Germans are honestly the only ones to stop at a red traffic light. Everytime I am in another country I feel so dumb when everyone just crosses the street whatever color the traffic light shows, and I wait for green.
Well it depends on where you are. On major streets I also tend to stop. People drive fast and when they see a green light don't pay attention. But when I am in the middle of nowhere, possibly with a bad traffic light system (which my home town is famous for), I just cross. and quite a lot of people do.
+SimonHellinger it depends on the street. and if you know the crossing inside and out. there's this one crossing that i cross twice a day and i know exactly when i can walk despite it begin a really busy road
+JB P In Germany it is like that: green light --> accelerate to maximum. Nobody and I mean really nobody expects anybody to be on the road then. If there is someone on the street he will be dead meat. When you were yelled at I think that there were children at the crossing. We love our children (of course) and don't want them to run on a street - never! So everyone is supposed to be a model / example of how to behave correctly at a crossing when there are children in sight. If you are in the middle of nowhere or it is dark and no children in sight then nobody gives a shit :-) . (Ok ... I tend to think "He must be really in a hurry - poor guy.")
Americans are really nice and friendly. However, the one thing I don't understand is when friendly strangers strike up a conversation and walk away just as you're starting to think 'hey, i just made some new friends'!
+emmo haha I've never thought about this. We aren't alway looking for friends but taught to be friendly, welcoming to others. To a certain extent I think we try to make up for what we perceive to be negative stereotypes by being super friendly for foreigners. I know I appreciate when I've been over seas and the locals are helpful and patient with me.
+Mark Bollinger I appreciate your attitude of being friendly to strangers. That's definitely a good thing. The only thing bothering about that is that US-Americans sometimes seem so fake. Like they HAAAVE to get into a conversation because it is the normal thing to do. No, it's not. If you don't have anything to say, then don't say anything...
+emmo Haha! I think that's the "American superficiality" that German people often criticize. To Americans friendliness isn't neccessarily about making friends, but basically about superficial small talk. Which is often hard to get into for people like me, who try to avoid superficial small talk even with friends whenever possible. :P But, not all Americans are like that. ;)
+emmo Sometimes you do make friends. But, mostly it is just for small talk. One time I was at a condo in Florida on vacation. I met an older guy at the pool by the condo. He was mixing up drinks (mostly Margaritas.) As I walked by him, he asked if I wanted a drink, I said, "no, no, that's alright", because I did not want to impose. But, he insisted he was making the drinks and anyone at the pool could have some for free. I said OK. So, I took one, drank it and came back for another. By this time, my girlfriend had joined me at the pool and I told her I would get her a drink, she said, "no, don't do that, we have our own drinks upstairs." I said, no really, he is giving away drinks. So, basically everyone at the pool was getting free drinks, and a pretty big pool it was. Well, finally he ran out of Ice and liqueur. I had only had two drinks and was sober, but this big guy making the drinks was a little drunk. He asked me if I would take him to the liqueur store to get some more booze. I said OK, so I took him to the store, and I picked out a few drinks for myself while he loaded up a shopping cart with more Tequila and other booze. I took my drinks to the counter to pay, and he said: "Hold on there, I got it, I got it all!" So, I let him buy all the booze. Finally I had to ask him, why and he said: " Well my wife and kids like the beach, I don't really, but I like to drink, but I hate to do it alone." I told him that was good enough for me. We hung out with him and his wife for a couple days, ate dinner with them and got their phone number and did it all again about 2 years later, and every so often after that. I would not say he is a great friend, but he is funny and fun to hang out with every so often.
The fact that every state has it's own sales tax is not an excusion! From a european point of view it is just stupid to not write the full price on the price tag. If someone would go to another state, then how in the world should they know how high the sales taxes in this state are?
+Etherion It is stupid, but it's not as difficult as you'd think. For most of my life I've lived near the border of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. MA has a sales tax, NH doesn't. I don't think I've ever encountered someone from NH who forgot about sales tax. Remember too - most Americans pay via credit or debit card. No need to think about tax at that point (unless you're pinching pennies).
Etherion Well the cashier always verbally tells you the final price, and the customer always gets a receipt (whether you can return the product or not), and most card companies in the US let you check transactions online. Credit transactions tend to take a day or 2 to go through, but you can still see them pending.
Peter Schmidt ok, i think in my country it takes some days before the payment appears. And of course the cahsier tells you, what you have to pay, but it's better to know beforehand, how much you pay instead of being shocked, when the cashier tells you
After watching this I realized that I might be more European than American. I don't make small talk... with anyone. I hate talking to the cashier at a store. I stick to one word answers in hopes that they will just stop trying. I don't call people without a reason and I will get to that reason within 30 seconds of the conversation starting. It drives me nuts that my family makes so much noise when walking in a house. I think you should be able to walk in a house with the only sound being made being an occasional creaking floorboard. The escalator thing brings out my inner Hulk. I just want to scream "HULK SMASH" and plow through the crowd. Escalators are meant to make you go faster not allow you to have another avenue towards obesity. The tax thing is just annoying. I just like knowing what I am going to pay without having to do math. I can usually figure it out in my head anyway, but if I need to know exact change, I'll just buy less stuff to avoid going over what I have in my wallet, which in turn means that the store makes less money. I'd make an over-reaching slippery slope argument about economic collapse, but I think I'll just say that it annoys me anyway. The thing that I have noticed about America while being in Germany is that Americans talk incredibly loud. If you go to a restaurant in the US you will barely be able to hear yourself over the sound of everyone around you talking. While this does happen in some places in Germany, it is much less common in my experience. Americans staying in Germany are usually easily recognized by the fact that they are talking really loudly.
The thing about Americans talking loud is very true! I live in Berlin and when I see Americans talking in the streets I always get confused because they seem to be kinda numb?
The tax thing is USA is unavoidable and illogical but we are used to it. Very pleasant to have all-in cost in Europe, then I know how much I am actually paying.
+KuroKitsuneTheYaoiPervert Yeah is kinda annoying. If you wanna know the exact price you end up using your phone calculator but usually you can get a good mental approximate. Plus as she said the tax varies, sometimes you forget. Is it 11% or 16%? And it also happens sometimes with discounts. The price tag shows the price without the discounts and without taxes. You end up doing some quite long calculations to know the exact price :D
Ernie Rivera I see... so at the end I will just take what I wanted and when I get to the cash register and it says that I have to pay more money than I actual have, then I will just be a douchebag and return some stuff right know so that many people have to wait. Good system.
It has happened to me, not to return all but some stuff. The cashier has a compartment for the stuff you don't want so you don't have to get off line. In deed a good system
+KuroKitsuneTheYaoiPervert One major reason is because different items have different tax prices. Food has lower taxes generally or none at all, while alcohol may have extra. Also each state has varying sales tax, from 4% all the way up to 12%, so the large chains do not have a standard number they can put on everything.
The American mother of a friend of mine once told me, that, in her opinion of course, it is quite easier to make new American friends or get in touch with people that are from America. But the thing is, that the bond of friendship between you and a German reaches deeper and is stronger, compared to relationships in the USA, because it takes longer to get there and thus holds much more value to it. A German is much more likely to help you with whatever you need his help for than an American. Don't know if that is actually true, but sounds somewhat reasonable. Any thoughts?
+JB P hm i get why people might say americans are "nicer during every day exchanges" but in reality, for me this is not being "nice" as i understand the word. i've bin in america for several month, and in the beginning i was overwhelmed by the kindness of everybody. but i soon found out, that it's mostly empty words. "let's hang out sometimes" "let's do this, let's do that together" and then you never hear from a person again. i find that more annoying than helpful. don't get me wrong, i've met really amazing people in the states, but i prefer the mentality here in austria (next to germany). where i know if someone says something, it will actually happen. and that people will mostly be honest with me, or won't act nice if they don't like me.
+Pitschi Pitschi Popo I don't think what you said about "the bond of friendship between you and German reaches deeper and stronger because it takes longer to get there" is true at all, no... People who live in the US, on average, are much more shallow, they go thru friends like toilet paper. Europeans are much more serious, not as glib, they tend to take friendship seriously. I am from the US, believe me, that's the reason why. Sure, there are many sincere, deep, intellectual people who live in the states, but they are outweighed by the many, many greedy, narcissistic, looking to get ahead in any way possible, philistines glued to their TV's, who don't understand what true friendship is. It is most likely rooted from the fact that we are spoiled, and void of any traditional values passed down. It seems that all we know is how to over work ourselves so to acquire the fine, tangible things in life that have no meaning other than to categorize us in status.
JB P I've lived in both places also. It's not about the people I hang around, it's more about the people I've come across, people I've worked with. What I said is mostly true in the bigger cities,(which I probably should have pointed out) where people are more ambitious, more cut-throat. When I lived in Colorado, I did find people to be much more sincere. Right now, I'm in Los Angeles, and although I have made some great friends, there are so many shallow people here who care for nothing but getting getting ahead, and would step all over their best friend to get there. And I must admit it does have to do with your career, or, just where you work. Which I why I changed my career.
meladversity That is exactly what I'm talking about. Whenever I make plans with my German, or English friends, they usually don't call to confirm, they just show up, and they all seem to have an attitude of, "Well of course we're still on, why would we not be, we agreed to get together," It's very impressive.They never, ever flake out, which I feel is very common with people in the states, not everyone flakes, but it's very common. I much prefer the mentality of Europeans also. I invited this guy to a party once, gave him a couple weeks notice, and he said he couldn't confirm until he knew what was going on that weekend. So, basically he said- I'll let you know after I figure out if there's something better to do. I can't imagine someone from Europe responding that way had they been invited to a party, they would either say, yes, or sorry, I have already made plans.
Haha, I never thought about that but actually, when I was a child my parents would always tell me not to stomp when walking around in the house because... idk... you just shouldn't aparently... :D
I'm German and I noticed that in Spain, Italy and the UK you just ignore the red traffic light for pedestrians and just keep on walking if there is no car to pass the street. In Germany everyone will wait until the green light shows up!
'The Chicken Dance' as you call it, was composed in the 1950s by a Swiss accordian player. It's name in English was 'The Duck Song.' In 1980 it was recorded in Holland under the name, 'Dance of the Little Birds'. It became popular across Europe and was known in UK and Ireland as 'The Birdy Song'. It was performed in 1981 in Oklahoma under the name, 'The Chicken Dance' and became popular in the US after a 1982 television performance. So, you see, not only is the US not the only country to sing this song, but it only reached there after the rest of the world had made idiots of themselves by singing it and performing the actions!
I was born in Europe but grew up in America. All of my extended family still lives in Europe though. When my cousin visited us from Belgium, she told us that she was weirded out by how many random Americans kept talking to her in the airport. People were asking if they can help her and they were asking about how her day is going. She felt shy and didn't feel comfortable making conversation with these strangers. She even thought it was odd that every American who made eye contact with her would smile at her. I feel the opposite visiting family in Europe and having people literally ignore my conversation with them because they just don't know how to respond to small talk. But I like to discover these cultural differences. They're subtle differences but big in nature.
I can really connect with the point about engaging with strangers in America. My grandma will start a conversation with just about anyone--a cashier, a fellow shopper or tourist, etc.
I love your sweater, it is so beautiful! And I love your videos! Just stumbled about one by accident and now I am watching one after another for one hour straight :-D
I am not surprised that you have more German viewers than American viewers. It is my experience that only very few Americans care about other cultures. Whenever there is an intercultural fest at the university I work at, the only students who will come are international students. It`s always quite sad...
I find quite appealing the fact that in America people struck up conversations easily. A little human touch is kind of cool. I mean: I've never been in America, but it comforts me the idea that even travelling alone I could be able to talk to someone. Hope to visit someday. Greetings from Italy!
In America if you do need help, depending on where you you are, help is not hard to find. People usually want to talk while at work even to customers because they are bored 😂 or if you need help you simply ask after they ask how are you
At least in Illinois, everyone under 18 is required to complete drivers education (about 30 hours of classroom instruction). In addition to the 30 hours, about 6 hours of in-car driving lessons are required to officially complete drivers Ed. When you finish this, the drivers Ed company/ your high school reports your completion to the Secretary of State, and you get a certificate required to get your license. In addition, you have to do 50 practice hours with your parents/adult to get your license
we in germany sort our trash. every tiny bit of plastik or paper is stored in a different trashcan. for us the trash is a valubale source that can bei recycled. when we travel to USA laut summer, it was irritating to Put every thing in one bin. at my aunt house we learnd that they collect newspaper and plastikbottles for recycling. what is good, but that only cratches the sorting rules for trash in germany.
