"A society is not rich when the poor have cars but when the rich use public transport."

Ten years later…I feel the same things still. I’m so glad that as a teen I spent time living in Germany. It was eye opening to learn how people on the other side of the world live and see the US. Americans truly do live in a bubble. I go to Lidl so I can scan and load my groceries and feel a little German. I have a shopping center a mile from me and this is not hardship, it’s a nice walk. But after being accosted by people so often I’m scared to walk it now. Praying do hard 2024 is my year to return. Düsseldorf here I come! ❤

14:20 On the one hand getting a driver's licence in Germany costs loads of money, on the other hand, it secures a certain quality of drivers.

Is being poor even an insult? A lot of people in the world work hard, and are still poor. I'd say lazyness is an insult, but poverty? Not really.

When i was a kid in the 90s, I thought America was the place to be. I am SOOOOOOO thankful for staying in Europe and living a normal gun-free life, not knowing what an active shooter situation is and having a good digestion due to my walking around the beautiful city and having affordable regulated food in the grocery store.

The US lawn game is ridiculous in itself. It's called "English lawn" for a reason, European grass is adapted to mild temperate climate, even better if it rains every few minutes like in the Bri'ish Isles. While in the wet parts of the US south and the midwest it can at least grow, even though it's not really native, the place where it starts to get really weird is the Southwest. No water but a pointless lawn. Better plant some robust trees for some shade.

Here in Germany you will find self check-outs in certain supermarkets but if some staff would approach customers to check if they didn't cheat, this kind service would be immediately dead and the equipment could be scrapped. Showing that you do not trust your customers is the direct indicator to the customer to look for another shopping solution.

I have never successfully walked anywhere in the US without someone being rude from a vehicle, even short distances, and I really don't get why. I love walking, and I will keep walking, but I wish we had less auto-centric infrastructure.

Divorce Papers would be EINGEREICHT!! 😂😂😂 German word for emphasis! 😃👍

The turning and price of gas are probably both related to many (?most) US made cars having the handling and fuel consumption of a container ship. That is why US cars were rarely seen (pre Tesla) in Europe.

People won't ever drive properly in a country where random parents give the drive lessons.

We have those self-check outs in Germany too. But in most cases no one checks if you scan everything correctly.

The issue is that in the US having a car is not a luxury but a necessity because of the car centric layout of the cities. Its so hostile to pedestrians or bikers or anyone else not in a car (as you experienced) that it becomes a necessity. Its really fucked up when you are from a country like germany where in many places its indeed a luxury not a necessity.

I really dislike the self-checkout hubs. They are appearing in Germany more and more. If I find myself in such a place I make a point of going to the cashier even if there's a long queue, because the whole point of the self-checkout thingy is to slash jobs in the market. All that happens is that profits are being raised and it happens at the expense of both the customer, who is spending their money but still expected to do an extra job and also the workers who are losing their jobs and livelihoods. So out of solidarity with store clerks, everyone queue at the registers and force the stores to keep their people employed!

❤❤❤❤ You are a wonderful human being. So glad there are Americans around with a perspective larger than a dime

The lawn situation in the US has _other_ problems with it as _well._ I just moved away from Colorado, a state with _numerous_ species of grass that are _indigenous,_ that thrive _just fine_ under Colorado's typical level of _precipitation._ But you tend not to find them making up people's _lawns._ Instead, you find Poa Pratensis, better known as Kentucky _Bluegrass,_ even though it's actually indigenous to _Europe._ This requires _much_ more water, so in the summertime, we have to spend _hours,_ ever week, _watering_ it.

I have been commuting by bike every day for over 20 years. Being insulted as a cyclist is common in Germany too. It's getting better, but still common. I was stoped by the police a few weeks ago because even they didn't know the rules.

Having a receipt checker truly defeats the purpose of self-checkouts lol. Self-checkouts are ubiquitous in the UK, but my receipt was checked only once, and even then they didn’t really check much more than the receipt’s existence.

Car driver: “I think I have more money so the road belongs to me” This nailed it, it is so true. Some Drivers are frustrated they loses monopoly on the road, and as a woman on a bike I feel really victimized. If you were a man body bulder on a bike he wouldn’t dare to speak out like that.

