Common Things I NEVER Saw in Germany!
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- Опубликовано: 29 май 2021
- I was driving on a long road trip and started to brainstorm all of the very common things I never saw in Germany! From roadkill to large cars to even plastic cups there were a few things that were quite the culture shock to not see or use everyday. Now, I admit some of these common items are still present in Germany but surely not as common or frequent as in the US or other countries. Let me know what you think! Have you seen these things in Germany?
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By German law: no billboards within 50m to the Autobahn (they can distract attention of the driver)
Or within 20m of other major roads outside of city limits. For the later exceptions can be given, and, and political parties can set up billboards prior to elections almost everywhere ...
But Autobahn advertising is totally off limits. Only exceptions:
* security related information
* tourist information - these are limited to a title line and a silhouette of the sight, on signs with brown background
* on signs giving the distance to the next highway fuel station you often also see the brand of fuel sold, and maybe also the logo of the restaurant if it is operated by one of the major fast food chains
The only billboard in Germany are stuff like "if you look, you die" warning signs
Some major cities banned billboards from the City Centers altogether, limited them mostly to the roads that lead in and out of the city centers. That gave quite a boost to non-stationary advertising (on buses etc).
Especially since there was that one case with a lingerie advertisement where there was a major case of distraction (personally I think it was because of female drivers who checked out the great offering)
Maybe that‘s the reason why in Germany are less car accidents 😂
Best greetings from Passau :) allow me some comments:
1. Billboards: Indeed at most places they are completely banned, or heavily regulated in size. Next to roads they are banned due to safety reasons...
2. Road accidents: Road design in the US is generally horrible, and the together with poor training standards road accidents are inevitable. US has the most dangerous roads of any developed country for a reason. Germany is actually average, Netherlands or Switzerland are even more safe to drive.
3. Road kill: Again road design 😇European highways either have fences to prevent animals from crossing, or even animals bridges to allow for safe crossings. This is mandatory for most roads above a certain size and amount of traffic. Still, too many animals die, but mainly on small roads in rural areas which do not have these safety features, lesser so on highways.
It seems that here are a lot of people from Passau ^^+gg I just wrote "greetings from passau" before I saw your comment. And below is another user from Passau as I can see! Small world as it seems! Or it's just the algorhytm who brought us together, 'cause she mentiond Passau at the beginning of her video!? Who knows?! ^^+gg
... was der Pepe sagt.
Ofc Switzerland and Netherlands are more safe, they send their idiots to the Autobahn to do their races.
Btw in germany we also have things like little light reflectors on the side of the road to prevent roadkill (i dont know if this is a thing in the US)
Wie kann man nur so gut Englisch 😅
We do have cops pulling you over for speeding in Germany but not as common because we have ‘Blitzer’. Like traffic cameras that take a picture when you are driving too fast and then you receive a letter with your photo and a fine. They are very annoying because sometimes they are hidden behind trees or roadworks.🤗
We definitely have some of those and cameras at stoplights as well, but some states have laws that require a sign be posted when cameras in place so that drivers know.
@@MontanaShowalter that's fair.
@@MontanaShowalter Call me naive, but shouldn't drivers always stick to the rules, regardless of whether there's a camera or not? But I don't have a driver's license, so it's an outside perspective. 😄
Not to mention that there are unmarked police cars on the Autobahn that have cameras and will stop you if they catch you speeding or driving too close to them.
“Fancy glasses” that’s so funny! Most of the households have the old mustard glasses from grandma and they use those as glasses. Or special editions of the Nutella glasses. 😂👍🏼
You don’t have nasty fleabag motels such as Motel 6 in Germany. You have Gasthäuser. Privately and independently run. And they are great with delicious local food.
There is more public transport in Germany, so there is less car traffic. Esp. in Bavaria the regional trains reach up to 100 mph.
There is a regional train going from Munich to Nuremberg that went 120 mph. I don't know if it still exists.
You are over generalizing here. Your giant cities have very good public transportation. I do admit the public transportation isnt efficient in some cities. It's your suburbs that doesn't have public transportation. I had a friend living an hour outside of New York City. He would drive into the city everyday for work because of no transportation to the city. Living in New York City you don't need a car whatsoever. Public transportation (train, bus, and subway), walking, biking, and electric scooters will get you everywhere in the city easily.
I'm looking forward to go shopping in "Montana's Craft Store" in Passau :) can't wait for it!
So what is a craft store? Can you explain it to me?
Bin dabei! Sofern die das Ding nicht gegenüber meinem Haus bauen! ^^+gg
@@beatrixpastoors1104 ein Bastelladen
@@beatrixpastoors1104 Idee und Boesner sind glaube ich in Deutschland die bekanntesten. Sind aber halt beide nicht so günstig weil mann da eher Künstlerbedarf bekommt. Ich glaube Montana währe eher in einem Action oder Tedi fündig geworden.
@@beatrixpastoors1104 Hobbyladen
I’m a British gal moving to Germany soon and honestly I learn more about the USA than Germany in these videos😂love it
Reasons for less traffic:
1. Germans are better drivers: You have to make an expensive license which takes a lot of time. In the US you get way easier.
2. Germans are using trains for long travels from city to city. The US "High-speed" Trains are as fast as our Regional Trains
3. Because of the Rechtsfahrgebot (you have to drive on the right site if you are not overtaking) the flow is much better than in the US.
4. We take much less space on streets because we are driving reasonal cars and no aircraft carriers like Americans do.
Studies have proven that Germans are not better drivers, it´s just a plain stereotype
@@blablub2402 Burnout Rules are just safer
@@blablub2402 source?
Actually, watch a bit on the Not just bikes channel. A big, big reason are European zoning laws(!!) and city planning. Because of that, our cities and roads are built different - much more walkable, more public transport, more bikes -> less need to go by car. Also, we don't have the typical "Stroad" (watch his vid about those) which are really accident prone.
