Re:It pays to be grumpy and bad-tempered (2016)
by FlyingSnake on Friday July 17, 2020 @02:59PM
(#23874133)
Berlin might be a wrong example for Germany, and a lot of expats complain about the cold shoulders they get in Berliner supermarkts. Berlin is famous for it's 'Berliner Schnauze' (Snout), and it has a long history of it's own that doesn't quite match rest of Germany.
My observation was that when you go into a shop in SF, you'll get greeted to a lesser degree, but more cheerfully.
In Berlin, you were greeted almost every single time, but more perfunctorily.
In that regard, I preferred the Berlin approach, even though it required me to respond more often. But I could simple acknowledge the greeting and keep going. It was more intrusive, but less demanding.