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When it comes to one’s perspective on individualism, free expression, government, religion, and morality, Europeans and Americans are worlds apart, according to Pew Center. But to really grasp some of these cultural differences, you don’t need to look far.
Think of red Solo cups, free refills, air conditioning, and something as simple as bulk shopping. Now think of Europe, for example, France, where daily trips to local grocers for fresh produce are common, and Italy, where air conditioning is a rare sight unless it’s in hotels meant for tourists.
So when someone put up a question “Europeans who’ve visited the US, what made you go 'What The Heck'?” on Reddit, people had a lot to share about their experiences. 33.8k comments later, the answers are in right below, and it will surely put some much-loved all-American things into a very different European perspective.
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#1
Was staying with the nicest family ever. They worked extremely long hours and lived in the suburbs. I wanted to cook for them as a surprise and set out to the store on foot, with an empty backpack for the groceries. Had to walk along the curb of, and then cross, an 8 lane highway to get to the store. Had to stop a really really old man from bagging the groceries. Then was stopped by police on the way back. They were very friendly, just wanted to know where my car had broken down. Ended up explaining to me that there was basically zero infrastructure for walking out in the burbs. They took me home. On the way, I saw a sign "gas 99 cents a gallon, Bud's Xmas Gift to the Community", blew my dad's mind when I told him later. Got home, thanked the nice officers, made a vegetable casserole. When my wonderful host family came home, they were blown away but also extremely worried. All in all, I would say that no matter how crazy America may be or seem, Americans make up for all of it. They are some of the friendliest, most welcoming people I have ever met.
N G 4 years ago
We stayed in the US and were gobsmacked that you couldn't just walk to the convenience store. Neither of us could drive at the time - it cost a fortune in taxis just for a handful of groceries.
Doubleheader 4 years ago
It definitely depends where you live for sure. For example I live in Portland and I'm able to bike to work every day, plenty of sidewalk for walking as well as a great train system. Portland actually almost feels like a European country sometimes.
F.S 4 years ago
There's a lot of things i love about the US but the lack of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure is absurd. Having 2-3 or more cars in one household bc they can't get by otherwise...i don't know what this does to the air quality but it can't be good.
Mewton’s Third Paw 4 years ago
We are really at danger of losing this spirit, and if we let it go, it’s a pretty big chip away of what makes America America.
Chancey 4 years ago
I live in New Jersey in a pretty rural area, with the closest city a 25 minute drive. Everyone has a car here because it is too far to walk to work. In my town there are three corner stores and a post office that I can walk to. Many people just take a stroll around town or walk or bike for exercise. I think it depends where you are located. But I agree that much of the US could use better pedestrian infrastructure.
JuJu 4 years ago
That would be horrible for me. We don't even own a car (there is carsharing) and go to work/shopping/events by foot, bike or local public transport. And it's no big deal. I always wonder about the people from my street who get in the car to buy a loaf of bread (I walk less than 5 min to the next bakery).
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
I grew up rural, so the idea of having to drive is normal to me. But in urban areas, it drives me batty that you can't just walk around. And, btw, I'm US born and bred, and was pulled over by cops for *walking* ... *sigh*
Laura 4 years ago
Depends on where you live in the US. It’s not all like that. For many of us, we intentionally choose to live in walkable places. I would never in my life choose to live in a suburb like that. Sounds like hell.
lara 4 years ago
As you never, as you say, lived in a suburb, you really aren't qualified to judge, are you?
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#2
The cheerful, smiling faces on a medication TV add while the voice over mentioned that death is a possible side effect.
JessG 4 years ago
I also love how they always say "do not take (medication) if you are allergic to it" Like, yeah....thanks?
birdie asf 4 years ago
its because some dummies would probably just chug it even though they're allergic and then complain on their death bed
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Yafa Crane Luria 4 years ago
That shocks Americans too! Also when a drug can cause the thing you're trying to eliminate by taking the drug in the first place
River Webb 4 years ago
"hey you're gonna die but you know lets just put random smiley faces on the screen to make you feel better"
MermaidsAndDragons 4 years ago
Oh good, I thought I was the only person who thought that was odd...
#3
Roadside billboards scattered along the interstates in the South.
Billboard # 1: JESUS
Billboard # 2: PORN AND BOOZE, NEXT EXIT
Billboard # 3: GUNS! GUNS! GUNS!
M O'Connell 4 years ago
In my experience, the billboard for 'adult entertainment' comes first, followed by the billboard paid for by the highly-religious, in a repeating pattern.
Load More Replies... Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
In West Virginia: "GUNS AMMO GIRLS BUY SELL TRADE". REal sign. Appalling. And I'm rural American by heritage.
Noel Benavente 4 years ago
I saw one in Orlando about a shooting range: Fun for the whole family!! and it shows a couple shooting with AR15
PotatoNinja5000 4 years ago
I've certainly seen them there. The best one elaborated a bit mire on the 'Girls'- "10 BEAUTIFUL GIRLS 1 UGLY 1". Even as a less stuck-up Brit, that made me do a double take.
Load More Replies...To find out more about what it’s really like for a European to move to the US for studies and life, Bored Panda reached out to New York-based filmmaker and video producer at NYL Studio 51 Ieva Lukauskaite. Ieva, who spent her school days in Lithuania before immigrating to the US, said that as a European living in the US, she has noticed a lot of cultural differences, some good and some bad.
“The thing that perplexes me the most is the lack of selectiveness and authenticity when it comes to creative education. Everybody knows the United States as the land of Hollywood and legendary cinema; however, when it comes to teaching cinematic art, it falls short.”
Having obtained her BFA at a respectable American art college, Ieva said she was surprised by the curriculum and the mix of students. “A creative portfolio or any proof of your creative process is optional to get in, all you need is decent grades from high school. Of course, that attracts a colorful assortment of students, like the guy in my Intro to Film class who told me that he chose to study film because he was 'bad at math.'"
#4
Especially as a bloody introverted Finnish person (stereotypes kicking in) it was terrifying how people had a ton of chitchat and were really talkative. Wished me a good day and asked about useless stuff
DON'T TALK TO ME PLEASE I AM NOT QUALIFIED FOR THIS
KiwiBubbles 4 years ago
As a very introverted American... Maybe I should move to Finland, it sounds pretty amazing! =D
Chris B 4 years ago
As a german emailing almost every day with Americans it is the same. Emailing with a german is basically "Hi, - and then get straight to the subject". If you do this with an American they think you're rude, because you don't start with "Hi, how are you, hope you're doing fine..." It's sometimes complicated.
PixieVonBehr 4 years ago
I'm British and had the same experience when I worked out in Virginia for a couple of weeks. I found it completely overwhelming at first but when I landed back in London, I was shocked at how rude and unhelpful everyone was lol. Couldn't take one step in the US without someone offering to help me with my suitcase. Not so much in London :)
Full of Giggles 4 years ago
Your comment made me chuckle in nostalgia. I’m American. When my Girl Scout troop went to London, we got completely lost looking for the Girl Scouting and Guide center. A very nice English man noticed us walking in circles. He was walking in the opposite direction we needed to go but nevertheless, crossed the street and escorted us the 1.5 mile to our destination. Not all Brits are rude and unhelpful.
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Vic 4 years ago
My first trip abroad was to the US and second was to Helsinki.. the way people behaved was a contrast! :-D but Finnish people are cool, I loved it there .
Hypogryff4 4 years ago
It's not a European thing to hate that. My dream day is just walking around with no one looking at me. Just seriously. We Americans always want to talk.
#5
The political ads on TV that do not promote but instead demonize candidates!
“So and so is a devil from hell that will eat your newborn for breakfast if you vote for them! Don’t do it if you love America!” Scary music and black and white footage included. Weird, very weird.
Paizleypie 4 years ago
. . . And we HATE those ads SO much but they don't stop until the election.
Paul K. Johnson 4 years ago
I've found that the least suited people to be in charge are the ones who want it the most.
Evil Little Thing 4 years ago
Everybody hates those ads, but they work better than positive ads. It seems at least 35% of people are extremely gullible.
Dippin Dot 4 years ago
It's called "fear mongering" which plays on peoples insecurities and fears and tells you why you're right to have those feelings.
David Retsler 4 years ago
And people wonder why the use of anti-anxiety and antidepressants are up. But, hey, more profits for bog Pharma so win-win!
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kurisutofu 4 years ago
USA: vote for me because the other one is worse. Other countries: vote for me because I'm better than the other one. Subtle difference that looks like the same but one is more positive than the other.
Doubleheader 4 years ago
I worry that the UK will follow in our foot steps. I hear the tories are eyeing American tactics in politics. :( I hope not. I'm looking forward to escaping this madness when I leave here.
J. F. 4 years ago
No difference to Germany - Politicians are more busy fighting all the others instead of showing why they should be voted
DC 4 years ago
That may be true, but it still isn't as effed up as it is in the US right now ... and was for the last few years. Trump is only one result of it all.
Load More Replies... #6
Was on an exchange. 2 most memorable questions were "Can you see the moon in Europe" and "Do you have Pizza in Europe". Something else I'll never forget was the map of Europe in the school I went to which still showed the country of Yugoslavia (which doesnt exist anymore) and all the borders were messed up. A map IN THE SCHOOL.
Marcio Chan Yu 4 years ago
I'm from Brazil. I've been asked if we lived in the florest with elephants and stuff. "Oh yeah, I ride my elephant to school everyday".
Ozacoter 4 years ago
I am Spanish. I have been asked twice (by a british and a dutch) if we have drinkable water in my country. Whats wrong with people?
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Caroline Pichette 4 years ago
I'm Canadian and I was talking to an American online. He asked me to take a picture of my backyard because he wanted to see how much snow we get. It was in July in the middle of a heatwave. I sent him a picture of my potted palm tree on my porch. He was baffled, he was convinced that the whole country was covered in snow all year long.
David Retsler 4 years ago
Did you tell him that was the tree where you got your syrup every morning?
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Happiness is Hippo 4 years ago
A friend of mine went to stay with family in Chicago and was asked "I bet you've never had Chinese Food" like it was some exotic delicacy! She had to explain that yes, we have Chinese people living in the UK too ;)
David Retsler 4 years ago
I made a comment about how the best curry I ever had was in the UK. Had to explain how people in the UK ate Indian food and it was VERY good.
Load More Replies... JuJu 4 years ago
One of our exchange students was surprised we had electricity 24/7 and a full indoor bathroom. And there were more things in school that left us wondering if they really went to school in US
Tee Witt 3 years ago
We had n American exchange student in the 80's and only thing she found unusual about the UK was how we were taxed on everything. Not sure where that info same from though.
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The 5-star rated 5-star rating system 4 years ago
1)Pizza literally comes from Europe. 2)"Can you see the moon in Europe"... the moon isn't in Europe but you can see it from Europe. America never ceases to amaze me, and that can be a bad and good thing.
However, Ieva believes that some higher education establishments may have low standards on purpose. “With the ridiculously high tuition costs, they gain quite a bit of profit cycling through misguided students who go through the years switching majors, repeating classes, or dropping out altogether,” she commented.
Another big difference that surprised the NY-based producer was that in US film education, you are taught more technical trade than an art subject. “The focus is on what kind of software you can use and which equipment you can name and operate. This is not necessarily a negative difference because most students will never get to be very creative in their future careers anyway.”
With all that being said, Ieva concluded that American film education is more focused on future employability through technical skills instead of abstract concepts like inspiration or unique story building. “The approach does usually result in a better-paying job than in Europe,” Ieva concluded.
#7
The amount of obese people. Obese people riding electric scooters at shopping places. Being handicapped because you are obese.
LizzyD 4 years ago
You don’t really see the type of morbid obesity in a lot of other parts of the world that you do here. Those other countries have the same illnesses and diseases we do so it’s really down to a matter of lifestyle, including eating habits, not diseases that’s causing the obesity.
elia 84631 4 years ago
There were even shows at TLC which they showed the lifes of obese people as entertainment
WilvanderHeijden 4 years ago
"My big fat beautiful life", The 1000LBS sisters" and "My 600lb Life" are still running on TLC in the Netherlands.
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btaglln 4 years ago
I understand your point but it is an American thing... Here in Europe there are barely any electric scooters like that, and not a lot of morbidily obese handicaped persons...
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Cynthia Bonville 4 years ago
Blame sugar industry, inability to walk (no sidewalks, poor transport systems that utilize walking), and low gas prices.
backatya 4 years ago
LOW GAS PRICES!!!! You must be either rich or living in the 80s
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Amanda Black 4 years ago
There are many circumstances and medical problems. Don't judge and assume to know someone's story.
Little Bo Peep 4 years ago
It even varies from state to state. I vacation in Huntington Beach California and even the 80 year olds are in great physical shape. But in the southern states...not so much.
Kellie Christine 4 years ago
I would agree I’m from the south and it makes more sense that people in CA would be healthier because they have more money and time to exercise.
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Hehehehehehehehe 4 years ago
Well also you don’t know what’s going on in people’s lives. Never assume you know why someone is using handicap equipment. Not all disabilities are visible, and some disabilities cause you to not be able to move around as much, resulting in obesity.
Rukkia 4 years ago
There are multiple factors that lead to obesity. There are several diseases and medications that can cause extreme weight gain. Some people do eat unhealthy and don't move enough. Some people have unseen disabilities that limit their ability to exercise enough to keep the weight off. Some people just have higher or lower metabolisms. Few people actually educate themselves enough on the different factors that lead to obesity, that they just assume. Instead of shaming people, maybe stop and think about the last time you judged a skinny person for how unhealthy they eat and how little they exercise. Especially since these "skinny" bingers have just as many health risks as people who are obese.
backatya 4 years ago
you must be fat. Skinny people have metabolism problems too.