This is really a good example where a design choice that most people have never heard of makes all the difference. Look at the Speckgürtel around our cities and they have almost the same problems as American cities, just on a smaller scale, so it's still manageable but we really should restrict them or it will get out of hand like in the US and Canada.
These super big trucks would be a nuissance in the city where you have problems finding parking spaces even for normal cars.
I so miss the craft stores around here as well. I never leave the US without having had a trip to Hobby Lobby :)
Montana, I think different lifestyles account for things you don't find in Germany. Since there is less driving, there is no road kill and no need for motels. I suspect you will find hotels. As for plastic cups, obviously the use of plastic has ceased in Germany. I haven't seen large plastic cups in the USA for sometime, maybe because I don't buy drinks at fast food places. I did buy a large plastic cup at Burger King to fill with water for my dog which I kept between my seat and her passenger seat. The reason I had to buy it is because restaurants keep inventory and drink sales must equal cups missing. They also inventory bread slices, buns, etc.
Roadkill in Germany isn't much of an issue because of 2 things:
1. Roads are designed with wildlife in mind. If there is wildlife, that would cross the road, there is usually a bridge or tunnel for smaller animals and road signs warning about animal crossings for larger animals
2. If a larger animal is hit, you (as in the driver) are legally obligated to notify the local authorities. They usually send out a licensed hunter or local police to take care of the animal.
I've never seen a motel in Switzerland or Germany. But there is a class of hotel called "Hotel garnis" that tend to be less expensive, but don't have an integrated restaurant or kitchen service. You can get a breakfast and maybe some fruits and sandwiches, but not a meal.
have been pulled over just 3 times in 25 years of driving... once after a party back in 1998 (but i was sober of course). one time speeding in 2004 or 2005. and one time becaue i forgot the seatbelt and the cops saw it... but thats was also like 20 years ago... haha .
I love it !!
I don't know any second hand store where I live. I wear my clothes until they are worn out. Maybe my fellow Germans do this to. I buy high quality stuff which lasts a long time. I had worn the same coat for close to 20 years. It was a very good coat.
I have mine 12 years.
2:25 you should drive on Autobahn A3 around Cologne on Friday or Saturday afternoon and you will experience traffic in Germany 😁
There are actually some cheap craft stores in Germany but they are very few and only like one per city 😂
About those second Hand stores, I do know some but there are definetly a lot more in America, in my family though when we wore things out we either have them away to friends or there are these collection box things where you can put them in and then it goes to homeless people (that’s explained really badly but still)
About the road kill, no idea about that cause I don’t drive, but there are lots of warning signs on roads where animals can be found often or jump out a lot, so maybe that helps?
Yes, cops hide behind bends in the road just where the speed limit starts or ends. Particularly at the borders of towns like Schwäbisch-Hall.
In Germany there actually are plastic cups but rather small cups and without any pictures or artworks on it or Big cups and we call them Festival-Becher they're 0,5L und seethrough and most likely have a logo of a festival or concert on it. But only people who actually go to festivals or rock or metal concerts own them. I hope my english is understandable :)
Traffic is definitely worse in the US. I sat for 4 hours in one spot because there was an accident. I sat in my car and studied. I had my books and homework spread throughout the car.
@KNIGHT that was the point. I was in a small town in Tennessee. 10 years ago Tennessee wasnt a densely populated. It was a 2 lane road. There was a tractor trailer that flipped across both lanes.
Also Motels gibt es hier schon zumindest in meiner Gegend, aber die sieht man dann eher an Rastätten oder auf Parkplätzen an der Autobahn. Stark besucht sind die jedoch meinst nicht und viele auch geschlossen und durch bessere Unterkünfte ersetzt worden.
I know, I'm not up to date watching your videos, but I really like your hairstyle. Love it! 😍
There are plenty of motels within villages, they just blend in with the other buildings.
We also have different kinds of cheap craft and dollar stores idk where you’ve been but we definitely have them here (and you don’t really have to search for it)✌🏼
It's quite interesting that you'd call glasses fancy. XD I think it's part of our attempt to save the environment that plastic cups aren't common anymore. I got a few at the cinema or Mc Donalds like 20 years ago, but haven't seen them lately, as companies are getting more and more criticized if they use too much plastic. Even plastic straws won't be allowed in the EU anymore in a few years, as there is already a law for that. 😄
Most of my fancy glasses are "Senfkristall".
Why would you use plastic cups at home when you can have real glass (which can be quite cheap) ?
Watch a couple of videos on the "Not just bikes" channel to understand why there's less traffic, less accidents and no real billboards (that's covered in the vid about Stroads). That channel is about the Netherlands but it's similar in Germany - it's all much more walkable because the zoning laws(!) are different, therefore there just is less need to drive. It's really interesting that all the obvious reasons you think of, like Germans being better drivers, are not the reason but something that almost nobody ever thinks about - city planning and zoning laws!
i live in germany and never heard of billboards before...
We have small thrift stores in most cities. And I think it is becoming more common.
One of the reasons, that there are not many thrift stores is, that we do fleemarkets / car boot sales quite a lot. It‘s much cheaper and you have them in all cities in Germany on a weekly or at least on a monthly basis.
We have a theatre thriftstore next to the theatre. They sell the old costumes and decoration. The costumes are tailor-made for the actor, so they can't be reused at the theatre.
the fleamarkets in Germany are SO good! I miss them :(
Friends of mine have several of those branded plastic cups, from concerts, movie theatres, and there’s one from Heidepark, that has a hole in the bottom, but sealed with a magnet, by because originally it was filled from the bottom.
I myself have only one cup from McDonald’s, but there’s only a stylised burger on it, and no brand name.
I think, a similar thing that you’ll find in German households more often, is a collection of mugs from Christmas markets. 😃
Oh god here in Hannover there is an occasional pop up thrift store thing. It is sooooooooooooooo over priced it’s insane. I was too awkward to to say never mind at the register but ended up paying 90€ for three shirts. Like brooo
The most thrift stores are at the city waste disposal. The people can bring their stuff and the employes sort it out. They also clean out apartments after people die. It's extremly cheap.
