Things In Germany That Feel DANGEROUS To Americans!

[@PassportTwo]

Have you ever been robbed or been a pickpocket victim?

[@XVI_rome]

nope but I loose stuff constantly lol

[@xekon14]

Not robbed but scammed. Some years ago whilst at a train station we were buying tickets and a person came along and said he had a ticket for us. We bought it but then quickly found out it was already used. The person of course already walked far away so we couldn’t call the police on them.

[@Stinkehund]

No, never happened to me. My brother had his apartment broken in and got beaten up when he was younger.

[@gehtdichnixan3200]

yes i was it was funny

[@helgaioannidis9365]

When I was living in Rome, sleeping at my boyfriend's, burglars made it through every apartment in the whole building within one night. They got inside while we were sleeping and took my boyfriend's wallet and his roommate's computer. Very skilled, didn't break anything, didn't harm anybody.

[@qobide]

Insurance isn't about feeling unsafe. Insurance is about not getting broke.

[@grewdpastor]

Just the same in the Netherlands😉

[@ACEsParkJunheeWreckedMeHard]

Yup. Imagine you have 300€ on your bank account and you make 2K a month, about half of it is allready gone at the beginning of the month (different taxes etc.). So let's say you have about 1.5K on the bank for the rest of the month. You pay for your rent, gas, internet, electricity etc. and you are left with 600€ to spend for the rest of the month (mainly food). And all of a suddon you accidantly knock a flower pot off of your balcony and hit your neighbor from 3 floors underneath and he wants to sue you for that. You are not insured and get to hear you need to pay 16.000€ to your neighbor now cause of this accidant. How are you surviving from that without an insurance ? Thats why insurances are great, cause now you don't need to worry about those 16K if you got an insurance for that issue

[@N_K12695]

Insurance is like a bet you don't want to win.

[@hypatian9093]

Insurance is to shoulder a possible sudden expense with many people.

[@kiliipower355]

As soon as you have children, most people take out term life insurance. It is cheaper than life insurance and the children are covered if something happens.

[@kieferngruen]

"Kein Trinkwasser" only means that the water doesn't get checked regularly. Germany has the strictest standards for tap water in the world.

[@Herzschreiber]

...and sometimes, but this is in fact very, very rare, it might be just the outcome of a little natural source on a mountain. Here in my hometown there is one, it is situated beneath a road which leads through some vineyards and it is for the farmers when they want to fill their tanks for watering the vineyards. It is really not "controlled water" at all. But like I mentioned before, this will not often be the case.

[@AdamMPick]

It usually means it is not used a lot and bacteria can grow in it to not acceptable levels, because it was not flushed. It is still safe enough to wash, but you might get an upset tummy, if you drank it on a hot day, after no one used it for three months. Drinking water needs to be flowing, or regulary flushed.

[@theresabu3000]

We don't have a lot of open water fountains. But we have toilets - with wash basins where you can refresh when hot and fill up small bottles or water bladders. I sometimes do that while at a restaurant or café. More remote places are cemeteries where you can refill (on biking tours). We also don't drink that much - but more fountains could be great in public parks and universities. But then public 🚾🚻 would be also needed.

[@moritzw.7030]

Still placed 8

[@Fragenzeichenplatte]

​​@@moritzw.7030 In water quality, not drinking water. Also, the first 6 countries are tied at 100 points while Germany has 99.0 so barely different.

[@andreas74764]

One important rule that the Autobahn has and US highways don't is that you are not allowed to overtake a car on the right and that you have to drive on the right lane when it's empty. (Rechtsfahrgebot). I believe that's a huge contributer to safety that the left lanes are only intended for overtaking and you don't have to worry that much about a speeding car behind when you change to your lane on the right.

[@Wolf-ln1ml]

I've read that at least some states in the USA also have that rule, but that it's pretty much never enforced. Would be interesting to know how insurance companies react to someone getting into an accident while overtaking on the right, if that rule should indeed exist there...

[@grewzteN]

Well, it would be great if more people actually followed the Rechtsfahrgebot... because some people clinically stay in the left lane, and this creates really dangerous situations when inevitably, someone will overtake on the right.

[@Wolf-ln1ml]

@@grewzteN It happens, yes, but it _is_ pretty rare. Far more common are idiots who overtake and then slow down - not because they want to break-check and annoy the one they just overtook, but because there is a construction site or tunnel or whatever coming up, and they slow down to a speed that _they_ are comfortable with I've had people slow down to 45 for a tunnel - where the speed limit was 80) and don't even think about what's right behind them anymore. Out of sight, out of mind and all that.

[@TierchenF95]

That's the most important thing to know and not to be a Mittelspurschleicher (mid lane lurker).

[@lonespokesperson7254]

you mean _passing_

[@uwelohr7958]

Discussing the speed limit with the wrong Germans will get you in similar trouble as discussing the gun law with the wrong Americans...

[@Mr.PastGlory]

For sure. Btw. there's not much Autobahn left with no speed limits.

[@c.b.4270]

​@@Mr.PastGlory It's still above 50% ...

[@cantinadudes]

I mean, kinda? I just think a speed limit is unnecessary when our roads are just as safe regardless, its just about CO2 emissions. Gun laws in america make life there less safe so its not really the same thing. And i believe that instead of banning cars or things about them we shoule instead make our öffis better. I recently took a bus ride to the city directly next to mine and it cost me 7€... 7 fucking euros for a 20 min bus ride. If we had it like japan where you can reach anywhere cheaply and fast via train and bus, i bet there'd be a lot of people who would rather take the train, reducing emissions much more than if you just ban cars from driving fast. Like there are no statistics showing that the absent speed limit is making our roads any more dangerous, but in the US gun violence and murder rates are _much_ higher than in other western countries. Its really not comparable

[@theresabu3000]

Yeah. I think 99% only drive up to 150/160 km/h (100 miles/hour). It's pretty save.

