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While Europe is huge, flourishing with unique cultures, customs, and history, it's not THAT different from country to country. And even though things like direct staring or no air conditioning are not the status quo in all of Europe, residents from neighboring countries would probably not raise their eyebrows upon hearing about them.
That is not the case for people from other continents. What might be second nature and not worth ever questioning for a European, might sound wild and unique to someone from the US. One Reddit user wanted to learn "What is something weird about Europe that Europeans don't realize is weird?" and over 26k users shared "unwritten rules" and "know-how" that most Europeans seem to share.
These stories and tips that Bored Panda picked out might help anyone who hasn't had the chance to visit any of the 50 sovereign states to avoid the initial shock and be more aware of the "do's and don'ts." And, as Europe is vast and all of the countries have their own quirks, they might surprise and come in handy for some of the estimated 743.5 million Europeans as well.
We also reached out to A & S, a digital creator duo who travel the world to share their experiences and tell their stories. The duo have visited over 100 places in Europe. Scroll down to get their insights and some travel tips for your next trip!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Weird at first but I appreciate and wish for it. It might be just a Germany thing but from what I’ve been told German Walmart failed because the North American style of customer service was very unliked. From the greeter at the door to clerks asking if you need help unprompted. German shoppers just want to shop and go home as undisturbed as possible
Caro Caro 3 years ago
You'd think a big company like Walmart would hire specialists and do market research etc about the way we shop here in Europe.
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Sonja 3 years ago
That's not it. They scrapped that pretty quickly. But they couldn't finance undercutting other companies prices by overworking their staff to the limit due to German labour laws. So they were just another shop with uncomfortable layouts and didn't get an edge over the established shops. Especially Aldi and Lidl or even Penny market where way cheaper due to their in-house brands so eventually they gave up.
Angarade 3 years ago
In France too. We just want to shop in peace, unless we have a specific question. Also, in small shops, customers always say "hello" and "good bye" to the staff, even if they don't buy anything.
Mr.G86 3 years ago
Dammit we need this in America. Customer service should be asked for, not imposed. I mean, if a customer looks confused then yeah go for it but outside of that is just invasion of privacy. 🤣
Elwood Schwartz (it/that) 3 years ago
Having worked in retail for 25 years, I can say that if you are getting an unusual amount of customer service, the employees think you are shoplifting.
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Ashleigh O'Sullivan 3 years ago
We hate that in Ireland 2... Leave me alone 2 shop if I need help I'll ask
BetterBitterButter 3 years ago
The reason I shop online is this. I just want to shop without anyone talking to me. I know there are many people who miss this thing while shopping online.
Chancey 3 years ago
In the US it's really hard to even find someone to ask for help in Walmart.
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liam newton-harding 3 years ago
Also, Europe allows the checkout staff to sit, "You're on an 8 hour shift? Of course you can sit down. What sort of psychopath would expect you to stand for 8 hours?"
The first country in Europe that A & S visited was Croatia. "It was such an exciting and adventurous first day, or in this case, night. We had been a bit tired from traveling for 24 hours. When we finally arrived in Split, Croatia, our driver wasn't able to drop us off close to our apartment because of its location, which we understood," the creator told Bored Panda. "Most people would feel disheartened getting around on their own the first time they arrive in a new city, but what you must do is shift your mindset to be positive. Think to yourself, what good can come from this?"
RELATED:
#2
You drive five hours in the US: you’re basically still in the same place.
You drive five hours in Europe: everyone’s talking funny and the cheese is different.
Thorsten Massow 3 years ago
Yeah, but those people 5 hours ride away from you.
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Robert Trebor 3 years ago
De Gaulle asked, in a fit of exasperation, words to the effect of, "How can anyone govern a country which has 200 cheeses?"
Circa 3 years ago
Drive an hour in England, eg Manchester to Liverpool, and the accent is completely different.
Hypoxia Smurf 3 years ago
I just saw an article somewhere claiming that England has a dozen accents per square mile. Is that about right?
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Hypoxia Smurf 3 years ago
USAnians consume much "processed dairy product" i.e. plastic pseudo-cheese. One can determine a locale is uncultured by finding Velveeta in a market's "gourmet foods" section. Yikes. Yes, real cheese is probably good. But I won't be a lab rat and test it all. Wouldn't be prudent.
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Hugh Cookson 3 years ago
Wrong ; if you drive for an hour in pretty much any direction from where you start in the UK, you will encounter another accent / custom / food and outlook on life - sometimes good, sometimes bad. If you start in London, add 100 years because of traffic. If in Cornwall, just expect the 1800's but without pubs, shops, infrastructure because of second home ownership .....
"For us, it was being able to explore Split while trying to find our apartment, which was located inside of the Palace walls in the heart of Old Town. This was something to be happy about! There is such an indescribable feeling from the summer warmth and sea breeze while walking through the alleyways of Old Town at night. We also learned that Split has a bit of everything when it comes to evening entertainment and attractions, from a lively restaurant and bar scene to clubs. Then the next morning we woke up early and explored. It was incredible seeing the beaches and islands! Overall, it was a very special and positive first impression of Europe."
#3
Not Europe-specific, but EU-specific. I find it baffling that most of my peers have never thought about how easy it is to just move to a completely different country, with little to no knowledge of the language and culture, and still be welcomed. You're just **allowed** to move to another country, and they can't say no (for the most part). You don't even need to ask them first. You can decide you want to study elsewhere and they'd be like “yeah, sure”. Personally I find this phenomenal, given how the rest of the world works.
MarieTDr 3 years ago
I always envied my UK relatives ability to just hop a plane and go to Spain on the spur of the moment. I visit them from the USA, and it's such a chore to arrange and prepare for it.
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Exquisite Spam 3 years ago
Except in the UK. Brexit was an act of self-harm on a national level.
Robert T 3 years ago
Indeed. Not only could you go and live in another EU country, but you could go and work there for a period of time with no need for work visas. I worked all over Europe and it was so easy. Now I have to jump through hoops, some of which are on fire, and then try to figure out how much I owe the taxman - it has literally killed that line of work. :-(
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Laugh or not 3 years ago
I made full use of that: I went one year to Denmark as an Erasmus student with a grant (literally got paid to study in another country) and I am now living and working in Germany. Freedom of movement between countries is great.
Random Dent 3 years ago
I did Erasmus in the 90s, great scheme. I miss that freedom of movement
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YaMaOnToast 3 years ago
F**k the EU, so glad I voted for Brexit. Now i can live in the UK safe in the knowledge that I'm trapped here unable to leave whilst the govt completely drives us into the ground.
Kayjunmoon 3 years ago
Absolutely fantastic. Freedom of Movement in the EU (not the same as immigration) allows workers to find work in other countries and send money home, allows study in other countries (27) without difficulties with visas, as well as the amazing Erasmus scheme, also, to travel,easily in those countries which broadens tolerance and understanding.
Ocha 3 years ago
Most of us in Sweden welcome strangers. You may have to take the first step if we aint drunk tho.
Grant Barke 3 years ago
I start singing Dancing Queen at the border guards and they let me through.
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TCW Sam Vimes 3 years ago
The EU used to be a huge project for peace, unity and understanding between the nations. That's why all dictators and autokrats try to dismantle it.
RetailDrone 3 years ago
Key words 'used to be'. Sorry but I'm on the side of having left. Unchecked migration of workers/skills/jobs has had a detrimental effect on some professions both in the UK and mainland Europe. Not to mention a loss of innovation in some countries as the talent could always be, 'shipped in'. Whilst I agree that there should be trade between most countries (Don't particularly want any of my money going to North Korea tbh), I still believe that each and every country on the planet should be able to be self sufficient with regards to the basics. Until such time as there is a global consensus and a global nation (far, far into the future if ever), then borders will always exist and there can be times that we should protect them a bit more vigorously.
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Alan Christensen 3 years ago
In most of the world they want goods and money to flow freely across borders but not people. That demonstrates where the priorities are.
#4
My only experiences in Europe so far have been touring there in a punk band. The thing that blew my mind was how often - almost always! - the venues we were playing were literal state-sponsored squats. Like the tire factory or whatever in town would go belly up and a bunch of punks and anarchists would move in and the local government would just be like "hey, they cleaned up all this broken glass and now there's a whole new crop of people keeping this community alive. Tell you what, let's give them free utilities." On more than one occasion we played a free show and got a check from some government office. This would never, ever, ever, ever, in a million years, take place in the United States.
Sarah Elizabeth 3 years ago (edited)
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Not A Panda 3 years ago
We even have squatter agencies. They move from house to house, pay nothing or very little in rent, but do upkeep of the place until it's time to demolish it or renovate it.
Enea 3 years ago
Sure, it's called 'cultural center', and there are many all over Germany. Many offer not only music and drinks, but also workshops for political discussion, arts and practical things such as bike selfrepair shops, etc. One, it keeps an area alive that otherwise has no purpose. Secondly, it channels youth activism - which makes it easier for the state to keep an eye on leftist/anarchist movements. Nonetheless, it's a system quite beneficial for all.
suzemagoo 3 years ago
It would be fatally labeled socialism because the willful ignorance about all things of a collective/cooperative nature (especially socialism) is epidemic in the US.
Cara G 3 years ago
Like the taxes that pay for our roadways, police forces, fire departments, public schools, state and national parks and beaches, bridges and tunnels, libraries, public officers' salaries, public transportation systems, not to mention social security benefits and services, unemployment insurance, Medicaid and Medicare, and so on. If all these people who slap the word socialism around suddenly truly understood the extent of the deeply entrenched socialist policies under which we're already living, what would happen to them? Would they move?
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Old Roadie 3 years ago
As an old roadie... we did have festivals ...CalJam 1 and 2 and US Festival ...at Ontario Motor Speedway after it closed shop. People destroyed surrounding properties, though, so it was dropped as a venue.
Happy Panda 3 years ago
Where I am, a certain busybody ministry will come knocking on your door, bring you to court and maybe try to punish you with hefty fines and jail time to the point that the only way to escape from all that is by fleeing to another country. One guy wrote about something that concerns that certain ministry, and he is in Canada now. Lucky guy. :'D
Auntriarch 3 years ago (edited)
If it was from the punk era, some time ago . Sorry punk Pandas, I meant when punk started
Load More Replies...Since the travelers have been to so many countries, we asked which European countries differ the most from each other. "Countries such as France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, England, Netherlands, etc., differ most from countries such as Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Malta, etc. The former countries are much more direct and have a faster-paced lifestyle, whereas the latter countries tend to be more relaxed and have a more laid-back lifestyle. In Spain, we learned the phrase, 'No pasa nada.' The Balkans are also very unique as it was the crossroads between East and West," shared the duo.
#5
Everything is historical. You could be walking down a street and the wall to your left is older than the USA. You will also find random hills in otherwise flat landscapes that were created from rubble from a previous war.
Angarade 3 years ago (edited)
My highschool was built in 1032, the library is in the chapel, it's beautiful ! So many history in that building !
V 3 years ago
Driving down a random street in France, I had to ask my local friends "Is that a Roman aquaduct?" They were so nonchalant about it as they drove past it every day. As someone who studied ancient Roman architecture I squeeed.
Auntriarch 3 years ago (edited)
We were in the taxi from the airport and the driver said we were on the actual Via Appia - definitely a squeee moment!
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Dynein 3 years ago
This really says more about the US than about Europe. Europe is not unique in having an abundance of old buildings that date back more than 400 years. That's *normal* for any place where people built settlements to be permanent. You can also see this in Asia, the Arabian peninsula, and Northern Africa (not sure about other places of the world).
