Stephanie Barnes
If you’ve been on the internet long enough, you know people from different parts of the world make fun of each other all the time. We all have different upbringings and life experiences, so what’s considered normal for some people might be weird for others. The “trolling” is usually harmless and often offers a glimpse into the way other people live.
In a recent Reddit thread, people are pointing out weird things about countries in Europe.
The conversation began after one user asked the question:
“What is something weird about Europe that Europeans don’t realize is weird?”
People from all over the world, including European countries, chimed in to share their observations.
Here are 20 things that are weird about some countries in Europe, according to Redditors.
1. Moose
German tourists are OBSESSED with mooses [sic].
2. Leave it open…
Norwegians don’t close their curtains when it gets dark.
Denmark too. Was so strange to walk around in the evening and being able to see what everyone was doing inside their homes.
3. Schengen?
How incredibly inconsequential it is to cross country borders. Cycled through France – Belgium – Netherlands and there is barely even a sign.
4. “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.
5. Just leave them alone!
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.
6. Something about borders?
France’s border with the Netherlands is in the Caribbean.
7. Kitchenless
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.
8. Mosquito population in Finland
Mosquitoes love still water, Finland has thousands of lakes and other bodies of water for them to breed in. It’s not even that bad in southern Finland, in the north you can get absolutely swarmed during summer.
9. Stares
Germans stare at strangers. It’s unsettling.
10. Everything is old
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.
11. Light switch
Having the light switch outside the bathroom.
12. No smiles in public!
Eastern Europe doesn’t really smile in public in general. Polish emigrant in the UK pov. It’s not that we’re angry, we just don’t have any reasons to smile…for no reason.
13. Garbage cycle
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).
14. Porn
Porn on public TV. Discovered this in a hotel in Athens at like 10 or 11 pm. Just flipping channels and BOOM!
15. The trees
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 countryside.
Your trees, especially in your cities, are fucking massive. It feels like I’m walking through an arboretum sometimes. The trees always get me..the insane architecture too, but the trees man.
16. Potty price
Paying to go to the bathroom. It’s absolutely wild that you have to pay money to use the toilet.
17. “Everything was gigantic!”
I am a smaller-sized American (5’4″) and I felt like a small child in the Netherlands. Everything was gigantic! Tall toilets where my feet didn’t touch the ground – the staircases that were ridiculously steep – and the bikes! My god the bikes – I could hardly reach the peddles. It was a strange mixture of humiliation and infuriation.
18. Last call
Why the f—k does everything close so early?
Edit: My only experience in Europe was in a small town in Italy, where my father always had to be prepared to cook dinner because nothing was open past like. 5 or 6. I had assumed others talking about experiences with European establishments closing “early” meant this.
19. Less “crazy” people
After visiting LA I realized that my country [Sweden] has a very low amount of crazy people.
20. Pickpockets
How common pickpockets are there compared to the rest of the world.