[@donnikthejedi2222]

​@@Mr.PastGlory good. The no Speed Limit thing is BS anyways

[@L4NC3_L0T]

Funn fact: often enough the "kein Trinkwasser" (no drinking water) signs are a classic "don't sue me, I warned you" kinda thing in case someone DOES get sick afte drinking it. often enough it's the same water that close by farm animals DO get served i.e. and it's technically safe to drink... but noone keeps checking it for quality/safety so it's a "at your own risk" thing. You CAN usually drink it (using common sense by looking at the source etc.) but the sign keeps the owner of the spring/source from getting sued. It's usually unfiltered spring/groundwater directly from the source/spring and with the generally high quality of natural water in Germany that is drinkable.

[@timo4257]

2000$ for a driver's license here in Germany is almost impossible nowadays. Everyone I've asked who recently got their license has paid more than 3000€, and if you don't pass the exams, it can quickly get much more expensive.

[@labu5605]

Yup, did everything first try and with a pretty average amount of lessons and paid around 2800€

[@fliplefrog8843]

Yes! ..but you also have to mention the 'quality' of the education. There are dumb drivers all over the world ;D but i think, less in europe.

[@Nightshadow12]

Also paid 2500€ without not passing

[@schneeroseful]

I paid 2000€. But I am 32, and I guess it will be cheaper to send my kids to the US to get their "Lappen" (my friends needed to do the theoretical test again to get German license) than taking the course in Germany

[@all_in_for_JESUS]

I paid 1500 Euros. But that was 22 Years ago.

[@oldfrittenfett1276]

I never understood the expectation of getting tap water for free in a restaurant. It does not cost much if you only look at the water bill, true, but somebody must take your order, bring you the water, get the glass back once you drank the water and wash the glass. And our restaurant staff actually get paid.

[@DASPRiD]

True… plus the water you order is still cheaper than the tips you are expected to pay in the US :D

[@fliplefrog8843]

I've been in Florida. And have been adviced only to drink from bottles. I went to McDumbass and got a Coke also. The Coke tasted somewhat chlorined! It's because the groundwater is 'used' and seawater refills the groundwater. Therefor it have to be filteret... Also with Chlorine. Don't drink tapwater from u'r hotelroom, or at all in Florida, u'll regret it!

[@aphextwin5712]

It’s just a slightly different business model. Many hairdressers [in Germany] might offer free water or coffee. And these things go both ways in that many customers/patrons in Germany prefer bottled water.

[@thebigphilbowski]

@@fliplefrog8843 your mistake isn't drinking the tap water, it is going to Florida.

[@pjschmid2251]

They’re already going to be washing all the other dishes resulting from your meal the incremental cost of that one additional glass is trivial at best. It hardly justifies charging someone three euros for a bottle of water. In addition the article freely admitted that selling this water is a revenue stream so it has nothing to do with the cost of providing a glass of water and everything to do with forcing you to buy something that you didn’t really want to buy.

[@Rafaela_S.]

In germany we have a mindset of: "Better safe than sorry." Just imagine you visit a restaurant with an really old vase that is really expensive and by some accident you stumble and cause of it you pull down the vase and it's broken. There is a big difference between you just paying 5.000 Euro for it or for your insurance, that costs you less than 5 Euro a month, to cover the cost for you. The risk is always there, even if it is low.

[@methanbreather]

actually, the Autobahn is the least dangerous road. The least amount of accidents. The least amount of deadly accidents. Deadly? That is inner cities traffic.

[@Taladar2003]

Certainly helps to have virtually no conflict points and in general going all in the same direction.

[@Christian-ev1zu]

​@@Taladar2003 it also helps that a lot of kilometers are driven on the Autobahn such that there are less deaths per driven Kilometer in the statistics.

[@andrewbleichart8969]

These only seem “dangerous” if you are not a normal intelligent adult with the ability to reason and adapt to a slightly different environment.

[@wjhann4836]

Autobahn: Don't know the exact numbers - but driving on the Autobahn is the most save environment for driving. Town or rural streets are much more prone to accidents.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

Most of it is fairly straight and the road surfaces are generally well maintained. No crossings where you might run into someone, no traffic lights or toll gates where people stop.

[@Brainee444]

Well, how about we construct, town & rural roads like Autobahns? Put a barricade in the middle, so you can't get accidentally into oncoming traffic and cannot turn left; also no crossings or intersections. You really think the Autobahn without speed limit will still be safer then than those roads with limits?

[@wjhann4836]

@@Brainee444Many points - statistics say Autobahn is safer. - don't know how the driven distances may affect. - Autobahn is not only a barricade. There are many rules that make an Autobahn expensive. NO crossings - entering and exits are in separate lanes and slopes (you shall be able to drive through savely with more than 25m/h and so on.

[@Brainee444]

@@wjhann4836 Thanks, I guess, for rephrasing what i already said, while avoiding answering my question. Very enlightening.

[@emanymton5789]

Tap water/mineral water: Just look up the location of the mineral water wells. For instance the MW well for Pyrmonter is not that far away from the tap water well for the city of Bad Pyrmont. It's the same water. The only difference is MW gets carbonated before bottling. Also a quick note: tap water is the most controlled food source in Germany. it is even more controlled than our famous German beer. If you find an outlet (mainly in a public park or something like that) with a sign saying "Kein Trinkwasser" (no drinking water) this means the water comes from a cistern or is collected unfiltered rainwater and not deemed suitable for human consumption. It is however good for watering plants.

[@hypatian9093]

I never thought about where the water supply of that town came from.

[@realulli]

"Kein Trinkwasser" just means it's not guaranteed to be drinkable. It might be totally drinkable, but it also might contain some pathogens. Fun fact: some cities had a specialized pipe network to supply water to the public fountains. All the fountains had to carry a sign "Kein Trinkwasser". Some of those cities figured out the upkeep of that network cost more than just using the tap water network and paying a bit more for the water. The signs disappeared...

