HOW TO UPSET GERMANS (American Reacts)
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- čas přidán 21. 06. 2024
- Just an American trying to learn more about and Germany and the rest of Europe.
Today we're gonna check out IS THIS TRUE?! HOW TO UPSET GERMANS (American Reacts)
Original video: • Ugly Tourists in Germa... - Zábava
It's kinda a running gag about Germans are on time but the DB not... We laugh about it.. and cry at the same time.
It is not funny.
Often we don't love because something is funny. In this country there are other reasons to laugh than fun.
mostly im crying. keine ahnung, wieviel meiner lebenszeit die bahn verbummelt hat. 😭
A train is a thing, not a person. How can you expect a thing to be on time?
@@SheratanLP persons build and run trains
Ich würde ja auch gern mal ein Witz über die deutsche Bahn mache, aber ich glaub der käme jetzt zu spät.
Aber immerhin kommt er an und fällt nicht aus 😉
Old but Gold ;)
🤦
Every time you speak german, I'm impressed how good it is. Almost no accent.
Btw I love your reactions.
Also echt mal. MAD RESPECT
But when you are late one time because of the Deutsche Bahn you are fine. No one will be upset, because every German knows this struggle😉
my teacher years ago was like : yeah than stay up earlier
me who already stood up on 5:00a clock😮
@@AlexS-lb5lz a German Classic. My teachers told the me exact same thing.😂
@@AlexS-lb5lz Same, but a bit different. Not teachers but my ex boss at work. "wake up earlier" because the bus and tram did not arrive, cause of sudden strikes and was regularly too late at work (5min after i should be there).
Regularly like 3 - 4 weeks, there were warning strikes n stuff for all public transport, seemingly at random. And did just not arrive despite the led timetable saying it should be there already 🤣. some ppl live in their fantasy land smh.
@@AlexS-lb5lzclassic. I literally took the earliest bus at 4:30 in the morning and still got told to take an earlier one
If you tell in time. Nobody likes to stay there like an idiot and having to ask you 10 minutes late where you are. Tell them "Oh the Deutsche Bahn is the Deutsche Bahn again" and they will probably get a ice cone or start reading a book. If you have to show up for work it depends on work culture. In my job now it wouldnt be a problem to be late once, but I also got fired in another job for being 5 minutes late 3 times.
It's funny how James's knowledge at this point is better than the videos he's watching and he keeps correcting them
Well, yes and no.
The original video strangely enough falls a lot into the trap of making German culture a monolith. He even equated Bavaria to just South Bavaria. German culture is rather fractured, there are some commonalities, but it heavily fluctuates with the region.
I lived in places in Germany where punctuality wasn't as big of a deal.
The guy in the original video also seems to be on the older side and German culture, like every culture is in a constant flux. So a lot of the things he says aren't really applicable to a younger generation.
He has become german :3
fr I love how he is pointing out exactly the things I am thinking abut a lot of times while listening to the creator talk
@@ayumikuro3768 I am German
Secret number 15: Don’t mess around at memorial sites. We know that they are interesting tourist spots, and we don’t mind tourists visiting them, in fact, it is encouraging to see tourists in respectful remembrance at these sites. But they were not created for you to take sexy selfies at or to climb around on. This is ESPECIALLY true for WWII memorials. Just don’t.
Jein. If you go to Auschwitz don't make pics for insta.
Jewisch memorial close to Brandeburger Gate.
Different.
About the Nazi-Jokes:
After the 1st i pretende to smile.
After the 2nd i'll tell you not to.
After the 3rd you'll get your leg broken.
😇 So don't. Most of us don't like them.
I'm with you. I don't even get the idea that people want to joke about it.. where exactly can you make fun of this dark past? Like.. the prevailing emotions at this time were hate, fear and loathing. Surely the supposedly "pure Germans", so-called Aryans, were brought together by this and gave them a feeling of solidarity.. all other ethnic groups had to fear for their lives.
Yeah, you can joke about it amongst immigrants.
@@Zeratoxx_ What... a black US-Soldier returned home after the capitualtion of Germany.
When getting off the Airplane, the soldiers was told: Nigguhz to the left, whites to the right.
One story of a black US-Soldier returning right after the war is very brutal. The US-Soldier (black) was beaten blind, still in his uniform.
1945/46/47/48.
Explain...
Just to correct James, there is NO WAY to tell tasteful Nazi-Jokes.
@@Zeratoxx_Humor is meant to take dark aspects of life ad absurum. That is the nature of jokes in general. You just have to choose your audience.
About the "driving like a German on the Autobahn": The Autobahn is no joke. It's not a tourist attraction or a race track. It's something that's used daily by millions of people and driving with a certain speed is dangerous, which is why you need to drive a certain way.
If you feel uncomfortable driving fast on the Autobahn, drive 80-100 km/h and drive behind a truck on the right lane. Nobody will care.
