8 Weird Laws In German

BrRRrrRrmMNMmM bBrrrRRrrMm bbBBbbbbrrRrrBrrmmmMmmMMMMmmMmMmMmm on and on and on and on the lawn mower hums. If you know that sound, you know how that specific loud sound can fill a quiet neighborhood. Where I’m from, you can use your mower whenever you want. And that means you’re free to use it in the morning (which a lot of people do) or the afternoon (only some people do) or the evening (this doesn’t really happen that much), any day of the week.

However, that’s not the case in Germany. And what I mean by that is that mowing the lawn on Sundays is a no-go. That’s because Sundays are meant for peace and quiet, and as you can imagine, a lawn mower isn’t really associated with peace and quiet. Unless, of course, the mower is more of a whisper-quiet lawn mower.

1. Running out of fuel while driving on the autobahn is illegal. It is even considered negligent and irresponsible, and can result in fines for drivers.
2. Since Sundays are meant for peace and quiet and rest, this means no mowing the lawn or vacuuming or making any loud noises on Sundays.
3. Recycling incorrectly is prohibited. Inappropriately mixing recyclables with trash and other stuff might result in fines.
4. Playing an instrument after midnight is a big no-no. Don’t do it. Don’t even dare tune a piano this time. Only play an instrument or tune a piano in the allowed time frames usually between 8:00 to 12:00 (noon) and 14:00 (2pm) to 20:00 (8pm).
5. Tanzverbot is a German term that means dancing ban. And this refers to the dancing ban on religious holidays like Good Friday, Volkstrauertag (commemoration day that happens two Sundays before the beginning of Advent), and All Saints’ Day. These religious days are considered “silent days,” so these days must be observed, respected, and remain solemn.
6. German police officers must be addressed respectfully and the formal way. Therefore, please make sure to address an officer with “Sie” instead of the informal “Du.”
7. Your car must be washed only at the car wash place, because home car washing lets all those soap chemicals leak into the underground water system and that is harmful to the environment.
8. Sunday alcohol sales aren’t a thing. This restriction is part of Germany’s blue law – it's this rule that says stores can't sell alcohol and other hard goods to the public on Sundays and other religious Christian holidays.