+Susanne Wooodman Depends on the state. Look at glass bottles for example and you'll commonly see a list of state initials telling you which states will actively support recycling, and sometimes tell you what the material is worth (some places will give you money for recycling; many homeless people take advantage of this). I live in Massachusetts, and we have one bin for anything recyclable and another bin for anything non-recyclable. Anything that's a biohazard (like electronics) legally should be disposed of separately, though I don't think most people do that. I think most of the mid-west and southern states don't tend to take recycling all that seriously. But the far west and north-east states do.
We used to sort, but have switched to one container recycling for recyclables, which are then mechanically separated. Organic recycling for food waste is being rolled out to the city here in Minneapolis in the mid-west.
+Suzie Woo when was the last time you were in the US??? Of course we recycle. We separate out all paper, plastic, metal, etc and it goes into the recycling bin picked up separate from the garbage by the recycling center. Been this way since the 90's. It has grown more and more convenient with curbside pickup now. We used to have to take it to centers ourselves, but for 10+ years now it goes right into the recycle bin and out to the curb for pick up. Me personally - I have been separating recycling for over 30 years now ...
I also love the videos as a german, because it makes me realize what is "normal" for us is interesting or strange for people from other countries :) That's very interesting to hear and makes you look at life here from another perspective :)
Having the final price displayed on price tags is one of the best things in Germany when it comes to shopping. That way I can easily compare and make more quailified decisions.
hey dana, : the original name of the ''chickendance'' is ententanz - the song was composed by a swiss guy. btw, i enjay your videos a lot. it's funny to take a look at germany with different eyes
Adding the sales tax reminds us how much tax we are paying, unlike the VAT in Germany which is 19% but nobody really notices because it is part of the price of each item. The Highest stae sales taxes in the US is 9.49%
When I was in America, I found it really weird that there are employees in supermarkets who put the things you bought in a bag, so the customer doesn't have to do it. Also, at least in the NY area, there were employees who are responsible for the baskets outside of the supermarket, because the people there just left their baskets all over the place on the parking lot.
+Sophisticated Life ...that's the crazy thing of it ,you think it weird that some one gets payed to bag groceries while we here in the usa think it strange to come across a place that you have to bag you own groceries ...ah the spices of life...
+Sophisticated Life I know right? And since they're free, it doesn't really encourage people to bring their own bags which means more plastic bags are being used :/
even if they charged you for bags people still wouldn't hold on to bags here or reuse them for shopping.You can get canvas bags to reuse but nobody does.Here is a fast pace grab and go and toss it away pace way all so they can rush to get back to their houses and sit and watch Television and do nothing
+tweevers2 I think it depends on where you are. I work as a cashier at a grocery store and at least half of my customers either use canvas bags or request paper. The canvas bag people like how they are good for the environment, but also that they are more durable and carry more items. The customers who request paper bags are either elderly people who want something more sturdy or they're people who use the paper bags to sort their recycling. I live in Winston-Salem, NC. This is not a town most Americans think of as environmentally conscious but we are. Also, Hawaii made plastic bags illegal like 10 years ago, so like 95% of people use canvas bags. California is about to do the same. Several counties/cities have made it so that you must charge people for plastic bags, in order to encourage canvas bags. Canvas bags are very cheap at the stores! We sell them for 99¢, I never understand why people wouldn't want such useful bags that last quite a long time and cut down on waste
Bagging is done in other countries as well. In fact, bagging in the U.S. is happening less and less because it's difficult to justify paying someone minimum wage to do something a 10-year-old could manage. The carts do still get picked up. I find it convenient not to have to return the cart to the store, but it's not nice when people leave them in bad places. There's typically a designated spot in the parking area.
we got the chicken dance in Germany xD but we call it Ententanz - duck dance :P anyway, great video! America really is weird sometimes :P I love your videos. You show so many cultural differences I would have never thought of!
+Justin K. Thanks Justin! Really nice to hear you're getting a kick out of the videos and that they're making you think :D Yeah, I think every country can be a little weird sometimes and I have fun looking at the cultural differences.
+Justin K. I can say even more! Here in Belarus and also in Russia and Ukraine we have this dance too! It called Dance of little Ducklings. It's dance that children usually dance on children parties.
You've just got a new subscriber... It's actually interesting to see differences and commons between different cultures... Actually follow you from South Tyrol... not that far awa Grüße aus Südtirol..!!
Chicken dance certainly exists in the Netherlands. Same music and moves. Popular at weddings. It's called the Vogeltjesdans, which means 'little birds dance'.
Hi Dana - very amusing - and interesting for someone who hardly knows the States, like me. On another topic: it looks like you have new lights for filming (brighter, whiter?) very "pro" looking! I want to suggest you get a Lavalier microphone or a digital recorder with built-in mics that you can place nearer to you - this video sounded like it was recorded in your bathroom because of all the room echo picked up - a Lavalier (abbreviated to "Lav") cuts out that room echo and makes your voice more predominant. I hope you appreciate my well-meant tip. All the best and keep up the good work! Rob
In California, if you're under 18, you need to complete an online or in-classroom Drivers Ed course before you take your permit test. Then, you can get your permit. You can't actually DRIVE with the permit until you have your first professional behind-the-wheel instruction class. After that, you CAN learn from your parents, but you're required to complete a certain number of hours from the instructor. :)
Ain't that sweet. In Germany you need to go to theoretical lessons and take a test in that, it's like an big American high school test, speaking of the level and the style. Also you need to complete the first half of the theoretical lessons (though on this I'm not certain if it applies to every area) before you are able to sit behind the wheel. You do that with an professional instructor, within a special car. The instructor has all three pedals on his own. So he can brake, or accelerate if necessary. The third pedal is the one for stick- driving, "kupplung". I don't know the translation. And whenever he finds you ready, after a few hours of driving, you are able to take the obligated hours. 2 in the city, 2 on the countryside, 2 on the highway and 2 at night. And then, he can sign you up for a test, were an objective, certified guide takes your test of 45min, without just the slightest mistake! (One time forgot to set a blinker and you failed or if you took the wrong turn twice)
Cloverofmist Growing up in rural Michigan, by the time I was of age to take driver training I was already driving for a few years on the farm. Many of the kids with me also had quite a bit of driving experience. I was scared of the kids that grew up in town because it was likely their first driving experience.
+William Lucas What's the point of asking for "fun" in testing a persons ability to drive a car responsibly and securely ? A quick look around in daily road-traffic in Germany will tell you that the costs for the driving license are still too low to deter all those people who should have never been allowed to steer 1,5 tons of metal through inhabited areas. Some (or better: many) people should rather stick to public transport because they drive like f***in' idiots ! Just for the sake of common safety !
+palomino73 I was being sarcastic. As gas mileage has become equivalent between stick and auto, americans just don't learn how to drive stick and we don't pay so much for gas either.😉
All the Germans I've met have come to the US, in part, to get their drivers license because it is easier and cheaper to transfer it to Germany, than to get it over there to begin with. I try not to interact with people in stores. Outside of a hello to the cashier, that is usually the end of the interaction. I don't stomp. Mainly because it ends up hurting, but also because I don't like being loud unnecessarily. 4-Way stops do follow a counter-clockwise rule (Or is if clockwise?...) either way, it is whoever gets up to the line first, and that makes sense. America isn't the only one who stands on either side of escalators. Plenty of videos can be found from other countries. I've seen people in Japan do it, for one. I would love for tax to be included. but they want to maintain the "99 cents" because it makes things subconsciously look cheaper. This is a proven sales tactic, so it isn't going anywhere.
MOst depend on the state. Some wont let you get a drivers licence unless you can proof you are a resident (taxes or bills) its pretty stupid but I guess thats how they think they cans top terrorists and immigrants.
I live in California and got a "universal driver's license" to be able to go to Europe and drive. I thought that was pretty cool. I think that was a short term temporary thing, though.
Hi Dana! I just discovered your channel because you appeared at SamWaltonMan's channel and I really like your videos. To this subject, I want to say, that we Germans have a saying: "es ist nicht alles Gold was glänzt". Will say, that not all what seems to be good, is good. As I mentioned in comments on other channels, our " right hand side before left hand side" isn't the gold standard in traffic rules. Many people who driving cars in Germany doesn't understand the rule in all its subtleties. Who know the difference between 'Vorfahrt', which is depending of what side you come from, and 'Vorrang', what depends on what direction you are driving. In specific situations its really hard to decide within a couple of seconds. Therefore I like the All Way Stops in the US. As I came to the US for the first time, I needed some time to get this rule. American drivers aren't really relaxed, if someone (me) blocks the intersection. But if I got used to it I liked it very much. it's almost like driving through a roundabout. And I really enjoyed talking to Americans all over the country. it's very easy to get in touch with them, because they'll get in touch with you. In many kinds of situations they simply talk to you, especially they realize, that you come from Germany. Here in Germany it never happens to you, especially in southern Germany.
In the US, sales tax is calculated on the total purchase price, not on each individual item. So you cannot add the sales tax to each individual item and come to the exact amount. For example, if the sales tax is 4%, a total purchase under 13 cents pays no tax and a purchase between 13 and 37 cents is taxed 1 cent. So if you go to a hardware store and buy 5 screws at 6 cents each, you would pay 1 cent sales tax. Pro tip, to save the 1 cent, purchase the screws in 5 separate transactions :)
It's not the first time I hear this excuse "different states have different taxes" but I don't think it's relevant at all. So do all European countries. VAT varies from country to country (and with Shengen agreement being a thing and most of EU using Euros it makes all those countries similar to different states) here as well. However, that doesn't stop europeans putting tax straight into price.
I think the honest truth is that having a computer do the math at the register is free...while hiring a team of people to change every label in the store every few weeks is not free.
Melissa Lewis You don't have to hire extra people. It is usually done by the same personal that handles placement of goods and ensures that all price tags are where they are. And they also change tags if price gone up or down for any reason. That happens much more often then tax changes. P.S. And the price on the tag is also generated and printed by the computer linked to register.
I know this...I'm actually part of a team at a store that does this. Modular changes happen so often that we (the team) can not keep up with it. I can not even imagine what we would do if we had to do not only modular changes, but also price changes. We would need a team twice the size we have now. We can't even get a team large enough to cover the modular. No store will hire that many people when the register adds the tax for free. Plus it will ruin that sales tactic where .89 or .99 at the end of the price sells more because it seems cheaper. It's been that way for decades and since no one in America complains about adding the tax in their head, why would they ever change it?
Why would it ruin this tactic? As I said, we have loads of prices ending in ,89 or ,99. And that's with VAT included. Also, tax only changes once a few years. VAT normally changes only once a decade or two. Tax on alcohol, tobaco and fuel sometimes might change more often, but still - no more then once a year.
Many chains Like Target and Wal-mart and many others have code built into their prices. prices ending in .89 or .99 is the regular price. those ending in .00 or .50 are concidered clearance prices and in some stores if it's ,00 for any reason, that's the lowest price that product will go. be it a markdown, a sale, or liquidation. In my store items ending in .60 or .20 are marked down. and will be that price for 4-12 weeks. People like this and again, no one complains about adding the tax in their head. we've been taught this as small children wanting to buy a candy with our allowance money. Tax can change FAR more than a few years here. in some states(even as small as some towns and cities) it can change every couple of months. taxes fluctuate every day. Most of the time it's too small to actually be a full cent or even half a cent. but once it does hit a full cent, the computer does the math at the register.
I'm a Californian who visits Koln to see family and everytime I'm over there I fall in love the public transit. In Koln anywhere I wana go I can get on a ubhan or a bus and I'm there. Here in the states especially like Sacramento where I'm studying public transit is worthless and I only use it for getting to or from the airport it's like everyone is forced to get a car cause everything is so spread out. Sometimes I don't even need to get on transit I can just walk in Koln. Plus a bottle of Kolsch beir is just one dollar and it's a big bottle and it's a million times better than what we have in the states.
I went to the US over the summer and the tax thing really annoyed me. The first time I bought some thing, I gave the cashier the exact money I saw on the tag. She was like no no I needed to pay more. I was like ahh the tag said this amount. Then she went on to tell me about the taxes not being included, but I had only had the exact money. So she gave it to me and said I could pay the rest later, that was nice of her to do especially since it was the first time meeting her. I paid the rest the next day and went to her store over all other stores the entire summer.
