Thanks for watching guys! If you liked this video, try checking out some of our others: Americans Try Nostalgic German Candy & Snacks For The First Time! - ukposts.info/have/v-deo/b5F6ioyFsWumkqs.html Surprising Differences Between German & American Movie Theaters! 🇩🇪 (First German Kino Experience) - ukposts.info/have/v-deo/oXyZmoGxgWpzyGw.html How Germans Don't Fit Into American Stereotypes of "Europeans" 🇩🇪 - ukposts.info/have/v-deo/kXafg2N6g4CqtGw.html Things Germans Do In The Gym, Americans Would NEVER Do! 🇩🇪 - ukposts.info/have/v-deo/knVlpqyEf22SyX0.html The Puzzling Reason Why Germans Love Watching Videos About Germany 🇩🇪 - ukposts.info/have/v-deo/jZuiq2dsnopy2mQ.html The Unexpected Benefits of Being An American Who Speaks German 🇩🇪 - ukposts.info/have/v-deo/jGR_fWmIpqmUy58.html Why Germans Are So Misunderstood By Americans 🇩🇪 - ukposts.info/have/v-deo/cH-XrX-gsI2ZjqM.html

Es ist immer schön das eigene Land durch solche Videos neu zu entdecken. Danke dir 🙂

When i was in the 4th or 5th grade we took a driving test for our bikes.. we even got a bicycle drivers license.. The whole class went to a training area (usually for cars) , the police was there and they told us to follow a specific route with street signs, pedestrians and so on.. couple days later we went on a school trip with our bikes, exploring neighbouring villages, biking to a museum and so on.. fun times :)

Laughed quite hard when you showed the pic of the 'small' car towing that trailer. This is not what I would consider a small car. :D

When we were in the US and rented a small car, they told us, that it would break down during our 2.000 miles road trip. I was like … what? Small cars don’t break faster than big ones? And did you seriously just tell us, that you don’t trust the car your company owns? Should we go to a different renting place where the cars don’t break?? 😂😂

The balance bikes for toddlers only became a thing in the last 20 years. When I learned to ride a bike in the 90's, training wheels were still the way to go.

Here in Kiel, the license plate "KI-EL 1" is kind of reserved. Not for the mayor, not for the minister president (Kiel is state capitol), but for the team bus of THW Kiel.

Another aspect about banking cards in Germany is you have to verify any order above now 50€ (was 25 before the pandemic) with a personal 4 digit code and after some time also those below. So overall I'm always surprised about the very low level of safety in the US credit card system with whoever has the card having unlimited access to that money.

I am German, 29 years old, and I didn't have a balance bike as a kid. I don't think it was a thing yet 25 years ago. I might have had training wheels at some point, but I think I transitioned to normal biking pretty early. My niece who is 3 now has a balance bike though and so does every other toddler around here.

I was so proud of myself (as a native English speaker recently arrived in Germany) the first time I bought my own bus ticket from the bus driver and actually ended up at my intended destination!

About #5: more than being shocked about them taking the credit card with them, i was surprised by the way american waiters handle the whole "order the receipt "-thing. in germany you have your meal and ask for the receipt when you are finished and ready to leave. When we visited the US, we experienced it different. Once we were finished with the main dish and didn't want a dessert, the waiter soon came with the receipt. It kinda felt like you get kicked out as soon you don't order anything further

It's always weird for me to see how late kids learn to ride bikes in other countries, which also makes sense if you think about how in Amerika they generally use the bike far less, but as far as I remember, the majority of my friends could ride bikes without training wheels in kindergarten

I'm from Germany and was very surprised because to me this things were totally normal, whereas, in some things, in the US the total opposite is done.