I bought a designer dress for 5 € and a nearly new Miele dishwasher for 30€.
The privat second hand shops are expensive, they buy a lot of their stuff at the city thrift shops.
I dont go to second hand shops but i now that they are many. I need to say that they are only in bigger cities (passau is a really small one), from 100 thousands upwards
I've heard that Berlin has a bunch- hopefully I'll be able to go soon!
@@MontanaShowalter Ask at your city administration, they have thrift stores, but mostly a little out of town.
cheap: CRAFTSTORES: ACTION MARKT, TEDI, 1 Euro Shop try these
1. Why would anyone put billboards on highways? Sounds very distracting, especially considering the joke that is US driver’s education.
2. We don’t need police pulling people over, we have something called radar traps (“Blitzer”) which is placed on the side of a road and measures the speed of each car going by, shooting a picture in case of speeding. Speeders will receive a letter later and have to pay and will get some points in the “traffic sinner” database.
3. Roadkill is rare because animal habitats are considered before building a road.
Pulling speeding drivers from traffic has a few advantages: in Germany, most traffic fines are misdemeanours and are to be imposed on the driver, but not just the registered owner of the car.
There’s just few exceptions where the fine is imposed on the registered owner of the vehicle.
So the speeding fine is sent to the car owner along with a witness testimony form: they can either pay the fine and implicitly acknowledge having sped themselves or testify someone else had the car at that time and law enforcement should go there.
The witness form opens other options: to refuse the speed trap photo or the measurements as an evidence, though this requires some help from specialised lawyers (and there’s many of those …) to stand in court with some chance,
The witness form also allows to actively state another one from their family has been driving, but refuse to tell who did so, as one is legally not required to speak out against close relatives for misdemeanour.
Yes, this does form a significant loophole: only in severe cases (like: traffic casualties and the causing driver fled from the scene), those testimonies don’t stand in court, but they do work as a perfect loophole for things like speeding fines.
However, law enforcement does also register when this does happen repeatedly for the same car: a court can ask the registered owner to state who has been driving and then often also sentences the registered owner to log records of who had been driving the car at which time and turn them over whenever another misdemeanour is being investigated.
Stopping a speeding driver on the spot does avoid this pyramid of issues: in today’s cars, it’s obvious who has been driving. And as another benefit, having a police officer very carefully (and slowly) check your papers and lecture about the reasons for speed limits does void any benefits of speeding(“getting sooner to the destination”).
One thing is clear: pulling drivers from traffic requires more police officers, while a more automated way does allow very precise speed measurements and a highly automated system to send out fines. The latter is often blamed to be “just a trap to pocket more money”, though this is debatable. However, the latter accusations also happen in the US, say when police officers do enforce speed limits near schools - late at night, and only for cars with non-local license plates…
Billboards on highways are Ok in America cuz no one is driving fast enough for them to pose a risk. Same concept applies for all traffic signs on all roads and highways in America, which use text instead of symbols, because America does not assume you know symbols, but hopes you know the English language. Very hard for my German husband, even though his Englisch is perfect, he will still slow down to read the signs in America.
@Rita Roork you are obviously wrong. Nothing about your highways is superior. The traffic-related death rate in the US (which is significantly higher than in Germany) doesn’t exactly imply superior driving skills. No police patrol can ever as accurately assess car speeds as traffic cams can. Also, remind me of how many people get killed during traffic stops by police every year.
@@brullsker971 the comparison of Germany, a vastly smaller country to the U.S. is just unreasonable. The amount of people killed in traffic stops is overblown by the media. Our law enforcement actually have to have a reason to pull someone over and can’t enter their homes without a reason.
@@brullsker971 I definitely wouldn’t call your road system superior to the U.S. Who does road construction and closes exits for months and zero detour signage...? Germany.
Sunday saved. 😊
1. We have nearly no Billboards on Highways bacause the german driver must concentrate on the Road and the traffic. Cause if you drive 180km/h on the highway you have to fokus. And thats much easier than it sounds, cause there are a lot highway's without a speed limit. So you need to find a good mix between how fast your car can drive and how fast you want to drive. So i think (I'm not sure about that) that these Billboards are forbidden to set up at german highways because of distraction.
2. The dead Deers. If you hit a wild deer in germany like a wild boar or a deer you have to call the police so they inform the hunter in the aria to come and sometimes he need to kill the animal and when its dead he have to take it away from the street. Normally they take te animal to a butcher or butch it by himself. And if there is a damage at your car you need a confirmation for a "Wildunfall" from the police for your insurance. If you don't get you may have to pay the repair yourself.
Roadkill: Some factors were already mentioned - fencing/blue reflectors to deter wildlife crossing, wildlife brigdes, the obligation to inform police in case of an accident which in turn informs the Jagdpächter (the hunter responsible for that area) or the Autobahnmeisterei - but there is one fact that was not mentioned (IIRC): There is definitely more wildlife in the US! Germany is very densely populated, almost all forests are agro-forestry and have an owner, no stretches of wild to speak of.
When I was driving around in the US I was blown away by the amount, the size and the variety of roadkill there. Many people (many of the smug Germans commenting here) do not realize that there is little wildlife left in Germany.
We got a few motels
In Germany we have less car traffic in comparison to the US because we have better public transportation. If the US created a great public transport system, they would successfully get people out of cars and would reduce traffic jam.
There are only a few Trucks....but many SUV in germany
SUVs are really annoying in big cities, and at least in my family are seen as a “Karen-car“ in towns and cities.
SUV drivers can't park (male and female).. at least where I live in the middle of the town. Most houses don't have a parking lot, so everybody tries to park at the streets and SUV are rIdiculous big and most times the driver needs to have space for half a car in front and also in the back of them.