XenoMurph 3 years ago
Yes, it seems although North America has been inhabited for a long time, they did not have a culture of building things with stone. So very little remains from that time.
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Apatheist Account2 3 years ago
Rome is a great place to wander...turn a corner and there's another 2000 year old building, temple, circus, wall - it's amazing if you have a feeling for history.
Randolph Croft 3 years ago
In Venice, I stayed at a nice Airbnb apartment. The Istrian stone stairs to the 3rd storey apartment had notable saddles worn into them from shoes going up and down. I asked the host how old the building was and he 'guessed' 500 years or so.
Debby Keir 3 years ago
Everything in the US is historical too, it's just that you don't recognise whose history it is.
Hugh Cookson 3 years ago
No, the Americas have been there for hundreds of thousands of years, although ' undiscovered' The USA is a mere baby in terms of civilisation and history.
#6
Finnish people are silent, small talk doesn't exist. Their personal space larger than COVID-19 social distancing rules, and it's considered normal. Don't speak unless spoken to, and don't invade other people's personal space - it's seen as a sign of a respect.
Those Finns, who haven't been to abroad or haven't met too many foreigners, don't often even recognize this behaviour being unusual in the global scale.
LinkTheHylian 3 years ago
Is this why you're supposed to be the happiest country in the world, Finland? Because this is my kind of vibe.
Paul Richards 3 years ago
Yes hell is other people, so finland must be a form of heaven
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Me 3 years ago
I think that observation should be clarified. Finns are reserved in public. But privately among friends and acquaintances, Finns are as talkative as anyone. And they usually have a good sense of humor.
ZOEY KLESH 3 years ago
How do they make friends when they don't talk to strangers?
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Brazen 3 years ago
If you're not supposed to speak until spoken to, isn't the first person to speak breaking that rule? I get what they are saying, but that strikes me as funny. :)
Slap Shot 3 years ago
I was just getting ready to say that very thing. It’s what a mean parent would say to a child.
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Saara-Elina Kaukiainen 3 years ago
It's not that us Finn's don't talk. We just avoid talking pointlessly. If you ask about a specific thing a Finn knows well, the problem will be to get us to shut up. :) (Me personally; if you don't care about aquariums, don't ask what I think of them.)
Kaisa Koo 3 years ago (edited)
These are stereotypes. As a small town-eastern Finn, people do speak, they are more outgoing in smaller cities. Especially older folk. Then again I was visiting local tourist attraction, and met a group of German tourists in a small forest path. Everyone of them smiled and greeted. Then came Finnish youngsters- everyone avoided eyecontact. I'm oldfashioned, I prefer German way of greeting. I still appreciate my fellow countrymen, they can be little stiff socially, but they are honest and genuine.
Mr.G86 3 years ago
I think I was Finnish In my past life. As an ambivert, as much as I appreciate a good conversation, I'd still rather bathe in silence all by myself for a good minute or 2.
Aroace tiger (she/they/he) 3 years ago
Same! Added with my anxiety too this is heaven
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Marie Dahme 3 years ago
I really really like this. Everywhere you go in the US, you hear; “Hi, how are you?” And automatically supposed to say: “Fine. Thank you”. What if I’m not fine and I really don’t want to tell you how I’m doing today? Sigh. I just totally wish we had that Finland vibe here.
We also asked if they had any advice for people who are unsure about traveling. "We understand that traveling can be daunting for first-time travelers, especially if traveling solo. Many people feel this way. I spent New Year’s Eve night in a Burger King in Florence. We had a flight to Porto canceled 1 hour before takeoff. But what we have found is that when people put in the effort and research ahead for their travels/holiday, it results in a much better and more pleasant experience," shared the creator.
#7
I'm an American doing my lil europe tour right now, currently in Paris. I've been staying in major cities with visits to the country side. Your trees, especially in your cities, are f*****g massive. It feels like I'm walking through an arboretum sometimes. The trees always get me..the insane architecture too, but the trees man
LK 3 years ago
Trees are so important in cities. They coo., purify the air, and make the place look pretty too. The reason the trees look so big is they were planted a long time ago, some before the USA was a country. Plant trees now. Invest in your present, and in your future.
Noname 3 years ago
The trees are massive in France? In the forests, yes, but not in towns - in France, they keep the trees along the streets trimmed short and box-like so that their limbs won't interfere with the power lines.
gerard julien 3 years ago
Strasbourg (tree planted in 1667) strasbourg...e14c33.jpg 
Nitka Tsar 3 years ago
I am just going to assume that you only mean trees in cities? Because I don‘t think we have trees as big as dome of Americas trees.
Ren Karlej 3 years ago
Well indeed! I was a wee bit surprised by this post - didn't notice the US lacking in big trees when I've visited!
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Pamela Blue 3 years ago
Where in America are you from? Most trees grow to a reasonably large size, unless you're from an area that only grows skinny trees? I live in a city that is nicknamed "The Forest City." We love our trees. (oh by the way, I'm in Canada)
LazyPandaTiredPanda.Z.Z.Z. 3 years ago
OP needs to go on. U.S. tour sometime and see some California Redwoods or the ancient trees in Appalachia!
#8
How incredibly inconsequential it is to cross country borders. Cycled through France - Belgium - Netherlands and there is barely even a sign.
Headless Roach 3 years ago
Except that there is no border guard, so this may be some local dressed up just to make this joke 🙃
Load More Replies... Saint Thomas 3 years ago
Usually, the sign that you're passing from one country to the other is the different road pavement.
Caroline Nagel 3 years ago
Going from Belgium to the Netherlands you notice the difference in architecture.
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Pandasong! 3 years ago
The second you enter Belgie the roads go "tadumtadumtadum" (from the Netherlands)
Mulberry Juice 3 years ago
I know exactly what you’re talking about, but my brain imagines a drumbeat
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Groundcontroltomajortom 3 years ago
And this is why b as a UK citizen I find it so sad we've left the EU!!
Korrie Broos 3 years ago
The border post between Norway and Sweden is an old building next to the road. It has not been opened for years. If my friend did not point it out I would not know that we crossed into another country.
Linda van A. 3 years ago
The roads in Belgium are notorious so you will definitely notice that difference.
#9
The UK has 30 accents per square mile and if a large man calls you duck in Stoke … that’s okay
LinkTheHylian 3 years ago
Fun fact: When Marvel released "Ant-Man", the Geordies were asking "Where's Dec-Man?".
Deidre Goodluck 3 years ago
Probably carrying the show while Ant-Man was in rehab.
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Wilf 3 years ago
I once lived with someone studying English linguistics. She managed to prove that a very specific area of formerly major fishing port of Grimsby- and I mean like just a few streets- in 2010 had an accent that was completely different to the rest of the town and surrounding area. She identified that it was bafflingly more closely related to the accent of Liverpool- a city situated on the opposite side of the country. A bit more digging and she found that in 1900 the Liverpool fishing fleet in the space of a couple of years converted from sailing boats to steam powered vessels. Those who were made unemployed in the process (steam ships require smaller crews) emigrated to the next biggest fishing town that still used sail- Grimsby. The descendants of those people, living in Grimsby's fishing community over 100 years later still have that Liverpool-derived accent!
Kayjunmoon 3 years ago
Where I live in Southern Europe, every town has a dialect, not just an accent. The next town, 20 minutes away has a dialect that people from my town can’t understand and visa versa. Nearby are towns with dialects that a pretty pure Ancient Greek. My town has a dialect with mixtures of ancient French and guttural sounds from ancient Arabic.
In the doghouse 3 years ago
Remember the post a couple up that said you could drive 4 hours and everybody spoke "funny"? People got hammered for that, now we're bragging on it.
Load More Replies... YaMaOnToast 3 years ago
If he calls you a c**k in lancashire it may also be a term of affection but equally it might not
Undercover 3 years ago
It's the case for any rural area I know... Villages were isolated and there was no public transport available, so most of the people didn't get to go around much. I live in the alps alnd therefore almost every valley (even the tiniest ones) has developed a dialect. I think this is awesome, because every person gets automatically in contact with a lot of linguistic variations. My boyfriend lives just 60 km away and in some cases something innocent in his dialect means something gross or quite the opposite in my dialect. That creates a lot of mess and hilarious misunderstandings 😂
Timmy Pillinger 3 years ago
One of my friends was most alarmed on his first full day at Uni to be addressed by a cleaner as "me luvverr".
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gerard julien 3 years ago
" There are several regional languages spoken in France, including Basque, Catalan, Corsican, Breton, Alsatian, Occitan, Provençal. While these languages are not official languages of the country, they are recognized by the French government. The number of speakers varies from region to region, with estimates as high as 2 million speakers for Alsatian (a German dialect) and nearly 4 million for Occitan ."
"That's why we create and share travel-related content on social media. It's an empowering way to inspire people to travel. You can create your own memories." They also pointed out that traveling is not as expensive as it seems. "Did you know that accommodation for one month in Springfield, Oregon, is more expensive than in Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Rome, or Venice? Did you know you can find accommodation for under 30€ a night in Vienna, Prague, and Budapest that isn't a hostel? Did you know that in some places in Madrid, a beer is 1.50€ at a restaurant? The point being, traveling is attainable and isn't some lifestyle where you need to be super wealthy."
#10
Almost everything in Europe is old, and nobody treats the old buildings as though they're anything special. You go to someone's house, and their house is 700 years old. And all the cottages in the village are that old. You see things like buildings that were ancient Roman colosseums that were turned into medieval palaces that were turned into modern shopping malls or office buildings. Around where I am, it's rare for a building to be more than 100 years old, and most of them are registered, protected historical sites that can't be altered without a permit.
Rissie 3 years ago
I think.you need to go into a city center in your country and look up how old some buildings are. I don't know if any country in Europe without places like that. Unlike the US, that had no buildings like the ones you find in what we call cities before the 1700s, all European countries were already growing. I have lived in a home with a barn dating back to the 1600s and Amsterdam has properties dating from 1306 that are still in use. Now many houses were made of wood and susceptible to fire and 700 years is really the exception, but many homes exist that are 400-500 years old and are lived in. This is a stark contrast with the US, that only just started around that time. New York has some beautiful old buildings of course. So much of this is about most of us living in more modern dwellings anyway just by the sheer amount of humans that exist.
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LinkTheHylian 3 years ago
1) False. We do treat our old buildings as though they're special. It's why you still see them around. B) Not sure about mainland Europe, but here in England we have the English Heritage Trust, a charity that protects our historic structures.
XenoMurph 3 years ago
It is true that in the US the buildings would be fenced off, surrounded by plastic, and reverered. In the UK my local Italian restaurant is in a Tudor building. 400 yrs old. We casually brush up against the timbers from trees that were saplings before Columbus learned to swim. I've probably splashed chianti on plaster applied before the UK was the UK,
Load More Replies... Auntriarch 3 years ago
My American friend said to one of her friends that we lived in a really old house. I demurred saying our house is only 300 or so years old, we have houses twice that age in our town, so I've always thought of ours as one of the new ones. Her friend said, well that's really old to us. I think we both had our perspectives recalibrated that day
Yeah, okay. 3 years ago
To an American, 100 years is a long time, to a European, 100 miles is a long way.
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Show thyself 3 years ago
No, no, no - the historical buildings wouldn't be around anymore if we'd treat them as ignorant as implied. On the contrary, they are heavyly secured, with stirr regulations. ||| when there are malls built in such buildings - it's most likely that these places already started as marketplaces, when they where built.
