If you are just like me, prefer to pay everything by card without the need to carry cash in your pocket, then you have to change your thinking a bit in Germany.  

They just love cash 🙂  

There was an interesting episode on one of my favorite YouTube channels, Easy German, where they asked a lot of Germans why they prefer cash https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIfUd0yKjPg&t=465s 

The answers were different, but you will find interesting responses like they think the value stays with the paper or they don’t want to be tracked for how they spend their money.  

Meanwhile, a friend of mine told me that some restaurants deactivate the POS intentionally so they can take cash that doesn’t fall under the tax umbrella. 

Most importantly, you will find more serious situations where nature calls, but unfortunately, you need to pay not only cash, but coins, and not only coins, a very specific coin type (50s). 

So, this is the toilet-locked door for the library I go to study at. 

You will find a cute funny door locker that can be opened only when you insert the very specific 50 cent coin. If you let’s say have 2 of 20 cents and 10 cent that would make a total of 50 cent. I am happy to invite to do so cause only then you will find the door locker ate your coins without unlocking the door for you 🙂

Even the door is VERY SPECIFIC. Only 50 cent type is required.

I saw that yesterday and luckily, I had one. 

Going for the next day, which is today, the very first thing I did when I woke up was to check if I had the very specific 50-cent coins, as I wanted to spend most of the day at the library working on my thesis and for sure nature will call:) 

I looked into my small wallet pocket, but to my surprise I found all types of coins but not the 50s. 

So, I needed to plan everything. I went to the very famous “Woolworth” where I get my very affordable stuff, to collect some 50s cents from the cashier. I bought a couple of batteries for 1 Euro. I paid the 5 Euro cash note to get the remaining 4 Euros in 4 of 50 cents. 

So the cashier gave me 2 of 2 Euros coins. 

I said “Kann ich Kleingeld haben, bitte?” “Can I have small change, please?” 

She replied. “Das ist Kleingeld.” “This is small change.” And she gave me an “Are you stupid” look! 

I told her, “Can I get 50s?” 

Here she gave me the 50s. 

Finally… 

Going through this conversation…I became more confused!!! 

• Is it not clear to say I need change of the 2 Euros? 
• Or was she short of creative and anticipation skills? 
• Or should I have been more specific from the beginning and before handing her any money, I should have asked for 50s change to save time. (bearing in mind that this will not save time compared to the time she took with the previous customer trying to solve something in the system or something for straight 10 minutes). 

Yet, I am secured to go to the toilet 4 times now😊