdamMPick]

22:22 The main reason why we don't do "road trips"? Fuel is expensive. The other reason is that it was not put up on the calender with enough notice.

[@Dukenukem]

"Ice cold" drinks are US standard because it enables to serve lower quality drinks, the reaction to cold is stronger than the taste. You can try it with beer that you do not like much and one that you like, make it ice cold (4-2°C), and notice that the difference will be greater as the temperature rises and flavour gets more pronounced. Some beers are only drinkable while nearly frozen...

[@TheWeissrond]

This is so true. It's one of the things I picked up while working in a restaurant: how to recognize a good beverage. Just let it get to room temperature. Does it still taste good or not?

[@Tinky1rs]

it also makes the high fructose corn syrup sodas go down easier

[@kgpz100]

You are literally making this up lol

[@gerardflynn7382]

Plus the outdoor temperature in the US is far higher and dryer than in Europe.

[@JohnnyDrizzle]

​​@@kgpz100 You're calling everyone a liar but I bet you've never even been to Europe so how do you know

[@GiantHaystack]

An American Themed Party would be where we drink beer with the strength of tap water, drive everywhere and then send thoughts and prayers to the grieving families of children who were shot at school because trying to fix the problem might upset some people who like guns.

[@mrHello420__]

chill man holy shit xD

[@JeroenJA]

Pretty simple, a student party imitating cliche things usa students "do" in Hollywood movies.. so, beer pong, and choose some stupid walk,drinking from tab? And no beer choice just one not to strong pils i would say? :-).

[@Jus7aguy]

@@mrHello420__ But is he WRONG?

[@SatieSatie]

Oh, come on now.

[@kenbrown2808]

touche

[@timmy7201]

22:00 - Jumping in the car and driving a few hours without giving it much thought... As a European myself, I could cross 5 countries in little over 5 hours, switching between language 3 times... Even when only a couple hours from home, we don't want to get stranded in a foreign speaking country due to car troubles... You also have to pay additional fees or toll in some countries, done by a QR code, which you order online, then print and put on your front-window inside the car.

[@Tigerfan86]

this !

[@markschattefor6997]

@ 12:50 you are so wrong, in the Netherlands we have supermarkets/stores in every neighbourhood at walking distance, and there are schools as well. Bigger isn't allways better.........

[@Immortal.Deus_doom]

Instant refill in RESTAURANTS, bro McDonald's nor any other fast food industry is NOT a restoraunt😭🙏

[@mats7492]

technically it is

[@DanDownunda8888]

Yeah, in Australia a restaurant is usually where you go to sit down and someone gives you a menu and comes back later to see what you want to eat and then someone brings you what you ordered. Everything else is just a fast food joint.

[@johnallsopp6324]

McDonalds is to restaurant as motel is to hotel (paraphrased from comedian Danny Bhoy).

[@zaitarh]

McDonalds is delicious ❤❤❤

[@mondexponent2126]

@@DanDownunda8888so ssushi restaurants are fast food? Buffet restaurants are Fastfood?

[@MaryRaine929]

12:13 Yup, that’s it often times. My local REWE supermarket desperately needs an extension for years now, a huge topic in my neighborhood, but it‘s just not possible, there is no space for that!

[@sweetowl4179]

- Can't speak for all Europe, but in Italy there are plenty of water fountains all around. - Sparkling water is not the default, if you ask for water and don't specify right away, they usually ask you which one you want. - Public toilets (like in train stations, airports, supermarkets ecc.) are free, I almost never saw one that required a fee, but they could be either dirty or crystal clear, depends on the place; you can ask a small business like a bar to use their restroom as well and even if it's not an obligation, it's common courtesy to buy something afterwords, even if it's something very cheap.

[@sylvievanhout8706]

18:10 we actually have "night stores", stores that open after closing time of regular grocery stores and stay open untill late night/early morning. There are not as common as regular stores, but they are not exactly a rarity.

[@JohnDoe-xz1mw]

i thought after so mayn videos i have a pretty good grasp on americas weirdness..then i found out that backpacks are suspecious....blew my mind.

[@silviahannak3213]

Yeah mine too. What about normal School Kids? They also wear that. Well you can steal even with having a Handbag or any other bag. Not that you should. Just saying that it is ridiculous that only that kind of Bags ate being looked like that 😂

[@kmeanxneth]

yeah, do they not have security systems what notice unscanned items on your backpack?

[@eliphas_vlka]

While here in france i put my stuff in it in the store

[@TheSuperappelflap]

Man. This video doesnt even cover the worst of it. You need to sit down and hold on to your seat. When they want to make tea, right? Hot tea. They put water in a cup. And then put the cup in the microwave. To boil water. Savages.