Have you tried turning USA off and then on again? :D

Cutting curves happens all the time in Germany too. Perhaps more in rural or small town areas than in larger cities. I hate that too. People are often surprised that there is oncoming traffic. They should just have watched out, … thinking ahead might as well be an option.

That car guy would have come just right to me. In such instances my brain happens to be faster than lightning. Would have returned to him sth like: "I see. Being rich ya left your chopper at home to get your vintage ride some movement!", and been gone my way...

I sooo feel you! I just came back from a 2 week USA vacation. And man I tell you that. I met the complaining about gas people, the check me twice at Walmart people and the people who can Not drive. I just rolled my eyes and laughed. 😊

Those self service checkouts are also becoming the norm in UK but I would certainly not be very happy about having to wait to get my receipt checked. They want you to do their job for them but they don't trust you to do their job for them!

That man that nearly hit you and still thought he was in the right - was a Florida man, nuff said

14:00 because nearly everybody gets a driver's license in the USA without proper training

A little note on the receipt checking. Technically it's illegal for Walmart and other stores to ask for your receipt. Legally they can only do that if they suspect you of shoplifting and have the evidence to back that up. In that case they can even detain you, but if they don't have evidence - which is the case for 99.999% of customers leaving the store, they have no right to check the receipt as that is an illegal search. Stores like Sams Club and Costco can do that because you signed a contract with them. All non-club/non-membership stores do that in a legal grayzone. I tend to simply ignore the receipt checker at Walmart and no, they won't stop you because that could be a very expensive lawsuit for them. The only Walmart where I go in line and show my receipt is the one where the receipt checker is a heavily disabled person in a wheelchair - simply because I want him to keep his job since nobody else will ever hire the poor guy and I respect that he wants to work.

The only way to get manned cash registers back is to accidentally forget to self scan items en mass. If the cost of the forgotten items exceeds the pay check of the person operating the cash register your done. 😊

Wouldn't get the specific "you're just too poor to afford a bike" reaction, but being called out for mistakes that the car driver actually made themselves is unfortunately not too uncommon here in Bielefeld, Germany, too :(

In Belgium we have a lot of supermarkets with self scan registers but you don't get checked when you go out. They check some people at random (the self scan machine picks it out), in practice that means you get checked maybe twice a year and it's not the whole cart, the person will scan a few things and it's again the register that tells them after about 8 products that it is right and that is the end of the check.

I am happy to see that at least one person in Florida is smart 🤣

Lawns don't make any sense. Period. It's just a green desert in which nothing can live and it still consumes so! much! water!

Listening to you is a joy...and informative :)

Ok here in Denmark I often use self scanners Here it often goes like buy and pack then you get a bar code that you need to scan to get out of the cashier area. Scanning it takes like 1 sec If you forgot to scan an item an alarm goes off (never experienced it) Having a person looking for the one onion you forgot to pay for sounds oldfashioned and creates dissatisfied costumers. 10 returning happy costumers are better than finding that onion for the buisness

As a German currently living in the USA, I can relate. Although as a foreigner I would never criticize this, but rather find it amusing or strange.

Hey Hayley, I made Bavarian potato salad tonight and thought of you: ) Tomorrow is Bavrian feast day at my husband's Gymnasium and I wanted to contribute to the potluck.

But this also happens in Germany, when you are forced off the road because a driver thinks you should use the sidewalk next door. Just 2 weeks ago, a cyclist was even forced off the road and seriously injured.

good luck and lots of success with everything you do!! Like your videos and look forward to your next 🙂

Love the digital shopping cart (Einkaufswagen) at our local Edeka - you scan everything before putting in and just transfer it to the cash register. No further checks needed and so much more efficient 🤩

In 10 years,grocery stores will advertise cashiers as improved service...customers tend to buy less,when they start to use self checkout.

I like to walk as a form of exercise my usual walk is 6km, I was walking on the pavement, I try & stay on the right to allow for others to either walk, run or cycle passed me, I got to a narrow section of the pavement I turned to make sure no one was coming & woosh a man on a bicycle with a kid in front nearly knocked my off my feet, I had a water bottle in my hand & I was about to throw it after him but I stopped because of the kid. He did not care to ring his bell nor to make himself known to me & was just an a hole. C'est la vie. I was fine & not knocked over.

