Hopefully this video was informative for everyone watching 👍😍 I hope you guys have an amazing hump day and see you in the comment section 👀

To be fair, it was already pretty common to bring your own bag for shopping, so the change wasn't that big when they banned plastic bags.

The plastic bag ban works particularly fine together with the Pfand-system. When you go shopping and bring back all your empty bottles, you automatically remember to bring a bag which can be used to carry home your new groceries.

Regarding Pfand. We have this in Denmark too and have had it for many many years. In Denmark 92% of all bottles with Pfand comes back and gets recycled. So Pfand is really something that can reduce littering.

Beside the warning triangle and the colored safety vest you also have to have a standard first aid kit in the car. You also need a first aid course to get your driving licence and can be fined if you do not stop and help in the case of an accident. On the whole we do not have this culture of "everyone for themselves" in Germany. I must admit it felt really good to get a "thank you letter" from the police after helping after an accident in Switzerland. Being prepared and able to help in case of an accident and having the basic equipment on board is really a great advantage.

Paying at the gas station and stealing gas: the license plates at front and back of the car would "prevent" us from stealing gas and escaping, the license plates are providing enough information to get back to us. It would only work with a stolen car, or on a big escape without returning to your registered home.

I think being able to tow trailers with smaller cars in Germany has something to do with the "Auflaufbremse" (overrun brake). Every trailer (except for very small and light ones) has to have one and therefore actively brakes when the vehicle does. Because of that, the vehicle does not need to be as heavy as in the US to be allowed to tow heavier trailers. Usually up to about twice the vehicle weight can be safely towed.

Driving rules and signs also apply throughout Europe, not just in Germany. We all require theoretical and practical classes when learning to drive, and we learn rules that apply in the absence of road signs. Example: inside towns the speed limit is 50km/h, so, if no sign tells you otherwise you can’t go faster than that.

FYI, the things you mentioned are not just Germany. It's pretty much across the EU.

I just returned from Georgia (US) and would like to add the following to this list: Germans usually use real dishes (plates, cups, glasses etc.) and cutlery and wash them after use. Most people will not, in their homes, use plastic plates, cups and cutlery and throw them away after use! This was the first time I experienced something like that, and I must say that it brought me close to just giving up on "saving the world": If everybody starts to live this wastefully, there will be no chance of finding ecological equilibrium. Add to that that you can only shop for groceries by driving 20 minutes in your car (Atlanta distances), because the developers only put in a strip mall with a restaurant, a dry cleaner's and a real estate agent's office to serve about 5 subdivisions they built and the perfect lawns maintained by their HOAs with what must be tons of herbicides - then gute Nacht, Welt.

Big advantage of the German/European signs is that you don't have to read the words. Yes, you have to learn the signs - but they are more or less standard in Europe. And even people who can't read at all can learn the signs. In America you are forced to read English to understand what you have to do.

More than 40 years ago (in 1978) the environmental movement started to fight against plastic bags wit the slogan: "Jute statt Plastik". People could get reusable fabric bags and deny the plastic bags offered for free everywhere. It took that long to finally get this done as a law for everybody. It's just a very small step and we have to do so much more.

What shocked me most about driving on Highways / Interstates in the US for decades was the amount of blown tires everywhere along the roads, creating fatal hazards to everybody. I've never witnessed this to happen in GER on any road at all any times...... My longterm GER driving experience and driver's education kept me out of trouble in the US multiple times for that I'm sure of!

When I visited USA back in 2019, I went to Target buying some clothes and other different items. I was shocked how many plastic bags the cashier used to pack my shopping’s. I think I maybe got out from there with aprox 15-20 bags, and in several there were only one item in it, like a t-shirt. If I was to pack my shopping’s in the plastic bags, I guess I wouldn’t need more than 2-3. Here in Denmark, if you are shopping and need a plastic bag for your shopping’s, you’ll have to pay for each plastic bag. They cost’s $0.62-0.86 per plastic bag. Most therefore bring a reuseable shopping bag made of some kind of textile when shopping. Driving with caravan towed by a regular family car is a common thing in all of Europe. Not just a German thing.

The majority of the road signs are uniform or very close to uniform across Europe (the continent, not just EU). I see many Americans assume that these are German only road signs when they do their obligatory "USA vs Germany" comparisons, and many other things for that matter. A lot of different stuff is homologized across the continent. It's not like we walk through the closet into Narnia every time we cross a border, which is what surprisingly many Americans assume (it's somewhat understandable though as not many have visited other countries).

For children like our boy a so called „late fire“ or „spätzünder“ it was quite difficult in his early years. Privatgrundschule found him not able to attend school at all- quite a shock for us parents. After the 4. year teacher would not allow him to attend gymnasium. We did it nevertheless, because we realized we had a little dreamer who just needed to wake up. After the 6. klasse we left him alone with his homework and most of his learning, Physik and Math he got help, the rest he had to manage on his own. Was difficult, but he/we succeeded. He learned to work and study alone, got better from year to year. After the 10. Class he had to choose another school, took the most challenging gymnasium in our town. Is now still not a very much learner, but the grades he is bringing home are astonishing well, in Chemie he is the best. We are totally assure he will make easily his Abitur - and this was a boy who should neather attend Grundschule nor gymnasium.

