My American Sister's HONEST Take on Germany! (People, Autobahn, Bakery, Supermarket + Recycling)
This is my sister's first time in Germany! In this video she gives her honest perspective on what she finds different and unique about Germany! After her time here in Germany, she really came to love this country--find out why & let us know what you think of this video in the comments below! Be sure to give her some love for being such a support to our channel and sharing her thoughts with you!! :)
Other videos with our family in Germany:
What does my American Mom think of Germany? (Supermarkets, Autobahn, Kita, Gas, Playgrounds + More!) • What does my American ...
Our American Parents on the German Autobahn for the First Time + DAD DROVE! (record speeds!!) 🚙 • Our American Parents o...
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Lots of love,
Tanner, Risa, Willa + Noa
roads being small is actually way safer than big roads. It incentivizes drivers to go slower, American roads are designed on outdated traffic models and ideas.
yes but I think its more about the space thats available to build a road on as in america everythings more stretched out and enough space to just smash a 4 lane road on the ground as we have too much private property all over the place, where we cant just make roads bigger than they were.
Exactly what I was going to say, yes, narrow roads mean slowing down, which is safer.
Also many narrow roads in small towns and villages existed before the invention of cars used by horse carriages...
@@Opa_Andre Yes! They were built for horses and horse carriage.
@@Opa_Andre True, but these days in my town/village they are reducing the width of the roads on purpose again by placing flower pots or similar blocks in the road. Actually that is no problem though. Drivers simply slow down and let each other pass at the wider parts of the road. Without honking or 'Stand your ground' attitude
Handing over your credit card to a stranger is totally unthinkable in Germany! What a crazy thought 😄 It's about personal space, which is different in every country. Here credit cards are definitely untouchable, like someone's baby, you can't touch that either.
Next time, tell your sister that she can order her drinks with icecubes. They are available, just not by default. Also, when the street is too narrow to overtake safely, you just don't. That being said, I look forward to the next visit. 😊
Ahh that’s a good idea! Now Risa will start ordering with ice too 😂 And thank you 😊
@@OurStorytoTellGood. 😊 Now I just hope Risa actually gets her "Eiswürfel" everywhere. Don't expect the glass being filled to the brim with icecubes, though, but rather a couple of them floating in the drink. If need be just ask for a couple more. 🍹🧊😋
Yep ice is usually not issured because its a cheap way to save money. The more ice the less cola or whatever. But if you ask for it absolutely no problem.
Of cause there are cameras at the gas station nowadays. But a decade or two ago, there were no cameras all around, and people also paid after filling up. So I would say that the problem of stealing gas isn't that great. I think overall the German society is a very trustful one. You can also recognize it when you think about public transport. There are no gates at the entrance. They simply trust the majority of people.
Yes we are a folk which mean it serious with their freedom and less control from the gov or so. Maybe because of the history but I think we are so.😉😄
In the 1980's there was a period of petrol theft, not only at gas stations but also at night in parking lots. You had to check first thing in the morning whether you had been robbed in this way. This happened to my partner once. When I got on I asked if they forgot to close the flap when filling up?-> no, fuel thieves had cracked the tank lock and there was only a remainder in it that lasted to the next gas station.
True! There were always jerks who stole gas and went off before cameras were widely installed.
We do love that about Germans! 🫶 You seem to be very law abiding citizens and we think it’s great!
in small villages it is quite normal not to lock the front door - people trust each other
I'm in rural Texas and small roads are more of a county maintained thing. Our FM (farm to market) roads are 2 lane, but a good sized road. I know we have more space in general. I loved the German roads I've traveled. Now I did see some neat tractors in Germany when I was there, both big and small. Loved Willa's participating in the video! She has really began to bloom in her personality ❤. Thanks for sharing!
Hi JJ! Thanks as always for the comment :). We are definitely used to the narrower roads for sure, but it took some getting used to. Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend!
@OurStorytoTell Just an example of how "not very modern" our tractors seem ;-)) kzhead.info/sun/gb6zdciPsJ-tfY0/bejne.html Besides Fendt, there is also Claas (I think the largest manufacturer of agricultural machinery in the world ;-)) and Deutz Fahr! Just ask Uncle Google ;-))
In our village we don't have a footpath either, the road is too narrow for that. But the drivers know how to behave when a pedestrian or a woman with a pram is walking on the road. The only footpath we have is from the bus stop to the next village.
Farming culture (including tractors and cows) is quite different between northern and southern Germany. The south is much more clustered, farms are mostly smaller, and a lot of natural obstacles make farming more difficult. Thus you need smaller equipment. And as space is more limited, cows spend more time inside barns. And of course, the weather plays a re role, too.