It's a good thing you didn't try to reply to that Ford Focus driver with a clever comeback, he probably would have pulled a gun on you.

Well, parking on the lawn even happens in Germany. Some premises do not have a paved yard, so the home owner is forced to park his car on his lawn if he does not want to park on the street. But this is very rare.

Cutting corners when turning left isn't an American problem only. This happens in Germany all the time, and I even had an encounter where I had to wait for someone to turn left in front of my bike being so bad at it the the car touched my front wheel - I was lucky that it was really slow. The person behind the wheel even failed to understand what went wrong...

That line cutting thing happens in Germany, too, especially when cars want to leave the main road and turn into a side road, see that there is no car and forget to look for bikes and pedestrians. I hate that, it costs a few seconds to stop look out for others and drive into the road in the right way but it costs a lot more if the car hits somebody, at worst a life.

I didn't even know that the temp in florida ever drops under 20°C😅

Concerning that Ford Focus encounter: possibly you're actually shockingly confusing to Florida man. An alien. The bicycle: a spaceship. Aren't there hearings in Congress about UFOs every week ? Or press conferences by NASA and the US air force on that issue ?

The parking on gras/lawn is often the cause of forest fires during heat waves. People underestimate the effect of a hot engine on dry gras.

Your hair Is beautiful!!

It is cheaper to have a self-checkout - because the receipt checker do not take as long as the cashiers just to check your shoppings. And - there also is a crisis if not enough ppl willinlg and able to work for the supermarkets. We already feel it here - in Germany, and the cashiers are not mad if people use the self-checkout. But then - we do not have just ONE register open ... Also - the area where you check out, is closed and you open the gate by scanning your receipt there - and then you leave.

Parking on the lawn. In my town, you can only park on a paved surface, and only 3 cars with plates are allowed outside on any res. property.

6:06 - Well, it's Florida after all :D

Milk and toilet paper are really expensive there and many other things too. But the price of gas also influence the price of all things that are transported. With that being said I agree the relationship people have in Usa with cars is strange to me too. Understanding that is really hard living without a car there. Much easier in other countries. In Brazil I've been living without one my whole life and it was never a problem. Different priorities and infrastructure.

In Germany a Gallon of Gasoline is 7,66$...

I’m glad ur ok. Depending on the temperament of the person, I wouldn’t push it. The person sounded like a psycho; Instead of asking, “are u ok?” He had a childish fit. Be safe Hayley 😊❤ Much Love 🌸

Ok about the wide turns I have to say how disgusted I am in Germany that so many people drive as if they are pulling trailers ....when they are not. It's just a car, but they swing so far wide they intrude on the oncoming lane. You are driving a car. You can actually get quite close to the curb and peel right around it, you don't need to swing wide and worry other drivers.