The reason why there was no uproar about the plastic bags is, almost nobody was using them any more. They have been charging for the bags for years, so a slightly more expensive cotton bag will pay for itself pretty quickly. Honestly, I didn't know they were banned until I saw this video. I still have some plastic bags that I (re-)use sometimes, but they're rather old by now. For one of them I know when and where I got it... at the airport in Dubai. In 2012... Usually, I use a basket like on the lower right of your graph, when this doesn't fit everything, I have some cotton bags (and if not, I buy sufficient new ones right then and there). Works rather well, and these bags don't rip, even if I'm carrying something heavy!

I've oftentimes wondered about the seemingly entitlement of americans (about smaller inconvieniences eg) and my conclusion was, that a collective hardship for the whole society has just been so far back for generations that there's no collective memory of "taking a step back", "hunger", etc. anymore. Whereas in european countries, the people that had to starve and had nothing during the war and after are still alive or only recently died, so there's still a collective memory of saving and not being wasteful. Of course there IS a lot of real poverty in the US and a lot of wasteful people in germany...

01:54 ok, so for the record these rules are the same EU - wide. The fact that sectiona of the German highways are without speed limit is surely another reason to be careful when handling car accidents, but this rule applies also in all other EU countries, which have a speed limit on their highway. Many rules we have today are actually EU-rules. 😊

The topic with towing trailers with a "normal" car has to do with US rules. A car which is totally fine with towing a 1500 kg-trailerin Europe is not recommended for towing in the US, even it is exactly the same car. Very weird, indeed.

I think plastic bags wouldn't be such a huge problem if they were used multiple times but I often get the impression out of usamerican videos/films when someone goes groceryshopping that the free bags they get are as thin as the bags that are used for vegetables in germany so that they get easyly destroyed and what I find even more confusing is that they are so small that some people need 10+ bags instead of maybe 3 or 4 bigger better quality bags as they were often used before they were banned in Germany.

Plastic bags. When my mom heard of the ban, she hoarded plastic bags. But some grocery stores still have them so she tells me to bring 3-5 extra bags when I go shopping because one day there will be no more plastic bags in Germany. Sidenote: we reuse them as trashbags. In fact a lot of people do.

7:10 Admittedly, my knowledge on this point is a little old, and possibly out of date, but in the mid-'90's, I visited Chile. It's where my stepfather is from and we went down there to visit his family. They had a culture that supported the act of spending the day at the market (not to be confused with the supermarket) and buying things from _kiosks._ Now let me emphasize, going to the market does not mean just buying a few things and then _leaving._ You went to spend the _day._ One thing that meant was that you could go to a kiosk that would sell you a bottle of cola, and that bottle would be _glass,_ not _plastic._ It was made this way, because it was made to be carried around the market and drunk, and as soon as you were done with it, you would return it to this particular kiosk and they would wash it out, refill it with cola, and use it _again._ Of course this meant the system was zero-waste, and as such, was _much_ more efficient than what we have always had in the US.

A few things surprised me on my trip to Florida. (a) I wasn't asked if I wanted bags, the cashiers just automatically bagged my stuff. (b) The bags were so thin that they had to use 2 bags. (c) The amount of polystyrene - cups in restaurants and packaging for eggs stood out. I hadn't had a polystyrene cup for years before that visit and I don't think I've ever seen polystyrene egg boxes.

School system. I’m not sure if the German system is the same used in Portugal, but I believe it is. And, if so, going to a system does not prevents a student to later on change to another system. Example: in Portugal a student can go to a professional school instead a regular one, and when graduates it’s equivalent to a 12 year graduation on a regular school, and can go to university as one from a regular school.

Another thing about the "Pfand" system is, that you can do at least a very little good thing for other people. Nowadays it is quite common, that (often retired) people gather their earnings (at least partly) by collecting bottles from the bins. So it is also very common, that, if you go on a short vacation - e.g. for a concert, discotheque, festival - , people leave their Pfand bottles beside the dustbins or give it directly to the collectors, if they see one.

The first point about the emergency triangles. Defined in FMCSA 392.22 6.3.6 Emergency Warning Devices states that when a semi truck is stopped for more than 10 mins then they are required to place the emergency devices at 100 200 and 300 feet on an interstate and 100 in front and 100 and 200 on a limited use road (two lane roadway or where hills are involved)

a little more information on the german gas pumping: You basicly start filling your tank and while you do this, a display shows you exactly how much has been pumped so far and how much it costs. You can stop the process at any time and it stops automaticly on a full tank. You pay on the register afterwards.