[@Sampler19]

Regarding drinking fountains: Doesn't it feel icky to drink from something covered in other people's saliva? That's one thing that always struck me about it, being from Germany.

[@vHindenburg]

The few public fountains I now are just taps of running springwater/waterworks usually next to hiking trails.

[@Bramfly]

You are not supposed to drink with your mouth touching anything other than the water beam

[@Sampler19]

@@Bramfly But don't the drops from their mouths drop down again onto the "faucet" sometimes?

[@andymo4671]

​@@Sampler19 Sometimes, you slip on the floor of bathroom, when you try to hold ON the sink , you Brooke IT. Meanwhile the fosset is broken to . Sometimes it can happen 🤷🏼

[@lonespokesperson7254]

@Sampler19 - What a silly thing to say...would you rather die of thirst? Don't you think think your health minister Lauterbach would put them in place if it were dangerous? Don't you think your own digestive system could handle 'others' saliva? Don't you think it is a basic right to have your thirst quenched. Apparently not. If it were up to you, you would tax air for breathing

[@fawkesmorque]

I'm german. 95% of my drinks are pure tap water and 5% are coffee (tap water with flavour). 😎

[@MarkusWitthaut]

Regarding tap water: The quality of tap water is very good up to the house connection. The problem is in the house itself. One problem can be that bacterial films can develop in the water pipes in the house, especially if the water is warm and has been standing for a long time. In that case you should run the tap for five minutes and better leave the room as well. Another problem is that the tap water can be very chalky, depending on the region. This then doesn't taste so great. And yes, I drink tap water and prepare my tea with unfiltered tap water.

[@p529.]

Basically all of my friends only drink tap water. Also, the fountains outside usually are safe to drink from but they put it on to not get sued

[@gulliverthegullible6667]

Some Germans see through the ruse and drink tap water. They call it "Rohrperle". The tap water quality is generally pretty good.

[@kpanic23]

"Eau de coq" - Hahnenwasser 😄

[@meinekleineweltreise]

It’s always funny to hear US Americans talking about scams when it comes to paid public toilets. Especially when you see them paying 10-20-30% tip for almost everything they buy in states. 🤣

[@ChrisTian-rm7zm]

It's also funny that people in the most capitalistic country on earth acutally believe they get something for free. There is no free stuff, you pay for it in one way or the other.

[@LeSarthois]

Seeing Americans commentign this, I think there is confusion in the "public" part of public toilet, as I heard several commenting that it's a scam to pay for toilets "when you already paid for your food" so it would be good to explain that in those case, only "free-standing" toilets are concerned, not restaurant or most public building toilets (I do think that paying toilets in rail station is BS)

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

@@LeSarthois The thing is, places where you buy food generally have free toilets. Those that you have to pay for are typically standalone "setups". And the money is to keep them maintained. Someone has to pay to keep the water running, the paper and soap stocked up and the whole thing clean. So why not the people who use it. Oh, and many places (like restaurants and such) have a voluntary participation. Sort of like a tip for the cleaning staff.

[@all_in_for_JESUS]

I have never ordered tap water at a restaurant in my entire life. Why would anyone go to a restaurant and expect drinks for free. 😅

[@LeSarthois]

Free water and bread is required by law in France when you order a meal.

[@aroace7913]

@@LeSarthois I assume only though when you order something.

[@chmueller59]

I really loved it in the USA - a few moments after we were seated in the restautant they brought us cold water . This is very friendly, doesn't cost the restaurant a lot and makes sure guests are happy. . On the other hand, we forgot to order enough drinks before eating spicy indian food in Austria and it took us at least 10 minutes to get a waiter to bring us water. That was a very long time and I will remember the restaurant as something bad my whole life.

[@persel_hd]

@@chmueller59 wow you had to wait a whole 10 minutes, if it's an emergency just sneakily take a sip from your own bottle and maybe eat a bit slower.

[@chmueller59]

@@persel_hd if I had had my own bottle I would not have had to call the waiter to bring me some. And 10 minutes is a long time if you have eaten something really spicy.

[@jack2453]

The legal insurance is possibly because they don't have no-win-no-fee lawyers.

[@snesman3081]

That "Halloooo"-sound was from the comedian Faisal Kawusi where he made jokes about the fact that we say "Hallo" when we are angry and in no other country would any person say that😂😂😂😂

[@tillneumann406]

Which I find questionable, since this use of "hallo" or "hello" comes strictly from _Back to the Future_ where Biff tries to make George McFly "think" (or rather look stupid) by knocking on his head with his fist and asking "Hello? Hello? Anybody home?" I'm certain I never heard this used like that before BTTF.

[@drau331]

Well, we have an Autobahn from Berlin to Hamburg (A24). It was renovated for a few years and that time there was set a speedlimit. After it was build ready, the speed limit was abolished again. The fact the local police found out: after givin' free there was no significant higher number of accidents than with speed limit. As long as the rules are followed, the speed at itself is not the problem..

[@FutureChaosTV]

The problem is that even if the rate of accidents remain the same (which I doubt) the severity of the accident goes up with higher speeds. So, even if you have the same amount of accidents, the will be more severe. You will get more deaths and more crippled people and the autobahn has to be closed for longer durations to transport the wounded and to remove the carnage.

[@realulli]

@@FutureChaosTV don't you think the police would have mentioned that? I'm pretty sure they collected the number of cars (or rather, the total number of kilometers traveled, the number of fender benders, the number of people injured and the number of people killed. The actual numbers would be interesting. Just that it wasn't quoted all over the place points me towards it not supporting the argument of the limit proponents.

[@frankishempire2322]

"Germany is not a fairy-tale land" Doch

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

that is like the most german answer possible.

[@brathahn24]

@@HappyBeezerStudiosTja.