I can relate to you as an American on most of this stuff. I'm in Indiana, near Gary, and people here dont like bike riders being on the road. I know this from my experience, where I rode my bike back in the 80's and 90's. Its much worse now. Self checkouts are something i don't like much of the time, because for large amounts of items, self checkouts are inconvenient. Only Walmart has greeters (not counting Sam's Club and Costco), and checking receipts. I remember the greeters checking receipts on layaway (when they had it), and anytime you bought a large item. It's ridiculous that we have to go through this. This crap was implemented by Sam Walton (not the self checkout part as he died before that became a thing, but greeters, and the receipt scrutiny). Growing up in NW Indiana, Kmart, Venture, Zayre, and grocery stores (as a kid, supermarket was the common term for grocery store) did not have greeters. Walmart keeps changing their mind with each remodel, adding more and less traditional checkout lines, where some are self checkout only. For Walmart, if you get flagged, you have to let them check your purchases, or risk getting arrested. For Costco and Sam's Club, they have greeters too, but they're also checking to see if you have your membership card out, before you can enter the store, as they're members only stores. They also have people af the exits checking your receipts that you have no say over. If you refuse, your membership can be revoked, and banned from getting a new membership with the store. At least Costco by me has not been pushing people into using self checkouts as much as Sam's Club. I hear Sam's Club wants to go self checkout only down the line, and not accept cash. If they go that route, then they better hope that their stores are not in communities that ban cashless businesses. The city of Chicago is one city that bans cashless businesses. Self checkouts at Costco and Sam's Club are already cashless, and must go to a trade checkout line if you pay with cash. This is something i just thought of. This isn't in my area, but in other areas of the country, where laws ban certain purchases from being made at self checkouts, including tobacco and alcohol. People parking on lawns are a thing by me too. I have a neighbor across my street, who parks a bunch of cars on the lawn, that are meant for crash car derbies. This is primarily in the spring to early fall. These people are also rednecks. Then turning is a big problem here too. Also for gas, i complain, because our wages have not kept up with inflation, and you can not go without a car where I live. Sad that despite buses running through East Chicago and Gary, the bus service is that bad, and does not run where most people go. You still need a car to get around both cities. As for the price of gas, it's averaging $3.39 right now in NW Indiana. When i gog my license in 1998, gas averaged between $1.25 and $1.70. Thrre were lots of SUV's on the road, and a number of V8 engine cars too. As a kid of the 70's and 80's, you rarely found a big car with a V6, as theg were gas guzzling V8 engines, especially 7 and 8L models that got only 10mpg, if you were lucky. They did get smaller as the 80's moved along, but there were more 4 cylinder cars on the road back then too, but mostly by Toyota and Honda, plus Datson/Nissan. Manual transmission cars were more common back then too, but luxury cars like Cadillac and Lincoln were automatic only, and most SUV's were automatic only too. It was usually that manual transmissions were found on budget cars, and some sports cars. I personally would like a smaller car, but they dont sell as well these days, that it's more difficult to find a smaller car in today's market, that were sized like smsller cars of the 80's and early 90's. The US has gone backwards with fuel consumption, that were returning to the 70's and 80's on thag level, despite fewer V8 engines, and almost all vehicles are automatic transmission today.

You could probably hand the Walmart receipt checker a hand-written receipt and they'd be fine. I've never figured out what they're looking for anyway because they never look through my bags, only at the receipt. Also, it's actually illegal to park on your lawn here in Florida, not that anyone other than an HOA will fine an offender.

When you said that there are Americans complaining that a gallon of gas is so expensive I truly laughed out loud. Not a small giggle, a real loud guffaw. 😂😂😂 Haha, those fools have NO idea how cheap their gas is compared to many other countries. The staggering confident ignorance dripping from that complaint is beyond measure.😂😂😂 I had to google the average price for one gallon in the USA; listed at $5,01. That's just 1,26€/liter in Germany. The gear heads in Germany would have a party at those prices. That's at least 15 years back, minimum, maybe even 20-25 years back it was that cheap here 😂😂😂 Edit: I just saw, that cited price was from June 2022 when prices were still skyhigh. Now they are down to around an average of around $3.60. With California having a high of over $6, but many southwestern states around the $3.20 mark. So the price, incl exchange rate is below €1 per liter. 😂😂😂

Love how you said "zehn grad" . . ✌🏻 greetz from Germany

Some years ago, I was driving with my parents to visit my aunt. As I was about to turn into the entrance, my father started to say I had missed the turn. But then he laughed and said he had forgotten that I turned such square corners!

About the driving thing... how is driving education done in the US? In germany it's extremely strict, very long and very expensive and cutting even an empty street like that will cause you to fail your driving test.

I've always wondered how people have room in their garage for doing stuff there. Now i know lol

ich bln froh, dass Du jetzt Pfefferspray hast

Chile' I know what you mean about the self checkouts!! If I have a few things that's one thing but a whole cart full of groceries!! I'm a senior citizen and I try to go to Walmart before 8am. I can guarantee you that there are NO cashiers at that time and I wasn't hired to scan & bag my own groceries!! If we have to do that I say they should take $20 off of our bill (with a full cart) Lol!!

Pepperspray is always a good idea, even here in friendly germany. You never know!

