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80 Americans Reveal The Little Things About Life In Europe That Caught Them Completely Off Guard
Oh boy, clear the way, Pandas, because I’m kind of an expert on this subject. I come from the far southernmost lands of America —the continent, not the country, but let’s not get into that discussion today— and I currently live in the exotic hills of Europe.
The question was simple: “Americans that moved to Europe, what shocked you the most?”. As a foreigner myself, I can tell you what was most shocking for me, and then we can move to the hilarious conversation that bursted on Reddit with more than 3k upvotes and 5.5k replies.
How on Earth can life end at 7pm? I’m a night owl, and you have no idea how much I suffer from this lack of options past “bed time”. We people from the west have much adapting to do when landing on the Old World.
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#1
No tip - business owners are paying their workers not me. I do pay my meal and tip is 100% optional to my discretion.
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Deep down, Americans and Europeans aren’t that different. We all have the same cultural heritage, and it doesn’t take much to understand each other. Just a bit of goodwill and patience. However, it’s normal to expect some differences, especially when it comes to the economy.
For instance, grocery prices can feel surprisingly different for Americans moving to Europe. The Washington Post showed a comparison between two antibiotic-free, boneless chicken breasts that cost nearly $9 at a US big-box store, while the equivalent cost less than $5 in France. That means the French option was roughly 44% cheaper for the same type of product.
#3
I was living in Spain in 2007, but this isn’t about Spain. It is about Finland. I was staying with some people in Espoo, Finland and they told me not to lock the front door. It was the middle of winter and dark. Evidently it was common in their neighborhood to keep the doors unlocked in case a drunk student couldn’t find their way home and needed to crash inside in order to save themselves from freezing.
#4
Honestly, how walkable everything is. 😂 I was so used to driving everywhere that it felt weird at first being able to walk to a grocery store, grab a coffee, take a train somewhere, and actually enjoy the trip instead of sitting in traffic. Also, the smaller portions and slower pace of meals took some getting used to.
Salary differences add another layer to the comparison. During 2024, the average annual wage, adjusted for purchasing power, was about $82,933 in the United States, compared with $63,691 in the United Kingdom, $60,901 in France, $69,829 in Germany and $53,317 in Italy.
When incomes differ this much, everyday prices have a very different impact on people's budgets. Familiar expenses suddenly feel cheaper, even when the price tag itself does not seem extremely lower.
#5
The Freedom, the true quality of life, the public transportation, how little potential for violence there was, how social healthcare works and how inexpensive it is. basically, everything better with some tradeoffs in weather that a 2hr flight to the Mediterranean cannot solve.
#6
It was after living here for a while. Going back to America and realizing Americans are very LOUD!
Restaurant tipping can be another cultural adjustment. While Americans are used to leaving a pretty big tip at restaurants, tipping works differently in many European countries.
Tips of 15% or more are generally unnecessary in many European destinations, with some countries including service charges or simply expecting diners to round up.
#7
How bizarrely formal everything is. If my kid's best friend's mom (who is also my friend now) wants to plan a play date, it's Good Morning Triknitter, I hope you are doing well. Child would like to play next Wednesday afternoon; is your child available? Kind regards, Friend. In the US that's a text saying Child is bouncing off the walls, want to get the kids together to burn off some energy at the playground?
Roman Arendt 1 hour ago
When I grew up, we made most of our playdates by ourselves. As soon as kindergarten or later school was over and homework was done, everyone in the friend group knew where to meet (a kid's house if the weather was bad, but mostly the playground, the community pool or a random wood). Only the planning for birthday parties was "formal".
#8
In Germany you have to buy the kitchen for your rented apartment. The people before you probably took theirs when they moved out.