General speed limit inside of cities, villages etc. (Ortschaften) is 50. Unless there’s a specific sign that tells you otherwise. In cities there are sometimes roads with 60km/h signs. There are 30km/h zones and 30km/h „Strecken“ (I guess like a stretch or sth?) 30 zones exist in pretty much all living areas. Meaning clusters of housing blocks with lots small streets and no big traffic roads. When you enter the area from on of the streets you‘ll get a sign telling you that you’re entering a 30 zone and when you leave it it will tell you you‘re leaving and returning to the normal 50km/h rule. 30 km/h stretches exist usually near schools, kindergartens, pension homes, maybe also hospitals, etc. They usually stretch around a few hundred meters, so that while you pass that school or whatever more slowly and cautiously. The sign below the speed limit will tell you for how many meters you have to slow down. I also think this system makes a lot of sense honestly ^^

I live in Littleton, Colorado, which is on the same street system as Denver. In Denver, they have much tighter restrictions on the availability of plastic bags at supermarkets. It's been a while since I've been there, so it should come as no surprise that I'm not acquainted with the specifics of it. I can tell you, though, that at the supermarket I go to, they sell _reusable_ bags, and as soon as I saw them, I made it a point to buy _four,_ because that's all I usually _need._ It took me a little while to get into the habit of remembering to take them _with_ me when I went to buy groceries, but as long as I do, I'm all set. That's the tricky part, I think. You need something to carry your groceries, and in the US, we've learned that it's easier to _complain_ than to _adapt._

The trailer thing is so true, we have a trailer (mainly for transporting large stuff like furniture, garden waste etc.) and we pull it with an Opel Corsa D. In driving school I also made the additional trailer driving licence, our driving school car with which we learned how to drive with a trailer was some Hyundai hatchback. You shouldn't go too fast with a trailer on your car anyways (the speed limit for cars with trailers is 80) so you don't need that much power anyways lol. And the trailers usually have their own brake that is connected to the car brake.

The mandatory vest+triangle+1st aid kit is common to many european countries.

You should also talk about roundabouts. It’s the best option to avoid car accidents. And elevated (ramp) crosswalks, that force cars to slowdown. Road security is taken very seriously in Europe (EU).

It's really simple. Within cities/towns/villages: 50 unless stated otherwise by a sign. Outside of city limits: 100 unless stated otherwise Autobahn: No speed limit unless stated otherwise The speed limits deviate from these general rules in specific areas. In these cases there will always be a sign that shows you the speed limit. They are most commonly found in residential neighborhoods, school districs, sharp turn etc.

The worst thing with car crashes on the Autobahn is when the fire department blocks the road with their vehicles and then there are still accidents like a Semitruck ramming one and crushing the firemen under the vehicle. So not even after the crash is safe sometimes sadly.

Speed limits in Germany To get it clear: 50 km/h is the limit in towns and villages, beginning with the yellow name sign and ending with the crossed out sign. Exception: If there are any other speed limiting or opening signs into a town or village, these have to be obeyed until the next crossing. If there is no new restriction after the crossing, it's again 50km/h. The same applies, if there is the sign "all restrictions cancelled" (round, white, with black stripes traversing). 100 km/h is the general speed limit outside of closed towns or villages (the "closing" is indicated by the yellow name signs). Exception: If there are any other speed limiting or opening signs outside a town or village, these have to be obeyed until the next crossing or feeder road. If there is no new restriction after the crossing/feeder, it's again 100km/h. The same applies, if there is the sign "all restrictions cancelled" (round, white, with black stripes traversing). Exceptions: 1. Motorways (yellow signs with black writing) with four or more traffic lanes often are having a generally extended speed limit up to 120km/h. There should be a speed limiting sign at the beginning. 2. Highways (blue signs with white writing): There is no general speed limit, but you are recommended to drive around 130 km/h. Exception: If there are any speed limiting signs on the highway, these have to be obeyed until the next feeder road is passed. If there is no new restriction after a feeder road, it's again limitless. The same applies, if there is the sign "all restrictions cancelled" (round, white, with black stripes traversing). 3. Another German speciality: Traffic calming areas, mostly applicated in housing areas (Blue sign with pedestrians, children and other things on it) The maximum speed is 5km/h (If you have an older car, the needle of your speedometer has not to move, while you are driving) until you passed the sign crossed out. A little explanation to the automatic ending of speed limits after crossings, feeder roads etc.: If a driver comes in a road newly, by joinig from a sideroad, he cannot know, that there was a restriction before. Therefore there must be a new speed limit sign after each crossing/feeder road, if the speed limit shall be continued. Peculiarity: Speed limits painted on the road surface have the same function and consequences as the "normal" ones, made out of sheet metal. Regards Th. Krapf

we also like to put a plastic bottle next to a bin intentionally (not in the bin, just next to it) so somebody in need of money could take it. But IF nobody comes there it’s still not littering since it’s right next to the bin. :D

7:30 Yes there are flaws, but I would probably go insane if I had to teach an American highschool. (Full disclosure: I am not a teacher yet, I am currently doing my Masters degree for teaching Gymnasium. Meaning I dont get paid for the teaching I do and cant call myself a teacher while teaching) I already have to prepare at least 3 different versions of every assignment, homework or experiment for faster, slower and middle-speed students. 4+ different versions if I have children with special needs in my class. If I had to provide additional variations of my lessons for all children from the entire width of human ability and interest, while preparing them all for the same, undifferentiated state wide exams, I would run away and live in the forest. Every child should have the same opportunities in education and we have a lot of work to do before this is reality, but I it is already nearly impossible to meet every students needs in a class, even within one of the three school types.