I do think that thing with the escalators in Germany varies between larger cities and smaller towns. I do know this rule from visiting Berlin a lot, but in my home town - which is a lot smaller - and even a lot of the times in die midsize city in which I studied people don't seem to know about this 'rule' and it annoys me so much :D
+ViceEarth Man, this is smart, haha! Where is thst printed, never actually noticed this. Well I guess one reason for this rule being more common in bigger cities might be that there are a lot of escalators at the tube stations where a lot of people are in a rush to get their tube/train while smaller cities mostly have just busses and a train station where there are no escalators? And in comparison then you're in a shopping center you're most likely not on a rush so there's no need for this rule... idk judt a thought :)
Jazz Afire I think it's exactly as you said it: Our escalators lead to the subway trains and most people are running - if you stand on the left side, you will be pushed away. :D Here's a picture: www.ambergerschule-nuernberg.de/dud/dud5/dud5_RolltreppeSchrift.jpg
+Jazz Afire It's the same in America if you live in big cities that have decent subway systems.. You stand on the right side.. and after living in DC for so long. I would just push tourists out the way because when I needed to transfer trains to get to work or class. I couldn't miss that train or I could be late for work or class.. some tourist dont like that, as the vast majority of Americans don't take public transit. So they blatantly don't try to learn the rules when they are on a subway system
This American just subscribed. Your videos are interesting. I've never traveled abroad, but have always thought that most (American) people walk loudly and things like standing to the right on an escalator have always just seemed like a natural courtesy to me. I bet Germans don't stand in the middle of a hallway and block it while having a conversation when other people are trying to get past the way Americans do either. Seems like there are many things I would appreciate about life in Germany. It's a few generations back, but my mother's family was from Germany and I think maybe some of the German influence worked it's way into me. Keep the videos coming and enjoy your restful, quiet Sunday.
american sales man are so much friendlier, sales man in germany can be so grumpy :-( but if someone asks "how are you?" you can answer the truth in germany!
JB P ^^ That sounds a bit salty even though it is probably not meant that way. :) But I'd like to ask the same question as Faygris. It's a bit awkward to me and I don't know what I am "supposed" to reply.
JB P Wow, that's pretty weird for me as a German to exchange this many words with a stranger I just pass by. But it's really interesting and useful to know. Thanks for this! :)
JB P That explains these awkward situation when I answered to some American who said "How are you doing?" to me. But how do you distinguish between your expression "how are you?" which is bereft of content and the expression "how are you?" when you really want to know how the other one is doing/feeling?
Hearing about how to get the driver license, makes me wonder if parents can teach their children in public places in America even in the normal traffic? 'Cause we can also be a little bit taught by our parents to save money but only in special little places, there your have only a few roundabouts, curves, little hills and parking boxes.
+roseofred95 Where I'm from in Florida you first have to take a written exam to make sure you know the road rules, and then you get a permit to drive on the street during the day with your parents (or someone else with a license who is at least 18 or perhaps 21 years old - I don't remember which). Then you practice for a year driving on the normal streets, and then you have to take a driving exam with someone from the office in the car with you. If you pass the test, you get your license.
+Wanted Adventure When I was growing up in the States (over 50 years ago), there was a summer driver's ed course put on by our high school for all 16-year-olds. After a few weeks of teaching and practice, you got your learner's permit and could then take the driving test two weeks later. When I came to Germany at the age of 25, my license had expired and I didn't bother renewing it - after all, thought I, I wouldn`t have a car in Europe and if I needed a license, I could just pay a few dollars for a new one. :-) BTW I just discovered your channel and find it fascinating, as I've been living in Germany since I came here in 1972.
I've been watching your videos for a while now, and really enjoy them. A couple of things about Illinois that could explain some of your questions. For sales tax, in the Chicago area, not only do you have state sales tax, you also have local sales tax that can vary from town to town. This can make advertising difficult for retailers. Gas however does actually have the sales tax included, and you can see the effects of this if you look at the price of downtown Chicago, or the suburbs. For driving, we are required to have a drivers education course, but not nearly as extensive as Europe. This can contribute to rules that people are unaware of, such as yielding to the car on the right at a 4 way stop (only when both cars get there at the same time). I personally wish we had more as universal training, as it would cause less confusion, and make the roads safer for everyone.
Here in the United States, many states require drivers education school. Most high-schools offer this program for a few hundred dollars. It encompasses in-class lecture and behind the wheel with an instructor.
+brownmsoe that must suck for those states....here in Arizona they practically give you a license with a purchase of a happy meal...and they don't expire for 40 years.Just wait in a line for a driving instructor to come out,you drive around the block and that is all...hell it can be the first time you ever sat behind the wheel of a car and still can get a license
on most essential food (bread, milk...) it is 7% on rest of food and items in the store it is 19%. On income it is quite complex. Up to some amount taxes are 0% (up to 8000 for single dabble for couples) , then there are some ranges of income with small tax in percentage (14% up to 13k/26), then next range has higher (24% up to 53k/105k eur), and above that goes to 42%. If you as a single earn more that 250k eur of as married couple more than 500k € than tax goes to 45%. And these rages are not overlapping in calculation. So for a annual income of 100k usd (90200 eur) a single person (not married) will pay 28660 usd (25850 eur). So because of progressive tax rate for someone who has relatively good income of 100k usd tax rate is 28,66 %. For people with lower income tax rate will go down. For extremely rich people tax rate will be approaching to 45% (mathematically called limes).
aurelije Wow those are quite high taxes! Sales tax on food, other and income is all higher than in America. I do not know how easy it is to have tax exemptions though in Germany. Also, I found it surprising someone said "good." I would never say that even if my taxes were much lower than average. However, there are two for sure things in life: DEATH AND TAXES!
there are many exemptions, for every expense you have in connection to your job, for example subway tickets to get from home to office, then many things connected to having a kid (and kindergarten is free and compulsory from 3 years), then to repairing of your flat. For every kid you get 200 euros, for 3rd even more. And in my example I took a 90200 € income, that is 2 times higher than average payment in Germany so tax rate is higher then a rate for average German citizen
+Joseph Bavone that's interesting. I am honestly happy that we have taxes, so society can pay for things. The lower the taxes, the more you have to pay for yourself from my point of view. Must be a European, "socialist" way of looking at things!
good to know that you have to add the tax to the price in America... didn´t know this, I thought it was normal that the price you see is the price you pay^^
We have the escalator thing in Washington DC too - my brother calls it "esca-lefting." It could be a metro-area thing, though - I had to explain to an out-of-town friend that she couldn't stand next to me on the escalator during rush hour.
Please take this as constructive criticism and talk maybe in a less fake way. What you're saying is quite good but HOW you're saying it is very obviously made up. I'm saying it because you make good videos and I'd like to enjoy them :)
***** then I'm really sorry for saying what I said. My apologies Wanted an Adventure. Please understand that I only wanted to offer constructive criticism.
Here's something for you- chitchat IS annoying to some Americans. Additionally, Americans might say/ask "Hi, how are you?" as just something to say if we happen to make eye contact, but a large majority don't really care about how you actually are doing that day. They are asking because Americans are VERY uncomfortable with silence. It's truly about being friendly even when not genuine. So strange and endearing at the same time!
I think it's better to say: "American don't walk, they drive." Also including the sales tax in the price is not exclusive to Germany, it pretty much exist in most of the countries in the world other than America.
wait.... so americans learn to drive from their parents without any office thingy checking their actual ability and knowledge about roads, signs, laws, etc?? what the f*ck isnt that super dangerous??
+xEnjoyTheMoment You do have to take a test to get your actual license. A written test first (on the road signs and rules and such) and then a driving test. But the point I was making is that where I'm from there weren't any driving courses that we had to take. Your parents just taught you how to drive and then you went and took the driving test, and if you passed you got your license.
+xEnjoyTheMoment In addition to the drivers written and practical, at least where I live, beginning drivers need to take Drivers ed, which is a professional driving course. It might possible to avoid drivers ed if you waited until you were older to drive, not sure what that age might be. I had thought Drivers Ed was taught universally to children in the U.S., but I guess there may be some ways or areas where children ONLY learn from their parents, but I believe this is less common then receiving drivers ed.
+Wanted Adventure in texas first thing you do is go t a driving school then take a A written test then you get to drive in the car with a state trooper they report back to the DMV if you passed or not
Hey Dana, just to clarify, you are from the United States of America. America is a continent that is comprised of North, Central and South America. Stating that you live in "America" leads to no few misunderstandings. Take it into consideration.
+killthepixelnow Hey there! I actually recently watched a really interesting video on this topic by the WonderWhy UA-cam channel. Here's the link: ua-cam.com/video/NVMZC4y4zXU/v-deo.html But boiling it down, basically "America" is the short name for the USA in English, and in English the continent is called "The Americas" not just "America." The confusion comes because in Spanish the continent is called "América." But the video goes into much more detail and really breaks it down amazingly. I definitely recommend it :)
+Wanted Adventure +killthepixelnow that is a thing I always wondered about. I just thought "Oh well. Amis are just arrogant. They know only about the USA and don't care about the world."
Mershell I know. I live in Europe. Despite this I don't like that calling. For me "America" is a continent with different countries on it. Equalizing those names is as if I say USA is superior to other "minor" countries. I don't like that.
IIRC in Munich there are signs to stand right and walk left on escalators. When I saw it first it was like a revelation. :-D Unfortunately here in northern Germany it's not very common. :-( (I'm a walker.)
I know it may seem a little harsh, but I think most people find a video better when we feel authenticity from the person. The way you sound is very restrained and phony. I really don't want to hurt your feelings, but I think it's distracting and irritating.
I am Dutch living in the UK and something I really had to get used to was that if you bump into someone, you say sorry, but the person you bumped into will also say sorry, for being in the way I guess. Now when I go back to the Netherlands, I catch myself saying 'sorry' a lot and people giving me strange looks. 'You didn't do anything, it was me.'
It's like that in the U.S. too, to an extent. I mean, if it was not clear who ran into whom. But yeah, if someone clearly ran into me when I was not at fault, no sorry from me, my friend. lol I think people make good natured jokes about the UK and Canada being overly polite in that way.
Sweetie! Really? What country of America you live in? Are you talking about the USA because as far as I know America is a continent not a country please go back to school! Greetings from Austria...
+Michelle Lira It all depends on what language you're speaking -- really great explanation here: ua-cam.com/video/NVMZC4y4zXU/v-deo.html it's a bit of a long video, but really goes in depth and explains it 100%
+Wanted Adventure Well, the fact that many people call the USA "America" doesn't make it correct. Just as calling all of the Netherlands "Holland" or all of the UK "England" does not become correct by many people doing it.
Marina Alhariri America is a whole continent divided into two subcontinents North America and South America but is still just one never two continents in America! Hehe :p
Oh, yes! Having the tax on the tag would be awesome!!!!! But, you are right - not only is the tax different in each state, but in each town/city. But still, that would be so nice. I like to walk up escalators too, but since I don't live in a city, it's not an issue for me. I can't imagine not chit-chatting with other random people. It's something that I had to make myself do because it isn't comfortable to me, but I decided I'd rather have people feel comfortable around me than not - so, I got used to doing it. Fun observations!! Thanks Dana!
I'm from Germany and I didn't ever notice the thing with the escalator but it's true. I think that I've been doing this since being a little child just because everyone's doing that ;)
That was the birdie song you did at the end there, it reached number 2 in the charts here in the UK in 1981. I did like it at the time since I was a little boy, but I don't like it now but I would get up and dance to it for a laugh.
I've spent my last year in the US and that's so so true about extra friendly Americans, but it's also kinda weird when a person who knows you for like a day starts calling you a best friend
Actually the Chicken dance was invented in Switzerland and is therefore quite popular in Switzerland, Germany and Austria :) (But it's called "Ententanz" = Duck-Dance)
Like your vids a lot. Thanks for sharing your life experience. Agree with some of the differences (lived in Austria for 5 years) and now an moving from Vancouver, BC to Germany so looking forward to how Canada changed me European habits once again!
Not saying hallo to the cashier is btw a social faux pas in germany too ;-) It is a quite common one, but greeting people you interact with is still basic politeness, we just cut out the chitchat. ;.)
I know the chicken dance! And I'm from Russia. :) But we call it the Little Ducklings' Dance, and I'm not quite sure how popular it is, maybe it was just my kindergarden that taught it.
+mariebbgon I'm German and it was a culture shock for me, when i guided exchange students around and suddenly an estonian, slovakian and russian girl started this dance and the polish girl besides me saying "oh, we like to dance this on a wedding!" ... WTF???
Right-goes-before-left doesn't take ALL uncertainty out of the system. When a car arrives at the crossing on all four sides, you got a stuck situation, haha. Also, when some of them want to make a turn, it gets even more complex and even if the rules are clear, when such unlikely situations happen, some German drivers get confused.
