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It’s no secret that when Americans hop across the pond to Europe, they are greeted by a countless amount of cultural differences, depending on the country they visit.
Having said that, visiting France for the Eiffel Tower or Rome for the Colosseum is an entirely different thing than spending more time in the old continent. Whether it’s the Americans starting a new job over there or moving into a new apartment, some things stand out more for them than others.
So this recent thread from Ask Reddit with someone asking “Americans, what do you think is the weirdest thing about Europe?” has turned into one hell of a read, shedding light on how insanely different the two cultures and their people can be.
Read on below through the most interesting responses, and after you’re done, be sure to check out Bored Panda’s previous features on things about Europe that Americans find weird and things common in America that Europeans find very weird.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
The sheer grasp of language I've seen from some Europeans is wild.
Back in the early days of minecraft I used to play on a server with an English kid and a German Kid. The English kid would randomly speak Welsh and the German could jump between German, French, and English all the time and I was there like "Guys, I can barely English, can we dumb it down for the yankee."
B-b-bird 3 years ago
yup, I think being at least bilingual in Europe is as natural as walking.
Lee Kerr 3 years ago
It does depend on which bit of Europe; the U.K. isn’t particularly good at languages nowadays.
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Circa 3 years ago
"The English kid would randomly speak Welsh”. Really? Never known anyone English speak Welsh.
olx 3 years ago
i know a kid who speaks a bit, her family is welsh on her dads side. they could also have said english when they meant british because in my experience some people from other countries use english and british interchangeably
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François Carré 3 years ago (edited)
Except for French and Spanish speakers who, just like Americans, expect the rest of the world to speak THEIR language.
Bi-Polar Express 3 years ago
It is more about proximity. Many Americans in the southwest are fluent in Spanish because there is an exposure to the language. You can easily travel thousands of miles and not need any other language, though. Language needs to be used to be developed.
CwtchyMama 3 years ago
Yeah do Americans not realise wales is like a whole separate country ??? Like seriously
TheEndIsNigh🇨🇦and🇬🇧in🇺🇲 3 years ago
One single person does not represent "Americans."
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Loki’s Lil Butter Knife 3 years ago
I think one of the primary reasons that many Europeans have such a great command of language is due to the ease of travel between different European countries that speak a different language. Furthermore, I feel that many European countries start teaching children a foreign language at a much younger age. Unfortunately, the United States and United Kingdom often start compulsory foreign language studies way to late (often around secondary school) where teenagers have little interest and are scared to make mistakes.
Luis Gomez 3 years ago
The good old days when 45 was just destroying people's blocky lives on Minecraft before he found Twitter.
RELATED:
#2
It seems that European countries try to make life easier for their citizens? That's f*****g crazy to us in America.
In Spain and I think other European countries, there is a thing called a Siesta. Shops and businesses shut down in the middle of the day and people can relax and destress from work. In America, work culture is so toxic, people skip breakfast and only get 30 minutes at work to rush through a fast food meal. Crazy.
Public transportation is another one. I noticed how drastically better it is in Europe. People in northern European countries ride bikes, trains, etc. to work. And it all flows smoothly, on time for the most part, and is much more calming to sit in read in what would be considered a luxury train car in America, versus sitting for 40 minutes to an hour in bumper to bumper car traffic, with uglier views, mostly of concrete. It's just better in Europe because it's less car-centric. No traffic jams. People just walk to get groceries calmly in a few minutes. In America, you have to carve out time, and a separate day, because going to run errands is so stressful, from fighting through traffic to crowded spaces, etc. It's just not designed to be a pleasant experience. It's all just consumerism and how to squeeze more money out of people.
Education is another that should go without speaking. I will leave it alone because I could go on forever as a teacher in America, but I believe our citizens still rank near last across all subjects.
Healthcare is another. U.S.A. is the only developed country that does not provide healthcare to its citizens without some wealthy company making a profit first.
Everything about America makes life miserable. No wonder people are suicidal and we have a lot of suicide mass shootings. Most Americans would be shocked if they traveled to Europe and paid attention to how things worked there and how much better life can be by doing things that way.
Idiots will probably comment that America is great because we have freedom. Dumbasses don't realize that people have that in other places too and Americans are being scammed into living suboptimal lives.
Daniel Yamada 3 years ago
The US government can't afford to pay for healthcare. It is spending trillions of dollars to lose wars all over the world.
Laura Ketteridge 3 years ago
The American public pay way, way more for health care than Europeans. One of the reasons is the sheer number of people involved in extracting money, and ensuring it is paid. Another reason is the mark up on drugs and medical equipment. Imagine what would happen if instead of paying the money to health insurance companies it was paid into a huge pot called 'health care for all'. There would be loads of money to pay for health care for all.
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Kat 3 years ago
American people don't have more freedom. It's just an illusion that's well marketed.
Judit Hajdu 3 years ago
the Americans are brainwashed against socialism and they think they have freedom and they live in the greatest democracy on Earth - they should get out of their home towns to see the world
Mabelbabel 3 years ago
I don't understand the whole 'America is great because of freedom' argument. According to the index of Freedom in the world (maintained by academic institutes from Canada, USA and Germany), the USA currently ranks as the 17th most free country based on measures like freedom of speech, freedom of religion, individual economic choice, freedom of association and assembly, women's rights, violence and crime. The range of freedoms available to USA citizens is no better than those of citizens of many other countries, and considerably worse than others, such as New Zealand, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden.
m.w. 3 years ago
What kind of freedom is it, when you cannot lose job, or the medical bills would bankrupt you? What kind of freedom is it, when you end up on the street, or livinflg from your car, because the rent shot through the roof? What kind of freedom is it, when you have to go everywhere by car? You say "freedom", I hear "isn't it nice to be a slave convinced you're free?"
Florence O'Grady 3 years ago
Accidentally answered your question in the public answer box not the one attached to your question. Look for the post with Florence O'Grady attached to it.
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Jknbt 3 years ago (edited)
the rich can't get richer if they stop exploiting poor & working people & start paying a living wage to the lowest rungs on the ladder... I hate socialism, but the contempt these people show for their workers is ASTOUNDING over here... Fast food & restaurant workers can't pay the bills & feed their kids... They won't put anyone but the crew boss of a crew of 10 on salary with benefits & a retirement plan... this is BAD, and with the current looming economic recession that is coming (depression #2 ?), there is going to be trouble...
Rhea Williams 3 years ago
In lots of America you can't walk to the shop because there are no pavements, so you have to drive to a mall. Walking is dangerous and people think you’re bonkers.
#3
"Americans don't know what old is, Europeans don't know what big means"
Eric Mac Fadden 3 years ago (edited)
In Brazil we still have fairy old stuff too. Some buildings with 300+ years and still functional. But still not Europe...
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Kat 3 years ago
We, Europeans, know what big means. We just don't need to exaggerate with every aspect of our lives.
gerard julien 3 years ago
"Europeans don't know what big means" really ? RUSSIA is in Europe. lol
Cashme Outside 3 years ago
We would have European or Asian military units come and train with us sometimes in the states. We were based out of the Seattle area and I remember we were gonna have a long (3 day) weekend and one of the German guys saying “I want to drive and see the Grand Canyon!” I asked him if he would ever do a weekend drive to Moscow, because it’s about the same distance lol. He went to the space needle instead.
All's Gravy 3 years ago
Russia is European, you don't get bigger! How many of the world's biggest buildings are by European architects? Rome's Colosseum ain't tiny even by today's stadium standards - and still holding concerts!
All's Gravy 3 years ago
Europe thought big enough to colonise the Americas, Africa, Asia, Oceania, the poles... mic drop🎤
gerard julien 3 years ago (edited)
A short list of elections that the US interfered in: Italy, 1948 Iran, 1952 Japan, 1958 Brazil, 1962 Costa Rica, 1966 Chile, 1970 Uruguay, 1971 Italy, 1983 El Salvador, 1984 Panama, 1984 Nicaragua, 1990 Ukraine, 1994 Russia, 1996 Mongolia, 1996 El Salvador, 2004 Palestine, 2006 oops ! mic drop ! lol
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BakedKahuna 3 years ago
Can you name some examples for pubs and buildings in America that are tens of thousand years old?
Load More Replies...There are a lot of cultural differences between countries which make us all unique and interesting. For example, in the United States, people tend to be more individualistic, while in collectivist cultures like China, people are more likely to think of themselves as part of a group. This can lead to different expectations and behaviors in different cultures.
For example, in the United States, it is common to see people working long hours and taking work home with them. This individualistic work ethic can lead to a lot of stress and burnout. In collectivist cultures, however, people are more likely to work together and take breaks together. This can lead to a more relaxed and enjoyable work environment.
Of course, these are just generalizations and there are many exceptions to the rule. But understanding these cultural differences can help you to be more understanding and tolerant of people from other cultures.
#4
That you use the metric system.
That it totally makes sense and we don't.
We probably don't use it for spite.
Jrog 3 years ago
Then Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, who lived in France for a while, in 1794 pushed to have the metric system implemented in the USA. He commissioned his friend and fellow scientist Joseph Dombey to bring over to the USA a "standard weight" from France, the exact measure of 1 kilogram. Dombey's ship run into a storm and had to rush to the closest port in the Caribbean, but was assaulted by pirates on the way. Dombey was captured and held from ransom, and died in captivity. The original Standard Weight was sold, and came to the possession of the National Institute of Standards and Technology only in the '50s, after it was donated by the heirs of Andrew Ellicott, American Surveyor General and teacher of Lewis and Clarke, who bought it at auction in the early 1800s.
Cashme Outside 3 years ago
So what you’re saying is we don’t have the metric system because of pirates?
Load More Replies... Florence O'Grady 3 years ago
People, we have used the metric system for many years in at least two very important place in our country, hospitals and the pharmaceutical industry. There others I'm sure. Anybody know which ones?
Den Ver 3 years ago (edited)
The space industry is all metric. It had been mostly metric for decades, but a screw up by a sub-contractor, who did original work in the Imperial/Archaic system and converted improperly, made NASA and every contractor use only metric units afterwords.
Load More Replies... Den Ver 3 years ago (edited)
Americans effortlessly use the Metric System Every Single Day. ... It's their currency, which is based on 10's. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . In the metric system, whatever unit is designated as '1', (like 1$), is ÷ by 10 to get the next smaller unit (result: 0.1 = 'dime' ... the metric 0.1 = 'deci' ... both start with the same first letter, 'd'). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Then, the 'tenths'/dime/deci unit is ÷ by 10 (the result is: 0.01 = 'cent' ... the metric is called 'centi', both words are nearly identical) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . US money also gets bigger by 10's -- just like in the metric system. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Britain converted their money to metric in 1971 (instead of using 20 Shillings to the Pound, and 12 Pennies to the shilling, they started basing their money on 10's). I don't think proper change was given for the first 6 months.