On towing capacity differences: The 680 Kg for the Golf is for trailers that can't brake, whereas the 1800 Kg are for loads that have a "Auflaufbremse", a brake that triggers when the trailer starts pushing into the car. This is done with a clever linkage. Basicly, the hitch itself isn't locked solid with the frame of the trailer, but it can move (to an extent) and slides back into the trailer when the car brakes. Then that has a mechanical linkage to the brakes on the trailer, and they activate. As for the US not recommending the towing with a Golf, i am no american, but after a guick google-search it seems that US-trailers don't have those brakes, and i haven't really found small trailers (like the 750Kg trailers you find here). And with a Golf, i really wouldn't pull anything heavier than 700 Kg without brakes. So it makes sense that in the US, you need bigger trucks to tow stuff. Because towing is not the problem (i once towed a big van with a small Golf 3) but brakeing is. And for that, you need a heavy truck if the trailer can't brake!

Added to creditcard use: Here in Germany we have (new) laws that a waiter or a cashier is not allowed to take (not even touch) your card... (personal data protection laws)

When I grow up in the 90s, balance bikes was not such a thing. But nevertheless, my parents refused to give me and my brother bikes with "Stützrädern" (support wheels) - and I guess they are right: When learning to find the balance on such a thing, for me it just feels counterproductive to have support giving you a false feeling of how to do it.

Regarding the question how I feel about the waiter/waitress leaving with my credit card: After more then 20 years of traveling to the US I still feel strongly about it. Also the whole process of VAT/state tax is different (i. e. included in prices in Germany) and tipping is done differently. So paying in a restaurant always is a „high alert“ situation to me in the US. However paying in a supermarket is much more pleasant in the US to me because of the people packing your bags for you takes away a lot of the multi-tasking necessary in Germany.

Moment of pride: I used to be an A student in German. One day I had an argument with my German teacher, and from that day, she would fail me on every single exam. Around that time, I had taken part in a state wide essay writing competition, and I won it. She had to hand me the price in front of all pupils and teachers. SWEEEEET!!!

Another fun fact about the number plates: The company vehicles of the german TÜV throughout Germany are all registered in the city of Tübingen, so they can have TÜ-V on their number plates. :)

My absolute favourite course I once found in a Volkshochschule booklet was a course called "Humour - how to recognise it, and use it yourself". That title tells you all you need to know about the place I grew up!

I really love the detail where you actually changed not only the plate letters from "B" to "DO", you also changed the badge of the state from Berlin to Nordrhein-Westphalen

The funniest i have ever seen was when my dad did not choose his plate. We lived in Ansbach at that time so it was "AN". My mom whished for the initials of us kids so "AN AJ 136" was her whish. She made a list of ALTERNATIVES if the plate was already taken. He was cranky that day and told her he did not want to deal with any extras and will just get what they give him. It turned out: AN AL and some number i do not remember. He was so embarrased but didn't want to admit that choosing would have been wise...

10:28 "Small Cars" *shows picture of a Passat Variant, which is a big, especially a very long vehicle for european circumstances. My parent's Passat can tow up to 2.1 metric tons - thats a lot more than the car itself weighs when loaded normally. The max gross weight of the car is 2.205 tons I think, so the vehicle can tow roughly it's own weight. But have fun navigating narrow Italian city streets after towing your trailer to the camp site...

After being diagnosed last year with ADHD it made me even more proud of the fact I got a college degree. So many people with ADHD fail or drop out. There were times I was considering it myself.

I was so surprised to find out that balance bikes are not a thing in the US. My son learned to ride his bike (without training wheels) on his 3rd birthday. It took him less than 30 minutes to figure out how to do it. Once we moved to the US, a lot of people were impressed by him riding his bike at such a young age (he was already four by then), while in Germany he was not an exception. I really think that the balance bike helped him. Besides, I would ride his balance bike to daycares every day which gave him a lot of practice.

Both of my kids (in Germany)learned to ride a regular pedal bike at 4, after a year on a balance bike -totally stress free. No training wheels. Our Laufrad was actually one where you could add/remove the pedals as needed. It was great! We used it for both kids, then sold it for nearly full price.

11:50 not to forget, that you only can tow up to a certain size of trailer with your standard "Klasse B" Führerschein (Drivers Licence), apart from what your car can actually pull... Like a trailer of this size (12:02) you will need a totally new or other Drivers license than this trailer 12:07, and for this 12:04, you can just use your standard B Class Licence or in short: Between 12:04, 12:04 and 12:02 are 3 different license classes, you need, to officially and legally tow...