JB 1 hour ago
True so far as buying the kitchen is concerned but they “probably” didn’t take the kitchen when they moved out. What happens significantly more often is the first set of tenants do indeed buy cabinets, hob, oven, fridge etc. Most of the time, they will try to sell it (including appliances) to the incoming tenants for a fair price - You are legally protected against price gouging in Germany; the price can’t be more than 10% higher than its depreciated value based on age and condition. Kitchen depreciation is 24% of the original cost during the 1st year, and 10% every year thereafter until it reaches a point of being old enough that it’s economically worth zero. Most incoming tenants will still offer €100-250 depending on the condition. You can’t be legally forced to buy it if you don’t want to. At worst, the tenants may threaten to tell the landlord they won’t recommend you as a tenant if you don’t buy their kitchen. However, they don’t actually get to decide who rents the place.
#9
When moved to Italy I was shocked at how cheap groceries were. And how cheap wine was. Like loading up the cart to stock the new kitchen and thinking "this is a $200 trip easily" and it was like 60€ - including olive oil, cheese, condiments, coffee beans, etc.
Also how hard it was to find cilantro.
Bored Jellyfish 1 hour ago
In the grocery stores in Italy, you do not handle produce with your bare hands, else you will be yelled out by elderly ladies. They provide gloves for that.
The contrast is not necessarily about Europeans caring less about money, but about what customers are expected to pay for. In many European restaurants, the listed price already covers the meal and service, while tipping remains optional or modest.
For Americans who are used to adding a tip without even thinking about it, eating out in Europe can feel like a huge cultural change.
#10
Sick days and maternity leave. Moved to Germany and at my first company they introduced me to the receptionist who is there "temporarily" to cover the woman on maternity leave. She had been there for a year. The receptionist that was gone didn't come back for another 2 years. She had had a second kid while on her first leave, still had her job when she got back.
And sick leave is the same. First is just that people call in sick all the time. For good reason but it just shocked me. They didn't feel well, so they didn't come in. As simple as that. But also the people who had bigger issues, took 6 months off and came back like nothing happened. No one complained, it's just accepted that they needed that time off and are now back and ready to work.
edit: grammar.
#11
Everyone isn’t angry all the f*****g time.
The real biggest shock was how after a decade here I went back to the Us and realised how much church and religion is pushed down your throat. Like constantly nonstop in every interaction, tv shows, the radio, back of taxis, just walking or driving down any street, it’s f*****g everywhere.
I just don’t think I realised it when I first moved here several decades ago, it was just quiet. But now in retrospect I deal with amost zero religion.
Michael Largey 31 minutes ago
After enduring centuries of religious wars and persecutions, Europe has learn that pushing your religion down other people's throats just doesn't work. (The best way to spread your religion is to practice it. Well, usually.)
#12
The sense of community within the small town we chose is beyond anything I would have expected, especially coming frrom the USA.
Speaking of cultural changes, walking is one everyday habit that can make European cities feel different to Americans. A survey found that 61% of people said they had walked for at least 10 minutes on 4 or more days the previous week. This gives us a good idea of how common regular walking is across Europe.
In fact, an European Commission research highlights everyday activities such as walking, cycling and climbing stairs as important forms of physical activity. In many European cities, these actions can naturally become part of commuting, shopping and socializing, rather than something people deliberately schedule as a workout.
#13
That people in Belgium and the surrounding countries are actually law abiding when they drive, people go the speed limit, keep to the right, follow all the laws. When I flew back to California for a wedding after living in Belgium for 3 years I about had a heart attack driving on the freeway because I had gotten so used to it 😂.
Jeff Brock 52 minutes ago
every time I get off the train in Brugge, there is always a crowd waiting to cross the road. Absolutely no one will cross until the crossing sign says to. There can be no cars in sight and everybody waits anyway
#14
Lived in the UK and loved every moment. Had our child there. Moments after our child’s birth i went about the hospital looking to settle the bill that surely must have been several hundred pounds for a two day stay with meals and extraordinarily attentive care. They laughed at me and waved me off saying, simply, “love, this is the NHS, go back to your baby. Can we bring you a cup of tea or coffee?”