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#8
-Everyone drives everywhere -Toilet bowl has a lot of water -Toilet stalls have large gaps -Portion sizes in restaurants are huge -Advertising anti-depressants etc. drugs on tv and billboards -Bumper sticker politics -Liquor stores everywhere -Jesus everywhere -Lot of homeless people -Most people have manners and are friendly
Levi Baker 4 years ago
I would disagree with that last one given the United States' current situation
Marvin HeartofGold 4 years ago
You're mistaking most people with loudest people. Most people really are nice, it's just that the loudest and most asshole-ish people are the easiest to pick out of a crowd.
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Marvin HeartofGold 4 years ago
Every time I walk into a bathroom I glance down to see which has no feet because a closed door could just be a door that didn't stay open. If I'm not glancing down to see which is open I'm looking at the opposite wall so as to not accidentally glance at someone doing their business
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tangy chip 4 years ago
our city has a homeless crisis. one in 20 don't have a home, and the numbers are going up daily because of the pandemic.
Moriarty2 4 years ago
Yes some cities in particular are really struggling. Usually cities I've lived in with a high homeless population have at least one of three things: year round fairly temperate weather, extremely high rent/home prices and/or they're near military bases (military personnel are held in high regard unless they come home with medical or psychological issues resulting from service. A lot of our homeless population are actually veterans suffering from PTSD or addiction issues).
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Janine B. 4 years ago
Not a surprise that Americans are friendly. But a surprise that the majority of people there are friendly. Come to Berlin and within five minutes you will know why this person was surprised. lol
Load More Replies... #9
Went there as a german soldier on a semi work related trip, wearing uniform. The sheer number and the way people thanked me for my service (apparently as a german I qualify for this by extension), gave me discounts or even stuff for free (Starbucks) was astonishing. In germany, the public treats its servicemen with what one federal president called "a friendly non-interest". The US showed me a different world... But I also gotta admit that it was frightening to a certain degree. It feels like... a bit too much of everything. Too much admiration, too much trust in what the uniform stands for, too much "automatic repetition" of the phrases and as a result too little normality. Still a memorable and enjoyable one-time experience
Troux 4 years ago
There are huge amounts of patriotism behind this. Americans are normally told that we need soldiers and constant military action, otherwise we would be speaking Chinese and slaving away to an emperor/dictator. Frankly speaking, police and judges do more every day to protect our livelihood, but it's just not as "heroic" as our image of soldiers.
control club 4 years ago
Trump used an old politician tactic to rally the poeple to its side : the hate or fear of a common ennemy. Even if it doesn't make sense. Remember when some weirdo told Germans that jews were the problem ? Well, to a certain degree, the same tactic is being applied here. Hitler was loved for "denunciating" it. China does NOT want war with anyone. Trump simply wants an enemy so he can rally poeple behind his banner. Think smarter. Let's also remember how Trump acted like a coward in front of North Korea. He was PRAISING their leader. The man has no spine.
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Doubleheader 4 years ago
Yep, you're on the nose there. This is why there's a scary problem with the police and military right now (as you can tell from the botched coup attempt). Police don't really operate under the law at all times...
backatya 4 years ago
dumba** you should go to other countries and see how their police dept.s do things. Just because we live in America doesn't mean it's going to be perfect.
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embarrassed american 4 years ago
It took me getting into my 30s and really paying attention to understand how strange and scary it is to make kids recite the pledge of allegiance from kindergarten on. I have told my children they can recite if it they want to but they absolutely do not have to and I wouldn't anymore.
Lisa Shelton 4 years ago
Some of this to an extent is due to the guilt our country faced after realizing how badly Vietnam vets were treated when they came home. It has really only been in the last 20 years that people have tried to make up for it by thanking our military people for serving.
Vickie Martin 4 years ago
I think a lot of people are trying to atone for the way soldiers were treated at home from the Vietnam War. That is a very shameful period and traumatized many soldiers who were drafted and had no choice but to go.
Henry Tuttle 4 years ago
And the irony is that we have a volunteer service and most people go into the service for economic reasons. Yes, they put their lives on the line (sometimes for foolish political games), but they are not "doing a service" as much as people in countries with mandatory service.
Rene Berendsen 4 years ago
yeah. It's probably so normal now for most It doesn't really mean anything when they say it. It's the same with Americans saying I love you ALL THE TIME. It's lost it's meaning there.
ellie angel urban 4 years ago
Repetitiveness has meaning in the U.S. We go big, or go home. Unfortunately sometimes we go big on the wrong things.
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Jim Takahashi 4 years ago
Religion, Patriotism and Racism have always been the most powerful tools for the elite to manipulate the masses. AmeriKKKa is the epitome of them all.
2WheelTravlr 4 years ago
This has less to do with politics or patriotism, and much to do with guilt over how we treated our veterans returning from the Viet Nam (and Korean, to a lesser extent) wars. The shift seems to start after 9-11, and I think also television shows that explored the wars in depth and talked specifically about how returning soldier's mental health was negatively affected by their reception when they returned home. Finally, I think that about 10 years ago we realized that we were getting close to seeing the last living veterans who fought in WWII, and that is a little terrifying.
deanna woods 4 years ago
My dad was a National Guardsman for a few years and he doesn't see himself as a veteran. In America, we are taught to respect those that defend our freedom. Unfortunately, last week, some of those who defended our freedom tried to take it away.
#10
Almost all food tastes sweet, including bread.
Pan Narrans 4 years ago
Yup. Subway sells bread in the Netherlands but due to the sugar content it is taxed as cake! And therefore has a higher tax. Bread is considered staple food, cake luxury food.
.gas. 4 years ago
I was going to add a similar comment! I heard that they couldn't even call it bread! Ha!
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Mewton’s Third Paw 4 years ago
That’s why you gotta shop from the bakery sections of stores and get their house made breads. It’s like a dollar more or double the cost of the cheapest ones, but it’s way better.
kathoco 4 years ago
Though I understand the fascination of these types of lists, I really hate them. I have visited many countries and found crazy and surprising things in all of them. The emphasis on differences creates distance, rather than showing that we all are human beings and share something. Americans need to feel that they are part of a global community, not a separate group.
David Retsler 4 years ago
Nothing wrong with pointing out differences as long as it isn't to denigrate the others. There's a big difference between "there's more sugar in their bread than we have" and "F*****g fat ass Americans eat too much sugar and it shows."
Load More Replies... Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
We only eat homemade bread, haven't gone near store-bought crap in decades. And that's why. Note: Born/bred in USA. Just b/c it's here doesn't mean we all agree with it.
I'm a makeup addict 4 years ago
I live in the U.S. For most of my life I used to love sugary foods and now there are some foods that will make me sick to my stomach because they're just too sweet for me now.
David Retsler 4 years ago
I'm American and agree with you 100%. It's disgusting how much sugar we have in our food but the food business is more concerned with profits than they are about providing foods with less sugar.
Nikki Sevven 4 years ago
Most processed foods here are extremely high in both salt and sugar (in the form of high fructose corn syrup). This includes breads, cereals, and even canned soups. Why anyone would put sugar in soup is beyond me. I prefer to make my own from scratch.
#11
The Heart Attack Grill in Las Vegas absolutely blew my mind. The fact that outside it they have what looks like a scale for use on a farm, but for weighing people, and if they weigh over 350lbs they eat for free, was horrendous and it took me ages to get my English mind around it.
Wendillon 4 years ago
and rewarding obesity with food that'll help kill folks even faster
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Mewton’s Third Paw 4 years ago
That shouldn’t be legal. Imagine doing that for anorexic people.
Jess-a-men 4 years ago
But at least that kinda makes sense. An anorexic person trying to eat more is a good thing. Supporting them by making it easier and cheaper is reasonable.
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kasa alex 4 years ago
Do the dangerously overweight people have to sign a waiver in case they do actually die of a heart attack when they eat there?
Combine Elite Soldier 4 years ago
Yeah, I saw a video about it. People have actually died of heart attacks here.
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Doubleheader 4 years ago
I live in the US and thankfully haven't seen anything like this before. :/ Ugh.
#12
I ate a blue slurpee ice-drink thing in a theme park and three hours later, I kid you not, I did a VIBRANTLY BLUE [POOP].
No food in Europe has ever contained an ingredient that made my [poop] come out blue.
That made me go go "WTF" - I was WTFing so hard that eleven years later I still remember that blue [poop].
Thanks America! Fond memories...
troufaki13 4 years ago
It's literally iced sugar water with food coloring. I mean, get a fruit juice instead!
BIG FOOT 4 years ago
I love blue icees and get them quite often in the summer but not once have they made me poo blue
Alejandro Romero 4 years ago
a lot of people like the blue color and extra sub freeze agent in it that makes brain freeze
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qwerty 4 years ago
What if I'm starving to death and there's nothing else? (This is just where my mind goes whenever someone says, "Whatever you do... Under any circumstances..."
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Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago
Eat some asparagus and you’ll see the same thing—-from Number 2 AND Number 1—-though a naturally occurring greenish tint, rather than synthetic.
#13
Went to L.A. a week last year for work.
Things like portion sizes, the average weight of people, quality of food and commercials etc. are just what I thought they would be. But the surprises for me:
1. I do know the modeled Los Santos in GTA from L.A. but I didn't realise how well they did it. People talk and behave basically the same way. The sound, the light, the landscape, the frickin RADIO! I thought a big part of it was just exaggeration. Nope! This was actually kind of fun, driving around looking at things going "oh wow this is where that thing happened in the game". Awesome!
2. There are a lot of homeless people and you can tell a lot of them are sick and/or have psychological problems. This sure doesn't remove any of my prejudice about american healthcare and social security...
3. The extreme differences between neighbourhoods that are right next to each other. Sure, I understand why one street might have houses that look nice and are well taken care of and another not so much. But why is there a difference in how well paved the road is? Why is the "poor" street in such decay with lots of potholes and the "rich" street so clean and free from pot holes? Aren't things like fixing the roads the responsibility of the city? Mind boggling that they care more about rich neighbourhoods and the poor ones. If they did that so blatantly back here there'd be some things and a big fan involved.
Generally the social class differences are of a magnitude I've never seen before. Honestly I thought the things I heard before where somewhat exaggerated. I was wrong. And it is right in front of you basically all of the time! Really really sad to see.
Troux 4 years ago
Generally speaking, this is why city folk tend towards liberal/welfare views: They see it every day. Even if you keep your head forward and just continue your role in your social standing, you'll still see it. Living in rural areas separates people from the variety, diversity and disparity of individuals in our country.
Natasha Romanoff 4 years ago
Speaking as an LA native, I can fully support this. I live in one of those middle class neighborhoods and yet one street over there are giant houses with electric gates and huge balconies with views. Hell, a pretty well known celebrity lives a couple blocks away.
Gregg Bender 4 years ago
It's a national shame that about half of the US refuses to see or deal with.
Henry Tuttle 4 years ago
Driving through LA, I saw a little girl driving around in a circle on her driveway. I joked that her mother told her to only ride her bike in the good neighborhood.
ellie angel urban 4 years ago
Bike? You ain't seen nothing, yet. Here, the rich kids have their own mini cars. Sometimes they'll have 5 or more, parked out in a paved section of their yard.
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Juan Alcorta 4 years ago
I was shocked by the amount of homeless and mentally sick people on the streets of San Francisco
Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago (edited)
Blame that on a combination of ridiculously high wages for tech jobs and greedy landlords charging sky high rents—-even booting out longtime residents paying reasonable rent, so they could refurbish (e.g. finally do the upgrades that had been needed for years) and re-rent the same apartment to a tech employee at triple or quadruple (or more) the old rent amount. Sprinkle in a lack of new housing construction, unless it’s luxury housing, and you’ve got yourself a seller’s market—-plus homeless people who actually have full time jobs but don’t make enough to pay rent anywhere in a reasonable—-or even borderline unreasonable—-commute distance!
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Patti Renwick Parrish 4 years ago
The rich 1% give money to the polliticians and in return are treated MUCH better than the rest of us middle to lower class citizens.
Carrie Roettger 4 years ago
We lived in a so-called bad neighborhood with train tracks running through it. On one side of the tracks developers started building upscale apartments. There's an elementary school over there that my neighborhood uses too. The block behind me had a crossing that was really close to the school. S one complex was being built they blocked off that crossing so any kids who went to that school had to walk up a half a mile further up and around then walk another half mile to get to the school. So they made the "poor" people go a mile out of their way just to get to school.
#14
French married to a US citizen here. The one thing that surprised me most, apart from the portion sizes and the overload of sugar eveywhere that everyone mentions, is the convenience culture. As long as you have a car, you can go buy anything and everything at virtually any time of day or night. And, oh, the amount of stuff you can have delivered at your place in less than an hour ! The workers do not seem to enjoy such a huge quality of life. Who would, if they had to work the 2am-12pm shift in a fast food place for minimum wage ? On top of that, one other thing is how people are proud of working themselves to death, picking up all the overtime they can and not sleeping. Some of them have to to make ends meet, but most I know do not need the overtime and could use it to catch up on sleep, but don't. Instead, they drink coffee... It seems like companies managed to make the people link personal worth and pride to how much one works. Not the quality of it or the enjoyment of the job, but simply the amount of hours.
Final score:
204points
Adam 4 years ago
A TRIP TO AMERICA! FULLY PAID FOR BY AMERICAN AIRLINES!!!! hotel not included
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WilvanderHeijden 4 years ago
In the USA you live to work, in Europe you work to live. "A shroud has no pockets."