Watch out for a blue Volvo with the license plate B SX6969 ✌🏽

About the first thing: I had a balance bike too before i switched to a regular bike with five. My dad never allowed me to use the training wheels. I´m very thankfull for this. (I live in Germany)

On the car towing subject, part of the reason is probably that european tow-able things are smaller and often come with their own breaking system that automatically engages the brakes on the trailer when the car in front of it brakes as well. This means the trailer is much less likely to push into the back of the car and the car is permitted to tow bigger and heavier trailers. Another point probably contributing to the difference is the mandatory TÜV in Europe - if your car doesn't pass the TÜV, it's not permitted to drive on the road. Whereas in America, as long as it drives, it's allowed to drive (in certain states, at the very least). And then there's the subject of unanimous road laws and conventions, like overtaking. In the US, some states permit overtaking on the right while others don't. But when you have unanimous road laws and can reasonable expect faster vehicles to overtake on the left, the road is a lot more predictable and safer - which is especially important if you're towing a large trailer on the edge of your towing limit - you don't want any unexpected things happening on the road then. And another point is that those trailers often come with their own speed limits, which means no matter the general speed limit of the road you are on, you are NEVER permitted to drive faster than the trailer you're towing allows. If you're towing a 60km/h trailer, the road speed limit may be 60km/h or 80 or 130 or even unlimited - doesn't matter. If you're above 60km/h, you're in the wrong because your trailer isn't permitted to go that fast. Now I don't know how that point compares to the US, but it's probably a point in favour of higher towing limits. And if you really can't tow anything with your vehicle, there's always the option of renting a vehicle that can tow what you're trying to tow.

To add to the Volkshochschule: There are also often many courses that will end with certificates that help you on the job market. Languages from beginners over casual to advanced, business English, accounting, anything from using office software to programming. And those courses are often covered by the government for the unemployed. The course descriptions mention when they're eligible so you can apply for coverage right away and don't have to pay first to be reimbursed later. Since even if, let's say, 100,- isn't much to get from barely speaking English to write formal letters and survive a business phone call, it can be when you're poor/unemployed. Several of the health-centric courses might qualify for a subsidy from your health insurance company (no guarantee, but worth asking). And a good chunk of courses is for the elderly specifically. From crafting to using computers or mobile phones. My mother, in her early 70s, took a smartphone course for senior citizens before the pandemic hit and now knows more about what smartphones can do than I. It's also not only about learning and catching up with modern everyday technology but the social aspect and "having something to do with yourself" during retirement, a change in life and structure that can be difficult for some people.

The thing about Volkshochschulen, and why they have such a wide variety of classes, is that in principal anyone can offer any course. The basic idea is that it's from the people for the people. You'll probably have to demonstrate that you are indeed knowledgeable enough on the topic to teach a course but that's about it.

On my street there is one guy with the plate: "SEE YA 420"

hi German here I learned to ride a bike with training wheels, which my father had gradually and secretly bent further and further upwards, so that I learned to ride a bike without really noticing it. 😂 As far as trailers are concerned, it's more the braking power and less the pulling power that is decisive. And in Germany, all larger trailers actually have their own braking system, whereas, as far as I know, this is not the case with US trailers. And that is why in the USA a trailer has to be towed by a larger car with stronger brakes, so that the braking distance is not so long in the event of an emergency stop.

I love this so much. I am a German who spent a few years living in Michigan and all of this is so true, lol. I was so irritated the first time we were at an American restaurant and the waiter just walked away with the credit card.

Licence plates: driving around in my home town stuttgart( licenceplate "s") is quite funny. "Sex247" is kinda hillarious

As a german I never thought that these things aren't common in the rest of the world (except of the VHS), especially the trailor hitches.