Yes that’s very true! We noticed it when we visited the North. Thanks for pointing it out :)
The fuel system, like many others, like public transport travel for example, is based on the "trust" system. Even before cameras stealing fuel wasn't a thing.
Same here in Uk. Un fact that thought of not paying had never crossed my mind. Ever
We love that because that’s how it should be!
It’s a bummer it was a question of ours but remember that people in the states can start to drive as early as 15… some teenagers can do silly things!
stealing gas was not common Norway but it did happen tho@@OurStorytoTell
what a lovely sister you have! have a great time! greetings from cologne.
It’s true!! She’s the best. Thank you 😊
As "Tasche" is a bag, pastry with a filling is often called that way.
I was laughing my head off! Ausfahrt... dont worry about mistaking that for a town. I did the same thing about 15 years ago. Only difference is, when I kept seeing the same sign I thought to myself.... gee this town is so huge! My wife still makes fun of me to this day.
There's this "famous" (?) story about a Japanese Businessman visiting Köln (Cologne) driving a rental car on his own. When he parked the car nearby a venue where he had an appointment for a business meeting, he thought "best to write down the name of the street, so I can find it easier again, later on". Said and done, he walks off to his business meeting. When the meeting is over, he tries to find his car - to no avail. "No problem," he thinks: "that's why I wrote down the street's name." So he asks a passerby where he can find the street and shows him the notice. The passerby starts to laugh and says: "good luck, finding that street again. "Einbahnstraße" means "one-way-street" in German!" The alerted police later helped him find his car again. So, yeah - if you don't speak the language...errors will inevitably be made.
regarding bottle recyling...there are different variations in Germany ...roughly said: Glas bottles of certain types (mineral water, beer etc.) are taken back, brought to a facilty were they are cleaned & reused again. Some plastic bottles too (for example we have bottles with a thicker wall thickness for mineral water), but they cannot be reused too many times to the cleaning process... Also there are glas bottles and glas containers (such for pickles etc.) which are not meant to be reused - these you have to put in the glas containers which you have in your neighborhood. Here you have to sort them according to their color (colorless, brown or green). This glas is recycled/remolten to produce new bottles. Plastic bottles which are made of thin material are taken back for recycling, but not for beeing reused. Every grocery store or supermarket has those machines for that (You put the bottles into it were they were crushed and you get your deposit bill. The big advantage of glas bottles is that the content does not change flavour or cannot be contaminated do to glas not beeing prone to intrusion of unwanted substances. Other that the plastic used (PET =polyethyleneterephtalate). Beverages in glas bottles have a simply longer expiration date and taste better. That affects mostly "natural" beverages such as mineral water, beer etc....if you have artificially flavored drinks with lots of unhealthy chemicals and a too strong taste, you don't need to care about the drawbacks of plastic bottles.
Thats lovely Risa your sister was over to visit 💕 I am sure you all had a Fantastic time together . Willa sure enjoyed having her Aunt visit too . Have a Good week 🥰
Thank you! It truly was soo amazing!
Ah, you Americans and your obsession with "Fahrt"! It's actually quite cute! Ausfahrt, Einfahrt, Rundfahrt, Überfahrt... a constant source of amusement. ;) I seem to remember a travel guide, ages ago, that went by the title "Fahrting through Germany". ;)
Hahaha the title 😂
well, especially in villages that can be 1000-2000 years old, the houses were there first and the streets came much later. The ways in between houses originally had to accomodate street carts and small agricultural horse-drawn wagons. Naturally, the streets were not designed for two-way car traffic alongside planning the settlements…
So cool to think about!!
Our cities and villages in Europe are usually not static, the are constantly changing and developing, except protected historic cities centers. There always were changes in architecture, the need of housing, the desire of the rulers, fires, wars and then they wanted to make it modern and car friendly or in some regions (as bad) less less bourgeois and more socialistic. My (American) wife always wonders why our narrow street is a two way street although there is only room for one car. Plus pedestrians, bikes, E-scooters... It's called adventure and life.
Bottles at grocery stores, fun fact: ALDI in the US charges a 5c debit for plastic bottles to make you return and get your 5c back. I was in the states a few weeks ago and was kinda surprised about it.
We are surprised to hear that too! What state?
@@OurStorytoTell California. I also was in ALDIs in Florida, but didn‘t buy bottles there, so I don‘t know if they charge the debit there.
they do have bottle refund machines on Long Island@@mr.sonntagskindlein
The compact nature of villages and towns is due to zoning laws that only allow the building of houses within designated areas. Though the reason for these laws (or customs) have changed over time. In the Middle Ages, there probably was a security aspect (certainly when city walls were a thing) but also wanting to be close to communal services. Nowadays, it is mostly about keeping the countryside and nature free from too much human presence (including vehicle traffic) but also more efficient use of utilities if houses aren’t spread over a larger area.