Driving in the US was a nightmare, I am still surprised that I survived

I guess for me as a foreigner that never lived in the US, I am expecting differences like this. just a different culture. For you, it is different as you can compare to what it was some years ago. And regarding being poor being used as an insult, unfortunately, my general assumption that the main religion in the US is money looks pretty accurate, this was just exconmuniting you ... as an adopted european, you should be proud of it ... regarding the turns, the people just see their car bigger than it really is ... part of the american culture, bigger is better, and " I am the best and i have the biggest". Annoying, but not worth getting into fight for that. my basic attitude there is that I consider that havingt a big car is the expression of a complex, they probably have a little willy and do not know how to use it. next you see one doing it, remember he has a little willy, will bring you a smile ...

Had to rewind to the photo of the queue where shoppers are waiting to have the self-checkout receipt controller ascertain that the items on the receipt tally with those in the shopping cart/bag(s) - it had me in stitches and left me dumbfounded and incredulous in equal parts. Even if the groceries are not bagged, it would be an extremely time-consuming task, especially when checking a cart filled to the brim with small items. Do they conduct serious checks, because even if they conduct only perfunctory ones, it's the most anti-efficient system of shoplifting control I've encountered till now, since the customers' time is of considerable value too. Yet people are willing to allow themselves to be subjected to this waste of their personal time, given that they have the choice simply to walk out? The queue just seems to go on and on and on and on and on... Thanks ever so much for yet another pleasurable and informative video!

A few days ago I saw a USA KZfaq video of a bolder (behind the curb) that was in the right turn of the parking lot to the grocery store. Thankfully SUV and Pickups don’t have bad blindspots, and they don’t cut corners… The complaint on the local news channel was that many of them got stuck and needed to get towed away 😂

I feel you 😂 - but Germany is no better. Gas prices: You used to live in a city with decent public transportation and/or walkable and bikable distances. I live in rural Lower Saxony and let me tell you how people bitch about gas prices here. Of course it's all the Green Party's fault! 😂 Seriously, if you depend on having a car the gas prices are a problem, and since the USA a so much more car-centered than most of Europe I can understand that people complain to some extend. Self check-out at grocery stores is becoming more common here, too. My son works at Rew* as a student, and he regularly gets assigned to "supervise" those. He's really annoyed, because that job makes him stand for 6 hours to assist, like, 3 persons per hour. At the regular check-out he gets to sit, as you know. 😅

I am so 100 % with you on the topic of the self checkouts. I hated it!

Reverse culture shock Hailey 😢

I have never owned a car, or even had a license; I walk, used to bike, or ride along in a friend's car. I was born in Austria, 70 years ago. I left age 5. I think it is imprinted from birth. It doesn't get too cold here, but winter needs windows open, also.

OMG you are spot on in regards to the gas prices here and people being rude! I’m from Germany as well but have lived here for many years. Gas prices in Germany are so much higher then it is here! But, we have great public transport in all of Europe which is lacking here. Therefore it hurts more here. Also, wages are also higher in Germany in all so that helps a little! As far as being rude in public, I can’t stand it! I think it’s horrid how some here behave in public! No manners! Thanks for the great video!

I live in Germany, and here I have yet to use self-checkout of any sort. If the shop had no other options and I absolutely had to shop there, then I would, but up to now I've always chosen live cashiers because I'd hate to see them lose their jobs. Whenever I go back to the U.S. to visit family, I also choose live cashiers whenever I can. Self-checkouts are a bit overwhelming and scary for me, not to mention costing jobs.

Thank you, you made my day. I almost fell if my bicycle on my way home because I was laughing so much.

The self checkout thing I understand. Its cheapee, you dont have to pay health insurance/dental insurance on it, they dont call out for shits and giggles, etc. I worked in the supermarket and we started to clap and cheer in the morning. Customers were absolutely confused. Ine asked me what happened and I said "everyone showed up for work." I worked in the busies and most understaffed grocery store in my district.

Don't be so excited. Thats why the Driver's license is not so cheep in germany. Everybody should think a little bit.

You brought your mom , and I missed her a lot. Tell more about her.

When I was young, Gasoline was 29.9 cents a gallon

When i started driving gas was 1.60DM/liter. 🤭

Interesting. I’ve seen all of these. Except self check out…I remember Wallie World and Costco checking receipts long before self check out. The turn thing I hate that. And people defensively park back when there in that lane.

you are so right in every respect

You are sooo german. I LOVE it! 🙂

Just compare what Americans have to do for getting a driver licence and what you have to do in Germany to get one. And then you know why Americans drive as they do....