Thank you for promoting the VHS. One goal is to keep ALL the people in the process of life long learning. But for many people it's just a possibility to socialize and to be part of a group. Many people say it helps against solitude. We have English, Yoga or Japanese painting classes that started 20 or more years ago. Last week an almost 50 years old woman wanted to subscribe for our Fintness ab 50 class. I had to tell her that it started 26 years ago and we didn't change the name and the participants are still the same, those who still are able to go. And most do not do much Fitness anymore. Some years ago we had to put chairs in the room.

I guess I am proudest about my oral english exam from my "Realschule". It was almost flawless and the best of the whole school year. I was so proud becaus I had a bad teacher in my elementary school that told me I was stupid and later on toled me that I would never be able to go higher than "Hauptschule" because of my dyslexia. Well I proved her wrong an even did go on to a "Gymnasium".

the procedure of leaving your charge or credit card in the cover with the invoice (to be taken away from the customer/patron) was also normal in Europe until bluetooth and wireless lan became a fairly standard communications format. That then allowed remote devices to be brought to the table so that the card owner can keep control of his/her card and isn't robbed or deceived in any way. The US has for some odd reason (in that case) simply fallen behind. Such transceiver systems (wireless lan and bluetooth) have obviously been in the US as long as in Europe (perhaps even before Europe!). Why the US is so slow to pick up on that is most odd.

I learned riding a bike at about 4 years old. I did have a "Laufrad" before but i also used training wheels on my bike in the beginning

What I am proud of: My father was an immigrant without a high school degree and my mother only finished the equivalent of middle high school, no further education. Both were simple working people, my father a truck driver, my woman a sales clerk in a shop for glass and china. Therefore I am proud to have accomplished not just one, but two university degrees: a Bachelor degree in public administration and a Master degree in German studies. I am very proud to have achieved post grad status.

I just finished writing my doctoral thesis this week... I can say that I'm extremely proud :D

4:45 In larger Volkshochschulen you can acquire lower level school certificates, typically the middle school certificate, which qualifies you to go to a different type of school for adults where you can get the highschool certificate eventually allowing you to go university. I work at a state school for adults, which is not only cost free but students can also apply for state support, that means they get a couple of hundred Euros so that they can finish their school education.

Funny thing is (and even as a German, a little confusing), when you're from Hamburg, your licenseplate actually has the letters HH, which means 'Hansestadt Hamburg' and describes the area you come from, just as the B for Berlin. Then however, the HH is forbidden if you want to personalize it. So if you have any tendencies in political opinion, just muve to Hamburg😂

Moment of pride: I'm a really shy and private person and have an extra hard time talking to strangers. ...So I went to a 3 day music festival, by train and completely on my own. My tent-neighbors were the nicest people and took me under their wing, offering me hot coffee in the morning and some food whenever they were eating. So I had a great time and learned to open up a little more!

On the towing capacity subject, this is determined partly by legal conditions and partly by the manufacturer. Legally a passenger car can’t tow a trailer that’s heavier than the vehicle itself, unless it’s four wheel drive, in which case other limits apply. However, both cases apply a) to a maximum gradient of 12% (roughly 1 in 8) and b) to a trailer that has its own brakes. The lower value in your Golf example is for trailers that have no brakes of their own. Another limit can refer to the total weight of towing vehicle and trailer. Legal requirements and liability of the manufacturer include respecting the limits of the drivers’ license, the capability of the vehicle to pull off from standstill in the 12% gradient, and of trailing in a prolonged climb without the engine blowing up through overheating, etc. It must be safe, in other words. Bear in mind that you can’t go faster than 80 km/h with a trailer, unless you have an exemption to go at 100 because your car-trailer combination has been proven safe. (But cross into France and you may legally drive at 130 km/h without a flic (gendarme) furring a brow...)

There is a fundamental difference in trailers between the US and Europe: In the US the trucks are nose heavy, ie. the heavy engine is in the front and the back of the truck is light, it basically needs good pressure on the hitch (tongue weight), typically 400 kg whereas European travel trailers are differently balanced, ie. their wheel base is further up front to have less pressure on the hitch (ie. lower tongue weight), max. 150 kilos as these limousines are more evenly balanced to begin with. Just have a look at the famous "Airstream". The US version has it's wheels further to the back to create that downforce whereas the models they sell in Europe have the wheels more in the middle. So, you have a totally different concept. BTW: European models usually have a mechanical push brake, American models an electrical one, controlled from a controller in the truck, as far as I know.