Funny to think that the USA doesn't even have something like the Middle Ages. "New world", okay, which may be an advantage; however, there are disadvantages implied, too. Such a short sight on history...
Zoning laws are a thing of the last three decades. Before it is natural to walk
It always fun to see the Reaction from your Family-Members. She seems like a lovely person and has a great Smile.
Interesting that Americans do not know some milk products. Remember the rhyme of "Little Miss Muffet", who sat on her "tuffet" (a type of sideboard, popular as a buffet) to eat her "curds" and "whey"? Both "curds" (German= Quark) and "whey" (German=Molke) are a by-product in the processing of milk and popular in Germany. In the USA I have seen "curds" with the label "German Quark"), which seems to be coming more popular in the USA.
That is exciting to us that you’ve seen quark sold in the states!!
"Curd" Jurgens (a german actor fyi.....was in 007 and other things) :P@@OurStorytoTell
Filling up with gasoline and deliberately not paying afterwards is either fraud or theft or embezzlement. According to the accusation of the public prosecution, this comes to court and is not done with a fine of 500 euros. The first time there is certainly probation and a hefty fine. If repeated, it can mean up to 3 years in prison . Using a false license plate on the car to avoid being found would mean up to 5 years in prison. You'd rather pay, I'd say, 😄
Oh for sure!! Thanks for sharing! It’s just an interesting difference of when/how people pay.
I've talked to gas station owners. They say, a person driving off without paying happens at least once a week. In 95% of the cases, the person returns within five minutes awkwardly grinning - they just forgot. They pay, and everything's fine. Of the remaining cases, the gas station calls the police with the license plate number. The police try and contact them. Again 95% of those people are shocked to hear they drove off without paying, return to the station with an awkward grin, pay their bill, and everything's fine. The remaining cases go to prosecution with an indictment of fraud. The punishment is as explained above.
@@Baccatube79 This actually happened to me inadvertently. I bought a drink inside and paid with my card, but the cashier had only billed the drink and not the fuel. Got a letter from the company that owned the station, which I saw only weeks after because I had been travelling. But I was able to clear it up in the end. And now I drive an electric car lol.
Different countries have different "cheap" and "expensive" items. Buying alimentaries in a German supermarket is still much cheaper than in the USA or large parts of the world; gasoline is more expensive than in most. Americans are probably so used to low gasoline prices that a modest price move in our direction is considered egregious and motivates gaz theft.
@@marcushladek262 I don't think that's the problem. The problem is the societal focus on individualism. Why should I pay on a trust basis, when the owner is so stupid as not to safeguard his own goods?
About the size of roads: if a road is narrow you're certainly not supposed to dash along with high speed on it - particularly within settlements like villages and towns. If your driving style can be considered reckless you're half way into trouble already and you'd better not be involved in an accident. But apart from that it's just a habit that we're taking care of each other and try to treat each other with politeness and attention - most of the times at least😊
Yeah we agree with this! People are considerate to take turns to pass if there’s a car parked on a fairly narrow road making it a temporary one lane road. 😊
@@OurStorytoTell also small roads are not unsafe, quite the opposite. Because you are forced to slow down less severe accidents happen.
@@OurStorytoTell There are different types of roads in Germany, which are also clearly marked. Federal roads, especially federal motorways (BAB Bundesautobahn)), motorways, country and district roads, most of them well to very well developed. The federal highways (BAB) are probably the best roads in the world, "necessary" precisely because there are no speed limits on many sections of the route ;-)). Only in the countryside and in many small towns and villages can things get very crowded. No wonder, especially since the population density and landscape hardly allow anything else. Not comparable to the space that Americans can waste ;-)).
OMG! I melt every time I see Willa and hear her talking!!!
She’s so sweet! 🫶 We love this stage!
In fact the cities even reshape it's existing streets by making the lanes even smaller than they where build decades ago. It helps calm down traffic and gives the oportunity to add some dedicated new bike lanes as well.
That is very interesting!! Thanks for sharing 😊
ahhhh a new visitor, so cool! :D
3:03 I once got some fuel headed into the store bought 3 drinks, said "and the 3" which I meant to be the number of the gas pump I was using. but the employee thought I meant the 3 drinks and didnt include the fuel I got. not knowing what he did, I headed back home and received a call from the police :P
I was in the states in 1989/1990 and back then you were filling gas at the pump and after filling your tank, you'd go inside and pay. The next time I was in the states they changed it to paying at the pump or at least pay in advance. So, it used to be the same way in the states, as it still is in Germany.