I use an empty cartbox from the juice section to carry my grocery's. It works for me.

well, we definitely have to add a very important point to the plastic bag ruel. Yes plastic bags are banned, but only so far as they are not allowed to be given out for free, which was the case before. So now most of the stores still have a collection of plastic or cotton bags, in case you forgot to bring your own and don't have enough hands to carry everything (cause yes, a big percentage of germans go grocery shopping on foot, when it is possible), but you have to pay for every bag. It's a similar amount of money, as what you get back for your plastic bottles, lets say 25-50 cent each bag. But that's, what convinced many people, to bringing cotton bags for shopping themselfes make a habit. And everyone, who can't imagen it, guys its no big deal, you just throw a bunch of bags in your car, to have with you in case. And you just learn, to pack a bag in your handbag or backpack, as selfexplaining as you put in your keys, your deodorant or waterbottle, when you go out the house. Or since when do we complain, that there are no free water bottles for everybody. No, we can just bring them ourselfes and REUSE THEM! And most important, when you come back from shopping, you put out your groceries and KEEP THE BAGS, STORE THEM IN A BOX OR SOMETHING AND TAKE THEM WITH YOU FOR THE NEXT TIME. Guess what, it won't hurt anybody, if you put groceries in there a SECOND TIME. And even better, if they are tote bags out of cotton.

Schools/kindergartens/neighbourhoods = 30 km/h Urban = 50 km/h Passing village = 70/80 km/h country road = 100 km/h Autobahn = unlimited if no speed limit

The comparison of towing was interesting for me. I drive a compact electric car from Korea (Niro EV). This car is also sold quite well in the US and Canada. In the first two years of sales in Germany, there was no trailer hitch available or allowed for this car. The Koreans simply did not understand that Germans LOVE trailer hitches. Not only for all kinds of smaller and bigger trailers, but also for bicycle transport! Wisely, the Koreans have changed their accessory strategy.

The triangle is something that truckers carry in the USA. one is generally placed a few feet behind the truck and then another several yards farther behind the truck. As for towing, it was common to tow a camper or boat with a regular sedan type car in the USA until the mid to late 90's.

Burst out laughing when you said "There are so many places in the world where people don't use plastic bags and they are perfectly fine. They are not dying on the side of the street." Yeah, I am German and I never used plastic bags in grocery stores before. You either bring a bag made out of cloth or you bring a box (Klappkorb/box) to put your shopping from your cart into your car. What I was a little miffed about was the fact they replaced plastic straws with paper. I don't like that cause the paper straw makes it taste different. But I would never protest that. I have a different solution: I drink my beverage without a straw. Works fine.

I think many of the points that you make about Germany are valid for the EU, too. The triangle for accidents exists as long as I can remember. However, the warning vest was a thing in France much earlier. Than it became part of the EU legislation to have warning vests in your car. And wrt to the gas: in Italy and France it is also much more common to have automated pumps where you put in your credit card in advance. You select the maximum which you want to spend. At the end, you are charged only as much as you have put in. And there is luckily no difference between different gas stations as you described it in the US. Slowly I see that the automated pumps are appearing in Germany. I think the German system at gas stations stems from two points: we are not very used to pay with credit cards, but prefer cash (it is changing slowly) and that the gas stations make most of their profit by selling other stuff (cigarettes, beer, etc) from their shop, so they want you to come in... *oh look, some ice cream* 🙂

I think the graphic on the educational system for Germany is a bit misleading (at 8:00)... Because upper secondary schools are not actual, separate schools but just the final section of secondary school. It's called "Sekundarstufe 2" or Secondary stage 2. It is just the final part of Gymnasium or High School, where everything is focused on graduation, getting the "Abitur". Grade 11 is also the point where marking system changes from the school system (grading with numbers from 1-6) to the academic system (grading with points 0-15). This doesn't happen in "Realschule" or "Gesamtschule" because the kids going there are not expected to pursue academic careers.

Before pay-at-the-pump systems were installed, it used to be very common in the US to pay for your gas after pumping it. But, since almost everybody pays at the pump now, I think gas stations stopped offering pay-after-you-pump to cut down on gas theft.

At first the Plastic bag rule seemed like it was going to be an inconvenience. In reality you buy a few of those sturdy large shopping bags and always have some in the car. They are larger and most importantly stronger. You actually get attached to them. I have one from Switzerland that I like using. You can load them up, and when you put them into or out of your car, they don't break resulting in your shopping being spread all over the road!

nice point about the "towing" - that's so true.

the insanity of plastic one-use items even increases once you realize how easily plastic is replaced by other materials without losing any of the convenience. Plastic spoons/forks vs wodden, paper vs plastic cups etc. ... Sadly it always seems to need a ban or additional fee to push companies and consumers to make the switch. I am just glad that throughout europe politicians have the spine to "impose" such regulations upon their voters and rich lobbyist donors.

After watching 3 of your videos I already subscribed to your channel. I love your way to talk, to compare and to mention differences. I am a German but not so happy with the Germans. I worked in Switzerland for nearly one decade but I am also not so happy with them. I found my luck in the Philippines which is influenced by the USA. So I can follow your thoughts, your comparison and find myself always thinking: She is a good observer and she is honest when she talks about differences. Keep it up. I want to watch some more from you. Just by the way: You have a very pleasant way to be yourself in your clips.

It's 50 in cities, marked by the yellow sign with the towns name (which can be a 50 person village) 100 outside cities, and unlimited on the autobahn unless there are signs saying otherwise

Filling up is also the same throughout Europe. We can prepay, or we can fill to the top and pay later.