Connie Muse 4 years ago
I couldn't agree more about the pride around working yourself to death. People will look down on you and even tease you about leaving work on-time. You get labelled a "slacker" if you come in on time and leave on time.
lara 4 years ago
Sorry, I know that all Europeans want to blame all the bad stuff on the companies, but the work ethic came from both Europeans AND farmers. When you live on a farm you are up before dawn and you work, without stopping until dark, then you take care of the animals, put up your tools, clean up and have supper. Trust me on this, the work ethic is dying in some places.
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
We can be perceived as 'lazy and immoral' or 'overworked and moral' ------- thank those dang old Puritans.
Lisa Shelton 4 years ago
I dunno, my company implemented a program so I can now do my work 3 times faster and the tech guy was actually impressed that I would rather wait for him to fix the program when it goes down instead of spending 3x the time doing the work the old way, even though I would get paid more since I get paid by the hour. So there are companies out there that appreciate efficiency over amount of hours.
JesT 4 years ago
Then there's mandatory overtime. If I choose to work the overtime that is on me, I value my time off and don't appreciate being forced to work when I am not normally scheduled to. I understand there are circumstances that warrant mandatory OT such as utility companies during storms and such, but for retail I think not.
Pegasaurus Hanaen 4 years ago
Strangely enough this also translates to some Americans looking down on Europeans for taking a lot of vacation, like it means you're lazy...
#15
On the first day of our US roadtrip we stopped for lunch at a roadside restaurant south of San Francisco. When we tried to pay the waiter told us that another customer that just had left paid for our meals and whished us a nice trip. WTF, who does that. So nice! Totally made my day and honestly the whole vacation.
A Cat Named Dragon 4 years ago
I live in San Francisco and I am so pleased to know that. Most of us here really do love visitors from other places and I am so proud to know that my neighbors welcomed you and treated you so well!
lara 4 years ago
When I used to eat at a certain restaurant, where the police always ate, I always paid their bills, I always told the wait staff, who knew me and my dining partner, to never tell them until I had left. It was the least I could do for people who were willing to stand between me and criminals.
BoredDragon 4 years ago
That’s awesome of you! We need more people like you in the world.
Load More Replies... deanna woods 4 years ago
On the topic of nice Americans, when I was a kid, this handicapped woman got to move up to the front of every ride line and so she pretended that my family was with her group so that we could move up too.
Amber Cook 4 years ago
You'll find a lot of that happening all over the US. It's a pay it forward type thing.
Mike Rodrick 4 years ago
It's what's called "paying it forward." I've had it happen for me & I've done it for others as well. That's what our country used to be about but unfortunately, no longer, or at least not for many. What's really sorry is the fact that many times, those with less are willing to sacrifice what they have to help someone else while those with more care only about themselves.
Ann McNeil 4 years ago
That has happened to me twice- once by a friend I met eating at the same restaurant as me, and the other by a group of ladies I had never met, but we had a nice conversation waiting for our food. I appreciated them both!
Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago
Quite a few places have a “pay it forward” tradition. One customer starts it, and everyone who follows just keeps it going (first person pays for their order, plus extra toward the next person’s order, then everyone else gets their order pretty much paid for, but pays the total anyway, to keep it going).
#16
Tax not included in the price tag. It's...weird!
Troux 4 years ago
It's bad enough for normal retail items. Then there are dozens of industries which have carved out their own special "fees". Hotels will add a "room tax" and "city tax" on top of "sales tax"; Restaurants require a tip as if the service is an optional extra; car dealerships will add maintenance and destination fees, etc. The bottom line is: there is no way to pay the advertised price and get the advertised item.
Wendillon 4 years ago
I don't understand why that's a thing...it just complicates matters for everyone. The customer has to bust out the calculator app to try and figure out the price and the poor staff get screamed at when they add the tax since "that's not what it said on the tag".
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James016 4 years ago
I always thought this was down to all the states having different rates of tax etc.
Potato 4 years ago
I thought it was also because the sum of all items is taxed.
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William Teach 4 years ago
Because tax is different all over the country. Heck, it can be different from one town to the next.
backatya 4 years ago (edited)
is tax the same all over Europe? No I didn't think so
Load More Replies... Grumble O'Pug 4 years ago
Tax varies from state to state and county to county. You just have to brush up on your math. It's not that hard.
.gas. 4 years ago
Oh man, I'd love it if they included tax in everything. We know we're going to have to pay it anyway, so it's not like a big secret. Also, at this point who really thinks $22.99 is closer to $22 than it is to $23?!
backatya 4 years ago
Marketing does. They've done research that says most people just look at the dollar numbers and pay no attention to the cents. Although that has changed now and people are observing the cents asked to pay.
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Linda Adamo 4 years ago
sales tax is state regulated, not federal. manufacturers can't prepare different labels for different states.
#17
It’ a minor thing, but everyone asking “how are you” without wanting to know the answer.
Paul K. Johnson 4 years ago
The worst part is when you ask someone, 'How's it going?' and then the start to tell you.
Tomek Sztuk 4 years ago
Well, most of Europeans would ask such a question only if they were genuinely interested in getting an answer. Besides, that's what questions are for, right?
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Firefoxy3121 4 years ago
Usually you don't just go "hi person, how are you?" If everyone did that to me I'd be freaked out. I don't want to talk to everyone
deanna woods 4 years ago
This might just be me, but when I ask someone "how are you" ,I really want to know. I want to know because I might be able to help them feel better if they are having a bad day.
Moriarty2 4 years ago
Ditto, plus you get to hear some fascinating stories if you genuinely listen.
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Jim Ellington 4 years ago
I'm American and I only ask "how ya doin'?" to those people whose well-being I actually care about - which is most people. But then again, I'm not like most people.
Edgar Rops 4 years ago
It is not as bad as British "are you all right" instead of hello. I was asked that by a nurse in the hospital, where I was taken with an obviously broken arm...
backatya 4 years ago
Well you said it was obvious you were hurt so of course she asked you that to get more information on your status
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Vic 4 years ago
Not really, you do that to a stranger where I come from, people will think you are up to no good..
Load More Replies... #18
Flags everywhere. Not just in front of people's homes, but in front of everything. I even saw a US flag in front of a supermarket. WTF.
Claire B 4 years ago
It wasn't like that before 9-11. Just a normal amount of flags and proper flag displays. Now people stick them in trees and on cars and all kinds of places.
Saint Thomas 4 years ago
"Just a normal amount of flags" is already a lot more than in most countries in the world ;-) Here in Belgium, you see a flag in front on some very important government buildings (and on the royal palace). But except on National Day (and during big international soccer championship :-) ), nobody displays the flag on private property. Now i'm speaking about the Belgian flag. The situation is quite different with the regional Flemish flag, which is proudly displayed by a lot of nationalists/separatists in the north of the country. (Belgium is complex, to say the least)
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Henry Tuttle 4 years ago
Blind patriotism is a disease in the US. It's great and admirable to be proud of your country, but blindly following and insisting superiority in all things without merit is a malignant affliction.
John Montgomery 4 years ago
I agree. What frustrates me the most is when people get indignant when someone isn't as patriotic as they are.
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Nikki Sevven 4 years ago
I don't get this one either. I'm American and live in America. Why am I supposed to advertise these things to other Americans?
Jus 4 years ago
I don't care about flags at all, so it's crazy to me. Crazy. Americans are crazy about symbols so much they don't think straight. It's a piece of cloth, people. Respect ideas, respect good people, respect rights. But to worship a flag? It's empty. Be a good person not a worshiper of THINGS.
#19
Ads for prescription medicines. Like what the actual hell.
wandile dludlu 4 years ago
This is where anti vaxxer were born... The Americans all think they know better because ads have made it seem so. They start telling doctors which medication they want since they saw it on tv
backatya 4 years ago
It's stupid big pharma corps. who want to make more money and and make commercials to put their product in people's heads.
Load More Replies... lara 4 years ago
Lawyers sued saying that not allowing prescription med ads on the media was a violation of the 1st amendment and it was.
Shelby Rinck 4 years ago
Yeah, those "Ask your Doctor" ads are stupid, but the disclaimers are fun to listen to.
Jen Cook 4 years ago
YES! I watch CNN and am a Canadian and the ads for prescriptions are constant. I've actually caught myself making a mental note of being wary of ever using some of them if the need should ever arise, the superfast rambling lists of side effects (some fatal) are frightening. I trust my doctor and ask plenty of questions if I'm uncertain so as to make my own informed health care decisions with him but I would never walk in and suggest what drugs I needed. The choice between my 30 second education from and ad or the years of medical training and expertise of my GP, I'll take my GP's advice and guidance every time.
Jim Ellington 4 years ago
Is it such a bad thing to know beforehand that a drug your doctor prescribes for you may have bad side effects? Doctors tend to ignore the side effects and sometimes even the drug interactions.
David Beaulieu 4 years ago
That is not what is happening in this photo though, this is an end-cap for Zicam (cough drops) and above that is a in store ad for the store's generic prescription option. The drug ads on TV are ridiculous though.
Susan Widomski 4 years ago
And read the fine print. Some of them will give you the exact symptoms you are trying to treat.
#20
Extreme air conditioning — like fridge temperature inside.
Troux 4 years ago
Agreed. 65F/18C in my office blows my mind! Are sweaters and air conditioners made by the same company?
Kaylee Blair 4 years ago
That temp was set back when only.men worked in the office wearing 3 piece suits. It hasn't been updated since.
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Missy Moo Moo 4 years ago
Yep 40C outside and I need to bring a coat to work. But the company claims to be eco friendly
Chez 4 years ago
As a South African who also comes from a country that loooooooves aircon - Europe could do with some, especially for summer. I was in Amsterdam and Cologne in August a few years ago, and we all nearly DIED because it was so hot and humid and the windows of the offices we were working in couldn't even open.
Alejandro Romero 4 years ago
yep !😅 there are many places in Europe that are so eco friendly and business economy friendly that they'll not turn on Air Con until weather is above 36 C
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??? 4 years ago
We keep it 65 year round. Enjoy a ball sweating humid 115 Georgia summer and you’ll fully appreciate ac.
Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago
Preach. I live in Maryland, and it can be like a hot humid swamp in summer—-lovely the other three seasons, but miserable in summer.
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Ivana 4 years ago
I live in Florida and the saying goes that Florida is the only state you need to put a jacket on to go inside. Walk through extreme hot humidity so you are covered in moisture and it is 95F outside, then you walk into an office that is 65F and you are freezing. Everyone in my office runs a space heater all day while the AC is blasting. Horrible.
Alexis draskinis 4 years ago
My family in Spain doesnt really use it. Their summers are hot enough that they dont do much during mid day, hence siesta, BUT most of their houses are made from tile so it helps keep it cooler during the afternoon. They had fans for bedrooms & living areas but that was about it
Paul K. Johnson 4 years ago
I work with two people who turn on the HEAT in the summer. I live in Florida and it's over 90 F outside and they're turning the heat on. And I have to work in the same office. It's unbearable. There is also a nurse who puts on her coat any time she goes outside and it's below 80. She says she's cold. Yet she has the A/C on at all times. She says outdoor cold and A/C cold are completely different. This week it's been in the 40's and 50's outside and she still had the A/C on. People are weird.
Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago
Sounds like they should all get their thyroids checked.
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ellie angel urban 4 years ago
Americans also have a very low tolerance for extremes. They cannot take the humidity. They cannot take high heat. Extreme cold warrants endless complaint. This is the land of comfort.
Load More Replies... #21
Portion sizes, vehicle sizes, road sizes, house sizes.
Bobert Robertson 4 years ago
But you're filling that space with your oversized people consuming all the oversize "soda's" and burgers
Load More Replies... deanna woods 4 years ago (edited)
On the road sizes, we have an interstate highway system and our country from Maine to California is over 3,000 miles. The house thing to me is weird. I don't know why you need 6500 square feet of space for a family of four people. My family of five lived comfortably in a 2500 square foot three bedroom house.
Pan Narrans 4 years ago
That's about 230 squared meters for us Europeans. I've said it before: the average family home in the Netherlands is 120-130 squared meters. Usually lived in by families with 1 to 3 kids.
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Ani-87 4 years ago
I was also weirded out by the HUGE portion sizes, like I can’t eat a bagel in the morning that is the size of my HEAD or a pasta dish that has two servings or I frigging die. Also, who wants a huge coffee which is halfway through cold? The amount of sugar in coffee when I didn’t even ask it was also so annoying.
ellie angel urban 4 years ago
Americans have a phrase: "Go Big or Go Home" They take this very seriously.
Paul Zelf 4 years ago
Europe is also a big country. Cars are way smaller though...
Load More Replies... elia 84631 4 years ago
I've seen a video about fast food soft drink sizes between USA and Japan and surpisely Japan have smallest size
#22
I thought the gap in bathroom stall doors was a myth until I visited the US. Didn’t get privacy for my five-day stay. How do you s**t when someone can look you in the eye?!
Call Me Mars 4 years ago
So many people have made eye contact with me through those cracks and it was disturbing and creepy. It was like they could read my mind and see what I was doing.
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staysdontstray 4 years ago
I was waiting for someone to mention this lol. As someone who has lived in America for my entire life, I hate this
*sigh*, The Yellow Teletubby 4 years ago
You stare back and don't break it as you're dropping the deuce. Assert dominance.
Nadine Debard 4 years ago
Oh yes that made me very, very uncomfortable. Just looked at the floor and pulled my sweater down to hide everything...
J. Kasilo 4 years ago
Exactly! Who gives a shet that you are taking a shet??? Geeezz!
Load More Replies... Cynthia Bonville 4 years ago
Honey, if they are staring at you they have the problem, look them right in the eye and bear down.