Laws of the Autobahn:
With a camper try to stay in the "truck lanes" (primarily right, center only to drive past other big vehicles exclusively). Never try to drive past a sports car with a camper, you just started the weirdest race you've ever seen. And never use the left lane with a camper, that will trigger small vehicles in both other lanes. Oh and by law you are not allowed to drive past another vehicle to their right. So you can't overtake a vehicle on center lane using the right lane for example. If you do and a cop is around you are pulled aside.
Bonus Law: The moment you drive a camper you are part of the German (and Dutch) "camper gang". Other camper drivers will greet you and you will be able to stop on a "Rastplatz" with other campers and ask them for info or help easily. Other campers might also behave very cordial towads you driving a camper on the road, so the polar opposite to the regular behavior on the Autobahn.
We Germans love our "automotive clubs" that form automatically, just by driving the same kind of vehicle. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Be polite and drive right
dont drive too fast your not driving a race
dont drive too slow this is not a ponyhof 😁
Min 80 kmh Max 120 kmh unless you see a no speedlimit sign
and allways remeber safty first
And if you drive an Alpha Romeo, give the 2 fingers up wave with your hand that is on the wheel, if you see another Alpha Romeo driver. The oncoming driver most likely will react in kind, unless it is a woman, they almost never greet back 😁
@@Vyruz-oq6hw doesnt have to do with being polite, its a law. "Das Rechtsfahrgebot ist eine straßenverkehrsrechtliche Vorschrift, die besagt, dass auf Straßen möglichst weit rechts gefahren werden muss." Auch auf der Autobahn.
The "Rechtsfahrgebot" ist the one you really need. You are not allowed to take people over while driving on their right side. It is pretty much the worst thing you can do on the Autobahn. Because of that, if you are in a lane and see a guy with 100km/h more than you approach in the rear view mirror ("Move, Bitch, Get Out The Way!".mp3), chances are that you can scoot over to the right, because your right lane will be on a lower pace than you. Also, nobody likes "Mittelspurschleicher" (dt. "center lane sneaker"), which are people, who do not drive on their "rightest" possible lane. So if you want to drive without worrying too much, here ist game plan.
1. Drive on a lane, where your tempo fits.
2. Check if your right lane has room for you and won't slow you down. If so, go right.
3. If you want to overtake somebody, get on your left lane (!!! Check your mirrors or die a horrible death, because there will be a MF in a new AMG with 240 km/h !!!), overtake your opponent (because you just started a duel, you didn't even know about) and return to your original lane.
4. Repeat.
NEVER stay in a lane, if the one on your right is completely empty. Nothing is more infuriating and you will feel the wrath of the other drivers :3
@@thorelehmkuhler9975 perfect summary
As an older German woman with authoritarian upbringing, I was shocked that the people in the train wouldn't immediately get up and give you the seats you paid for. I was taught to follow rules no matter what and spent most of my life not following rules that didn't make sense, as rules are made for people and not the other way round. However, you paid for these seats and the family didn't. It's as if they were eating the chocolate cake you ordered and then tell you to go find another chocolate cake for free. To me this is a total lack of respect, and it makes me sad that your friend had to fight so hard to get what you paid for.
Dude, you gotta experince the cyclers in Amsterdam if you think that German cyclers are aggressive 😄
Autobahn: drive on the farthest right lane possible. If you go on the left lane with 100 km/h you will pretty soon be visited by a very fast car giving you light signal and inspecting your trunk. Best not to go left under 150km/h, except for traffic jam or if there is a speed limit. And with a speed limit, go at least 10 km/h faster than the limit while visiting the left lane. Of course check mirrors and signal, common sense, right? Oh and check out the word „Rettungsgasse“! That is how you are supposed to place your car in a traffic jam to allow Police/Firemen/Ambulance to get through. If you don’t and a firetruck comes booming, you are in a lot of trouble! -Rightfully so.
Thank you for your videos - thoroughly enjoying them!🎉
Greetings from Rhein-Sieg-Kreis, Germany 🖖
I would not advice anyone to go faster than the speed limit, but don't be surprised when other are faster. 5-10 km/h faster is something to be seen quite often.
But yeah, try to get with the flow. Don't drive too close behind anyone and you should be fine. In the end, always be aware, it's your money, it's your drivers licence, not those who drive with you or behind you.
And don't use your phone while driving.
@@eiskalteshandchen9036 ...... nur 5-10 km/h? Muss ne Gegend voller Zen Meister sein wo Sie leben 🤣 Und kleiner tip km/h wird in englisch kph geschrieben, nur so als freundlicher hinweis....... Aber ich kenns selber! Macht der Gewohnheit! 😅
@@BlackTemplarX Ahja, ausreichende Anzahl an Blitzern hilft. Gibt aber auch hier genug Idioten die sich tot fahren. Vielleicht eine Art von Selektion
On the autobahn always take the lane closest to the right if possible only overtake on left and go back right if you can that way the left lanes stay clear for Passing/overtaking
This! It is acceptable to stay on the middle line for a bit longer, as long as you are about to pass cars and trucks on the right, and as long as there is another line left of you.
thats not even a curtesy, its the law
There is always an idiot blocking the middle lane for no reason and forcing the trucks to overtake, cause the low-bob is barely driving at 80km/h.