[@arnolsi]

When I was younger my washing machine broke and the water was running down to 4 other flats. Without my Hausratversicherung I had to pay thousands. My son broke a big glass door at a department store and my insurance safed me a lot of money too. The americans act like "You become wise from damage"

[@christiankastorf4836]

The idea of health and invalidity insurance in Germany goes back to the Middle Ages. In those days it was the ones who ran great risks at their work (carpenters, roofers, miners) who paid into a collective box that would pay their surgery bill, a small pension if they had survived an accident that crippled them or some support for their widows and orphaned children. With more and more people working in industries from the early 19th century on it was at least some factory owners who adopted that system. They acted as donors but some of the wages of their workers were withheld and transferred into those "Kassen" as well. Legislation in Germany made it compulsory for all industries on a nationwide basis from the 1880s onwards. The percentage of the wages that are withheld and redirected is laid down by parliament and so is the share that the employers have to contribute. At first that system was installed only for industrial (blue collar) workers. Office staff and other clerks were not included. That was changed after the 1918/19 revolution. And the last ones who became part of that general system were the farmers for themselves, their families and their farmhands that had long been at the lowest and most unprotected scale of society.

[@hypatian9093]

Most interesting is that the German social insurance system, which was initiated by Bismarck as a tool in the fight against socialism (to appease the working class + keep them from organising themselves politically), is now seen as a "socialist" thing in the US ;)

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

@@hypatian9093 a good sign how we keep a balance between uncontrolled free market capitalism and fully state controlled socialism.

[@nielstenbrink]

„Germans don‘t seem to drink tap water“ is one of the most clueless and untrue statements ever about Germany. Simply not true.

[@StPauliFanNr1]

7:35 driving school costs are more in the realm of 3.500€ nowaydays.

[@thorstent2542]

😄

[@C42ST3N]

Kommt drauf an wie viele Fahrstunden man braucht. Letztens erst hat ein bekannter 2.500 bezahlt

[@SkyCaptainification]

Hängt auch vom Bundesland ab

[@IntyMichael]

When a danger in a country is free (or not free) water…

[@winny4765]

Whenever I asked for tap water, I was given it. It is an additional service than cannot be monetized by the restaurant. It is a matter of kindly asking for it, not ordering it like a jail officer.

[@Frohds14]

Und schon wieder das Leitungswasser als Problem... Wird langsam langweilig. Noch mal erklärt: 1. Die meisten Lokale bei uns haben Verträge mit Brauereien und Getränkelieferanten, die unter anderem auch Teile der Ausstattung finanzieren oder auf Kommission bereit stellen. Was die Betriebskosten für die Wirte erheblich reduziert. Die Brauereien und Getränkelieferanten wollen aber Umsatz sehen. 2. Um Leitungswasser ausschenken zu können, braucht man in vielen Regionen eine gesonderte Wasserleitung zzgl. zu den zwei getrennten Leitungssystemen die man ohnehin schon in Lokalen haben muss, nämlich eine für Brauchwasser für die Reinigung und eine für Kochwasser. Es muss sichergestellt sein, dass keine Verunreinigungen ins Wasser gelangen können, der Wasserhahn nicht etwa mit Putzwasser in Berührung kommt. Teilweise müssen sogar regelmäßig Proben ins Labor geschickt werden. Das kostet. Kann man natürlich machen. Aber irgendwo will der Wirt sein Geld wieder reinholen. Das schlägt er dann auf den Preis drauf. Das heißt, derjenige der das Leitungswasser trinkt, freut sich, dass er nichts zahlen muss. Die anderen aber zahlen seine Zeche mit. Fair geht anders! 3. Unser Leitungswasser ist KEIN Tafelwasser! Während in den USA überall die gleiche chlorierte entmineralisierte Plörre aus dem Hahn kommt, auch in vielen Nachbarländern, kommt bei uns in Deutschland regional sehr unterschiedliches Wasser aus dem Hahn. Das kann schon im Nachbarort ganz anders schmecken, weil der Mineralgehalt anders ist. Denn hier entzieht man nicht die geschmacksverändernden Mineralien und vermischt Brunnenwasser mit aufbereitetem Oberflächenwasser, nur in Großstädten wie Frankfurt. Wir trinken hier "hartes" Wasser. Dieses Wasser schmeckt eben nicht jedem. Das was ich trinke, würden manche Menschen als zu sauer empfinden. Nicht mal Tee kann man damit kochen, man hat Schlieren und der Tee schmeckt merkwürdig - dazu muss ich es mindestens filtern. In dem Ort, in dem ich vorher lebte, war der Eisengehalt im Wasser sehr hoch, es schmeckte immer etwas metallisch. Und davor hatte ich sehr schwefelhaltiges Leitungswasser. Ich denke nicht, dass Wirte auch noch die Diskussion mit Gästen führen möchten, weil denen das kostenlos abgegebene Leitungswasser nicht schmeckt. 4. Es ist NICHT unsere Kultur. Für uns biodeutschen Kartoffeln ist Essengehen nichts Alltägliches, wie in den USA, wo scheinbar kein Mensch daheim isst, geschweige denn selbst kocht. Wenn wir essen gehen, ist das was Besonderes. Man gönnt sich was, verwöhnt sich oder lässt sich verwöhnen. Zu einem guten Essen gehört ein gutes Getränk, etwas, das ich sonst nicht habe. Leitungswasser kann ich auch daheim haben. Mir killt es echt die Stimmung, wenn ich mit Menschen essen gehen muss, die sich nicht einmal in einem Lokal was gönnen wollen, ausgerechnet dann Geld und Kalorien sparen wollen. Bei sehr jungen Menschen mit sehr engem Budget kann ich das ja noch verstehen, in ner Studentenkneipe z.B. (in denen es in meiner Studienzeit in den 90ern schon lange auch Leitungswasser gab). Aber bei Menschen im Beruf, knausern nicht mal Hardcore-Schwaben so derart!