KimB 3 years ago
Wow! you're absolutely right! I never thought about it that way! Bravo! :)
Load More Replies... All's Gravy 3 years ago
I believe that the US not only tried to introduce the metric system before for weights and measures (but it was only in on state and therefore became confusing) - however, certain professions use metric measurements (medicines: mg/ml, banking: 100 cents=$1. TheUS was one of the only countries brave enough to experiment with a decimal clock! Again, the problem was only trialling in one state!
John Carr 3 years ago
One of my favourite authors, Clive Cussler used to try and promote the metric system. In a few of his early books he mentioned that the US finally converted to using it and all the measurements in those books had a conversion table for length, pressure, speed etc. After a few years and books he dropped it cos the US being the US refused to use metric.
Mario Strada 3 years ago
Fun fact, USA weights and measures are based on the metric system, then converted to imperial. Personally, I still cannot grasp imperial wrenches. If I look at a bolt or nut, I have no idea what wrench to pick. 3/8, 7/16, 9/16??? How do people do it? When I raced motorcycles in Europe, I would look at a nut from across the garage and know immediately if it was a 10mm, 13mm or 17mm. Otherwise I got used to imperial, but when I approximate distances, I may say "about 10 yards" but I am really thinking "10 meters".
KimB 3 years ago
I've always favored the metric system...so much easier! (Yes, sadly I'm in the US)
Mario Strada 3 years ago
A few months ago I spent $200 on Amazon to get all sort of metric nuts and bolts. Just because trying to find the right wrench every time was stressing me out. I haven't regretted it. Also, most cars and motorcycles in the US use metric bolts and fittings (Unless you have a Harley).
Load More Replies... #5
That some stone roads that were built like 600 years ago are holding themselves together better than the paved roads.
Laura Ketteridge 3 years ago
Hmm, 600 years sounds very modern for some stone roads. The Appian Way was built in 300BCE
Esme Weatherwax 3 years ago
Aqueducts and sanitation but apart from that what have the Romans ever done for us?
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Cashme Outside 3 years ago
To be fair, there aren’t semi trucks hauling tons of weight on them all day, but yes, the roads are super cool.
Kayjunmoon 3 years ago
Way out of time line on this one. Romans were pretty keen road builders.
gerard julien 3 years ago
Via Domitia, south of France, roman road built in 120 BC ! ROUTE-6308...5a5709.jpg 
gerard julien 3 years ago
" The ancient Roman roads were primarily built by the legionnaires themselves. Engineers were regular members of the ancient Roman army, and their knowledge of road, fort, aqueduct and bridge construction was invaluable."
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Richard Henderson 3 years ago
They probably don’t let 2.5ton trucks drive on those ones. If you only let horse and carts on modern roads they’d probably last a while too.
#6
Labor rights and public services.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for it. I wish we had all that here. But it's deeply unfamiliar. I have European coworkers who *expect* vacation. We've got a British manager who *expects employees* to take vacation.
S**t is wild.
Iifa A. 3 years ago
As an employee you agreed to give up certain hours per day for agreed payment and benefits. Also the law states the minimum legal holidays. If you or your employer don't take holidays it can cause huge issues legally for the company and the manager of you don't use them by set time and are losing. Employers must ensure that you get 21 days of holidays plus legal bank holidays. And every week only five holiday days can be spent as legally you have two days off. So 21 days is actually 29 days with four weekends and then all public holidays on top. Because of this we are known to use the days to get long weekends to take city trips away 3-4 days. Absolutely love it, I went on holidays every five six weeks and employees are not responsible for covering their shifts. It's a paying job, if it doesn't suit quit, and no work isnt even in top 10 priority list. In USA the title of work and career level is highly valued and therefore you look down on less unfortunate. In EU human is valued
Mabelbabel 3 years ago
Same in the UK-there are statutory leave entitlement regulations. Someone working full time with a 5-day week work pattern must receive at least 28 paid annual leave days per year. Employers can choose to include bank Holidays in this count or allow them to be taken as additional paid leave days. Taking time off is essential for health, wellbeing and productivity-employees who feel valued and treated well will take fewer sickness absence days, form a more loyal and cohesive work force, and in the event of emergencies, will be more likely to volunteer to do overtime, cross-cover or help out outside their own role. There's a reddit forum called Antiwork, and as a Brit, some of the horror stories people tell about their working life and employment situation in USA are frightening.
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similarly 3 years ago
When I came to Japan about 25 years ago, taking vacation was frowned on. You could take vacation, but people simply didn't. Then, they started having deaths from overwork: Karoshi. It became so common, they made a new word for it! Now, the government mandates that all employees MUST use at least half of their vacation time or the company gets in trouble. Now, my employer will send us notes to remind us to take vacation time, and actively encourages people to use all of it. It's weird.
Ki Li 3 years ago
We do have labor laws in the US. And I always thought most full time jobs have vacation plus other days.
madbakes 3 years ago
The labor laws protect the employers far more than the employees. Paid time off is not mandated. A lot of full time jobs offer those perks, but still significantly less time off than Europeans. You're also forgetting about all those essential jobs that provide little to no benefits.
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Big Chungus 3 years ago
My company is ran by the German model and it is the same here. We are expected to take vacation and time away to enjoy life. I love it!
Marcela Mikulová 3 years ago (edited)
I am from Slovakia. Minimum - 4 weeks of holiday. If u are more than 33 and taking care of child - 5 weeks. If u are policeman - 6 weeks. If u are teacher - 8 weeks. And sure... we have bank holidays.
Laika-Mutton 3 years ago
Why is expect asterisked, as if their lip is curling when they say it? =/
Nicole Weymann 3 years ago
I think it's meant to emphasize (asterisks makes letters bold in several apps)
Load More Replies...The one and only best way to learn about those cultures and broaden your perspective of things is to visit foreign places and get to know their people. When you travel, you're not just looking at the world from your own eyes, but from the eyes of the people you meet and the places you visit. This makes you an onlooker of a whole different kind; you’re both an active participant and passive viewer who realizes that there exist different ways of doing things.
#7
High quality food at low prices. You can eat great, healthy food for cheap in many European countries. In the US, the healthier, higher quality food is often the most expensive.
Sara Rosen 3 years ago (edited)
I think this is true for southern Europe. However, I live in northern Europe where dining out is VERY expensive. The only affordable food you can get is hot dogs, fried fish, and fast-food kebabs. The produce at the grocery stores is fine quality but not any cheaper or better than in the States.
Not A Panda 3 years ago
I live in Northern Europe and fresh food is very affordable.
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Laura Ketteridge 3 years ago
Part of this is due to the huge distances food has to travel across the USA. Part of it is monoculture farms. American farmers have bought (or have been pushed) into huge farms that grow just one crop. It would greatly help the soil to have crop rotation, and grow multiple crops on farms. This would allow far shorter field to table travel for food, and it would improve food quality.
mulk 3 years ago
I can added another point: USA law for food is f**ked up. It authorized too many preservative, artificial aroma, sugar...
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Alison Hell 3 years ago (edited)
I live in Canada and eating healthy is much more expensive than eating c**p processed foods. It should be the other way around. Very sad for those who dont have a lot of money and need to feed their families. And organic...to eat a proper piece of fruit how 'god' intended, is even more expensive than the pesticide laden fruit. What a sad state we are in.
Jessica J. 3 years ago
This is why French school lunches look like they do, and U.S. lunches look like they do.
GoldfishCrackers 3 years ago
Grow your own garden if able. Helps offset price after the initial cost.
#8
Trains go to every major city
Ban-One 3 years ago
...and to most small cities and even villages as well (here in Switzerland)
Charly 3 years ago
NL too. The train on the photo is called a sprinter and is designed for the "shorter" tracks between the villages. Although it easily ride across half the country ;)
Load More Replies... Sara Rosen 3 years ago
...um trains go to every major city in America too. And much of the world really. Trains go to major cities, that's what they do.
The Scout 3 years ago
Nearly every small town too, here in Germany. The U.S. train system is more of a net connecting the big cities, while the european train tracks are designed to be a grid all over the country, giving access to the transport lines even in rural areas. Of course they could be better, and not every small village has a train connection. But the whole concept is different.
Load More Replies... Siriusly Sirius 3 years ago
...and you can walk to the store instead of a 30 minute round trip drive for milk and bread...
Maria Mandjik 3 years ago
My ex and I flew to Frankfurt from there we used trains, buses and a river boat to go to Holland, France, Switzerland and back to Germany, glorious vacation.
Andrea Steht 3 years ago
The public transportation system in Germany is awesome! I spent 3 weeks in München in 1999 and have missed it ever since I got home.
JayWantsACat 3 years ago
We can't even build a high speed rail system here in California for a variety of reasons, many of which I support. It's just frustrating.
#9
It’s crazy that everyone doesn’t drive a huge empty truck 1 mile down the road, instead they walk. Crazy.
Jrog 3 years ago (edited)
I'd say doing the opposite is crazy, but I guess OP's post was irony.
Ki Li 3 years ago
I think OP was being sarcastic. It is crazy that most Americans will drive ridiculous vehicles to go the shortest distance...or just driving a ridiculously large vehicle in general.
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Bill Evs 3 years ago
In fairness to people in the US a lot of the cities there are seemingly designed to be unfriendly to pedestrians to the point where a car becomes a necessity. Someone I know stayed in the States in a motel that could only be accessed by a motor vehicle. He wanted to visit a mall the was across from the motel but separated by a very busy road. There was no footpath, no bridges or tunnels to connect one side to the other so to get to this mall (which was a stones throw away as the crow flies) driving was the only option.
Mario Strada 3 years ago
This. Enslaving people to their car was a design choice. I have to drive 6 miles to go to a decent grocery store. I live in a small village-like neighborhood copied from an English village and built in the 1920s, but there isn't a single shop. Not even for coffee. The closest is a crusty convenience store right outside my neighborhood. To go to a (chain) coffee shop you have to traverse two freeways.
Load More Replies... Laura Ketteridge 3 years ago
Walkable cities are fantastic. It means people don't need to go to the gym because they walk and cycle. It also means that people who actually need a car (eg people with disabilities) have a far easier time driving and parking.
Nikki Sevven 3 years ago
I certainly would walk, but there's nothing within walking distance of my house, and none of the roads have sidewalks, so you take your life into your hands.