Yeah my mom remembers when it changed too!
The weirdest thing ever is to hand out the credit card to a waitress or shop owner and they walk away with it.. what are they gonna do with it ? just use it for your purchase or adding some things for their own benefit? weird for us europeans.. i would rather pay cash than have my card taken away. which also answers your question, no, noone in germany does take your card and bring it somewhere were you cant see it.
If Germany had the trust system before cameras at gas stations, America has the trust system of handing over the card.
@@LythaWausW Yeah, but just consider what someone can do with stolen credit card data. Germans simply don't trust anyone with their data if they can help it. On the flip side, Germans do the math and have realise that putting in the safeguards to ensure that nobody steals some gasoline or some flowers from a field is more expensive than the trust system, while Americans just have this fear of someone taking more than he should.
@@LythaWausW yes, we pay with a card (if at all) by confirming a final transaction, while giving away a card or putting it in a machine before fueling up would mean to have lost control of the money and account and how much is taken. as some protective measure, cards got an additional 3 or 4 digit number printed on the backside so that the card is still secure for eg internet transactions after having shown the frontside during some payment. giving away the card makes this security number useless.
About going from the gas station without paying.... I once did this. My grandfather lent me his car, we were at the gas station and he said I can go and he will walk back home from there. It was like a 15 min walk. So I just drove away. He said that the cashiers in the gas station were quite shocked and di not know what to do and if someone saw my licenses plate. But to their relief he said that I blong to him and that he will pay.
Haha oops 😂 Thanks for sharing!
The roads are often small as a matter of historical development especially in villages or old towns.
How informed Tanner is about consequences and stuff about stealing gas is .... interesting 😁
Haha don’t worry we would never!! He just read it on the side of the gas pump one time 😂
@@OurStorytoTell Btw: The person at the cashier has control over the pumps. For example: Someone took gas for about 50 Euros at pump #3 and nobody enters to pay - firstly the pump will stay locked because after the pay process it has to be set to zero Euros and be unlocked by the employee for the next customer. This secondly means: If nobody comes to pay that will be noticed quickly and the video can be watched to find out the license plate and call the police.
reminds me of Olsenbanden where they steal gas (that was 1972 tho , before cameras) :P@@OurStorytoTell
Even before cameras I don't think ditching payment was a thing.
I agree, this is nothing people do here
👏👏 we love Germans!
Don't know if someone already mentioned the credit card thingy, but I worked at stores and therefore had to often fill in as a cashier for 11 years. Long story short, we used to take the credit card if the customer gave it to us, however, due to some bad actors, new data/privacy laws made it so that the standard became that the customer keeps the card. Also, Covid helped a lot with getting this into our stubborn German heads.
"We have high tech tractors in the States". The phenomenom if you see something and adopt it for everything....Your sister comes with the self-image of "everything is better with me".
Your little easter bunny ist so cute and absolutely not shy to the camera.
She definitely is it!
Small roads are good actually because they prevent speeding
Totally makes sense!
Not really. Ever been driving in Europe? The best are narrow roads in the mountains. Serpentines. I just don't like it when you are outside the cities on your bike on such a narrow road and cars are flying by.
I love ur sister, shes so cute :D
2:54 every gas station I know has video cameras. I used to happen long time ago.
Yes we assume they all have cameras!
that 500 € sticker at the gas station just means, that you are not able to pay with a 500€ note
Yes, that's too much for a forgotten payment
@@marcheil9193the theft will be reported to the police, court costs, costs of compensation will be much more than 500€ and finally your reputation is bad when being convicted.
@@yurifoxx3983 That´s a good Point
Often 200 and 500 notes, sometimes these notes are denied only during night hours (regularly motorway stations).
6:15 It should not be forgotten that many German cities are significantly older than the car. Especially the small towns. Not to mention large trucks.
Very true!!! So cool to think about 😊
I am German living in Dresden, but Prague is a very nice City in Europe. One of my most favorite.
We want to make another visit to Dresden soon! Cool you live there!
Great video. Maybe one day you'll live here. Dacia, you are always welcome.
What happens when you "forget" to pay is that they will bill you what you owed, but also all the cost they had to find you, hence it will be a pretty expensive experience, no matter how much gas you originally took.
Definitely $$!!
@@OurStorytoTell no .. they charge €€!! 🙂
Regarding stealing gas - how do they know? Well like Tanner and others said.... there are cameras for every angle... The main difference from the USA is that in germany it's mandatory to register your residential adress at your KVR-office and when you get your car you have to register it (like DMV) at the Zulassungsstelle. Police has access to this databanks - therefore the car owner will get a visit. Doesn't even matter if it was another person. You as the owner you're responsible for your car.
