Every time I go to the US, I love to observe the differences between it and Germany, some of which are very subtle and some of them which are not. This post will be a random collection of these differences, nowhere near complete and not in any particular order. Just stuff that I found interesting while travelling this country.
Defense contractor advertisement
Just as we were leaving the Capitol South Metro Station to go visit the US capitol, a series of strange-looking ads caught my eye. There were by the defense contractor Anduril and portrayed various computer-generated scenes with slogans like “We can’t win with blueprints” and “More, more, more production”. I thought this was fascinating for two reasons: First, the design choice is reminiscent of classic propaganda posters, with bold fonts and stark imagery designed to grab attention and convey a sense of urgency. This style, once used to rally or persuade the masses, now seems almost ironic in a modern setting, especially when applied to advertising by a defense contractor. Second, of the then of thousand of commuters passing through the station, costing the company hundreds of thousand of dollars per week, there might be just a handful of acquisition officers and congressional appropriations staffers who could, in theory, act on this advertisement. Now there might a case to be made, that this also could just be about general brand recognition, and I think this is true to some extent. However, there are also advertisements that use very specific technical language talking about specific products, suggesting that it is mostly aimed at a very niche audience that has decision-making ability. And bear in mind, these advertisements are not cheap — costs can range up to 30 cents per commuter per day. At the same time, even if a given advertisement only has a small chance of successfully reaching their audience, based on the amounts of money involved in those decisions, it will certainly pay for itself. This also comes as defense contractors usually have limited options to directly advertise to these decision makers.
Unsafe cars
It is not uncommon to see cars here in certain states, where one cannot help but wonder how they are still on the road. Riddled with rust and covered in dents, these vehicles seem to be held together solely by their owners’ reluctance — or perhaps financial inability — to invest in repairs. While some states have regular vehicle inspections, these generally only tend to focus on the basic security features of a car, such as lights, brakes, and suspension. In contrast, in Germany, the biannual inspection, also known as TÜV, goes far more in depth, which in practice can lead you to fail it with pretty ridiculous reasons: While it is not mandatory to have fog lights installed, if you have them installed, and they are not working, you will fail the inspection.
This extensive inspection is certainly something that plenty of Americans would outright reject as an overreach of government. And while I wasn’t able to find figures about the number of car accidents in the US caused by cars in unsafe condition, the issue does not seem to be big enough for lawmakers to do something about it.
Building energy efficiency ratings in NYC
While strolling the streets in NYC, I noticed certain buildings displaying an energy efficiency chart, similar to what one might see when shopping for a new freezer at Home Depot. These certificates are required for buildings larger than 25000 square feet and are part of NYCs ambition plan to reduce emissions by 80% until 2050. However, I can’t imagine that displaying these numbers provides much of any incentive for investors to build greener buildings nor as a factor for inhabitants to decide where they want to live.
Street signs
While most of the world seems to have agreed on a certain design language for road signs (for instance, speed limit as a number surrounded by a red circle), the US is once again an outlier. Street signs here tend to be very descriptive, with words explaining the meaning of it. For example, the speed limit sign will clearly state that this is the speed limit and pedestrian crossings specify that it is state law to yield to walkers.
Security checks when entering buildings
In a country where guns are as readily accessible as in the US, it should come as no surprise that responses to these threats are also quite prevalent. What surprised me, however, was the extent of these measures. Almost all larger museums and similar public buildings will have an airport-style security entrance, where bags have to go through an X-ray machine. When we went to a parking garage in downtown DC, a security guard even looked through our car, making sure we would not bring anything into the building. Even when they are not conducting a whole search, security personnel will certainly be present at any larger building. Based on my research, this widespread security was not being conducted until after the 9/11 attacks. These security norms are not common to see in Germany, only at the airport or when visiting official government buildings such as the Reichstag in Berlin.
Coffee stations
Enter an average gas station or convenience store in the US and you will encounter a giant coffee station, with a seemingly endless variety of brews with different beans, creamers and sugars. This is something I truly enjoy and would love to see in Germany. In addition to that, cups are just massive here. Cup sizes at 7/11 range from small (12 oz), which is often considered a large in Germany, to extra large (24 oz) which amounts to a 0.7l cup for a single coffee!
Obsession with the law
I think that this is actually one of the big stereotypes about America: They like to sue everyone and everything. Driving on any interstate through a major city and that, you would find plenty of evidence to confirm this prejudice. Towering high next to the road are billboards upon billboards asking if you recently have been hurt, in an accident or otherwise need the assistance of the “best injury lawyer in town”. And of course, no good lawyer billboard would be complete without part of the phone number being replaced with words!
Stainless-steel everything
Take public transport in a major US city, and you will likely come across a lot of stainless steel, especially in train stations and trains themselves. I have to say, I quite like this industrial aesthetics. The cool, metallic surfaces, combined with exposed structural elements, create a sense of rugged simplicity that feels both modern and timeless.