Hey, I'm working for a marketing company for driving schools, so it was an interesting point for me :) I just can't imagine not to learn driving from a professional teacher bc a car is a dangerous thing you have to lern deal with it properly... crazy america :D thank you so much for you videos!
Yeah, the thing with the sales tax in America really drove me nuts! I didn't know about that before I went over and kept second-guessing myself when the cashier told me a different price from the one on the board. I think the escalator situation is something we actually got from the British :D I first saw this when I went to London about 15 years ago and only became aware of it here in Germany within the last few years. But my guess is that the British were the pioneers of this process :D
You said you forgot about saying hello to the salesmen...I work at a gas station (currently 2nd year of apprentice ship) and I litreally _always_ greet the customers/guests, no matter if the buy something or just want to use the toilets. I always get frustrated when (not only but mostly) elderly people just get straight to me, slap their credit/debit cards or money on the table and say which gas pump they have to pay. Some of them don't even react when I ask if that's all they want or if there was anything else I could do, but sometimes people just like to chitchat a little. I guess you just have to read people and know what they want before they know. That's at least what I am learning at the Berufsschule. Know your customers, know what they want and sell it to them before they even know they need it. And then maybe have a little conversation about things they want to talk about.
Thanks for your videos Ms Newman! As a German it's always fun to get an (somewhat) external view on our patterns of behaviour and cultural semiotics. It's always amusing to see the little differences, I noticed a lot of things I perceived as weird when I was in Denmark, Austria, France and the Czech Republic (though nothing quite as strange to me as the behavioural patterns in the UK...probably because it's not a neighbour ;) ). Of course that doesn't explain why I felt at home in Portugal which is a) not central or western Europe (though it IS fairly far west... ;) ) and b) nowhere I have been before.... weird... ;) Anyway, thanks for your vids and best regards Raoul G. Kunz
Ich war ja auch "nur" in Wien und muss einfach sagen dass die Menschen weit höflicher sind als in Frankfurt. Gut, sie sind auch höflicher als in den Bergen direkt hinter der bayrischen Grenze aber das wird eine Frage von Provinz und urban sein. Es ist schwer zu definieren.... einfach eine Tendenz Höflichkeit eher als Selbstwert zu betrachten. Und dazud as seltsame Gefühl dass man eigentlich alles verstehen sollte aber es nicht tut weil mir bestimmte zugänge zur lokalen Semantik und Semiotik fehlten... alles eher abstrakt, aber ein spannender Effekt, gerade wenn man nominell die selbe Sprache spricht. Ich hoffe das war hilfreicher als es mir scheint ;).
in Michigan, kids have two segments of driving lessons that stretches out at least six months. segment one is about a month and a half and segment two is just a few days. written test is with segment one, driving test is after second two.
So true! We also have the habit of not only wearing our street shoes in the house over bare tile and wood floor but ALSO when lying on the bed or sofa! Watch most American movies and you will see this...
There's one 'german' thing about peoples behaviour in supermarkets: Very often you can witness that people would queue up in line at the only open cash-desk when there are more of them that are closed ! Elswhere people would lament or complain about that and ask tha staff to open up additional desks - not so in Germany ! Even though they may get angry about the line seemingly not getting shorter, you only very rarely see people approaching staff-members asking them to upen up more cash-desks !
That escalator thing is a rule here in America, too. Those people at the airport were wrong also, we do the right before left thing at intersections if both cars stop at the same time.
In Poland the chicken dance is very popular, too! We do it on weddings and when birthday (or other) parties go a little crazy, you'll always find everyone in the middle of the room/garden/place dancing and singing "nanananananana nanananananana nanananananana na na na na..." xD
I feel like "How are you?" simply sounds weird in german. I rarely ever even ask my friends or family this question. Which is not to say that I dont enquire them about their well being. But I usually only ask "Wie geht es dir?" when I know that the person I'm asking is not well. As a way of encouraging them to tell me what upset them. When starting small talk "Wie geht es dir?" simply sounds a little forced. And I feel like there is actually a little bit of truth in there, because when I lived in America for a year, I quickly figured out that most people didnt really care about "how I am" at all.
i have noticed alot of people talk about how America does not include tax on the items in store, but they do! Items in stores generally are the price of the good with the "American" tax on it just not the country's tax AND the states tax AND county's tax AND city's tax. The biggest reason we notice many of these is because many goods and services travel freely from state to state, county to county. Now if importing and exporting were treated similarly across nearby countries or if Germany was broken down into states that function similarly to America you would probably notice similar pricing policies
The last one is strange, because when I was in Munich in 2010, taxes were not included into price tags. I'm sure I remember it clearly, because if you were confused about taxes not inluded, just imagine the confusion of someone who had absolutely no idea that the price on the tag might not be what you actually have to pay.
After over 20 years in Germany what was and still remains the most difficult thing to adapt to here is thhe lack of spontaneity, as you mentioned in the USA the ease at which one could strike up a conversation with a total stranger-that you may never see again the rest of your life-just to pass some time or verbally share an experience. As you i tried this at first with my fellow German citizens only to be responded quite cooly or not at all! or "I'm SORRY for being nice1"
As far as driving in Illinois, you must document so many driving hours with a parent and more with an official driving instructor. This is in addition to passing a test. This was back in 2002.
It's definitely different with driving rules in America now. Okay so, you need 30 hours in a state mandated class and then you have an instructor drive with you maybe a total of 10-15 times. Then you need 30 hours of driving completed and filled out to get your license. Plus pass a written test to get your permit.
Conversations between strangers might be not common in most parts of Germany but in some parts it's possible. Once I had a conversation with a woman in a train. She came from the "Ruhrpott" to Bremen, my hometown, to live here. She said it was something new to her to speak with totally strangers in a train or at a bus station but it happened to her quite often since she's living in Bremen.
I love your channel. I am a world traveler myself and have lived all over the world. One small thing I wanted to talk about was, every culture has a reason for doing what it is they do. (I studied American cultural anthropology I know it sounds pretentious but just bare with me) one of the reasons they do not include tax until you pay is Americas obsession with openness, clarity and transparency. ( one of the reasons why we as a people are so open) By segregating out the price of the item to the business and the government you have a right to always know how much of your money is going to the company and how much is going to the government. I am not advocating this practice one way or another, just explaining to your international audience the many reasons for this unusual cultural tic we have.
+Pamela Parker "one of the reasons they do not include tax until you pay is Americas obsession with openness, clarity and transparency." For me NOT including the tax until you pay is the exact opposite of openness and clarity. It is cheating the costumer. I would not buy a product from which I don't know the exact total price in advance. Here in Germany when you get your receipt the sales tax is of course accounted and then you know exactly how much is going to the business and to the government.
thomas muster Ok ok you got me Thomas. We are bad bad naughty naughty people. Someone day we will be more perfect like the rest of the world. Who have always been so perfect, kind, and sweet. We are trying. Just give us time!!! Please Thomas! Please!
Pamela Parker O.K., no problem. Take the time you need to fix that issue. But when I come next to the US (not within the next months so you have time enough) I expect that this problem is solved. Maybe you can write to your representatives and senators.
Absolutely! Thank you. You will save America. We will finally make something of ourselves. Maybe one day we will be successful! I will definitely let the representatives know Thomas is coming! And just ignore any information you might read from American cultural Anthropologists and Historians from Japan, France, the UK and even Germany. You are clearly better than them. I am with you brother. Stand strong!!!!
Pamela Parker "Maybe one day we will be successful!" Wish you all the best. It will be a tough task given for example the crumbling infrastructure and the huge deficit of the federal budget. But we have some problems here too. "I will definitely let the representatives know Thomas is coming!" Not necessary. I'm only a humble human being. The price tags is everything that matters. Maybe you can also start a petition for complete labeling? "And just ignore any information you might read from American cultural Anthropologists and Historians from Japan, France, the UK and even Germany." Why should I ignore them? I'm always interested in Anthropology and History. Btw I didn't questioned your explanation about the origin of this awkward labeling. And you should have recognised this with ease anyway. I only said that for me (within my cultural enviroment) such a labeling would be cheating or misleading. And such labeling would be never allowed in Germany. But when every county and major city has it's own sales tax in the USA then the problem already starts there and a sensible reformation would be very challenging. Because I'm well aware of the historically caused mistrust of the population against the federal government and the highly valued autonomy of the states, districts and counties.
Hey Dana! Enjoy your videos. As far as driver training, I live in California and I am 53, when I got my license way back in the late 70's it was required to have a formal "behind the wheel" training. The requirements are even more strict now, don't know where you lived here in the U.S., maybe the rules there were more lax.
I was in the states in 2008. A big difference were the gastations. In the us, you have to pay at first and need to know how much gallons you need. In Germany, you could fill up your car with much gasoline as you need. After that you could pay
The friendly chitchatting is an Australian thing as well and I was completely caught off guard when I landed back in Sydney and went to grab a coffee... I'd already spent half a year there a couple of years earlier so I should have known but I had just completely forgotten about it. I just stared at the cashier for a full three seconds before catching up and stammering something unintelligible in return. Now I'm back in Europe I miss this so much! As someone who's often too lazy to haul my ass out of the house to meet friends a little bit of forced friendly social interaction is actually hella nice sometimes.
Germans are honestly the only ones to stop at a red traffic light. Everytime I am in another country I feel so dumb when everyone just crosses the street whatever color the traffic light shows, and I wait for green.
Well it depends on where you are.
On major streets I also tend to stop. People drive fast and when they see a green light don't pay attention.
But when I am in the middle of nowhere, possibly with a bad traffic light system (which my home town is famous for), I just cross.
and quite a lot of people do.
+SimonHellinger it depends on the street. and if you know the crossing inside and out. there's this one crossing that i cross twice a day and i know exactly when i can walk despite it begin a really busy road
+JB P In Germany it is like that: green light --> accelerate to maximum.
Nobody and I mean really nobody expects anybody to be on the road then. If there is someone on the street he will be dead meat.
When you were yelled at I think that there were children at the crossing. We love our children (of course) and don't want them to run on a street - never! So everyone is supposed to be a model / example of how to behave correctly at a crossing when there are children in sight.
If you are in the middle of nowhere or it is dark and no children in sight then nobody gives a shit :-) . (Ok ... I tend to think "He must be really in a hurry - poor guy.")
+SimonHellinger
Japan they stop at red lights there too
+SimonHellinger
Americans just jay walk.
Americans are really nice and friendly. However, the one thing I don't understand is when friendly strangers strike up a conversation and walk away just as you're starting to think 'hey, i just made some new friends'!
+emmo I think I've done that sometimes :D
+emmo haha I've never thought about this. We aren't alway looking for friends but taught to be friendly, welcoming to others. To a certain extent I think we try to make up for what we perceive to be negative stereotypes by being super friendly for foreigners. I know I appreciate when I've been over seas and the locals are helpful and patient with me.
+Mark Bollinger I appreciate your attitude of being friendly to strangers. That's definitely a good thing. The only thing bothering about that is that US-Americans sometimes seem so fake. Like they HAAAVE to get into a conversation because it is the normal thing to do. No, it's not. If you don't have anything to say, then don't say anything...
+emmo Haha! I think that's the "American superficiality" that German people often criticize. To Americans friendliness isn't neccessarily about making friends, but basically about superficial small talk. Which is often hard to get into for people like me, who try to avoid superficial small talk even with friends whenever possible. :P
But, not all Americans are like that. ;)
+emmo Sometimes you do make friends. But, mostly it is just for small talk. One time I was at a condo in Florida on vacation. I met an older guy at the pool by the condo. He was mixing up drinks (mostly Margaritas.) As I walked by him, he asked if I wanted a drink, I said, "no, no, that's alright", because I did not want to impose. But, he insisted he was making the drinks and anyone at the pool could have some for free. I said OK. So, I took one, drank it and came back for another. By this time, my girlfriend had joined me at the pool and I told her I would get her a drink, she said, "no, don't do that, we have our own drinks upstairs." I said, no really, he is giving away drinks. So, basically everyone at the pool was getting free drinks, and a pretty big pool it was. Well, finally he ran out of Ice and liqueur. I had only had two drinks and was sober, but this big guy making the drinks was a little drunk. He asked me if I would take him to the liqueur store to get some more booze. I said OK, so I took him to the store, and I picked out a few drinks for myself while he loaded up a shopping cart with more Tequila and other booze. I took my drinks to the counter to pay, and he said: "Hold on there, I got it, I got it all!" So, I let him buy all the booze. Finally I had to ask him, why and he said: " Well my wife and kids like the beach, I don't really, but I like to drink, but I hate to do it alone." I told him that was good enough for me. We hung out with him and his wife for a couple days, ate dinner with them and got their phone number and did it all again about 2 years later, and every so often after that. I would not say he is a great friend, but he is funny and fun to hang out with every so often.