I have lived in California for the last 8 years. I haven't used a single plastic bag for grocery shopping in all that time. Bags cost 10c a piece here. Regarding schooling: till 6th grade, i went to school in the UK, to a German Gymnasium after that. In the UK, (this was 30 years ago) you got placed in sets for various subjects, so people really good at math would cover whatever was required plus went into much more depth, whereas the medium set covered mostly what was required in depth but didn't go much deeper and the lowest set focussed on bringing you back up to where you should be and just covered what was required. I really liked that system and you had placement tests every 6 months which decided in which set for a subject you go into. I much preferred this to the German system. I am not sure if I would have been recommended to go into a Gymnasium in Germany after Grundschule because it was only in secondary school that i really started getting good grades and good at things and got placed into the top sets.

As for the schools, in Berlin children are split up to the schooltypes 2 years later. Elsewhere they have more and more Gesamtschulen, there are different schoolbranches, but you dont really change the school. so you may decide even after the 10th grade if you make Abitur or not.

I do like the dual-education system for 14+ with trade schools and practical job skills on one hand and a university path on the other hand. Like, doing a diet version of everything might just be a waste of time for most people at that point because the subjects diverge too much. However, splitting as hard for Middle School as Germany does just feels pointless to me. I think you could manage that with modules instead of some weird class separation.

About plastic bags: I think it's a process that already took decades, and will take more decades to be finished (if it ever is). The point for me is not so much the 10g of plastic saved, but the change in mindset: Don't waste if you can reuse. Look for alternatives. As another example, when I bought my washing machine I made a quick calculation to see which one is the cheapest including expected energy cost, not just the label price. I had the higher price back in my pocket after two years, and now pay ~€60 per year less than I would have.

While there is an evaluation on your proficiency, and you are grouped into school types accordingly, it doesn't mean, that you can't get into the higher education tracks. I went to the Hauptschule but at the 8th grade I showed signs that I was unchallenged and bored, I went from the Hauptschule directly to the Gymnasium. It was an Aufbaugymnasium specialized for Hauptschul-kids to catch up Gymnasiasten. This is just one option to switch to higher education even if your Grundschul teacher didn't realize your potential.

One more point at speed limits: If you are unsere if you are „innerorts“ (max. 50 km/h) or „außerorts“ (up to 100 km/h) look at the position of the „Vorfahrtsstraße-sign. „Innerorts“ it normally stands before the crossing, „außerorts“ it normally stands behind the crossing.

The small family vehicles towing caravans also happens throughout Europe.

You mentioned littering in regards to plastic bottles. I thought of another side effect the Pfand system brought along. Usually in cities with a lot of traffic (near train stations, shopping areas etc.) people still throw some plastic bottles in the public trash bins just out of convenience i guess? Anyway, they usually end up being recycled anyways because people are actively walking through cities looking to collect plastic and glass bottles with Pfand on them to go and turn in for the money.

Dear Haley, as always, it's very interesting and enlightening to ear your perspective. Also, I love your earrings! A little anecdote: The ban on (complimentary) plastic bags kind of taugt me to be more mindful of how much plastic I use. Nowadays, I always have a folded fabric grocery bag in my handbag. They are washable and indestructible and they have come in handy on many occasions, not just shopping :-) A lot of my friends do the same plus they have bags or baskets in the back of their cars. Personally, I am usually not a very organized person. Before this ban on plastic bags, I very often forgot to have a bag with me . Therefore I was a little annoyed when the law was made: I thought I would very often be forced to by expensive paper or fabric bags because of my forgetfulness. But even though I was annoyed I appreciated at the time that we waste tons of plastic on single use bags. Also, the inconvenience I expected (which turned out to be virtually inexistent) was really only minor - not the kind of thing that makes me take on the hassle of going to a protest or chain myself to a grocery store shelf ;-) Also, generally speaking, I've always been for preserving the environment and not against it so it follows that I should be able to "endure" a minor inconvenience to that end... and that is probably what the majoritiy of germans think in such a case. Last year, plastic straws where banned. Now we have an array of paper straws, straw straws, washable glass and metal straws available and nowone died of a heart attack...

4:50 for Richtgeschwindigkeit we actually have a different sign. Official name: Verkehrszeichen 380, a blue square with white numbers.

20 cents for a single use plastic/paper grocery bag in Finland. Strong, usually re-used as a garbage bags.

reflecting triangle and jacket are mandatory across EU

Haley, ich schaue dir gerne zu und lerne gerne durch deine Videos über deine Heimat. Mach bitte weiter so!!!

You can go into a gas station and give the attendant 40 bucks to hold on "pump one" and then get your change when you are fill below that number. We used to have pay after you pump in the USA but, as you said, too many people stealing gasoline put an end to that.

Very interesting video, congrats. Just want to mention that some points like traffic rules, emergency signals, and the ban of one-use plastics are mostly common to the EU, it's not only a German thing.

The focus on car infrastructure is a little funny (albeit understandable from the perspective of an American) because I'd argue that one of the primary things Europeans do that just make sense are... walking, cycling, using public transport instead of driving and, very importantly, having the infrastructure to support that. 🙂

I do remember, that back in 1983 all Americans got some „Pfand“ for their soda cans. Also they got Pfand for paperbags. Wann ist das weg gefallen?