Literallyaeasybakeoven 3 years ago (edited)
In the USA, my house is considered old because it was built in the 40s. Many Americans don’t realize just how young our country is.
Amy S 3 years ago
That's funny. My house was built in the 50's and I consider it fairly new (e.g. it was built with an indoor toilet and part of a bedroom hasn't been repurposed for one).
Load More Replies... Sasy 3 years ago
A friend went to Europe and was shocked by the amount of graffiti on such buildings also, that again its just a building but to tourists its like a living museum.
Kayjunmoon 3 years ago
Graffiti has been around since humans burnt a stick. In all Roman cities and that was 2000 years ago plus. Long before them
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Ekaterina S 3 years ago
Old buildings are very much protected in Europe? I probably do not get the point?
Wilf 3 years ago
My house dates to about 1660. It is by no means anything special in my village. We have a church that dates to about 1000, a manor house that was built in 1100, a few principle houses with features dating to 1300. There are pubs dating to 1480. The school was built in 1600. The local convenience shop is however quite new- it dates to 1780. (And yes, its been a shop since that time).
MARCOS FERNANDEZ ESPIN 3 years ago (edited)
This is not so true. Historical sites are protected. If they weren't, you couldn't get so amazed by seeing them.
#11
In Germany, the idea that you can rent an apartment and you have to BUY the kitchen separately. Otherwise you get an apartment with no kitchen.
Like wtf. It's like selling a jacket but saying you gotta pay extra for the sleeves.
Caro 3 years ago
Yes, we like to buy our own kitchen. We want to chose the color, the arrangement, the style, the appliances ourselves. And, if possible, we want to take our kitchen with us when moving , because we have bought it and it's ours. Of course we would sell it to the new renter if it doesn't fit into our new flat. And of course we would buy the former renters or accept the owners kitchen, if it is not to old and used or from the high end range. Or if we can't afford to buy our own kitchen. But in general, yes, we are not very much into the second hand or used thing. If we can afford, we prefer to have our own things.
Rissie 3 years ago
The hassle of moving something that has been fitted to a specific space seems silly. Also high end/low end comes with the type of property. Expensive houses usually have more expensive kitchens etc. Most people live in their house long enough for the next person to update it anyway. But now the possibility to leave as is becomes impossible. It makes zero sense to move around kitchens when you're renting and have no control over the layout of a kitchen, whether there is gas or just electric (which means you have to either select your new home to match your stove or invest hundreds of euros in a new one). Now for the reason Germany does this, it's ingrained and there's a whole industry in itself that keeps the crazy going. It's like hanging on to brown coal because it crackles nicely. Take it from the neighbors, it's weird and almost never works. It's like moving the built in wardrobes because you picked the color of the sliding doors that only fit exactly there.
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Exquisite Spam 3 years ago
That's weird to me. Even if I rent an unfurnished apartment in the UK, it's at least going to have a cooker and cabinets.
farbenzirkel 3 years ago
Yes, in Germany the landlord is obliged to provide a stove and sink. Cabinets, like all furniture, are considered own property. Sometimes you take over the previous tenant's cheaply, sometimes you buy your own.
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Sadia Timmermans 3 years ago
This makes me think about the Netherlands where you bring your own FLOOR to a rental. My sister took her floor out of the living room/kitchen of her appartement. It's a lot of places it seems. I find it wild!
Sasy 3 years ago
In Australia if you rent an apartment, it has a stove and a sink, you bring your own refrigerator, microwave etc and washer dryer for laundry, in the U.S rentals include fridge and laundry appliances also, even microwaves which is bizarre.
RedCorvette 3 years ago
Yeah we’re spoiled lol but there’s also good rental laws here.
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Justme 3 years ago
Part of this is weird simply because in the US, when someone talks about a kitchen, they’re referring to a room and not the appliances.
TKA 3 years ago
Same here, every time I read this I think you have to buy a room and not just the appliances.
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Cassie 3 years ago
I have been told that includes the cabinets, not just the appliances. That's freaking wild!
Debby Keir 3 years ago
However, in Germany, the majority of people rent for their whole lives, only 51% ever buy.
Dorito Ears 2 years ago
Wait.. what? If 51% buy homes, then the majority of people in Germany do not rent for their entire lives, correct?
Load More Replies... Me 3 years ago
In Dallas usually all kitchen appliances are included in an apartment including refrigerator, garbage disposal and microwave.
Nicole Weymann 3 years ago
Garbage disposals in general are out of the question pretty much anywhere in Europe, or even anywhere outside the US, as far as I know. And microwaves are widespread, but used sparingly as the third or fourth option after a stove, oven or electric kettle.
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Marlowe Fitzpatrik 3 years ago
Actually, that's also a regional thing. In Northern Germany, the standard appartment has a kitchen. If you want a different one, you have to buy it, install it and make sure it leaves with you when you move. When I lived in more southern parts of Germany, the no-kitchen was the norm. Btw, the landlord is responsible for the function of all appliances in the appartment upon rental. So if there's a kitchen, the landlord has to pay if the oven is broken. If there isn't anything, he can just smile and ignore it. (Northern Germans are just nicer than the rest ;-P ( JUST KIDDING! )
#12
France's border with the Netherlands is in the Caribbean
LinkTheHylian 3 years ago
Just wait until you hear about Pangea. Everyone bordered everyone else!
Bill Dolman 3 years ago
And Denmark's border with Canada is in Baffin Bay (between Greenland and Baffin Island - google it).
In the doghouse 3 years ago
Remember how Americans were the only occupying country? Just sayin'
We also asked if they think there's anything Europeans could learn from Americans. "We think Europeans can learn from other parts of the world to be more accepting. In the USA, we have a lot of variety in our friend groups. In Europe, most friend groups are the same friend groups from childhood. We just wish there was more of an effort to try to understand other identities and have an open mind to connecting with other cultures."
#13
Australian here. Casually just visiting a whole different country with a different language and culture for the weekend.
Caroline Sinclair 3 years ago
Not just a weekend: we often visit another country for lunch or shopping!
Kayjunmoon 3 years ago
Yes, we can just pop over the border if we live near it. Italy to France or Austria for example and in reverse.
In the doghouse 3 years ago
Australians share the same time and distance problems that United Statesians have. [noted how no one thinks we should be called "Americans" and trying to start a movement /s]
Mary Rogers 3 years ago (edited)
We are known all over the world as Americans. We call ourselves that because it is part of the name of our country. We are not the United States, we are the United States of America. People from other countries are free to call themselves by their own nation's name. And only someone who is geographically illiterate would confuse the Americas (the continents) with the United States of America. I really don't understand why this is an issue with some people on Bored Panda but I am not going to change just to be politically correct.
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BatPhace 3 years ago
I have a friend in Norway who told me stories about going to Sweden or France for the weekend because it's like a 3 hour drive and I could feel my worldview shift on it's axis lol
Nicole Weymann 3 years ago
Mine, too. Sweden and *France* with 3 hours drive from Norway? Sure he didn't say Finland?
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Claudia Stieble 2 years ago
for the weekend? We used to drive to Italy for a pizza on Saturdays and be home in the evening to go to a party.
#14
A reverse statement: It was in Japan 2018 when I learned that taxes included in price tags is a European thing. We wanted to buy something, the first time we asked why we have to pay more than the number on the price tag, they explained taxes aren't included. Like... what is this witchery?
I’ve Seen Things 3 years ago (edited)
Taxes are included in the tag price in Australia/New Zealand too *antipodean quote* “Just tell me what I am effing paying and it better be the damn total”
Tenacious Squirrel 3 years ago
Apart from at cafes where you pay a fee to use a card, a fee for groups, and fees for visiting them at weekends/public holidays. None of it is included but all added on when you pay. As a European this really irritates me.
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MarieTDr 3 years ago
I never have. I think taxes should be easy to know before paying, and tips at food places should be included in the bill.
Load More Replies... Gabriela 3 years ago
Taxes not included in the tag price is a USA thing, for what I know. I've visited lots of different countries around the globe
Locke Lamora 3 years ago
Same thing here in Canada. Looks cheap until you see the receipt.
Load More Replies... Thatkamloopsguy 3 years ago
I wish we would do that in Canada. I think the economy would be much better off.
EP 3 years ago
Don’t get me started on this! I just bought a Christmas tree for $90. The sign said $79.99. Then there was tax so it came to $85. Then of course I tipped the man who hoisted the tree onto the roof of my car and tied it down securely. So $90 end price for a really dinky tree. Inflation on tree price is 15% over last year’s starting cost which was $69.99. I’m sick over this whole thing.
suzemagoo 3 years ago
Perhaps give up live cut trees. It's very easy to do.
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Exotic Butters 3 years ago
In some stores here in the US they don't even show you a price tag :(
#15
Paying to go to the bathroom. It’s absolutely wild that you have to pay money to use the toilet.
Jellicle bat 3 years ago
The ones where you don't have to pay usually have these weird looking metal toilets. And they *are* very gross with pee and toilet paper on the floor, spider webs and what i think to be bird feathers on the ceiling (if the ceiling is a metal grid)
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Noltha 3 years ago
Most malls, gas stations and restaurants have free toilets for the customers.
Fenchurch 3 years ago
Same in the UK, some public street toilets/London station toilets are pay per use
Load More Replies... Sasy 3 years ago
In Australia I remember needing 2c to use the toilet in stores like David Jones in the 70s , you had to put the coin in a winding thing for the door to open. This was a very distressing thing, because I used to feel so bad at the idea that someone might not have money or even the correct coin type for this and pee themselves ( I was little, that was the only alternative I understood). In the 80s in Paris you needed 5 centimes for the public toilet, but that thing was worth the 5c just for the show..it was like a kiosk building on the sidewalk, the door slid open when you put money in the wall, you went into this huge space, and when you were done the whole thing washed itself in preparation for the next person.
Florence O'Grady 3 years ago
I saw that on You Tube. It's real. Thanks for letting me know. I think it would be nice if travel agents, flight attendants, airport employees at travel desks would let people know about having to pay to use toilets and make sure all travelers knew the exact coins they would need and help them to acquire those coins!!!
Load More Replies... Saara-Elina Kaukiainen 3 years ago
If you suffer from IBS you can get a toilet pass that allows you to use any public toilet in Finland free of charge.
Ray McArdle 3 years ago
There are almost no public toilets in America. About time for any kind - paid or not.
A & S also wanted to point out their own privilege as an American and how not everyone has the same opportunities. "We are US citizens, which means we are privileged enough to be able to travel visa-free to 185 countries and territories. Though it's important to note, a few countries require a visa on arrival and typically implement strict requirements such as a certain length of time—30, 60, 90, or 180 days, etc."
#16
Europe contains the highest concentration of officially Christian states (nations with official state religion/church) and the lowest per capita percentage of people who actually "practice Christianity" in ‘Christendom' - which is to say, nominally claim to be Christian - probably a lower percentage actually believe.
Pixie 3 years ago
Germany has an official church tax for christians. Only way to not pay it is to be not christian either never have been or officially leave.
Sonja 3 years ago
Nope, not Christians, church members. You can leave the church and still be Christian and not pay church tax. Also it's not just just roman catholic or protestant churches who can tax. If you're a parishioner of any other Christian church you usually don't pay taxes and still be Christian. But if they're accepted as a legal, official religious organization, they could raise taxes. There also are other established, non Christian churches and religious groups that are eligible for taxes, but not all of them tax. For example, the Unitarian community in Germany is a registered and legalised religious organization that could raise taxes, but they choose not to because of their democratic structure. Same goes for the Muslims. They could raise taxes and have their members register for that but they choose not to.