Lemonclouds20 4 years ago
This is horrendous, a big no no. Cannot comprehend why this is a thing .
Doubleheader 4 years ago
Baahaha I was wondering if this would come up. I was actually talking to my coworker about this since my stay in England had such private stalls in comparison (they're like little rooms!). Supposedly she says that these are built this way for easier power washing. O_o Either way it just seems cheap.
#23
Seeing an 80 year old woman working behind the register at a supermarket
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
SOme seniors work to supplement their nonexistent retirement incomes; others, to fill the hours; others like my FIL just can't grasp that retirement exists.
Susanna L. Wells 4 years ago
And why shouldn't an 80 year old man or woman work if they can and want too? I'm only 70 with pain and mobility issues due to failed back surgeries. But many of my friends are very busy, even some who are 80 or more. Some work for extra money, some work for free as volunteers. Lots of people think it keeps heart and mind young. My own mother went back to school at 70 to be a nurses aid. She passed the course with high marks and made extra money sitting with people her age but with Alzheimer's or other reasons for needing a caretaker close. She didn't really need the money but she enjoyed the money. Mostly, keeping active kept her mind clear, her health better, and she liked it.
Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago
I’m 60. I come from a family that lives to 100 and beyond. We also tend to be really healthy and incredibly young looking—-and acting—-for our age. So why on earth would I want to spend an entire third of my life retired and idle? And totally out of the loop? I plan to work until at least my mid-eighties, then retire. Maybe. Besides, if I can shorten the amount of time I’m living on an ever-shrinking fixed income—-as I saw happen to my father, who hadn’t planned on being retired for almost 35 years (men of his generation, on average, were dead within about 10 years after retiring)—-I won’t end up destitute for years before I die.
lara 4 years ago
People in this country do not see work as a hardship. They get to meet people, have social experiences and generally enjoy what they do. They aren't OLD, they are still alive and enjoying life. If they don't want to work, they don't have to. My father in-law worked his cattle until the day he died at 98.
ellie angel urban 4 years ago
Our incoming president will be 78 and the outgoing is 74. In America you work for life.
#24
The general weirdness surrounding alcohol. Us Brits went for a drink at lunchtime once and our American friends were referring us to AA
elia 84631 4 years ago
I mean in my home country the alchool is allowed to 18+ costumers and America to 21+
Wouter 4 years ago
You're allowed to drive at 16, join the army at 17, vote at 18 but God forbid you have beer before you're 21 :-)
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Wouter 4 years ago
Well, to be fair, if this post was about 'What surprised you the most when visiting the UK' the amount of alcohol consumed by the average person would be very high on my list.
Carrie de Luka 4 years ago
Britain isn't even in the top 10 for countries that drink the most.
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Łukasz Markuszewski 4 years ago
Well having a beer at lunch is also quite weird in my country (Poland), and it's mostly connected to construction workers, who usually drink all day at work.
Šimon Špaček 4 years ago
I had colleague from USA and he loves his new home. Do you want to have two or three beers every Friday? No problem. Do you want them more often? No problem. Do you want to just sit in pub, play cards with friends and do not have a fight? That is what everybody in the pub wants. Also he was surprised how calm people are. Somebody accidentally pushed someone in pub? "Sorry mate, my bad, all good?" No shouting, no violence, just "yeah man, s**t happens, be more careful next time, enjoy your evening" and it's done.
Christine Ladyman 4 years ago
Lol! But, i do appreciate that the meal is a reasonable price, it's the alcohol that's expensive.... keeps you to the limit!
Laura Mende 4 years ago (edited)
In Germany, you can have beer and wine at the age of 16, serious stuff at 18. American movies with drunken young adults used to confused me till I realised that young Americans are not used to alcohol at all. At that age, most Germans are reasonable at alcohol consumption.
#25
The choices of cereal at the breakfast in the hotel all had at least 20% sugar.
elia 84631 4 years ago
Was there a law that almost banned food companies to use cartoon characters in snacks for advertisment to children?
WilvanderHeijden 4 years ago
There have been attempts to make it illegal but, of course, the lobby of cereal industry blocked it with the argument that such a ban was "effectively saying to parents that they have less influence on their kids than a picture of a tiger or a monkey on a box of cereal". Kellog's came up with that one...
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it's me again 4 years ago
Agreed. As an American, the cereal market is disgusting. Bunch of candied crap. Bring back oatmeal, Shredded Wheat & plain Cheerios.
Moriarty2 4 years ago
Only if we can cover it in brown sugar...ugh. I ate lo mein the other day and I swear they put sugar in it. It was revolting (and that's from someone born and raised here).
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#26
Australian here. I did a lot of hiking in America around Cali and the south west. My first comment is how amazing your national parks are, backed up by an organised park service. I haven’t seen camp sites in Australia half as organised as yours. Second was how cheap food is! as i was road tripping I originally planned to cook for myself out the back of my van. But honestly it was cheaper to eat at Denny’s, where I only had to hit breakfast and dinner and I was set for the day - the portion sizes were huge. Third. Wtf is with your toilets! They are filled to the brim with water, and your poo just sorta floats around until you flush where it then goes around in circles until it goes down the drain. My first few poops in your great nation was really unsettling. But I got used to it by the end. Fourth. The disparity between rich and poor. Like you see it in Australia a between suburbs bit - but it was just so pronounced in America.
Dippin Dot 4 years ago
The toilet thing is weird when you are an American traveling abroad as well... just thinking "why isn't there much water? Won't it get stuck?"
backatya 4 years ago
does he want his poops back or is he saying I s**t on your country lol
Load More Replies... Cynthia Bonville 4 years ago
Why do you hang around staring at your poo? Put the lid down before flushing, jeez.
backatya 4 years ago
Really you need to put the lid down to flush. Just don't watch it. And it's actually a good thing to look at your poop. It may tell you if you have a medical problem.
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Jerry Conaway 4 years ago
Your observation about Dennys is why we have so much obesity in America. Junk food is cheap and easy to get.
Patti Renwick Parrish 4 years ago
The disparity is getting worse by the day. Cost of living goes up, paychecks do not. Jobs require a 4 yr college degree but pay entry level wages, sometimes lower than fast food places! Example, went to job interview that required 4 yr degree in business and 10 yrs experience. Pay was $14/hr. Job offer from Hobby Lobby as cashier was $17/hr with no college needed. Please explain!
#27
When in Boston someone realised we were British and came over to have a conversation:
"Oh my god, I have a friend in England. She lives in London. Do you know her?"
Hmm, there are 9 million people who live in London, and 65 million in the UK. The chance of me knowing one individual is quite remote!
h to da izzle 4 years ago
i live in germany and have witnessed it several times with my turkish or italian friends. Someone comes up and has a chat with us and when it comes to nationality everyone is "oh i have a turkish/italian or whatever country friend, do you know him....
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DE Ray 4 years ago
Funny enough, an Irishman was in my part of Arkansas, asked me if I knew the one Arkansan he'd met out in the world and I did (was a year behind me in college), so I asked him about the one Irish woman I knew and turns out she is his cousin.
Dilly Millandry 4 years ago
Was on holiday in Ireland once and was asked where about in England I came from and it turned out their son lived in the same town. I saw them in a coffee shop many times after that. Sometimes there are strange coincidences.
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Paul K. Johnson 4 years ago
That's not just an American thing. Any time I was stationed overseas locals would ask me if I knew someone. "Do you know Bob from Chicago?" 'Sure.... everyone knows Chicago Bob.'
The 5-star rated 5-star rating system 4 years ago
Does anyone else give the American who mixes up Britain and England a 3 minute geography lesson or is it just me?
Estellaleigh Franenberg 4 years ago
Once I boarded a plane in Los Angeles headed to Germany, and sat next to a nice lady from somewhere not in the state. When I said I lived in LA, with a population of roughly 4 million, she asked, "Do you know (insert very complicated and unique name here) and I did. So, go figure.
Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago (edited)
We get the same thing from people from other countries with friends in the States, so not strictly an American thing.
No you didn't 4 years ago
That happened to me when I was travelling and told someone which city I live in back home. They asked me if I know this person from the same city and I barely stopped myself from rolling my eyes. They started describing her - turns out she was my friend's roommate and I knew her indeed.
#28
The amount of homeless people. People straight-up walking past an elderly woman living on the streets to get to the 7-Eleven.
Sean Harrison 4 years ago
Our homeless problem, IMHO, has more to do with American's contempt for what they perceive as failure. We venerate success, but have no tolerance for poor people because they are failures. But, we give money and aid to other countries, aid we don't give ourselves, because that proves the idea of American Exceptionalism. We are better than they are and they need us to survive. So it reinforces the belief in most Americans that we are the best. But, poor people are an affront to that. They prove the idea most people have of America is wrong, so we have nothing but contempt for them.
Andy Acceber 4 years ago
It's the myth of the "American Dream" and American individualism. Our society teaches that anyone can "pull themselves up by their bootstraps." Even though that's literally impossible, we use is as an excuse to blame people for their own homelessness -- and we have astronomical healthcare prices, poor veteran services, almost nonexistent mental health and rehab support, but we keep up the charade.
Brian Irby 4 years ago
It isn't even about bootstrap, etc. It is really about addiction and mental illness. There needs to be more focus on taking care of mental problems, instead of imprisoning the homeless.
Load More Replies... Doubleheader 4 years ago
There's about to be a lot more after this pandemic. :( It's heartbreaking.
embarrassed american 4 years ago
No social safety net, no mental healthcare (or any healthcare!), housing for the poor has lists 10+ years long (yes really). I could go on, hence my username
Jim Ellington 4 years ago
Working full-time or receiving Social Security generates far too little income to live in many areas. Most American families balk at letting a disadvantaged relative move in.
Bonnie Jarrett 4 years ago
Keep in mind that some people -choose- to live like that. Blows my mind
#29
I saw a woman put sugar in her coke at Ihop for breakfast. I've been told that's gross even for other Americans.
Vic 4 years ago
Once I saw a family on the Greyhound, with a cute kid (about 1 -1.5 year old) I was shocked to see the parents put coke cola in the feeding bottle and feed the kid! Please tell me this is not normal.
Paul K. Johnson 4 years ago
I don't think it's normal. I've never seen it or heard of anyone doing it. But America does have its share of garbage parents.
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Stacy Beare 4 years ago
They do that in Macedonia too, it stops the bubbles in the coke apparently. I still can't believe how many times I saw children with black rotting baby teeth. Glad it's not a thing in Oz!
WiTchY_WoMaN 4 years ago
What we need to do is make all junk food crazy expensive, then make healthy food cheap!
elia 84631 4 years ago
How much sugar and artifical ingredients do american soft drinks have in comparison with european?
Jessica Bertram 4 years ago (edited)
i was horrified when i saw my brother give his 3 year old Sprite in his sippy cup. MULTIPLE TIMES. oh it was so hard for me to bite my tongue. I also used to wait tables, a long time ago. it was quite normal for parents to think sprite and juice were acceptable. spoiler alert: they are just liquid sugar bombs. period.
Jaybird3939 4 years ago
If it was actually Coca-Cola, of which I am a devoted user, that person needs some perspective on their eating habits! There's enough sugar in one of those to send your blood sugar through the roof, much less adding sugar to it! So, yes, it's gross to the average American.
Mary G----no 4 years ago
The sugar industry in america is ridiculous. It's been found that they, for years, told people that it was "fat" in your food that makes you fat, not sugar. So then they started putting large amounts of sugar in everything, and it turns out that sugar is quite addictive. So now we're all addicted to it. I have a friend that will detox from it sometimes and it gives him headaches and the shakes. But it's just so hard to stay off of it... the stuff with sugar in it is very cheap, while healthy foods are expensive.
Bonnie Jarrett 4 years ago
American here- That's just insane. *gags* Sugar is already high in content in every food staple here. Blech
#30
Indoors feels colder than being naked in the winter
Rene Berendsen 4 years ago
Yeah I never got this. Why set the temp to like 18 degrees celcius if it's 35 outside. Set it to 25 or something. That's still a 10 degree difference. which is huge!
backatya 4 years ago
I don't know, we don't have temperatures in Celcius in the U.S. They run in Fahrenheit. That could be the problem you had.
Load More Replies... Foxxy (The Original) 4 years ago
I reckon you would change your mind if you lived through an Australian summer.
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Lisa Shelton 4 years ago
So bad. Working in an office and having to wear a sleeveless top for outside and several sweaters over it for inside.
Susan Widomski 4 years ago
Depends on where you are and the time of year. You didn't stay long in a theater in Phoenix in the summer when the air conditioner broke down.
Onion rings like to make your breath smelly 4 years ago
ive lived in canada my whole life and it is really like that... i think its nice though, because if it was a hot summer day, wouldn't you want some cold air?
Christine Ladyman 4 years ago
And vice versa...I worked in Fairbanks, Alaska... full arctic gear to get there, eyelashes frozen to my balaclava, and a weekend bag of summer clothes to work in,,, far too hot!
DogMom 4 years ago
Sounds like heaven to me. You expect it to be cold outside in Alaska
Load More Replies... #31
Went to Mc Donalds and ordered what i always order. But it tasted completely different. And fanta was just weird orange juice Syrup.
Becky Samuel 4 years ago
McDonald's fries in the UK have 3 ingredients - potato, oil, salt (sometimes a tiny amount of dextrose). McDonald's fries in the USA have 14 ingredients.
WilvanderHeijden 4 years ago
Most of the food they sell in the US is illegal to sell in Europe because of the additives.