Was literally overwhelmed with emotions in the moment, will never forget it.
#15
It took me several years to be able to:
1. call in sick to work when sick/say no to work that was offered even when I was already working 7 days a week
2. just go to a doctor or dentist when needed without first taking weeks and months to budget, compare prices and practices, emotionally work up to it...
I remember a moment in our first apartment in Germany where an old filling fell out while I was brushing my teeth, and my husband picked up the phone and started calling someone, and I asked what he was doing, and he said, "You need a dentist, so I am calling a dentist to make an appointment?" Whaaaaaaaat?! Just like that?! Absolutely amazing. .
I think that part of the difference may simply come down to how European cities are built. Many have older, smaller city centers where shops, restaurants, and other places are packed closer together, so walking often feels like the easiest option.
Instead of driving everywhere, people can sometimes get where they need to go on foot without even thinking about it.
#16
In Spain, the amount of stores that close on Sunday, including big corporate chains.
That would be unheard of in the US. Some stores are open 365 days a year.
Also the amount of stores that close for multiple weeks in August.
Also unheard of in the US.
#17
I lived in Spain. Not much shocked me but 1) Siesta is real if you live outside of Madrid or Barcelona. Everything closed from 2:00 - 5:00 in my city. 2) Getting paid once a month was an adjustment. 3) The sun rising and setting later than I was used to.
#18
I lived in Sweden for 6 years and moved back to the U.S. two years ago. I’m visiting Stockholm right now and after paying for groceries I went to the end of the conveyor and looked for the bags. I completely forgot that you have to choose the grocery bags where they scan your items and pay for those bags, too.
One detail that called my attention is Europe's greener reputation. The European Environment Agency found that food accounted for 49% of the EU's consumption footprint in 2023, followed by housing at 18% and mobility at 17%. The figures show how everyday consumption remains closely connected to environmental impact.
European environmental policies increasingly focus on the major sources of household impact rather than isolated green habits. Choices surrounding what people eat, how they heat and cool homes, and how they travel are particularly relevant when discussing Europe's environmental approach.
#19
The look of disapproval and pressure for not packing your supermarket stuff at the cashier fast enough in Germany, and the look of actual Germans not giving a s**t for paying in cash and packing slow as hell despite a long a*s line.
#20
I lived in Amsterdam in the Netherlands for five years- saw a lot of things, but only one thing made me stop in my tracks when I lived there. It was a poster for a Sesame Street Live type show with all the cast- and Big Bird was BLUE!
The Dutch insist it’s actually Big Bird’s cousin, Pino, but I wasn’t fooled. You know he’s actually Big Bird who escaped to lead an alternative lifestyle.
Michael Largey 46 minutes ago
Even Big Bird gets blue one in a while, just like the rest of us.
#21
I lived in what was then the Czech Republic for a couple years. Very little was shocking, but two images come to mind: 1.) Strangers getting off an elevator saying greeting each other and saying goodbye when they got off. 2.) Elementary school aged children carrying a large pitcher of beer from the local pub home to their family having been sent on that errand.
For example, air conditioning is one of the most striking differences. According to the European Commission, A/C is still very uncommon compared with the United States, Japan and South Korea. Europe had around 57 million room air conditioners in 2020, but the Commission expects ownership to rise as hotter temperatures increase demand.
Indeed, Europe's limited use of air conditioning may not last forever. Reports show that EU household energy consumption for space cooling reached 80.4 thousand terajoules in 2024, up from 40.5 thousand in 2018. Maybe it won’t take long for Americans to find a similar A/C usage when they visit Europe.
#23
The windows that open in multiple directions.
#24
The public transportation.
I lived in Philadelphia and our public transportation was a*s in comparison.
I now live in Vienna. The buses are almost always on time and come in 9 minute intervals. The trains arrive every 4-6 minutes.
Also EVERYTHING is so efficient and clean! No trash anywhere. All the train stations are even clean!
