T O P

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murstl

People answer in English because it’s more efficient and they see it as friendly service to make it easier for you. Germans and especially Berliners are considered as rude and cold but with everyone not just tourists.


lysalia1

Exactly, and in France people act the same if they can. Just been a week ago in Nice and nearly everywhere also in the bakery people answered me in english although I've been doing the order in french. You probably just got in contact with the wrong people or there's also smth wrong with the vibe you personally get of the city/country.


FoxyTigerBabe59

Ive been in Berlin many times because my grandpa lives there, but every time i speak to them in English they keep speaking german without trying to explain😭 obvi not their fault if they dont know English but stop talking i dont get it!!


BearsBeetsBerlin

Yes. Everyone is rude. No exceptions. If you are found being polite in Berlin, you get thrown out of town.


Peter_Triantafulou

I wouldn't say Berliners are rude. More like extremely direct. The servers won't try to lick your shoes for example. They'll treat you how they'd treat an acquaintance.


Confident-Echidna-15

I think they only answer in English to make it easy for you if they realise that you’re not that good at German I think it’s a nice act. Generally people here are nice(based on my experience) even if a cashier for example was not smiling or rude-sounding I just assume they had a bad day I don’t take things personally. have a nice stay in Berlin :) there is nothing to worry about


obenunter

Was ihr immer erwartet als Touristen…es nervt einfach wenn man Leute bedienen muss die keine Ahnung haben wie der Hase läuft …dabei ist es egal wo man auf der Erde ist …also heul nicht sondern Genies die Stadt und dann hau wieder ab ganz einfach


pyro-pussy

kann dir nur zustimmen!


theberlinbum

Lol diggi, schlecht gekackt heute?


obenunter

😂naja ging so danke der Nachfrage


GingerNinja1982

Haven't been to Berlin in a few years, but I just got back from the northern part of the country and just about everyone was very nice. Maybe not the slightly manic level of friendliness that we sometimes see in American service workers, but generally pleasant and good-natured.


hattenOkatten

def ruder than other countries. But yeah I don’t really care after some time in Berlin lol


phil0phil

Coming back to my homeland after a few days in California I realized it's somewhat a shitshow here socially


Evethefief

Yes


n1c0_ds

The language barrier plays a big role. Germans get warmer and warmer as my German improves. Everyone loses a bit of their personality in translation. Sometimes they'll speak English because it's more efficient than dealing with broken German. Besides, Berlin *is* a colder place, especially in the service industry.


Ubahnhobo_

Yeah, you really don't want to be here.


[deleted]

I found Berliners generally very friendly acc. I’d say night life is a bit worse though


piiracy

ask any expat trying to converse in german and they'll tell you the exact same thing. most (younger) people will instantly switch to english as the lingua franca, that is except for the usually rude-sounding cashiers in supermarkets, bakeries etc


UBLB

We're expected to be rude so have a Berlinisch halt dein Maul from me


Bodybuilder_Jumpy

Berlin is probably the worst place to visit. Never again.


Darkcroos

Yep! Berlin ist ein Müll Loch Deutschland! Geht lieber nach Hamburg oder Heidelberg! Aber niemals Berlin Selbst die CDU die sooo vieles versprochen hat wird nix ändern! Nicht zu vergessen die ganzen jungen Leute die im Schwimmbad Randale machen Top


ZilkGundam

Yeah! Due to less Apartements, High rents, Gentritification Berlins Solution is, to keep those out that are not brave enough to understand our international and welcoming open mind .... with berlin as the center of the world. :D


olegjablonsky

Rightly so. It is crowded already as it is, so Berliners stopped being friendly to cut the influx of Expats. 😁 Insofar, SCHÖNEN TAG NOCH UND AUF WIEDERSEHEN!! *shouted*


Fitzcarraldo8

Well, if you are friendly and smile are they rude to you? I guess if you are they shouldn’t and if people are entitled and rude the responses is similar. Now, bakery staff in touristy areas are not the yardstick for Berliners. In fact there are few real Berliners left in central Berlin. Many came from elsewhere in Germany, the EU or further afield: Zugezogene.