Oh Boy, u should start a series about this. There is so much potential about things that make more sense in germany :)

When I visited the west coast in USA the most confused thing was how they handle their gas stations. I had to first pay and then I could fill up my car. In Germany you just fill up and after that you go inside and pay. Was strange.

I really enjoy watching your videos. Being a born and raised German I sometimes don't even realize how funny or different the things we do are. Today I learned something new (that makes me feel a bit old actually). In my childhood there were no bouncing bikes for little children. So I did it the "American wobbly way". Now that you are mentioning these bouncing bikes I realize how right you are! Things are different nowadays! Happy Easter and keep rolling! :D

ok das heißt du sprichst deutsch ? und wo in nrw wohnst du also welche statd

Another thing that just makes sense in Germany are the Units like "Grad Celsius", meters, centimeters etc.

I love how many Germans translate the "Passt nicht, oder" directly to "Doesn't fit, or?" instead of "Doesn't fit, does it?"

For your last question, the thing I am most proud of is passing my B1 German, passing my Einbürgerungsteste, and starting to become part of the German community I lived in, (Marienfeld, near Harsewinkel, where Klaas have a Mährdrescherfabrik.) My young adopted son was in the local Kindergarten and locals were beginning to recognise me and talk to me. Sadly Covid ganged up with Brexit and now I am back in my native England wishing I had managed to find that elusive way to stay in the country I had learned to love. I was so close.

My top german licenseplates i‘ve seen are „MI-LF“ „ANA-L“ and „FI-CK“ (which means f**k)

I really like this video because you really reflect nicely on cultural differences. I have seen so many videos that focus on one point and just don't realize that it is only in one area. I can relate to the credit card thing. We went on a trip to NYC in early 2020 (pre-pandemic) and I always felt uncomfortable when my card was taken away or in the case of a bar kept behind the bar. The latter case actually made sense to me, but it was still weird. I am used to paying directly from my visits to Britain and in Germany it is common to pay the tab at the end of the night (and sometimes having to hope that you can pay by card).

I never had a "Laufrad". I learned riding a bike with a simple bike for toddlers and "Stützräder" attached. But hey, it worked :D

I’ve seen a vanity plate here in Texas that was “LED PHT” (lead foot) and the owner drove like it too… passed me in no passing zones multiple times when I was traveling at the speed limit!

About trailers - automatic gearshifts can't handle heavy trailers, so their weight is limited. A human driver can adopt different power and load patterns, an automat can't (unless built for it). This is all of the secret.

Actually the towing is something I never got. Every car can tow a trailer, it's a matter of size, weight and whether that trailer has brakes. There is a point about towing in the US though: few states in the US limit speed when towing. California is one of them (55 towing, 65 or posted speed limit when not), but i.e. TX, AZ, OR, NV etc. do not. I've been towing my trailer in TX with 95 (for Germans: 150km/h) because that's the speed limit on some highways in TX. Trying to slam the brakes while towing at that speed is a recipe for disaster. Keep in mind, generally Germany doesn't have a speed limit on highways unless posted, they do however limit trailers and semi trucks to usually 80 km/h - thus reducing accident risks with these kind of vehicles. That said, while small utility trailers are great in Germany due to the lack of Pickup Trucks (which would be too big and expensive to operate in Germany for the most part), camping trailers are a frequent source of accidents in Germany and Europe in general (particularly the UK who have a whole camping culture going). Card readers: you will see them more and more in the US when you come back. Historically nobody in Germany accepted cards. In the 90s maybe 1 in 20 Restaurants would even accept card payments, so most restaurants don't have old POS systems with the stationary card readers. The restaurants which accepted cards in the 80s and 90s did what you know from the US: take the card to the terminal. That said: there's a difference in Germany: Banks are liable for fraud unless they can prove gross negligence on behalf of the client. That means banking systems are a lot more secure in Germany and banks require new systems every few years which are designed to prevent fraud (remember, the bank pays for fraud). In the US the bank has virtually zero liability, which is why you can still access online banking with a simple password where in Germany that hasn't been possible in over a decade (also, the chip cards you see show up these days in the US have been standard in Germany since the 90s). So in the end it's a matter of banks being liable why adoption of these new portable systems is so prevalent.