Native older German here: Spell it in German and you got a clear result SUV = säuft unglaublich viel. ;-).
@@lotharschepers2240 Bei uns heißen sie Hausfrauenpanzer.
Das muss ich mir merken- Hausfrauenpanzer und Karen- Car 😂
Isn't "Karen" kind of a racist slur? I would think at least twice before using that word, unless you're actually adressing or talking about someone named Karen of course.
Those plastic cups leach endocrine disruptors into your water, so better use those "fancy" glass cups that cost 50 cents each.
It is not true that we have not got the plastic branded cups in Germany. You mostly get them in cinemas when you buy coke and popcorn, I have got one with "Angry Birds" (animation-movie), one with "Mocking Jay (Hunger Games)" and one from Soccer World Cup 2006 (public viewing).
Often those plastic cups are with Pfand so you would give them back. Like at sports matches...
I mean no offence, but german drivers are actually some of the best in the world(according to german drivers :D). But we definitely have one of the hardest drivers licence tests in the world and thus => less accidents and less roadkills. And we also try really, really hard to keep animals from our Highways and put up signs warning from passing anaimals. Another thing I've never seen in [american movies] are these "Noise reduction walls"(Lärmschutzwände) we have around our highways. I can imagine, these too keep animals away from them.
love that energy
I’m living in Germany and I probably have more than 20 of these plastic cups from concerts, football games and such events. You‘re not alone Montana😂
Yea same. From some band’s we have a whole collection from like 1990 to 2019. But normally they are not that common in german restaurants.
Nice Video 😃👍
thank you!
@@MontanaShowalter please i like your Videos in English or in Germany i think you are a great RUclipsrin
About the rings, i would definitely say that they are trendy now (in Germany)
There is a good chance that some of the "fancy glasses" you saw in Germany started as mustard containers. Once the mustard is used, most people keep them as regular drinking glasses.
For my opinion every first grader would be offended if they had to drink out of plastic cups
I once crossed the Rhine river near Cologne and saw a swan getting hit by a truck while trying to fly over the bridge. 🥴
Regarding craft stores: We in Cologne have the *"idee. Creativmarkt"* where you can find basically anything for creative crafting. We call it a _Bastelladen._
But come back and start your craft store, I will be a happy customer. :)
(And _Laden_ is pronounced [Laaden].)
Well, when I'm on the Autobahn to my workplace or back home, there're a few billboards. But they're just tell you about safety while driving (don't use you cell-phone etc.), and nothing else. Okay, there're also big brown-white colored "billbords" that are have more similarities to traffic signs than to some advertisement billboards. They tell you about the most popular thing for tourists at the next exit. Like some very old towns. Maybe they don't want too much distraction there which means more accidents.
The smaller cars have also much to do with the smaller european streets.
Less traffic has probably also to do with more public transportation and more bicycle drivers. And less traffic -> less accidents. It's also very time-consuming to get a drivers license because to have learn stuff very intensivly.
Speeding: Usually there're some fixed speed cameras plus some mobile one. You'll get mail afterwards. BTW: In Germany there must be 2 cops per patrol car. So if a patrol car pulls over somebody for speeding, immediately 2 cops are "blocked" -> expensive. They'll only do that if it's more dangerous than just speeding a little bit.
Craft store: You mentioned drugstores like Müller which also have some stationery shop stuff. Or search a "real" stationery shop. DIY stores often also have such things - besides everything for "big" DIY at home. Maybe from time to time you'll also finde something in 1EUR shops (the extremely cheap stuff with usually worse quality).
Motel: Well, Germany is much smaller. To get from one end to the other, that will roughly take max. 9h - without breaks and traffic jams. Or take the train (or night train) or a flight. In the "tourist areas" like in the black forest you'll find many Gasthäuser ("restaurants" with average food and prices, but very often with a quite long history). They often also offer rooms for tourists in average quality (clean but not that much service like in a hotel).
Second hand shops: Most people I know wear clothes until it's really damaged. Then they give it to like the red cross which gives that stuff e.g. to homeless people. I think even if it's good enough to sell it, such second hand shops are usually operated by social organisations like the red cross with focus on poorer people. Or people know other people who could need old clothes, especially when talking about clothes for children.
Road kill: Especially when talking about animals which can be eaten by humans: When you hit such an animal, you cause a financial damage to the guy how pays money for being allowed to hunt animals in that area (who can also allow others to hunt in his area etc.). So not contacting him or the police after such an accident is hit and run. If you contact him/them, the road kill will be removed. And also if he/them finds some road kill, they'll remove it.
Such thin actually one-way plastic cups are about to be banned by the EU (environment).
I've been to a Gasthaus before for dinner and it was super nice! Exactly what you were talking about. Thank you for taking the time to write all of that; I enjoyed reading your comment!
Way back (1975) when I had my Abitur, we had a week of partying among ourselves and a small celebration, where we all got our 'papers'. That has changed over time and nowadays there are big celebratory parties (Abi Ball) with quite fancy clothing and it includes parents and teachers (at least quite often). In the 1970s we were more informal and just wanted to have fun on our own. I guess that may have changed under the influence of High School movies from the US ;-).
wow do you really think us movies are a cause for that? my friends had an abi ball and all of those celebrations but i thought it was always tradition!
While I agree that possibly those movies might have influenced these parties, I guess it also differs from region to region and even school to school. My dad had an Abiball with teachers, parents and friends from other schools, wearing fancy clothes and dancing back in the early 80s and it's been tradition since the founding of the school (standard public Gymnasium, so no fancy private school) in the 70s.
@@MontanaShowalter Yes, Hollywood has tremendous influence on young people in the whole world, in many aspects of life. Often not a good one. Local traditions are eradicated and replaced by americanized versions.
@@Henning_Rech while I agree with you on that, I don't think this is true for abi ball. Those have existed in the 80s and before, even in Austria where we had 2 tv channels at the time and where there are no American military bases either, so not that much influence from the US at that time. Yes, there were Hollywood movies but back then, there were not that many about high school. Imo not enough to influence a whole tradition of having graduation balls.
