Reading (For Dummies)

Yes, Germans are rude! Especially with line cutting...I've lost count how many times it's happened now. Even when I tell them that it is rude, most of them just smile like I'm crazy.

So today, it happened twice today and I was so aggravated that I decided to type into Google "Why are Germans rude?" and found your entry :-).

I lived in Germany for 1/3 of my life (age 21-31),my mother is german and so is my husband. All I can offer is that it is a cultural thing. Older people and people with children are always given 'cuts' and this is usually okay if you really think about it . All other age groups are arrogant and a few do it on purpose. Don't forget they are all living in very crowded conditions and in those circumstances a 'me first'attitude developes...remember also, the hours stores are open are not very convinient and there are always lines. When you no longer live there, you will miss it!

I am so with you people!! I am currently living in Germany and anxiously awaiting returning to the USA in a few months. We (my husband, dog, and I)have had so many negative experiences with Germans - it is really outrageous. I will share a short one. We were headed out on a Sat. morning for a weekend roadtrip and decided to stop at McDonalds for a quick bite. We got our food to go but once we got to the car decided to eat in the car so my husband wouldn't have to juggle food while driving with Germans! Not to mention the fact that McDonalds in Germany is not a pleasant place for us to eat as it is filled with cigarette smoke! Would you believe a guy and woman were looking for a parking spot -- the guy flashed his lights at us and then got out and knocked on our window asking us to move!! Loser!
Before I came here - I wondered how people Living in a modern, civilized world could commit such atrocities as they did in WWII. Living here has made me understand how it could happen.

Sharon -

I certainly won't go so far as to agree with you on war stuff. I think it's a far stretch and quite a bit on the inconsiderate side to relate WW2 occurences to what we as americans consider to be cultural politness.

I'm sure Europeans of a similar mindset would say the same things about us, ie "Americans never let you get in front of them while driving...I used to wonder how a country could commit mass genocide on the native inhabitants of the continent (ie Native Americans), now I see how it is possible." Every country has its dark side and its cultural quirks, I just found Germany's to be particularly interesting :).

I get the feeling that people take this entry way too seriously a lot of the time, though. Bummer that it's way at the top of Google searching...

Iam born and raised in ger now living in the usa with my military husband people here are friendly on the surface thats all and nobody cares about anybody else so what if they say excuse me for everything they dont take care of woman or children no health insurance no vaction when a child is sick kids left to themself because woman have to work three jobs to get by maby thats why you all have so many gangsters and disturbet people maby if you would all be a little more social whould help your great country alot more than saying excuse me in the store every two seconds...its always easy to point fingers when you dont want to see your own wrongdoings

Sorry for no sympathy Steph. You should cry about what your grandparents and possibly parents did. While they turned there backs or assisted, depending on their positions, millions of people were sent to their deaths in unspeakable ways. Beautiful, innocent children disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Some people believe that Germans didn't know this was happening - I don't buy it. I met others who think all of the nazis died in WWII. Faulty logic when you consider how many WWII vets are still alive -- the Nazis absolutely didn't all die in the war and they weren't all convicted of war crimes. My guess is they went on the have families and teach them a biased interpretation of the WWII and the holocaust. The germans today on a whole are not kind people and my guess is they weren't back then either. We all have to pay the price of the crimes committed in the past by our leaders. We must forgive but not forget -- we all cry about it.

Sorry for no sympathy Steph. You should cry about what your grandparents and possibly parents did. While they turned there backs or assisted, depending on their positions, millions of people were sent to their deaths in unspeakable ways. Beautiful, innocent children disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Some people believe that Germans didn't know this was happening - I don't buy it. I met others who think all of the nazis died in WWII. Faulty logic when you consider how many WWII vets are still alive -- the Nazis absolutely didn't all die in the war and they weren't all convicted of war crimes. My guess is they went on the have families and teach them a biased interpretation of the WWII and the holocaust. The germans today on a whole are not kind people and my guess is they weren't back then either. We all have to pay the price of the crimes committed in the past by our leaders. We must forgive but not forget -- we all cry about it.