Just PLEASE remember when you drive here, that Autobahnen not having a speed limit is a MYTH. There are STRETCHES of Autobahn that are limit free, but for the most part, especially around cities or towns, there ARE speed limits!!! And in many cases, they come with speed traps. If you go too fast there, you WILL be blitzed. And then you can expect a ticket in the mail.
You know what "getting blitzed" means?
@@AlexandraViolettayeah, 'getting blitzed' is denglisch for getting caught on speeding cameras. 😀
I agree... being thrown into a blizzard is an interesting punishment for driving to fast. 😮
those unrestricted stretches make up 70% of the autobahn though. and as you said, those 30% are around cities or when autobahns merge into another.
for the foreigners: grey signs indicate the end of a restriction. if the grey sign has nothing in it terminates all restrictions.
And if you get a "Blitzermarathon"-day, you will not have a good time...
Ärgerlich=Annoying or Upsetting.
You use it when something is upsetting but not in the context that you are upset , that would be "Verärgert,,. When you speak about yourself.
Ärgerlich= Something is upsetting
(Das spiel ist ärgerlich)
Verärgert= You are upset.
(Ich bin verärgert)
But you can also use "verärgert,, to say that someone else is upset, like
"Peter oder Emma ist verärgert,,.
(Peter or Emma is upset)
You can make Nazi jokes with people you know but not everyone is in the meme culture, it can hurt people.
Especially with the rise of the AfD, this is viewed more critically for some.
The thing is that you can't tell on the Internet how serious some people are or how well they can mentally separate the jokes.
Some start doing jokes and end up in the wrong scenes, where some people mean their jokes seriously.
It is often frightening how many actually racists are in black humor groups.
ärgerlich It's when the train is late and you can't meet your friends because they've already flown away on vacation.
I have to say that your speaking speed and pronunciation are excellent. As a German, it's easy for me to follow you. keep it up.
"ice train" took me a minute😂
Its Ieee Ceee Eeeee😐
It is short for Inter City Express
I call it Ice Ice Trainy. Alright stop, collaborate and listen, ICE is back with a...
The best is that the ICE's often have issues with their AC.
@@germaniatv1870😂😂😂
@@germaniatv1870Made my day xD
15:45 your friend was correct in taking your seats. Problem is that seat reservations are invalidated if not taken after 15 minutes. So if you have paid for seats, but you didn't take them and suddenly, the train becomes full and you're sitting in someone's reserved seat, then you have no seat.
Something about jokes: Even if your audience in Germany isn't laughing about a joke, it does not autamatically mean you did it wrong, or they didn't like it. Many Germans can be heavily reserved on this. A short rise in the corner of the mouth, an amused blink in the eyes, an accepting comment might be all you get. We understand fun, we do jokes. We have a lot of people with really different types of humor. Some are quite direct, others dark as hell and the next is plain. There is a huge variety in humor, and so in the people who receive it as well.
Great! I like your comment for it is just true. 👍
Safe driving for USA PEOPLE = On motorways, always keep to the right and drive at least 100 km/h. In the city, learn the rules for “right before left” and do not turn right on red (unless there is a green arrow on a little sign).
there is food sharing, but not with regular meals. If the food is shared you usually have plates of food in the middle of the table and everybody can take some for their own plate which is gonna be clean at the start of the meal
30:38 "you wouldn't joke about fat people in a room of fat people" when talking about nazi jokes is crazy xd
Holy shit your pronounciation of "Ärgerlich? Was bedeutet das?" was so perfect, for a moment I was confused. If I never heard anything else from you before I couldn't have told you're not german
He'll propably like your comment, I guess.😂
There was once a Saturn advertisement where they advertised with the slogan "Geiz ist geil" (stinginess is cool).
It said: "Du magst es doch billig" (You like it just cheap) to a young 18-year-old girl. Nasty insult, so she sleeps with everyone?
So yes, there is a big difference between cheap and inexpensive.
And James, you should also make sure that there are no police officers near you when you cross the street when the light is red. They will punish you with a fine if they catch you!
Real? It's not so easy. I'm 60 now. I never got my souvenir 5€ ticket., only some Preaching words.
Just dont cross the street at all when the light is red 🤨
Depends on the officer@@thorstent2542
Ignoring a red light happens in Germany as well, of course. The trick is to know which red light is safe to cross and which is not. So if you see people crossing the street even though the light is red, you may try as well but keep an eye on the red lights for everyone. As soon as you know how the lights change from red to green you'll get safer in your decision wether to cross or not. This goes for pedestriens as well as for everyone else. I once drove to work with a coworker and she asked me why I stopped at a red light (which just turned yellow, so there would have been enough time in theory). She didn't know the crossroads, so she couldn't know that every now and then people die there because you have a bad view to the left and right side and people tend to ignore the red light there. So if you want to see another day for sure, at this red light you'll hit the break even though it's only yellow.
