Useless knowledge, Chile - Pt. 2

1. People who are not from Latin America, have lighter skin and are not native Spanish speakers, are called Gringo/a by South Americans. However, the term is not derogatory and is just a description of the person, similar to 'Latina'.

2. In every supermarket, there are people whose job is to pack the customers' groceries at the checkout. However, they are not paid by the supermarket and only earn tips from the shoppers.

3. At many traffic lights on moderately busy streets, there are individual Chileans waiting until they turn red so they can clean the car windshields from the outside. A 'no' is usually not accepted in these cases. These individuals are also paid only in tips.

4. In addition to the Uber app, another means of transportation in Chile is called Colectivos. These are regular cars, usually yellow or black, with a sign on the roof. They drive several stops in the same route throughout the day and transport residents to the next city or places along the way. Colectivos have more frequent service than buses, which is why they are so popular, but they are also more expensive.

5. Some large supermarkets have a small cafe or snack bar in the middle of the aisles. Shoppers park their shopping carts in front and have something to eat or drink before continuing their shopping.

6. In every big or small city, there are people walking around with fruit, drinks, or pastries to sell. They even get on the bus to advertise their products and get off a few meters later. Most bus drivers intentionally drive slowly during that time.

7. Chilean buses have more legroom than German buses. They also have seats that can be adjusted to a semi-reclined or almost fully reclined position.

8. During bus trips that last several hours, the ticket inspector gives passengers a small snack and something to drink. They also play popular movies on multiple screens.

9. Personally, and no one I know, had problems drinking tap water.

10. When Chilean drivers stop at the side of the road, they don't use the right turn signal but turn on the hazard lights.

11. Most people say Chau (not Ciao) as a farewell.

12. Chileans associate Germany with good bread, beer, and cake. When asked about famous German musicians, the most common answer is usually Rammstein.

13. Most public toilets do not provide toilet paper.

14. It is almost everywhere prohibited to throw toilet paper in the toilet.

15. Dishwashers are rather rare.