Firstname Lastname 3 years ago
People think I'm crazy for just walking to the grocery store or work when the weather is nice. When it's only a mile or two, a car to me is merely to either protect me from the elements, or to help me carry heavy things, like when there is a big sale on ice cream.
Scott Rackley 3 years ago
1 mile down the road puts me in a hayfield, and 2 puts me at the nearest intersection
Sorcha Dugan-Wolf 3 years ago
I live on a one lane dirt road, there's a neighbor that lives right across the road from her stepdad, instead of walking the few feet to visit, she drives her car. Makes no sense to me.
While traveling, you also learn to understand different points of view. When you're in your own country, you do not normally think about how other people live, but when you travel, you're exposed to different lifestyles with little choice. This will help you to be more understanding and tolerant of others.
Learning about other cultures is also a unique way to learn more about yourself. You find out how you react in a certain situation, how you behave with people you've never met, and how well you can adapt to different surroundings. While in a new culture, you’re much more likely to be pushed out of your comfort zone, which is the most important aspect of your personal growth.
#10
How few fat people there are. It's awesome, but your food culture is different enough to lead to a significant difference in obesity in the general populace
ADHORTATOR 3 years ago
Fat people in Europe exist, but I guess we are far far away from the US
Monday 3 years ago
Also given the different versions of "fat people" there are in the world. If you're comparing the average fat person to the fat people we see on American TV you wouldn't even call the average fat person fat at all.
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James016 3 years ago
American portion sizes are ridiculous. Plus a lot of food is comparatively much more salty than uk food
Becky Samuel 3 years ago
Salt, sugar, then fat and msg. Add to that rehashed, over-processed glued-together 'meat'.
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And i was like WTF!! 3 years ago
In 2012. i went to US as a student to work as a lifeguard. I weighted around 105 kg and i was considered fat/chubby. Yet, in USA i was kinda skinny when compared to the locals. I remember my 1st trip to wallmart, and clear as day, i remember that older lady on that wallmart stroller-vehicle with basket full of coca cola and bacon. And damn i never ever saw a person that big. I was like wtf, it is not a stereotype
Laura Ketteridge 3 years ago
It's not just food, but the way our towns and cities are laid out. We are able to walk and cycles in our towns and cities. We have public transport that the public use. This means we don't have to drive everywhere.
Tatjana P 3 years ago
We are, in a nonjudgemental way, very confused by the sheer size of fat people in the US. We are quietly wondering how that happens, ina technical sense.
Becky Samuel 3 years ago
Thinking that soda is an acceptable thing to drink all day every day. Portion sizes. High fructose corn syrup and palm oil in everything. Highly sedentary lifestyles.
Load More Replies... Judit Hajdu 3 years ago
the problem with US food culture that there is no such culture in the USA, only overconsumption
Josurf 3 years ago
Food portions or drinks are also much more reasonable over here. And it's not only in big cities that you will see people jog or sport on a regular bases. Now since corona I've seen an explosion of people riding electrical bikes. Though these do not demand as much effort to tour around, they still make people move more than driving a car.
Andrea Steht 3 years ago
IMO it’s because American are lazy AND their cities (Europe’s) are soooooo packed due to the population that they have stores within walking distance/bicycle distance. In the States you often have to drive a ways just to get groceries.
JayWantsACat 3 years ago
Per 2016 data, the US is the 12th worst country for obesity rates with no European countries worse than us. With a quick check, the first European country on the list is the UK at 36th worst. FYI, I'm American. I wish we would do so much more to address this issue here.
#11
that health care thing. i want that
Caroline Nagel 3 years ago
As long as far right religious fanatics keep their grip on the Republican party and government nothing will change in the USA.
Cashme Outside 3 years ago (edited)
Got into an argument with some of the in-laws about the need for universal healthcare. They called me a socialist. I told them they should burn their social security money they get every month because thats literally socialism. Hell, its even in the name. Well obviously it’s different for them because THEY worked hard for years to get their social security. No, the difference is you’re an a**hole and don’t practice what you preach. Its sad, but I dont think we will be able to get universal healthcare until that generation dies off.
Izzy Curer 3 years ago
Well, without available healthcare, just give it a few years
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James016 3 years ago
There needs to be a shift from the “I don’t want my taxes to pay for help to be available for other people” attitude. Even though you guys would most likely be better off financially. Though I think this shift is happening already going by the American Pandas on this site.
Brocken Blue 3 years ago (edited)
There is a shift in the attitudes every day people sure, but politicians and the deep pocketed donors they actually listen to sure as f**k don’t care
Load More Replies... gerard julien 3 years ago (edited)
" Taxes are what we pay for civilized society. Too many individuals, however, want the civilization at a discount." Franklin D. Roosevelt.
gerard julien 3 years ago
"Taxation is the price which civilized communities pay for the opportunity of remaining civilized." Albert Bushnell.
gerard julien 3 years ago
"Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck, was a conservative German statesman and diplomat. Bismarck pursued a conservative state-building strategy designed to make ordinary Germans—not just his own Junker elite—more loyal to throne and empire, implementing the modern welfare state in Germany in the 1880s. Bismarck's idea was to implement welfare programs that were acceptable to conservatives without any socialistic aspects. The social legislation implemented by Bismarck in the 1880s played a key role in the sharp, rapid decline of German emigration to America. Sickness Insurance Law of 1883. Accident Insurance Law of 1884. Old Age and Disability Insurance Law of 1889."
gerard julien 3 years ago
"Young men considering emigration looked at not only the gap between higher hourly "direct wages" in the United States and Germany but also the differential in "indirect wages", social benefits, which favored staying in Germany. The young men went to German industrial cities, so that Bismarck's insurance system partly offset low wage rates in Germany and further reduced the emigration rate."
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TheAquarius1978 3 years ago
No, idealy you want both, yes public health care is amazing in the sence that it doesn't matter if you're rich or homeless, you get the exact same care, however the handicap of that are the waiting Times, for non urgent surgeries you may have to wait more than a year, on the otherhand if you can afford get a health insurance, you are not gonna get better care per say, but the waiting Times are a lot shorter in the private system.
Mario Strada 3 years ago
My wife and I have private insurance in the US. We wait as long or longer than her family does in Canada. The last time I took her to the ER I had to drive her back home after 12 hours of waiting in purgatory. That can happen everywhere because of triage issues, but at least with our provider it's pretty normal.
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Senkise 3 years ago
The funny thing is: the European countries give free healthcare not because they want good for their citizens, but because they figured out healthy taxpayers pay more tax. Healthy people work longer hours, work more years before retirement, earn higher wages, PAY MORE TAX, and tend to vote on parties what don't plan to take away their "free" healthcare. What is not free, you pay for it by your tax. Governments sat down and figured out this is a good business, they get more money out from the system this way, like if the worker population is ill, disabled, or die early, just because can't afford healthcare.
Daniel Yamada 3 years ago
The US government can't afford to pay for healthcare. It is spending trillions of dollars to lose wars all over the world.
FactcheckerGeneral 3 years ago
WRONG. The US government spends MORE on healthcare per capita than the UK does, and the UK has blanket universal coverage. The USA could afford a decent healthcare system tomorrow, but vested interests oppose it.
Load More Replies... #12
The fact that you cross international borders like we cross state lines. The fact that you can wake up in Germany, drive all day, and go to sleep in Spain.
Heather Talma 3 years ago
Also sometimes the border is just a line of paint outside a cafe. Like there can be not even a fence.
John Carr 3 years ago
I remember travelling from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland (two separate countries in one island) and having to go through custom posts and armed soldiers, regularly having to be searched and everything in the car emptied out. Then came the peace process and the border opened. We can drive through the border and not even notice - only difference is the road signs are in miles rather than kilometers. There are plenty of roads where you are crossing and recrossing the border without knowing it - only way to know is the GPS. Sad to say that there is a section of the community in NI that want to bring back the border and all the hell that brings :(
Thomas Wieser 3 years ago
I live in Switzerland and I could throw a stone from my balcony to Austria :-)
gerard julien 3 years ago
"The Schengen Area is an area comprising 26 European countries that have officially abolished all passport and all other types of border control at their mutual borders. Of the 27 EU member states, 22 participate in the Schengen Area. Of the five EU members that are not part of the Schengen Area, four—Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, and Romania—are legally obligated to join the area in the future; Ireland maintains an opt-out, and instead operates its own visa policy."
Daffodil 3 years ago
As an American, I understand both sides of this, cause I live ~30-40 min from the Canadian border, so we could go there anytime, but also ye the states are big, and ur countries are small. But to be fair, crossing the Canadian border then being in another huge country isn't the same as going thru like 4 smaller European countries
Luke Branwen 3 years ago
World would be better without borders altogether. What are they if not imaginary lines on a map whose sole purpose is to divide people into "us" and "them"?
#13
When I went to Bad Kissingen, Germany I almost fell over. If you get diagnosed with certain aliments your doctor can write a prescription for you to go to the spas—FOR SIX WEEKS. Then once you are there you drink water from the ground that helps you heal! And you bathe in pools that look like Versailles and take leisurely strolls around the grounds to soothe your stomach. And here’s the best part—your employer has to keep paying you while you are there! What the hell kind of a deal is this?! In America they throw some Robitussin on you, take your pay and tell you to get your a*s back to work! Germany was the f****n coolest place!
2x4b523p 3 years ago
Same goes for children, very often asthmatic children are sent for “healing stay” in the clean-air mountain region, sometimes they go seaside for the humid air, whatever makes their breathing easier. Typically they have some form of schooling arranged to keep up with their class while away.
Jelena Putinja 3 years ago
in Croatia too - usually 3 weeks - it is payed from taxes that are deducted from your monthly paycheck whether you are sick or not
gerard julien 3 years ago (edited)
exactly the same system in France. In France, the words bains, thermes, and eaux in city names often imply a spa town. There are 102 spa towns in France, including Vichy, Aix-les-Bains, Bagnoles-de-l'Orne, Dax, and Enghien-les-Bains.
#14
It’s so weird how civilized y’all are over there (minus that whole Russia-Ukraine thing as of late, but that’s not the Europe I know and have visited.) But yeah generally you guys have these *crazy ideas* about what constitutes the “good life.” Jobs that don’t treat you like slaves and work you into an early death; subsidized, single-payer heath care so that you could hypothetically lose your job and not your *health* or *life*; 6 weeks of mandatory paid vacation a year whether you want to go someplace or not; decent, healthy, affordable food; subsidized housing that doesn’t look like a war zone; clean, modern public transportation that alleviates the need to own a vehicle in a lot of places; high-quality education instead of schools that increasing resemble more of those war zones we seem to love (we know better in the US, where the mantra is that violence belongs everywhere); clean water; freedom *from* religion in public policy; public toilets; functional democracy… Yeah y’all are some *WEIRD* people…
Valter 3 years ago
Freedom *from* religion? Not everywhere. Not in Italy, for instance, neither in Poland.