Moving to another part of the world can change the way you see everyday things, from how you spend your money to how you get around and take care of your health. What feels completely normal at home can look very different somewhere else.
Have you ever moved abroad or spent enough time in another country to experience a major culture shock? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
#25
Having to pay for toilet and most homes don't have AC but I believe that is slowly changing.
#26
No HOA'S.
#27
Getting paid once a month
Edit: getting paid once a month and also 95 - 99 % of the population in my current country getting paid on the same day.
#28
My kid’s first doctor’s appointment in Spain. Long post incoming:
My kid got an ear infection and that night she didn't sleep at all.
We woke up at 10 AM and I was debating about whether or not to go to the doctor and my friend said, "Just go. You don't have to pay anything and if she has an infection you can get it cleared up."
I went on my **insurance app** and looked for a clinic less than a mile away from our house. They had openings from 12 to 4. I picked the earliest one and our appointment was at 12.
We entered the clinic at noon, showed no identification, filled out no paperwork. We left the clinic by 12:15 and I had a prescription sent with a **QR code to my phone** that I could pick up in any nearby pharmacy. I had the antibiotic drops in hand and was in a coffee shop by 12:45.
In the US I probably wouldn’t have gotten an appointment for at least 24 hours and I would have been in our waiting room for at least an hour (based on past experience.) And they would charged me at least $50 for it, if not much more.
Anyways - healthcare in the US s***s. I knew it before going but I wanted to cry tears of rage after my first experience in Spain.
Michael Largey 26 minutes ago
US critics of national health care programs in foreign countries claimed that the health care is rationed. In general, it is not. It is rationed in the US - by economic, social, and racial class, by corporate greed, by self-righteous indifference, and by political corruption.
#29
Less shock and more slow boil surprise.
- the number of holidays and vacation days
- few people have dental insurance; the flat cost for most procedures is the same as the co-pay in the U.S.
- the general feeling of safety.
#30
When I was pregnant and giving birth everything was free and no copay even if you have a c-section 🫄 they also give money monthly when baby is born until 18 years old 👶.
#32
Say bonjour/bonsoir to the shopkeeper when you walk in or they will talk trash about you right in front of your face. (Un?)fortunately even though I didn't know that rule at first, I DID still speak French 😅
Context: I was speaking English with my friend when we walked in. They assumed we were idiot Americans, which was even funnier bc my friend is actually Mexican.
#33
How the cities sand towns are built for people socializing outside together. In the US we drive everywhere and are pressured to leave a restaurant asap. I was just walking home through my neighborhood last night (after having a chill 3 hour meal with a friend) noticing all the people hanging out in public and thinking about how wonderful it is. So many benches and green spaces, waterfront walking areas, etc. It's normal and beautiful and relaxing to chill out here in public on a late summer evening. That's just not typical in most of the US.
#34
I never gave much thought to health insurance in the US, when I moved to Europe (2016) I was amazed by the feeling of relief that came from not having to worry about accumulating debt, copays, deductibles. Just all the s**t I watch my family and friends in the States deal with as we all age.
#35
Having to bring your own refrigerator and sometimes HOB in a rented apartment.
And its true that Americans talk loud and fast in comparison.
#36
The lack of homelessness. I honestly thought for a second that there was some nefarious activity going on. After living there for a while, I realized they do have instances of homelessness but it is not an institution like it is in the States.
#37
Kind of cheating but. I work with a lot of europeans and they are universally FLOORED by how much americans make in salary.
I think by in large both sides dont understand the others economic situation.
Europeans get paid a low wage but have many social benefits.
Americans have next to no social safety net, but can EASILY make double or triple of their European counterpart.
Most people I work with are making around 100-250k on average. All the euro people said they were making around 50k for the same job in europe.
There is real economic and job mobility in the USA that just doesnt exist in most of europe.