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Dynein 3 years ago
Well... of course Europe is mostly Christian, while Christianity started on the Arabian peninsula, it got it's footing as a major religion in Europe. And yeah, we have many states, the countries got to "grow" naturally and weren't drawn on a map like e.g. in North America. So... we *should* have the highest concentration of Christian states - we used to be the *only* concentration of Christian states before colonization! And we got to send a lot of our Christian nutjobs over the pond a few centuries ago, because they felt religiously restricted in Europe even *back then*.
Timmy Pillinger 3 years ago
Actually the earliest Christian states were in Asia, but notably Armenia.
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Ralph Kretschmer 3 years ago
Most countries in the EU have majority religions, but no more state religion.
Giovanna 3 years ago
What are the EU countries with a state religion? Italy is not, and for many aspects is one of the most bigot states in Europe.
Vix Spiderthrust 3 years ago
The UK has the Church of England and over 50% self-reported as "no religion" at the last census.
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Nitka Tsar 3 years ago
On this note: Scientology in Germany is not an accepted religion. They are officially registered as a kind of club (Verein), which I think is hilarious!
Graham Turner 3 years ago
In the UK the monarch is the head of the Church of England, and one of their titles is "Defender of the Faith". The new king has talked in tha past of changing this to "Defender of Faiths". In the last census more people identified as on-religious or non-CofE than identified as CofE. The non-religious %age wnet from 25 to 37.5 in 10 years.
Marcos Valencia 3 years ago
States with an official religion are an exception in Europe. Most are secular states, with the only exceptions of Sweden, Danemark, Greece and parts of the UK... well, and some micro-states (Vatican, Monaco...).
#17
As a Canadian I took a trip to Europe in highschool for a week. 3 days in London England, 3 days in Paris France, 2 days in Madrid Spain and 1 day in Toledo Spain. One thing that really stood out is how different begging for money by the homeless/poor works. Here people will stand in traffic with signs telling a sob story for cash or will come up to your car window or even in person on the street getting in your face trying to get money from you. Almost every beggar I saw in Europe would just sit still on the ground holding a cup out not saying a word to anyone or getting in anyones business. They would just sit there and wait for someone to come to them and toss some money their way. It gave me a lot of respect for them as I was so used to people literally making your life almost feel threatened here when they are begging for money on the streets while these people in Europe just sat or stood in place holding a hand out in silence and just hope for help without any aggression or confrontation
Pixie 3 years ago
I don't know about the other European countries, but in Germany "agressive" begging is illegal
Somebodys grandmother 3 years ago
They are all illegal in denmark and almost allways foreigners who doesn't know. In denmark even our homeless are in order and have permission and id to sell a special newspaper to support their living...
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Kip Kip 3 years ago
A lot of the begging is actually organized in Europe. The people begging are dropped of in the morning and picked up in the evening. The car brand of choice is Mercedes. I lived in large cities in 3 European countries and the same in each city. License plates generally are Romanian, so I think that explains in parts why they don't talk to you to ask for money.
LillieMean 3 years ago
In Finland, there are instructions not to give them money and to report them to the police. That's why they're not really here anymore. "Beggars" are often part of organized crime and possibly human trafficking.
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Okatango 3 years ago
Yes, provided it is addressed through solving root cause rather than simply punishment or deterents
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Ace 3 years ago (edited)
I've seen aggressive begging in Montreal, just as bad as major European cities. One more thing you should learn is that you don't need to suffix the city with the country name. Paris, Madrid and Toledo are the owners of those names, only the copycat cities need to specify where they are.
Kate Priestley 3 years ago
In England it's illegal to get on the streets but it's ok to sit there and take money from passers by who offer it.
OnAFreakingRollercoaster 3 years ago
Were you smoking cannabis when you found this out?
Load More Replies... Mark Goode 3 years ago
Aggressive begging/panhandling is technically illegal in lots of places. I work for the courts in Los Angeles and it's illegal, but rarely enforced by law.
burncreek 3 years ago
You'll find beggars, often Gypsies from some east European countries, sitting outside almost every store in larger towns and cities in Sweden. Mostly part of organized gangs that arrive in the spring, live in old cars, use our cemeteries as their bathrooms, and when winter comes they start complaining about how cold it is, how much snow there is, and how desperate they are for proper housing. Like yeah, what did you expect?
Magpie 3 years ago
Are Canadian weeks really nine days? Victorian Australian here, very rare to see beggars out here. In Melbourne, they mostly just sit or stand quietly, maybe with a sign. Or Play music! Which is called busking, and can be fun.
Scrapiechick 3 years ago
I always try and give money to people begging, but I try and give something to people busking. Apologised to a guy busking in a tube station subway recently for not having any cash, all I had was a half pack gum and some tissues so he asked me to take a video and post it on my social media, oh and the pack of tissues I always carry as his nose was running because it was so cold. Messages me the other day and thanked me for sharing his vid
Load More Replies... #18
No mesh screens in windows in the UK, at least. In canada we have screens in most home windows to keep flies out
Sasy 3 years ago
was there an abundance of flies though ? Just because a window is open does not mean you are going to have a swarm come in. In Australia we have a fly issue in summer, but I can have a screen on the balcony door and nothing on the bathroom window, and yet the only fly that will enter will be the one that randomly enters when I open the front door. Flies are just tricky.
Melanie Carrier 3 years ago
I live in the maritime provinces of Canada. I live in the countryside. You can't even go out for a walk in the summer due to the cloud of black flies, mosquitos and horse flies that try and eat you. So yes, we need screens on the windows. Attempting to sleep at night with skeeters humming in your ears is a nightmare.
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Elaine Elder 3 years ago
It's probably a need based thing. When I was a kid in Southeastern U.S (Georgia) we did not have air conditioning. So we had screen all the windows because didn't want to sleep with bugs. Not just Mosquitoes. The itching from those bites are bad enough. But the movies and TV shows just do not properly portray the insect population of the Americas. And I mean North, South, Central and every nook and cranny from the north pole to the south pole. The reason birds migrate us berthed are following the bugs. There are enough insect in Canada to drive entire species insane. In the U.S, everyv11 years millions of big huge bugs crawl out of the ground and scream until all of us are insane. Then everyv17 years a different brood crawls out of the ground and screams until we are all insane. They leave their empty shells everywhere so we crunch them. They grow winfs and helicopter around at 3 inches and if we did have screens they would be in bed with us. But now we keep our windows closed because we have air conditioning. So they splat on the windows and slide down in a green glow of goo that totally frustrates the cats. They like to catch the occasional cicada, it's wings ZZZZZZPPPPPZZZZPPzzpp, punctures leaking green drops of goo. So, basically, screens are optional.
Florence O'Grady 3 years ago
She is telling the absolute truth. Cicadas are humongous and they are definitely an interesting phenomenon.
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Jordi Sharpe 3 years ago
Flies, wasps, hornets, yellow jackets, mosquitoes, ticks... there's a lot I'd like to keep on the outside of my home.
Okatango 3 years ago (edited)
They really do not have anywhere as many bugs as in Canada. At least not in Germany, France, Belgium, Spain. I am Canadian who often works in these countries
RenaMoonlight 3 years ago
There are a ton of mosquitos usually in Summer in Spain around some coastal regions. I definitely couldn't live in Spain without mosquito nets around the windows. And even with the nets they find a way into the flat.
Load More Replies... Justme 3 years ago
I spent a summer in Spain once and they would hang a baggie of water about 10cm from the top of the open doorframe. Supposedly this made flies think there was a spider’s web. Not sure if it worked but worth a try.
RenaMoonlight 3 years ago
They do not confuse the water bags with spider webs. The light reflection of the water bags (same for CD discs) irritates them as their eyes are very light-sensitive.
Load More Replies... Yeah, okay. 3 years ago
In Canada, it's very rare to not have screens. The only place that I was at that didn't was a high- rise in Vancouver on the window facing the balcony. To high for flies, there weren't mosquitos in that region, so except for a bird one time, it was okay. Still gave me the heebee-jeebies, though. No screens are just NOT done in Canada! It's a bit like not wearing a seat belt - you CAN, but when you've had it all your life, not doing it is feels odd and unprotected.
Yeah, okay. 3 years ago
And FTR, we currently live on a farm, where flies get in EVERYWHERE despite the screens and doors. If we didn't, we'd be living with an actual swarm that would infest the walls and stay all year. Ugh.
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j r 3 years ago
North Texas has so many bugs. Mosquitos bees wasps. Flys seem to be all year. Warm enough here. Certain days get to freezing 32°F but not many. We live in small town out in country for 3yrs. No cockroaches but tons spiders. Born raised in subarb of Dallas County Garland has tons cockroaches disgusting. Humidity Temperatures soil/dirt trees all are a factor. Screens come with most homes apartments condos townhomes houses ect here. Cheap to buy easy to replace. It also gets so hot if home faces East & West for sunrise sunsets we tint screens. Helps keep house cooler even with AC. In "winter" when chillier for maybe end of Jan into early Feb have heat on but still open window(s) when cooking. The tinted screens help not blind us at sunrise sunset from brightness.
#19
I'm from Finland and one European thing that all Finnish people hate is cheek kisses when greeting. Its mostly southern european thing but still. There is this saying in Finland that goes "Everyone has their own safety coffee cup" meaning the closest distance someone should get to you should not be closer than your coffee cup when you're holding it.
sofacushionfort 3 years ago
Japan: “please don’t put your spitty lips on my cheek, your dirty hand in mine, or your dirty shoes on my floor.”
WonderWoman 3 years ago
I dislike touching at all in greeting, have we learned nothing from covid? You stay in your space, and I stay in mine.
burncreek 3 years ago
Couldn't have said it any better. I don't consider it rude not to shake hands. A verbal greeting will do just perfectly fine. :-)
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Mr. Sourcrowd 🧐 3 years ago (edited)
My french friends told me that technically your lips don't touch the other's cheek. They call it bisous. There are also regional differences: Some people give you two, and some give you three cheek kisses and it's really awkward if you're not synchronized 😳
Marcos Valencia 3 years ago
Spaniard here. Nobody will "force" you to give/receive two kisses.We perfectly understand that there are different cultures. So, when in Spain, if you feel uncomfortable, just shake hands. By the way, creepiest attitudes with the infamous 2 kisses come from north-european guys who don't understand (or don't want to understand) that it's more a slight touch with the cheek, instead of than a proper kiss (only your parents and grandparents are going to really kiss you). Spanish girls often need a towel after being 2-kissed by a Nord-European guy (because, magic!, when it's about guys kissing girls, then such culture trend is no longer a problem at all).
Aileen Grist 3 years ago
In the UK we usually either air kiss near a person or touch cheeks if you know them
Disco Hippie 3 years ago
Apply for a Visa and you are welcome :) (don't know where you are from)
Load More Replies... #20
As an American who has spent 1 week in Italy, and only 5 weeks outside the Southern U.S., this probably says more about us, but yalls roads are so damn small, and yall drive bats**t crazy though an 8 foot wide street with 20 people on the side. Hell, most vehicles where Im from couldnt fit in there.
Becky Samuel 3 years ago
Yeah, we know how wide and how long our cars are. Your vehicles are ridiculously oversized and killing the planet.
mandy the capibara 3 years ago
Come on, let's not turn everything into USA bashing. Let's face it, in some regions, locals do drive like racehorses on acid on these tiny mountain roads, and the accident stats show that they don't always do so succesfully.