We use our cars. We dont use them for getting fresh bread from the bakery 10-15 mins. away (only, if it's like down the mountain, then you also get everything else, you might need at home at the stores).

There are a lot of reasons why deposits have gone out of favor in the US. When I was a kid, they were common. Studies show deposits reduce the cost effectiveness of curbside recycling and it therefore needs to be tax subsidized. It addresses one of the smaller aspects of landfill and litter problems. Recycling isn't as greenness people think. In the old days, washed and reused glass bottles were indeed an energy saver but plastic bottles have to be sorted, distributed, remelted and remade...the energy saving is low and sometimes even negative. If you want to help the world, stop drinking bottled water. It is one of the stupidest things ever. Uy yourself a bottle and fill it up. Most bottled water is just tap water. Furthermore, it encourages water mining where companies like Coca Cola and Nestlé build facilities in small towns in Maine and other places and basically overwhelm their system and sell the water at a huge profit. They will even build most of their facilities just outside the town so they don't have to pay the town taxes. They benefit from the towns water system without paying into it.

How I think a deposit system would work in the US. Karen throws her empty Coke bottle into some bushes in the park. Someone tells her that she can't do it. Her answer will be: "I have PAID $0.25 for it, the city must collect it. I don't have to do it by myself." But at least some homeless people will get money from it.

normally "Richtgeschwindigkeit" is a Blue rectangular sign... the white signs with the red circle means the max authorised speed limit

Ironically the reason we don't tow trailers with cars is safety. The car may be rated for up to a maximum 3000Lb payload and towing, An ultralight camper may be as low as 3000Lb dry weight. Absolutely everything you are carrying has to be add in to these numbers, including fuel, luggage and passengers. The trailer can easily take over control of the car. Saw it a lot when I worked for emergency road response.

Hey there, I am a German and I loved your Video. I like how you mix it up sometimes, like : They have no Überblick ;-) and something like that. You make me smile..... Thx for that.

Your romantic view on our school caste system is very adorable. I wish it was anything like you described it. But I get it compared to the US system it probably looks like that. So the same situation as with public transportation. Man I remember recognizing a building in a video of some dude saying public transportation is good here. And thinking: Shieeeeeeet, he lives *here* and thinks that? The situation must be dire over there!

Different countries have different rules and you have to be aware of them when traveling there, especially with your own car. These are usually fine in rental cars. For example, in Italy you have to have a spare bulb in the car for every different lamp that is in it. Safety vests are a very common requirement and in my opinion such a cheap life insurance that even if it is not mandatory, it is worth keeping it with you. A caravan towed behind a car is very common in Europe. It has tires underneath, so it doesn't need a locomotive to pull it, as long as care is taken that the towing vehicle is not too light compared to the cart being pulled. In Europe, you usually drive according to the situation and the place. Everything is designed in such a way that the highway almost never passes through the city and it is not easy to walk there. In a sparsely populated area, you drive a little faster than in the city, and the highway is a highway. 1950 The Finnish bottle return system begins. In the first phase, glass bottles are recycled through the system, which are washed and refilled. In 1996, the recycling of aluminum cans also began. Returns of deposit bottles in Finland. 2021 2020 2019 Can 97 % 98 % 97 % Plastic bottle 90 % 92 % 90 % Glass bottle 98 % 95 % 99 % Finns recycle more than 2 billion bottles and cans every year. Most of the bottles are reused and this saves energy and natural resources. Abandoned bottles are disposed of properly and are not thrown into the sea. In Finland, the school system is the same for everyone up to the 9th grade, i.e. until about 15-16 years old. Then a choice is made between vocational school and upper secondary school. You have to attend these, because compulsory education is until the age of 18. Both routes can be continued to university of applied sciences and university. If you ever feel that you have made the wrong choice, you can also start over, because studying in Finland is almost free. Of course, you don't have to study everything again, because the old ones can used for good. In Finland, a plastic bag costs money and it is 40 liters in size. You only need one or two thick and durable bags (Not those thin little ones that you need 30 when you go to the store, they are vegetable bags) when you go to the store. After this, the bag can be used for packing, transporting or wherever else you can think of. Some even make them into rugs. After all this, the bag can be disposed of directly in mixed waste or as a garbage bag in mixed waste. Mixed waste is disposed of by burning and then energy is obtained from it. Most of the plastic bags in Northern Europe end up at the right address and not, for example, in the oceans of the world.

First two(the triangle and the vest) is not just Germany, it is mandatory in the whole of EU/EEA by law (1st has been for almost 50 years here in Norway)

I don't need plastic bags anymore. There are thin foldable nylon bags available and I always have at least one of them in my purse. They are very durable, one of them I use at least for 4 years now. So I can do my shopping on my way and always have a bag on me. 😊🙋

When we lived in the US, we just used the plastic bags for trash, so, we weren't really consuming less plastic. Here we buy garbage bags, so, it really is a wash.

Ruanda has one of the strictest laws against plastic wraps and plastic bags! And it is enforced! Ruanda!😊👍

I have not been here for 2 years. Wow hayley, what made you change your style and especially your hair? All the best

About the school system. That works only because of the apprentice system in Germany. With a apprentice you can make a living wage. And the good thing you start earning real money with about 20 years. We have similar system in Switzerland. But there is anyway many possibilities to make some higher degree later.