Hazel Waring 4 years ago
Ordered my same coffee shop order in the US as I did in the UK - made me really ill! Didn't realise they made everything out of double cream 😩yuck
tangy chip 4 years ago
agree with everything but the fanta. it's not syrup, its sugar, and fanta in europe is fizzy and delicious!
J. Kasilo 4 years ago (edited)
We have gov inspectors who check fast food places regularly... https://www.foodsafetynews.com/restaurant-inspections-in-your-area/
Load More Replies... #32
The sheer size of the place is amazing. Each state is its own little country. I lived there for 7 years and visited some different places, and each time I crossed a state line it was like crossing a border in Europe — everything was different again.
Mewton’s Third Paw 4 years ago (edited)
Part of why we’re “uncultured.” You can vacation here forever and see tons of different things but still be in America. Of course it’s not nearly the same as international travel, and of course as the years go by, things in the US have become more homogeneous and lame.
Henry Tuttle 4 years ago
You are absolutely correct. I HATE American ignorance. But I understand it. When you live in the center of the Universe, you are overwhelmed by the tsunami of Americana. Pop culture. Politics. Food. Etc. There is little incentive to learn about anywhere else. It's terrible, but almost inevitable.
Load More Replies... Dave P 4 years ago
Each state is essentially their own country. Their own legal system, govt, military, etc. We are a Union of States
lara 4 years ago
States ARE separate entities. Politically as well as culturally. The Federal government cannot "go into a state" without being asked, like FEMA. Until and unless the state governor asks FEMA to come into the state FEMA cannot come in and help during emergencies. That happened with Louisiana, the governor was a real jerk and FEMA had to sit on the border between states, having already helped in Mississippi. Finally the governor "invited" them in to help.
Chuck Royal 4 years ago
This is what I keep telling my European friends. They see us like Britain or France, when in many ways, we're more like the EU.
Onion rings like to make your breath smelly 4 years ago
I know right? There are deserts, beaches, forests, alligators, cold weather, just everything! When I was 7 and 8, i would go on a road to the USA for the summer break and explore many states. They are all so different but still in 1 country.
Foxxy (The Original) 4 years ago
Our country is similar in that regard. We are about the same size as the US but we only have 6 states and 2 territories compared to 50 in the US. Each state/territory is quite different from the other.
#33
How low down the toilets are compared to here in the UK. Went to sit on one, dropped as I thought I'd missed the darned thing then felt like I'd broken my ass on impact. It's like missing the bottom step of the stairs, but even worse.
Robert Bailey 4 years ago
I never noticed a big difference when I was in Europe. But, I think the holes in the floor in Korea would freak this person out.
Abhainn 4 years ago
anyone else notice the poster? At first I thought it said William Shart! :D
Jim Ellington 4 years ago
Is no one going to address the irony of the "William S.Hart" poster?
Susan Widomski 4 years ago
Better than squatting over a hole in the floor, as is found in poorer countries.
Eglė Bukauskaitė 4 years ago
I prefer old bend over toilets - touching public bowl grosses me out, too bad it's out of fashion in here ;(
#34
During my first visit, I was astonished at the number of small airports and incredible number of small aircraft. So much freedom to fly across a vast country. Amazing.
A Cat Named Dragon 4 years ago
That’s a really interesting perspective that I have never heard anyone say before. Thank you for that!
Alan Green 4 years ago
I guess they need them. From flying in Microsoft Simulator I've learned in UK you can fly from one end of the country to the other in less than an hour. In America you can fly for hours and still be in the same state.
Chancey 4 years ago
A flight from El Paso to Atlanta is around 2 and a half hours but while El Paso is in Texas, Atlanta is in Georgia and you have to cross 3 states in between.
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Stannous Flouride 4 years ago
There are housing developments that are designed for mall airplane owners and have taxiways that go straight to each house.
Gitte Scheipers 4 years ago
Belgium is so small that you only need 3.5 hrs to cross it by car, we do not have a lot of airstrips but still a few
#35
Tipping being obligatory, whether it was good service or not.
Miss Cellania 4 years ago
The federally-mandated minimum wage for servers is maybe 15% of a living wage -often just enough to cover income taxes. This allows the restaurant industry to effectively outsource labor costs. The diner pays the restaurant for the food, and pays the server separately for the service. It's a horrible system, and income varies widely from business to business according to the clientele. But until the system is changed, tip your server!
Cassie 4 years ago
I hate this system. My daughter works for a restaurant that also hates this system. They pay all of their staff full minimum wage or better and any tips they get are shared between all staff (because everybody made that experience happen, not just one person). They build community between their employees and regular customers, so it's a great place to work for and happy employees provide great service. It works really well and I would like to see some big chains pick up this same method and run with it until it's the preferred way for everybody. I know that's just a dream, but I can wish.
Load More Replies... Juan Alcorta 4 years ago
I love Japan. No tips at all, and the service is always perfect. The restaurant should pay a the entire salary, not the costumer and giving a good service is part of your job.
Vladimíra Matejová 4 years ago
i agree it is a stupid culture. Who is going to tip me for my work at the office? they are just doing their job. it is sad the employers rely on customers to pay the employees salaries. Tippping should be voluntary
Load More Replies... Mustn’t eat the mango 🥭 4 years ago
It’s just a nice thing to do, sometimes we don’t tip them.. them sounds so mean
M Kate McCulloch 4 years ago
and restaurant wages for a lot of servers is 1/3 of the minimum wage - you can thank republicans for that...
Christine Ladyman 4 years ago
One of my biggest negatives. Being told i had to tip, told it wasn't enough, so many rules and rudeness attached!
Rissie 4 years ago (edited)
I always tip, even taught my Dutch family to do so. All but on one occasion. At the Grand Canyon. First it took the server quite some time to come up to us and that's fine. It was busy. Then after one hour and asking twice about our order of three sandwiches and fries they come up and tell us something went wrong and whether we could tell them what the order was again. Now mind you, they were being hissy because we asked about our order before We paid for our coffee and left. And after that they had the audacity to ask about a tip. No sir, no food, no service, no tip. And I still felt a little bad about it...
Alexis draskinis 4 years ago
We are also taxed on those tips, as well as required (in some places) to share them with other staff, such as cooks, hostesses, bussers, etc. You can underreport the cash tips BUT if you're looking to buy a car or house, that can work against you since you may not be able to prove enough income.
Alexis draskinis 4 years ago
And obviously, the IRS doesnt like underreporting of cash...
Load More Replies... kjorn 4 years ago
Why you think food is so cheap? people working in restaurant are not paid enough
Georgia Valentine 4 years ago
American food isn't that much cheaper though.
Load More Replies... #36
Movies set in New York prepare you for everything except the smell of [poop].
Nela Rothenbach 4 years ago
It doesn't even smell that bad....I mean here and there but it's not like you have to walk around holding your breath
로희 4 years ago
Sorry but I disagree. When I visited New York the first thing I noticed was the stench. I felt like I couldn't walk fifty meters without smelling something stinky and found myself unconsciously holding my breath.
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Eithne Griffiths 4 years ago
A lot of movies set in New York are now filmed in Toronto Canada.
Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago
You can get “nose blind” to it, believe it or not. I mean, when you first walk into the monkey house at the zoo, it really stinks. By the time you leave, if you really take time at each exhibit, you’re pretty much used to it, and don’t notice the stink anymore.
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
Grew up on a farm. I find car exhaust/pavement smells way worse than (poop).
Hugh Cookson 4 years ago
I used to sail into and out of NY regularly when I worked on cruise ships in the 80's and 90's and can categorically state that down on the dock / disembarkation area it absolutely honks - worse in the Summer than the Winter, but still bloody awful. Not too bad inland, but having made inadvertent detours into some alleyways, all I can say is, DON'T - in one, I almost immediately stepped into a pile of something which was obviously human s**t, then, while I was trying to clean it off whilst holding onto a dumpster, found a dead junkie slumped against the back of it. Never did like NY that much anyway.
aubergine10003 4 years ago
I've lived in NYC for 29 years and can attest to the fact that this is a TOTAL exaggeration.
Jim Ellington 4 years ago
The smell I remember from when I was a child in New York City was car exhaust mingling with the meat-juice saturated sawdust swept out to the gutter.
#37
I was going to count the number of American flags I saw on my two weeks in Florida. I gave up on the ride from Miami Airport to South Beach.
A Cat Named Dragon 4 years ago
I am probably going to get down voted, but I think it’s good to be proud of who you are and where you’re from. I don’t like it when we turn that healthy enthusiasm into boastful nonsense, but I think all of us should be proud of ourselves, our families and our communities.
Scyth 4 years ago
I agree. This self-shame over something your ancestors did a long time ago is going too far, where only white people for some reason must pay for reparations.
Load More Replies... Paul K. Johnson 4 years ago
Most people think flying a flag makes them a "patriot". It's a lot easier to fake it that way than it is to actually do the work and make the requisite sacrifices to be an actual patriot. And they're the first people to tell you what this country "entitles" them to because you know... one of the first thing that you think of when you think of the term, "Patriot" is selfishness and entitlement. /s
Tina Hugh 4 years ago
Yes, they get upset to see athletes saluting the flag on bended knee, but they slap Trump's face on the flag, add a blue stripe to it, wear it as clothing and show they don’t know or care about real flag protocol. They don’t see our flag as the symbol of a republic. To them, it's like a sports team's pennant flag and that's how they treat it.
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Anne Mitchell 4 years ago
I was counting the number of churches along the road we were driving down in the Bible Belt. I gave up after 16 in the one block which also had one on each corner at an intersection.
Judy Crozier 4 years ago
someone on this thread further up commented that before 911 there were only a 'normal' amount of flags. Most other places in the world, the 'normal' amount of flags = 0.
Janelle Collard 4 years ago
Florida does not represent all of America, thankfully. They're all a little bit out there.
#38
Jay walking and the lack of pavement/sidewalk on many roads. I found it so hard to just get from one place to another.
Alan Green 4 years ago
As I Brit watching US tv/movies I always wondered what "Jay walking" meant. We have no such thing over here. When I found out I was like "You can get arrested for crossing a road??" Mind blown. How are you supposed to walk anywhere? I guess you can't. Another reason they have an obesity problem.
Foxxy (The Original) 4 years ago
We have jay walking laws here in Aus. In my state you are considered jaywalking if you are within 20metres of a crossing. So if there is a suitable crossing nearby, you HAVE to use that otherwise you can get a fine. But if there is no crossing nearby and you aren’t on some sort of freeway or no pedestrians area then you are allowed to cross when safely to do so.
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Rose Civitts 4 years ago
thats my theory on why Americans love going to college so much. For many of us, it's the only time we'll ever live in a walkable community. I love not having to take my car everywhere and being able to get out for fresh air while I do chores but when I have to go to my parents house on school breaks, theres nothing within 10 miles of the neighborhood which makes walking impossible. Can't wait to spend 6 months in the UK this year
Mustn’t eat the mango 🥭 4 years ago
It depends their place, in counties like mecklenburg in NC there are always sidewalks
Grumble O'Pug 4 years ago
We went to Car Friendly to the almost exclusion of bikes and peds mid 20th century. It's biting us in the butt.
#39
1. You guys do not seem to have have touch and go card payment systems. A lot of places still rely on signatures. 2. Almost all food tastes sweet, including bread. 3. Credit history anywhere outside of the US isn’t considered “real” and will not hep prove you’re a real person when you want to open a bank account.
ProfessionalTimeWaster 4 years ago
I've heard some crazy stories in Suze Orman show about "my mom opened a credit card in my name and didn't pay".........isn't there checks and balances in place?
El Dee 4 years ago
My ex did this to my daughter in the UK. Was able to circumvent the system and leave my daughter with a bad credit rating. Which she has repaired by paying all the loans my ex took out. My ex is not a good person..
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A Cat Named Dragon 4 years ago
Number one I totally agree with. It is so much easier to pay for things in every other country besides the USA.
MalP 4 years ago
We liked the fact that when visiting the UK, staff (usually in a restaurant) didn't take your card, they brought you the machine. Such a better idea!
backatya 4 years ago
Well next time you come to America bring your machine
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Becky Samuel 4 years ago
Also, allowing other people to use credit/debit cards. In the UK you can't just use someone else's card like that.
Chancey 4 years ago
You cannot just use someone else's credit card in the US either.
Load More Replies... Chancey 4 years ago
We are slowly transitioning to touch and go systems. Not everywhere has them yet but some do.
Anne Mitchell 4 years ago
Try opening a bank account if you are not a resident but are living in the USA for a few months!!!!!! AND they still get paid, and pay bills by cheque (check).! Direct deposit is some far off dream
backatya 4 years ago
Signatures are the real deal. That's what's wrong with you foreigners you're not sweet enough. Like everyone else you have to earn your credit reliability. Banks aren't going to go by some foreign country creditors. If you don't like it don't let the customs agent kick you in the a**e on the way out lol
Beth Arriaga 4 years ago
Too many Americans are terrified of a cash-less society. I love my Apple Pay and cash apps... Wave my watch or phone over a machine and pay? Yes pls. But so many are scared of that and of being 'hacked' even though they probably couldn't explain what that means....
BoredDragon 4 years ago
Hrm. I don’t like sweet bread much unless it’s banana bread, zucchini bread, etc.
Grumble O'Pug 4 years ago
You only just realized this about credit? It's a manufactured farce by Fair Isaac corp and it's a tool to the wealthy to bilk the poor: Higher cost of borrowing, difficulty with jobs, insurance costs, housing, etc.
#40
Perfect strangers asking me how I am doing.
Steve Barnett 4 years ago
Enduring back pain, general procrastinating, bit of PS4 later. Thank you for asking.