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Pansexual Child of Hades 3 years ago
Oh yes you should. I can hear the Hyderabadi traffic from the 7th floor right now
Load More Replies... Jay Son 3 years ago
There's a huge difference in getting a driver license too, though. I have both an EU and US license and the US license was ridiculously easy to obtain in comparison. Not to mention it's way cheaper.
Florence O'Grady 3 years ago
How does one get an EU license? One day I would like to visit Italy first and then travel to other countries.
Load More Replies... Becky Samuel 3 years ago
Why bother trotting out this cheap old body-shaming "joke" for the millionth time?
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Esme Weatherwax 3 years ago
I was driving a Canadian friend around Wiltshire and they thought some of the roads were only single track. They nearly laid an egg when we encountered a car coming the other was.
In the doghouse 3 years ago
Many places in the U.K. the road really is a single lane, with turnoffs. Someone has to back up to make way. Also ran into it in Ireland. And in Norway. And one side of the narrow road is planted densely with very scratchy bushes.
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Mildly Annoyed Penguin 3 years ago
Oh, I agree with this one. I've found that the locals generally know how you can and cannot drive with a car in specific roads. On the other hand, they generally don't mind if you drive more careful. Those were my experiences in Ireland, Cyprus, Spain and Italy anyway. I must confess I did not have the balls to rent a car in Greece. Traffic looked a little too hectic in Athens.
Vix Spiderthrust 3 years ago
I don't know if it's still true, but when I was a kid Athens was so congested you were only allowed to drive on alternate days (based on your number plate).
Load More Replies... Auntriarch 3 years ago
Hehehe driving down a country lane, my friend asked if I was sure it was a road and not someone's driveway. I replied that it really was a road, and a bus route at that
Robert T 3 years ago
It's a main road if it's got a green line (of grass) down the middle. ;-)
Load More Replies... #21
Norwegians don't close their curtains when it gets dark.
Michael Largey 3 years ago
You don't need curtains to discourage strangers from standing outside your house when you have night temperatures like they do in Norway.
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 3 years ago
Ah,... that makes me remember "the girl with the matchsticks" (Den lille Pige med Svovlstikkerne). Broke my poor little children-heart when I first read it. Heart's still broken to this day.
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Mat Hall 3 years ago
Lived in the Netherlands for a while, and it seems to be the same deal there. Combine this with the common architectural style of big windows and the fact that most houses are built right up to the pavement, and walking around at night feels kind of awkward - it's almost impossible to *not* stare in everyone's windows as you go.
OffKeySinger 3 years ago
Is it normal to sometimes see your neighbor having sexy time?
Load More Replies... Ivana Bašić 3 years ago
Belgians don't, either. Found it so weird, now I've stopped doing it, too. No one cares.
Petra Schaap 3 years ago
huh?? Ithink you met Dutch people living in Belgium!
Load More Replies... Okatango 3 years ago
Canadian here: I do same. I like seeing the stars and I love waking up to first sunshine rays in the morning
Poeha 3 years ago
But no curtains at night? Canada is cold. Noone can look inside my window in this flat, but I have curtains to keep the heat and cold out.
Load More Replies... EP 3 years ago
People walking by your house can see you and everything you are doing inside your house. You have zero privacy at night if your curtains or blinds aren’t drawn bc when the lights are on inside and it’s dark outside. You can’t see out but everyone Can see in. Zero privacy.
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Chrissie Anit 3 years ago
I think it might have something to do with religion, specifically with Calvinism, a form of Protestantism. It was widespread in e.g. the Netherlands and one of the rules was to not have curtains, because "you don't have to hide anything, do you?"
EP 3 years ago
It’s interesting that wanting privacy can be translated to having something to hide. Maybe I want to walk around in less clothing than I want the people driving by outside to see! You lose your personal freedom to do whatever you want in your own space if you have to worry about what other people will see. (Easily could not want others to see something that isn’t criminal but is just personal to you.)
Load More Replies... #22
Eurovision Song Contest 📺
Trond Øien 3 years ago
We think it's weird too. It's sort of the whole point of it in a way :D
Caroline Nagel 3 years ago
Even though I know all the songs will be c**p I watch every year. It's a tradition.
Loki’s Lil Butter Knife 3 years ago
It’s thoroughly bizarre, cringey, and campy, but so much fun! If you need a good laugh or a bit of strange in your day just type in “weirdest Eurovision songs” into Google and go for a wild ride.
hayleyfrancesca_1 3 years ago
It started initially as a completion to unite war torn Europe after the 2nd World War. These days everyone just votes for their neighbours. After Brexit most people hate us in the UK. But think we actually did pretty well last year!
Robert T 3 years ago
The weirdest part (apart from seeing what Finland has cooked up this year) is that Australia is allowed to enter. That's the one with the kangaroos and didgeridoos. The one with lederhosen and horns is a given, though they never seem to do very well.
AustrianGirl 3 years ago
I think that's kind of on purpose. The one time we won in the last couple of years, we kind of struggled to find a place to accommodate everything that's needed. A lot of people were mad because the GIS (TV taxes) was already really expensive for the quality of program and they were rightfully worried it would get worse so they could pay for the Eurovision song contest.
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Caroline Sinclair 3 years ago
It is unacceptable, bordering on illegal, to not love the European Song Contest, but it is obligatory to deride it at the same time!
#23
Germans stare a LOT. Like they will just gaze at you unflinchingly. An American will wait until you can’t see them doing it.
agi 3 years ago
Maybee you gave them a reason to stare? Some people are just louder then the average German deems appropriate. I’ve stared at people, in an attempt to make them realize they are behaving inappropriate in some way ...without having to talk to them.
Yoga Kitty 3 years ago
If staring alone does not help, I will next raise one single eyebrow, then start shaking my head as well. Yes, Germans let other people know if we do not agree with their behaviour. If you do not believe me try jaywalking in front of some kids and their parents or guardians...
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Show thyself 3 years ago
Mostly when my friends and I are accused to staring we just kind of zoned out. But yes, we like to observe. Maybe you have an interesting item on you, or we try to sort out the dialect... But more possible, we zoned out, thinking about something completely unrelated.
Pixie 3 years ago
Huh? I never noticed me doing this, and now I wonder if I do it unconsciously or (hopefully) be polite enough to not do it.
RenaMoonlight 3 years ago
Don't worry about it! As someone explained above, some Germans tend to do it when people are misbehaving. You know, that disapproving, annoyed stare when someone listens to music on their speakers in the public. I've otherwise never encountered people staring at others in Germany, unless it was some weird creeps or old people again, disapproving of the behavior or appearances of some younger people.
Load More Replies... Nitka Tsar 3 years ago
German here: we do not do it because there is something wrong with you. We are just extremely curious. Too shy to say anything, but not to shy to look. Especially if you look or sound different to what we are used to. And it is extremely difficult for us not to do so, even if we know that YOU might think it‘s uncomfortable.
Leo Domitrix 3 years ago
Yes. Americans are loud, Germans stare like they're hunting you. My friends in Germany claim it's not staring, it's "daydreaming".
Ches Yamada 3 years ago (edited)
No American I've seen waits! I get stared at plenty, and I'm not bragging about that. I usually stare back and even go so far as to say "was there something you wanted to ask?" It comes from my being a non traditional woman and shaving my head/short hair or not wearing loads of makeup, etc. And it's usually older men that, I think, aren't sure if I'm a guy or not despite my breasts and carrying a handbag big & heavy enough to be a weapon of mass destruction.
#24
the absolute lack of air conditioning even at 40°, german transport gets sticky and stinky quite fast and nobody seems to care, many people even shut the windows to avoid the "annoying breeze"
Roe Rainrunner 3 years ago (edited)
Sorry, there are stops every two minutes and the climated air would be let out and warm air gets in - this is such a waste of energy and it wouldn't even change anything... Also germans do not have AC in general, so people already smell before entering the bus or subway. Also we are tough cookies and just don't care.
Luna W. 3 years ago
Most Germans I know DO care. With the summers getting hotter and longer, public transportation is extremely unpleasant, especially during rush hours...
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Natalie Bohrteller 3 years ago (edited)
I care. I hate it. Something the US is doing right, AC
PaddleChica 3 years ago
Why is the world are you getting downvoted for expressing an opinion. This site is getting extremely nasty lately to people if they express an opinion contrary to the majority. With the summers getting hotter and hotter in the UK I agree that I would also love AC.
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Andrea Josipović 3 years ago
Here in Balkan, people will lose ther minds if you open a window. The breeze is a killer who must be stoped. No one is safe! It cought me a couple of times, serious stuff...
Claudia Schmid 3 years ago
That's changing though as it's getting hotter and hotter AC is becoming more widespread. But yes, the German fear of "Zugluft" is legendary
Pixie 3 years ago
Some city trains have "air conditioning" now, and because if that you can't open the windows any more. Said "air conditioning" cools the temperature by 3°C
Jellicle bat 3 years ago
This seems like a case for Stoßlüften-mann and his assistant The-kid-that-can-open-the-windows-in-the-bus
Brazen 3 years ago (edited)
I encountered this, it is not pleasant at all. The merging scents of all those sweaty people set off my asthma and I had to exit the bus early and walk the rest of the way home. It's been over 30 years and I don't think I'll forget what that was like. I edited it to add that it was because of a convention going on in my city...a lot of German folks attended.
Scrapiechick 3 years ago
Ahhh that lovely warm blast of air if you manage to get near a window
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#25
Italians will pay for garbage taxes, then throw the garbage on the streets, only to pay other taxes for garbage cleaning and collection. Then the collected garbage gets sold at cost-free to Germans, who burn the garbage and turn it into electricity, which gets sold back to italians (not for free).
Любка Карова 3 years ago
Burning the garbage is not free and it also makes the air really bad.
Mária Dusová 3 years ago
We have a garbage incinerator plant in our city and you don´t really smell anything even when you are right in front of it. When you have modern technology and filters, burning garbage is the best way.
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Kayjunmoon 3 years ago
I really, really have to say this is a horrible thing to say. I know some big Italian cities have had rubbish problems but not anywhere near what this comment implies. I pay 300 euros per year for rubbish collection. Six days a week, even Christmas Day, my sorted rubbish is collected. Not Sundays. 3 days for organic! 1 day plastic/glass 1 day general and 1 day paper/metal. Italian towns are autonomous in most of their upkeep, devolution is part of why the cities keep their identities and language. The comment above is unfair to the majority of Italians and Italian cites which are clean.
AndersM 3 years ago
I'm so glad to hear that. My knowledge about this subject is from news and tv and always tells the story about south Italy and their garbage problems. The mafia burning or bury it. And pictures of garbage in Napoli. So again. Your comment made me really glad!
Load More Replies... Giovanna 3 years ago
Please don't generalise. Not all Italians do this. Many cities in Italy have a very high percentage of recycling. My city has a nearly 90% percentage of garbage recycling for instance.
Emmydearest 3 years ago
Exactly. A simple Google search would have shown we are first in Europe for recycling. First.
Load More Replies... Emmydearest 3 years ago
Here in Italy we have a very high functioning garbage collection and recycling system. I'm aware it's not all the same, in some cities and places things don't work up very well but generally speaking we are in first place for waste (regular and special) recycling. And definitely way way better than the US in this field 😀
pebs 3 years ago (edited)
Whoever wrote this comment knows little about Italy, since, except in some specific parts of certain regions, it is a clean country where people don't "throw the garbage on the streets". I suspect that whoever wrote it is German, a people who obsessively respect the rules at home, then when they go on vacation to Italy they think they have the right to let off steam by breaking the laws, such as speed limits and the ban on throwing garbage on the streets, just to mention a couple.