[@ThorstenWieking]

Genial geschrieben!😂

[@perez8950]

Halbe Bibel ganzer

[@heike0412]

Wir trinken wenn möglich Leitungswasser und es ist auch überall in D möglich, da es ja kontrolliert wird. Tatsächlich gibt es Geschmacksunterschiede. In Südniedersachsen ist das Wasser ziemlich hart, weil es durch Kalkstein läuft. Daher mischen viele Gemeinden es mit weichem Wasser aus dem Harz, auch um die Leitungen vor dem Verkalken zu schonen. Dieses gemischte Wasser schmeckt wunderbar und wir trinken zuhause nichts anderes. In Großstädten, in denen das Leitungswasser gechlort ist, muss man entweder filtern oder Mineralwasser kaufen.

[@jack2453]

Why do Americans say 'the' autobahn as though it is one thing? Why not an autobahn, like 'a freeway' or 'an interstate'?

[@thebigphilbowski]

For the same reason I refer to federal highways as "the interstate". We're referring to the system and not as an example "I-95" specifically. Now in Southern California they would refer to Interstate 5 as "The 5" or in L.A. as "The Santa Ana Freeway"

[@keule329z.4]

There is a (yet unwritten) rule in traffic: When police, ambulance and firefighters are on their way, rushing to a case of emergency, to keep the middle lane free. This is the "Rettungsgasse" or literally "emergency pathway". It got more attention in the last years and is another way to decrease the number of fatal outcomes of traffic accidents: The sooner an ambulance can get to the place of the accident, the more likely an injured person's life can be saved. My mum, a former paramedic/EMS, still thanks people who keep the "Rettungsgasse" spared. I don't own a license to drive because of cluster headaches. Both brothers of mine do, the second brother did it in a few months (as he did have to balance the driving lessons with his regular school schedule)... and the first one did it within 3 weeks of 2021. I already rode with him (when he did have the license for 2 months) and it wasn't much of a difference compared to our mum who, back then, owned her license for 33 1/2 years. Insurance is a very important thing. In case of damage, it's a huge advantage saving you a lot of money. Health insurance is one of the most important examples: Imagine needing medication and going to your GP to get a prescription for said medication, so you can get it at a pharmacy. You'll only have to aditionally pay 5 bucks per prescription, the rest is covered by health insurance. Another, more current example how health insurance can save you a whole bunch of money, is what I'm currently in: I happened to have a Jones fracture in my right foot and do have an Aircast short walker at it, a very good alternative to a plaster cast (which I had when my left elbow got broken. That itching was annoying!). Normally, if I had bought the Aircast, it'd have costed around € 105-130 - Thanks to my health insurance, I only have to pay 10 bucks. The usual additional payment. I don't need to pay for crutches anymore as I already own a pair of them for 13 years.

[@Brainee444]

The Rettungsgasse is not an unwritten rule. It's law: § 11 Section 2 StVO.

[@chrissiesbuchcocktail]

I drank tap water for 50years (about 2 liters each day) and still do. I don't like carbonated water and so tap water is perfect for me and I hardly drink anything else. I also know other people who do the same. So yes, Germans do drink tap water and it is perfectly safe because water regulations are very strict here.

[@Herzschreiber]

During the 62 years of my life I have been pickpocketed once. I was in my late 20ies, staring at a shop window when I suddenly felt my jacket move in a strange way. Since my reactions were good that day, I saw a teenager pulling his hand out of my pocket, it held my purse. I was fast enough to hinder him from running away, snatched my purse from him and scolded him in the public. So - in case my example counts - yes, Germany is safe. :) Btw., I never had insurances despite the mandatory ones like for your car or health insurance. I have seen too many insurance companies refraining from doing their duty and instead trying to get away through some "legal back doors". The only exeption was a time when I was self employed......... about three years. During that time I had a "Haftpflichtversicherung" for my little enterprise.

[@rolandscherer1574]

I'm 72, and I've been robbed exactly once in Germany: 20 Euros by a pickpocket.

[@b-wingxl8182]

Same for me. I reached into my wallet to give a poor woman some change (maybe 3 €) and some shadow-like person removed 20€ straight out of my wallet that was in my hand. Frankfurt the main train station is just a place different from most. The other robbery was just 1 hour later by having to pay for a train ticket after I missed a train by being exactly on time.

[@ChrisTian-rm7zm]

The fact that there is no free tap water in most German restaurants is also due to the different calculation of prices. In Germany, the restaurant makes most of its money from drinks, not so much from the food. The profit margin on drinks is much higher.

[@davesaunders7080]

I wipe dishes with paper towel to remove most of the grease/food then load. Then I can use lightest cycle and less detergent. My appliance stays cleaner/lasts longer and the plumbing never clogs. My dishwasher is 22 years old and working well.

[@Lw1337]

15:08 i used to let them soak but i learned how dishwashers work and since then i don't i just put it straight in there. The only exception is when there are some bigger chunks. Those are rinsed of or disposed first.

[@onceagainvideos]

Dishes go directly into the dishwasher. Always.

[@conniebruckner8190]

RQotW: plates, cups, mugs yes. Pots and pans get soaked, sometimes washed by hand, depends on how full machine is. Regarding feeling Dangerous: Something you didn't mention that often gets comments from our visitors from USA/CDN is that in some places there are no protective railings or fences. Not even low ones and it's expected you know to look where you are walking at all times. Also how young kids are riding their bikes on the street.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

Yeah, that is a bit of a cultural difference. On one hand we're more a society (so less "american dream/free speech" individualism), but on the other hand we also expect people to learn to take care. It's also how we raise our children. We send them to school by themselves once they know the way. On playgrounds they get to do their stuff while the parents sit and talk on nearby benches. That obviously leads to children that are more independent and learn to recognise dangers.