Your sister is very pretty and cute! :)
Agreed!! 😊
Credit cards: The only occasion, I have to use a credit card is for Hotel reservations. They use it for identification. Paying is much easier with the debit card, which comes with every bank account and this is accepted practically everywhere except on a stall on the market place (they are coming there too).
i was gonna get deposit back from Dallas hotel but i didnt want to argue with the owner.....in fact one who did was actually hand cuffed by cops , he said he hadnt broken anything and was owed the deposit.....or something like that
Your Sister is great!
We agree! 😊
Never ceases to amuse how Americans can be so amazed about utterly trivial differences between the USA and just about anywhere else i mean the shopping trolleys, Oh my God!!!
Haha hey they’re nice to use and noticeably different 😂
A better translation for Quarktasche would be „curd pocket“. But I am never sure if curd is the appropriate translation as curd is the dryer, harder state of Quark whereas Quark usually is softer..
True! Thanks for the comment!
keep in mind,the US is like 50 times larger then germany,we just dont have room for 8 lane highways if not needed.
Yeah that’s true, but the roads are much smaller than we have ever seen in the States
@@OurStorytoTellin italy,in the old parts of some towns you can scrape through the roads with 2 people.they have build special vehicles for this like the "Vespa ape" or the "FIAT 500 Bambino" :)
Giving away a credit (or debit) card is like giving away money. The cashier will give you the device and you can insert the card or hold the card up to the device and enter the PIN.
Yeah It definitely makes more sense, but handing the card is just what we grew up with so it wasn’t weird to us!
I would never let anyone touch my card!
in India people literary beat people up for stealing stuff like an apple , they just lose it completely@@OurStorytoTell
Of course we have some narrow streets, especially in the old towns (therefore often one-way streets) and especially outside the city. You know, when a big combine harvester comes to meet you, you can get scared. If these roads seem too narrow to her, she should go to Italy. 🤣 When I was there for the first time myself with the car I finally understood why they are honking so much. You wouldn't even come through some roads with a big car - without oncoming traffic.
Haha oh yeah a big tractor 😂 That would be crazy to live in Italy and experience that!
It's funny, we have tractors that are just as big as those in the USA, but they're not needed everywhere. The largest and strongest are also produced in Germany, and there are also the largest manufacturers of agricultural machinery. Such as Claas, Fendt Fahr. The USA, for example, has John Deer, which we also “also” produce.
On some petrol stations you need prepay at night. Happened to me when I lived in Germany.
We have yet to come across one but we have heard there are some.
Another thing why roads are often smaller in villages or towns is that they are often very old from a time were people don't had cars. So after houses were build there, there is just not more room to make them bigger.
One week Thats like nothing, boy you americans need more vacation days !
10000% agree! Such a bummer it’s only 2 weeks paid time off. 😭
😂 your Face when u took the Asparagus 😂. Looks Like " nice size"
😂
Hi Dacia, did I understood correctly, you have been here just for a week ? Poor girl ! Well, as you already travel experienced, grab the chance to travel Germany all over, always knowing there is safe base closed by in case you run in some sort of trouble. Risa can point out to you where to go, what to see and she knows hidden gems also away from frequent tourist sides. If you need regional advice, a guide or a base, just drop a note. I love Quarkbällchen and other fresh pastry from bakeries as well, but I also have to listen to my inner voice reminding me to my next step on the bath scale 😀Greetings to Willa and Noa and also the hard working man behind the scenes Tanner. Tschüss
About the streets: They are smaller on purpose. This avoids speeding.
We wondered that. Makes sense!
"Make the road wider" is kind of difficult if the houses are older than the existence of cars. But in housing areas, 1.5 width roads are deliberately done to prevent speeding. Increases the safety of everyone.
The fact about stealing gas which boogles your mind most is propably the step between identifying a person which have stolen the gas. As we in germany have the residency law where you need to register yourself where you currently live - it's very hard to maintain live for special things without a valid registration as all papers go there. And to register a car with plates you need a valid ID and it needs to be in the same area where you live (and you need a valid insurance coverage as well up front) so a license plate is always very strictly referring to the owner of the car where as in the USA you don't have it that strict, you coming from the license plate to an owner where he currently lives is much harder. Plus if somebody else drove the car and stole the gas you as the owner are liable and need to provide a name of the person. Plus what others are writing, it's a cultural/mindset thing - see grocery carts returnal, people bring them back even when there aren't any coins necessary as like at IKEA.
Hahaha *i just realized* as a German,.. *Ausfahrt* sounds like *Aus-Fart* in English,.. fart,.. is *Pfurz* in German hahaha yaaa a true _EXIT_ indeed haha. >> I love your sisters curly hair btw!! She should keep that style! So cute!