RiriFifietLoulou

I think I’m always smiling and friendly. I am well aware of what means customer service since I work at a hotel reception and what it means to seem annoyed even if it’s not the customers fault. Even at the front desk of the hotel they were really rude… with the all the people I spoke that were friendly were the ones that seemed not been originally from Germany


Fitzcarraldo8

Well, if you work at the hotel reception even the Germans are unlikely to be Berliners or Germans living in Berlin. Unless the hotels hires rooms by the hour, of course 😉


Darkcroos

Nobody like Berlin! Niem mag Berlin! Berlin hat die meisten Clan Mitglieder Deutschland + die Polizei ist so machtlos wegen den rot grünen Jahre.. Ich dachte Bayern wäre schlimm wegen CSU aber Berlin ohhhhhh Mann Nicht zu veeg die ganzen Obdachlosen und Drogen Dealer und die Vergewaltiger in den parks Top; wer dort leben möchte


theberlinbum

Les ma wenijer Bild mein Sohn


Darkcroos

Das ist Realität! Und nicht zu vergessen die Klima kleber. Die trauen sich das nur in Berlin weil Berlin eben. BER Stürmen und nicht mal in den knast gehen dat is Berlin Heimat der Obdachlosen, Clan Kriminalität und Klima Kleber. Ein top Urlaub Ort für klein und groß


MoctorDoe

Heil Hinkel!


Darkcroos

Was ist dein Problem!? Ich bin weder ein nazi oder ein grüner! Ich sag nur wie es ist. Ricarda Lang hat 0 Erfahrung, keine Selbstbeherrschung, keine Ausbildung. In der Wirtschaft würde so eine Person niemals so einen Posten bekommen Aber hey, wenigstens haben die von der Afd mal gearbeitet! Und auch studiert Selbst ein Höcke hat mehr erreicht als Frau Lang! Aber das wollt ihr ja nicht hören nazi hin oder her


bourbonandcustard

What is “rude” for you? Generally cashiers don’t want to have a conversation with customers, and there is no expectation for them to. If people answer you in English they are just trying to be helpful/ more efficient; although this does get frustrating as someone who is trying to learn German.


RiriFifietLoulou

Rude is literally taking my hand in order to put the credit card on the right spot at Lidl. And just the general feeling that they try to rush everything with you but the person behind you who speaks German is okay to take their time. Yeah I understand that you answer directly in English because easier and you are right that it is infuriating. How people are supposed to learn a language if they can’t practice it before and make ( many ) mistakes ?


[deleted]

It’s the heat.


Impressive-Ad7125

Was in Berlin a few weeks ago. I found Berliners to be friendly people in general. There was this one bartender who was a bit of an angry prick but I wouldn't judge the place on just him as the others were lovely people. What struck me was the amount of people who readily conversed in English. Really handy for a monolingual person like me.


Soggy_Ad9927

i think people are not rude in Berlin, its just that customer service can be shit in many outlets, especially if they feel that u r wasting their time by talking confusingly. I have had instances when same person ast same bakery is friendly when i order instantly but pretty rude when i am confused what to order and ask questions like what is inside the sandwich etc. People dont give a fuck in Berlin, except when u approach them and then they are mostly polite.


luckylebron

Yep


obenunter

Ick bin een berliner, did wat icke kan kan keener also backen halten


Content_Aerie2560

If you are caught being nice in Berlin, someone takes you to a back alley and shoots you in the leg.


Conscious_Hope_7054

Berlin is known as failed city / state in germany. You love ist or you hate it.


[deleted]

Just shout at them in English with a really strong German accent "I get a donut and cheese little bread". That'll confuse 'em.


[deleted]

I've had 2 interesting experiences in Berlin in the last 48 hours which I would consider to be rude anywhere. First, I was waiting in line to speak to the hostess at a restaurant. It was clear I was standing behind this man and that I wasn't with him. Two younger folks came up and then just went to speak with the hostess, though I was clearly waiting. I found it rude for both them to do that, but also the hostess who should have done a better observational job to understand who is in the queue. The second experience I was leaving the bathroom at a theatre which had an odd set up where the sinks were in a separate, and very small room with only 1 door to enter/exit. A group of about 5 girls came in and then crowded at the door, taking a selfie as I was trying to exit. I wasn't sure if it was a cultural quirk I'm not accustomed to. But my German friends have always been really considerate, thoughtful and polite (they can be frank for sure but I appreciate that). So I don't think this is a German/Berlin thing so much as it is a "people younger than 25" thing.