But other things definitely are, eg Halloween. I guess celebrating Thanksgiving in an American way will be next and the American Christmas is definitely eating away at our traditional Christkind here in Austria.
I am so proud of you, Montana!
About those plastic branded cups: we also habe those in germany especially if you buy something to drink at a concert or festival but such as normal plastic bottles you can return the empty cups where you bought them and get some money back (Pfand). So not many people take them....
And even at those events youre usually not ment to bring them home so there are financial incentives to return those cups (up to 1.50€ per cup)
Abitur is just one exam of many, and once you go to university nobody cares about the degree anyway. So, no extravaganza. Unnecessary waste of money.
Try online stores like Zalando or Asos, I'm sure they have some. I got some from C&A a few months back. They sold out quite fast but it's worth looking now and then if they have new ones.
Graduation is nothing special in most european countries because getting graduated is hold as a minimum achievement. It is like celebrating when you left basic school.
You aren't celebrating graduating school. You are celebrating becoming an adult and being able to buy a house, rent an apartment, live away from family, etc. You are an adult and don't need your parents anymore. Photos are for keeping the memory. It's fun to look back to how young you were.
@KNIGHT you could be independent is my point 🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️. I agree buying a home isn't easy for an 18 yr old, but they could do it legally. They dont need their parent to sign for the apartment lease or mortgage on the house. Living at college is being 100% independent (unless you are a wussy Gen Z and need mommy holding your hand 🙄🙄). I was 100% independent when I was 18. I lived in a dorm room, bought my own food, bought my own shoes, bought my own toiletries, etc. When I was 19 I found an apartment and paid the apartment on my own. I wasn't in huge debt from college either. Scholarships, grants, and work study program paid for my way through school. A job paid for my apartment.
The big cars versus small cars thing has nothing to do with the environment. European cities aren’t build around cars. Most (larger) cities have been around for centuries. They aren’t build to accommodate big cars. The roads are small and windy. Also, you do not absolutely need a car in Europe. Most countries here have (really) good public transportation, zoning laws are different which leads to having everything you need for day to day (groceries etc) right there in your neighborhood. That means that you don’t need to haul a significant amount of stuff every time you go to get groceries. Which means your car doesn’t have to have as much “cargo space.” All of this combined makes smaller cars much more useful than big cars. This is also reflected in the lane width on larger roads that have been designed specifically for cars. In the US the average lane width is 3.7m (12ft). In Europe the average is 2.75m (9ft). Sure, the lane width is designed for the type of cars on the road, but it does mean that the large SUV’s of Pickup trucks you see in the US only hinder you.
The reason why you haven’t seen that many (or any) police hiding out to catch speeders and the likes is because in Germany (just like The Netherlands and I think more and more European countries) the police use unmarked police cars for this. They drive around, can follow for kilometers without you ever knowing, they have a video system that records what you do and measures your speed over a certain distance. If they find that you are speeding, are using your phone, don’t wear a seatbelt, or whatever they just pass you, put up a red matrix sign that said “Polizei Folgen“. They pull you over to a save place (a rest stop, the end op an off ramp where speeds are really low, etc). They don’t hide behind bushes etc to catch you.
For the marked police cars traffic violations are just a secondary responsibility. Their primary responsibility can be anything from responding to 112 calls, preventative task, neighborhood policing, etc. They do pull you over for traffic violations, but it’s not their main responsibility. Just like the unmarked police cars main responsibility isn’t 112 calls. They do respond if they are closest but it’s not their main job, it’s catching those speeders. There is actually a very interesting TV program about the A2 autobahn. They follow people who work on and around the A2 from Duisburg all the way to Potsdam. One of the people they follow is a female cop who does just that, drive around in an unmarked police car and catch speeders and other traffic violators. I can highly recommend that! I think it’s called “A2 - ABENTEUER AUTOBAHN.”
I’m Germany you also see a lot of automated speed traps. Camera systems issue an automated ticket when you speed. No human involvement needed.
The reason there are so much fewer accidents in Germany is because to get your driver’s license the rules are so much stricter. You need to get actual schooling, from a specialized school (Fahrshule). That makes for drivers who actually know how to drive when they start driving on their own.
Then there is the Autobahn in Germany. Because even today many stretches of it have no speed limit, drivers actually pay attention to what they do. And people follow the rules. Ergo, fewer accidents. Now, no speed limit on the Autobahn does mean that when an accident does occur the chances of fatalities are much higher, even with modern safety measures in the cars. But the chance that you actually get into an accident is much lower.
The billboard thing is partly because of the laws you mentioned, but this is something you see all over Europe. There is another, bigger reading for this. Europeans in general are far less ad centered. A large billboard at the side of the road doesn’t do that much for us. The reason they are so huge in the US is just because there are so many of them. And they get bigger and bigger to stand out from the rest. Because there are so few here, you pay attention when you do see one. Which is why a lot of the time they contain important information, like messages from the government on a specific topic (road safety for example, you must have seen the “rettungsgasse” billboards!).
The motel thing is a very American thing. In Europe there are hotels at large reststops, but not nearly as many as there are motels in the US. Truckers tend to sleep in their cabins and most car rides can be done in a day. So there isn’t a big need for motels. If I want to go from my hometown in The Netherlands to Berlin for example, it takes just under 6 hours of continuous driving. Have another person in the car with a license? Well, just take a 15 minute break every 2 hours and switch drivers. You can make it in one go. Which is how many people do long distance driving here. Want to go from the north of Europe to the south? Hamburg to Madrid takes 20 hours. With 2 drivers you can still make it in one go.
And did I see what I think see? A reputation snake ring? If you have no idea what I’m talking about then forget I said anything😜 but if you know All Too Well what I mean, you go girl!