[@ACEsParkJunheeWreckedMeHard]

15:13 I don't even own a dishwasher, which is sad cause acording to a artice I once read 87% of all households would own a dishwasher in Germany

[@shaclo1512]

Dishwashers safe water, mine uses 11 liters for a full load. Imagine washing the same amount of dishes in the sink, minimum 20 liters of water is wasted.

[@Oroberus]

Well ... one is orders of magnitudes less likely to be shot in germany, neither by criminals nor bei cops ^^ In terms of legal insurance, it's not just because you might get sued but also to give yourself safety if you need to sue someone, f.e. an employer that violated your contract or some general employment law. If you ain't got insurance, you'll have to pay your lawyers and court fees yourself until the case is cleared, this can easily cost you way more then 50 years of monthly or quaterly legal insurance payments. Also, even if you lose your case, you won't be financially bruised, broken and left suicidal because you now have 50k debt just because of lawyer cost ;) Honestly, the lack of a widespread system like this is pretty much the reason why so much white collar crime in the US is never followed up on, because people just can't afford to fight against such wrongdoings.

[@Blechfuchs]

Regarding legal insurance: Unless you run a business, most likely you will need one of those in case of a car accident. So all the German automobile clubs offer legal insurance coverage - Verkehrsrechtsschutz - included in their ‚bundle‘ which mainly is for technical support should your car break down. But that way it’s a quite cheap possibility to have the most common legal cases covered.

[@christophglasow2456]

Germany also has a few mandatory insurances: Car Liability Insurance is mandatory and your car will be logged out by the police (plus penalty fee) when you dont pay it! As an empoyee, you are covered (mandatory) with: - health insurance plus Nursing care insurance - unempoyment insurance - pension insurance

[@briantitchener4829]

What I like is that Germany does not allow Flouride to be added to the water. Excess Flouride can lead to thyroid problems. It replaces the iodine needed for good thyroid health.

[@janefrueh5878]

My German husband said I was wasting water rinsing the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. But if the food is very stuck on, I'm going to have to wash that dish again!

[@thegumyum255]

When driving on the Autobahn just stick to the right lane when not overtaking and you'll be fine. And don't forget to use your accelerator when getting on the Autobahn

[@TheChiefEng]

The thing about pay to use public restrooms is becoming more and more normal in many European countries and this system has developed for a couple of reasons. The first reason is actually an attempt to ensure the public restrooms are not used by drug addicts (mostly heroin addicts) and the second reason is that public pay restrooms will be cleaned frequently. I remember back in time when public restrooms in especially train stations were overflowing with used syringes from drug addicts so I definitely support public pay to use restrooms.

[@ReshiramUndRayquaza]

The most important thing about the Autobahn, which is also what makes it way safer, is the "right lane" rule / no overtaking on the right. Technically two rules that achieve a common goal. You are somewhat required to drive in the right most lane and only drive in the left lane to overtake. That way you don't have "car flying all around you". Only to your left. That way you also know, if there is no car to your right, you can merge without needing to worry about someone flying up behind you. In my opinion that is what makes the most impact on road safety on the Autobahn specifically. In general it's still the education of drivers and regulations on maintenance / road-worthyness which has the most impact.

[@Nero-dz5gr]

Interesting fact about tapwater in germany. The rules for purity for Tapwater are actually stricter than the ones for Bottled water.

[@christiankastorf4836]

When someone puts that "Kein Trinkwasser" sign at a stopcock it simply means that the hose or the cock are not cleaned or desinfected because they are intended for people who want to fill their water bottles there but for more "industrial" purposes. Plus, there are water installations for fun like fountains that have their water pumped around over and over again and kids and dogs play inside. There are historic fountains that have their source from a well that is not part of the official water supply system and is therefore not checked for harmful minerals and bacteria.

[@TCR_710-Cap]

2:23 ~ Das gute Senfkristall ...🤣🤣, dafür schon drei Daumen hoch, wenn ich könnte ... 👍👍👍

[@ExtremeTeddy]

Put them in direct. If you soak the dish, you can wash them immediatley. Otherwise the dish is not supposed to be in the dish-washer. Like certain pot and pan.

[@Mr.PastGlory]

In some areas in Germany the tap water has even better quality than the bottled water.

[@else8]

What should I know when I visit america? Is America the safest place to be? Could be a nice video.

[@FalconX88]

The insurance is not against the things you would consider make a country "unsafe". People don't have insurance against gang violence, they have insurance against flooding.

[@frankgunold268]

10:00 Und wie siehst du bezahle von Restaurant WC´s (McDonalds Altmarkt Dresden)

[@martinohnenamen6147]

Even though bottled water looks like normal, maybe carbonated, tap water there is often a difference. Most bottled water is actually bottled mineral water and as the name says it has more minerals then most normal tap water.

[@hypatian9093]

Yep, difference between mineral water and table water. The latter is tap water with added bubbles or other stuff (minerals) - not that tap water in Germany is bad, but the result simply is not natural, but man made.

[@AggressivelyLoving]

German here: I live in the northern parts of Germany and it is said that we have the cleanest and most drinkable tap water compared to many, many other countries. And we use tap water for the basic things that everyone does (cooking, coffee, flush the medicine down the throat) and in the last decade thousands of people have been buying SodaStream (that thing where you make tap water carbonated and you can add flavor if you want), I see those things literally *everywhere*.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

No need to carry bottles to get carbonated water and no need to bring the empty bottles back to the store. It's a win-win.

[@tronicman1]

I drink tap water every day. Like my parents and grandparents.

[@Immortal_lizzard]

2:05 another small thing you need to know and be prepared for: To leave the restaurant when they serve you Gerolsteiner water

[@robertpallmer7490]

By the way, we have a generally tempo limit on autobahn! There is 38 miles /hour or 60 km/h! When you cannot reach this speed, you cannot enter our autobahn!