Ace 51 minutes ago
In the corporate world this is simply not true. Some countries pay better than others, of course, like in CH where I worked from 2000, but that's largely due to warped exchange rates (and consistently low inflation here). In the large Swiss-based international pharma company where I worked US salaries were about on a par, UK and some other countries maybe as much as 20% lower, but nothing like the order of magnitude this poster is suggesting.
#38
A small thing I remember from my homestay in Germany. My host family bought milk in bulk and kept it in a storage room. Room temperature, no refrigeration, for days and days. Still can't wrap my head around that one.
JB 35 minutes ago
The most popular milk in Germany is H-milch, which has been pasteurized at Ultra High Temperature (UHT) 275°F - 300°F for a few seconds. This “long-life” milk doesn’t need to be refrigerated until it’s opened. It can be safely stored at room temperature for 3-6 months. It also tastes a lot sweeter than fresh milk, which isn’t to everyone’s taste when you’re used to fresh milk.
#39
My partner and I have been here for about a year and a half. After the first year we went back home to California for a few weeks since we had two weddings back to back (both had a bride named Natalie oddly enough).
The first thing we noticed when going to a restaurant was that we hadn’t been asked in the middle of our meal how the food was the entire time we were in Europe. Not only that, nobody is in a rush to get you a bill at a restaurant in Europe. You can just enjoy some conversation after your meal without being rushed out the shop.
#40
How much better the fruit & vegetables taste.
Bored Jellyfish 48 minutes ago
And bread. I’m not even a bread person, but anything made with dough was like crack. Also, chicken actually tasted like chicken. What we get in the US is pretty tasteless.
#42
How much useless mental baggage lifted off me. Turns out I don’t have to care if my neighbor’s car is nicer than mine, or worry about what might happen if I drop my kid at school today, or desperately hold on to my job because I need the healthcare.
Michael Largey 21 minutes ago
Points 2 and 3 are valid and quite important. The first matters only if OP chooses it to.
#44
How tiny your apartments are. Even in major cities in the US, its rare to find such small places to rent.
#45
In Spain when I saw them smoke tobacco **inside** their houses.
I actually grew up with a smoker parent and he never smoked inside the house. I think in the US, it's generally considered very trashy to smoke inside the house.
#46
(Studied in Amsterdam for a year)
“Shocked” is not quite the right word, but I think my two eyebrow raising discoveries were how chill it was to buy alcohol and how easy it was to get anywhere with some kind of public transit. Where I’ve lived and worked in the US you can get in a lot of trouble for not carding people, even if they're obviously of age; never got carded once in the Netherlands. And you can use one prepaid card to use bike, bus, tram, or train to just about any little village (important to me as I wanted to see the tiny towns where my grandparents were born). Also as a 6’7” (~2m) blond guy it was nice not being asked if I play basketball for a year.
A bigger shock was when I visited Antwerp and it happened to be I think Ascension Day. Belgium is predominantly secular but historically Catholic, and that city was *d**d*. I don’t recall everything being so closed down on religious holidays in the Netherlands, though maybe they take it more seriously south of the rivers. I couldn't find anywhere open to buy food and had to fast (so maybe I was involuntarily turned Catholic for an evening, haha).
#47
People being kinda cold in what would be a social, bar setting in America. I can get wanting to be left alone, I just don't get going to a crowded bar for it.
#48
The open workplace discrimination, especially against darker-skinned people, was pretty crazy.
#49
Lived in the UK as a Master's student for two years. Off the top of my head, a lot of bathroom sinks had hot and cold taps, though I think this was in older buildings with older plumbing. If you wanted warm water, you were out of luck. Or had to plug the sink and fill it, which was gross.
None of the windows had screen doors, which I found strange because there were obviously insects flying about. As Europe heats up, this is probably going to be an increasing issue.
How poor a lot of customer service was. People make fun of American fake friendliness, but dealing with dour jerks all day wears you down.