Hi i just subscribed to you greetings from Germany ;)
Traffic is actually really common in Berlin where I live. If you want to get into the city (what we say when we are even living in berlin but more in pheripheral areas.) at like 8 am it is very difficult because of "Berufsverkehr" all people want to get to their jobs. That means that all trains and busses are extremly crowded and if you drive whith the car you need like 1 to 2 hours to drive a distance from 8km. That problem exists because most of all people are living in the "Speckgürtel" of berlin. XD so pheripheral areas or like small places which don't belong to berlin but are like next to the city. And all of these people are driving with the car on small roades into the city. On tha Autobahn their also sometimes traffic. Most common when the Sommerferien begin and all families drive on vacation.
that makes a lot of sense since berlin is such a big city. do you know if it’s the same for other large cities like frankfurt, munich etc?
@@MontanaShowalter look up the highway A5
it's the Frankfurt highway and everyone know that if you drive there in after work time you need 4h to get through the traffic jam
@@MontanaShowalter I think that the Berufsverkehr is a thing in every city but it depends of the size. I also know that in Hamburg it is very bad. The thing is that you only have this issue if you drive by car. Busses and trains are normally not very crowded. I was only once in munich and frankfurt so I can't really tell if the problem exists their too but I would say that it is the same as in berlin because their are always small roades and many people who drive with the car.
what you don't see in Germany is trash piling up at the banks of highways and streets. It is taken care of that nothing at the side banks endangers ongoing traffic. I had been in California and there were abandond cars left next to the highway, unthinkable of in Germany.
Hello Montana, I have to admit that I´m Austrian, not German, but the city you were situated during your stay in Germany, Passau, borders directly to Austria (to the province of "Upper Austria". But there is not much difference between Austria and Germany, except for that we still have compulsory military or civil service for all men 18 and over. This sucked and interrupted my career, lead me to a wrong path and in the end I was 23 when I finally entered university and graduated with a master in chemistry seven years later. I would have been an excellent soldier at 25, but 18 was too young and there was lots of drama. Regarding cars, you are absolutely right: There is a tendency to smaller and less powerful cars. For example, I drive a small Skoda with 3 cylinders, but it runs smoothly and is as friendly to the environment as possible. Roads are usually in an excellent condition. Yes, there is some roadkill, mostly bunnies and rarely deer. People use to drive carefully, as there are plenty automated section controls and police in endangered places. Before the pandemic, there were lots of specialised shops including hardware stores, budget stores, tool shops, shops for electronic hard and software.( Montana, please feel free to correct me if I express anything awkwardly or grammatically wrong !). I live near Vienna, in a province called "Lower Austria". I´m located east of Vienna and both Czech Republic and Slovakia are very near. Before the pandemic, we used to drive to Breclav or Malacky (see google maps) regularly as there were even more shops with a better choice and much cheaper than in Austria. When I was in primary school, these countries were situated behind the "iron curtain" and off limits for us, but since the revolution of 1989, Austria thrives thanks to our neighbours and the other way around.
When I was your age, access to universities was still possible without many barriers and there were hardly any fees at all. Meanwhile, we have strict entrance exams for nearly all subjects. If I wanted to study chemistry today, I would have to pass an exam first. If you are accepted, there are no fees so you won´t be in debt when you graduate. Entering college and getting accepted is the chokepoint. I have obsessed this process when entrance to university became increasingly stricter.You are right when you say that we don´t cause a stir around graduation photos. I do possess one from high school, but we were all wearing regular clothes. Quadratic hats are reserved for post graduate students only, when they receive their Ph.D. When I graduated with a master, I just had to sign some documents and was then sent away. No photos and no special clothing. Montana, I wish you good luck at college and that you receive your visa to enter germany again, soon. My cousin is a MD and works in Hamburg and he is very happy there. I don´t own a ring or other decoration. To be honest, I want a special one because I need a wife (but that´s my problem I have to solve here - I know that I´m late). Thanks for your patience to read this message because as always I write something, it´s far too long. Kind regards from Austria, Mathias
Thank you for that message and for the best wishes in Uni! I wish you the best as well :)
Die einzigen Billiläden die mir direkt einfallen sind: Tedi und Action / The first Cheap Stores that comes to my Mind are: Tedi und Action
Es gibt solche Plastikbecher auf Festivals / u can get Plastic Cups at Festivals
Greetings from Passau, Germany :-)
Roadkills: The roads are very protected with fences, soundsystems, reflecting bars (or even recflectors on trees) so the animals won't come nearby the road. Of course road kills happens as well, but much less. If it happens, the animal will immediately remove from the scene. It's not allowed to leave the dead animal behind. Sometimes you can see a dead snake or squirrel on the road in the woods, because mostly you don't see or feel the "over drive" at all. But as it got notitced by other drivers, it will be removed as well. Cheers, Prost and all the best! :-)
Nice video! :)
Craft stores? There’s a bunch like Obi which is the biggest European chain.
Roadkill: we do have a service that picks everything up and the fencing is better but also, in all fairness, we do have much smaller forests compared to some regions in the US. Hence, less deer populations etc
definitely makes sense!
Obi ist ein Baumarkt und Heimwerker Laden und kein Craft Store. Ein Craft Store ist mehr Deko, Hobby und Bastelbedarf Shop. Klar gibt es auch einige Artikel aus einem Craft Store die man bei Obi, Toom, Hornbach, etc. findet, aber ne richtige Craft Store Kette gibt es eigentlich nicht in Deutschland.
@@muratti72muc stimmt, da hast du recht.
@@muratti72muc am ehesten würde ich noch zu Müller gehen, die haben immer eine riesige Craft Abteilung. Aber sonst gibt es nur seltene kleine Bastelläden die meist recht teuer sind und oft beim nächsten Mal, wenn man hin will pleite sind. Und meist von eher älteren Frauen betrieben werden, die nicht auf die Basteltrends im Netz aufspringen - was wohl ein Grund ist, warum die Pleite gehen. Wenn alle Washi Tape für ihr Bujo wollen und die einen ansehen und fragen was das ist, dann bestellt man eben im Internet.
