Just an American trying to learn more about and Germany and the rest of Europe.

Today we’re gonna check out 5 Things YOU Should NEVER Do in Germany!

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48 Comments

  1. I think the biggest mistakes here are that no one really explains the difference between a "Ordnungsvergehen" which can be translated as "regulatory offence" or "misdemeanor" and a "Straftat" which translates to "Crime". For the first you have to pay penalty, how much depends on what you did, while the other one is something you can certainly go to jail for it.
    But don't worry, it happens that germans are mixing that up themselfs.
    Example: Riding the train without a ticket is a misdemanour while pretty much else that involves steeling, hurting, damaging or breaking in is (things that are a crime everywhere) are also a crime in germany. Sometimes the line can blur. As riding a public transportation without a ticket could understood as some sort of steeling, but it isn't.

  2. the riesenzentrum? that translates as centre for giants. In the Netherlands in some train on displays it says bring a charged phone with you, you must present a valid train ticket.

  3. The best way to recycle in German if you want to be sure? If the "Entsorgungsbetriebe" (Waste disposal company) of your town have a decent website they list it there.
    A list is even printed on the "Gelber Sack" yellow bags. And the stuff you put in there is often 90% of the waste you will make.
    But a lot is common sense. Glas with the correct color in the container for glas (if you have one wit han unusal color like blue, go with the green one. Because they say green glas has the higest tollernace in miss colors) Everything all biological waste (from fruits and vegetables or meat) in the brown one. And if you use a bag or something as an "Underlayer" for that bin, then only use paper.
    Paper and carbord in the blue one. If you have something that's a mix,…. go to the website and check.
    Some stuff you buy even have a label on the box that tells you where to put it or at least where you can't.
    The thing why people can be picky with it or be mad if you do it wrong is: In most cases it isn't has hard as you think (use your common sense) and it's unnecessary extra work in the recycling process if you do it wronng.

  4. The "Guten Appetit" or in some places just "Mahlzeit!" is not really said if you eat your Döner on the street. If someone says it, it's ok, it's nice but no one will expect it. At least not these days. It's more if you sit together and eat. Than it would be polite to say "Guten Appetit!" or "Mahlzeit!". The last one is more said in the southern part of germany. In Bavaria it's even "An guaden!" Which translates to "A good one!"

  5. All that said your videos can be a help as basic knowledge for any american who wants to visit german and cares for the "Do's" and "don'ts". But for the most things it's no rocket science, use your common senses and if you make a mistake just aplogize. Treat people how you want to be treated.

  6. As for the Small talk and Jaywalking: It's not true. Germans do Smalltalk. I mean what is small talk? It's a conversation where you talk about things that don't really matter to beat some time.
    But if people want to you know, they expect honest answers and if it's just out of curiosity. And as a foreigner with german that situation can be often the case. But if they ask you something that's too personal it's ok to say you don't want to talk about it, of course.
    As for the Jaywalk you say exactly how it is. In cities most people don't care as long as it is safe, of course. But even in smaller towns If there is 0 traffic a lot of people would just corss the streats no matter what the traffic light are showing.
    Another exception to do it the correct way is if kids are watching. They shpuld first learn it the right way and if it's just for their safety or not showing it wron to their friends. So if I see kids. And the traffic light is red, but there are no cars, I also wait!
    Edit: DON'T make it depending on the cars. And the car drivers who crossed the red light, they 100% did something tht could cost them the driver license! No kidding!
    Ifyou drive a car ALWAYS, and I mean ALWAYS follow the signs and the traffic lights!
    You said how many cars didn't incredible! No matter of which city we are talking! that's a 1000% no go, what they did!

  7. As a matter of fact: If you drive too slow in germany, the police can pull you over becsause you just became an obstacel for the general traffic. It sounds weird and IDK how many times that happened, even more if we talk about the "Autobahn". But that's how it is. If you drive too slow you might get the police to pull you over.

  8. Always wear shoes inside our house – it’s 120 years old and especially the first floor is chilly. Great in summer, doesn’t go over 74 degrees Fahrenheit. I didn’t learn about this rule until middle school.

  9. As for the ticket: I got used to have it on the phone. But if, for whatever reason my phone runs out of power or I lose it, I have the tickets printed, the old fashion. I know the idea is to safe the paper and not to cary something extra with you.But if it comes to the tickets it can be expensive if you can't show one. Not to mention that they drop you as the next station, even if it's not your destination.