How much people smoked, especially young adults in their 20s. I'm a millennial, and I rarely encounter anyone my age who smokes, and if I do, there's usually very much a class distinction. Seeing university students smoking was strange to me. Also, people rolling their own cigarettes with loose leaf tobacco. The first time I saw a guy doing that I thought he was rolling a joint in broad daylight. I remember on a UK to US flight the guy across from me starting rolling a whole pack of cigs on his tray table about an hour before landing because he was probably antsy for a cig.
#50
As others have said, the smoking and lack of wheelchair accessibility. For me, it’s dogs. Being as diplomatic as possible, I will say I have an intense dislike of dogs. Dogs are *everywhere*, including on mass transit and, most shocking to me, in restaurants. At least the dogs seem to be well trained and are mostly on a leash (sometimes even muzzled), as opposed to the US where training a dog and keeping it under control appears to be a minor afterthought.
Bored Jellyfish 57 minutes ago
Yes, I’ve seen a dog sleeping under a table at a restaurant. The first time I saw it, it caught me by surprise, but I wasn’t shocked. We bring our doggo to breweries (as many people do here), but it’s outside seating only.
#52
I cooked a meal for my host family in Sweden, and got a weird scolding for making a plate for the neighbor kid.
#53
The 39 hour work week with a one hour unpaid lunch every day, which really means I'm at work for 44 hours a week (I'd much rather skip lunch and go home early or work through my lunch and get paid the overtime).
Edit: I really didn't think this would be so controversial!! I'm sorry I offended so many people, and I'm not saying the US has better working conditions overall. I was just really lucky at my previous job and had a lot of benefits that I thought would be the same/similar when I moved here. I had a paid 30 min lunch and paid 15 minute breaks, a 10 minute commute by bike, cheaper rent and a higher salary in the US, and now I've an unpaid hour-long lunch break that almost always spirals into work related conversations, I commute by bus 45 min if the bus shows up on time/at all, and my work day is just longer because of those factors. I really am happy and grateful to be here though, I've made a family and a life that wouldn't be possible in the States.
#54
Switzerland:
(1) *Safety* I didn’t realize the background anxiety I carry in the US because of gun violence. First few times in a crowd in Zurich I had that slightly elevated caution, until I realized that no one shoots people here. Fireworks would go off and I eventually lost that moment where you wonder if it’s a gunshot.
(2) *Lack of Precarity* many people in the US are barely making it. The person driving the bus, the checkout person at the grocery, your kids teachers… they’re likely struggling. In Switzerland these people live good lives. Their kids have healthcare and get educated. Being around people who aren’t struggling to make it changes the feeling of everyday life.
(3) $$$$ - It’s crazy expensive in Switzerland.
Ace 35 minutes ago (edited)
1. True, but I'd be much more wary in Zurich than other places. 2. Yes, ordinary people doing ordinary jobs get paid a living wage. 3a. Not on Swiss salaries, it's not, only if you convert at market exchange rates and compare with other countries. (Except for meat, especially beef, which is almost twice the cost of surrounding countries). 3b, it's much less noticeable now than it used to be, grocery shopping is mostly on a par, electronics and some other goods are cheaper due to lower VAT rates.
#55
I (65F) moved from California to Greece 10 years ago. The quality and accessibility of healthcare here in Greece has been really eye opening. First off, there is a public clinic within 10 minutes. I’ve gone there with quasi-hubs when he had the flu with high fever (medication given/no charge). I’ve gone there with a house-guest who accidentally grabbed a sea urchin (needles removed/no charge). I went for a physical with a local private GP (appointment within 1 week/cost 100E). I had knee pain so I went to a private ortho knee specialist (appointment within 1 week/cost 100E). I’m contrasting this to going back to The US. I’m now on Medicare so I thought that I’d get a physical and have a US doctor. I called THREE medical centers to get a GP for a physical. Several months wait for an appointment. If I don’t use Medicare and I pay privately, a visit is $650. F That.
#56
You make less but it goes further. The only loss is customer service. In Europe the customer is always wrong. To which you quickly adapt, the meal wasn’t bad. Your taste was.