[@TheSuperappelflap]

@@silviahannak3213 In Netherlands its normal for stores to have a sign that says something like "only 2 (or 3) school kids allowed at a time" and when they pass the register they have to open their bags for the cashiers. Thankfully you can fit chocolate bars in the pockets on the inside of your jacket, too.

[@isuckatguitar6252]

For example, watching this I said out loud, What is a public drinking law? Would never occur to me that I can't take a bottle of wine to the beach or drink a beer on the street with friends on a night out.

[@TheSuperappelflap]

A lot of places in EU countries have local rules against drinking in public. For example, in Amsterdam, city widely known for its debauchery and drugs, drinking alcohol on the street is banned in the entire city center. Many other cities in the Netherlands have similar rules. And a lot of beaches have rules against drinking as well. To prevent accidents and reduce noise and stop drunkards from bothering people etc.

[@gihdih3602]

21:50 i feel like this differs from family to family, when i was a kid my family used to go on road trips all the time to some rustic restaurant in a village or to visit family friends in another city.

[@booboss]

Actually in Poland you can't drink in public either. Has to be restaurant indoor or restaurant side-walk belonging to that restaurant. It's actually about not promoting drinking over children.

[@Phreakazoidd]

1. In Europe we don't have garbage disposal sinks but we clean the plates before we wash them + in a lot of countries they use different bins for food/bio, plastic, paper etc. 2. Drinking on the street is illegal in most countries except for specially designed places such as terraces (ignored on concerts or some other public events) 3. You need to take your shoes off in a lot of airports in Europe if security notices they have metal in them or finds you suspicious 4. We don't have huge grocery stores in EU simply because we have tens of smaller supermarkets and hundreds of corner shops throughout the cities 5. We don't say "blocks" away but we do use "streets" instead (the shop is on second street on the right) 6. We do have night shops in EU, maybe not as many though. And those are mostly in the bigger cities. We have also non-stop gas stations and even 24/7 pharmacies in some countries

[@MellonVegan]

0:55 We don't even have the concept of "refilling". You just order another drink. In a new glass. Agreed on the bathroom thing though. You have to pay to pee inside but if you pee outside, you'll also have to pay (a fine). Wtf is up with that? 5:40 Most people in countries where it is safe (I assume most?) drink still water and the younger someone is, the more likely they are not to buy bottled water bc of the price tag, I would assume. That's how it goes in Germany, at least. I don't know anyone who drinks water at all who wouldn't drink tap water. In contrast, I find it odd that people in the US need access to water anywhere and everywhere at any time. That's not normal. I was gonna assume something about ridiculously high salt intake (which you guys indeed have) but that's comparable to Western European countries and actually low compared to Eastern Europe, so my assumption was wrong. Still, no one complains about not having water fountains in e.g. Germany despite us being complainers bc it's not important. The free bathrooms though... people regularly complain about not having those. My city used to have one (1!) of those. They closed it down...

[@paulavitoria1798]

"ridiculously high salt intake": maybe change it to "ridiculously high sugar intake"?

[@MobscastBlackOut]

4:44 ah, yes. Australia, my favourite european country

[@Dukenukem]

I always "check in" my backpack on the info/security desk/guy when I have some stuff (that might sold in that store) in the backpack when I go shopping, never had any trouble. When I go only for a few things I can carry in hands I usually keep it there so I don't have to carry it around in the store.

[@i_want_truth]

brilliant observation and conclusion. sounds reasonable to me regarding the size of the stores. i was wondering about that. THANK YOU!

[@NoranAzmy]

Whoever drove his nephew from Switzerland to Frankfurt airport is an absolute gem. Can’t imagine anyone doing that for me even if they live on the border it’s still over 3h.

[@CabinFever52]

After seeing what 24/7 stores did to communities when Walmart moved into our neighborhoods in the states, I am quite happy waiting for a store to open before I buy something here in Europe....just knowing that parents are home with their kids, instead of having to work strange hours and what an adverse effect that has on society----I am just fine with waiting to go shopping until morning. Also, we have several small grocery stores within a few blocks of our apartment, drugeries and pharmacies, hardware stores, restaurants, salons, cannabis stores, etc., etc., etc. Plus, we have plenty of water fountains here in Vienna, Austria, and many of them have mist machines that cool you in summer. We even have a fountain in the neighborhood that many parents trust their kids to drink the water as it runs into the fountain, knowing that the water is such high quality---without any chlorine...just natural water that came down from the mountains.

