6 ms·

Many, even mundane, things. Berlin apartments are a varying standard, many don't have district heating. Grocery stores closes early, aren't open on Sundays, hav

by uola 10y ago

Many, even mundane, things. Berlin apartments are a varying standard, many don't have district heating. Grocery stores closes early, aren't open on Sundays, have limited selection and don't accept credit cards (which I've heard is changing). It's fairly normal that the staff is 40+ and don't speak English. Mobile internet is expensive, you'll have to register and charging can take hours. Still uses paper tickets for most things. Overall Germany is more traditional, conservative and religious than Sweden and while Berlin might be an anomaly in Germany it's also the capital. Note that I don't think being ahead is necessarily a good thing and that much of the greatness of Berlin comes from being slightly crappy.

wolfgke 10y ago
> Grocery stores [...] aren't open on Sundays This has to do with the Ladenschlussgesetz (there is no proper English term for this) which usually forbids that. In particular the German FDP (a German party that is somewhere between liberal and libertarian) wants to abolish this law but the churches lobby for upholding it. I personally would abolish it as soon as possible. > Grocery stores [...] don't accept credit cards This is because merchants have to pay some amount for any credit card transaction. So they have good reasons not to accept them. In Europe there exists a much better system: EC cards. Use them instead if you really don't want to use cash (which is much more anonymous and thus should be prefered). > Still uses paper tickets for most things. If you imagine the data trail that non-paper tickets leave behind you, I would rather suggest to start using paper tickets wherever you live (Germans are much more concerned about protection of privacy (Datenschutzgesetz) because of having two dictatorships on German ground in the 20th century of which one was only abolished about 25 years ago).
- allendoerfer 10y ago
  While I am also against the Ladenschlussgesetzt, poor people in Germany have freetime and do not have to have three jobs to survive. It is a different culture.
  - denzil_correa 10y ago
    This is not the reason why churches are lobbying against the law though.
- drinchev 10y ago
  Facts. Although I would still argue about the credit cards. Most stores / restaurants don't accept EC ( Maestro ) ... They usually put a huge sign - "Cash only".
  - wolfgke 10y ago
    > Although I would still argue about the credit cards. Most stores / restaurants don't accept EC ( Maestro ) ... They usually put a huge sign - "Cash only". But if they don't accept EC cards, they surely won't accept credit cards. :-)
  - passiveincomelg 10y ago
    Interesting. To me it seems that "cash only" signs are an exception. Maybe we just go to different stores.
    - drinchev 10y ago
      Every second Späti around Mitte is cash only. Not to mention the face of a cashier, when you ask if you can pay with a card. One time they asked me to buy more than 10E products in order to do that.
      - passiveincomelg 10y ago
        Right, the 10€ limit is common and sucks.
- uola 10y ago
  While I appreciate the backstory, I don't really see how this is an argument for not being 10 years behind Stockholm. I mean EC cards are a good idea, but they aren't internationally viable nor even everywhere in Germany. Now when EU has regulated the fees other cards will start showing up. Mastercard/Visa is everywhere in Sweden (many stores have their own cards too of course), you really don't need cash. Privacy is of course laudable, but this seems more to be conservatism towards technology than actually implementing something different. If you would have said "we have this anonymous electronic payment system that works everywhere" I would have believed you. I've still had DB tickets in an app, so it's not like it doesn't exist.
  - mahyarm 10y ago
    It's a cost thing & a culture thing. Japan likes it's cash too. Sweden loves it's credit cards to a point where you can't use cash in some situations easily.
  - kayoone 10y ago
    i was born in Germnay and currently live in Berlin and share the frustration about credit cards or the fixation on cash. Adding to that is the fact that to get cash out of a machine that does not belong to your home bank usually costs you 2-5 EUR...imo it's a ridiculous scam scheme.
    - denzil_correa 10y ago
      Check out N26 - a German startup for banking.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
bogomipz 10y ago
Wait, what are you comparing Stockholm to Berlin or Stockholm to Germany? You seem to be doing both and that seems odd. Stockholm is far more conservative than Berlin. So housing, it's next to impossible to find housing in central Stockholm, even for Swedish citizens let alone, ex-pats. Berlin while seemingly becoming more difficult, it does not take years like it might in Stockholm. A pint of beer in the Stockholm is around $10-12 US and its probably not locally brewed. A wonderful local Pilsner in Berlin will cost you about $3 US. Central Stockholm is very segregated, Berlin not so much. How many late night places are there in central Stockholm 4 or 5? Galleries, museums, clubs and music venues, the arts in general? Berlin, hands down. Berlin seems to let you just have your fun as long as you aren't hurting anyone, Stockholm feels very regulated. Bike friendly city? Again Berlin. "Ahead" is relative.
- jkot 10y ago
  > wonderful local Pilsner in Berlin Pilsner is name of city in Czechia where this beer is made, everything else is just knock-off ;-)
  - elcapitan 10y ago
    Like any sandwich that isn't hand-made by the 4th Earl of Sandwich ;)
- mlent 10y ago
  Agreed -- parent seems to have a very selective view of what is "ahead" here -- and even so, Berlin is catching up.
- Nullabillity 10y ago
  So basically, go to Berlin if you're looking for active nightlife and cheap alcohol? Sounds more like a reason to get away ASAP.
  - naibafo 10y ago
    Why? It's not like people force you to go out and get wasted.
guruz 10y ago
> Grocery stores [...] aren't open on Sundays Then I suggest you don't go to any of the catholic South German states e.g. with Munich in Bayern: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laden%C3%B6ffnungszeit#.C3.9Cbersicht https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laden%C3%B6ffnungszeit#.C3.9Cb... It's worse :-)
passiveincomelg 10y ago
I live near Kaisers on Warschauer Straße, which closes on Saturday 11:30pm and opens on Monday 8am. Otherwise it's always open. Spätis are 24/7 and some have basic groceries in addition to booze. If I really want to, I can go to a 24/7 Real in Ostbahnhof. I don't remember the last time I couldn't pay with credit card in a grocery store. It still happens elsewhere and annoys the crap out of me. It's also super annoying that many require PIN or signature instead of the contactless payment method which is faster than cash. Mobile internet is truly shit. Not just expensive, but coverage and bandwidth are pathetic. When I was in Taipei, I don't think the "LTE" icon on my phone ever went away (including the subway). Getting internet hooked up in a new apartment is always a complete disaster. In theory it should be sufficient to hook up the router they sent you. But at least in my (3) cases they always had to send a technician and I waited for ages.
- realityking 10y ago
  Hah, I live right next to Ostbahnhof. Unfortunately the REWE is not quite 24/7 - it closes between midnight and 6am. I love it. :D
  - passiveincomelg 10y ago
    Me getting the name and the opening hours wrong shows how often I need to buy groceries on Sunday. :)
  - kayoone 10y ago
    i kind of love/hate it because i only go there on sundays when i need some stuff and of course a lot of other people have the same problem and so it's usually super crowded to the point that you have to wait in line to actually get into the store.
- kayoone 10y ago
  Which mobile ISP are you using ? Telekom has LTE pretty much everywhere outside and i frequently get >50Mbps when doing a speedtest around the city, all reception is usually strong. Vodafone should also be decent, but anything based on O2/Eplus can be shitty (but cheaper). Not saying mobile internet is great, imo it's too expensive to get a decent amount of mobile data and speed, but it's not shit. At home, if you get cable it should be set up in a couple of days, DSL can take weeks though.
denzil_correa 10y ago
> Still uses paper tickets for most things. You can buy tickets via mobile on the BVG transport app. http://www.bvg.de/de/Fahrinfo http://www.bvg.de/de/Fahrinfo