To steal food:
Things are often different in Greek restaurants. Everyone orders portions for the whole community and the restaurant gives them free bread. This does not mean that someone steals something from your plate, but what is ordered in the middle of the table is for everyone to share.
That is also a nice experience.
you should definetly take some lessons on german drivin, would be very funny to see u react to how complex the license test actually is here😂
...and how expensive... im buying mine in Poland.
Regarding the "bringing a +1 to a party": Even if the party is medium to large scale and the person you want to bring is someone you are in a relationship with, ask the host anyway. Odds are fairly good in that scenario, but it’s still very impolite to just assume. And as a rule of thumb: The larger scale the party, the better the odds that you‘ll be allowed to bring in other people. But ALWAYS ask. And you yourself should make sure that who you plan to bring isn’t an asshole, but that should be obvious.
In regards to driving on the Autobahn - most important things imo:
1. Use the different lanes correctly, as to not be a hinderance
2. Do NOT overtake others on the right, always on the left (yep, that's a law)
3. In case of a traffic jam please do as (most of) the others do and form a rescue lane (Rettungsgasse). This safes lives.
4. Don't feel pressured to drive as fast as some of the others when on a section with no speed limit. You can always stick to the rightmost lane and chill :)
Best of luck and fun for your next trip!
It would have been helpful to have an example about Nazi jokes. Most people will think about ignorant US Americans having no clue about the topic and make "jokes" because they think that Germans have sympathy for their Nazi history. Germans have misconceptions about US Americans too and if they Germansplain historic American atrocities to you, a "Well seems like our ancestors would have gotten along well" joke would probably land (and make them aware of their Germansplaining). Nazi jokes can work if it is clear that you hate the Nazis. They are not cool if they make light of the atrocities. Don't do Nazi salutes. Its not edgy, it's a way to identify yourself as a Nazi.
it's also illegal
Hello James, if you want to drive in Germany, please find out about:
-Rescue lane!!
-First aid kit (duty!)
-Warning triangle
-High visibility vests (you need the number of seats, two seats = two vests, five seats = five vests)
-You must have your driving license and vehicle documents with you.
I think if you have any questions, you can definitely ask the “ADAC”!
In Germany you are obliged to help (first aider) if you see/witness an accident. Calling 110 or 112 is often enough, you should be able to answer the 5-W questions!
-Where? (Location)
-How (many people are hurt) -What? (Has happened)
-Who? (Calls/is affected) -When? (Time)
28:30 If you can't exceed the speed of light, stay out of the left lane of the Autobahn!
About the "German Directness: Yep, mostly we tend to mean what we say and vice versa.
There is a old Saying: "Reden was wahr ist, saufen was klar ist und f....ressen was da ist"
It means "Talking/saying what is true, drinking what is clear (referring to Water and Korn, the "German Liquor") and f...easting (on) what/when it is available"
And yes, the censoring is also what is done - you know what is meant originally.
As a Dutch person I find Germans very polite and I love Germany and the Germans.
@@arthurvdv8690 Dutch people are often more relaxed than Germans, and I say this as a German. I have the same sentiment about Dutch people. Maybe, they are even a bit nicer.
(Goede avond, werter Nachbar.)
Which brings me to the idea to visit Amsterdam somewhen the next time... (via train) (If you were inclined to answer: Do you know nice places to visit there?)
(About directness: If you are not inclined, please feel free to not answer or even ignore this post.)
@@catalyticcentaur5835 If i were you i would visit Haarlem. Just 20 more minutes by train. It's a little less of a tourist trap with lots a nice museums, shopping and good restaurants.
In Amsterdam (and i say this as a born and raised Amsterdammer) avoid the centre like the plague. Amsterdam Oost and West are really nice but less tourists.
As what's good to visit? Well the Rijksmuseum and Allard Pierson Museum are wonderful. You have great cafe's especially outside the centre or more in the ally's. If you like beer In Den Wildeman is great
@@arthurvdv8690 @arthurvdv8690 Ja, Museen interessieren mich.
(I visited Enschede a few times though an organization that sent kids to fostering parents during holidays. That's about 40 years ago (and more).
I don't know what happened to her in regard to the explosion at the fireworks plant. Her house in Roomweg 118 got destroyed, but she sold it before. I hope, she didn't reside there anymore. I didn't find info on her anywhere. I'm thankful and hope, she will be in heaven or similar if she's not present in physical form anymore: May she be well.)
"but less tourists" is a plus for me. So... Yeah. About Haarlem: Good idea (likely); I'll look into this, too.
Anyway: Dank je wel! (Oder: Dank u wel!)
Germans in 1990: "What? ICE? Why do they have to call it "Inter City Express"? Why dont they give it a german name? Now we have to say IH-CE-EH everytime we take this train!"