Jelena Putinja 3 years ago
freedom *from* religion in public policy - hahahahaa maybe in Nordic countries - the more south you go the more church is involved in every aspect of your life even if you are not religious
Mario Strada 3 years ago
Still not as crazy as some places in the USA, where the first question a stranger will ask you is "what church do you go to". I was born and raised in Italy and yes, the Church was pretty solid presence. Still, even as I was growing up, more and more people didn't give a flying .... Most people do attend the major holidays and events. My own brother chided me for not baptizing my daughter, but then I asked him "Aside from Xmas and Easter, when is the last time you went to Church?" Lots of cultural catholics there, but churches get mostly tourists.
Load More Replies... Luke Branwen 3 years ago
I wouldn't say that the work thing is much brighter than in America... but yeah, it's definitely at least a bit better than America.
#15
I'm surprised nobody has said 'the price you see in the shop is actually the price you pay', because as a Brit the idea of taxes not being included in the displayed price is absolutely mind-boggling to me.
Edit: after some good back and forth in several threads I've softened my stance on this - I can see how when the next town might have different tax rules, it would make it easier to tell when you're being ripped off etc. But it still feels weird after 30+ years of just seeing the price you pay.
Laura Ketteridge 3 years ago
I don't care what the taxes are in the next town over. I want to know the actual cost of the items I am buying.
De Burke 3 years ago
And why the F are they different in the next town over anyway?
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Natalie Bohrteller 3 years ago (edited)
The answer could be to write down the tax amount right below the actual price, just as they do it with price per unit etc.
Łukasz Markuszewski 3 years ago
I don't get this. The particular store is not jumping into another town two times a day. I stays in the same state, county and town all the time. It can have the same tax rates all the time. So why not to include it on the price tag? This is like saying that the price tags near polish-german border should not include tax rates, cause behind the border the tax rates are different. Nonsense! I bet this is meant to make people buy and pay more.
Angie Chan 3 years ago
On the topic of produce, I was bewildered to learn that touching produce with your bare hands is a huge no-no. After learning that, attempting to use a scale to weigh my produce and make a tag dang near broke me. I could not read/use the scale, the cashier kept waving me off, and I knew that putting the apples back would have been frowned upon, so I stood there having a mental dilemma. Thank you, kind stranger who saw my conflict and helped me out!
Danielle Molenaar 3 years ago
You mean to say that Americans (can) pay a different tax rate per town? Wow.
Lee Kerr 3 years ago
When we’ve been to the US we generally is it a couple of different cities and it’s as confusing as h*ll. my method is just to always add 20% to the price of anything I’m thinking of buying and if that makes it too expensive, I don’t bother!
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Eunice Probert 3 years ago
But other towns don't have different tax rules. We have one set of rules for the whole of the UK.
Lee Kerr 3 years ago
They’re talking about the US I think. The first time I went to the US, I got out the exact money to pay for something only to be asked for a higher price because tax isn’t included the way vat is. I just get the hang of it when we move on to another city and the tax is different!
Load More Replies... Richard Henderson 3 years ago
No, you were right the first time. It’s absolutely ludicrous not to show the final cost you’re paying.
Cuppa tea? 3 years ago
I had once USA phone company customer arguing about his bill gone up by few bucks. Reason was - he moved to different state that imposed higher taxes and also charges some other ones.
#16
Otherwise healthy people smoking cigarettes
Bored Retsuko 3 years ago
Friendly reminder: downvotes are NOT dislike buttons. Downvoting a comment just because you don't agree = not cool. If a comment gets downvoted, its author will get banned from the site. So please downvote only in case of obvious spam ("how to make cash") or if someone is literally harassing a fellow panda
Ki Li 3 years ago
This seems like something Boredpanda should fix. We have report buttons for spam and harrassment. Downvotes shouldn't be used for those things.
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Mattewis88 3 years ago
I find it strange that people will just pounce on something like this like it's the world's worst thing, but then proceed to get drunk (and drive). Completely acceptable for someone to be a public nuisance and even a blatant danger - but the oke banished to the far corner having a cig is the bad guy.
Vera1 3 years ago
I don't understand how you can think that smoking a cigarette isn't a public nuisance. I live in Europe and I've got to keep my windows shut in the middle of summer, because my neighbours smoke all the time.
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Jon Clingenpeel 3 years ago
I noticed that in Spain. Only major downside while we were there. My wife has a couple of lung issues so that was our only complaint while there.
Fatma Feustel 3 years ago
Otherwise healthy people smoking cigarettes??? What is that even mean? Should unhealthy people smoke? Could only unhealthy people get addicted? This sentence is sooo meaningless.
Aunt Riarch 3 years ago
It means that healthy people don't usually smoke, so to see a person who looks healthy smoking, is unusual
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Rich Willson 3 years ago
No place had me wishing for a cigarette more than visiting Spain, damn they make it so inviting..
Runar Friheim 3 years ago
I'm fit, but i smoke once in a while, no bad health! I work as a heavy equipment operator, but have an active lifestyle....
Dunder 3 years ago
I understand this, but tricky to explain. Hm... Yeah healthy people smoke. Many times after I've finished my gym session, CrossFit looking guys and girls walks out from the gym and the first thing they do is to light a cigarette. Most people go by looks, they see these strong, healthy men and women smoke. It looks wrong to them, "A fit guy can't do that!? Some people might not expect to see a fit, healthy looking person smoke, because training and smoking don't go hand in hand. But it sort of does... training and smoking has a dysfunctional relationship.
KimB 3 years ago
Even fit people are at risk for heart disease if you have family history or bad cholesterol. Smoking doubles that risk. You can also still develop COPD also from smoking regardless of how fit you are....just some food for thought.
Load More Replies... gerard julien 3 years ago
" Philip Morris International was the largest tobacco company worldwide in 2021, with a global market value of about 159.2 billion U.S. dollars. "
Vera1 3 years ago
But it's not just your choice. Unless you smoke in a literal vacuum and do not get outside of your house at all and do not invite anyone else in your house, it effects other people as well.
Load More Replies... #17
The history. Can't wrap my brain around that. I live in a farm house built in the 1920s and that is considered old.
François Carré 3 years ago
Then again, get over the idea that your country is young. These 250 years are only the last (and maybe not the most interesting, after all) chapter of the book. A lot of stuff happened before, it's just that History written by the conquerors pretends there was nothing worthy of interest. Make an effort of imagination and try to figure out how people used to live where your 1920 farm house is now, like 1000 years ago. Of course their life was very different, and kind of left no trace. But if not for the brutal conquest they had to endure, this way of life was probably much more sustainable than the one we have now, and we'd better pick some ideas from them about how to change. In the end, they were doing quite the right thing.
Alexandru Bucur 3 years ago (edited)
I grew up in a city which was founded in 600 BC. When I was a kid, some workers digging for the foundation of a nearby building ran into a roman era cemetery and had to stop work to let the archeologists come in. Us kids would play around the place while the archeologists were working and I remember I came home with a roman skull, but my mom wouldn't let me keep it... XD I also found a bronze coin from round about the 4th century AD which was duly handed in to the archeologists. In the end that building was never built because they found a very richly painted tomb: http://ebridge.info/en/articles/the-hypogeum-tomb-funerary-complex-of-exceptional-value-in-tomis
Terran 3 years ago
I grew up in a house built between the 1450's and 1500's (city archive burned down in the 1640s so written record starts there). I currently live in a building from 1910 and it's wayyy to young for my taste. All that modern architecture from the last century simply isn't for me.
gerard julien 3 years ago
in the village where I live (population 500) the church is 1000 years old
Elisabeth Nilsson 3 years ago (edited)
My house was built in 1736, and it's far from the oldest building in town (I live in Norway)! :)
Kayjunmoon 3 years ago
The bottom half of my home is the bottom half of a fortress tower look out, at least one thousand years old, probably more. The top half, who knows, at least 500 years and built from the rubble of the rest of the fortress.
JayWantsACat 3 years ago
I always forget that we are a 'young country', relatively speaking. When I see a building built in the 1890's and then the UK has some built in like 1700 has blows my mind.
#18
All those damn trains, public transit, and walkable cities. I like being stuck in my gas guzzler and nearly dying anytime I use a sidewalk.
John Bujold 3 years ago
The USA is build around the automobile. Sideways are hard to find and the public transite is built to bring people to corporate centers for entertainment and shopping. They are not built to get you to for day to day life, grocery shopping, work, school, health care, recreation etc. There is almost as much land dedicated to parking as buildings.
dmf 3 years ago
Yes, every American is fat and every European is skinny. Idiot
Load More Replies... #19
As a European, I can tell you that the cultures, customs, languages, weather, food, and everything else can vary as drastically from country to country as it does from America. I live in Ireland, and pretty much any other EU country is pretty alien to me. And they probably think Ireland is weird af too.
Dani M 3 years ago
I think a lot of contintentals actually have a romantic view of Ireland. But the country is beautiful and the people friendly, so take us on as tourists ;)
Kaisa Koo 3 years ago
My view of Ireland was exactly that after I visited Dublin. Before I didn't know what to expect. Beautiful, historical City.
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busymum 3 years ago
I live in Ireland, but I'm actually from Brazil. The crazy thing about Ireland is the accent can change within 1 city, while big countries like Brazil or US it takes a whole state to see some difference or sometimes you'll have the city accent and the country accent in the same state.
Robert T 3 years ago
TBH I feel more at home in any European country that I did in the States, and that includes those where I don't speak the language! Everything works in pretty much the same way - transport, eating out, hotels, airports, crossing the road! Visiting the States was almost like visiting another planet!
Scott Rackley 3 years ago
I don't think Ireland is weird at all, it's beautiful. It wouldn't be as good without Irish people though.
Nikki Sevven 3 years ago
As an American (and a New Englander), I find other parts of my own country weird af.
Just a ray of f'ing sunshine 3 years ago
That's a great point. I'm sure some of the people here assume Europe is the same throughout every country when they are all unique in their own ways.