by uola 10y ago

wolfgke 10y ago

> Grocery stores [...] aren't open on Sundays This has to do with the Ladenschlussgesetz (there is no proper English term for this) which usually forbids that. In particular the German FDP (a German party that is somewhere between liberal and libertarian) wants to abolish this law but the churches lobby for upholding it. I personally would abolish it as soon as possible. > Grocery stores [...] don't accept credit cards This is because merchants have to pay some amount for any credit card transaction. So they have good reasons not to accept them. In Europe there exists a much better system: EC cards. Use them instead if you really don't want to use cash (which is much more anonymous and thus should be prefered). > Still uses paper tickets for most things. If you imagine the data trail that non-paper tickets leave behind you, I would rather suggest to start using paper tickets wherever you live (Germans are much more concerned about protection of privacy (Datenschutzgesetz) because of having two dictatorships on German ground in the 20th century of which one was only abolished about 25 years ago).

allendoerfer 10y ago
While I am also against the Ladenschlussgesetzt, poor people in Germany have freetime and do not have to have three jobs to survive. It is a different culture.
- denzil_correa 10y ago
  This is not the reason why churches are lobbying against the law though.
drinchev 10y ago
Facts. Although I would still argue about the credit cards. Most stores / restaurants don't accept EC ( Maestro ) ... They usually put a huge sign - "Cash only".
- wolfgke 10y ago
  > Although I would still argue about the credit cards. Most stores / restaurants don't accept EC ( Maestro ) ... They usually put a huge sign - "Cash only". But if they don't accept EC cards, they surely won't accept credit cards. :-)
- passiveincomelg 10y ago
  Interesting. To me it seems that "cash only" signs are an exception. Maybe we just go to different stores.
  - drinchev 10y ago
    Every second Späti around Mitte is cash only. Not to mention the face of a cashier, when you ask if you can pay with a card. One time they asked me to buy more than 10E products in order to do that.
    - passiveincomelg 10y ago
      Right, the 10€ limit is common and sucks.
uola 10y ago
While I appreciate the backstory, I don't really see how this is an argument for not being 10 years behind Stockholm. I mean EC cards are a good idea, but they aren't internationally viable nor even everywhere in Germany. Now when EU has regulated the fees other cards will start showing up. Mastercard/Visa is everywhere in Sweden (many stores have their own cards too of course), you really don't need cash. Privacy is of course laudable, but this seems more to be conservatism towards technology than actually implementing something different. If you would have said "we have this anonymous electronic payment system that works everywhere" I would have believed you. I've still had DB tickets in an app, so it's not like it doesn't exist.
- mahyarm 10y ago
  It's a cost thing & a culture thing. Japan likes it's cash too. Sweden loves it's credit cards to a point where you can't use cash in some situations easily.
- kayoone 10y ago
  i was born in Germnay and currently live in Berlin and share the frustration about credit cards or the fixation on cash. Adding to that is the fact that to get cash out of a machine that does not belong to your home bank usually costs you 2-5 EUR...imo it's a ridiculous scam scheme.
  - denzil_correa 10y ago
    Check out N26 - a German startup for banking.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