US citizen in 2024: "And I just took the Icetrain..." as if that is a very cold train :D
i'm German and never heard of "jein-y" but listening it kinda makes sense, i'm very indecisive myself but as long as you don't block someone it's totally fine
i usually step to the side to show that i'm not yet queuing to decide what i want to get (if it takes longer to decide than to queue) and then queue so i can order instantly
and even being slow when getting out the money to pay is kind of uncomfortable, so i always make sure to put my wallet out early and put it in a spot i can directly reach
Havn‘t watched your Videos in a while. I have to say you really improved your german and that accent , man 🎉❤
"Ärgerlich" is an adjective derived from the noun "Ärger", which means "trouble", "worry", "anger at something", "annoyance". So "ärgerlich" can mean "annoyed", "angered" or "upset". "Ärgerlich" is the "little sister" of "wütend" ("enraged"). About the train seat thing: On most ICE trains, there will be booked seats and unbooked seats, there will also be little displays telling you if a seat is booked or not. Having a seat booked specifically for you costs a little bit extra and accepting that somebody else took your seat, might end up with you having to change seats multiple times until you reach your destination, if there are no free unbooked seats left and you'll have to take another person's booked seat. So yes, if I am on a ICE train and have a specific seat booked for me, I will NOT accept anyone else sitting there. I PAID EXTRA for that specific seat being book for ME, so I will INSIST on sitting in "MY" seat. The concept isn't that hard to understand...
you got it ALL right which is odd. I see you spent your time to get this straight. Appreciated!
About being late: it is okay to be up to 15minute late. We call that "akademisches Viertel".
And btw, I am so very impressed by your knowledge and attitude in general. You truly make the world a better place.
No it's not. You should at least call someone that you'll be late. Don't expect anyone to waiting for more than 15 Minutes without at least telling them when you will be there, in time. We won't be mad at you. But it's not just nothing either.
Well i wouldnt say it ok to be 15 mins late, but its forgiveable as long as you have a good reason. If youre late like 30 mins without calling them, then even your "good reason" becomes irrelevant
I never heard of "akademisches Viertel" outside of university. And even there, it only applies to events explicitly marked as "c.t." (which, however, is the majority of them).
All those stereotypes of Bavaria being Germany was based on the US occupation zones after WW2. Basically Bavaria, a thin slice of Baden-Würtemberg, and Hessen were occupied and controlled by the American forces. With the destruction of so much infrastructure travel back then for the average GI was almost impossible, even during their short times off. So the US forces saw basically only those areas. With the other countries being in ruins, and Hollywood being so predominant in movies, those scenes became the source of those stereotypes.
Much to my chagrin the limited German movies from those times were also the "Heile Welt", the "Home Sweet Home Safe World" kind of movies, often set in the mountains and Alps, reinforcing the stereotypes even among the German speaking US forces that actually did go out and watch German movies.
Yeah, that lasted for almost 30 years or so after WW2 right up into the 80's. The German movies of THAT time period were grim, dark, often self-reflective, and not nice. Didn't do much to improve
the world view of Germany as being a diverse but nice country. It often turned off anyone outside Germany from even watching those movies. So the commoner of any nation didn't get to see a lot of the other side of Germany. Fast forward a few years and reuniifcation did a lot of good, but also brought up old fears again.
It took a lot of time for other areas of Germany to become more recognized as tourist attractions.
You being a prime example and a great ambassador for international-German relations. Thanks for that, James.
When you drive in Germany, try to not drive in the rush hours so all will be a littel bit more chill.
And all Germans like rules... but most of us take the speelimit a little bit easy.
Mostly there is a 10-15km/h gap.
So the speelimit is 80km/h the people drive 90km/h when the traffic allowes it.
The part with the bike lanes is so relatable 😂 in Germany there is "Rechtsverkehr" meaning anyone participating in traffic is - for most parts of it - supposed to stay right-most in their direction of travel. Same goes for pedestrians actually. Escalators usually go in the direction of travel on the right side (meaning if you wanna go up or down you take the right one, bc the left one will not go the way you want to go).But while ON an escalator you stand in the right so people who want to walk on the escalator can overtake you on the left. So when there is a shared sidewalk or the condition of the sidewalk is not the best: stick to the right and you're fine - unless you're on a bike, bc then you're usually faster than pedestrians and are supposed to overtake on the left 😉 hope that makes sense 😂
Edit after seeing the part with how to drive in Germany: As a foreigner: DO NOT try to drive like a German! Especially not on the Autobahn! At this point driving at high speeds is basically part of our DNA. Most of us are used to it. But going 250+ km/h just because there is no limit can get your life-subscription canceled in a heartbeat! Especially if you're not used to those kinds of speed. Drive safe and enjoy the journey and always remember to stay out of the leftmost lane unless you're going way faster than the people in front of you ^.^
Drivin here in Germany is not that complicated. Just remember. Drive the speed limit at minimum. So people dont get upset. If you are on the Autobahn. Keep Right when you are not confident enough with high speeds. Only use the left for overtaking and if you want to overtake dont hesitate while overtaking. this will get drivers mad. Be confident. Make a decision and then do accactly that. Just drive confident! Germans dont like slow drivers that drive without a plan ^^
haven't been on a train since forever but they used to put up "reserviert" next to the seat numbers so people know where NOT to sit..