Pittsburgh rare 3 years ago
Totally agree. I feel l have very little in common with northern Europe
Nadine Debard 3 years ago
Maybe Ireland is weird but IMHO Scotland wins the prize (and I would love to go to these two places)
#20
alot of people use public transport, like the kids, teenagers, old people .etc use the bus and train so commonly, in america basically everyone has a car or gets driven by a car
Omi bub 3 years ago
Exactly! In cities all ages use public transport. I don't even have a car (40s) as it's so much quicker & easier to get public transport everywhere
Load More Replies... Emmydearest 3 years ago
In big cities public transport is quite efficient, to the point you don't even need a car. Buses, trams and subway get you everywhere. Same with travelling from town to town: take the train, definitely. If you live in a small town or village though you can't rely for everyday transportation, you absolutely need a car, unless you are a pensioner with a lot of time to spend waiting.
Angie Chan 3 years ago
I want to move someplace with robust public transportation because I don't want to be that terrified senior driving a car in terrible city traffic because I have no other options.
Hobby Hopper 3 years ago
In some places, anyone who doesn't drive is looked down on. I lived 8 miles from my high school in a rural area, and I decided to ride my bike some mornings instead of riding the school bus or a car. You'd think I turned myself inside out with the reactions I got.
Alison Hell 3 years ago
I do miss taking the bus and reading a good book and just chillin on the way to work. I do not miss standing in -30 celcius weather waiting 40 minutes for a late bus with frozen tears (out of sheer frustration for freezing and not sure if I should wait or go home)...and busses are always late when the weather is shitty.
Jill Bussey 3 years ago
Walking in US is weird. There are fewer footpaths and can be stopped by police. They then said "oh, you're British. Best not to walk here. "
Big Chungus 3 years ago
They keep raising the prices of public transport here, people can barely afford a bus pass
Siriusly Sirius 3 years ago
Basically everyone has a car because we literally have to drive everywhere. I'm so done with that...
#21
You have to pay to use public restrooms
OneHappyPuppy 3 years ago
The money goes for cleaning the place, yup I'd rather pay to go than go to a literal sh*thole
JuniorCJ82 3 years ago
We have free public restrooms that get cleaned multiple times a day.
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Ace 3 years ago
Not everywhere. But in all of them you can actually do your business in private with a door that actually fills the gap.
Gabriella de cruz 3 years ago
I live in England and I've never had to pay to use a public bathroom
Load More Replies... Becky Samuel 3 years ago
This is mostly in high traffic tourist areas. The locals know where to find free facilities. It's a tourist tax.
M Bow 3 years ago
The only downside is when the entire area is made for tourism
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Dmitri K 3 years ago (edited)
This drove me absolutely nuts when I was in Prague a few years back. The city is beer drinkers' heaven where a pint often costs less than a bottle of water. Yet, they have all these pay-per-use public washrooms, which are coin-operated to boot. Who even carries change around with them nowadays? As a result, the entire historic tourist area reeks of urine, making the old city truly breathtaking in the worst possible way.
Dunder 3 years ago
Most pay-to-use restrooms are located in the big city's, that are more crowded. Like train stations, places that attracts tourists, like Stockholm, Gothenburg. That explains a lot taking paid for it, to clean up the mess from thousands of daily visitors. Costs 10kr (1$) I live in a smaller city, around 300k population. All restrooms are free, even in our big mall. On some places you need to ask the cashier for a key, code or they push a button to unlock the WC. Some places like gas stations or even coffee shops has a sign saying "Only buying customers can use the toilet for free" The WCs are open, so you can just play it cool an walk in. I do it all the time, it just hunts me later... a Swedish thing... A note, the cashiers won't hunt you down for that haha. Just a sign to make some extra cash.
Jon Clingenpeel 3 years ago
The times we ran into them we didn’t have the right amount 😢 I’ll gladly pay, just have a change machine nearby
Raphael Biock 3 years ago
Not everywhere. Most of the time you have to pay is because the restrooms are owned and cleaned by a cleaining dompany, which i do prefer to free one's, that are mostly less clean.
#22
If you’re talking about a whole continent, there’s bound to be some weird things about it, and that also means that people from certain European countries will find other European countries weird in certain ways. Like I’m British, and I find the French incredibly weird.
RoanTheMad 3 years ago
Don't worry, we can take it, you cheese eating surrender monkeys ;) (i'm joking. The whole England/France thing is generally more banter then it is true hate between each other, I've met some wonderful French people whilst travelling there despite coming from England... or maybe they could tell I'm actually not ethnically english idk)
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Roland Gosselin 3 years ago
I am half French, half British and I find both people bafflingly weird sometimes. Moved to Belgium. :)
FactcheckerGeneral 3 years ago
Eddie Izzard summed things up pretty well when they said "I do like the French, but they can be kind of French..."
gerard julien 3 years ago
I am french and I like the brits ! I think they're weird, that's why I LIKE them ! lol
Josurf 3 years ago
People will always have comments on "the others", whether they are from another country, another region or another city. Th Dutch are greedy and weird to us Belgians, while we are distant and weird according to them. The French are horrible chauvinists, while the Germans are loud and always boasting about their efficient products, etc. But you might as well stay in the same country and hear comments about how weird the people from the next city are. This kind of behaviour exists everywhere I think.
Mario Strada 3 years ago
Everybody find the French weird. I know, I am Italian. They find us weird as well.
JayWantsACat 3 years ago
I find the people in a neighboring state here in the US incredibly weird. Let alone those on the other side of my country.
Freddie Torsten 3 years ago
So you don't judge people in other states? When you're literally in the same country??
Pittsburgh rare 3 years ago
Sometimes. Regional differences and stereotypes. It's usually friendly banter for the most part, but there are also people who take it to a whole other level (speaking from Spain)
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#23
Well, you can walk into a movie theater in Amsterdam and buy a beer. And I don't mean just like in no paper cup, I'm talking about a glass of beer.
And in Paris, you can buy a beer at McDonald's. And you know what they call a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in Paris?
They got the metric system. They wouldn't know what the f**k a Quarter Pounder is. They call it a "Royale with Cheese."
A Big Mac's a Big Mac, but they call it "Le Big Mac". What do they call a Whopper? I dunno, I didn't go into Burger King.
But, you know what they put on French fries in Holland instead of ketchup? Mayonnaise. God damn! I seen them do it, man, they f*****g drown them in that s**t.
Roland Gosselin 3 years ago
Mayonnaise is the best condiment for fries. I moved from France to Belgium a few years ago and switched almost instantly. It just works better. Perfect combo.
Aunt Riarch 3 years ago
Just one visit to Bruges was all it took for me, couldn't believe how well it went
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Nadine Debard 3 years ago
In France, a Burger King's Whopper is called... Whopper. Yep. And I love french frites with ketchup AND mayonnaise. Yum yum.
Daniel Yamada 3 years ago
European McDonald's don't have the Quarter Pounder. They have the 0.11 Kilogramer.
TheElderNom 3 years ago (edited)
We have it in Sweden. Edit: Although now I guess that was a joke.
Load More Replies... Lee Kerr 3 years ago
Back in the 90s I took my son to McDonald’s in Paris; they had a salad bar!
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Isidien Gudmundsdottir 3 years ago
We do because it's freakin' good and delicious!! It's not just your regular mayonnaise either.
#24
FUNCTIONING PUBLIC TRANSIT I thought it would be horrible needing to wait and wait and wait only for a crowded and smelly bus or train to take me somewhere only for it to arrive on time, relatively sanitary, and in cities or towns of less then 8,000 people. In the U.S. a city will have well over a million people and lack any metro line, period. Just a bus that’s always late and comes one every hour and a half
Mr Red 3 years ago (edited)
Y'all should stop calling socialism communism and stop voting for republicans.
laura lee 3 years ago
Conservatives have screwed over public education for so long, if you're not getting supplemental education and are not a "self-starter" you unfortunately are probably a moron, but that is the goal of the Conservatives. Keep people too stupid to vote in their interest or too apathetic to even be bothered to vote.
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Heather Talma 3 years ago
I've waited 40 minutes for an American bus that's supposed to come every 15 minutes.
#25
The beauty of their cities
Pixie 3 years ago
That depends. I love my city, it has a lot of charme and character, but beautiful it is not.
Andreas H 3 years ago (edited)
Well, don't visit tourist hotspots only. Come to Dortmund, where we try to rebuild our central train station for 50 years while occupied by homeless, beggars, punks, criminals and drug addicts.Our city is the reason why good footballers leave the BVB as fast as possible.The club is great, our city is not.
#26
Maybe things are different now, but everything is completely closed on Sundays if you’re not in a major city.
Laura Ketteridge 3 years ago
It totally depends on which part of Europe you are in. The laws and customs are different.
VeryDarkMatter 3 years ago
I actually enjoy this leisure sundays. Everything for having a quality time without shores is open. Cafe, restaurant, cinema, theater, museums.. what is closed is usually stores. And I am so fine with that.
Linda 3 years ago (edited)
I believe this is because most European countries are not founded on Capitalism. European culture is deeply connected to Christianity and it's customs for hundreds of years and it resulted in Sunday being a day of worship and rest. Nowadays it depends on the country and the connection between politics and religion. For example, until 1984 the law forbade shops to be open on Sunday in The Netherlands. After that there were 4 'shopping Sundays' a year allowed and in 1993 it became 8. In 2013 the law was changed and the responsibility for opening shops on Sundays shifted from national government to local government. Each town or city could chose what to do according to the wishes of their inhabitants. Today most supermarkets, shops and restaurants are open on Sundays, except in religious Christian towns (bible belt) for religious reasons.
Robert T 3 years ago
We still have restricted opening hours on a Sunday, but things do open. Hell, I remember working Sundays at ASDA 30 years ago, mainly because it was double-time!
Load More Replies... Matthew Wilkins 3 years ago
Not the case in the UK but in France the only thing open on Sunday seems to be the bakery for just a few hours.
Steve Thomas 1 year ago (edited)
It means the workers are having a well deserved time off and having a life?
gerard julien 3 years ago
SUNDAY is the LORD's day ! americans who are so religious should know ( and respect ) that ! lol
Con O Cuinn 3 years ago
As Ireland drifts further from Catholicism, this is less and less common
#27
The oddest thing I found in Copenhagen was that when we tried to go get food around 9pm, nearly everywhere was closed. We were in a busy part of the city but it took us so incredibly long to find a place open late. I don't live in a huge city but I can throw a rock from my house and it will bounce off half a dozen places open until midnight or later.
Edit: This is not a complaint, just an observation. I loved Denmark.