[@michaelschuckart2217]

"if your car cannot reach a speed of 60 km/h due to its construction".

[@villmox]

when a german couple decides to live together, we first decide, who will get what, if we break up and who pays for what. Insurance is similar. Its not that these things are sure to happen, but its better to prepare than to not be prepared

[@veitforabetterworld]

As a German I totally understand that most of the costs of a drink in a restaurant doesn't come from the item itself. So I would be totally fine to also pay for tab water in a restaurant to cover that costs

[@Hoellenmann]

Tap water is mineral water, it's just another marketing implication that tap water is not

[@Bit28Icy]

this video was posted about a year ago and the prices for the Drivers license almost doubled: he said we pay up to 2000$ for it, but now its definetly more between 3000$ and 4000$

[@reinhard8053]

Sometimes it's better to have legal coverage - my Kasko insurance got cheaper when I added legal coverage. So I have it to save money right now and maybe if I have a problem later. An insurance is important for things and events you can't easily pay without, e.g. a burned down house. Some are too expensive for what they cover and for the risk involved.

[@embreis2257]

4:42 this 'world ranking of water quality' looks suspicious. #6 for the UK is highly surprising. one reason is the legal set-up for water companies in the UK. many (or all) are privatised and seek to make a profit for the shareholders plus paying the management competitive salaries. the interests of the customer comes last. secondly, since Brexit the UK government has started to relax rules on water management. even back in time when privatisation wasn't as widespread as it is today, the locals strongly advised me to filter tap water or even cook it before consuming - and that was outside London. London was worse. and how does Malta manage to have such superior water quality? how can a tiny rock in the middle of the Mediterranean provide excellent tap water for its citizens? did they find a large aquifer deep beneath the bottom of the sea?

[@McGhinch]

Versicherung: If you pay the rates for liability, household, and legal cost insurance you are covered for many legal and paralegal, and some financial problems. Just imagine, you must renew everything in your household because of an electric appliance you considered to be safe to use starts to burn. The household insurance covers your entire household -- given the premium matches the value -- minus the failing appliance (it is the culprit for the damages). The liability insurance then covers the damages your neighbors might have to endure. How much money would you have to save up for such a case? Then compare it to the, ballpark figure, less than 200 Euros a year for all of the mentioned insurances. Dishes in the dishwasher: That depends on the residues. Some get washed away, some will be very resistant -- especially when they had a chance to dry. Experience tells me what to remove in beforehand and what gets clean in the dishwasher. Generally, soaking is a waste of water. When you soak it you can wash it by hand. It doesn't take much more water and time.

[@Alina_Schmidt]

What to do to prevent bike theft: •Get a high quality lock and use it everywhere you park. Lock the bike to a stable thing, like a bike rack or a lantern. Do not only lock one wheel to the frame or something. •you can go to your local bike association, for example, to put a code in your bike frame. In case of theft the bike is easily identifiable and can be brought back to your home. Thus coded bikes are difficult for thieves who think twice about stealing then.

[@ACEsParkJunheeWreckedMeHard]

If you get a Haftpflichtversicherung btw, you can look around what suits you best. Some insurances cover for you for 500K, others for 1 million and some insurance companies even up to 10 million € but it also gets a tiny bit more pricy if you want to be insured for that amount. So basicly if you for example menage to accidantly burn down someone's building that costs them 3 million but you only got insured for 2 million, that means you most likly have bad luck and need to pay 1 million to the person from your own money. If you for example have an insurance who would cover up to 5 million, than you are fine since you only burned down a 3 million € worth house

[@realulli]

The more interesting part is the lower end of the coverage. If you add a deductible of a few hundred Euros, it drops your premium much more than extending the upper end to 100 million.

[@SuperCubar]

If you are travelling Germany be aware that train stations and their surroundings are often times crime hotspots. There are some notorious ones but in general be cautious if you're there.

[@vanfisted]

Love how someone who lived for years in Germany still calls the Autobahn "this stretch of road". It's the name for the goddamn highway network and it's over 8000 miles long.

[@huntingfighteroramara]

Driving license these days is more like 3k€, 2k was 10 years ago

[@leinbachman9688]

German tap water is fine, in households You can drink it really. Itself itś called Trinkwasser.

[@MrApokalipse666]

The most important insurance is the "Rechtsschutzversicherung" because they help you if one of your other insurance companys refuse to pay.

[@LeSarthois]

For the faucets in public places with a "do not drink" sign, the reason is (at least in France but Germany is probably the same) that those faucets are for technical use, and (like in Paris) are tied to a "grey water" network, which is usually water pumped directly into a river. In other places, the faucet can be tied to a natural water source, again, without filtering. Most of the time tho you can assume it's on the regular drinking water network and the sign is here just in case or to discourage people from using it (in many case it's a manual faucet, I have seen a few times time in my parent's town such a faucet being open and gushing water for literally hours). Basically, not all of those faucets are linked to drinkable water so it is really not safe to drink. But not because tap water is bad, just because those faucets may really deliver non-drinkable water.

[@LetsPokeHD]

One of the main reasons I don't travel to the US is because I don't think I would feel safe there. And also because of the fear of being shot. That's why when I ever travel to North America I will travel to Canada.

[@MichaEl-rh1kv]

The sign "Kein Trinkwasser" at fountains or an outside tap means in most cases: unfiltered, unchecked spring water. There could be traces of undesirable contaminations, either biological or chemical (e.g. high nitrate concentration) - but since not checked on a regular basis, nobody can say for sure. At some showy fountain it could also be literally recycled water - the water draining off is pumped back to the outlet.

[@Christian-ev1zu]

Nascar is almost twice as fast as the fastest people on the Autobahn. Which is pretty crazy. The amount of energy those breaks need to eat to get such a car down to zero.

