Things that confuse lefties.

[stek]

8) Why is it, in Europe, that the largest political groups that want to dismantle the EU, including the political within the EU parliament itself, are either far right or far left? Aren't these the type of groups that in fact want Europe to be one large dictatorship and does this mean that people who are looking for a Brexit have Stalinist/Hitlerist tendancies?

My theory is the big three/four have sucked all they can out of the crap countries they've let in, so it's time to join out and form a new gang and think again about finding another set of countries to exploit.

[clearedforlanding]

Cheque books. They also confuse the left handed.

[darmstadt]

Cheque books. They also confuse the left handed.

Definitely confuse Europeans, well those on the mainland anyway, as they don't have them and have no need for such archaic payment methods. I actually haven't seen a cheque in 20 odd years although I believe they do exist, somewhere...

[clearedforlanding]

Definitely confuse Europeans, well those on the mainland anyway, as they don't have them and have no need for such archaic payment methods. I actually haven't seen a cheque in 20 odd years although I believe they do exist, somewhere...

Ah, but then you have that absurd machine in the Sparkasse that one inserts his card into and has to wait 20 mins while it churns out 3 weeks of paper bank statements, to compensate you for the lack of Cheques.

[SueEllen]

Ah, but then you have that absurd machine in the Sparkasse that one inserts his card into and has to wait 20 mins while it churns out 3 weeks of paper bank statements, to compensate you for the lack of Cheques.

What's wrong with the interweb?

[clearedforlanding]

What's wrong with the interweb?

I think there is some obscure tax record keeping reason for it. Darmstadt should know better than I. The nasty thing is you are stuck there as it does not return your bank card until it has finished printing.

[stek]

Definitely confuse Europeans, well those on the mainland anyway, as they don't have them and have no need for such archaic payment methods. I actually haven't seen a cheque in 20 odd years although I believe they do exist, somewhere...

No Chip and Pin though in Chormany, at least where I've been lately, pretty Baden-Wurtemburg and shiithole Chemnitz.....

[clearedforlanding]

No Chip and Pin though in Chormany, at least where I've been lately, pretty Baden-Wurtemburg and shiithole Chemnitz.....

No credit card accepted in many places. The German's are still very much a cash economy at retail. I don't know if it has changed but in my day ( a decade ago ) EC cards had a €2k a week limit on them.

[darmstadt]

No Chip and Pin though in Chormany, at least where I've been lately, pretty Baden-Wurtemburg and shiithole Chemnitz.....

Well I'm working in BW and used Chip and Pin last night! Some places do, some don't and they let you sign which is fine by me as I can never remember my PIN numbers. A lot of places are now implementing this thing where you touch your card but there is a limit, I think, of €25 per transaction.

No credit card accepted in many places. The German's are still very much a cash economy at retail. I don't know if it has changed but in my day ( a decade ago ) EC cards had a €2k a week limit on them.

Still quite true but getting better. Saturn and Media Markt were 2 of the major places that never did but now allow certain credit cards. I was enjoying myself at the bakers last week where a young foreign lady was buying some breads and pastries (about €3 worth) and when coming to pay, asked to do so with a card. The assistant said they don't take cards, even German ones (the young lady tried to point out they were German ones) and it was cash only, which she didn't have. The assistant pointed out a cash machine just down the way where she could get some money from but apparently it wasn't pay day yet! This is quite good in my opinion as it stops people living on credit and makes them budget better, in particular for everyday important stuff, like food! I'm always surprised when I go to the UK and see people paying at the bar in a pub with a card for a beer or tiny amounts in shops.

[darmstadt]

I think there is some obscure tax record keeping reason for it. Darmstadt should know better than I. The nasty thing is you are stuck there as it does not return your bank card until it has finished printing.

Yep, I do it all online now. You have to be very careful when opening an account as they'll automatically assume you want your statements each month and will post them to you, which costs. You still have to get your statements as you need them for the taxman but you can now stop this. However, surely its a good idea that it doesn't return your bank card until it has finished printing, you might take your card out, the first print out and leave the bank without realising that there is more to come leaving you open to identity theft!