Chrissie Anit 3 years ago
Wow, this turned into a Germany-bashing commenty really quickly!!
Load More Replies... Undercover 3 years ago
In our region of Italy, the disposal of certain sorts of garbage is free (paper, glass, tins, plastic wrapping, plastic containers, small electronics, oils...) . Every household has just to pay for residual waste that doesn't match any of the recycling-materials.
Surfing Panda 3 years ago
Actually a large part of our city taxes (in my city) are paid when we buy our garbage bags. And the garbage will not be picked up if it's not in the official garbage bag. I do not know how selective the garbage is picked up in the US. But here we have general garbage, PMD (plastic, metal, brikpacks), paper&cardboard, GFT (vegetables, fruit, garden waste). All other stuff (Styrofoam, electrical appliances, tyres, old unreusable clothing, batteries, lamps, kitchen oil & grease, garage oil, etc...) are brought to the containerpark. At least by the responsible citizens. The unresposible *ssholes just ditch it in nature. We've become quite proficient in recycling.
#26
Having the light switch outside the bathroom
Somebodys grandmother 3 years ago
We do turn the light on before we use the bathroom...
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Ruth Kennedy 3 years ago
Voltage is 230v and there are (were? Still required here) safety regulations about how close a switch or outlet can be to water, so you tend to find switches outside the bathroom or a pull cord inside.
mcborge1 3 years ago
I would imagine it's still the majority of houses that have these here in the UK. Every house i've lived in and most bathrooms i've visited have had a ceiling pull cord. :)
Load More Replies... Robert T 3 years ago
Standard electrical code in the UK. Wet hands and switches make for electric shocks. It either has to be outside or a cord pull on the ceiling. No sockets other than shaver sockets. Light fittings have to have varying degrees of waterproofing depending upon how close they are to showers etc. Definitely doesn't apply in other European countries, such as Poland, where it is quite common to find a washing machine in the bathroom.
GFSTaylor 3 years ago
In the UK you can have a washing machine in the bathroom, subject to certain regulations. It must be more than a meter away from the bath, but can be closer to a sink. It must either be plugged in outside the bathroom, or have a special socket, if I remember the last part correctly. It's a few years since I looked up the regs, so they could have changed since.
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Exquisite Spam 3 years ago (edited)
Given the weird state of the US electrical system (dangerous plugs, 120V on two phases, etc.) of course they would put a switch inside the room that gets damp. I think it's a legal requirement to have the switches outside bathrooms for new builds in the UK.
Invisible Man 3 years ago
Pull cord light switches are still legal in new builds and still being used. It's reassuring that a child with wet hands isn't going to be touching a light switch wherever it's located.
Load More Replies... Mildly Annoyed Penguin 3 years ago
I can pretty safely state that I never noticed such a trend in the Netherlands, Belgium or Germany. You open the door, the light switch is inside the bathroom.
Jiminy 3 years ago
I know many bathrooms in Germany where the lightswitch is outside. But they mostly have second light (often above the mirror) for which the switch is inside.
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Steve Kenney 3 years ago
This is not just European thing. I live in Canada and my current residence has the bathroom light switch outside the bathroom.
Debby Keir 3 years ago
Safety reasons - we also have special light fittings in the bathroom that can withstand spray/mist/steam etc.
Rob Williams 3 years ago
It's the kitchen that has the light switch outside in our house. I had an American friend staying last month and we came home from the shops to find the fridge switched off. She had panicked and flicked every switch she could find to try and put the light on!
#27
It’s always baffled me just like how normal it is to just, go to another country. Like for me it’s such a big deal and to go to literally any country but one it’s a long plane flight. Europeans can just drive an hour right into another country for a day trip.
Also the fact that my country is bigger than all of Europe also baffles me.
Gustav Gallifrey 3 years ago
Australians have to go to another continent if they want to go to another country.
Joey Marlin 3 years ago
Why does it baffle you? Honestly, it's not that hard a concept to grasp that countries are different sizes. Some are small and some are huge - like Russia.
blixten1982 3 years ago (edited)
It's a gift to be able to look at the world and find ordinary things to be extraordinary. And it's naive to think that something simple can't be paradoxically baffling as well.
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UKGrandad 3 years ago
Assuming that the writer of this one is American, I have bad news. The USA is 3,796,742sq miles, Europe is 3,930,000sq miles. If the comment is by an Australian; fair point well made.
Skulduggery Pheasant 3 years ago
When my parents lived in Canterbury, they went to France for the day.
Liam Walsh 3 years ago
I used to go to Nice for the day from the South of England - it's wonderful to be able to have that luxury.
Load More Replies... gerard julien 3 years ago
" Also the fact that my country is bigger than all of Europe also baffles me." EUROPE : Area :10,180,000 km2 (3,930,000 sq mi) USA : Area : 3,796,742 sq mi (9,833,520 km2) As usual an american confusing Europe with the European Union ! RUSSIA IS PART OF EUROPE DUDE ! (Europe is divided into about fifty sovereign states, of which Russia is the largest and most populous).
Mel The Axolotl 3 years ago
They never said they were from America though?
Load More Replies... Hugh Cookson 3 years ago
The US is not larger than Europe .... more stupid, more desperate to please, less aware of pretty much everything and myriad other stuff, but not larger. Homework is obviously something this poster didn't do too well either. x
Tye Williams 3 years ago
Fun European fact, Lithuania has a website that hates on Americans. Btw, my lineage is from across the pond. Go Three Lions!
#28
Coins being a useful form of currency.
I was walking around with a huge quantity of coins clinking about, and had no idea how to organize and carry them on my person. I bought my first *coin pouch*. the Czech Republic and their hefty medieval coins was a wild learning curve.
Sofie Andersson 3 years ago
That doesn´t sound european to me. We pay with cards mostly and Sweden is a cashless society. Some countries might still use cash a lot though compare to other countries, like germany for example.
Andrew 3 years ago
I think what is been referenced here is the actual value of said coins. In the USA the largest coin is the quarter or 25cents. Whereas alot of EU countries have 1 euros or possibly even 2 euro coins. In the US the 1 dollar is a bill. And there used to be a 2 dollar bill but it's out of circulation now and rather rare.
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Joey Marlin 3 years ago
Haven't carried coins on me in years. Contactless payments all the time - pay on my mobile phone or even my smart watch these days (no restrictions like contactless with cards). I do carry an emergency £20 in notes on me out of habit but coins, nope.
Timmy Pillinger 3 years ago
UK coins are carefully designed to allow the blind to use them. 1p, 2p and £2 are round (£2 is much thicker), 20p and 50p have seven sides, and £1 has 12 sides. The many sided coins have curved sides where the centre of the curve is the opposite corner so that they roll nicely in vending machines.
Rosie Hamilton 3 years ago
Very true plus the cards have a dip in one side to make payment easier - blind people also find paying by contactless a lot easier.
Load More Replies... Pixie 3 years ago
When I got my first Euro coins back when it was introduced I felt a bit like a pirate with a gold treasure, because they were so much heavier than our previous currency
Pixie 3 years ago
And I still remember, my first non-german Euro coin was an italian 1€ with daVincis Vetruvin man on the back
Load More Replies... Magpie 3 years ago
Rural Australian here, ( kangaroos not Austria) Since the pandemic it is rare to use any paper or coin money. BUT laundromat, Most vending machines still take coins.
Mona Stevenson 3 years ago (edited)
Some places in France (e.g. bakeries) have payment machines for coins that automatically count and sort. A convenient way to get rid of coins.
Load More Replies... Ivana Bašić 3 years ago
This really changed since the pandemic, much less cash now. I only keep some for the markets, although even there you can pay by card. And the coins for public toilets, of course.
LOL It's me 3 years ago
As a Czech my wallet is full of coins, there are some shops that dont accept cards, and when you go shopping and you want a cart you have to put coins in it to take it, also i buy coffee everyday at work for coins
Nicole Weymann 3 years ago
Many Germans (me included). Except for gas stations (always cashless) 8 cases out of 10 I pay cash. 💁♀️ Most other people's ratio is a lot lower, especially since Corona started, but cashless we're not (yet).
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Jeroen de Wijn 3 years ago
Nonsense from the last century. Nobody uses paper or coins anymore, everything goes contactless.
Nicole Weymann 3 years ago
Not in Germany 💁♀️ more than before the virus, but we still love our coins and bills
Load More Replies... #29
Whenever I visit Europe one thing that stands out is the smoking. It’s wayyyy more popular and accepted there than in the US. And also personal space. AND WTF IS UP WITH THE SHOWERS. Every hotel I’ve stayed at in Europe had some weird a*s shower.
UKGrandad 3 years ago
Americans: Hey, smoking's really dangerous. That sh!t can kill you. Also Americans: God bless the 2nd. Amendment.
Jan Bowyer 3 years ago
Not ALL Americans like that ancient amendment that has been abused and perverted. It's one of the main reasons the USA has so many gun deaths.
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Sofie Andersson 3 years ago
The amount of smoking depends on what country you are visiting. In Sweden it´s not so common any more and it´s banned in public places.
Pixie 3 years ago
In Germany the tabac lobby paid the politicians well, so it took a long time for anti smoking rules and laws to be implemented
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Kip Kip 3 years ago
It may be off topic, but can someone explain why shower heads in the US are always placed at the exact height to rinse someone's neck. American people aren't that small either. Always have to bend down to wash my hair. And when on it, what's up the large amount of water in a low toilet. It always feels like I am passing in a swimming pool
Tai Dallen 3 years ago (edited)
Most can be easily swapped to handheld in ~5 mins. Lots of people in the US swap their shower head to a handheld. Pretty much any decent sized store in the states sells handheld options starting as low as ~$10.
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CD King 3 years ago
Ya, the detachable shower head just sits in the bottom of the tub so you have to rinse yourself, put the shower head back in the bottom of the tub, lather and then pick back up the shower head and and rinse. It's annoying, cold and you feel extremely vulnerable. I hated that Just fix the shower head to the wall and put up a shower curtain for god sakes!!
Edda Kamphues 3 years ago
What's wrong with our showers??? When I stayed in NYC, the entire bathroom had pink carpet and I was basically standing in the window showering. No blinds or curtains.. THAT'S weird!
pat hayes 3 years ago
good god! what yr was that?...pink carpet? 60's or 70's ? NO ONE does carpet in a bathroom! gross😢😵
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Apatheist Account2 3 years ago
It's reducing (thankfully) in the UK. There have even been moves to ban the sale of tobacco completely.
Tunk 3 years ago
I wonder if you will find something to replace it with quickly to wring hands over.
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Hollie Laird Baez 3 years ago
I too am desiring more info on what Europe's showers look like. Mines now is like every single other Americans but a better shower head. Like what does a shower look like from the getting and showering to the getting out? I wanna know.
Scrapiechick 3 years ago
Or mixer taps like this are fitted to baths or the wall and draw heated water from your heating system....https://www.screwfix.com/p/mira-atom-ev-rear-fed-exposed-chrome-thermostatic-mixer-shower/325fr
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#30
Why the f**k. Does everything close so early
Redpen88 3 years ago
What's that like? Existing outside one's occupation? This is something Americans are terrible at
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Ivana Bašić 3 years ago
It's called workers' rights and having a life. We work to live, we don't live to work.
LinkTheHylian 3 years ago
We have this thing called a social life. Well, not me personally, but many others do.