[@EleonoreWang]

In Norway we have clean free public bathrooms

[@module79l28]

And so do most of the european countries. Here in Portugal the number of paid public toilets is so small, even in the bigger cities, that tourists would have to be very unlucky if they're the only available option when they need one. They're mostly located in train, bus or metro stations but in grocery stores or shopping centres they're always free and clean. It's the same thing in many cities in Spain and even in a mega touristy city like Paris. I've been there in 2013, walked everywhere and when I needed a toilet, I even went a few times to cafés and asked if I could use theirs: never once I received a 'no' for an answer and never once I was required to buy something to be able to use them.

[@Kamisei85]

19:56 We do a head nod instead of a verbal greeting as well.

[@JenniferRussell-qw2co]

We can have either free (good) water, or sparkling which you pay for in restaurants. 😊

[@tramper42]

14:14 „backpack for groceries“ best solution ever! hands free for phone - plus easier to carry weight for longer shoppings.. ALWAYS KEEP your receipts while visiting different shops! Not really backpack related, as you also can be searched with your NORMAL BAGS brought to the shop, if security cams suspect you did steal something.

[@Fujoshi13]

14:00 Yes so true. In Germany I use to put everything back in the cart and place them in recycling bag in my car. Best way. If you want a plastic bag you have to pay for it. The recycling in Germany is no joke. They take it very seriously. You have to separate the glass by colour. The garbage bin are super small and the city pick up the trash every 2 weeks. ( Well we do that too in where I live in Canada)

[@TheSuperappelflap]

I hear people from North America say Germans take recycling super serious when they have 3 bins and seperate their glass? In the Netherlands we have been doing this since the 1980s at least. Most people have 4 garbage bins, one for paper and cardboard, one for organics, one for plastic, and one for remainder. Then, glass is seperated into white, green and brown, which doesnt go into a bin, you have to take to a disposal point (usually there is one near every grocery store), where you can put the bottles in an underground container. Then you have a seperate bin for chemical waste that you have to take to the municipal waste facility yourself if you want to empty it. This is for empty paint cans and the like. Batteries have to be recycled at seperate points as well, which are also usually in or near grocery stores. And then there is medical waste like empty bottles of fluid medicines which you have to hand back in at the pharmacy. In many places you also have to pay every time you put the "remainder" bin by the road, so it motivates people to use that one sparingly.

[@Fujoshi13]

@@TheSuperappelflap It was the same for me when I lived in Germany but we only had one very small big for the waste not four. I had to separate everything my self and bring it to the recycling facility and we too had the 3 huge bin to separate the glass bottles by colours. Truth is when I came back to Canada it was hard because I was so use to the German way of recycling. Even a decade later i still separate everything and go to the facility myself.

[@TheSuperappelflap]

@@Fujoshi13 Tell you a little secret, everything you seperate into those bins at home goes to the same facility and then they use machines to seperate it again anyway, so it really doesnt matter. The only reason the govt forces people to have those bins is to make them more aware of how much waste they produce. And it does work in that regard. But its technically just a waste of time.

[@Fujoshi13]

@@TheSuperappelflap LOL I know. It's an OCD that I have.

[@paulavitoria1798]

@@TheSuperappelflap The first thing to be recicled in Portugal was glass, and we used to have great containers in the street, but they always came in pairs, one for white, another for colored glass. Now there's only one container for all glass, and I don't know why... Nowadays, in some areas of the major cities (I'm lucky enough to live in one of those areas), with plans to extend it to the whole city, although we still have underground containers to separate materials (we call them ecopoints), the only thing we have to take there is glass and batteries: for paper, plastic and metal, and "domestic" waste we have different containers in each building, and garbage trucks come collect it in alternate days of the week (one time a week for paper, two for plastic and metal and three for "domestic"). Unfortunately, only restaurants and cafes have bins for organic waste. We also have containers for cooking oil and small appliances and electronics, corks and coffee capsules, but these are usually located on supermarkets. We still haven't met the goals we propose, but are heading there.

[@Bloodysugar]

14:27 That's about American car culture vs European pedestrian culture (in big cities at least) : Why would we take your car to the grocery while it's only 5 to 10mn walk (and it is pretty hard to find a parking spot) ? You just walk and carry your stuff with whatever bag suits you. You don't need to make a month of food stock anyway, cause it's just a short walk away, so for a couple of days a backpack is just fine. In USA walking down the street is already suspicious... remembering this time we were controlled by some cop in the center of Atlanta. All went well so he explained us our behavior was kind of shady because we were walking. Funny thing : he was on an electric wheely stuff, I guess to not look "shady" walking. XD

[@sydneywellington_cazadora]

1. You can't be accused of stealing if you put things in your backpack after paying for them, when you leave the shopping area. 2. If you do your monthly shopping, of course they put them in bags, but bags with handles. Not those giant paper bags that you have to carry in your arms, like a baby. There's nothing more uncomfortable. 3. In Spain, we also have shopping carts to transport your groceries home. You'd be surprised by them, Ryan. 😁

[@hushus10021971]

Regarding grocery stores. Uor truck comes more often with groceries. AKA NO CHEMICALS

[@beldin2987]

I have a great idea for a new business .. what about creating beer bottle that look like guns ? So you can drink your beer everywhere and police officers would maybe even give you a high five if they see how proud you wield your freedom sticks.