To be honest, I live in Germany and my siblings and I had two "Laufräder" (the things you use to train for riding a bike), but I never realized, they were made for that. Well, im still kinda using them with a few friends by just rolling down hills, its quite fun tho

As a German I can say: Yes, I had a blance bike and these are really common. I don't know at wich age I got one, but at the age of 3 I learned how to ride a bike with pedals with two wheels and I had basically no problem with it

My dad installed a easily detachable pole with a handle onto the back of my bike when I was like 4 y/o. He’d guide me at first, so I didn’t lean over to the sides or fall and then just pushed me, pulled out the pole and let me roll/ride. 👌

I started with the training wheels on a bike method as a child and remember that it took some time before I could ride a bike without them. My daughter had a "Laufrrad" very early and I was so astonished how fast and easy she made the transition to a normal bike.

I also passed my B1 Deutsch für Zuwanderer after doing my A2.1, A2.2 and B1 courses at the Gütersloh Volkshochschule. 2 hours in the evening twice a week with other people learning German. It was a brilliant experience.

lol, I'm so surprised about the last fact. Nobody in germany would ever hand out their credit card 😄

The fact i learned something from this even though im living in Germany

Love your channel. It's so interesting being a German and given a review from a human being which was not born and raised here. Often helps to take things not for granted. Often it shows existing rooms for improvements, which sometimes are hard to find if you are mentally stuck in the way you do things. Thank you!

Towing: Whilst having different cars myself and in my family + friends, I recognized that the towing capacities vary a lot from brand to brand or model to model, even if they are roughly similar in size. In fact my father one fine day decided to buy the smallest / most economic vehicle that was capable to pull his caravan or the boat-trailer (both 1800kg) . He, after searching most possible dealers, ended with a Golf 6 Variant (Station wagon). He asked why other companies have so much lower towing-capacities and the dealer said that only the germans and some other middle-european people want such cars and so it is cheaper to make a car that can tow less, but is lighter to construct. If people worldwide buy them ...

Usually if i pay with my Credit Card i need to enter my PIN. How is that solved in the US if they take your card away?

Reason for the 5th thing is actually that in Germany Debit-Cards are way more common than credit cards for your, daily transactions. That means you have to put in a PIN to pay, that's why the waiter comes to the table

I think the Credit Card issue comes from the US having adopted them a lot earlier when creating carbon-copies of the card was still common. When CCs became popular in europe, digital terminals were already available everywhere and waiters could just carry it to the table. The US just never bothered to change their process.

I guess the thing with pulling capacity is due to the different ways we handle traffic. Every german is educated in driving in a driving school and knows (or at least should know) how to handle trailers (there are different licenses for bigger ones, so once you get past 3.5 tonnes, or get bigger then a certain size, you need another license). On the other hand we have TÜV, which checks the cars for even slight damages (wich is mandatory every 2 years for any car holder) and guarantees save cars in traffic. I dont think its the size, cause just because a car is big, its not said that its also strong. I think some Golfs have a more powerfull engine than some trucks, tbh :D

Can someone explain to me how this works in the US if you have to pay an amount to pay where you have to enter your safety code of the card or how did they back then, when you had to insert the code for every transaction?

Living in the US, Germany and Austria as a child I know wondered about this things: A) in America toilets are oval rather than round and the walls are not covering the cabins fully- which made me feel uncomfortable first. B) in the US there are some school busses but kids - until being able to drive a car- have to be driven around a lot whilst in Germany kids use public busses to basically go anywhere at a very young age. C) in the US bread is usually fluffy and highly SUGARED- which is very uncommon here.