Ist doch dasselbe mit Fotogeschäften. Betrieben von typischerweise 60+ ehemaligen Fotografen, die einen von oben herab belehren, dass man ja eh nur ein Amateur sei, weil man "nur" mit einer dreistelligen Canon und entfesselten Blitzen fotografiert statt mit einer 5D und einer Studioblitzanlage, aber noch nie was von Lee Folien gehört... joa, und dann jammern, dass alle bei Amazon bestellen.
Roadkill: we call the police if we have an accident with wildlife to get the certificate for our insurance claim.
And that's why the pickup of carcasses is triggered immediately. Carcasses don't sit on the road waiting for some highway authority to notice them during their patrol in Europe.
Love your overalls. Tried to find a pair yesterday, but they don't seem to be in trend in Germany at the moment :(
check kleider kreisel! i used to use that app all the time hahah probably too much
@@MontanaShowalter Kleiderkreisel has been renamed as "vinted.de". Denglisch rules!
Regarding cops pulling drivers from traffic: automated speed traps are the common way to address speeding, but there’s some legal loopholes with this.
On the other hand, police officers are more focussed on other topics, like routine checks on the safety of trucks and buses, so you’ll see more routine checks for those in Germany, especially on the Autobahn. There’s some focus on vehicles from eastern countries, who don’t impose that strict standards and whose drivers are often driving long distances across Europe, many of them via Germany‘s Autobahn network.
And, especially on weekends in more hilly and scenic areas, you’ll notice police officers watching out for and pulling very noisy motorcycles from traffic. Nearby, there’s a winding and scenic road, popular among motorcycles: about every summer weekend, there’s hundreds of motorcycles “experiencing” that road, and at the same time, nearby villagers complain about noisy motorcycles, so about every summer weekend, police officers are listening for motorcycles, pull them out to measure noise levels and check for hidden devices to turn off or “configure” noise silencers.
I definitely saw more of the routine checks on the road. We don't have many of those in Virginia, so when there is one people are always nosey as to why!
We only use plastic cups when we go camping.
11:17
You see a car accident every 2 or 3 days???? What the heck O_O Are you doing destruction derby over there?
Maybe there are so many accidents because everyone is looking at those billboards lol
„Fancy“ glasses, lol. I am a German and those plastic cups feel weird to drink out them. Water tastes better from „real“ glasses.
oops! i've changed it to normal (unfortunately I can't do that in the video)!
Something very common in the US but unknown in Germany (as it would be illegal), are advertisements by law firms, be it on billboards or whereever else. The same holds true for ads for prescription medicines. Wearing rings is not as uncommon as you tend to believe (maybe not so much in the deep Bavarian Southeast) . What is extremely uncommon in Germany nowadays, unlike in the US, are engagement rings, however.
that’s so crazy - almost all of the billboards in richmond are for law firms!
@@MontanaShowalter I noticed that in quite a few other US states as well which is why I brought up the point.
We have those plastic cups , but only for little children's or outside - picnic (glass can broke, in this way is plastic better)
Huge and funny billboards everywhere... more roadkill... more accidents... do I see a pattern here? ^^
Joking aside, far as I know the driving license in Germany is harder to get than in the US. Many theory and practice lessons. So maybe German drivers are just a little better trained?
@Rita Roork not sure if you’re trolling, but you ooze of self-centeredness and nationalism. Driving in America is an absolute joke, apparently some people over there don’t even know how to use lanes properly.
@Rita Roork did you forget that the american ancestors were mostly german and british ?! (Btw that’s why you’re white) I don’t get where this racism comes from, why you think you’re better than anyone ? You are a piece of shit just because you think you’re superior. I hope you are a troll hahaha ps. German drivers are the best :* kisssss
@factsplease it’s called beating someone with their own weapons but if you don’t get it 🤷🏻♀️ then you don’t
@factsplease if you could read you would know that I did not write that I’m better than anyone hahaah and if you don’t like the Hard and honest way then it’s not my problem 🤷🏻♀️ you are sensitive over nothing. The world is no magic wonderland where everybody is nice.
@factsplease maybe I’m arrogant but you’re butthurt over nothing
I think Hornbach ist the cheapest "Baumarkt". Mostly at the arterial roads.
We do have roadkill but it highly depends on the season.
Oh really? What seasons are the worst?
An Stellen die bekannt dafür sind, dass häufig Tiere die Straße überqueren werden manchmal Tunnel unter der Straße gebaut. Allerdings nur für kleinere Tiere wie Kröten, Igel etc. Ein Reh passt da nicht durch, aber es reduziert die Anzahl überfahrener Tiere insgesamt.
+1 on that craft stores. I really wish we had some :)
3:42 In Deutschlandgibt es Radarfallen, wie in diesem Video zu sehen: ruclips.net/video/xtRmlOE-8_g/видео.html
There are 2 very cheap craft stores in Germany, "action" uns Tedi€. But these are probably located more in the west of germany.
The first 5 points are all directly related to the American car-centric society.
Germany may have the autobahn yes, but German streets are for people, not just cars
Motels, are again a result of a car-centric society.
Roadkill, seeing a pattern emerging?
Germany tends to keep nature in mind when constructing roads. Safe routes for fauna to move from one side to the other is included in infrastructure design
Definitely is a pattern here, but that is also because I was brainstorming in a car too! :)
Es gibt in Deutschland schon einige " craft stors" Hobby- oder Bastelläden. Zum Beispiel Hobby made!. Vielleicht nicht in Süddeutschland. Bayern ist ja sowieso ein bisschen anders als Deutschland. Komm doch einfach mal ins Ruhrgebiet oder ins Rheinland. Hier sind die Leute freundlicher und lustiger als im Seppenland
N
2nd-hand-Läden (irgendwie lustig, dass wir ein englisches Word nutzen, aber nicht das gleiche wie Muttersprachler^^) sind in Deutschland weniger populär, weil Deutsche eher dazu tendieren praktische Kleidung zu kaufen (die sie dann auch länger tragen), als schöne Kleidung nur für einen Anlass.
ja, das macht sinn!