I work in the catering industry and as a rule of thumb in Germany when it comes to tips, you can round up the amount of the bill plus one as a base. Anything more depends on the service and location. If you feel generous, you give more or not. I have only worked with a few waiters and waitresses who were angry about the basic tip. The few who were so keen on the tip often did a worse job and didn't last long in the catering industry.
Especially if you’re planning a camper tour, stick as far right as possible. Depending on the model you’re driving (I guess it’s going to be a FIAT with 125hp) plan overtaking a truck long before you are actually pulling to the middle lane. Left lane is a no go with a camper. And watch out for road buildings as they have a limited width on the left lanes. So sticking as far right ( except for over taking trucks) is the best approach.
The standert is you Tip in restaurants 10% from 0-100Euros and for more than 100Euros u Tip Around 5%
Be sure you know the German rules for driving before you enter the Autobahn and all other streets. There are not so many complicated things you don’t already know. But make sure, you know them. Know the traffic signs, because most of them are without text and there are many. You could try to pass an online driving licence test in German.
James is about to understand Germany pretty well!!!😂
you can book a car safety course with the tuv, so they teach you driving safe (that's not the same as making a german license)
I think driving in Germany is a self-fulfilling prophecy. You are scared, so you drive more carefully and slower. And that is what many people don't like. It's like, drive or don't drive, but decide. They expect u to drive like everyone else, and if you drive too slowly or too fast, there is always someone u upset. But u drive better and probably upset fewer people if you drive confidently. You have experience handling a car, so just look up the key rules that may be different in the US, and you should be fine. Don't stress yourself. Enjoy the drive.
general rule on the autobahn is, right lane is trucks and chilling, middle lane you should go 130, left lane all bets are off
HAAAAALLO??!??? I just died from laughter hahahahahaha it's so true
About sharing your food:
I always talk with my friends while looking through the menu. And there we decide to share or not to share. But we are also brutally honest if we dont want to share something and no one is upset.
If you like to taste a dish or asking to have a bite you usually get a yes but sometimes also get denied. We try to say politly no like "oh sorry, aber ich würde ungern mit dir teilen".
If you get a yes, then its literally A BITE, so ONE bite not 2 or 3 or more!!!
if you plan to go to bavaria you should see one of the small "oktoberfests" which we call "volksfest". almost any small city in bavaria has it once a year and in those said small city you get very authentic impression of what it actually makes cultural experience thats worth to maintain. oktoberfest itself is 70% tourists and alot of bavarians dont attempt it because its way too commercialized. the small ones are a highlight of bavarian culture tho.
for driving the important thing to know is that your speedometer shows you roughly 10% too much plus you won't get a ticket unless you go roughly 5km/h over the actual speed limit so knowing that a lot of people get upset if you don't go at least 10% too fast, at least don't drive too slow tho, that really pisses people off
I had several people sitting in my seat on several business trips, and never had an argument...
I moved to germany (bavaria) from the states when i was 6yrs old.. but still i learn about being german from your vids 😃
Recycling: The whole recycling thing is primarily for at home. So in the City you normaly use the all in one bin. But if you are at home or at a place of your friends, they will have 3-4 diverent tash bins for paper / plastics / organic waste / "restmüll" all t other stuff
Calling football „soccer“ usually gets you life sentence when speaking english in germany
The red light thing is also for ones own safety. Beeing an example for the kids is one thing, getting run over by an SUV BMW at 60km/h, because you where in a hurry is the dumbest (and pretty painfull) way to go.
Concerning the tipping: If you are really happy about the service then 10% is already pretty good. When the service was as expected I mostly round up the bill. But if you were not satisfied, not to tip is absolutely okay!
However, some waiters can get upset. At one restaurant we had to wait 1.5hrs for 6 pizzas. While waiting, instead of checking for drinks, the waitress was smoking the whole time. Then, the food was completely burnt. And when noone of us tipped the waitress just literally threw the change on the table and left without saying a word.
13:10 caveat here, if you inform the host in advance (depending on how long in advance it was planned 20% rule), and he/she isnt at odds with the person you want to bring with you, usually its fine.
23:40 jup i ran into that one
Quick rundown for driving:
-learn most fequent signs:
-45° Yellow square on white square = Main road you have the right of way
-Withe circle with read outline = closed road
-Black U with arrows on Yellow background is a traffic redirection due to closed roads
-white triangle with red outline = side street, you need to give right of way
-white arrow on blue background = one way street in the arrows direction
-rolling stops are done by everyone but police can ticket you for it
-Overtake on left (outside of cities)
-Rechtsfahrgebot (outside of cities it is expected you drive on the right most lane feesable for your speed so ppl driving faster can pass you on your left)
-Lichthupe Flashing lights at you, an indicator for:
-from behind: wanting to overtake, mostly ment in good faith, some ppl are just assholes like everywhere
-from front on crossings, narrow points etc: person giving you the right of way (when you pass them raise your hand in a greeting as thanks)
-while driving on the road: to get your attention either defect on your car or radar trap coming up
-handwaving to communicate is a thing for other drivers and pedestrians
thres is a lot more and id realy recommend you to prepare for it.