The fact that every state has it's own sales tax is not an excusion! From a european point of view it is just stupid to not write the full price on the price tag. If someone would go to another state, then how in the world should they know how high the sales taxes in this state are?
+Etherion It is stupid, but it's not as difficult as you'd think. For most of my life I've lived near the border of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. MA has a sales tax, NH doesn't. I don't think I've ever encountered someone from NH who forgot about sales tax.
Remember too - most Americans pay via credit or debit card. No need to think about tax at that point (unless you're pinching pennies).
Peter Schmidt
Ok, the credit card argument is valid as long as you can check your expenses immediately (and not like 3 or 4 days later).
Etherion Well the cashier always verbally tells you the final price, and the customer always gets a receipt (whether you can return the product or not), and most card companies in the US let you check transactions online. Credit transactions tend to take a day or 2 to go through, but you can still see them pending.
Peter Schmidt
ok, i think in my country it takes some days before the payment appears. And of course the cahsier tells you, what you have to pay, but it's better to know beforehand, how much you pay instead of being shocked, when the cashier tells you
+Etherion I think it also has to do with the fact that in Europe, the norm is for there to be a VAT, while in the States, we have a sales tax.
After watching this I realized that I might be more European than American. I don't make small talk... with anyone. I hate talking to the cashier at a store. I stick to one word answers in hopes that they will just stop trying. I don't call people without a reason and I will get to that reason within 30 seconds of the conversation starting.
It drives me nuts that my family makes so much noise when walking in a house. I think you should be able to walk in a house with the only sound being made being an occasional creaking floorboard.
The escalator thing brings out my inner Hulk. I just want to scream "HULK SMASH" and plow through the crowd. Escalators are meant to make you go faster not allow you to have another avenue towards obesity.
The tax thing is just annoying. I just like knowing what I am going to pay without having to do math. I can usually figure it out in my head anyway, but if I need to know exact change, I'll just buy less stuff to avoid going over what I have in my wallet, which in turn means that the store makes less money. I'd make an over-reaching slippery slope argument about economic collapse, but I think I'll just say that it annoys me anyway.
The thing that I have noticed about America while being in Germany is that Americans talk incredibly loud. If you go to a restaurant in the US you will barely be able to hear yourself over the sound of everyone around you talking. While this does happen in some places in Germany, it is much less common in my experience. Americans staying in Germany are usually easily recognized by the fact that they are talking really loudly.
The thing about Americans talking loud is very true! I live in Berlin and when I see Americans talking in the streets I always get confused because they seem to be kinda numb?
I'm european but not born in Europe.
Agree!
+Brandon Warino Americans are American, not Euro. Many look similar but have whole different outlook on life
The tax thing is USA is unavoidable and illogical but we are used to it. Very pleasant to have all-in cost in Europe, then I know how much I am actually paying.
Wait, the taxes are not in the price included? Good to know before I´ll go to america one day.
+KuroKitsuneTheYaoiPervert Yeah is kinda annoying. If you wanna know the exact price you end up using your phone calculator but usually you can get a good mental approximate. Plus as she said the tax varies, sometimes you forget. Is it 11% or 16%? And it also happens sometimes with discounts. The price tag shows the price without the discounts and without taxes. You end up doing some quite long calculations to know the exact price :D
Ernie Rivera I see... so at the end I will just take what I wanted and when I get to the cash register and it says that I have to pay more money than I actual have, then I will just be a douchebag and return some stuff right know so that many people have to wait.
Good system.
It has happened to me, not to return all but some stuff. The cashier has a compartment for the stuff you don't want so you don't have to get off line.
In deed a good system
Ernie Rivera Well, I just don´t get why they don´t include the taxes. That´s a weird system to me. Doesn´t it just makes everything more difficult?
+KuroKitsuneTheYaoiPervert One major reason is because different items have different tax prices. Food has lower taxes generally or none at all, while alcohol may have extra. Also each state has varying sales tax, from 4% all the way up to 12%, so the large chains do not have a standard number they can put on everything.
The American mother of a friend of mine once told me, that, in her opinion of course, it is quite easier to make new American friends or get in touch with people that are from America. But the thing is, that the bond of friendship between you and a German reaches deeper and is stronger, compared to relationships in the USA, because it takes longer to get there and thus holds much more value to it. A German is much more likely to help you with whatever you need his help for than an American.
Don't know if that is actually true, but sounds somewhat reasonable. Any thoughts?
+JB P hm i get why people might say americans are "nicer during every day exchanges" but in reality, for me this is not being "nice" as i understand the word. i've bin in america for several month, and in the beginning i was overwhelmed by the kindness of everybody. but i soon found out, that it's mostly empty words. "let's hang out sometimes" "let's do this, let's do that together" and then you never hear from a person again. i find that more annoying than helpful. don't get me wrong, i've met really amazing people in the states, but i prefer the mentality here in austria (next to germany). where i know if someone says something, it will actually happen. and that people will mostly be honest with me, or won't act nice if they don't like me.
+Pitschi Pitschi Popo I don't think what you said about "the bond of friendship between you and German reaches deeper and stronger because it takes longer to get there" is true at all, no...
People who live in the US, on average, are much more shallow, they go thru friends like toilet paper. Europeans are much more serious, not as glib, they tend to take friendship seriously.
I am from the US, believe me, that's the reason why. Sure, there are many sincere, deep, intellectual people who live in the states, but they are outweighed by the many, many greedy, narcissistic, looking to get ahead in any way possible, philistines glued to their TV's, who don't understand what true friendship is.
It is most likely rooted from the fact that we are spoiled, and void of any traditional values passed down. It seems that all we know is how to over work ourselves so to acquire the fine, tangible things in life that have no meaning other than to categorize us in status.
JB P
I've lived in both places also. It's not about the people I hang around, it's more about the people I've come across, people I've worked with.
What I said is mostly true in the bigger cities,(which I probably should have pointed out) where people are more ambitious, more cut-throat. When I lived in Colorado, I did find people to be much more sincere. Right now, I'm in Los Angeles, and although I have made some great friends, there are so many shallow people here who care for nothing but getting getting ahead, and would step all over their best friend to get there. And I must admit it does have to do with your career, or, just where you work. Which I why I changed my career.
JB P You're right, which I had mentioned.
meladversity
That is exactly what I'm talking about. Whenever I make plans with my German, or English friends, they usually don't call to confirm, they just show up, and they all seem to have an attitude of, "Well of course we're still on, why would we not be, we agreed to get together," It's very impressive.They never, ever flake out, which I feel is very common with people in the states, not everyone flakes, but it's very common.
I much prefer the mentality of Europeans also.
I invited this guy to a party once, gave him a couple weeks notice, and he said he couldn't confirm until he knew what was going on that weekend. So, basically he said- I'll let you know after I figure out if there's something better to do. I can't imagine someone from Europe responding that way had they been invited to a party, they would either say, yes, or sorry, I have already made plans.
Haha, I never thought about that but actually, when I was a child my parents would always tell me not to stomp when walking around in the house because... idk... you just shouldn't aparently... :D
I'm German and I noticed that in Spain, Italy and the UK you just ignore the red traffic light for pedestrians and just keep on walking if there is no car to pass the street. In Germany everyone will wait until the green light shows up!
MsHoneymoon93 Well there could be children watching!
MsHoneymoon93 well... just adopt the things from other countries that suit you the most, I gues..
"Things" xD
MsHoneymoon93 Here in Naples, Italy, pedestrians often make cars stop, by passing when it's red for them.
Docter Yoda
i missed the joke on this one..I guess...could you help me? the article is wrong...so things and not "the things"?
'The Chicken Dance' as you call it, was composed in the 1950s by a Swiss accordian player. It's name in English was 'The Duck Song.' In 1980 it was recorded in Holland under the name, 'Dance of the Little Birds'. It became popular across Europe and was known in UK and Ireland as 'The Birdy Song'. It was performed in 1981 in Oklahoma under the name, 'The Chicken Dance' and became popular in the US after a 1982 television performance. So, you see, not only is the US not the only country to sing this song, but it only reached there after the rest of the world had made idiots of themselves by singing it and performing the actions!
Ugh, the escalator thing. Here in New York it's my 'favorite' time to yell at strangers.
I was born in Europe but grew up in America. All of my extended family still lives in Europe though. When my cousin visited us from Belgium, she told us that she was weirded out by how many random Americans kept talking to her in the airport. People were asking if they can help her and they were asking about how her day is going. She felt shy and didn't feel comfortable making conversation with these strangers. She even thought it was odd that every American who made eye contact with her would smile at her. I feel the opposite visiting family in Europe and having people literally ignore my conversation with them because they just don't know how to respond to small talk. But I like to discover these cultural differences. They're subtle differences but big in nature.
I can really connect with the point about engaging with strangers in America. My grandma will start a conversation with just about anyone--a cashier, a fellow shopper or tourist, etc.
I love your sweater, it is so beautiful!
And I love your videos! Just stumbled about one by accident and now I am watching one after another for one hour straight :-D
+ParticleFairy Thank you!! :)
I am not surprised that you have more German viewers than American viewers. It is my experience that only very few Americans care about other cultures. Whenever there is an intercultural fest at the university I work at, the only students who will come are international students. It`s always quite sad...
I find quite appealing the fact that in America people struck up conversations easily. A little human touch is kind of cool. I mean: I've never been in America, but it comforts me the idea that even travelling alone I could be able to talk to someone. Hope to visit someday. Greetings from Italy!
In America if you do need help, depending on where you you are, help is not hard to find. People usually want to talk while at work even to customers because they are bored 😂 or if you need help you simply ask after they ask how are you
At least in Illinois, everyone under 18 is required to complete drivers education (about 30 hours of classroom instruction). In addition to the 30 hours, about 6 hours of in-car driving lessons are required to officially complete drivers Ed. When you finish this, the drivers Ed company/ your high school reports your completion to the Secretary of State, and you get a certificate required to get your license. In addition, you have to do 50 practice hours with your parents/adult to get your license
we in germany sort our trash. every tiny bit of plastik or paper is stored in a different trashcan. for us the trash is a valubale source that can bei recycled. when we travel to USA laut summer, it was irritating to Put every thing in one bin. at my aunt house we learnd that they collect newspaper and plastikbottles for recycling. what is good, but that only cratches the sorting rules for trash in germany.
+Susanne Wooodman Depends on the state. Look at glass bottles for example and you'll commonly see a list of state initials telling you which states will actively support recycling, and sometimes tell you what the material is worth (some places will give you money for recycling; many homeless people take advantage of this). I live in Massachusetts, and we have one bin for anything recyclable and another bin for anything non-recyclable. Anything that's a biohazard (like electronics) legally should be disposed of separately, though I don't think most people do that.
I think most of the mid-west and southern states don't tend to take recycling all that seriously. But the far west and north-east states do.
We used to sort, but have switched to one container recycling for recyclables, which are then mechanically separated. Organic recycling for food waste is being rolled out to the city here in Minneapolis in the mid-west.
+Larry Sanderson we visit Illinois / Chicago. perhaps we germans are too picky about these little things. .:-)
We used to sort all the recyclables; now machines do it.
+Suzie Woo when was the last time you were in the US??? Of course we recycle. We separate out all paper, plastic, metal, etc and it goes into the recycling bin picked up separate from the garbage by the recycling center. Been this way since the 90's. It has grown more and more convenient with curbside pickup now. We used to have to take it to centers ourselves, but for 10+ years now it goes right into the recycle bin and out to the curb for pick up.
Me personally - I have been separating recycling for over 30 years now ...
The "Chicken Dance" is (unfortunately) known all over Germany. In fact it is originally from Switzerland...
+Kuhn Verena haha thanks for the info! I like how you threw unfortunately in there. So not a fan then? :D
I also love the videos as a german, because it makes me realize what is "normal" for us is interesting or strange for people from other countries :) That's very interesting to hear and makes you look at life here from another perspective :)
Having the final price displayed on price tags is one of the best things in Germany when it comes to shopping. That way I can easily compare and make more quailified decisions.
hey dana, : the original name of the ''chickendance'' is ententanz - the song was composed by a swiss guy. btw, i enjay your videos a lot. it's funny to take a look at germany with different eyes
+fräulein zazie So I've learned! That's awesome :) Thanks for your comment -- I'm glad you're enjoying the videos :) :)
I'm from Ukraine and this chicken dance is also a thing here😂
+Wanted Adventure In France, it's called the duck's dance...