Mildly Annoyed Penguin 3 years ago
That depends on where you live. In more rural communities, most non-essential shops close at 6 or 7, supermarkets at 8 or 9. In cities, you might encounter longer opening hours, though it's not very common. People who work in stores have lives.
Happy Panda 3 years ago
I didn't think big countries would have the same closing hours as my small country so this is very surprising! We also closes at like 8 or 9, at most 10 and most people are already at home by 8, for me, a person that does not have much social life I am already at home by 6 :D
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Crunchy Swiffer Wetjet 3 years ago
Because in America our workdays end late so we have to shop late after work
Load More Replies... Show thyself 3 years ago
Dunno, closingtime at 8, 9 or 10pm for a grocer isn't that early - but that's only my opinion. ||| For late night snacks - buy some during opening hours, visit the gas-station or use, if possible, the "späti"/"spätverkauf" ("latey"/"late-night-market"). The latter is a great place to meet old & new friends
Mildly Annoyed Penguin 3 years ago
We have a few shops like that around here, "nachtwinkels" or night shops. They usually sell sweets, snacks, sodas and alcohol, and maybe a few essentials in case you run out of something at night.
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Sasy 3 years ago
This is probably way more intense an answer for this, but as soon as I read this and thought about the difference something occurred to me. These countries actually experienced Wars, it was right there, not something you flew to or sailed to. The idea of having to have your business open past dark in any situation during or after that kind of experience would definitely not feel normal. Again I am thinking too far into it I am sure, but it is the first time I have ever thought that way about those basic things other countries take for granted.
Gremlan jonnson 3 years ago
I'm sorry this is kind of cute really. Stores that don't provide necessities don't close early because we're scared to be out after dark, I'd say we're safer in most parts of Europe than in the us, it's because workers have to be fairly compensated both in salary and vacation/off time. No one wants to sell you stupid c**p in the late evening because we'd rather have a life than work all the time
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Raphael Biock 3 years ago
Because you dont have to buy a new t-shirt at 3am to survive. Supermarkets are often open until 10pm even in smaller towns here in Germany( not Bavaria). In bigger cities it's sometimes 12pm. When I was in San Franscico this year even in dowtown shops were closed at 8pm. So I think, it really depends on where you are...
Любка Карова 3 years ago
Depends on where. In Sofia, Bulgaria, everything ia open until at least 9 pm. Non stop stores are also common. But not in the other cities in the country.
Boreddd🇺🇦 3 years ago
Yeah, same in Romania. When I visited Austria I was shocked because the stores closed like 3 hours earlier than here and were also closed on weekends
Load More Replies... #31
Monarchies. They're creepy, and the reverence is weird.
Headless Roach 3 years ago
Not really. But the kind where you feel you have to go out waving a huge äss flag, yelling "LOOK AT ME, I'M A BETTER PATRIOT THAN YOU ARE" is.
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DaisyGirl 3 years ago
Unlike the full-blown crazy of US patriots sometimes called republicans who dictate what a woman can and can't do with her body, yeah monarchies are real creepy
Elio 3 years ago
Yeah most of the monarchies and assorted royalty seem more chill than what we get in the US for politicians sometimes.
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Christophe Beunens 3 years ago
to be honest, I prefer to have a king, as representative head, without any power, and the power with government, as 1 person who could declare a nuclear war just on his own.
Matthew Wilkins 3 years ago
Brit here and I don't hold our royal family in high esteem at all and I think the reverence they get is weird too and a huge number of us feel the same way. I reckon they generate a lot of free PR for Britain so the cost in keeping them is probably worth it, with the tourist foot fall they gain for us.
Joey Marlin 3 years ago
The tourist thing is untrue. Visit Britain (organisation who pushes the royal family as a tourist draw) have admitted that they cannot quantify any uplift in tourism due to the royals except in special events like weddings and jubilees (which aren't that common). Then it is a VERY small percentage something like 1% increase to tourism and is not worth what you would think. When surveys are conducted people never say they have come to the UK to see the royals. It is culture - theatre, arts, the architecture, the countryside etc. The palaces and castles would get MORE tourists if more could be seen (Palace of Versailles proves this). It's a message deliberately put out to quiet people when they start to question the point of them as they know most people won't investigate it. I did. It doesn't hold any water when looked into deeply.
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Chris Jones 3 years ago
You still have the politicians in charge - trust them or not! The royal family have nothing to do with it! They may appoint the PM as a ceremonial function, but they have no say whatsoever in who they are.
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RoanTheMad 3 years ago
if this comes from America, I'm calling hypocrisy... flags are literally everywhere in the US, and you're one of the only countries that swear allegiance to their flag every morning at school. I find that weird. (and whilst we have monarchies, not all of us want them. I was sad Queen Elizabeth II died, but it was more of a thing that she had been a constant figure in peoples lives than the fact she was a royal, i think it should be abolished now xP)
Roland Nijveld 3 years ago (edited)
Not as weird as pledging toward a flag daily or having mega churches with broadcasts on TV. Yes Monarchies are old and not from this time but hey, who has a king that is just an airline pilot in his free time? Bet no American President ever did that
#32
Nude beaches.
LinkTheHylian 3 years ago
Europe: Nude beaches. America: F**k that, I'mma head to the prude beach!
Xenon 3 years ago
Well, we were founded by Puritans for the most part so the prudishness kind of stuck around. I think we're starting to finally get over it, I hope.
Load More Replies... Sonja 3 years ago
Being naked is generally not illegal in Germany, unless you actively harass people by flaunting it in their faces or invading their space. Just existing naked is not illegal in many European countries. This caused a mot of disturbances when immigrants from stricter cultures tried to report on women sunbathing with naked chests just to find out that laying bare breasted on the ground in a park is definitely legal and you'll get arrested if you take this as an invitation.
RoanTheMad 3 years ago
I fail to see how basic biology is something so terrifying. That said, I'm also self conscious about my body, so it's not something I'd do. xD
Yoga Kitty 3 years ago
Not having a wet bathing suit cling to you is wonderful - remember, it is not that hot in Germany - you dry and warm up so much quicker!
#33
Eggs aren't put in the fridge here in Europe, but we still have the little egg shaped fridge shelves.
Max85 3 years ago
It's because they're not washed before selling. Since the shell is porous, if washed you must keep them at low temperature to avoid bacterial proliferation. But most of the time eggs are kept in the fridge at home.
Luna W. 3 years ago
Yep, sometimes they still have small feathers, hay, or dirt stuck on them, especially if you buy them on the farmers' market. I still store them in the fridge, in their original packaging.
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Kip Kip 3 years ago
Eggs in Europe generally are not washed. They are kept clean by the way the farmer holds his chickens (regular cleaning, dedicated are to lay eggs for example). Eggs come naturally with a protective film that keeps bacteria from entering, which will preserve the egg. When washed off, the egg loses this barrier and needs to be chilled to keep it from spoiling. The egg shaped fridge shelves are there for people that don't know this and honestly I think the fridge manufacturer just sees it as a very cheap accessory that makes hisbfridge look more luxurious. Most of them today are lay-ins so you can just toss that and use the shelve for something that needs to be kept in the fridge.
Joey Marlin 3 years ago
I have never had a fridge with an egg-shaped fridge shelf. I remember ones from my childhood did but neither of the two fridges I have now (small under counter one in kitchen and large fridge freezer in utility room) have egg shaped fridge shelves.
#34
Toilets that have what I like to call, "the s**t-shelf." [Here's an example.](https://i0.wp.com/farm9.staticflickr.com/8105/8494975833_cab59f8bdd_n.jpg) When you use a toilet like this, everything just kind of *lies there.* Almost like you're intended to carefully *examine* what you just produced before you flush.
Jill Hojnacki 3 years ago
You are. That’s why they’re made that way. The whole point is so that you can examine the consistency, shape, color, abnormalities, etc. and tell your doctor about changes and abnormalities. Whether or not doctors today are quite as interested in that as they were in times past is, perhaps, debatable, but that’s why there’s a shelf, nonetheless.
Philly Bob 3 years ago
I always thought it was so that your "deposits" don't splash back up on your butt... seriously!
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Rob Williams 3 years ago
It is to give you time to stop panicking and remember that you ate that mountain of beetroot last night.
TotallyNOTaFox 3 years ago (edited)
Very usefull if you have to take samples for lab screenings though
RoanTheMad 3 years ago
ah, those German toilets? they're not really as common now, at least not in my experience.
René Sauer 3 years ago
To be honest, I am not sure these kinds of toilets are even produced anymore. I think most of them are going the way of the dodo
PolymathNecromancer 3 years ago
Way of the doodoo..... sorry couldn't help myself
Load More Replies... Magpie 3 years ago
These are from when "we" ( medical science) did not know what caused stomach ulcers which is Helicobacter pylori bacterium or anti-inflammatory medication, not stress or poor diet as once thought.
Magpie 3 years ago (edited)
Observing the "early" signs of black pooh were essential for diagnosis. And even then the treatment was not very accurate. And people died.
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#35
How common pickpockets are there compared to the rest of the world
Literallyaeasybakeoven 3 years ago
Hey man, I get that the US is awful, I live there for f***s sake. But this list is meant to be a lighthearted “ha ha Europe is kinda weird to people who don’t live there” and there you are on every item in this list bringing up Americas gun violence problem. We f*****g know, it sucks and it’s terrifying how little our politicians are doing about it but that doesn’t mean we aren’t allowed to laugh a little about culture shocks.
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Mildly Annoyed Penguin 3 years ago
Isn't this mostly around tourist traps? I think the only Dutch city that has a major problem with pickpockets is Amsterdam, which is basically one big tourist trap dash urban hell.
Jay Son 3 years ago
I can think of a few more Dutch cities with warning signs. But you're right, the presence of tourists make it more likely.
Load More Replies... Edda Kamphues 3 years ago
At least we don't have mass shootings every other week. I can replace a wallet, I cannot replace a child's life.
crazy_stupid 3 years ago
Rome is bad for pickpockets, got stung there. Outstanding place to visit though.
Show thyself 3 years ago
I prefer my pockets picked to a gun pointing in my face. Less hurtfull and traumatising.
#36
Paying for water at a restaurant and honestly just the limited amount of water people drink. I always feel so incredibly dehydrated when I come back from Europe.
Dynein 3 years ago
Yeah. No-one's stopping you from filling a bottle with tap water and carrying it around. And maybe it's also a body adjustment thing? Europeans are shocked at the huge buckets of softdrink you can buy in the US; most of us can't imagine drinking that much in one day, let alone in one sitting! But if you're used to that, maybe your body is naturally more wasteful with water.
Load More Replies... Ashleigh O'Sullivan 3 years ago
I don't know where In Europe this person is, Maybe a Spanish island where you can't drink the tap water maybe?? but in Ireland our water is free? Unless u want bottled or sparkling, and bottled water is the biggest selling soft drink?
Ekaterina S 3 years ago
Is there even a Spanish island where the water is not drinkable?
Load More Replies... Sofie Andersson 3 years ago
I´m not sure about the rest of Europe, but in Sweden it´s only the bottled water that cost, tapwater is free.
Mildly Annoyed Penguin 3 years ago
Tapwater is free in restaurants and bars, that's in the law. Again, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Bottled water on the other hand...
Anthony Miles 3 years ago
Things that are mainly water: Coffee, tea, Soft drinks, beer. Most vegetables are 70%+ water. The idea that it's only water that hydrates you is one of those wierd ideas that most people accept as gospel.
Ryan Kennedy 3 years ago
It’s true. Europeans are just blah about tap water. Americans carry around fancy water bottles like they are trekking through the desert.