That‘s what is called a Dad Joke…
ass-fart
Goodness me, do most Germans not know the connotation?
@@SuperLittleTyke No! because of the *"h"* within it and a total different path of word meaning which is lit. *to drive = fahren* We passively see/read: Aus/Out - fahren ~ Drive Out/Aus. > *"-fahrt"* with T in the end, is just the *"Die"* Fahrt, which is without a word *bound* before it, always *then* a Big starting letter, while _"fahren"_ with _"en"_ ending, is smt someone is *doing,* so it is written in small letters. A *"Tun-Wort/word"*
@@aw3s0me12 I'm sure they were reacting to the sound of the word, not the literal meaning in German!
We had a longterm friendship to a french family. We visited them every year. As they once came to Germany by Autobahn, they were so surprised how big the City "Ausfahrt" was, until they understood...🙈😄
Love that!! 😂😂
The credit card thing even for me here in NZ, we never hand it over the cashier. They just add the total and the amount flashed and we do the pay wave. Easy and safer.
We wish the USA would adapt that!
You should never allow anyone to take or touch your credit card. The States is way behind in credit card security. And as for stealing petrol at petrol stations, I've never known that anywhere except in the USA! Is it because of the "me, me .me" type of attitude that seems to prevail over there?
You seem not to have traveled much then.
@@robbyh.8165 That is the most stupid comment.
I think it's because Americans are forced to use cars even if they can barely afford them. With bad public transportation, long distances, and an infrastructure that's built around cars, people buy cars even if they have to go into debt to do so, and then they might not be able to afford gas (even though it's cheaper in America than in Europe).
Europe as a continent is slightly bigger than America, it is also far more densely populated and some of the roads originally date back to the Roman era so it makes sense to have smaller vehicles in a continent where people mostly take shorter journeys. Also having a very good train system within a good transport system makes travel easier, shorter and less done than in America.
A little side note to the stealing of gas at the gas station: not only is the license plate registered, but also the maker, type, color, and other special features of a car. So while license plate theft may seem like a way to get around the registration issue, that only compounds the crimes of the persons involved. The 500 or even 200 euro note on many pumps is not the fine, it just signifies that these bank notes won't be accepted at the cashier as they usually have no safe storage capacity as well little change for these notes. The fine and punishment for just driving off with a full tank of gas varies a lot. If it was truly an accident then you might get off with a slap on the wrist. If license plate theft plus fuel theft is combined then the judge will apply the full extent of the law as this was obviously premeditated and intentional. This can go up to three years in prison for extreme cases. Plus payment of the stolen fuel, plus most often the fine as well as the cost of the court case. So, simply don't do it unless you have an absolute surefire way of escaping arrest.
Oh yes we would never and hope people wouldn’t but it was an interesting thought!
Running from gas stations without paying does occur, but rarely. There is some sort of organization, of gas-station owners, that asked among its members about statistics, and they say, that 95 % of the time, it is unintentional, because the people actually return, sometimes only minutes, sometimes days later to pick up the bill. The remaining cases are usually addressed by sending the video to the police as proof for an indictment. Which, in the long run, could lead to a prison sentence for theft, depending on circumstances.
i love your sister´s curly hair :-) both of you look clearly like siblinga but still so differant. if she comes back, i would like to go on a date with her :-)
I don't know where you've been with your sister? but the water is too warm, the tractors are so small, the streets are too narrow, everything is probably better in the USA.. well. only here you don't run in danger of being shot! and that's at least one advantage here in Germany, isn't it? 😉
OMG, don't get your panties in a twist. All she pointed out are some differences not better or worse. Like everything in life, there are differences.
@@onefortexas2379 👈🤡
Sorry for the unqualified commend, but your sister is really cute 🙂
I think everywhere in Europe you pay for patrol / gas after you’ve filled up. Certainly here in the UK. Although there is now the “pay at the pump” thing too these days.
Villages along the North Sea coast are a bit more "american" in that the farms and a lot of homes are located outside of villages.
Ah yes that’s true! We noticed that when we visited the North. We loved it!!
The cameras will track your licence plate if you decide not to pay. The Gasstation owner will call the police and the police will pay the car owner a visit. i dont know about the fines, but you have to pay for the gas plus the fine ontop. When the car owner says it wasnt him who ran away but his friend (because he lend his car to someone) , then it will go to court and the court has to decide who was driving the car. Sometimes they even change the licence plate (steal it from a car and put it on another) and then steal the gas with the stolen plate. Nowadays you can enter the gasstation 24/7.. but 30 years ago, when the stations had no cameras, the stations had a small hatch (nachtschalter) where you had to pay at night. This was made for security reasons for the worker. No criminal could get into the station to rob you at night. Take a close look next time you pumping gas.. maybe youll find the small hatch in the window close to the cash counter at an old station.