The towing difference in weight is mainly because we have trailer that are with brakes or brakeless. The 680kg refer to the capacity with a brakeless trailer. Depending on your Golf configuration (bigger brake diameter) this number will variate. If your trailer has brakes the weight of your car and the subframe will dictate your towing capacity. In you example 1600kg is allowed. Most of the germans have permit to drive cars that have a max weight of 3500kg (with trailer). Most of the "typical" cars are at 1600-1900kg and are allowed to pull 1200-1600kg to stay below the 3500kg number :) I hope u could understand everything :)

the thing about towing capacity in Germany is that we don't really measure by the weight of the towed part, but often by the weight of the whole combination (Gesamtgewicht). For example if you have a total towing weight of 1000 kg it doesn't matter if your trailer is 500 kg if your car is 600 kg. that has, as some already mentioned, to do with the breaks. if you get the momentum going you can tow pretty much anything towable, but to break, the momentum of the whole mass is critical.

The way you described balance bikes is exactly the way I was taught how to ride a motorcycle. Very smart

when i learned riding a bike my dad took the 2 suppot weels of and let me ride.. i couldnt turn or get slower and just got faster and faster until i crashed into a brenessel bush

As a german, I started on the balance bike (Laufrad) before I could think. Really enjoyed watching the video, because for me those things are just natural and seeing your perspective is really entertaining.

When i started writing stories and started publishing it a year later. The positive responses and the fact that people enjoyed their time reading what i wrote, that made me pretty proud of myself. Also my favourite license plate would be from the city of Leverkusen "LEV : EL 9001" Whoever gets it, you are my friend

I like what you are doing here on UKposts Donnie. First of all, welcome to Germany! Second: I hope you and that lovely wife of yours are happy to be here. Now... I have seen a lot of videos from US Americans living in Germany, sharing their experiences with the Internet and I must admit that I as a German, became quite intrigued to see what US Americans think of the lifestyle in general here. But this is the magic of the multicultural society. You sir, keep doing what you're doing and never let anyone tell you otherwise. Auf gut Deutsch: mach so weiter wie bisher und lass Dir bloß nichts einreden, hörst Du? Also nochmal: willkommen in Deutschland Donnie!

Balance bike / walk bike is an old type of bike, but last years you see it a lot for toddlers. My both kids can drive bike on 4y on a bike with pedals without extra wheels. Also drive with my 4y kid to school that was 3km from my home, and see learn very fast all rules. About trailers for cars. My car can weight 1445kg empty, and can tow 1600kg for a trailer with brakes, and 750kg for a trailer without brakes (just with a brake cable, no active wheel brakes). Also in the Netherlands you need to have a special drivers license for heavy trailers. For a 750kg trailer you can just drive with your normal car license. And for a car + trailer combination less than 3500kg, and your car weight more than the trailer, and the trailer weight less then the maximum tow weight for your car, you also dont need a special driver license. (maximum weight for my car is 2040kg (car including people and other stuff), and for a trailer 1600kg is total 3640kg is more than 3500kg, so i need a special license for maximum usage) But I dont know how the rules are in Germany for the car license.

Hello, I am from Hesse and my neighbourhood region is Limburg. Their licence plates are starting with LM. For many years the combination of LM-AA was forbidden on the cars. LMAA is an abbreviation of “Leck mich am Arsch” and that is not one of the finest sentences in german. When this combination was finally allowed, all 1000 number plates where almost immediately sold out. In my youth many years ago, I think balance bikes didn’t exist. I learned using the bicycle with supportive wheels like the Americans today.

Regarding the license plates, I do remember the case of Sun Microsystems, who (before being acquired by Oracle in 2010) did make sure to register their German corporate cars not with their headquarters in Kirchheim near Munich (area codes: M, AIB and WOR), but their branch office in Stuttgart (area code: S) - just to make use of the customised license plates: S-UN 1234.

My biggest accomplishment that I am proud of is researching my family tree. I have always heard about how German we are , but no one ever knew where in Germany we came from. I have located where in Germany we are from and I love knowing where our roots started.