About crossing the street when the traffic lights are red: Firstly i often do that too, if no cars or childs are near. Then a funny thing about this: There is a law to not cross when you got a red light, but there isn'tr one that you have to cross the street where the traffic light is. So if it's not a busy street, just walk 30m (100ft) away from the traffic light and cross the street there. But always check to see if there are children around and don't do it if there are.
Oh, maybe one more thing that might make people mad: If possible, try to use metric measurements and Celsius. I don't know why the U.S. prefers to use these anachronistic systems, but most people won't know how to convert from ft to meter, and you can't even calculate that with Fahrenheit, since the scales aren't linear to each other.
Train reservations: Forget them.Tried them many times and either you didn't need them or the seat was taken and people get pissed off when you tell them you reserved it. Many won't give a f. and the service people on the train usually won't do anything to help you.
Instead, if you want a more stress-free trip with a seat and you know the train will be full, consider getting a first class ticket.On most trains (except ICE's), it's not much more expensive than reserving, and you'll get a seat about 99% of the times. It's also quieter, much cleaner and you get more space and often even a table with a powerplug.
Nazi jokes: I think you got it 100% right
Du bist mir echt sympathisch 😊 good video 👍
Also, informing your neighbours of potential parties/late night noice is just polite
we have huge traffic-jam problems around bigger cities and driving there, especially at the autobahn could be terrifying, like driving the first time in paris or rome - but everywhere else i would give it a try, but u may get stuck in some roadworks.
Regarding Nazi Jokes:
I think it's pretty much always fine to make jokes at the expense of Hitler and the Nazis- showing how awful and stupid they've been.
What's not going to fly are jokes that could be interpreted as downplaying their crimes or making fun of the victims.
About the reservation on trains:
I never claim a seat for me.
I just sit whereever ibwant.
If the guy comes up, who reservated this seat, i excuse myself and stand up.
I never got a problem with that behavior, cause i let the guy know, "you are right and i dont even argue about it, please take your seat".
And sometimes they tell me: "naah...its cool....stay there."
Stay right,and red means red.and if there's no sign the car from the right goes first,not the biggest car.
Nice. Freiburg. My hometown. Never thought i'd be seeing it in a video here.
21:43: Tipping people here in Germany (and rest of Europe) is easy. You tip 5-10% if you can afford it. If you really enjoyed the service, you tip a little bit over 10%. Usually the tip will be splitten internally, because the cook don‘t get tip in other cases, but he had most of the work.
You don’t go over 13-15% because in Germany, people can live from the salary the get from the company.
Even clubs try to avoid tips by having cards, where the waitress is just marking the amount of money for the drink and you pay all drinks by leaving the club at a cashier. And don‘t loose the card, you pay like the card was full, which can be a lot of money.
Driving in Germany:
If there are NO ADDITIONAL signs: 50 km/h inside and 100 km/h outside of cities and villages (look out for the yellow signs with the city name). There are plenty of signs everywhere so you'll know when there aren't any. In 30 km/h ZONES (different from normal speed sign) and Spielstrasse (also don't go faster than 5 km/h here) there is a rule where at intersections the car on the right has the right to go (there are no signs for that rule, it's like that in those zones). Never overtake on the right. Stay as right as possible on the Autobahn. DO NOT break when you are on the right lane on the Autobahn and other cars are trying to merge. This is very dangerous and the ones merging have to wait. If there is space on the left lane you can make room for them. Stay safe, always use your indicator and keep the Rettungsgasse in mind.
So "packing someone up" is a new term for me and there's a quite similar expression in German which is "Jemanden zusammenfalten". A very verbatim translation would be "Folding someone together.". (It's scolding someone for an inacceptible infringement.)
For traffic: you can assume everyone is a reasonable being. try to be friendly, be cautious, try not to block others off and keep the flow going, we like efficiency. autobahn: left lane is for overtaking only if you are not going 180km/h+, right lane is for trucks and chill driving with a camper like you plan on. thats pretty chill besides your job is to make sure anyone trying to enter the autobahn has space to do so. feel the flow and you are fine. and as always: expect others to be stupid, because everyone is once in a while. try to think for others as well. just in general be a sensual human being. raging of others is just them venting of their emotions. nothing personal.
also on autobahn we have something called a Richtgeschwindigkeit which is 130 km/h which basically means "go to speed" which is a value mostly for the middle lane to keep it a flow.