[@someguyanonymous5171]

14:57 - so how do you guys take things with you? If you have school books or laptops or documents. Its normal to bring a backpack for us on the daily or a sports bag or women anyway have their massive handbags. Plus in our supermarkets the bathrooms are outside the shopping area. You gotta pay and leave before you can go to a bathroom

[@TheSuperappelflap]

They use their pick up trucks to carry things with them

[@MrGravyGuy]

I went to an American-themed party. Although outside the US, America means both continents North and South America. It had a bucking bronco, hay bales, saloon, moonshine, fire circle and yes, those little red plastic cups.

[@stjepan4444]

Tap water here in Croatia is better then expensive bottled sh.t

[@whydoistillexist5033]

5:24 in Switzerland there are PLENTY of water fountains. But even if there weren’t. Shops are never too far away (almost everyone walks or cycles) and you can drink tap water no problem

[@Sun-YiReyko]

In burger king spain you dont pay for refills but is the only place I can think of

[@powerviolentnightmare5026]

There are a few of them in Austria but mostly you pay for each new cup. It depends

[@davidribeiro1064]

Portugal as well. Maybe KFC too.

[@Phaerion]

Don't forget that, they may be small, but we also have more grocery stores to choose from in the same area. I can choose in my area between 3 different grocery stores which I can reach on foot and two bakeries and a butcher.. And I'm not even living downtown but just outside of the city centre.

[@sleutelbergen8678]

A refill in the usa is not free. Use the brains!

[@LoveCats9220]

It’s astounding how often people hear the word “free” and truly think it’s free 🙄. Doesn’t matter if it’s free refills or free shopping bags

[@randomuser5443]

It literally is?

[@Alicia-rd5oj]

​@@randomuser5443 No, it's not. It isn't charity, you know. It's a business, they are there to make money. So, in some way, you are paying for it. Other than tips and taxes, the extra drinks are already included in the price. 😉

[@LoveCats9220]

@@randomuser5443 Do you think businesses will give “free”? They look out for themselves first. They estimate, over estimate, how many “free” refills or bags or whatever the item is, and then increase it into the cost of other items they sell. So, just as an example, if a soda costs them 5 cents (and it doesn’t cost them nearly that much), they’ll charge you 10 cents as they guestimate 3 people will go for the “free” refill. Stay away from establishments that offer “free”

[@valfar9999]

@@randomuser5443 The only places that do free refills are fast foods here and every soda is cut with water or whatever else to the point where it doesn't taste like the soda it's based on I'd much rather only have a 33cl of genuine coca in a bottle than 1L of the thing they call coca at McDo So yeah, it's not even free because you pay for it somewhere else on your menu and on top of that it tastes bad

[@Ikaelgo]

I think that the reason for the big grocery stores is that you drive everywhere in the US and the shops don’t have to be centrally located and spread out in different nearby neighbourhoods. Instead everyone takes their car and drives (sometimes for quite a while) to get to the store. The stores can also be so big because the rent is, probably, not so high where they’re located. And, again, since you drive to the grocery stores even if you live far away, there will be enough customers for the store to ”survive”. In countries where you don’t drive a car to get everywhere the stores have to be more conveniently located and there have to be more of them. So more, but smaller, grocery stores - where you can walk or take public transport to and forth. Of course,there are some huge stores in Europe as well, usually outside the city centres. And most people who shop there will go by car.

[@BlueFlash215]

2:45 I guess you have German themed parties with beer kegs and Steins. Maybe some Asian themed party?

[@wozn7195]

I guess a Asia party would get you cancelled in the US 😂

[@TobiasRieperGER]

15:57 I wouldn't say, it's 3 miles that way. Only the UK would make that. I am from germany. I would say 3 km that way. And yes i know, you US americans now want to ask "What the F is a KM" 1 mile is 1,68 km. 3 feet isn't a meter, cause 1 feet is 30 cm, 3 are 90 cm, 1m is 100 cm. Even a yard don't fit. 1 Yard is 91,48 cm. 1 inch is 2,54 cm.... Sorry imperial system is crazy..... Did you know, that NASA used metric in the 60s to land on the moon? The same for your °F. Do you know how °C works? 0°C is when water begin to freeze, 100°C when water boils. Human temperature is 37°C.