Robert T 3 years ago
Just picking a couple of restaurants I know in the city centre, one is open till 11PM every day, and another is open till 10 or 10:30PM depending on the day of the week. I used to go to Friday Rock at Tivoli, which doesn't start till 10PM, and would go and eat somewhere first. So methinks the OP must've been on a public holiday.
Cashme Outside 3 years ago
Covid jacked up all the late night stuff for us. I used to do my grocery shopping at like 2 in the morning because I worked nights and also don’t like crowds. Oh well.
Jessica J. 3 years ago
All the restaurants, but one bar near the college, are closed by 9 PM. Even McDonald's is closed by 10 PM. This is in the U.S.
Fluffy mommy panda 3 years ago
I live in America an 2 gas station, truck stop and taco bell our the only things after 11pm.
#28
I’m not sure if it’s wired but it’s fascinating how so many cultures and languages came to exist over such a (comparatively) small continent as Europe.
OneHappyPuppy 3 years ago
This doesn't make sense. Don't americans know their own history? That they came to be from 2-3 colonizers from Europe? While there were a sh*tton of tribes in Europe who all had their own culture and language?
KM 3 years ago
and there were a lot of native American languages and cultures as well
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Laurie McDowell 3 years ago
That's because of geography. The English Channel, the Pyrenees, the Alps, Carpathians, the main river systems and thick German forests, Baltic and Mediterranean seas etc - all broke up the movement of peoples and isolated them in certain areas.
jimmy pop 3 years ago
Lol you simply never learned your own history properly. There were shittons of different cultures in the US before your ancestors went full-on genocide on them. The very few remaining tribes are now restricted to their tiny reservations, almost completely separated from your society.
Iifa A. 3 years ago
What about if you think that Europe existed before USA, that it can traced back to pre-bible era, the ancient cultures and empires we had? And now mix in post Bible, different traditions, climates, throw in ice age and you start understanding how languages became, foods we eat. European continent is large, the union is small. Also consider the hundreds of wars that took place, and the way lands were divided and beliefs and languages mixed and forced upon us. Some as late as 1980+ and you have a lot of small groups that was left behind. It's fascinating to me that USA for such a large country is exactly the same, nothing really changes. Same as in Europe busier and bigger cities move faster, yet it doesn't matter which part I am in I can speak broken English and still get by, culture is hard I'm not sure does USA have traditional American dances, poems, songs, foods. For country build on foreigners it's amazing everyone agreed on English.
Pixie 3 years ago
As a continent, Europe is on the small side. Grab a globe and compare it to Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
Load More Replies... François Carré 3 years ago
Size doesn't matters, what does is the variety in welcoming landscapes and the smoothness of the climate that allowed all kinds of people arriving from Asia and Africa to settle there - and the fact that it started millenias ago, a very long and complicated history of melting cultures that we only get to acknowledge a small part of. But maybe this will encourage you to start studying the fascinating diversity of cultures and languages that also existed (and still do, to some extent) in North America prior to the arrival of Europeans ?
gerard julien 3 years ago
" small continent as Europe." classic : they say Europe when they actually mean western Europe : take a look at the map of Europe and don't forget to inlude RUSSIA !!! lol
#29
No ac. Our hotels had ac but it was just room temp air. That heatwave must have been brutal i hate sleeping when it’s hot
Emma S 3 years ago
The UK experienced it's hottest summer ever this year. We definitely need some of that aircon here now.
Kharyss 3 years ago
Definitely! Although the British summer is usually 3 hot days then a thunderstorm so it’s not worth the cost of installation for most homes.
Load More Replies... BasedWang12.3 3 years ago
I sweat while standing still. I swear a few hotels in Italy tried to kill me by drowning me in my sleep
Robert T 3 years ago
What the hell else is it going to be other than room temp air? You mean that they keep it at about 20C, rather than something you could use to keep food refrigerated?
M O'Connell 3 years ago
Outlet air temperature from such an AC unit should be quite cold and cycle on and off to maintain the set temperature. If the unit in their hotel room wasn't providing sufficient temperature differential between inlet and outlet air (15-20F, ~8C), there was something functionally wrong with the unit.
Load More Replies... RoanTheMad 3 years ago
Iirc, Spain recently passed a law that AC must be set at something like 26c as the minimum temperature... problem is, that's still way too hot. At least for me. I'm in the UK without any ac, and houses built to act like ovens, though. It really does suck and it was brutal.
Pittsburgh rare 3 years ago
Agreed! It's actually 27C except for hospitals and grocery stores. They just didn't consider how 27C in a dry climate and 27C by the sea feels. We've had one of the worst summers l can remember in my more than 40 yrs so they better chill (figuratively AND literally), because 2000+ people died in 5 months due to heat.
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Nikki Sevven 3 years ago
The US is much farther South than Europe, so it habitually gets hotter here. I live in Massachusetts, one of the more northern US states. We're at the same latitude as Rome, Italy.
Beck 3 years ago (edited)
That is way most people have central heat and AC. If you do not know what that is, it is one main unit with vents that blow into each room. Heat for winter, cold air in the summer. It stayed in the 90's this summer where I live. It is finally in the 80's but still miserable because of the humidity.
Load More Replies... #30
This question has taught me that Americans don't know anything about any country in Europe and think it's all the same place without any nuance.
Cashme Outside 3 years ago
Is Europe that place with the pointy boot country or the big frozen area on the bottom of the map? /s
Luke Branwen 3 years ago
To be fair though, Europeans don't know much about the states of the USA either xD We know the most prominent ones (California, Florida, New York, Texas, Alaska...) but not much more than that :)
A. 3 years ago
Please don't paint all Americans with the same brush. There are plenty of us who are respectful when we travel, & grateful for the differences other countries have to offer. We just don't make a lot of noise about it.
RedMarbles 3 years ago
Anyone who draws the conclusion that "Americans don't know anything about any country in Europe" from a compilation of posts about things individual Americans found to be weird about Europe is just looking for an opportunity to insult Americans.
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Dynein 3 years ago
I'm from Germany but in the discussion of plenty of topics I will simply label myself as "European". Yeah it's a very diverse region, but there's no denying that our proximity to each other has resulted in in many similarities. Also, there's enough cultural and political similarity between European countries and the US to make an actually meaningful comparison, - with Asia and Africa you could basically sum up a post like this as "EVERYTHING is different".
Scott Rackley 3 years ago
Yes, every american is ignorant of your continent. Every single one. We study hamburgerology instead of geography in school.
Nikki Sevven 3 years ago
Europeans don't know anything about the US either, and think it's all the same place without any nuance. If you traveled from Boston to Atlanta to Miami to Los Angeles, you would realize that the US is as diverse as Europe, even though it's all one country.
gerard julien 3 years ago
you think it is but it's not as diverse as Europe ! I lived one year in the US and went several times there and traveled pretty much everywhere . I didn' go to Alaska and Hawai though. Most americans traveling in Europe visit cities and nothing else. Cities in Europe tend to be " international " even with food and way of life. that's not really discovering a country.
Load More Replies... JayWantsACat 3 years ago
This is a pretty broad and inaccurate assumption and generalization. Similar to the people who still think Americans are the worst tourists. The US is essentially like the EU, only with states instead of countries. Do you know anything about any state here and think it's all the same place without any nuance? Admittedly, too many of us are proudly ignorant of other countries. But many more of us know and care and do our best to represent our country well.
John Bujold 3 years ago
I'm from Canada and live in the US. We share a massive boarder with them. Its obvious how extremely US-centric they are when the general public have no clue about us and they live only a short distance away. The most common responses I get when asking them about my home country is "why do I need to know that" or "why would I go there" or "so you have electricity" or " do you even have an army", or " universal healthcare doesn't work, people are dieing in Canada waiting for care", when people in the US they are just dieing because they can't afford insulin. It's really sad how ignorant of the rest of the world they are. Weird for most of the world is how they can live without the basics and consider that great. Sad
#31
OMG the toilets. In the US every toilet I've ever come across has a flush lever on the left of the tank or (in public restrooms) a sensor or a button on the top. In Europe every single toilet has a different flush mechanism. Every. Single. One. It's like an escape room challenge. Foot pedals. Cranks. Pull knobs. Things attached to the sink. I was once stuck in a bathroom for 20 minutes trying to figure out how to flush the toilet, it turned out to be a pulley on the other side of the room.
TheAquarius1978 3 years ago
Oh yea, we use those all the time here, as well as the 140 bar bidets....
Load More Replies... Iifa A. 3 years ago
Different countries have different way as such nobody would expect Europe to be same all the way across, we don't even have a language that would suit each country, or religion. House design and building regulations, also differ and is dependent on your location, city location, what type of climate and waste water management. Did you consider asking someone how to flush? It's quite common to ask if you don't know, after all we know why you're there. Same with hand dryers, everywhere is different and usually we ask if we don't know how to use.
#32
The way people drive. The laws don’t seem to matter at all in Italy, only a little in France- then the Germans are a completely different story
ADHORTATOR 3 years ago
I have spent many thousend kilometers on the road all over Europe and I cannot confirm. The worst place is neither France, Italy or Spain - it is Germany, the famous Autobahn is a jungle. The best drivers I' ve met where the Jordanians (no joke)
Puck 3 years ago
I don't agree. Germans are fine, except perhaps some "left lane maniacs". Italian citytraffic is chaotic and loud (a lot of honking the horn), but i didn't have any problems on the highway (except for finding the right exit.... ). The same for French and Spanish highways (Paris was challenging though). But, when i drive on a highway in Europe and i see a car pulling a caravan passing a truck at 81 km/hr at the least convenient moment, i know where that driver comes from...... then that is one of my fellow countrymen, a Dutchman. Sorry....
Load More Replies... James016 3 years ago
Some observations on Florida drivers though they do apply to other counties. They don’t indicate. They will either just change lane at random or turn at a junction with little warning. They will accelerate to block someone trying to change lane. This has happened to me quite a lot. Will overtake on any lane. In the UK you are meant to drive in the left lane and use the others for overtaking only. In Florida they will overtake and undertake with little regard for anything. However come to a stop sign and they will stop and not move for ages.
BasedWang12.3 3 years ago
I said it before here. My guide in Italy said "pedestrians do NOT have the right of way.... EVER" then proceeded to say that in some cases even if you were in the right, but it wasn't 100% clear, you'll probably still lose the case
FactcheckerGeneral 3 years ago
I think it was Sir Terry Pratchett who said, "The pedestrian has right of way and the husband is head of the household, and as long as neither of them try to prove it they'll be fine."