Hi, greetings from Hannover (Germany)! Maybe it is like you mention it: differences between Germany and the USA... Maybe it is more like i believe it is: People just do not care any more. They are to lazy thinking, to lazy walking even ten steps and to lazy turning the steering wheel - they do not care about thier lawn, don´t care about others - don´t care about anything.

I always felt like driving in the united states really wasn't a luxury, when there really isn't an alternative, right? I have never been to the US but I felt that driving is the only way to get around in any reasonable time. i may be wrong but it feels to me like if you are dependant on gas people will complain it can be avoided. I would also complain if public transport tickets where I lived went up or heating bills or whatever else. this seems similar isn't it? but what I will say is that having a big expensive car that uses ton of fuel is very much a luxury, and those people tend to complain the most.

Normally for the driving you are talking about there are dotted lines for people to stay with that lane for turning. At least in NC. But i know what you mean, they cut it short or for some reason gravitate over too much.

@hayley can you explain the self checkout receipt checker Situation? Why don't people just walk by, if they're allowed to?

Why do big-box stores have self-checkout receipt checkers instead of normal cashiers? Because the point of industrial technology has always been to replace paid workers with mechanical slaves.

I remember the gallon of gas just being under $1.00 and then coming over one $1.00 that was around the time when Russia invaded Afghanistan. But at that time the buying power of $1.00 was probably the equivalent of $4.00 in today’s money. In other words gas is just more expensive in numbers.

Ha, I remember when gas was less than $1/gallon. But I was here even before the dinosaurs.

Hallo Hayley,sei nicht so streng ,mit der Zeit ist alles wieder etwas normaler für Dich oder auch nicht .Gut wenn man über den Tellerrand geschaut hat .Eine. schöne Zeit wir freuen uns auf viele Videos LG 😊👍🇩🇪

7:16 problematic cause if the dinos where around there was no Benzin because the dinos are the Bwnzion today 😂

Haha Hayley, you sound so germanly (europeanly) 👍👍, I love it❤

I am lucky enough not have the need for a car, I walk 20 minutes to work and 10 minutes to the closest supermarket. I love to drive but I am very happy I don't need to and I do not have a car. A lot of what you describe is true but unfortunately, because of how many places are built or organised many people do not have a choice and for them a car is a necessity in order to go to work or/and get food. In this case when the price of petrol go up, it can have a huge impact on a household.

"I love complaining." Never has a more German sentence ever been said. 😂😂😂

When I came to the States, the price of gasoline, was 50 cents a gallon. Price per gallon does matter more here in the States, because you often have to drive longer distances to go to work or to the store because this country is so huge, and public transportation mostly sucks. I think with self check-out in the stores, they should give you a discount. They cheat you on the weight of the product by reducing the amounts but still charge you the same price or more, when the product used to weigh more.Way back when, you had full service gas stations, you paid a higher price for your gas but got it cheaper, if you pulled up to the self serve pumps. Now it's all self serve anyway, and they charge you full price. Every bit of service gets taken away to increase profits, while you're doing their jobs. Every time you turn around, a generous tip is expected in places like restaurants, hair salons, delivery service and on and on, even after hefty price increases. You are subsidizing their income because their actual employer, doesn't pay them jack s..t! I'm at a point, where I don't even want to go to a restaurant anymore, it's gotten so ridiculously expensive. Recently I HAD to go to Popeyes (which I never do) because of lack of choices. I ordered 2/2 chicken piece dinners with fries and drinks. I pulled out a $20, thinking this will be plenty and I will get change back. But NOOOO, these 2/2 piece dinners were $23.78!!!! I was shocked, mostly because I never go to fast food places, and haven't for the past 20 years or so. Back to the cars and parking on the grass, if you live in a neighborhood that has septic tanks instead of sewers and you park your car over the septic tank area or drain field, you are asking for trouble. People do some stupid stuff and they're not nice to bicyclists. I would have offered the guy to buy some hubcaps for him. I think that would have gotten the point across very well.

2:38 “I love complaining” 😂👌🏽