bogomipz 10y ago

Wait, what are you comparing Stockholm to Berlin or Stockholm to Germany? You seem to be doing both and that seems odd. Stockholm is far more conservative than Berlin. So housing, it's next to impossible to find housing in central Stockholm, even for Swedish citizens let alone, ex-pats. Berlin while seemingly becoming more difficult, it does not take years like it might in Stockholm. A pint of beer in the Stockholm is around $10-12 US and its probably not locally brewed. A wonderful local Pilsner in Berlin will cost you about $3 US. Central Stockholm is very segregated, Berlin not so much. How many late night places are there in central Stockholm 4 or 5? Galleries, museums, clubs and music venues, the arts in general? Berlin, hands down. Berlin seems to let you just have your fun as long as you aren't hurting anyone, Stockholm feels very regulated. Bike friendly city? Again Berlin. "Ahead" is relative.

jkot 10y ago
> wonderful local Pilsner in Berlin Pilsner is name of city in Czechia where this beer is made, everything else is just knock-off ;-)
- elcapitan 10y ago
  Like any sandwich that isn't hand-made by the 4th Earl of Sandwich ;)
mlent 10y ago
Agreed -- parent seems to have a very selective view of what is "ahead" here -- and even so, Berlin is catching up.
Nullabillity 10y ago
So basically, go to Berlin if you're looking for active nightlife and cheap alcohol? Sounds more like a reason to get away ASAP.
- naibafo 10y ago
  Why? It's not like people force you to go out and get wasted.

guruz 10y ago

> Grocery stores [...] aren't open on Sundays Then I suggest you don't go to any of the catholic South German states e.g. with Munich in Bayern: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laden%C3%B6ffnungszeit#.C3.9Cbersicht https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laden%C3%B6ffnungszeit#.C3.9Cb... It's worse :-)

passiveincomelg 10y ago

I live near Kaisers on Warschauer Straße, which closes on Saturday 11:30pm and opens on Monday 8am. Otherwise it's always open. Spätis are 24/7 and some have basic groceries in addition to booze. If I really want to, I can go to a 24/7 Real in Ostbahnhof. I don't remember the last time I couldn't pay with credit card in a grocery store. It still happens elsewhere and annoys the crap out of me. It's also super annoying that many require PIN or signature instead of the contactless payment method which is faster than cash. Mobile internet is truly shit. Not just expensive, but coverage and bandwidth are pathetic. When I was in Taipei, I don't think the "LTE" icon on my phone ever went away (including the subway). Getting internet hooked up in a new apartment is always a complete disaster. In theory it should be sufficient to hook up the router they sent you. But at least in my (3) cases they always had to send a technician and I waited for ages.

realityking 10y ago
Hah, I live right next to Ostbahnhof. Unfortunately the REWE is not quite 24/7 - it closes between midnight and 6am. I love it. :D
- passiveincomelg 10y ago
  Me getting the name and the opening hours wrong shows how often I need to buy groceries on Sunday. :)
- kayoone 10y ago
  i kind of love/hate it because i only go there on sundays when i need some stuff and of course a lot of other people have the same problem and so it's usually super crowded to the point that you have to wait in line to actually get into the store.
kayoone 10y ago
Which mobile ISP are you using ? Telekom has LTE pretty much everywhere outside and i frequently get >50Mbps when doing a speedtest around the city, all reception is usually strong. Vodafone should also be decent, but anything based on O2/Eplus can be shitty (but cheaper). Not saying mobile internet is great, imo it's too expensive to get a decent amount of mobile data and speed, but it's not shit. At home, if you get cable it should be set up in a couple of days, DSL can take weeks though.

denzil_correa 10y ago

> Still uses paper tickets for most things. You can buy tickets via mobile on the BVG transport app. http://www.bvg.de/de/Fahrinfo http://www.bvg.de/de/Fahrinfo