Are the rules and laws and all of that ostly the same here in the USA?

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lederbikergene

no, not really. The USA is based on English common law, whereas Germany is not. Germany has many laws and rules that seem strange to an American like me, such as rules regarding garbage and the separation thereof or when you can sweep or shower or play the piano in multi-family dwellings, as well as many strange traffic laws and regulations like parking on the pavement/sidewalk or only passing on the left. Also, a slip-and-fall accident here will seldom get you any money..itÂ´s your fault you didnÂ´t see the banana peel on the supermarket floor..you should expect that! If you have a specific question, feel free to ask and IÂ´ll try to help.

liebekatz2

One thing I know is different is that you aren't allowed to mow your lawn or hang laundry on the outside clothesline on Sundays or holidays. You also aren't allowed to wash your car yourself, even on your own property. People also don't stand in line here, they all push and shove to be first served.

chris91068

That depends on the crime - in Germany your guilty until proven innocent.
Speed Limit is very much in forced. They have hidden camera's all over the roads - city's and highways - they take a picture if your speeding, too close to another car (that usually is only on the Autobahn), or if your going through a red light. They then send you the picture and then fine.
Drinking is allowed when your 16 and you can go to the bar till midnight if your between 16 and 18. If your 18 years or older you are considered an adult and are treated like one. Not like in the USA.
You can only get your drivers license if your 18 - if you learn to drive (mandatory to go to a driving school) an automatic your license is only good for an automatic and you cant drive a stick. Majority of Germans drive a stick
If your drinking and driving your license is taken away automatically - no questions asked - and it is gone for about a year and you have to retake the driving test. (and pay for it again and it is VERY expensive) I paid for my drivers license in 1986 over $1200
The stores are all closed on Sunday's only gas stations are open on Sunday's.
There is soo much more.......just ask - I was born and raised in Germany - came over to the USA in 1990

wanderinghistorian

1. Alchohol can be purchased legally by 18 year olds and must likely no one will question 16-17 year old at a bar.

2. The Polizei have much more freedom to man-handle you if you resist arrest. If you refuse a breathalizer they can forcebly draw blood to test for alchohol.

3. The laws already mentioned about not taking showers in the middle of the night in apartment buildings and washing you car on sundays are highly regionalized and vary greatly across the states and cities.

meike_mo

Some of them are, a lot of them aren't. We - German journalists living in the US for some years now - actually wrote a book about what is different, and you can find it ("Crazy Germans!?") on Ebay every now and then.
Two important areas are alcohol and weapons. In Germany, a sixteen-year-old may drink beer, even in the public, and they've got two years time to learn how to handle it, before they can get their drivers license.
But you can't buy a gun, no matter if you're 18 or 80, if you don't have a "Waffenschein" (weapon license), which you only get for special reasons (professional, sports, or hunting, but you also need a "Jagdschein" for that, which means, that you have to speak or learn more than just a bit of German). Owning, worse: carrying, a gun is commonly considered a criminal act and can get you in trouble real quick.
If you are looking for a common rule, which is worth to be broken: people, who don't know each other, usually don't greet and talk to each other in Germany, without having a reason to. Most people would like it, though, as we found out. Especially if it's not somebody, whom they explicitly don't like, but simply never met before (like you). A friendly "Guten Morgen" (good morning) or "Guten Tag" (for the rest of the day) or "Guten Abend" (good evening) works for everybody, and opens many doors. Talking to somebody in English may be limited to younger and/or more educated people, but it's always worth the try.

lawofconstantcomposition

In general I would suspect that they are mostly the same. One of the most obvious difference for me was the open container laws (i.e. drinking beer from open containers on the street). And "no" I was not at Oktoberfest. It was very strange to be walking down the street carrying an open container and drinking from it in front of the Police. I would have never even attempted that here in California. I would imagine that they have similar disturbing the peace laws if you got out of hand though. They also have dedicated parking spaces for women only - which was awesome. And they have cigarette vending machines on almost over street corner. I had the greatest time there - very clean, organized, great food. Loved being able to walk down the street a short distance to get fresh baked crusty bread and coffee. Loved the church bells in the morning. Loved not being able to understand a dang word.

Charmed S

If you are just visiting Germany and don't go around looking for trouble most of the law differences won't affect you. Others have mentioned that they don't worry so much with the open containers and they strictly enforce the speed limit. This is all true. The only other thing I would add for a simple visit is carry ID on you at all times. You should have proof of your idenity.

Adam B

Mostly the same as what?

Regina

Which ones? They are all different, caus its a foreign country! And yes, they apply to US citizens, too

skcs11

mostly, not all

djmascia

who cares i don't every one thinks were cowboys any way

MEW

I think I get what you are trying to ask, and I would say yes to that. Germany is obviously a western country and so, yes, the laws that affect the majority of your life are about the same. There are some small differences, of course, but generally, the major stuff is about the same.

mauripaladi

Basically yes

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