#57
I was shocked by how s****y and car-centric Irish infrastructure is coming from NYC. Even compared to like a third tier city in Poland, structurally the country is so underdeveloped. We literally have narrow single lane country roads 20 minutes outside of Dublin that are designed for 2 way traffic in the year 2026. Rush hour is absolutely brutal here and we don’t even have a train/tram that takes you to the airport. Things also move at a snail’s pace so there is absolutely no rush by the government to actually improve things.
Honorable mentions: one of the worst, if not the worst housing crisis in Europe and also the most expensive energy costs in Europe as well. I mean I knew those were major issues when I moved here 5 years ago but it’s SO much worse now, and absolutely nothing is being done about it. If I wasn’t waiting on my Irish citizenship I would have left a long time ago.
#58
Not only do people smoke way more in Europe but a lot of them roll their own cigs. Seeing child seats in the front seats of cars also surprised me.
#59
Well, every cup of coffee is so SMALL.
#60
Moved to England for a year - the biggest thing for me was how big a difference latitude makes. I'm from the middle of the US, so our days are much longer in the winter, comparatively. falling asleep at 3 pm meant waking up to a pitch black sky in November.
#61
How much more i walked without even thinking about it. I stopped driving everywhere an suddenly 10k steps a day was just normal.
#62
When I woke up feeling sick, I could just stay home from work and go see my doctor without having to worry about money or losing my PTO for that day.
#63
I lived in London for a couple years and appreciated how efficient the public transport system was. I also felt the cities naturally required you to do a lot more walking and it was one of the reasons I was a lot more fit then than my fat a*s is now.
When visiting France and the Netherlands it blew my mind when most things close on Sundays and I felt a bit lonely.
In France being required to weigh things at the produce area before getting to the checkout was new.
The English don’t know how to add any kind of spices to their food. The main flavorful things we found there were oriental and Indian food.
In France even if we asked for steaks to be well done they came out medium rare at best. The beef quality felt much more tough than what we have in the states.
We once went to an American steakhouse in France and their version of what they think cowboys, etc are like felt a bit comical.
Parking garages in the Netherlands blew my mind. The scanning of the license plates was cool but the absolute zero room for a parking space really sucked. It felt like you literally were squeezing to get out of your car and not hit the car next to you.
#64
Probably the overt racism.
They are very judgemental about the US's treatment of black people, but then will immediately be absolutely nasty toward turkish (and some other) people, and claim, "but this is different!"
It was honestly the most eye-opening part of my time living there. Back in the US nowadays, and I do not see anywhere near the level of racial / ethnic tension here that is over there. Not even close.
#67
In certain parts of very rural western ireland, when you drive past another car, you slightly raise your index finger off the steering wheel to acknowledge them. It’d be like a head nod.
The practice has been d***g out over the years, but that hasn’t stopped me.
#68
Context: I live in Denmark.
The sheer number of smokers and that people can smoke at cafes and such outdoors. I hate it. I want to enjoy my lunch without inhaling cigarette smoke and I deserve to enjoy the nice weather too.
The scarcity of public toilets.
Rush hour being at 3pm.
Being able to leave my laptop alone in a crowded place with no fear of it being stolen, but not daring to leave my bike without at least two locks on it.
#69
Norway…the panic of running to the grocery store on Saturday afternoon, because the stores close at dumb o’clock and I have no food at home for Sunday.
Michael Largey 15 minutes ago
"Dumb o'clock"? I at the same time don't know what that means and feel I've been locked into it all my life.
#70
Lived in the UK for two years. Biggest ones for me:
Realized that public transit is like buying time because you can do many other things because you aren't driving.
Realized how cars are often a ball and chain and often good public transit is far more freeing while being dramatically cheaper and safer
Realized my British friends own hardly anything in contrast to even young Americans, but they didn't yearn for more s**t
Realized the background anxiety where everyone in the US feels not far from homeless and they must therefore grind is just not really there.