Even troughout Austria and Italy the Chickendance is well known..!
Adding the sales tax reminds us how much tax we are paying, unlike the VAT in Germany which is 19% but nobody really notices because it is part of the price of each item. The Highest stae sales taxes in the US is 9.49%
normaly is 7% in germany
Der wackere Schwabe I'm sorry, I thought it was much higher. Has it come down since I was there some 40 years ago?
Phil Heaton it depends on the product but its mostly 7%
Omg I'm so glad I found you in UA-cam :D Watching your videos is so much fun and it's soooo interesting :) Thanks for making these :D
Viktor L Thanks so much for the nice comment!! :D :D Really happy to hear you are enjoying the videos!
When I was in America, I found it really weird that there are employees in supermarkets who put the things you bought in a bag, so the customer doesn't have to do it. Also, at least in the NY area, there were employees who are responsible for the baskets outside of the supermarket, because the people there just left their baskets all over the place on the parking lot.
+Sophisticated Life ...that's the crazy thing of it ,you think it weird that some one gets payed to bag groceries while we here in the usa think it strange to come across a place that you have to bag you own groceries ...ah the spices of life...
+Sophisticated Life I know right? And since they're free, it doesn't really encourage people to bring their own bags which means more plastic bags are being used :/
even if they charged you for bags people still wouldn't hold on to bags here or reuse them for shopping.You can get canvas bags to reuse but nobody does.Here is a fast pace grab and go and toss it away pace way all so they can rush to get back to their houses and sit and watch Television and do nothing
+tweevers2 I think it depends on where you are. I work as a cashier at a grocery store and at least half of my customers either use canvas bags or request paper. The canvas bag people like how they are good for the environment, but also that they are more durable and carry more items. The customers who request paper bags are either elderly people who want something more sturdy or they're people who use the paper bags to sort their recycling. I live in Winston-Salem, NC. This is not a town most Americans think of as environmentally conscious but we are.
Also, Hawaii made plastic bags illegal like 10 years ago, so like 95% of people use canvas bags. California is about to do the same. Several counties/cities have made it so that you must charge people for plastic bags, in order to encourage canvas bags. Canvas bags are very cheap at the stores! We sell them for 99¢, I never understand why people wouldn't want such useful bags that last quite a long time and cut down on waste
Bagging is done in other countries as well. In fact, bagging in the U.S. is happening less and less because it's difficult to justify paying someone minimum wage to do something a 10-year-old could manage.
The carts do still get picked up. I find it convenient not to have to return the cart to the store, but it's not nice when people leave them in bad places. There's typically a designated spot in the parking area.
we got the chicken dance in Germany xD but we call it Ententanz - duck dance :P anyway, great video! America really is weird sometimes :P
I love your videos. You show so many cultural differences I would have never thought of!
+Justin K. Thanks Justin! Really nice to hear you're getting a kick out of the videos and that they're making you think :D Yeah, I think every country can be a little weird sometimes and I have fun looking at the cultural differences.
+Wanted Adventure The chicken dance is common on german weddings ;)
+Justin K. I can say even more! Here in Belarus and also in Russia and Ukraine we have this dance too! It called Dance of little Ducklings. It's dance that children usually dance on children parties.
You've just got a new subscriber... It's actually interesting to see differences and commons between different cultures...
Actually follow you from South Tyrol... not that far awa
Grüße aus Südtirol..!!
Hey thanks!! Glad you're enjoying the videos :) :)
Chicken dance certainly exists in the Netherlands. Same music and moves. Popular at weddings. It's called the Vogeltjesdans, which means 'little birds dance'.
Hi Dana - very amusing - and interesting for someone who hardly knows the States, like me.
On another topic: it looks like you have new lights for filming (brighter, whiter?) very "pro" looking!
I want to suggest you get a Lavalier microphone or a digital recorder with built-in mics that you can place nearer to you - this video sounded like it was recorded in your bathroom because of all the room echo picked up - a Lavalier (abbreviated to "Lav") cuts out that room echo and makes your voice more predominant.
I hope you appreciate my well-meant tip. All the best and keep up the good work! Rob
In California, if you're under 18, you need to complete an online or in-classroom Drivers Ed course before you take your permit test. Then, you can get your permit. You can't actually DRIVE with the permit until you have your first professional behind-the-wheel instruction class. After that, you CAN learn from your parents, but you're required to complete a certain number of hours from the instructor. :)
Ain't that sweet.
In Germany you need to go to theoretical lessons and take a test in that, it's like an big American high school test, speaking of the level and the style.
Also you need to complete the first half of the theoretical lessons (though on this I'm not certain if it applies to every area) before you are able to sit behind the wheel.
You do that with an professional instructor, within a special car. The instructor has all three pedals on his own. So he can brake, or accelerate if necessary. The third pedal is the one for stick- driving, "kupplung". I don't know the translation.
And whenever he finds you ready, after a few hours of driving, you are able to take the obligated hours. 2 in the city, 2 on the countryside, 2 on the highway and 2 at night.
And then, he can sign you up for a test, were an objective, certified guide takes your test of 45min, without just the slightest mistake!
(One time forgot to set a blinker and you failed or if you took the wrong turn twice)
Cloverofmist Growing up in rural Michigan, by the time I was of age to take driver training I was already driving for a few years on the farm. Many of the kids with me also had quite a bit of driving experience. I was scared of the kids that grew up in town because it was likely their first driving experience.
+William Lucas
What's the point of asking for "fun" in testing a persons ability to drive a car responsibly and securely ?
A quick look around in daily road-traffic in Germany will tell you that the costs for the driving license are still too low to deter all those people who should have never been allowed to steer 1,5 tons of metal through inhabited areas.
Some (or better: many) people should rather stick to public transport because they drive like f***in' idiots ! Just for the sake of common safety !
+palomino73 I was being sarcastic. As gas mileage has become equivalent between stick and auto, americans just don't learn how to drive stick and we don't pay so much for gas either.😉
+palomino73 The same could be said for procreation😏
All the Germans I've met have come to the US, in part, to get their drivers license because it is easier and cheaper to transfer it to Germany, than to get it over there to begin with.
I try not to interact with people in stores. Outside of a hello to the cashier, that is usually the end of the interaction.
I don't stomp. Mainly because it ends up hurting, but also because I don't like being loud unnecessarily.
4-Way stops do follow a counter-clockwise rule (Or is if clockwise?...) either way, it is whoever gets up to the line first, and that makes sense.
America isn't the only one who stands on either side of escalators. Plenty of videos can be found from other countries. I've seen people in Japan do it, for one.
I would love for tax to be included. but they want to maintain the "99 cents" because it makes things subconsciously look cheaper. This is a proven sales tactic, so it isn't going anywhere.
Yess!
MOst depend on the state. Some wont let you get a drivers licence unless you can proof you are a resident (taxes or bills) its pretty stupid but I guess thats how they think they cans top terrorists and immigrants.
I live in California and got a "universal driver's license" to be able to go to Europe and drive. I thought that was pretty cool. I think that was a short term temporary thing, though.
Hi Dana! I just discovered your channel because you appeared at SamWaltonMan's channel and I really like your videos.
To this subject, I want to say, that we Germans have a saying: "es ist nicht alles Gold was glänzt". Will say, that not all what seems to be good, is good.
As I mentioned in comments on other channels, our " right hand side before left hand side" isn't the gold standard in traffic rules. Many people who driving cars in Germany doesn't understand the rule in all its subtleties. Who know the difference between 'Vorfahrt', which is depending of what side you come from, and 'Vorrang', what depends on what direction you are driving. In specific situations its really hard to decide within a couple of seconds.
Therefore I like the All Way Stops in the US. As I came to the US for the first time, I needed some time to get this rule. American drivers aren't really relaxed, if someone (me) blocks the intersection. But if I got used to it I liked it very much. it's almost like driving through a roundabout.
And I really enjoyed talking to Americans all over the country. it's very easy to get in touch with them, because they'll get in touch with you. In many kinds of situations they simply talk to you, especially they realize, that you come from Germany. Here in Germany it never happens to you, especially in southern Germany.
In the US, sales tax is calculated on the total purchase price, not on each individual item. So you cannot add the sales tax to each individual item and come to the exact amount. For example, if the sales tax is 4%, a total purchase under 13 cents pays no tax and a purchase between 13 and 37 cents is taxed 1 cent. So if you go to a hardware store and buy 5 screws at 6 cents each, you would pay 1 cent sales tax.
Pro tip, to save the 1 cent, purchase the screws in 5 separate transactions :)
It's not the first time I hear this excuse "different states have different taxes" but I don't think it's relevant at all. So do all European countries. VAT varies from country to country (and with Shengen agreement being a thing and most of EU using Euros it makes all those countries similar to different states) here as well. However, that doesn't stop europeans putting tax straight into price.
I think the honest truth is that having a computer do the math at the register is free...while hiring a team of people to change every label in the store every few weeks is not free.
Melissa Lewis You don't have to hire extra people. It is usually done by the same personal that handles placement of goods and ensures that all price tags are where they are. And they also change tags if price gone up or down for any reason. That happens much more often then tax changes.
P.S.
And the price on the tag is also generated and printed by the computer linked to register.
I know this...I'm actually part of a team at a store that does this. Modular changes happen so often that we (the team) can not keep up with it. I can not even imagine what we would do if we had to do not only modular changes, but also price changes. We would need a team twice the size we have now. We can't even get a team large enough to cover the modular. No store will hire that many people when the register adds the tax for free.
Plus it will ruin that sales tactic where .89 or .99 at the end of the price sells more because it seems cheaper. It's been that way for decades and since no one in America complains about adding the tax in their head, why would they ever change it?
Why would it ruin this tactic? As I said, we have loads of prices ending in ,89 or ,99. And that's with VAT included.
Also, tax only changes once a few years. VAT normally changes only once a decade or two. Tax on alcohol, tobaco and fuel sometimes might change more often, but still - no more then once a year.
Many chains Like Target and Wal-mart and many others have code built into their prices. prices ending in .89 or .99 is the regular price. those ending in .00 or .50 are concidered clearance prices and in some stores if it's ,00 for any reason, that's the lowest price that product will go. be it a markdown, a sale, or liquidation.
In my store items ending in .60 or .20 are marked down. and will be that price for 4-12 weeks. People like this and again, no one complains about adding the tax in their head. we've been taught this as small children wanting to buy a candy with our allowance money.
Tax can change FAR more than a few years here. in some states(even as small as some towns and cities) it can change every couple of months. taxes fluctuate every day. Most of the time it's too small to actually be a full cent or even half a cent. but once it does hit a full cent, the computer does the math at the register.
In Germany it's called the "Ententanz"
I'm a Californian who visits Koln to see family and everytime I'm over there I fall in love the public transit. In Koln anywhere I wana go I can get on a ubhan or a bus and I'm there. Here in the states especially like Sacramento where I'm studying public transit is worthless and I only use it for getting to or from the airport it's like everyone is forced to get a car cause everything is so spread out. Sometimes I don't even need to get on transit I can just walk in Koln. Plus a bottle of Kolsch beir is just one dollar and it's a big bottle and it's a million times better than what we have in the states.
I went to the US over the summer and the tax thing really annoyed me. The first time I bought some thing, I gave the cashier the exact money I saw on the tag. She was like no no I needed to pay more. I was like ahh the tag said this amount. Then she went on to tell me about the taxes not being included, but I had only had the exact money. So she gave it to me and said I could pay the rest later, that was nice of her to do especially since it was the first time meeting her. I paid the rest the next day and went to her store over all other stores the entire summer.
I do think that thing with the escalators in Germany varies between larger cities and smaller towns. I do know this rule from visiting Berlin a lot, but in my home town - which is a lot smaller - and even a lot of the times in die midsize city in which I studied people don't seem to know about this 'rule' and it annoys me so much :D
+Jazz Afire I work for a public transport company and all our escalators have "Links gehen rechts stehen" printed on them. :D
+ViceEarth Man, this is smart, haha! Where is thst printed, never actually noticed this.