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*˚tacocat˚* 4 years ago
In UK there are people who say hello, there is a nice lady that says god bless to everyone she sees. But having everyone barge onto your personal business and ask u about ur day isn't really the best tbh.
Tracy Wallick 4 years ago
I guess we as Americans find silence awkward, so we chat up strangers.
Shirley Heyn 4 years ago
Only pre-Covid. . . now it is "do you have a temp, new aches or pains?". . .
Bonnie Jarrett 4 years ago
See this is something that boggles my mind. I know people from other countries aren't like that but I can't believe how bewildered they are when they're approached by small talk when they visit here.
#41
Raccoons stealing our bread over night while camping. The box was closed and we put weights on it, yet these clever little trash pandas found a way in and out.
Paul K. Johnson 4 years ago
Raccoon have at least three times the IQ of the average anti-vaxxer, Trumpster or Flat Earther. I mean I know that's a low bar but they're still just forest animals. But they are freaking smart. When I saw the video of raccoons helping a baby get over a wall by holding each others feet it really freaked me out how smart they are. Seriously check this out and you'll never doubt the intelligence of raccoons again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMbQIGHUvLI
Lucas 4 years ago
I was convinced by the end of your first sentence anyway but that's amazing. Thanks for sharing this.
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anxiousPansexualnightmare 4 years ago
some hikers feed the wildlife, thus drilling it into their minds that humans have food, so it is
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#42
Went to Burger King and got a "medium" fizzy drink and they gave me this plastic tank that held about a liter and a half. Plus, about half of it was ice. What the hell.
Random Person 4 years ago
I live in the US, and I know portion sizes here. The one on the right is definitely extra-large, and the one on the left is a medium. Maybe this was a little exaggerated?
*˚tacocat˚* 4 years ago
That's enough to feed a whole family, srsly in Starbucks I order large for my Frappuccino and it's pretty much half that
Neha Joshi 4 years ago
Absolutely! Restaurants in the US literally give almost twice the quantity one can eat! No wonder obesity is a bigger problem in the US than in most other countries!
Jean Thompson 4 years ago
Best thing to do when you order a soft drink is to tell them "no ice, please". They are often not happy, but you do get a full cup AND the drink is always ice cold anyway, so ice not really needed.
Paul K. Johnson 4 years ago
I order without ice. Not to get more drink but because the drink comes out of refrigerated machines and I don't like my drinks watered down.
#43
The portion sizes. A meal in a restaurant at home will usually leave me fairly full, but I had to be rolled out of the place after eating in a US restaurant
Evil Little Thing 4 years ago
You didn't have to eat it all. There's nothing wrong with asking for a box to take home the extras.
Peter Spencer 4 years ago
Just thinking that when Americans go overseas and order food, they must feel awfully shortchanged when they receive the meal because portion sizes are small compared to those in the USA.
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
I never order full meals. An appetizer platter is a meal for me *and* Hubby.
*˚tacocat˚* 4 years ago
Tbh I have the same isssue in the Chinese takeaway round the corner ＼(^^)／
#44
Why so much sugar?!
A Cat Named Dragon 4 years ago
Because we need a little pick me up after an exhausting day of asking people how they are and telling them to have a great day!
Haunting Spirit 4 years ago
Then use cocaine. It's way less addictive then sugar :D.
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StrawberryParfait 4 years ago
It's actually high fructose corn syrup, and it's in everything. The corn lobby is a very powerful organization.
Neha Joshi 4 years ago
oh yes! I bought a bun + hot dog near Times Square and it was like eating cake and hot dog :-{
#45
Advertisements every few minutes on tv.
Foxxy (The Original) 4 years ago
Isn’t this normal in other countries. We get about 10 mins of show viewing then about 2 mins of ads in between.
TheGirlFromTheNorth 4 years ago
Naah, in Sweden we have non-commercial channels (two) and the other with commercials is like 20 minutes viewing, then 4-5 min of ads...
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Rene Berendsen 4 years ago
we have 3 public channels in the Netherlands that are funded by the Government. They have no commercials during programs. Only in between
Neha Joshi 4 years ago
Cant be as bad as India! Ads every few minutes such that the length of your show/movie increases by 20-30%, when you add in the ad breaks.
somnomania 4 years ago
yeah, there was supposed to be a thing that keeps commercials from being louder than the programming, too, but it's hard to enforce and doesn't seem to be a thing anyone bothers with, sadly.
Jean Thompson 4 years ago
It seems that every program starts the advertising directly after the intro, and then every 8-10 minutes throughout. Also, just before the credits roll.
Anette Larsson 4 years ago
In Sweden the number of ad breaks are regulated and even banned in some TV programmes, you are not allowed to show ads that are directed at kids, for alcohol, medication or smoking unless it's for stop smoking. There is a minimum tv programme minutes that has to be shown before an ad can be shown, so in general there are only 3 breaks per hour and if a break is shown by a channel that's not kind of making the TV show go in a flow it will bring a viewer storm that can bring down a network, ex if the ad break is in the middle of a movie at the wrong moment, the network will be made to go out an apologise publicly
#46
Armed officer at movie theater..
I need prescription from a doctor to buy contact lenses???
Mewton’s Third Paw 4 years ago
I HATE THE CONTACT LENS THING SO MUCH. LEAVE ME ALONE, I’ve been an adult for years. I don’t need to update the prescription every 2 seconds.
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
Some of us have eyesight that deteriorates over time, so I do get my prescription regularly updated. But I hate that I can't simply buy them where they're least expensive. Gotta be "in network". UGH.
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Kerri Peek 4 years ago
I live in Aurora where there was a mass shooting during the Batman screening. We need cops in our theaters. After James Holmes (I lives within walking distance of his apt bldg btw) I am not so keen on going to the movies.
Missy Moo Moo 4 years ago
We need a prescription from a optician to get contact lenses or glasses in Australia
Alexis draskinis 4 years ago
I buy online also, here in the US. Even just going to an "eye glass store" like Lenscrafters is the difference between spending $300 on frames vs $60 online. The dr office pairs are comparable to the stores...
Load More Replies... deanna woods 4 years ago
We have had so many mass shootings that we police on hand in most places to avoid it happening again.
lara 4 years ago
The "prescription" for glasses is a thing thought up by "boards" and approved by legislatures who are convinced that there are nefarious individuals just waiting in the wings to foist shoddy glasses on people. You need a license for just about everything, INCLUDING being home decorator and a florist in some states.
#47
The ads in between TV shows felt unnecessarily long, and also repeated the same info over and over, just worded differently.
Samantha Hurrell 4 years ago
I remember when I went to the US as a kid, the breaks were so annoying when you were trying to watch cartoons. (Glad the UK has far less)
#48
Honestly...WalMart!! Went there to buy a sim card and some groceries. Also found out that I could also buy pet fish, car parts and shoes..ALL IN ONE BUILDING?! Also, while in the queue to the checkout, we were next up and they just decided to close the lane? We had to requeue somewhere else.
Doubleheader 4 years ago
It might seem nice, but Walmart pretty much killed the competition here and now our economy is super unhealthy lol. Of course Amazon says to that, "wait a sec, hold my beer."
Mal 4 years ago
Mega stores like that are kinda great. America is big - we have a lot of space and you have to drive everywhere. The "super" stores make it convenient so we can do ALL of our shopping at one place without having to drive to 6 different places. In rural areas, it's not uncommon to just have Fleet Farm (agriculture/machinery) and a super Walmart.
somnomania 4 years ago
wow, you found one that still sells pet fish? most don't anymore, because they weren't taking care of them. no one likes going somewhere and seeing a bunch of dead fish.
Little Wonder 4 years ago
The thing that stopped me in my tracks in Walmart was walking around a corner and seeing the entire back wall covered in guns for sale.
Man with nice beard 4 years ago
Don't forget that you can also buy ammunition in various calibre here
#49
Answering for someone else. (I'm American answering for a German) Ice machines in hotels. They couldnt understand why the hotels had so many ice machines and why there are signs for them. I couldnt stop laughing about it and honestly have no idea why we love ice so much. He also asked what people had in the big plastic cups. I said pop/soda. He laughed and said they look like they are 1.5 liters, there is no way they are drinking soda. Silly friend, yes yes they are.
Alan Green 4 years ago
In UK only time anybody buys more than 1 litre of sugary fizzy drink it's to be taken home and shared out among the family or drank over the course of a few days. Not to wash down your last meal with lol.
Neha Joshi 4 years ago
Absolutely. A 1-litre will probably last a family of 3 for nearly a week. :) And whats with drinking a soda (Pepsi/Coke/Fanta) right from morning - like 9.30 am they'll drink a Pepsi with breakfast
Load More Replies... A Cat Named Dragon 4 years ago
: ) to be perfectly honest, anytime I go any place outside of the US, the one thing that I miss the most is ice!
Roman Hans 4 years ago
In Germany they drink gin and tonics WITHOUT ICE. Mmm ... that’s room temperature.
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Laura Mende 4 years ago
I don´t know how it is in other European Countries, but in Germany, McDonalds provides three sizes of drinks: Small (0,25 liter/8,4 oz) Medium (0,4 liter/13,5 oz) Big (0,5 liter/16,9 oz). The only time I´ve seen 1,5 liter buckets was at my local cinema, but just for very long films like Lord of the Ring, Titanic and so on.
Kerri Russ 4 years ago
Ice was initially a bonus in motels, for those traveling by car to refill coolers. Then as hotels moved closer to the freeways, customers expected them there, too. (I just made that up, but it kinds sounds valid.)
Paul K. Johnson 4 years ago
I know people who sit down with a 2-liter bottle of soda and drink the whole thing.
#50
Dutchy here, the USA is my favorite holiday destination, I'd even move there if I could.
I've toured the west, California, Arizona, Nevada. Spent a week in Las Vegas and another week in Manhattan.
The biggest WTF: you guys are really friendly, this is not the image to US has abroad but I can't remember any notable bad encounters, just one waitress with a nasty attitude insisting on getting a tip anyway which is somewhat understandable. I don't even know why the NYC subway gets a bad rap.
Second WTF: how huge your roads are, driving in the US boils down to pressing the gas to go, pressing the brake to stop. Just point it in the general direction you want to go and you'll be fine, lanes are too wide to hit anything.No engine braking though, drive up to the traffic light, hit the brakes at the last possible moment. I've had multiple people honk at me for letting go of the gas and just letting the car roll when I saw a red light in the distance.
Paul K. Johnson 4 years ago
I forgot the law in Germany a couple times and turned right on red. I figured it out pretty soon though and luckily didn't get pulled over for it the couple times I did when I first started driving there. But it was weird to me that it wasn't allowed.
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#51
The poor education system and the school culture portrayed in movies and tv shows (especially aimed to teenagers). The college and student debts. Why Americans do learn few things.
Final score:
28points
Paul K. Johnson 4 years ago
I like that "high school students" in American media are in their 30's and more mature than most adults in this country.
Rosie Hamilton 4 years ago (edited)
You are in the top 10 according to biased US resources... look up the world top 20 project... the US isn't on it. https://worldtop20.org/worldbesteducationsystem
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#52
The way complete strangers would just initiate conversation with me inside an elevator. It's so weird but I honestly loved it.
A Cat Named Dragon 4 years ago
I am pretty sure that I am one of the people who do this! It’s funny because I always am impressed by how friendly everyone is in other countries, but now I’m starting to wonder if maybe it was me who initiated it? : )
deanna woods 4 years ago
If you come to small town Texas, there is a good chance you might end up having a conversation with me.
Kerri Russ 4 years ago
I do that sometimes but I'm more likely to chat with service people. Sometimes, I give out silicone mask strap holders if they're nice and engaging.
#53
The absolutely mind boggling level of advertising you put up with just about everywhere. Also the extent to which cars have moulded the country, socially, geographically and psychologically. The place sometimes feels like the web of highways always existed there and civilisation just attempted to adapt to it, living in between the roads. J walking!!?! Wtf
Uncommon Boston 4 years ago
Because it is legal in most places to make a right turn when the traffic light is red, crossing at intersections can be difficult/dangerous. Left turn arrows and "walk" lights timed to go off together are another danger. Usually I cross when it looks safe to do so.
lara 4 years ago
OK, my husband's business is, literally, 20 miles from our home. We also deliver items [we are a rental company], in the summer, here in Texas, the temp is, on the average over 95 degrees, my closest grocery store is three miles away, I buy groceries once a week. This is typical. The auto and roads have made our lives easier. America is a very big country.
Carrie Laughs 4 years ago
All our main supermarkets deliver to most parts of the UK - is there nothing similar? My nearest supermarket is a lot further away but we don't have the extreme heat thankfully.
Load More Replies... Hugh Cookson 4 years ago
Remember this ; in 1900 only 4% of the roads in the USA were paved (Tarmacked) - this was then ...... so 120 years ago, in total, in the WHOLE of the USA about 1000 miles of roads, anywhere in the US had a stable, permanent (ish) surface, the rest were mostly gravel, dirt or clay. By way of comparison, the UK had at least half of the road system paved and Europe was, generally, paved even more so.
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
Ugh, yes, car culture here. I grew up rural, had to drive to get to a store (and I don't mean it was a couple miles, it was about 20), but once I moved to urbanish areas, c'mon, let's just wlk, please?
#54
Free water in any restaurant. FREEEE.
Foxxy (The Original) 4 years ago
In Australia tap water is also free in restaurants. I actually think it is illegal for restaurants to refuse you free tap water if you ask for it. They can charge for bottles water and boutique waters though.