  10. Out of gas on a "Autobahn" is NOT a crime. It´s a misdemeanor and and will be punished with a fine of 70 euros.

    Und ihr dürft euch sicher sein wovon ich spreche, da ich erst letztens das Bußgeld für meine Frau für dieses Vergehen bezahlt habe.

    Ups, wrong language.

    And you can be sure of what I'm talking about, as I only recently paid my wife's fine for this offense.

  11. As for the bottle refund: The bottles and can have the surcharge so you don't let those standing around like careless thrown away trash.
    People who say they let the bottle and cans just stand for the poor people to collect them are often saying that as an excuse because they are too lazy to carry their bottles and cans to the next refund machine or even more, if it's late and the stores have close, carrying it home.
    So sorry to say so, but for my experience it's a lame excuse for lazy people.

  12. I'm not 100% sure as it never happened to me nor can I remember that it happened to someone I know that we had not enough cash for pay for our food in a restaurant.
    BUT, I heard you can leave something like your ID card or your passport, as a "deposit" and then go the the next cash machine and get the money.
    Another way could be that the meal was free but they don't want to see your face ever again, in that restaurant.

  13. if nothing is portrait on the waste, its normal waste so its going into the normal trash can, if there is the sign for recycable on it and paper, its paper waste, if it has the icon for plastic on it, its the yellow bag you throw it in, metal and glass waste you collect it and bring it to the big bins and sort it there, it says metal – brown glass – green glass – white glass and you throw it in the correct one. natural waste like slices from your salad or so go into the brown bin at home! thats basically it.

  14. Jaywalking isn’t a big thing. Just don’t do it when there’s children around. And yes, the recycling system can be a complete mystery because rules may also differ by city or region (or more precisely, the garbage collection provider)

  15. About the seat reservation, if two people seemingly have the same seat-reservation, check if the wagon-number is the same too. Because there can be the confusion.
    The other thing is, seat-reservation can be valid only from the booked starting railroad station until the rail destination, but if it comes to delays, then I guess there can be commingling,
    if people from earlier schedules coming along later.

  16. Always wear shoes inside our house – it’s 120 years old and especially the first floor is chilly. Great in summer, doesn’t go over 74 degrees Fahrenheit. I didn’t learn about this rule until middle school. 😂
    Red lights – love the comedian L.v. Rosenberg-Lipinsky: They say don’t go at red! Be an example for the children! I always go at red – they need to learn there are bad people out there! 👹
    Ma’am – in Cologne they use to call older women ‚junge Frau‘ – meaning usually nice but total depends on tone. 👵🏻
    Many of our rules are thought of as safety rules but we often overdo it. Germans drive you nuts? Please tell us!

  17. 23:55: Nothing would have happened. They would have given you directions to the next ATM to get the cash. If you seem sus, maybe they'll insist you leave something (ID,…) there as Pfand, because as you know, Germans love their Pfand.

  18. Tbh, Du vs Sie with someone who is clearly not a native and made the effort to learn german is not that much of an issue. Of course there are situations where this is not applicable but in general I'd say most people dont give a flip – especially with people learning german.

  19. James, if you've never experienced anything other than guests starting to eat as soon as they've had their food, then especially your German companions and the other guests probably don't have good table manners, sorry to have to say that, or they all don't know anything different because they have never eaten in real restaurants. And by that, I mean normal German and international real restaurants and not the "star" restaurants with prices that are way too high and with far too little on the plates. On the other side, I guess you haven't been to such real restaurants in Germany yet, because in real restaurants it's common practice and absolutely expected by everyone and a sign of good table manners and politeness if everyone at the table starts eating at the same time. In such restaurants, the staff in the kitchen and in the dining room is well trained and used to it, so that all guests at a table receive their ordered dishes at the same time.
    Even at McDonald`s and similar simpel fast-food "restaurants" with tables (I myself would never call them "restaurant" because imo they have nothing to do with real restaurants and many Germans see it that way too), it only depends on how good the individual table manners of the respective guests are or not and nothing else. If you get the food almost at the same time or it is brought by the staff at the same time, then you can start eating at the same time or just wait this short moment until everyone at the table has their food, it's that simple. Because the food is well packaged, it doesn't get cold even in that short moment. But when I see the way in which many of the guests stuff burgers and fries into their mouths, I`m not realy surprised by anything nor of noticeably poor table and eating manners.