Load More Replies... #33
Not weird but great. Maternity leave. When my sister-in-law in Ukraine gave birth to her daughter, she got a year off at 100% pay and could stay on leave for up to 3 years at half-pay. Meanwhile, businesses are able to hire a temp worker for that time, and it’s perfectly normal. Meanwhile, my wife here only got 6 weeks, and it was for medical recovery. Although someone else misread the company rules and got an inexperienced HR person to approve 6 months of paid maternity leave. By the time they figured it out, 5 months had passed. When they said she had to get back to work, she told them it was their screw-up and she didn’t have daycare lined up. So they kept paying her for the rest of that time… Then she found a better job
Karol Chęciński 3 years ago
Can be radically different in other countries. In Switzerland maternity leave is 14 weeks.
Charly 3 years ago
In NL 16 weeks. CH and NL have one of the lowest I think :( There is also parental leave for both parents, but mostly unpaid.
Load More Replies... And i was like WTF!! 3 years ago
pregnancy leave, then when you bitrh a child, up to 1 year - all paid
#34
## Rental apartments in Germany often come without a furnished kitchen. Edit: I'm stunned and amused how much attention this has gotten. There's been some confusion by my use of "furnished", which is kind of vague. I meant sink, refrigerator, stove and cabinets. Because these are almost always provided in rental apartments in the US, it was shocking to me as an American looking at rentals in Germany that I would have to buy and install those things. Having read so many interesting comments about kitchen expectations in different parts of the world, let me ask this question. Do any of you know of places where rentals don't come with bathroom equipment either, and it's expected the tenant will purchase and install their own toilet and sink?
Tamsin Far 3 years ago
I like that I can choose/have the kitchen I like. I think it's in most region in the USA more common to own a house/flat rather than rent it - tough maybe this is about to change? I always got the impression that rental in the USA is considered more short term and that's why noone would consider bying kitchen interior for a rented flat. But in Germany you might rent the same house or flat for twenty years or longer, it is really YOUR home. My home, my taste.
Nadine Debard 3 years ago
In France built-in kitchen means the cabinets, not the electrical appliances. If so, they would always be mentioned.
Load More Replies... #35
Currently a Canadian in Croatia (first time in Europe) I can’t get over how old everything is and the lifestyle is so different here, speed limits, food, selling alcohol in grocery stores just like juice, very strange.
frog 3 years ago
There is a whole alcohol section is my grocery store (American). Do Canadians have different laws around selling alcohol?
M O'Connell 3 years ago
This is common in some parts of the US as well. The liquor department may be operated by the same people, and in the same building, but it has a separate outside door.
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#36
I don't know if this applies everywhere in Europe, but the lack of window screens in French homes was an adjustment for me. Every evening was a decision between leaving the windows open and being constantly harassed by flies and mosquitoes or closing them and suffocating in hot, stuffy air. I get that they're not aesthetically attractive, but I'm more than happy to accept that tradeoff if it means I can breathe fresh air without bugs landing on me every 30 seconds.
Nadine Debard 3 years ago
I can confirm. We use tons of mosquitos repellants, that's not quite eco-friendly.
#37
Not American, but Canadian.
How close everything is.
Went to Germany recently and was looking st thr map figuring things out.
I can drive for a whole day without stopping and sti be in Ontario, in that same time I woukd of crossed numerous countries.
#38
How much pda there is and how common smoking cigarettes is
#39
All of the vehicles are small. Even the trucks seem smaller.
Bill Evs 3 years ago (edited)
There is a practical reason for that though. A lot of the roads in European countries predate the motor car by hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years. They can be extremely narrow and windy with crazy gradients in some cases. Smaller cars are simply easier to maneuver around them. A large American pick up (for example) would struggle to even be able to fit down some of the roads near me. That's not to say large vehicles don't exist over here (saw a Humvee just the other day) its just they're not so ubiquitous as they are in the US. Plus petrol tends to be more expensive here so cost is another factor.
Kharyss 3 years ago
And tax! Vehicles are annually taxed on a sliding scale depending on the size of the engine and the emissions levels (at least in the UK). Smaller cars tend to be in a lower tax band.
Load More Replies... Debbie Barnes 3 years ago
But it's the same with American houses. They seem huge compared to British houses, which are half the size.
les 3 years ago
at least our houses stay put in bad weather. but then we build them to last, unlike you guys that make them so weak they blow away every year
Load More Replies... Borariet 3 years ago
In the Netherlands we pay a road tax per month for our cars. The heavier the car, the higher the tax! Trucks are a maximum of 18,75, or 25,25 m long with a maximum weight of 50 tons
Borariet 3 years ago
Also if you've seen how narrow some roads are here, you wouldn't want an extra long truck
Load More Replies... #40
Depends which countries. I’ve always found it weird that a lot of them think hugging is more intimate than kissing someone on the cheek. Edit: I know it isn’t actually “kissing” someone on the cheek most of the time. I’m referring to how someone touches your face with their face that is extremely intimate.
#41
How OLD everything is. Old buildings, cars that look old but are probably brand new. Houses in England being directly connected to each other, no space in between. Madness!
#42
Either paying for the bathroom or not refrigerating your eggs
Laura Ketteridge 3 years ago
We don't need to refrigerate our eggs because we don't wash off the protective coating on them. ;o) Paying for the loo means the loos are kept clean.
#43
I'm a little surprised that after so much movement of peoples over thousands of years, there hasn't been a greater homogenization of languages in Europe.
Bored Person 3 years ago
If you closely look at many European languages, you can see the similarities such as grammar and similar sounding words and how they combine to make other languages like english
FactcheckerGeneral 3 years ago
Chap tried that a little while ago. What was his name - Hifler? Hiltflit? Hillfumble?
Bored Retsuko 3 years ago (edited)
Tell that to any speaker of a minority language (Basque, Breton, Welsh, Sorbian,...). Such languages have been almost entirely replaced by the ones most dominant in the respective area.
François Carré 3 years ago
There was (e.g. Latin under the Roman Empire) but afterwards it largely had the time and opportunities (breakup of the empire into smaller realms, further Germanic, Slavic, Norse and Arabic invasions...) to diversify again. English itself is just an example of this process, by the way.
Iifa A. 3 years ago
Why surprised, we had wars and minorities and slaves, so all those who felt a little pressured stood their ground and treasured mother's teachings and father's fight. And as such we fought to stay who we are. Look at Baltic's they shouldn't exist, such small countries but they fought to be recognised, a lot of them suffered and were sent to concentration camps. Made us only stronger. If you look up north you notice religion that was brought.to us didn't stick at all and we fought for freedom of religion and as such nothing stuck. Our history runs for thousands of years, not all of us were open to outside influences, some were quite content to be who they are and gave their life to stay true to their culture. People were killed and punished for speaking their own language, for being different than a current occupier and they chose.to die than turning into traitor/slave. There's a lot of bad history that if little curious would make sense.
Luke Branwen 3 years ago
I mean... I'm Czech and I can communicate with no problem in both Poland and Slovakia
Alexandru Bucur 3 years ago
Also, don't underestimate the sheer power of stubbornness. Considering how much of our history us Romanians have spent under one occupation or another, the fact there is an unified Romanian language at all would seem the stuff of miracles... until you learn about how Oltenia, in the middle of Wallachia, was the only territory ever willingly relinquished by the Austrian Hapsburg Empire, who had annexed it in 1717. After 20 years of trying to make the local population "get with the program" and pay their dues tot he Imperial Crown in which they were faced with everything from malicious compliance from the Church leaders, sullen refusal of the peasants, more-or-less organized bands of outlaws preying on the tax collectors and finally open opposition from the local lords, the Hapsburgs just gave up and left, because the expense of trying to control the region far outweighed it's actual value...
pelemele 3 years ago
Also keep in mind that in the old days (and not so long ago) almost every region had its own language. the unification of the language of a country was a long and often painful process (the dominant language imposing itself by force, at school the children did not have the right to speak the language of their region but had to speak the official language and therefore, little by little, many regional languages have almost completely disappeared). For example, in France, it was still the case in the 19th century, a Breton did not understand an Alsatian who himself did not understand an Auvergnat or a Provençal, etc.
#44
Vacation/Holiday. Yeah we don't get any of that.
Cashme Outside 3 years ago
Oddly enough, the military in the US, which you’d think is an oppressive work place, and it can be, has some of the closest benefits to European standards. 30 days paid vacation, free medical, free college while in, plus paid college afterwards, good retirement/disabiity benefits etc. I bring this up because if it can work for the military here, it should be able to be implemented across the board. No idea why our country is so backwards about this stuff.
Kaitlyn Berry 3 years ago (edited)
It’s always been ironic to me how many American people are staunchly against socialism but promote and take great pride in the American military, which is essentially socialism.
Load More Replies... #45
How the cities just end. Like one block, you're in the middle of everything, skyscrapers etc, and the next block it's woods
Laura Ketteridge 3 years ago
I wonder which cities the person is thinking of. I don't know of any European cities that match this description. To me, this describes quite a number of American cities.
Emmydearest 3 years ago
Exactly. Usually you have a big city that slowly moves to suburbia than you have satellite towns all around and then a vast capillary net of villages.
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LillieMean 3 years ago
Depends where you live, but I guess it's weird. If I leave my apartment and walk for five minutes, I'm on a pedestrian street surrounded by cafes, bars and small shops. Five minutes from the apartment in the other direction and I'm on the nature trail.
#46
Guys, how did so many of you miss that Russia never stopped being crazy. What the hell, man. Thank God the easterners kept their wits about them.
Frank Ropen 3 years ago
We just have a different kind of treatment of crazy. We think that business ties reduce the risk of war because both sites lose lots of money
FactcheckerGeneral 3 years ago
As David Mitchell said, everyone knows the Russians are crazy. He summed up the rest of the world's relationship to Russia thus: "Haha, poke the nutty Russians...poke the nutty Russians...oh Jesus, they're coming"
#47
i dont mean this in a bad way but how close together everything is, a small roadtrip to yall is probably a good 30 minute drive but you can drive for 5 hours straight in my home state (Texas) and barely make any progress.
FactcheckerGeneral 3 years ago
Oh, but to be fair, Texas is trying hars to eliminate the whole notion of progress.
Freddie Torsten 3 years ago
How can you say 'not in a bad way'? Do you prefer driving six hours?
#48
That as opposed to nationalism Europeans are, how football can turn into WWIII is beyond me. Pick your champions and we'll put them up against our Eagles NFL fans.
Al Connor 3 years ago
hahaha they cant even play without padding and helmets, do me a favour and look up Irish GAA there's a good lad :P
Brocken Blue 3 years ago
I think the idea here was to match up your football hooligans with our football hooligans. And while Philadelphia Eagles fans don’t wear pads their opponents certainly should…
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Trillian 3 years ago
Eagles won't stand a chance. They can't even buy fireworks to stick into their butts and light on fire.