Lora Beth 4 years ago
True. In NSW there were restaurants with "serve yourself" . fill your own pitchers and glasses of water and bring to your table. A lot of stuff was done by the guest and not the waitress
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Roxy Eastland 4 years ago
What country charges for water in restaurants? In the UK you can ask for a jug of tap water and glasses.
WilvanderHeijden 4 years ago
In the Netherlands there's no legal obligation to serve tap water even if the customer orders it. And a lot of places will plainly refuse to serve it for free stating that your order costs them money so you should cover their costs.
In Vino Veritas 4 years ago
In Finland it is a choice, some restaurants charge for tap water. I think it should be free of charge everywhere. Also our tap water tastes as fresh (maybe fresher) as bottled water.
Steve Barnett 4 years ago
Tap water is free in UK pubs. They legally have to serve you it. You can just walk into a pub, ask for tap water and leave without buying anything.
Cvt Fsn HeadtoHeels 4 years ago
The water in restaurants in India is free as well, served in a jug. But not recommended especially if you're only visiting or have a weak stomach/immune system. I usually drink the free water but depending on who I'm with, will pay for bottled water.
#55
Free refills, my friend. Free refills.
#56
The infrastructure is much older than what you see on TV
A Cat Named Dragon 4 years ago
True dat, sadly. To be honest, that’s capitalism for you. A lot of our infrastructure is owned and expected to be updated by businesses who don’t want to spend the money on updates nor on taxes so that the government could handle it publicly. Don’t give me your baloney about corporate income tax rates. Most large companies shelter their income and pay those taxes only on a small percentage.
lara 4 years ago
Sorry, infrastructure aka roads, bridges, etc. are not owned by corporations.
Load More Replies... #57
At the Petro station, sorry gas station; you can purchase ammo, gas, milk, rifle, beer, fireworks and other 'daily' use objects. This was in Montana, 2005.
Amber Cook 4 years ago
My husbands from Missoula Montana, I just read this one to him and he lost it laughing. We live in Utah and no you can't get ammo or rifles at a gas station. Especially here in Utah, lol. And NO I'm not part of the church either.
Foxxy (The Original) 4 years ago
Many petrol stations in Aus also have a small variety of daily staples like rice, flour, eggs, bread, milk, nappies, Panadol, etc and of course lollies, choccy’s and chips etc. But you can’t get guns, ammo, fireworks or alcohol.
#58
Irish fella here. I went to America a few years back and was blown away by: 1:how workaholic the country was. 2: how religious. Ireland is extremely religious as well. Eg. You partake in your holy communion with your school, AND IT'S MANDATORY. Schools also belong to churches. But America was on a whole New level of religious. There were Jesus signs everywhere and people actually denounce science, which is just stupid. 3: if I had a cent for every American flag I saw throughout my trip, I would have enough to buy a house in your crappy economy. 4: The fact that when you're 18 you can go into a life long college debt, own a gun, drive, join the army, start a family but not drink alcohol 5: your food portions and how sweet everything was And finally 6: your healthcare. Nuff said
Final score:
23points
Kerri Russ 4 years ago
Re: #2: We want to live where you live. We're American and hate the religiosity here, even in the Pacific NW.
Aria Singh 4 years ago
The religous one caught me off guard. Majority of America is Christian. Im a Hindu and there are no temples so me and my family take to praying at home.
#59
The speed at which you guys repair roads. I mean WTactualF. My dad and I went to LA and the day we arrived they tore open a 2km strip of road. When we went to visit Warner studios next day they had started to pave again. When the tour was finished at 4pm and we walked back the road was in full f**king use again. Seriously that project would have taken at least half a year usually a year for that much of a project. I am truly amazed.
Rene Berendsen 4 years ago
not sure which country this guy was in but half a year to a year for 2km road is truly insanely slow. It's probably also not sure. Maybe it feels like it.
WilvanderHeijden 4 years ago
Probably a very important main road in the infrastructure. They do the same in the Netherlands. 5 KM of highway can be stripped and asphalted again including road markings in one weekend. 100 meters of pavement with cracks, holes and tiles sticking out takes about 5 months to repair. With a crew consisting of 5 supervising civil servants, 3 representatives and 1 planner from the paving company and 2 people actually working.
Nikki Gregerson 4 years ago
You obviously have never been to Illinois. We have 4 bedroom 2 1/2 bath potholes. Some of them are registered with the historical society.
Memere 4 years ago
It truly depends on where you are, and where the repairs are being made. I would guess that someone at Warner exerted influence (read: paid someone at the city level in $ or favors) with the city streets department to get this done so people could get to their location. Where I live, our county & city street departments work pretty quickly, and seem to re-work the same streets & intersections over & over - by spending the $, they maintain the amount of Federal dollars they get every year.
Megan Romero-Herman 4 years ago
ha! come to Arizona where roads are closed or worked on for years and sometimes never get fully fixed
Hugh Cookson 4 years ago
Go to Germany / France / Italy (OK, maybe not Italy) etc, and they have infrastructure projects turned round in half the time that most countries do - including the US. In Japan you would be gobsmacked .... Here in the UK, we're lucky if a job that should take a month gets finished in 8 or 9 or 16 ......... Fcking useless.
MauKini 4 years ago
Me being from germany would confuse this very much as well. Such things take around a decade to plan, then they open the street, oops: rain / snow/ heat/ weather in general comes, the y leave to open road for a few days. They work around on our in the morning and one in the afternoon on that part of the road. When they are done with taht part of the road theyll pave it again only to open it a few month after again to fix something else which they had forgotten the first time.
Lili 4 years ago (edited)
Agree, I'm a foreigner living in Germany and still surprised sometimes at how slow construction is. It took my uni a few years to build a parking lot, and I rarely saw anyone working in there for the most part. I hope they finish fixing the street outside my place soon, started long before Covid stroke.
Load More Replies... Paul K. Johnson 4 years ago
Umm... I'm notsure where you saw this. When my family moved to Florida, the main road going to where we lived was under construction. It was about 2 miles long. That was my sophomore year of HS. When I graduated it was still under construction. A year after graduation I lived in San Francisco for two years. When I got back it was STILL under construction. For those counting that's six years and it wasn't done yet. When I was in Germany I went to work one Friday morning. When I came home one of the intersections was completely gone. I mean GONE. No lights, no pavement, no signs, no nothing. Just a cross of dirt where the intersection used to be. When I went back to work the following Monday the entire intersection was back. in 2-1/2 days they ripped it out and completely replaced it. That impressed me to this day.
#60
Once saw an ad for a wallet that was also a knife.
Alan Green 4 years ago
I've got that credit card blade in my wallet. It's really flimsy so can't really be used as a weapon. My reason for getting it. Well. If i'm in a car crash and my car is on fire and my seat belt jams i can cut myself out. Yes I have a weird paranoid imagination lol.
BIG FOOT 4 years ago
But do you know that they make seat belt cutters and glass breakers so if you do get in a car crash or your car sinks you can break out. I would get one of those instead they are way better then a knife. And they cost like 5$ and you can put it in your glove box
Load More Replies... Evil Little Thing 4 years ago
It's the easy way to carry a pocket knife. I keep mine on a keychain though.
Paul K. Johnson 4 years ago
"Tactical" anything has become pretty big in the US. And then there are "multi-tools" of all varieties. There's a lot of cross-over. I look at them and try to imagine them in use and realize they would pretty much suck at everything they're supposed to do except maybe the built in bottle-opener that's on every single multi-tool ever.
Son of Philosoraptor 4 years ago
The good quality multitools like Leatherman or Victorinox are wonderful tools. Next time you have to replace a car battery at 2am and think "if only I had a screwdriver" you'll understand
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#61
Being carded to get into a bar when I was 29 years old. I'd been drinking in pubs in England for 13 years without having to show ID.
Memere 4 years ago
Most bars will card everyone, regardless of how old they look. That's because they can be held liable & be sued if a minor gets in & is served - and the bar can be shut down by liquor control & lose a ton of revenue! If a patron gets drunk, drives & causes an accident that injures or kills someone, the bar can also be sued, along with the bartender & servers!
ADHORTATOR 4 years ago
I was asked for my ID in Califonia....my then 16 years old son was standing near to me
#62
Portion sizes. The number and length of ads in tv shows, it’s crazy disruptive.
#63
I've visited New York City several times in the period 2009 - 2014. Positive WTF: giant buildings with sometimes stunning architecture; Woolworth Building, 40 Wall Street, Chrysler Building, etc ... Already impressive on pics but overwhelming when literally towering above you in real-life. Negative WTF: some employees of the TSA. Man, I don't expect you to smile and be all sunshine, but screaming with all your might at some passengers while your head turns red with saliva dripping out of your mouth might be a bit much.
A Cat Named Dragon 4 years ago
I got screamed at by the British version of TSA. I was wearing a sports bra underneath a buttoned sweater, and he told me I had to take off my sweater. I did it but I was really unhappy about it.
Hugh Cookson 4 years ago
Oh yeah, those arseholes ; I remember making a smart remark whilst going into Lauderdale, during my time working on ships sailing into and out of the States ; shitty, po faced little canute kept me holding around for 3 hours (this was on a 7 hour turnaround). Got her back the next time I was going through there though ; put in an official complaint that she'd racially abused me. Never saw her there again in the 5 years after that ..... (Must explain, I'm white, she was not - and she actually did make uncalled for remarks ...)
#64
The political ads where they just SMEAR the f**k out of the opposition.
ProfessionalTimeWaster 4 years ago
I find the concept of "First Lady" or spouse of Governor to have any recognition in public/give speeches really weird.
A Cat Named Dragon 4 years ago
That is a really interesting observation. I think you’re right. I can’t name another spouse of a national leader, except Brigitte Macron... Or Of course spouses who are famous in their own right, like Cristina Fernandez of course.
Load More Replies... WilvanderHeijden 4 years ago
Also how the private life of politicians is under scrutiny in the US. "We noticed that Senator jones hasn't attended church for 3 weeks. Is he converting to Islam? " It's just ridiculous. In the Netherlands we don't care what they do, as long as it isn't criminal or affecting our country in a negative way.
#65
- The amount of homeless and/or crazy persons who would yell at people. - Portion sizes and free refills. - Listed prizes are without the tax added. - How car-centric even the cities are. - How many commercials you have on tv.
Foxxy (The Original) 4 years ago
It’s not like they can do it in the privacy of their own home. Unfortunately often people will turn to drugs when they become homeless because it is a way for them to escape their reality. Especially when the days are long, filled with loneliness and often being ignored, judged and treated like a leper.
Load More Replies... #66
Groceries in pharmacies! Hey pandas. French here. The thing that surprised me the most was to find ham, eggs, potato crisps, beverage, and also souvenirs in a pharmacy. I mean, what? "I'll take some aspirin and a sandwich, please. Oh, and this NYC cap, too." This is really weird for me.
Final score:
20points
Iggy 4 years ago
Cigarettes in pharmacies. Granted it was about 15 years ago but that was strange. I still remember it was a Duane Reade.
M O'Connell 4 years ago
CVS Pharmacies removed cigarettes from all their stores in 2014. I think it was a good decision.
Load More Replies... Paul K. Johnson 4 years ago
What I really liked about Europe was that in a single block they had several dedicated shops. A meat shop, a bakery, a chocolate shop where everything was made in the store and a real art store (not what passes for art stores in the US which mostly sell junk). While convenience is often convenient, dedicated shops always have more selection and way better quality than a place that carries a little of everything and it's all over-priced crap.
Haunting Spirit 4 years ago
I live in the Netherlands and I buy bread at the bakery, meat from the butcher. vegetables and fruit directly from the farm shop. And the rest from the supermarket. Dedicated shops might cost a bit more, but it is food, next to oxygen the thing you need to live. So let it cost a bit of money then. :-)
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Debra Timah 4 years ago
Groceries in pharmacies make a lot more sense than a lot of things in there though... If you came in needing cough syrup and headache/fever pills, you may likely need some chicken soup (etc.) as well and not be in good shape to go all over town for it.
Cathelijne Van 4 years ago (edited)
Wuuuuuut but in France I saw my first intermarche instead of super Marche. And they have everything!! Food, clothing, shoes, interior design stuff... Crazy, loved it! And I am from Amsterdam even 😄
WiTchY_WoMaN 4 years ago
Question... At gas stations in the US, I am always seeing advertising posters that says things like...."We sell cigarettes here!" ...Then below it says "May cause lung cancer and death".... I mean, I know they have to have a warning, but it just seems weird to me.. especially if people will continue to buy cigarettes after reading that.. Are these in other countries as well??
Nadine Debard (Submission author) 4 years ago
In France (and I think in all the EU) there is a warning and a disgusting picture directly on the packaging. Taxes are huge (20 cigarettes cost about 10 euros), this helps preventing people from smoking or trying to quit.
Load More Replies... Kerri Peek 4 years ago
I lived in Germany and traveled extensively. Your separate pharmacies from stores. Why do I want to run around to several places to get chips and my birth control pills? Weird.
Elianne 4 years ago
Here in Europe staff at a pharmacy needs to have knowledge about meds, side effects and what meds can be used together or not. Can’t expect a grocery store employee to have that level of specialised knowledge.
Load More Replies... #67
Everyone wanted me to have a great day.
Paul K. Johnson 4 years ago
They aren't the boss of you. If you don't want to have a great day then nobody can make you. Have a great day all the same. :)
somnomania 4 years ago
a lot of times it's required of employees to say particular things like that. it sucks.
Mark Stewart 4 years ago
Years ago on one of the UK chat shows, an actor said "I'd rather be told 'have a nice day' by someone that didn't mean it than 'f**k off' by someone that did".
Debra Timah 4 years ago
I'm from the US. I hate that when someone *has* to say it to keep their job. Other than that, though, I still like it :-). (And I do hope you have a good day - lol).