Well I guess one reason for this rule being more common in bigger cities might be that there are a lot of escalators at the tube stations where a lot of people are in a rush to get their tube/train while smaller cities mostly have just busses and a train station where there are no escalators? And in comparison then you're in a shopping center you're most likely not on a rush so there's no need for this rule... idk judt a thought :)
Jazz Afire I think it's exactly as you said it: Our escalators lead to the subway trains and most people are running - if you stand on the left side, you will be pushed away. :D
Here's a picture: www.ambergerschule-nuernberg.de/dud/dud5/dud5_RolltreppeSchrift.jpg
+Jazz Afire
It's the same in America if you live in big cities that have decent subway systems.. You stand on the right side.. and after living in DC for so long. I would just push tourists out the way because when I needed to transfer trains to get to work or class. I couldn't miss that train or I could be late for work or class.. some tourist dont like that, as the vast majority of Americans don't take public transit. So they blatantly don't try to learn the rules when they are on a subway system
Why does the map in your opening theme miss off the British Isles and Iceland entirely... have we done something to upset you or something?
This American just subscribed. Your videos are interesting. I've never traveled abroad, but have always thought that most (American) people walk loudly and things like standing to the right on an escalator have always just seemed like a natural courtesy to me. I bet Germans don't stand in the middle of a hallway and block it while having a conversation when other people are trying to get past the way Americans do either. Seems like there are many things I would appreciate about life in Germany. It's a few generations back, but my mother's family was from Germany and I think maybe some of the German influence worked it's way into me. Keep the videos coming and enjoy your restful, quiet Sunday.
I love your videos and your routine how you end the video with a rhyme:) I come from stuttgart thanks for the information you give me/us :D!
+sumaysleepless 97 :D Thank you!! Happy to hear you're enjoying them :) Oh, I visited Stuttgart back in May -- really nice city.
I'm happy that you liked it :D switching to german: wirst du auch dieses jahr noch ein paar videos zum Oktoberfest oder zu Halloween machen? :)
american sales man are so much friendlier, sales man in germany can be so grumpy :-(
but if someone asks "how are you?" you can answer the truth in germany!
+JB P Then why don't you just say "Hi"?
+JB P Oh, I didn't know that. But what do you answer when asked "how are you?", then?
JB P
^^ That sounds a bit salty even though it is probably not meant that way. :)
But I'd like to ask the same question as Faygris. It's a bit awkward to me and I don't know what I am "supposed" to reply.
JB P Wow, that's pretty weird for me as a German to exchange this many words with a stranger I just pass by. But it's really interesting and useful to know. Thanks for this! :)
JB P
That explains these awkward situation when I answered to some American who said "How are you doing?" to me.
But how do you distinguish between your expression "how are you?" which is bereft of content and the expression "how are you?" when you really want to know how the other one is doing/feeling?
Hearing about how to get the driver license, makes me wonder if parents can teach their children in public places in America even in the normal traffic?
'Cause we can also be a little bit taught by our parents to save money but only in special little places, there your have only a few roundabouts, curves, little hills and parking boxes.
+roseofred95 Where I'm from in Florida you first have to take a written exam to make sure you know the road rules, and then you get a permit to drive on the street during the day with your parents (or someone else with a license who is at least 18 or perhaps 21 years old - I don't remember which). Then you practice for a year driving on the normal streets, and then you have to take a driving exam with someone from the office in the car with you. If you pass the test, you get your license.
+Wanted Adventure When I was growing up in the States (over 50 years ago), there was a summer driver's ed course put on by our high school for all 16-year-olds. After a few weeks of teaching and practice, you got your learner's permit and could then take the driving test two weeks later. When I came to Germany at the age of 25, my license had expired and I didn't bother renewing it - after all, thought I, I wouldn`t have a car in Europe and if I needed a license, I could just pay a few dollars for a new one. :-) BTW I just discovered your channel and find it fascinating, as I've been living in Germany since I came here in 1972.
+Wanted Adventure That's all? Don't get you driving license in Holland, only 30 % will pass the exam after driving 100 hours at a driving school
+In1998able and the other 70% drive on the german roads without driver license? that would explain soo much (just kidding ;) )
+Wanted Adventure 6:01 Merken: Rechts stehen, links gehen. :)
I've been watching your videos for a while now, and really enjoy them. A couple of things about Illinois that could explain some of your questions. For sales tax, in the Chicago area, not only do you have state sales tax, you also have local sales tax that can vary from town to town. This can make advertising difficult for retailers. Gas however does actually have the sales tax included, and you can see the effects of this if you look at the price of downtown Chicago, or the suburbs. For driving, we are required to have a drivers education course, but not nearly as extensive as Europe. This can contribute to rules that people are unaware of, such as yielding to the car on the right at a 4 way stop (only when both cars get there at the same time). I personally wish we had more as universal training, as it would cause less confusion, and make the roads safer for everyone.
Here in the United States, many states require drivers education school. Most high-schools offer this program for a few hundred dollars. It encompasses in-class lecture and behind the wheel with an instructor.
+brownmsoe that must suck for those states....here in Arizona they practically give you a license with a purchase of a happy meal...and they don't expire for 40 years.Just wait in a line for a driving instructor to come out,you drive around the block and that is all...hell it can be the first time you ever sat behind the wheel of a car and still can get a license
How are the taxes: income, sales, and property taxes in Germany?
+Joseph Bavone good
on most essential food (bread, milk...) it is 7% on rest of food and items in the store it is 19%. On income it is quite complex. Up to some amount taxes are 0% (up to 8000 for single dabble for couples) , then there are some ranges of income with small tax in percentage (14% up to 13k/26), then next range has higher (24% up to 53k/105k eur), and above that goes to 42%. If you as a single earn more that 250k eur of as married couple more than 500k € than tax goes to 45%. And these rages are not overlapping in calculation. So for a annual income of 100k usd (90200 eur) a single person (not married) will pay 28660 usd (25850 eur). So because of progressive tax rate for someone who has relatively good income of 100k usd tax rate is 28,66 %. For people with lower income tax rate will go down. For extremely rich people tax rate will be approaching to 45% (mathematically called limes).
aurelije Wow those are quite high taxes! Sales tax on food, other and income is all higher than in America. I do not know how easy it is to have tax exemptions though in Germany. Also, I found it surprising someone said "good." I would never say that even if my taxes were much lower than average. However, there are two for sure things in life: DEATH AND TAXES!
there are many exemptions, for every expense you have in connection to your job, for example subway tickets to get from home to office, then many things connected to having a kid (and kindergarten is free and compulsory from 3 years), then to repairing of your flat. For every kid you get 200 euros, for 3rd even more. And in my example I took a 90200 € income, that is 2 times higher than average payment in Germany so tax rate is higher then a rate for average German citizen
+Joseph Bavone that's interesting. I am honestly happy that we have taxes, so society can pay for things. The lower the taxes, the more you have to pay for yourself from my point of view. Must be a European, "socialist" way of looking at things!
good to know that you have to add the tax to the price in America... didn´t know this, I thought it was normal that the price you see is the price you pay^^
There is a handful of states that don't have sales tax and the price you see is what you pay but most of them don't.
Awwww the Little Golden Book. brings back so many memories
We have the escalator thing in Washington DC too - my brother calls it "esca-lefting." It could be a metro-area thing, though - I had to explain to an out-of-town friend that she couldn't stand next to me on the escalator during rush hour.
How about the way Americans talk loud and they seem like they are talking to some pre school kids?
like she does in these videos?
Melissa0774 Maybe. ;-)
I don't understand where this incorrect rumor came from because I've found more Germans to be louder in public than any American.
+Whim1975 well, in this video, it goes sound like she's speaking to a huge crowd outside.
+Eleonore Bon It's a video made for entertainment!!!!! Duh!!!
Please take this as constructive criticism and talk maybe in a less fake way. What you're saying is quite good but HOW you're saying it is very obviously made up. I'm saying it because you make good videos and I'd like to enjoy them :)
***** then I'm really sorry for saying what I said. My apologies Wanted an Adventure. Please understand that I only wanted to offer constructive criticism.
Here's something for you- chitchat IS annoying to some Americans. Additionally, Americans might say/ask "Hi, how are you?" as just something to say if we happen to make eye contact, but a large majority don't really care about how you actually are doing that day. They are asking because Americans are VERY uncomfortable with silence. It's truly about being friendly even when not genuine. So strange and endearing at the same time!
I think it's better to say: "American don't walk, they drive."
Also including the sales tax in the price is not exclusive to Germany, it pretty much exist in most of the countries in the world other than America.
wait.... so americans learn to drive from their parents without any office thingy checking their actual ability and knowledge about roads, signs, laws, etc?? what the f*ck isnt that super dangerous??
+xEnjoyTheMoment You do have to take a test to get your actual license. A written test first (on the road signs and rules and such) and then a driving test. But the point I was making is that where I'm from there weren't any driving courses that we had to take. Your parents just taught you how to drive and then you went and took the driving test, and if you passed you got your license.
Wanted Adventure oooooh ok cause I was scared for a minute o_o thanks for taking the time to clear that up!! :)
+xEnjoyTheMoment In addition to the drivers written and practical, at least where I live, beginning drivers need to take Drivers ed, which is a professional driving course. It might possible to avoid drivers ed if you waited until you were older to drive, not sure what that age might be. I had thought Drivers Ed was taught universally to children in the U.S., but I guess there may be some ways or areas where children ONLY learn from their parents, but I believe this is less common then receiving drivers ed.
Ravinian oh ok cool, thanks a lot for your reply! :)
+Wanted Adventure in texas first thing you do is go t a driving school then take a A written test then you get to drive in the car with a state trooper they report back to the DMV if you passed or not
Hey Dana, just to clarify, you are from the United States of America. America is a continent that is comprised of North, Central and South America. Stating that you live in "America" leads to no few misunderstandings. Take it into consideration.
+killthepixelnow Hey there! I actually recently watched a really interesting video on this topic by the WonderWhy UA-cam channel. Here's the link: ua-cam.com/video/NVMZC4y4zXU/v-deo.html But boiling it down, basically "America" is the short name for the USA in English, and in English the continent is called "The Americas" not just "America." The confusion comes because in Spanish the continent is called "América." But the video goes into much more detail and really breaks it down amazingly. I definitely recommend it :)
+Wanted Adventure +killthepixelnow that is a thing I always wondered about. I just thought "Oh well. Amis are just arrogant. They know only about the USA and don't care about the world."
+D3g0nGirl people in europe also call the US "America"
Mershell I know. I live in Europe. Despite this I don't like that calling. For me "America" is a continent with different countries on it. Equalizing those names is as if I say USA is superior to other "minor" countries. I don't like that.
+D3g0nGirl Seriously!?! ............
the taxes aren't on the tag? omg thank you!! I didn't know that :O that would have been embarrassing :'D your vids are awesome :))
IIRC in Munich there are signs to stand right and walk left on escalators. When I saw it first it was like a revelation. :-D
Unfortunately here in northern Germany it's not very common. :-( (I'm a walker.)
Why she talking like that lol
I know it may seem a little harsh, but I think most people find a video better when we feel authenticity from the person. The way you sound is very restrained and phony. I really don't want to hurt your feelings, but I think it's distracting and irritating.
I am Dutch living in the UK and something I really had to get used to was that if you bump into someone, you say sorry, but the person you bumped into will also say sorry, for being in the way I guess. Now when I go back to the Netherlands, I catch myself saying 'sorry' a lot and people giving me strange looks. 'You didn't do anything, it was me.'
It's like that in the U.S. too, to an extent. I mean, if it was not clear who ran into whom. But yeah, if someone clearly ran into me when I was not at fault, no sorry from me, my friend. lol I think people make good natured jokes about the UK and Canada being overly polite in that way.
Chicken Dance was a fad in Finland about 1982. Haven't seen it since.
Sweetie! Really? What country of America you live in? Are you talking about the USA because as far as I know America is a continent not a country please go back to school! Greetings from Austria...
+Michelle Lira It all depends on what language you're speaking -- really great explanation here: ua-cam.com/video/NVMZC4y4zXU/v-deo.html it's a bit of a long video, but really goes in depth and explains it 100%
+Michelle Lira Actually "America" is 2 continents ;)
+Wanted Adventure Well, the fact that many people call the USA "America" doesn't make it correct. Just as calling all of the Netherlands "Holland" or all of the UK "England" does not become correct by many people doing it.
Marina Alhariri America is a whole continent divided into two subcontinents North America and South America but is still just one never two continents in America! Hehe :p
+Michelle Lira Well, they are resting on different plates. Anyway, doesn't matter, in fact I was actually agreeing with your critizism ;)
I love your videos soooo much. It's funny too see all these things that are just common here in europe from another person's perspective
Oh, yes! Having the tax on the tag would be awesome!!!!! But, you are right - not only is the tax different in each state, but in each town/city. But still, that would be so nice. I like to walk up escalators too, but since I don't live in a city, it's not an issue for me. I can't imagine not chit-chatting with other random people. It's something that I had to make myself do because it isn't comfortable to me, but I decided I'd rather have people feel comfortable around me than not - so, I got used to doing it.