To the gas station point, try to drive away from a german gas station the will fine you as much as the can they have cameras they have you licens plate.

Just a little information for the school part: For me in Hessen/Germany i went to elementary school 1st to 4th grade (mid 80's) and after that we had two years of "Förderstufe" where you had all main classes like math, german, english, etc in groups (A, B, C). I had most classes in group A, means the way to Gymnasium. B would be Realschule and C for Hauptschule. (Not exactly sure how it is today...?!?) Within these two years you could change groups if you did better or worse. After these two years, parents and teachers talked about what school type would be the best fit (ofc my parents asked me for my oppinion first). But even without these two years inbetween, if you start in Hauptschule (up to 9th grade) and you wanna go on, you can go to Realschule (as long as you succeeded the former school type). After that you could try Gymnasium to get the "Abitur" to be able to visit a university. If you went to Realschule, there are possibilitties too, to get an academic degree without the standard Abitur. So in my very personal opinion, our system is very close to "almost perfect" ;P ofc there are always things you can improve :)

I (in austria) once saw a VW beetle towing a caravan (trailer). sure, it was a small one, but it was a caravan.

as a German in California, I agree with all your points. But it's really funny that I never realized that Germans tow their camper with their VW whereas here it has to resemble a semi truck, haha! So true, just never realized it. I'm pretty sure I've NEVER seen a truck of any kind pulling a camper in Europe. The unpredictable speed limits always bothered me, you turn into a larger road but have no idea how fast you can go. Just dumb. At least navigation maps now have most speed limits on display. Im Ort 50 ausser andere Schilder ändern das. Ganz einfach, simple. In town speed limit is 50KmH. And outside of town it's 100 unless otherwise indicated. Autobahn no speed limit unless otherwise indicated by signs or overhead displays controlled by computers and sensors to set speed limits in real time depending on traffic and weather conditions. Almost all major freeways are computerized like that now. Quite amazing actually. And then I come back to California and am glad I have a 4x4 to ride on these farm roads we call freeway here. And I fully understand that not quite full tank thing, that would drive me nuts! But paying at the pump is convenient and leads to less impulse buys of chips and candy ;-)

Hi Hayley. Fell across your channel by accident. I think you should delve into the education system in Germany at the primary level and compare it to the US.. The hours, how they get there, and how they steer children into any profession they chose to follow. Maybe your subscribers back in the US might find it interesting.

as a german it has always shocked me even before we got rid of plastic bags here how many plastic bags you get when you are out grocery shopping, not just in the usa, but also in japan for example, it is insane x.x

they have no Überblick ;) so cute Hayley

They forgot to mention the electoral system. A multi-party system in which the inhabitants have a state parliament and a federal parliament election. The chancellor is not directly elected. Electoral districts are always the same and are not changed. Everyone gets a polling card which does not have to be applied for separately. There is no difference between people.

3:00 You probably need more "powah" in the States because your average camper trailer weighs several metric tons and contains almost an entire household. Euro-campers (usually called Caravan) are light weight and actually can be towed with a middle class touring car or mid-size SUV/crossover or small Pick-up. That and the auto-reverse braking system for the trailers. And it's the Dutch who actually are the #1 guys in all things sedan/touring + caravan setup ;) So much so, as there are numerous jokes about the Dutch and their Caravans going around since at least the 1990s.

As far as the triangle and the vests are concerned, it's not just because it makes common sense, but it's actually a requirement to have them. If you are pulled over and your car gets examined (that's what the police is occasionally doing - keyword "Allgemeine Verkehrskontrolle") and they find you without these, you'd get a fine (same goes for a missing or expired first-aid kit). Even more so, if you need to go through TÜV, they could let your car fail the examination if you are lacking any of those. Besides of that, it should be in everyone's best interest to have those at hand, because if you e. g. get to the site of an accident, you are *required by law* (keyword "Unterlassene Hilfeleistung") to render any means of assistance that is viably possible. As far as the warning triangle is concerned, there are rules as to where to put it: - Within a settlement's limits: 50 m - Outside of a settlement: 100 m - Highways (aka. Autobahn, Kraftfahrtstraße): 150 - 200 m The good part, since the distance between the guidance posts at the side of a road is standardized (50 m in between) you can easily figure out how far you have to go to reach the required distance. Alas, many people don't know how to set it up correctly and put it right behind their car or a mere 10 to 15 m away, which definitely is too close. As far as the speed limits are concerned, it's the following general rules (in contrast to the U. S. no explicit announcements required, because these rules are implicit) - Within city limits: 50 km/h - Outside of a settlement: 100 km/h - Highways (Autobahn, Kraftfahrtstraße, roads constructed in a similar fashion to an Autobahn that aren't explicitly denoted as such): advisory 130 km/h Of course, these limits can be explicitly modified (usually lowered, but on some occasions also raised) to suit the traffic situation.

Same in The Netherlands , the triangle and vest. Here the road design shows you the speed outside of a city , 60,80,100 60 has interrupted lines on both sides (for bicycles) 80 doesn't have those lines (a constant line or dashes down the middle only) 100 has a doulbe line down the middle with green paint in it. So if you missed the speed sign, that will tell you.