Your sister is rly cute and also a kind person to. :)
We agree! :)
If you don't pay your gas, after some weeks you get a nice letter from the criminal court asking you to appear on a given day in room so-and-so. Obviously you can give it a try, but then again it gets kind of expensive after a while.
The width of the roads in towns is on purpose a bit narrow. So the drivers are forced to drive slow. Add: Kids wearing beanies made of cotton outdoors in spring and fall to prevent otitis. If you ever had a kid with otitis, you know why... 🙂
Now we have to look up what otitis is… hmmm!!
Warm water is to clean dishes or if you like to clean your handa in warmer water but (except tea) we don't drink warm water
Talking about small roads - you should know that many towns and cities are very old. That means their roads were ok for their time but maybe not for today. And you can´t pull down a whole row of houses just to make a street wider. - Second point: Germany is pretty densely populated. We don´t have the space that the US has in most regions.
Both of those are very good points! It’s amazing to think about how old the roads are!
Gas stations: Back in the day when there were no surveillance cameras, there were attendants at the stations who would pump gas, collect the money in cash and - wash your windscreen.
"Curd bag" is a pretty accurate translation, I would say.
In Germany no one takes the gas without paying. I never heard of such an incident.
That’s a great thing to be able to say!! 👏
A few years ago my wife accidentally forgot to pay for gas at the gas station. A few days later we got a visit from the police but luckily it wasn't a big deal. The police believed her when she said she just forgot to pay because she paid for cigarettes she bought at the same time. So, she just went to the gas station and paid a few days later.
That’s awesome they were so trusting to her!
oh boy.. i really hope you explain her European and German culture... Credit cards are not very common, but EC-cash is. Every shop has a sign with the accepted cards. tbh.. i have not paid a single item via cash in years exept on festivals
I try to use cash as often as possible, because otherwise young people will force cash to be banned. Suggestions for banning cash come about regularly. And with cash you don't end up with a massive bill at the end of the month. Self-service checkouts are handy for getting rid of pockets of small change, though it really p's off shoppers in the queue - which is a bonus if they're young'uns.
@@SuperLittleTyke 👍
@@SuperLittleTyke If you use a debit card instead of a credit card there is no bill at the end of the month. The money comes out of your bank account when you use the card.
@@Sue474 But a debit card gives full access to my bank account! Er, no thanks! Credit cards offer fraud liability protection, debit cards do not. The amount of fraud committed in Britain annually runs at around £1.2bn in 2022.
@@SuperLittleTyke In the EU debit cards are also fraud liability protected, sadly no longer the case in the UK.
Stealing gas is a criminal offense (petty theft), and it's not done with just a fine. Police will run the license plate from the video material, and you will get a visit and be taken to court. Punishment carries anything from fines, community service up to jail time. Not advisable, to say the least.
I think the Conservatives would probably crush offenders' cars if there wasn't an election in the offing (2024). They like crushing things - like the economy, f'rinstance.
We definitely agree! We would never do it or even think about doing it, but we would(sadly) not be surprised to hear of some people stealing gas. People will steal gas out of cars by siphoning it sometimes!
German: Ausfahrt, Dutch: Uit, English: out / exit Fill up without paying? This is the same as going shopping without paying at the checkout. Firstly, this is not socially acceptable and secondly, the license plate is filmed. The police will find out where you live... Historical tractors from the 50s and 60s are often small. Today they are very well cared for and loved. Of course, today's farmers have their big tractors.
Yes we totally agree about not paying for gas. We just know that some people in the states would likely take advantage and not pay!
3:05 Not paying for the gas is a crime in Germany. But the procecution takes so much time and costs a lot of money that you can reach a deal with the states prosecutor in most cases. The deal usually comes with a fine in the range of 30 - 90 daily income rates. So for almost all people in Germany that will be more than €500.
Could you ask your sister what she is missing the most from the US? Have a nice time here in germany ...
We will have to and get back!!
About the stealing of gas: you‘re right, they can track you down with your license plate. As for the penalty, you‘d be facing a criminal charge of thievery/ stealing. And it would depend on the circumstances of what happened and your criminal record and things, it could be either a fine or even a jail sentence, if you are a repeat offender.