As a pedestrian don't run on red lights in front of the eyes of kids. If you're alone running at red light on a rainy day on an empty street ... nobody cares. Quite the opposite, they're asking themselves why is this dude waiting? But in front of the eyes of kids it's a no-go.
if you want to visit bavaria this year, i advise you to visit us from september 21st onwards while the oktoberfestival. that's where you'll get the best impression of bavaria and our traditions and music. besides, the theresienwiese has the best beer
We share food to but only with close freinds or family and only zum probieren so Taste testing. And dont forget to ask for consent first. So basically it happens but also not really.
10% tip is polite if you go out into a restaurant - you may can go as low as 5% of the bill but no tip is really not polite.
Btw if you wanna go to Bavaria for some camping stops - I’ll show you how to drive (go a camper too).😉
Thanks for learning things about our country and yes the Deutsche Bahn never comes on time haha
1:03 "Was ist das auf deutsch was bedeutet das" brother your pronunciation is really good you where only 3 times in Germany? Give that man a visa right now ❤️
And in my opinion the Most importent thing to know as a murican 😅 is that in Germany we don't have freedom of speech... All we have is called "Meinungsfreiheit" that means you can think of anything you want but don't speak it out loud otherwhise you can be held accountable at court espacialy for like "nazi jokes" it's called "Volksverhetzung" and you can go to jail for that 😬
Only if you have the wrong friends who will snitch you to the government/executive etc.
"Die Gedanken sind frei..."
Tips for driving:
-Watch out for BMW oder Golf GTis.
-If you dont plan to go REALLY fast dont drive un the left lane.
-Bikes are the Kings in the Citys, watch out!
Ärgerlich is when Ur mad about something but you don't bother with it the whole day
“The ghost-champions” 😂
Good video! 🍻
Hey James, when you're driving in Germany, you really don't need to stress out. On the autobahn, it's only important that if you're not overtaking, you just drive on the right side because in Germany, you're only allowed to overtake on the left. And otherwise, if people honk or get angry, just take the time you need. The guy will be just as annoyed as if he had only needed an extra 10 seconds because of you.
17:33 hahaha!! I'm feeling called out here right now! Yes.. That's definetly what we do! We let you know that you messed up sth!! 😅😅
Autobahn. 120-130 kmh middle or right lane. Smooth driving and no stress.
RIP o7 good luck on the Autobahn :D
usually people are fairly tame, but i guess it depends on the type of road.
I hope you know about right before left when driving etc.
just if You want to know:
Umlaut has the "e" _after_ the vocal, otherwise it is pronounced differently - like in heute it's "oy" - guenstig is Umlaut-"u"
maybe it was just a tipo, but maybe You get sometimes confused, which a lot of ppl get
I follow your videos for years. The Moment you asked what "ärgerlich" means i thought.. "BRO that was accent free german there". Congrats.
Vielen Dank 🙏🏽
@@JamesBray3 Sehr gerne!
The issue with the seats at the DB when reserving is that the reservation is forfeited if you have not claimed it after 20 minutes. If the train suddenly gets full and you have to stand, you're out of luck, even though you paid for the seat. That's why people insist on the reserved seat, or the seat that is on the ticket.
The running gag with the DB comes from the fact that it used to be state-run under the name Deutsche Bundesbahn. Back then, the German Federal Railroad was more punctual than the atomic clocks =D
But since it was privatized, the gags and meems about her tardiness have developed because she hasn't been punctual for a long time. In larger cities there are also some private railway companies other than DB.
hier is a list for some one that´s is interessted: de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_deutscher_Eisenbahngesellschaften
Driving on the Autobahn when you dont now about it: Drive in right lane an notime under speedlimit =D the highest speedlimit is 120 KM/H all over is Speedlimit free. Regular drive speed is than 130 km/h and notime Pullover for a overtake when some one is behind you in the left lane. Sometimes we are not Highspeeding we ar flying very low ! =D
Allways us your blinker in Germany
Some service girls who work on Oktoberfest are able to make about 500 - 700 € a day, cause the served people often spend them 50€ and more as tips.
I love this circle
I'm a German, James is an American.
I live in Germany, James lives in South Korea.
I love South Korea, James loves Germany.
I'm learning Korean, James is learning German.
:D
Yeah when child is around wait for the light to turn green. Even if there is no car around and its 2 am in the morning.
Ich liebe Freiburg, where that video you are reacting to was made.
Thx i love my hometown too, it's sad that less tourists come here bc the City is nice, you can visit alot of bars/Cafés & restaurants, see the old architecture go on a hike, shopping, go to the Museums, eat the original Black forest cake( it originated in Freiburg)etc.😁
@@benjaminZ19 Its the history of Freiburg which is impressive. The rank its University once had. Its a very old place with alot of history.
Freiburg was also the first city which was struck by the Modern Art of Air-Raid-Bombing. The Air Raid attack on Freiburg, so to say, opened the Bomb-War on May 10th 1939 and developed into "Carpet" and the "Moral" Bombing.
...its still standing... amazing.