#68
Years ago, it used be striking how much violence was allowed on tv, while anything even remotely resembling sex was censored. I think the internet, cable tv and syndication of TV shows has blended the cultures in this regard.
A Cat Named Dragon 4 years ago
That seems true. I am always startled by the language and sex on non-American TV shows!
WiTchY_WoMaN 4 years ago
I'm an American....I don't know about anyone else, but I would rather see neither while I watch TV! I don't really see a purpose in showing those kinds of things on television...???
#69
A "what to do if you see a panther" sign
Paul K. Johnson 4 years ago
I usually offer it the annoying person in the group. Panthers have an uncanny ability to sense that and sometimes they let you know they aren't happy that you tried to do that to them.
#70
Guns for sale in a supermarket! I'm from South Africa and we are used to some pretty weird stuff, but, just wow. I used to work on the cruise ships. Going to the supermarket to get non-ship food was a huge part of making it on the ship. I went to Walmart to buy some stuff and next to the electronic section there was a gun section. And a no one was manning the counter. I found that terrifying.
Final score:
18points
Stacy Beare 4 years ago
Oops...I was also on cruise ships out of the states and from Australia. After the Port Arthur massacre you can only buy guys at gun stores.
Stacy Beare 4 years ago
I also found that as weird as anything! A gun counter next to the electrical department in Walmart. I us
#71
There's a whole channel about the weather. It runs 24 hours a day and makes everything seem hyper-dramatic.
A Cat Named Dragon 4 years ago
: ) how else would you get people to watch the weather channel?
Debra Timah 4 years ago
When a location that used to get a serious hurricane once in a blue moon, finds itself in the eye of a dozen of them in that many years, you gain weather channel viewers and the hype doesn't seem like too much.
Load More Replies... Kerri Russ 4 years ago
Everything here is hyperdramatic and I'm sorry it's spreading to other countries.
somnomania 4 years ago
and yet they hardly run actual local weather anymore, my dad hates it. even in hurricane seasons, half the time the radar's in a tiny corner of the screen like nothing's going on.
#72
The amount of salad dressing options. There were SOOO many to choose from. WTF is 'ranch' or 'Thousand Island'???
Steve Barnett 4 years ago
'Thousand Island' is well known in the UK, I like it. But 'Ranch' isn't.
DE Ray 4 years ago
Ranch is related to tzatziki - mint, dill, onion and garlic in a dairy base. Tzatziki is much thicker, uses yoghurt rather than sour cream and milk, has grated cucumber, and the balance of spices is different, but essentially the American salad dressing is derived from the Greek gyro condiment.
Mae (just add water) 4 years ago
Wait a minute... who the HELL doesn’t know what ranch is???? It’s like and American staple
Foxxy (The Original) 4 years ago
Ranch is often a burger dressing and thousand island is often used with prawns (think prawn cocktails) and seafood extender/highlighter.
#73
I saw an advert on TV for some prescription meds then the presenter started listing off all the side effects, including death!
WilvanderHeijden 4 years ago
He was proving that eventually the medicine would cure your illness.
#74
Dogs or Coyotes howling in the night. When you're watching American stuff and you hear coyotes in the background, it's like "Ok they're just there, whatever", but when you hear it in real life, it's so unsettling. And also, how far everything is. Went to Florida, and we had to travel through the "everglades", which was just a highway through a swampy area, for an hour or so. Imagine getting stuck halfway through it
Megan Curl 4 years ago (edited)
NO ONE wants to run out of gas on the road known as “Alligator Alley!” a.k.a. Everglades Pkwy, an 80 mile desolate road between Miami and Naples, Florida.
Memere 4 years ago
Midwestern U.S. here - I grew up on a farm with a pack of coyotes, and where I now live there's a pack of them too - it still startles me a little to hear them but only when they're really close. And we have owls in the woods behind the house, they're really cool to hear at night.
Janine B. 4 years ago
I would be totally happy having them around. Such pretty animals. :)
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Katie Garr 4 years ago
Coyotes are scary! I ride horses in North Carolina and just about a month or so ago I was out riding my horse at night (maybe 10pm, later than I normally ride) and I heard a coyote in the field right behind our covered arena, probably 30 feet behind us, and also across the street. My horse (thank goodness) was a saint, and didn't get scared, but froze and let me get off of him and jog out of the arena and up the hill to our barn. I was lucky he allowed me to get off, even while he had his blind spot turned to where the coyote was, and i'm so grateful he let me show him how to be safe. We hear them all the time, but I'd never heard one so close to us before.
Tracy Wallick 4 years ago
Coyotes are scavengers, they turn tail and run from humans 99.9% of the time.
Natasha Romanoff 4 years ago
Okay the Everglades are really creepy and stuff but it's also really pretty and a highly known area...the fact that it's in quotation marks is kinda wtf to me...
Steve Wilson 4 years ago
That’s what the alligators eat-stranded motorists on Alligator Alley.
#75
The size of everything. Still shocks me that driving from NYC to Cleveland, OH takes twice as much time as a trip across my country. Airport security is also overwhelming (and extremely boring).
Chancey 4 years ago
It says it takes 44 hours to drive from near my home in NJ to San Francisco CA
Natasha Romanoff 4 years ago
Haha, it also takes 44 hours to drive from my house in LA to my grandma's in Boston
Load More Replies... #76
You can actually go to the ATM without leaving your car. Line for the driveby is longer then in the Coffee shop it self.
#77
Portion sizes and adverts for drugs would be the big two. All the other differences would be either stuff you don't experience on holiday or within the kind of differences you'd expect from another country. But the meals were just unbelievably massive, and having people hawk serious medication to you through the TV was very jarring. Oh, and the number and duration of ad breaks as well. One night me and my dad were in some small town on our way to somewhere else, decided to watch Silence of the Lambs on TV. The ad breaks towards the end were insane, completely ruined the film. They managed to put one in the middle of the f**king finale. Remember the bit where Clarice finds the well, and then the lights go out? That's where they put an ad break. F**k me sideways.
ProfessionalTimeWaster 4 years ago
Less annoying that YouTube playing ads nowadays in the middle of the song!
Wendillon 4 years ago
Yeah but you can pop an adblock on youtube. Can't do that on your TV
Load More Replies... somnomania 4 years ago
yeah, the commercial breaks are based on time, not whether it was a sensible place in the programming to break or not. :( i usually end up shouting at the tv when it's a REALLY bad spot for commercials.
Paul K. Johnson 4 years ago
And that's why I never watch movies on network television. It's as bad as the crying kid or the ringing cell phone in the movie theater. It rips you out of the movie and ruins it. To really enjoy a movie you have to become immersed and stay there.
#78
For me, it was the amount of blown-out tyres and tyre debris on the highways and interstates. I love the people though. They always just seem so genuinely pleased to be talking to you. I can't wait for the time that I can visit again!
Final score:
12points
#79
The missing persons posters everywhere. I was about 9 when we visited, so this would be 1999. We went into a gas station and there were so many missing persons posters on the walls that they also covered the ceiling. My whole family went quiet. Also, the storms. I’m from Wales and the tropical storms were constant and stopped us going many places on our holiday. We were in Florida. Also, going into a restaurant and being able to order such an insane range of foods. I think the menu was about 8 pages long. The food was amazing though.
Final score:
7points
What do you think ?
Troux 4 years ago
The strangest thing to me (which most visitors would not see) is having to recite the pledge of allegiance to the flag every day as a student (13 years of your life). To me, it's like being forced to read your marriage vows to your spouse every morning, or read the company guidelines to your boss at the beginning of every workday. Looking back, it feels very cultish, and I would be curious how many other countries require daily repetition of your pledge.
Foxxy (The Original) 4 years ago
I don’t think we even have a pledge in Australia. Although when someone gets approved citizenship they have to take an oath. But that is it, we don’t really sing the national anthem either. I personally don’t know ANYONE that knows the second verse of our national anthem lol.
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Kristin Ingersoll 4 years ago
And it's always the same stuff. Portion (and people) sizes, gaps in bathroom doors, tipping, drug ads, driving everywhere.
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Stille20 4 years ago
This seems to be one of the latest Bored Panda "go to". Lets talk about how America is weird or messed up. It feels like there has been one or two of these a week as of late.
Lia Joseph 4 years ago
As a Native American, I was asked all sorts of weird questions. "Do you live in Teepees? Or do you have houses?" "CAN...YOU...SPEAK..ENGLISH..REDSKIN?" And I went to a bar with my friends and the bartender said he couldn't serve drinks to me because my people get violent. Positives? Some people are actually quite nice, and you have some cool snack food I can't get here at home in Canada. And thirdly, holy heck what's up with the portions?
Mimi777 4 years ago
That's awful im sorry you have to deal with that kind of stuff. As someone who was born in a different country but grew up in the US ive been asked some really strange questions and heard some hateful comments over the years as well. But yeah i agree most people are pretty nice and friendly here.
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staysdontstray 4 years ago
I was expecting a lot of people to mention portion sizes. wasn't disappointed lol
Rose the Cook 4 years ago
A family member had to go there as part of his job. Apart from the huge food portions and the fact that Times Square is in fact quite small his biggest surprise was being expected to tip a person he had asked for directions.
hydrostatic joints 4 years ago
Most people would be glad to give you directions. Whoever made your family member pay was just taking advantage of them.
Load More Replies... Janine B. 4 years ago
Okay, mostly the same comments over and over. But why not do it the other way round? I mean Europe is not a country, we have so many cultural differences! I'm German and I can tell you we have some really ridiculous habits here! 😂
Danieletc 4 years ago
I wonder why being a cold and distant as the Scandanavians do is endearing (old Pandoid article), and being openly friendly (or pretending to be, just to be polite to strangers) is a crime of WEIRD STRANGE AWFUL AMERICANS. Maybe it's just a Lith uanian thing.
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Nicola Roberts 4 years ago
I love this type of post as much as the next person, but at this time when most of the world is drawing conclusion about the US (and it's citizens) based on the actions of one man I wouldn't mind seeing a post about what America is doing right. Might be a tough shout though.
ProfessionalTimeWaster 4 years ago
12th day into 2021 and this is the second "USA bad!" article. It's not even as if there's something new.........the same old points we've seen gazillion times. Cover more countries Boredpanda!!
ADHORTATOR 4 years ago
the article is about "weirdest things visiting America", it is not about how "bad" the US are. I wa only one in the US four years ago and I loved it.
Load More Replies... Troux 4 years ago
The strangest thing to me (which most visitors would not see) is having to recite the pledge of allegiance to the flag every day as a student (13 years of your life). To me, it's like being forced to read your marriage vows to your spouse every morning, or read the company guidelines to your boss at the beginning of every workday. Looking back, it feels very cultish, and I would be curious how many other countries require daily repetition of your pledge.
Foxxy (The Original) 4 years ago
I don’t think we even have a pledge in Australia. Although when someone gets approved citizenship they have to take an oath. But that is it, we don’t really sing the national anthem either. I personally don’t know ANYONE that knows the second verse of our national anthem lol.
Load More Replies... Kristin Ingersoll 4 years ago
And it's always the same stuff. Portion (and people) sizes, gaps in bathroom doors, tipping, drug ads, driving everywhere.
Load More Replies... Stille20 4 years ago
This seems to be one of the latest Bored Panda "go to". Lets talk about how America is weird or messed up. It feels like there has been one or two of these a week as of late.
Lia Joseph 4 years ago
As a Native American, I was asked all sorts of weird questions. "Do you live in Teepees? Or do you have houses?" "CAN...YOU...SPEAK..ENGLISH..REDSKIN?" And I went to a bar with my friends and the bartender said he couldn't serve drinks to me because my people get violent. Positives? Some people are actually quite nice, and you have some cool snack food I can't get here at home in Canada. And thirdly, holy heck what's up with the portions?
Mimi777 4 years ago
That's awful im sorry you have to deal with that kind of stuff. As someone who was born in a different country but grew up in the US ive been asked some really strange questions and heard some hateful comments over the years as well. But yeah i agree most people are pretty nice and friendly here.
Load More Replies... staysdontstray 4 years ago
I was expecting a lot of people to mention portion sizes. wasn't disappointed lol
Rose the Cook 4 years ago
A family member had to go there as part of his job. Apart from the huge food portions and the fact that Times Square is in fact quite small his biggest surprise was being expected to tip a person he had asked for directions.
hydrostatic joints 4 years ago
Most people would be glad to give you directions. Whoever made your family member pay was just taking advantage of them.
Load More Replies... Janine B. 4 years ago
Okay, mostly the same comments over and over. But why not do it the other way round? I mean Europe is not a country, we have so many cultural differences! I'm German and I can tell you we have some really ridiculous habits here! 😂
Danieletc 4 years ago
I wonder why being a cold and distant as the Scandanavians do is endearing (old Pandoid article), and being openly friendly (or pretending to be, just to be polite to strangers) is a crime of WEIRD STRANGE AWFUL AMERICANS. Maybe it's just a Lith uanian thing.
Load More Replies... Nicola Roberts 4 years ago
I love this type of post as much as the next person, but at this time when most of the world is drawing conclusion about the US (and it's citizens) based on the actions of one man I wouldn't mind seeing a post about what America is doing right. Might be a tough shout though.
ProfessionalTimeWaster 4 years ago
12th day into 2021 and this is the second "USA bad!" article. It's not even as if there's something new.........the same old points we've seen gazillion times. Cover more countries Boredpanda!!
ADHORTATOR 4 years ago
the article is about "weirdest things visiting America", it is not about how "bad" the US are. I wa only one in the US four years ago and I loved it.
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