[@frankgunold268]

6:02 At 100 km/h the average speed was 103.3 km/h. On motorway sections with a permitted speed of 120 km/h, an average of only 115.6 km/h was measured. At a permitted speed of 130 km/h, an average of only 118.3 km/h was driven. On routes without a speed limit, the average speed was 124.7 km/h.08.05.2023 Outside urban areas there is a speed limit of 55-65 mph i.e. 88-105 km/h. The speed in America on some interstates (similar to the German highways, only often with even more lanes) is around 70-75 mph i.e. 112-120 km/h.09/14/2023 Why doesn't Germany have a limit? This question cannot be answered so easily. Historically, the introduction of a speed limit has always failed due to the required majority in the Federal Council. During the 1973/74 oil crisis there was a temporary speed limit of 100 km/h on German highways.08/31/2023

[@lauraschroder2871]

The drivers licence is getting much more expensive I paid around 3,5 k and most my friends paid around that amount as well. Also most take longer than 6 months. Some even take 3 years.

[@ruhri0411]

My experience with tap water in Florida was: 1) The water was highly chlorinated and undrinkable 2) The water smelled foul and was undrinkable As has already been said, you can drink tap water in Germany without hesitation, I think the only reason why you can't get it for free in restaurants is the restaurant's profit. They would rather you order bottled water, which they make €3 profit on per bottle, minimum.

[@LythaWausW]

QOTW: I was surprised to see my mom pre-rinsing every single dish at her house last month. Like, washing the ranch dressing off the plate, nothing else. I wash off big chunks (or a single pea) but spaghetti sauce, etc, can go right on the washer. Like every other reasonable person I presoak baking dishes with caked on gunk. But I have an awesome German dishwasher, a Miele, and I don't even think it needs soap to function perfectly. I call it my magic box cuz I went years without a dishwasher. Of course I regularly check the filter for anything I missed.

[@Diana03656]

Im currently taking my driving license in germany. I have around 1400 questions i need to know the answer for (and every few months , questions are released) and 31 hours of classes just to get a shot at the theoretical exam. Then i need to drive at least 22 hours, where i need to try a lot of different things that you'll could meet while driving. That will all cost about 2500€-3000€ and for every extra class i take and exam i fail, i need to pay extra. After getting my licence i have 2 years where they'll send me to special classes if i get caught driving irresponsibly and after getting caught 3 times i loose my licence and need to wait up to 15 years before i can try to get a new one.

[@_Briegel]

8:00 Absolutely right, at 100 mph you are a standing obstacle in the left lane on German autobahns. 😀

[@olllo]

10:29 The 'Hello' is Joko, right?

[@LythaWausW]

My neighbor's dog killed my cat. I was surprised when she asked me if I'd like the insurance money. I said, "For my pet? There's no monetary value on my pet." However if someone killed my horse, say by landing their hot air balloon in my pasture (IT HAPPENED!) I would take that money.

[@derGameplayDJ]

As a German, I generally feel pretty safe in my country. But I always get rather uneasy, if I'm at the central station district of Frankfurt am Main at night/ during the evening.

[@d1annex]

some high class restaraunts do give out free water, however they give out bubbly water, and only when you order something, its like a "waiting" drink

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

While many germans buy bottled sparkling water, may also have a carbonator at home to make their own. And we like our sparkling water. In fact, sparkling it at home is probably even the better solution. You don't have to carry the full bottles home and the empty bottles back to the store (to get your deposit back), tap water has even tighter regulations than bottled water. Oh, and there is a fountain here. And we're only rank 8 for water quality because there are 6 countries tied for first place. Among those Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. No way we could compete with them. But for dishes. I do let them soak in the sink. Before washing them in the sink.

[@maxiban9082]

hey i wanted to update the info about the cost of the drivers licence now it costs more like 4000€

[@XVI_rome]

btw, I payed at least 3k for my driverslicense in germany (B, A1)

[@abendsonnewarriorcats9474]

6 months for the Drivers ID? Where in Germany do you live and how do I get there? I took like 9 or smth

[@kaedeschulz5422]

I'm a car person from Germany and it's rather hard sometimes with the rules the state comes up with. It's as if the politicians of this country try to safe the whole world when some countries do the exact opposite. There might be something coming for new vehicle that will automatically limit speed via GPS tracker and being connected to the car's engine control unit. Most accidents happen at a low speed caused by ppl not looking where they go. Also modifying your car or anything is hard here. They act like the car will suddenly fall apart when 40% power increase is reached and you can imagine on a car that stock never came with more than for example 100hp 40% is not much. Getting more than that street legal has bin made super hard with the excuse that one could make money with it if you got it legal and someone else wants the same car modified the same way. Now it cost more like 50grand instead of about 5grand to do that and also you can't drive the required couple thousand Kilometers on the Nürburgring to prove that it holds together yourself anymore so the risk is much higher that someone will wreck your car that you potentially spend 10years restoring and modifying in your free time and it may just be gone without you the builder being the cause of it and the car will just be gone. And also it's rather hard to get even an exhaust legal at times. Let's say you wanna build an exhaust yourself because you haven't found one that you like the sound of there again will be expensive testing involved. Also spl level wise you are rather limited and may stop you from getting your car road legal. Meanwhile sound new car's are much more louder from factory than your car could ever be and in that case it's not a problem because the manufacturers spend a lot of money to get that legal. And that's just one area that is just unnecessarily complicated with complicated laws.

[@gehtdichnixan3200]

most water places have those kein trinkwasser sighns for they have to test them regulary if they allow it to trink so its mostly totaly safe water just to drink on your own risk

[@chrisk5651]

I rinse them first & actually leave most dishes (except for silverware & pots & pans) in the dishwasher till I use them again.

[@kiwi_kirsch]

"a problem or zwo" I LOVE THIS :D

[@th60of]

I find soaking dishes gross. I rinse them right after use or, if necessary, give them a scrub before putting them in the dishwasher.