5:13 Also interesting, the tractor with an internal combustion engine was invented by a German. He then sold the invention to Deere & Company (now known as John Deere) because he couldn't market it himself
That is!! Thanks for sharing :)
lol , John Cenas green/yellow cap looks like a farmers cap ;)@@OurStorytoTell
And this German was Heinrich (?) Lanz. He built his factory in Mannheim. Close by there is nowadays a factory of John Deere. The tractor Lanz built was the "Lanz Bulldog".
Go with here to a big City not to a oldfashioned Town. Little towns in USA oldfashioned. In Big City are big grocery stores😊
Yes taking our sister to a big city would have been fun to show her! she lives in a fairly small town in the States so it was a bit more comparable than a city to small village would be.
German autobahns have asphalt, but again asphalt on the autobahn is mostly whisper asphalt (Flüster Asphalt)that's a real tongue twister isn't it!? :)
Haha sure is a tongue twister!
@@OurStorytoTell since I was in the Geman army I appreciate the Americans much more than before that's 20 years ago and I have to say funny people(KFor) have you also looked at the Cologne Cathedral which was only completed in 1902 after the 600 year construction site was from private people not from the church it was built by private people: 10 german Tongue twister:) Fischers Fritz fischt frische Fische, frische Fische fischt Fischers Fritz. Blaukraut bleibt Blaukraut und Brautkleid bleibt Brautkleid. Zwischen zwei Zwetschgenzweigen zwitschern zwei geschwätzige Schwalben. Wenn Fliegen hinter Fliegen fliegen, fliegen Fliegen Fliegen nach. In Ulm, um Ulm und um Ulm herum. Schnecken erschrecken, wenn sie an Schnecken schlecken, weil zum Schrecken vieler Schnecken Schnecken nicht schmecken. Zehn zahme Ziegen zogen zehn Zentner Zucker zum Zoo. Fünf flinke Feger fegen fein. Rund um den runden Rasen rasen rasende Rennwagen. Der dicke Dachdecker deckt dir dein Dach Please make a Video :)
Your sister is lovely. Glad you had family time. "Curd Bag" is the correct literal translation of "Quarktasche".. google only translates literally.. especially if there isn't a translation equivalent. Warm water?.. if you are in a restaurant you just ask for ice! Water bottles in shops are in fridge, so chilled!..so having ice-cold water is not a problem. South German farmers are lazy.. sadly they keep cows in the barn.. which I hate! Its so unfair on the cows. It seems only the Alpine cows spend the summer on the Alm in the Alp mountains and in north Germany the cows are generally outside. Organic farmers also keep their cows outside. No in Europe we only use credit card for eg booking or buying big items eg holidays online etc.. we use direct debit cards or cash in Europe. No they don't touch your card for security reasons... because we have to sign or type in our pin!
I agree on one ocation If its a village with slim sidewalks where every turn the house corner is on half the path and u cant look ahad and tve people driving theough ther with 50kmh no just no.i was in auch a vilage to sell my my dead doners house u know het the papers and all i felt ik ive been in danger but the side walks and roads she saw where not even that slim
Water is too warm, streets are too narrow, neighbors are too close, nobody takes away your credit card...it's her first time ever being outside of the US, right? And for a whole week!
She certainly does not get 6 weeks paid vacation
@@gerdaschulze2333 Ja, das erklärt alles.
Only two weeks paid time off 😭 that’s standard and it’s so sad!!
@@OurStorytoTell It is!
Ausfahrt two words in one Aus = Out, Fahrt = Drive... Outdrive 😆 yeah Exit is the best translation four Ausfahrt 😋
Mag eure Videos wirklich sehr und würde mich sehr freuen wenn ihr mal ein Video zeigen würdet wo ihr versucht deutsch zu reden l.
Das Problem ist, denke ich, dass weder Risa noch Tanner viel Kontakt mit Deutschen hat. Wenn man nicht jeden Tag Deutsch reden muss, kann man kaum weiter kommen.
Ausfahrt literally means "out"-"drive", so the drive out. It's actually much more logical then exit.
The width of the roads is due to the fact that they were usually already present before the invention of the automobile. Apart from that, it is not necessary to pave the larger area of the country with asphalt or with too large single-family homes. The space that the world makes available to all inhabitants (including nature) is not only for There for humanity. We should be much more careful with the consumption of land and not suffocate everything under paving slabs and asphalt. The old American way of thinking: bigger is better - was impressively refuted a long time ago by David against Goliath. Limitless consumption and unbridled growth are not signs of prosperity and freedom, but mere window dressing and, in today's world, rather an expression of ignorance of the well-being of all people. Pure selfishness, if you want to bring it down to a common denominator
Do you also have a German brother or German sister? How nice!
It should also be clear to an American that Germany is much more densely populated (population density) than the USA and space is at a premium. In Japan it's getting even tighter for you now ;-)) on the streets