Ivana Bašić 3 years ago
Belgium, too, tap water free, only bottled you pay for. You just have to be specific when you ask.
#37
Their complacently with obnoxiously public drunks. Here in America we at least hide them in the place they got drunk, or inside a diner, or shove them in a taxi/rideshare and haul their a*s home.
LinkTheHylian 3 years ago
Not our problem. You wanna make a fool of yourself? Fine. You want my help? Pay me.
Show thyself 3 years ago
Bah. The aggressive ones are rare & and the others, most of the time just loud and quite professionally handled by their friends
Apatheist Account2 3 years ago
Unlike the US, our drunks aren't likely to have guns - more likely to start a fist fight.
Thegoodboi 3 years ago
Eh most Americans are like any other country when we get drunk. Most of us get drunk with each other and have a good time. It's the ones with personal issues that you have to look out for of course like anywhere so we do take their automobile keys haul them off into a ride share so nobody gets hurt. We do carry guns so we can protect ourselves from others who have guns and intend to do harm. It's a shame we have to do that and a lot of the times (not always) it's gangs and there's really no way to stop it. Much like illegal drugs, guns just find a way in to the country and we can't wait 5 mins or longer for authorities to arrive when there's danger. Please don't downvote me it's just the way it is sadly 😅
Huddo's sister 3 years ago
So having the mentality that you should hide your drinking is a good thing?
#38
All four wheels of the shopping carts swivel instead of only the front two. This makes it really difficult to turn it. If you try to turn it, it just keeps going straight but at an angle. To get it to actually turn, you have to use upper body strength to force it around a corner.
Matthew Thompson 3 years ago
I find them to be much more maneuverable. You can literally turn them in place without having to move forward to turn. I guess the trick is thinking of
Matthew Thompson 3 years ago
steering rather than pushing. It really takes a light touch.
Load More Replies... Ivana Bašić 3 years ago
And here I am cluelessly spinning my kid in those, not even realising what a heroic feat that is. 🤣
Mary Jeffries 3 years ago
The only ones in the US like that are at IKEA. Hurts my knees and elbows to keep recorrecting after a turn.
Roland Nijveld 3 years ago
Only the front wheels turn? Surely you mean the rears. Only the front would make it even more impossible to turn imo.
#39
Europeans! I love you! Please give me some f***ing ICE!
Pixie 3 years ago
Why, oh why do you want to water down your drink so badly? (just ask when ordering, most places will give you as much ice as you like)
Ace 3 years ago
Quite so, If I order a glass of coke I'd like the whole glass to be full of coke, TYVM.
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Matthew Wilkins 3 years ago
Brit here, don't water my drink down with a ton of ice, just serve it chilled please. I want the drink I paid for, not 50% frozen water.
Lizzie Smith 3 years ago
A 2011 study by the U.K. Health Protection Agency found enterococci and E. coli in 30 percent of ice samples taken from 88 establishments. A warm drink is a small price to pay.
Joey Marlin 3 years ago
Not a very recent study quite frankly or, at 88 establishments, very robust.... I always have ice in my drinks in the UK (unless drinking wine or a drink where it's not appropriate) and have never had a health problem occur due to enterococci or E.coli.
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Pixie 3 years ago
I think they mean ice in their drinks, in cafes and restaurants, not icecream. The ice/no ice/low ice discussion can be seen quite often
Load More Replies... #40
To an American or Canadian? The idea of becoming a citizen won't make you French, German or Swedish etc. You can live in France your entire life but because you were born in Syria never be seen as French. Being American or Canadian is an idea, anyone who even wants to be American will be considered American.
Becky Samuel 3 years ago
Hmmm. I'm not so sure that's how it works. Perfectly legal immigrants to the USA get showered with racist abuse, especially if they look Latine/Hispanic. Meanwhile so many people whose families have lived there for generations label themselves as ****-Americans.
Peeka_Mimi 3 years ago (edited)
We consider ourselves Mexican-Americans or Chicanos because despite being in Aztlan states (Colorado, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, and California) long before pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock we are still showered with racist abuse. So why do we want to be Americans when we've been subject to Genocide, Slavery, Lynching, land theft, etc etc. I hate this country and would leave if my kids and grandkids weren't here.
Load More Replies... Matthew Wilkins 3 years ago
Then why do you prefix American with Mexican or African etc. etc. even if they were born in the USA. In the UK, we have people from Indian descent that are seen as just British to some people but others won't consider them so because of their skin colour but the accepting people don't start off with a default position of they're Indian-British. What would you even call a black Brit who emigrated to the US - an African-American, I think they'd have a problem with that. I know a white African who went to the US and people kept telling him that he couldn't be from Africa as he was the wrong colour.
Russell Tilling 3 years ago
The only person who asked me (about an Indian-born woman) "British, but is she? Really?" was Polish. Our borders are so open and our hotels are so full of migrants in the UK that we can't build houses quick enough for them. 65m to 75m in a few decades.
Load More Replies... Laugh or not 3 years ago
Wrong : France has both droit du sang et droit du sol - blood right and land right - for citizenship. You can be French because at least one of your parents is French, or you can be French because you were born in France from non-French parents (need to ask before you are 18) or you can ask for citizenship after a certain number of years, or by marrying a French. It has become more difficult through the year to obtain French citizenship - thanks right wing politicians - but it is still possible.
patricia patricia 3 years ago
"race" is an outdated concept. There's no such thing as "human races"
Load More Replies... What do you think ?
mandy the capibara 3 years ago
I enjoyed the input of what foreigners find weird about Europe, thanks! I find it regrettable that some of the commenters turned it into unnessecary adversity. you don't have to respond to every observation with an unprovoked dig towards the USA. Shouting "yeah but you americans..." Just makes us seen like sore losers, let's not do that! I love being European, but like the US, Europe has its quirks and flaws too. And seeing how other people perceive our cultures is quite fun, and at best, you learn what might be improved.
Auntriarch 3 years ago
Yes this was a much more informative and balanced post than usual
Load More Replies... 
tinu o 3 years ago (edited)
Why are all the replies being so defensive? When bored panda posts stuff like this about the US, everyone supports even other Americans. There is nothing wrong with a little criticism, if people want to complain about paying for public bathrooms let them jeez, and I am not even from the US. P.S I also find buying the kitchen in rental house weird.
PaddleChica 3 years ago (edited)
I noticed that as well. If something negative was said about a specific European country some commenters got really defensive and would drag the US into it. Honestly, it’s a little disturbing and sad. Every country has its problems and unique quirks and flaws. BoredPanda users from the US have to constantly put up with their country getting bashed on this site every week, yet when European countries are the ones in question some commenters get defensive and continue to take digs at the US…example: “ we have pickpockets in Europe, but at least they don’t hold you at gunpoint like the US”. We should be more open to learning about cultural “quirks” . We are from all around the world here and that should be celebrated and enjoyed.
Load More Replies...
Alecto76 3 years ago
I like these types of articles of what Europeans find different about the US, what US people find different about other countries, and so on, but I don't think the title of any of these articles should be what is "weird" about another country/continent. "Weird" has a negative connotation. Nothing is weird, just different ways to do things in different parts of the world, which is interesting to learn about.
Vanessa Panerosa 3 years ago
After reading this my longing to live in Europe is even greater! ❤️ 🇪🇸 🥘
David A Paterson 3 years ago
First amazing thing on visiting Europe was how quiet the trains are. In Australia, with a train going through a tunnel you wonder whether your hearing is permanently or just temporarily impaired by the noise. Throughout western Europe the trains are whisper quiet. I had to go to Norway to find a noisy one.
Scott Baysinger 3 years ago
This was billed as "ways in which Europe is different" but immediately became a platform to criticize the United States. This relentless bitching is tiring.
M Kawai 3 years ago
Totally apparent! And Tunk, one of those guys who like to dish it out and can't take it huh? Every country has its highs and lows. And, sorry to inform you, you're representing your counties lows.
Load More Replies... David Leick 3 years ago
Why is there sooooooooo much Europe bashing BP!?!?!? Europe is the greatest continent in the world and has no problems whatsoever!!! /s
Exotic Butters 2 years ago
Say d no American ever. Get your insults straight moron.
Load More Replies...
Jayne 2 years ago
I wonder if the trope of "Europeans" as if we all had the same linguistic, cultural, political, social, economical, and other history grouping us all together will ever stop. But alas, as long as BP takes its content from other websites, it will not. Feel free to compare Slovakia to Germany, Spain, Norway, or Ireland, then get back to me about how we are all the same.
mandy the capibara 3 years ago
I enjoyed the input of what foreigners find weird about Europe, thanks! I find it regrettable that some of the commenters turned it into unnessecary adversity. you don't have to respond to every observation with an unprovoked dig towards the USA. Shouting "yeah but you americans..." Just makes us seen like sore losers, let's not do that! I love being European, but like the US, Europe has its quirks and flaws too. And seeing how other people perceive our cultures is quite fun, and at best, you learn what might be improved.
Auntriarch 3 years ago
Yes this was a much more informative and balanced post than usual
Load More Replies... tinu o 3 years ago (edited)
Why are all the replies being so defensive? When bored panda posts stuff like this about the US, everyone supports even other Americans. There is nothing wrong with a little criticism, if people want to complain about paying for public bathrooms let them jeez, and I am not even from the US. P.S I also find buying the kitchen in rental house weird.
PaddleChica 3 years ago (edited)
I noticed that as well. If something negative was said about a specific European country some commenters got really defensive and would drag the US into it. Honestly, it’s a little disturbing and sad. Every country has its problems and unique quirks and flaws. BoredPanda users from the US have to constantly put up with their country getting bashed on this site every week, yet when European countries are the ones in question some commenters get defensive and continue to take digs at the US…example: “ we have pickpockets in Europe, but at least they don’t hold you at gunpoint like the US”. We should be more open to learning about cultural “quirks” . We are from all around the world here and that should be celebrated and enjoyed.
Load More Replies... Alecto76 3 years ago
I like these types of articles of what Europeans find different about the US, what US people find different about other countries, and so on, but I don't think the title of any of these articles should be what is "weird" about another country/continent. "Weird" has a negative connotation. Nothing is weird, just different ways to do things in different parts of the world, which is interesting to learn about.
Vanessa Panerosa 3 years ago
After reading this my longing to live in Europe is even greater! ❤️ 🇪🇸 🥘
David A Paterson 3 years ago
First amazing thing on visiting Europe was how quiet the trains are. In Australia, with a train going through a tunnel you wonder whether your hearing is permanently or just temporarily impaired by the noise. Throughout western Europe the trains are whisper quiet. I had to go to Norway to find a noisy one.
Scott Baysinger 3 years ago
This was billed as "ways in which Europe is different" but immediately became a platform to criticize the United States. This relentless bitching is tiring.
M Kawai 3 years ago
Totally apparent! And Tunk, one of those guys who like to dish it out and can't take it huh? Every country has its highs and lows. And, sorry to inform you, you're representing your counties lows.
Load More Replies... David Leick 3 years ago
Why is there sooooooooo much Europe bashing BP!?!?!? Europe is the greatest continent in the world and has no problems whatsoever!!! /s
Exotic Butters 2 years ago
Say d no American ever. Get your insults straight moron.
Load More Replies... Jayne 2 years ago
I wonder if the trope of "Europeans" as if we all had the same linguistic, cultural, political, social, economical, and other history grouping us all together will ever stop. But alas, as long as BP takes its content from other websites, it will not. Feel free to compare Slovakia to Germany, Spain, Norway, or Ireland, then get back to me about how we are all the same.
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