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#49
Whenever my wife tried to pay for things in Italy the Italian dudes all lost their minds. One guy even said, “check is for man!” We thought it was hilarious so I had her pay everywhere lol
Al Connor 3 years ago
ya this is bullshite, no one says that over here in any of the countries and if they did they would be slapped up the side of the head
Al Connor 3 years ago
I got over the swear word censoring thanks to Irish spelling :D
Load More Replies... #50
Airports constructed in an IKEA-style maze taking you through *all* the duty-free shopping areas before reaching any gates. Big airports like Heathrow, Frankfurt or Copenhagen don’t do this, but the more touristy airports like Ibiza and Malta sure do. After clearing security in Malta I had to meander a W-shaped path through all the obnoxiously-decored shops selling makeup, liquor, suitcases, clothes, and knickknacks on both sides of the main aisle before I could reach any of the gates. I had a 6.05 flight, so I was doing this while sleep-deprived at about 05.15. American airports are never constructed/remodeled like this. Sure there are meandering paths sometimes, but like a shopping mall there will always be a clear divide between the walking spaces and the shops, as opposed to the captive exit-through-the-gift-shop experience.
François Carré 3 years ago (edited)
That's because the airports you visited mostly exist due to mass tourism. Not sure the inhabitants of Ibiza or Malta would have any use of an airport otherwise.
Maya Baggins 3 years ago (edited)
Worst case of that dutyfree maze I've seen was Stansted airport. 1/10 would not recommend
#51
In Italy 3/4 of the toilets we’ve encountered don’t have seats. The women (and men who sit) apparently just sit directly on the porcelain bowl. I’ve encountered several hotels where you book a double room and turns out the bed is just two twin beds pushed together? Because that’s what I wanted a bed I’m not allowed to sleep towards the middle of…. Currywurst is just like a bland sausage with bad ketchup and curry powder. Thought it would be tastier given how popular it is but man that’s the lamest popular street food I think I’ve ever tried. Still ate it lol Fridges where “cold” beer and water are stored are never sufficiently cold. Every drink tastes like you put a warm beer in the fridge for 10 mins before taking out to drink.
Jubum 3 years ago
I would like to know where you ate the currywurst? A currywurst is never bland. The sausage is prepared with various fresh spices such as salt, pepper, mace, cumin, marjoram, cardamom, garlic, allspice or finely chopped lemon zest. A fruity currywurst sauce can contain things like applesauce, orange juice, tomato ketchup, onions, balsamic, honey, curry powder, some chili powder, cayenne pepper soy sauce olive oil Tomato paste... There are hundreds of recipes, but a good currywurst is never tasteless and bland!
FactcheckerGeneral 3 years ago
Yep. Lager is not the only beer. Real ale should be drunk slightly below room temperature, otherwise the hops can't be tasted. Lager should be drunk absolutely f**k!ng freezing so you can't taste it at all.
Load More Replies... What do you think ?
Powerful Katrinka 3 years ago
This again. Every week, like clockwork. Some topics really, really, really need to be retired.
Blarrg 3 years ago
"What do you have for new post?" "Uh, I thought I would run a USA sucks topic." "Dude, that's been done to death, like, 5 times this month." "Yeah, but this time I thought I would list cool things about Europe and say they are things that Americans are shocked by." "Brilliant."
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FactcheckerGeneral 3 years ago (edited)
Hang around and b!tch about it, that'll help.
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Circa 3 years ago
This topic come up about once a week on BP. Same with funny signs and bad architecture.
tuzdayschild 3 years ago
What astonishes me is the sweeping generalizations Europeans make about us. As if they truly believe we are the same. It easiest I guess.
General Anaesthesia 3 years ago
By "us" you mean the US? Getting generalized by Americans "all the time" does not astonish "Europeans". As if Americans truly believe Europeans are all the same. Europe is a continent, not a country. The US is a country, not a continent.
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Tye Williams 3 years ago
Ain't "weird." It's just different and that's alright with this American. Traveling is supposed to be fun and educational.
Den Ver 3 years ago (edited)
Oh BP, don’t be timid. This wasn’t, ‘Weird/Unusual Things About Europe’. It should have been labeled, “Reasons Why Europe Is Better Than America”. There are many reasons Europe is better than the US ... . . . just be honest about the title -- instead of being sneaky. : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #1 Shear Grasp of Language ... ... #2 Euro Nations Try To Make Life Better For Citizens (Transportation, Education, Health Care) Everything about America makes life miserable. No wonder people are suicidal ... ... #3 Labor Rights ... ... #4 Use Of The Metric System ... ... #5 Stone Roads ... ... #6 Europeans Know What Old Is ... ... #7 Trains ... ... ... ... ... ... #8 High Quality Food at Low Prices ... ... #9 Europeans Walk ... ... #10 How Few Fat Europeans There Are ... #11 International Borders Crossed Like State Lines ... ... #12 The “Good Life.” ... ... #13 Health Care ... ... ... #14 Doctors Can Prescribe Spa Treatment ... ... #16 History: Things Are Really Old ... ... #17 Price On Items Reflect Total Price ... ... #18 Public Transit, Walkable Cities ... ... #19 Acknowledging: Regions Are Different in Both Europe and America ... ... #20 Europeans Use Public Transport, Americans Drive Cars ... ... ... ... ... #23 Beauty Of The Cities ... ... #24 Public Transit ... ... #27 Americans Think Different Countries in Europe Are All The Same ... ... #30 Europeans Use Less Air Conditioning (commenters suggest they are just tougher) ...
Leo Domitrix 3 years ago
Ironically, some of these apply to places in the US ----- who owns a car in NYC? They walk or use mass transit. Many states allow the sale of alcohol in convenience stores and grocery stores. Et cetera. So ... I think some Americans need to realize America is wildly varied, too, and European nations vary within their borders (Bavaria within Germany is like our Texas according to a German friend; Scotland vs England, tho' both are in the UK; etc.)
Ki Li 3 years ago
Yes exactly! The United States and Europe are almost the same size. Going from state to state is like traveling to different European countries sometimes. Obv not as much differences but there are plenty. NY culture is way different from the culture in Utah.
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Rachael Sampson 3 years ago
Bored Panda why do you constantly like to talk about the U.S. I'm American and even I'm annoyed by it. There are other countries out there besides the US. Talk about something else.
Rannveig Ess 3 years ago (edited)
Here I thought finally I'd read some funny weird things about Europe but it's yet another Bash America and American's article . I'm not native American, BP, and I'm way past tired of this US and America hostility.
Yudy Carolina Daza Caro 3 years ago
Europe is different in each place but the things that I always have admired is the health system and the lack of toxic work culture
Powerful Katrinka 3 years ago
This again. Every week, like clockwork. Some topics really, really, really need to be retired.
Blarrg 3 years ago
"What do you have for new post?" "Uh, I thought I would run a USA sucks topic." "Dude, that's been done to death, like, 5 times this month." "Yeah, but this time I thought I would list cool things about Europe and say they are things that Americans are shocked by." "Brilliant."
Load More Replies... FactcheckerGeneral 3 years ago (edited)
Hang around and b!tch about it, that'll help.
Load More Replies... Circa 3 years ago
This topic come up about once a week on BP. Same with funny signs and bad architecture.
tuzdayschild 3 years ago
What astonishes me is the sweeping generalizations Europeans make about us. As if they truly believe we are the same. It easiest I guess.
General Anaesthesia 3 years ago
By "us" you mean the US? Getting generalized by Americans "all the time" does not astonish "Europeans". As if Americans truly believe Europeans are all the same. Europe is a continent, not a country. The US is a country, not a continent.
Load More Replies... Tye Williams 3 years ago
Ain't "weird." It's just different and that's alright with this American. Traveling is supposed to be fun and educational.
Den Ver 3 years ago (edited)
Oh BP, don’t be timid. This wasn’t, ‘Weird/Unusual Things About Europe’. It should have been labeled, “Reasons Why Europe Is Better Than America”. There are many reasons Europe is better than the US ... . . . just be honest about the title -- instead of being sneaky. : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #1 Shear Grasp of Language ... ... #2 Euro Nations Try To Make Life Better For Citizens (Transportation, Education, Health Care) Everything about America makes life miserable. No wonder people are suicidal ... ... #3 Labor Rights ... ... #4 Use Of The Metric System ... ... #5 Stone Roads ... ... #6 Europeans Know What Old Is ... ... #7 Trains ... ... ... ... ... ... #8 High Quality Food at Low Prices ... ... #9 Europeans Walk ... ... #10 How Few Fat Europeans There Are ... #11 International Borders Crossed Like State Lines ... ... #12 The “Good Life.” ... ... #13 Health Care ... ... ... #14 Doctors Can Prescribe Spa Treatment ... ... #16 History: Things Are Really Old ... ... #17 Price On Items Reflect Total Price ... ... #18 Public Transit, Walkable Cities ... ... #19 Acknowledging: Regions Are Different in Both Europe and America ... ... #20 Europeans Use Public Transport, Americans Drive Cars ... ... ... ... ... #23 Beauty Of The Cities ... ... #24 Public Transit ... ... #27 Americans Think Different Countries in Europe Are All The Same ... ... #30 Europeans Use Less Air Conditioning (commenters suggest they are just tougher) ...
Leo Domitrix 3 years ago
Ironically, some of these apply to places in the US ----- who owns a car in NYC? They walk or use mass transit. Many states allow the sale of alcohol in convenience stores and grocery stores. Et cetera. So ... I think some Americans need to realize America is wildly varied, too, and European nations vary within their borders (Bavaria within Germany is like our Texas according to a German friend; Scotland vs England, tho' both are in the UK; etc.)
Ki Li 3 years ago
Yes exactly! The United States and Europe are almost the same size. Going from state to state is like traveling to different European countries sometimes. Obv not as much differences but there are plenty. NY culture is way different from the culture in Utah.
Load More Replies... Rachael Sampson 3 years ago
Bored Panda why do you constantly like to talk about the U.S. I'm American and even I'm annoyed by it. There are other countries out there besides the US. Talk about something else.
Rannveig Ess 3 years ago (edited)
Here I thought finally I'd read some funny weird things about Europe but it's yet another Bash America and American's article . I'm not native American, BP, and I'm way past tired of this US and America hostility.
Yudy Carolina Daza Caro 3 years ago
Europe is different in each place but the things that I always have admired is the health system and the lack of toxic work culture
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