I am most proud of my own website. Except for the design template (which is just a frame I heavily modified!) it's completely hand-written markup and PHP and JS. I have no content management system (cms) installed as far as I know, I just access the files directly and edit them directly on the server. (I have no physical access to the server but there's a thing called FTP. ;)

The VHS is great! I actually met my girlfriend at a Volkshochschulskurs haha Always enjoy your videos, keep them coming :)

I'm German and I had training wheels. It wasn't a great experience learning to ride a 'proper' bike because I fell over a lot. But in the early 90s balance bikes weren't really a thing. My nephew has started on a balance bike and I think it's really the better way to learn to ride a bike.

As a german I love to watch this.

When i grew up in the late 80s there were no balance bikes around. I learned driving a bike in the age of 5 with assistance wheels. But my son learned walking in the age of 10 Month, started driving his balance bike in the age of 2yrs and a real bike at the end of his 3rd year.

Finding a car that can tow 3.5t is getting harder and harder these days. Got an old KIA Sorento now for the large horse trailer.

I learned bike riding with an old method from my grandpa: He would tie my small bike to his big one with a strong rope. That way, he would always stabilise my bike by riding his. Whenever he slowed down, I would notice the need for balancing until I could do it on my own.

Trailer hitches are actually a life hack... In case someone bumps you form the rear. Your car survives perfectly, theirs don't

A major difference in traffic is: in Germany, and in the rest of Europe, Turnsignals on vehicles are orange only, never red, and sure as hell never breaking lights that start to flicker! So it's always clear: is that vehicle about to turn, break or are some lights damaged.

I was taught riding the bike by my older sister when I was around seven years old. That means she was twelve, thirteen ... and actually gave me "lessons" and took a "driving test". I never had a "Laufrad" though, I had the sidewheels that were at some point taken off. My first bike was actually a folding bike, though I've rarely folded it. In primary school, I think in third or fourth grade, we went to "Verkehrskindergarten", a little network of streets with various types of crossings with or without traffic signs and/or traffic lights, a roundabout, bicycle paths ... where we could practice all the rules before being allowed to ride on the street (before that we had to go on the sidewalk and stop when encountering pedestrians). I also remember we got a booklet with a number of rules that had clever acronyms such as ERIKA, Ein Rad Ist Kein Autobus (a bike is not a bus): Don't ride your bike with more than one person (exception being adults taking their young kids along on a child seat). Licence plates in US: Oh at last I understand why they put the sloth in Zootopia ...

Those portable credit/debit card readers were introduced because of PSD2 and therefore the PINification of every credit card. Before that, restaurants accepting credit cards took your card like it's done in the US. So because all European credit cards require a PIN now to pay (like the old maestro debit cards) they all had to introduce those mobile card processing terminals. So this has nothing to do with Germany but with the European Union ;-)

10:30 even my lil hatchback has a tow hitch haha

About towing: Most American cars and trucks have an automatic transmission. A lot of the "big trucks" use a manual transmission. A manual transmission is normally more "forgiving" of hauling a greater load. Modern automatic transmissions for trucks have been designed to haul heavier loads, but you'll still see a manual version able to haul more than the automatic version. An automatic transmission that can pull a lot of weight is obviously heavier than a smaller transmission, and on a car a heavy automatic transmission means more fuel usage and worse acceleration. In European countries they normally sell manual transmissions and therefore can be more "forgiving" on hauling loads. Where I work at if we see a car with an automatic transmission that has had a towing hitch installed we can't do any work on the transmission except for topping off the transmission fluid. An "under rated" automatic transmission that's been hauling an extra load really puts a lot of wear on them and would need a lot of parts replaced while a manual transmission would only need a few bearings replaced, lube replaced, and possibly two gears. Even then most problems with a manual wouldn't even be a problem with a worn out transmission but a bad clutch (fairly cheap compared to a transmission). I've seen an automatic transmission that was over loaded that a new replacement was always cheaper than a repair.