07:56 the paris pin is kinda funny - it might be the french or even paris pin but contains the german flag 😂 (schwarz rot gold)
👍
the ring thing definitely is a trend here too now haha
Ah okay! Do you mean music festivals?
If you are interested in the question of what makes roads safer, you may have a look at the channel "Not Just Bikes". It is created by a Canadian traffic engineer who discusses at length the differences he noticed and how the roads in the Netherlands are designed these days to make them safer. He also goes into the subject of urban sprawl and how that bankrupts the finances of cities and towns in the US and Canada. Personally I would also point at the lack of social cohesion that seems to have created and that it would be an interesting social study how the US in particular turned into a society where people have decreased social interaction outside their direct compounds. That may be related to the decreased trust in society and fellow men that you can notice there.
will do! thank you so much
That using-plastic-cups-at-home habbit - why? Can't wrap my head around this. They're usefull in any back pack outdoorsy scenario because you won't have to carry much weight - but even there I'd prefer stainless steel.
At home I'd always use glass or ceramics for any beverage for taste and handling.
Also for health reasons. The reason why stuff in plastic cups often tastes so much worse is because of chemicals in the plastic that get into your drink. Also microscopic plastic particles that break from the cup when it gets older and wears out. It's extremely unhealthy and can lead to impotence, higher chances to get Cancer, higher chances to get problems with certain organs when you get older etc.
Motels gibt es so wie keine, weil der Markt dafür einfach winzig ist. Innerhalb von 10 Stunden kommt man mit dem Auto in Deutschland (mit der Ausnahme der einen oder anderen Nordseeinsel) von jedem Ort zu jedem anderen. Da braucht man keine Zwischen-Übernachtung.
Das stimmt letztlich nicht. Montana versteht unter "Motel" die Architektur - eine ein- bis zweistöckige Bretterbude mit Innenhof - und nicht die Funktion, nämlich preiswerte Übernachtung in verkehrsgünstiger Lage. Diese amerikanische Motel-Bauweise gibt es in DE allenfalls sehr selten; in Frankreich findet man sie schon manchmal. - Vergleichbare günstige Hotels mit wenig Service findet man bei uns oft in Gewerbegebieten. Beispiel einer Kette wäre ibis budget.
@InSomnia DrEvil Auch das stimmt nur teilweise. Sehr ungebräuchlich ist Holzständerbauweise, die vor Ort erstellt wird, wie in USA. Fertighäuser hingegen, deren Wände industriell aus Holz gebaut werden, haben etwa 20% Marktanteil bei Neubauten. Mischbauweise mit einem Erdgeschoss massiv und Obergeschossen in Holz hat im Alpenraum jahrhundertelange Tradition.
Toom is a cheap craft store in Germany. Maybe we have more
What about Müller? I know it usually advertises itself as a parfum shop/drug store but it also has a huge craft section, I'd guess about 1/4th of every Müller I've seen is for crafts.
No billboards on the autobahn allowed. Can cause accidents.
Yep, "Läden" is the plural. 1st thought is usually the best ;)
Hi cutie,
nice to see,
today is Jean's day what a nice dungarees.
In Germany we drive to fast, no time to look at a billboard. Sometimes you got a sign for a local sightseeing, a beautiful landscape in the near. Otherwise it's just disturbing the landscape and the drivers.
We have enough billboards everywhere in and close to a city the cities.
If you like traffic, next time to the Rush hour ask someone to drive with you from Passau to Munich and see what happens.
Is it Lord of the rings here? 💍
You can find these plastic cups in Germany as well, i have a few from different concerts and festivals.
These Cups are used on festivals in Germany but not in private.
Not really, these would be soft see-through cups that won't hurt you if you fall on them in a moshpit lol
About the second-hand Läden: I think that there are quite a few Kleiderkammern by the German Red Cross but I don't know if they're only accessable for people who aren't as wealthy? I know we sometimes give our clothes there but we never got any from there. But I feel like thrift stores or vintage store are definitely becoming more popular, I think apps like Depop or Vinted are also popular for thrifting
Second Hand Shops in Germany called also "An- und Verkauf". Many years ago there were many more of it. Now the people are using "Ebay Kleinanzeigen" or the waste disposal. The last one is sometimes really sad.
We have these plastic cups too. In cinemas, stadiums, at concerts and much more... but actually everytime you have to pay a deposit on them (1 or 2€) and many people bring them back after the event is over to get their money back. Some people (like me^^) bring them home, but to collect these cups and not to drink from them.
I don't really understand the American obsession with graduation ceremonies for children. For university degrees, it's understandable, those are fantastic achievements. But completing high school seems to be somewhat normal expectation. Graduation parties for kindergarten or middle school just seems bizzare.
I do understand why they do it after graduating from high school though i mean its a big step into the direction of becoming an adult why not take a picture of it?
It the biggest achievement of your life at this point though
So it’s a combo of two things. The graduation after kindergarten is just a cute thing for the parents enjoyment and also to show the kids at a very young age what it will be if they make it to graduation. I know to some it will be tacky but completing high school for a lot of people who come from working class families is not just a walk in the park. My mom used to teach in the hood and so many of her students had to drop out to care for family or to work etc. and so many of my fellow middle income classmates had to do the same. The big ceremony for high school is also a bit of a fossil from a time where that meant the end of education and beginning of adult life. It wasn’t until very very recently that having a high school degree meant no job opportunities. For most of American and word history having a high school degree meant you could work in most fields and was the cultural norm much like college is becoming today.
Normally, children leave home after high school. They are entering adulthood and things are never the same once a child goes off to college or work.
One thing I have found in my experiences with Germans…they are extremely judgmental.