Fun observations!! Thanks Dana!
I'm from Germany and I didn't ever notice the thing with the escalator but it's true. I think that I've been doing this since being a little child just because everyone's doing that ;)
Now I get the neighbors downstairs from a small town complain about our noise. I could not figure out what noise. I guess was my walking lol
That was the birdie song you did at the end there, it reached number 2 in the charts here in the UK in 1981. I did like it at the time since I was a little boy, but I don't like it now but I would get up and dance to it for a laugh.
I've spent my last year in the US and that's so so true about extra friendly Americans, but it's also kinda weird when a person who knows you for like a day starts calling you a best friend
Actually the Chicken dance was invented in Switzerland and is therefore quite popular in Switzerland, Germany and Austria :) (But it's called "Ententanz" = Duck-Dance)
Sale tax is a nasty regressive tax and should be eliminated. It hurts poor people more.
Like your vids a lot. Thanks for sharing your life experience. Agree with some of the differences (lived in Austria for 5 years) and now an moving from Vancouver, BC to Germany so looking forward to how Canada changed me European habits once again!
i am a german, and when i was in the netherlands, i did love the fast lanes for bicycles next to the highways.
Hey, your videos are so good :). I'm from Poland and this chicken is also here - we called it more or less - "ducks". ;)
Not saying hallo to the cashier is btw a social faux pas in germany too ;-)
It is a quite common one, but greeting people you interact with is still basic politeness, we just cut out the chitchat. ;.)
Next time I am sad I try to imagine you starting small talk with the cashier in Aldi/Lidl, this realy mad me laugh :)
I know the chicken dance! And I'm from Russia. :) But we call it the Little Ducklings' Dance, and I'm not quite sure how popular it is, maybe it was just my kindergarden that taught it.
+mariebbgon I'm German and it was a culture shock for me, when i guided exchange students around and suddenly an estonian, slovakian and russian girl started this dance and the polish girl besides me saying "oh, we like to dance this on a wedding!" ... WTF???
I just stumbled upon your videos and I love them. It is so funny to see the differences and what is odd to foreigners :D
right goes before left... quite funny with a car from every of the four directions :D
Right-goes-before-left doesn't take ALL uncertainty out of the system. When a car arrives at the crossing on all four sides, you got a stuck situation, haha. Also, when some of them want to make a turn, it gets even more complex and even if the rules are clear, when such unlikely situations happen, some German drivers get confused.
+Wanted Adventure Chicken dance actually originates from Germany and is widely adopted. At least I remember performing it in kindergarden in Russia:-)
Hey, I'm working for a marketing company for driving schools, so it was an interesting point for me :)
I just can't imagine not to learn driving from a professional teacher bc a car is a dangerous thing you have to lern deal with it properly... crazy america :D thank you so much for you videos!
Yeah, the thing with the sales tax in America really drove me nuts! I didn't know about that before I went over and kept second-guessing myself when the cashier told me a different price from the one on the board.
I think the escalator situation is something we actually got from the British :D I first saw this when I went to London about 15 years ago and only became aware of it here in Germany within the last few years. But my guess is that the British were the pioneers of this process :D
You said you forgot about saying hello to the salesmen...I work at a gas station (currently 2nd year of apprentice ship) and I litreally _always_ greet the customers/guests, no matter if the buy something or just want to use the toilets. I always get frustrated when (not only but mostly) elderly people just get straight to me, slap their credit/debit cards or money on the table and say which gas pump they have to pay. Some of them don't even react when I ask if that's all they want or if there was anything else I could do, but sometimes people just like to chitchat a little. I guess you just have to read people and know what they want before they know. That's at least what I am learning at the Berufsschule. Know your customers, know what they want and sell it to them before they even know they need it. And then maybe have a little conversation about things they want to talk about.
Thanks for your videos Ms Newman!
As a German it's always fun to get an (somewhat) external view on our patterns of behaviour and cultural semiotics.
It's always amusing to see the little differences, I noticed a lot of things I perceived as weird when I was in Denmark, Austria, France and the Czech Republic (though nothing quite as strange to me as the behavioural patterns in the UK...probably because it's not a neighbour ;) ).
Of course that doesn't explain why I felt at home in Portugal which is a) not central or western Europe (though it IS fairly far west... ;) ) and b) nowhere I have been before....
weird... ;)
Anyway, thanks for your vids and best regards
Raoul G. Kunz
Raoul Kunz Sometimes we just find ourselves feeling at home in the most unexpected place :)
So happy to hear you're enjoying the videos!!
+Raoul Kunz kannst du mir sagen was es für unterschiede gab als du in österreich warst das würd mich echt interessieren (bin aus wien)
Ich war ja auch "nur" in Wien und muss einfach sagen dass die Menschen weit höflicher sind als in Frankfurt. Gut, sie sind auch höflicher als in den Bergen direkt hinter der bayrischen Grenze aber das wird eine Frage von Provinz und urban sein.
Es ist schwer zu definieren.... einfach eine Tendenz Höflichkeit eher als Selbstwert zu betrachten.
Und dazud as seltsame Gefühl dass man eigentlich alles verstehen sollte aber es nicht tut weil mir bestimmte zugänge zur lokalen Semantik und Semiotik fehlten... alles eher abstrakt, aber ein spannender Effekt, gerade wenn man nominell die selbe Sprache spricht.
Ich hoffe das war hilfreicher als es mir scheint ;).
Raoul Kunz ja danke, schön zu wissen das wir höflich sind😄
in Michigan, kids have two segments of driving lessons that stretches out at least six months. segment one is about a month and a half and segment two is just a few days. written test is with segment one, driving test is after second two.
So true! We also have the habit of not only wearing our street shoes in the house over bare tile and wood floor but ALSO when lying on the bed or sofa! Watch most American movies and you will see this...
There's one 'german' thing about peoples behaviour in supermarkets: Very often you can witness that people would queue up in line at the only open cash-desk when there are more of them that are closed ! Elswhere people would lament or complain about that and ask tha staff to open up additional desks - not so in Germany !
Even though they may get angry about the line seemingly not getting shorter, you only very rarely see people approaching staff-members asking them to upen up more cash-desks !
That escalator thing is a rule here in America, too. Those people at the airport were wrong also, we do the right before left thing at intersections if both cars stop at the same time.
In Poland the chicken dance is very popular, too! We do it on weddings and when birthday (or other) parties go a little crazy, you'll always find everyone in the middle of the room/garden/place dancing and singing "nanananananana nanananananana nanananananana na na na na..." xD
I feel like "How are you?" simply sounds weird in german. I rarely ever even ask my friends or family this question. Which is not to say that I dont enquire them about their well being. But I usually only ask "Wie geht es dir?" when I know that the person I'm asking is not well. As a way of encouraging them to tell me what upset them. When starting small talk "Wie geht es dir?" simply sounds a little forced. And I feel like there is actually a little bit of truth in there, because when I lived in America for a year, I quickly figured out that most people didnt really care about "how I am" at all.
Correct. In America "How are you." Is a greeting. Not a question. I can see how that can be confusing.
i have noticed alot of people talk about how America does not include tax on the items in store, but they do! Items in stores generally are the price of the good with the "American" tax on it just not the country's tax AND the states tax AND county's tax AND city's tax. The biggest reason we notice many of these is because many goods and services travel freely from state to state, county to county. Now if importing and exporting were treated similarly across nearby countries or if Germany was broken down into states that function similarly to America you would probably notice similar pricing policies
The last one is strange, because when I was in Munich in 2010, taxes were not included into price tags. I'm sure I remember it clearly, because if you were confused about taxes not inluded, just imagine the confusion of someone who had absolutely no idea that the price on the tag might not be what you actually have to pay.
After over 20 years in Germany what was and still remains the most difficult thing to adapt to here is thhe lack of spontaneity, as you mentioned in the USA the ease at which one could strike up a conversation with a total stranger-that you may never see again the rest of your life-just to pass some time or verbally share an experience. As you i tried this at first with my fellow German citizens only to be responded quite cooly or not at all! or "I'm SORRY for being nice1"
As far as driving in Illinois, you must document so many driving hours with a parent and more with an official driving instructor. This is in addition to passing a test. This was back in 2002.
It's definitely different with driving rules in America now. Okay so, you need 30 hours in a state mandated class and then you have an instructor drive with you maybe a total of 10-15 times. Then you need 30 hours of driving completed and filled out to get your license. Plus pass a written test to get your permit.
Conversations between strangers might be not common in most parts of Germany but in some parts it's possible. Once I had a conversation with a woman in a train. She came from the "Ruhrpott" to Bremen, my hometown, to live here. She said it was something new to her to speak with totally strangers in a train or at a bus station but it happened to her quite often since she's living in Bremen.
very nice, fellow American
I love your channel. I am a world traveler myself and have lived all over the world. One small thing I wanted to talk about was, every culture has a reason for doing what it is they do. (I studied American cultural anthropology I know it sounds pretentious but just bare with me) one of the reasons they do not include tax until you pay is Americas obsession with openness, clarity and transparency. ( one of the reasons why we as a people are so open) By segregating out the price of the item to the business and the government you have a right to always know how much of your money is going to the company and how much is going to the government. I am not advocating this practice one way or another, just explaining to your international audience the many reasons for this unusual cultural tic we have.
+Pamela Parker
"one of the reasons they do not include tax until you pay is Americas obsession with openness, clarity and transparency."
For me NOT including the tax until you pay is the exact opposite of openness and clarity. It is cheating the costumer. I would not buy a product from which I don't know the exact total price in advance.
Here in Germany when you get your receipt the sales tax is of course accounted and then you know exactly how much is going to the business and to the government.
thomas muster
Ok ok you got me Thomas. We are bad bad naughty naughty people. Someone day we will be more perfect like the rest of the world. Who have always been so perfect, kind, and sweet. We are trying. Just give us time!!! Please Thomas! Please!
Pamela Parker
O.K., no problem. Take the time you need to fix that issue. But when I come next to the US (not within the next months so you have time enough) I expect that this problem is solved.
Maybe you can write to your representatives and senators.
Absolutely! Thank you. You will save America. We will finally make something of ourselves. Maybe one day we will be successful!
I will definitely let the representatives know Thomas is coming! And just ignore any information you might read from American cultural Anthropologists and Historians from Japan, France, the UK and even Germany. You are clearly better than them.
I am with you brother. Stand strong!!!!
Pamela Parker
"Maybe one day we will be successful!"
Wish you all the best. It will be a tough task given for example the crumbling infrastructure and the huge deficit of the federal budget. But we have some problems here too.
"I will definitely let the representatives know Thomas is coming!"
Not necessary. I'm only a humble human being. The price tags is everything that matters. Maybe you can also start a petition for complete labeling?
"And just ignore any information you might read from American cultural Anthropologists and Historians from Japan, France, the UK and even Germany."
Why should I ignore them? I'm always interested in Anthropology and History.
Btw I didn't questioned your explanation about the origin of this awkward labeling. And you should have recognised this with ease anyway.
I only said that for me (within my cultural enviroment) such a labeling would be cheating or misleading. And such labeling would be never allowed in Germany.
But when every county and major city has it's own sales tax in the USA then the problem already starts there and a sensible reformation would be very challenging. Because I'm well aware of the historically caused mistrust of the population against the federal government and the highly valued autonomy of the states, districts and counties.
Hey Dana! Enjoy your videos. As far as driver training, I live in California and I am 53, when I got my license way back in the late 70's it was required to have a formal "behind the wheel" training. The requirements are even more strict now, don't know where you lived here in the U.S., maybe the rules there were more lax.
I was in the states in 2008. A big difference were the gastations. In the us, you have to pay at first and need to know how much gallons you need. In Germany, you could fill up your car with much gasoline as you need. After that you could pay
The friendly chitchatting is an Australian thing as well and I was completely caught off guard when I landed back in Sydney and went to grab a coffee... I'd already spent half a year there a couple of years earlier so I should have known but I had just completely forgotten about it. I just stared at the cashier for a full three seconds before catching up and stammering something unintelligible in return. Now I'm back in Europe I miss this so much! As someone who's often too lazy to haul my ass out of the house to meet friends a little bit of forced friendly social interaction is actually hella nice sometimes.