  20. If the burger box is clean, put it in the paper bin. Is it full of sauce and melted cheese put it in the trash bin. And: no, don´t eat before all have their food. Don´t talk with food in your mouth. Do it the Knigge-Way and not the Caveman-Way 😉

  21. What I learned too late: The paper bins are just for actual paper like newspapers etc.
    Cardboard for pizza etc goes to the WASTE.

  22. As an American complaining about the German railroad is funny, sure there are problems especially right now, but that has to do with the investment backlog of the old government.
    It's still one of the best train networks in the world and light years ahead of the US network. What upsets me? 2-3 years ago the US railroad workers wanted to strike, for what? Only 7 sick days! The government banned the strike! A short time later, the train disaster in Ohio. The USA is a company, not a country.

  23. The Deutsche Bahn is one of the most hated instituions in Germany. Because trains are not onlye late most of the time. Sometimes they just dont exist. You stay at the station, the train ist on the view screen, you look down, you look up and it just disappeard sometimes the screen tolds you a reason for why the train is canceled literally five minutes before it should arrive, but sometimes it just disappeared.
    One Tip from a german: Dont drive with your bike on the street if there is a bike lane heading into the same direction. Really, there are these gusy with very fast "racing – bikes" they travel on the "Landstraße" or "Bundesstraße" and everyone who is driving a car is hating these guys, especially if the street is not that straight und so you are not able to overtook (I hope thats the right verb) them. Nothing is more annoying, than driving with about 30 km/h behind a bike, while you could literally drive 100 km/h.
    Some other advise. Dont park anywhere you are not sure, that you are allowed to park there. The ordnungsamt is literally spawning next to your car an giving you a bill, as soon as you step out of sight. And if you argue with them like "But, I just parked there for 10 minutes because I want to buy me a snack." This is not working. The ordnungsamt is always pissed and they take there job very, very serious.

  24. 3:38 Sorry I have to say that but you haven't met people with proper table manners then.
    Well, I haven't been to Germany for quite a while but here in Austria it is considered very rude if one starts to eat before the dishes for the others have been served.

  25. first of all, if your phone died but you had a valid ticket, you can go to the counter the next day and get that solved out, you won't have to pay the fine.

    secondly, the db does not double books seats, one of you was in the wrong wagon, they sometimes have the same seat numbers, but different wagon numbers. but some people don't pay attention and then get mad.

    and yes you can be punctual with deutsche bahn, you just have to take one train earlier. kinda obvious…

  26. Shaking hands is no longer so well received. During the pandemic, pretty much everyone refrained from doing so, and staff in government offices and other public institutions were even forbidden to do so.
    Even today, after the pandemic is over, this is still the case. So it is not unfriendly if a German no longer offers or accepts it, but rather a cultural change is underway.

    3:15 But you want to ruin my laminate flooring with your sweaty socks and I have to put up with your foot odor all the time?

    Whether or not shoes should be taken off is very individual and there hasn't been a general rule about this in Germany for a long time (somme decades). The choice of floor coverings is also far too varied.
    Barefoot or socks is never a good idea with tiles. Not with laminate either.
    On the other hand, street shoes are not a good idea with carpets or rugs.

    I have all of these. And the rooms where guests are allowed to go have laminate and tiles. So keep your shoes on!

  27. I once ran out of gas on the Autobahn as a novice driver. I pretended I had an engine failure and secured the spot and called a taxi with petrol. The first date who sat next to me was also the last..😅

  28. No foreigner has to follow the German "Du/Sie" rules. This only applies to native speakers. It is complete nonsense that hundreds of videos constantly point out that we Germans have our own rules about how we address strangers, acquaintances or friends.

  29. Hmm.
    I think in Munich less people jaywalk than in other cities.
    Most people here will wait for the light to go green.
    (of course not everyone, but when I visit other german cities there IS a difference)
    …or maybe I'm just dumb haha

  30. There is another exception to punctuality….. The working man….. No matter if it is the carpenter, the electrician or the plumber, they always say they come sometime between 8 am and 4 pm, and you never know when. and if you think, "I have to walk the dog NOW", Mr Murphy visits along with the repairman and misses you. Oh and you have to pay his service call charge no matter what. The only way to get those guys to show up early is to stay in bed, or take a long bath. Then they show up during that to inconvenience you.

  31. about jaywalking, if there are any cars of course wait but if there's no car coming and there aren't any children around imo it serves nobody to wait and you're not inconveniencing anybody. you're just wasting your own time

  32. Dont jaywalk in front of children! Nobody cares when you jaywalk but don't be a bad role model for (small) children! Then many people (rightly) get upset

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