When it comes to cars, you are also obligated to have a first aid kit in your car. And you are obligated to provide first aid to any injured person if you arrive at the site of an accident. You are taught how to provide first aid when you go to driving school. In fact, you cannot get a driver's license withouth having proof that you now first aid. The most important thing, though, is that you cannot be sued if you provide first aid and you make a mistake. You will face criminal charges if you don't provide first aid. Learning how to drive in Germany is also more thorough, time consuming and much more expensive than in the US. I got my German driver's license in the early 90s and had to pay about DM2500, which today would be about 2000€. This included theoretical lessens and driving lessons at a certified driving school with mandatory lessons on driving overland, in cities on the Autobahn and at night. Also included were both written test and road test. Failing any of these tests would have raised the total cost by another 100-200€ When I got my US driver's license I simply had to pay $20 and do the tests, which were a piece of cake compared to the ones I had to take for the German driver's license. Plastic bags didn't get banned over night in Germany. First there stores only offered plastic bags, then they started selling cotton bags or heavy duty plastic bags that could be used many times. At the same time they also started to charge you for plastic bags. Today you can only get sturdy paper bags and the cotton bags/heavy duty plastic bags. When I remember the times when I shopped at Publix, Walmart etc. I always got so many of these small flimsy plastic bags. First I collected them to usw them as trash bags, but at one point I had to throw them away, because I didn't produce enough trash to put in these bags. When people in Germany go shopping and they go by car, many have foldable boxes in their cars where they put their stuff. So, I started using my laundry basket and I completely confused that poor fellow at the check out when I told him that I want him to put my stuff back in the shopping cart. 😂

❣️🇩🇪💞🇺🇸❣️ Hi Hayley, what an amazing discovery to meet you here! 😉😁 My school experiences as a German native: At the End of the Grundschule it is usually so,that the parents were invited by the classteacher for an Infotalk about the further "maybe" best way of teaching their kids and what types of schools the child "should" probably visit. So far,so good. BUT: So,for example, me and my best friend since the Kindergarten,have had reached after the 4 years of Grundschule,the exactly the same grades (or schoolnotes in english? Don't know!?🤷) in every school lessons or subject. My friends parents got the advice from my classteacher, for the Gymnasium, but my parents got the advice for Realschule.The only reason for this difference of the later schools,was just the thing,that his Dad was a studied Dentist(Doktor med. *)and my Dad was "only" a studied Diplom-Engineer(Dipl.Ing.)! And If you are once in a school, it's almost unlikely & alsomore than hard to rise up to the next "better" and "higher" school. So as an endeffect, it all results for the children,in staying in the same social class as your parents were before and don't get any Chances for a high Ranking Job,employment,a.s.o. Okay,in really rare cases it's possible to get from the Realschule to an Aufbau-Gymnasium and getting there the Universität qualification to can study. The "Aufbau-Gymnasium"(Support School) is not to confound w/ the "Förderschule" ( what means directly translated the same),'cause this school is much lower in pupils requirements,than the Hauptschule.Often used to visited by Kids,who had to repeat some classes during the Grundschule. This school is often talked about sometimes funny but often ridiculed and disparaging as a "Klötzchen-Aufbauschule" (a kind o' "Jenga-Constructionschool" 😁, usually Jenga is a Game only played in the Kindergarten,as you surely knows) declared. So, quite much is good,but not everything is working this excellent here in Germany.Some things have to change in a better was,here also,too & even not everything is Gold what is shiny. OK,thnx for your funny,interesting Videos and that you like Germany this much,working here w/german Kids and be honestly interested in what it is to be,feel,think-& acting like a German. Pls,use only the good sides and qualities of us and remind to the bad ones,not to repeat some mistakes. You are in the privileged Situation to can choose the best parts of two worlds! Make the best out of it! Good Bless you on all Your ways and have a beautiful Journey through the following days of your Life! Take Care & live long and prosper🖖 I'd be glad eventually to hear from you! Best wishes from Recklinghausen, Westfalia, Ruhrpott Paco (Henning A. Bleikamp) 😘👍🍀🙏😁❣️

Here’s an idea for a future video: Deodorant use (or the lack thereof) in Germany. Especially in Summer

Couple of thoughts. The plastic bag map may be slightly incorrect. In Australia most states charge for plastic bags. However not sure if its everywhere, so that may be one of the reasons its not shown as having those laws. I think the schooling system is useful in the sense it may help remove the stigma of attending technical colleges. At least when I was studying, technical colleges were seen as a lesser form of education compared to traditional universities. Towing in Australia is the same as Germany, any car is capable. We also have the same approach to paying for gas. We fill up, then go pay. There are always plenty of security cameras at gas stations and if anyone fills up and doesn't pay, their registration information and video footage are passed to police. Maybe the security cameras are more effective here as our vehicles are required to have license/registration plates on both the front and rear of the vehicle. Whereas in the US from memory it is only on the rear. Additionally there are laws in relation to their visibility requirements that will get you fined if you do not meet them (and often your car classified as un-road-worthy).

You can go to Myrtle Beach State Park and see lots of campers to this day. Totally available in the US.