Not a utopia by any measure, but there was a lot I liked that I wish we would figure out here. .
#71
In France you have to give at least three months notice before you quit or you owe your boss the salary of your replacement.
JB 1 minute ago
Yeah, no. The 3 month notice period is typical for Executive/Managerial Staff, Technicians and Supervisors it’s 2 months, for Administrative and Blue-Collar Staff it’s 1 month. You do not owe your employer the salary for your replacement. You do owe them the gross salary you would have been paid, prorated to the length of notice you did not work. You can request a waiver from your employer, if they agree (and most likely they will) you will be paid for the time you work, and neither will owe the other any more. If the employer tells you not to work your notice period, they must still pay the full notice period. From the employer side, the notice period they must give depends on the collective agreement or standard practice but from a statutory standpoint minimum notice depends how long you have worked there. Less than 6 months: 1-2 weeks. 6 months to 2 years: 1 month. More than 2 years: 2 months.
#72
Lack of water dispensers anywhere. Including airports. Checked to see if there is a higher rate of kidney stones in the EU and indeed there is.
Wild!
#73
All the vacation days I get at work. I think this will be the first year out of the five I've been here I actually use them all in time.
#75
Spent a lot of time in Europe working.
At least in business: how slow things move. No decision can be made by any one person. It requires multiple meetings. Discussions. Repeated conversations and new stakeholders you've never heard of at the 11th hour.
Even basic things like "Can we hire the 2 people that are already in the approved budget?" would take months.
Governments worked even slower. (UK/London, Paris, Frankfurt, Luxembourg). If you accidentally missed a checkbox you could start a 2 month long government approval process all over again. And you can't do the proceses yourself, you need expensive lawyers and consultants -- otherwise it'll take you 12 months, not 2.
#76
In the US, coffee shops open early as hell. 6am or 7am. Maybe even earlier if you're in a town that has an early morning crowd. In Germany, coffee shops open at like 10am. They are for sitting and relaxing with a friend, not grab and go. You want the coffee to go and a pastry? That is from a bakery. Or a kiosk for s****y €1 coffee.
Sometimes after I drop my kid off at school at 7:45, I'd like a nice coffee drink. But even though I have no less than 6 coffee shops in a 1 block radius, they aren't open. No hot breakfast either. Go to a bakery for some coffee and a cold sandwich or go home.
#77
Excellent public transport - coming from America it was surprising how well it can work (Prague).
#78
No AC anywhere and trying to work in an office in the stifling heat during high temp days. Everyone seems to be in total denial there — it’ll only be hot for a few days and the rest of the year will be fine!
#79
American in Switzerland: The quality of medical care is 5 orders of magnitude better than in the USA. I've gotten appointments with physicians within a few hours of referral. Physicians, including specialists, spend a relaxed 20-45 minutes with me and the meeting does not end until I have no further questions. I've been typically taken on time or early at appointments. I had a complete workup for a serious illness (several appointments with a specialist, a MRI, a CT scan, a biopsy) completed with 11 days from first contact. The insurance actually pays for the treatments and medications (after a deductible and co-pay). And the wine line in the hospital is several pages long.
#80
- Tiny apartments with tiny fridges
- Lack of mixed taps and switches/outlets in bathrooms (UK)†
- Bad air quality in cities†
- Lack of work ethic: So many people are content to do exactly what they were asked to do and nothing more. I noticed this with service people (cable / appliance repair) and with senior engineers we hired. So often they would "do the work" they were supposed to do but it wouldn't actually solve the problem they were supposed to
- Racism - casual racism against Arabs, Romanians, Pakistanis - the people doing this don't even think their racism is racist†
- (UK) Customer Service that is polite but useless. It takes so long to achieve basic things like opening accounts, getting the rental company to fix problems with the rental car, etc.
†My experience is form the mid-201x's so I expect that some of these will no longer be true.
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