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People Share 30 Things That They Think Are Normal In Europe But Horrific In America
We often read of things that are totally normal in America but look super crazy to the rest of the world. Like free refills, medical debts, the sheer portion sizes, you name it. But hey, the place and time is everything when it comes to which things we view as typical and which ones raise our brows.
So this time, we are setting our eyes on Europe and the weird customs, things, and manners people in its 44 countries have that look totally crazy to Americans. “What's considered normal in Europe but horrific in America?” someone asked on AskReddit, and 12.7k comments followed.
We picked some of the most telling and thought-provoking responses that prove European countries are also home to a bunch of weirdos!
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Old things. Houses especially. "Someone died in this house" yeah no s**t Sherlock, this house has been here more than your country
The metric system
Favorite metric system quote is by Josh Bazell. “In metric, one milliliter of water occupies one cubic centimeter, weighs one gram, and requires one calorie of energy to heat up by one degree centigrade—which is 1 percent of the difference between its freezing point and its boiling point. ... Whereas in the American system, the answer to ‘How much energy does it take to boil a room-temperature gallon of water?’ is ‘Go f**k yourself,’ because you can’t directly relate any of those quantities.”
Taking the bus. There is so much stigma around public transport in the US, especially busses, and in Europe it's just a totally normal way to get around because nobody wants to deal with driving and parking in a big city.
Also from an employer's perspective: 25+ vacation days minimum for all employees and unlimited sick days. The absolute horror.
Songs with swear words being broadcasted on the radio, or swear words not being covered with a beep tone on tv. It’s always felt weird to me that Americans are all about being free and freedom of speech but then again they are scared of some stupid words.
Pro union laws. Pro worker labour laws. Mandatory paid vacation days (including fines for companies if the workers don't take their vacation days or get them payed out. They NEED to actually leave work legally for around 25 days per year).
Letting kids go to school or walk around the neighborhood by themselves without supervision.
A Dutch family moved to the USA and their kids went to school on their bikes like they always do, after a while the police showed up on their doorstep and child protective services letting them know they’re being irresponsible and to not do that again.
Mailman doesnt leave packages unattended on your porch. He eather gives you it on the doorstep or you go get it at the post office. Much less infureating than getting it stolen or thrown accros your yard by a mailman...
I don't know if this would horrify Americans as I've never heard it discussed, but where I live in Europe (Luxembourg), voting is mandatory and you can get fined for not voting in an election. You can still spoil your ballot, so you don't have to decide between lesser evils if you don't want to, but you have to make the effort to go to the polling station or submit a postal vote. It guarantees a high voter turnout and by extension more representative elections, coupled with a proportional voting system so we're not locked into a two-party mess like the UK or the US - not that it's without its issues of course, but I think it's an improvement.
I agree. It is not obligatory in Spain and it should be. It’s everybody’s responsibility to vote.
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In the US we believe you have a right to choose not to vote if you want, compulsory voting is still taking away your choice. Further the 2 party system is something that developed over time, but in some places like New York there are robust third parties.
is there a possibility for blank vote? as we use paper and envelopes you can submit an empty envelope here. i hear you vote on computers inthe us. is it possible to submit invalid vote?
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There is only one party in the US that wants to make it harder for people to vote....
Voting is compulsory in Australia as well. If you are going to enjoy the privileges of a democracy, you need to accept some of the responsibilities, voting being one of them.
A certain group of older melanin-challenged Americans have figured out that the more people who vote, the worse it always goes for them, and are doing everything in their considerable power to put an end to the whole thing under the dubious banner of “Voter Integrity”. Dark days ahead for the Republic….
Not melanin challenged, I see no issue with an ID to vote. People want you to show ID to buy paint. Some even want proof of vax cards with ID to enter buildings. I do not see how showing ID to vote is somehow racist. But please let me hear the argument as to how it is. I would love to hear it explained.
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that's actually not the norm in europe. it is in australia (correct me if i'm worng) and in a canton in switzerland. but in a lot of european countries we vote on a sunday and don't have to register for doing so (unless in some countries if you want to do it via mail) and in switzerland everybody who is swiss gets the voting things sent home and can decide if they want to go in on a sunday or send it in a few day prior to it or to throw it away.
We have compulsory voting (Australian here) and it is quite easy to vote. It is considered just as important as having a license in order to drive a car - if you don't want to vote, you can cast a donkeyvote - just don't write anything in. Our compulsory voting means there's no benefit to pressuring certain groups not to vote, or making it too hard for them to.
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I guess Americans would be horrified by voting in the UK. All polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm. You turn up to your nearest one, state your name (we do have polling cards to take but they aren't required), the person manning the station crosses your name off the list, then you go into a polling booth and place a pencil cross (or whatever) against the candidate of your choice. In most election you are only voting for one thing, not sheets and sheets of things. Voter fraud just isn't a thing. How could it be? You go along and vote for yourself, then go out, reenter, and claim to be your neighbour?
You can also vote by post, and it is completely free (in the US you have to pay postage unless you use a designated drop off point). The most complicated thing about this is getting the envelopes in the right order. LOL.
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I'm torn on this - on the one hand I'm in favour of increased democratic participation, but on the other, i know a lot of people are woefully ignorant of matters political and so mandatory voting would only increase the problem of people voting for populists with substanceless-soundbites
The picture is from Finland. After you turn 18, you are allowed to vote. No registration, no supression, the only way to loose your vote is to die. On voting day you show up at your voting station, show your ID (everyone has one), vote and get out. 2 minutes max. Four hours after the stations close you get the results. End of story. No complaining, no recounts, no lawsuits, no nothing. If you are not happy, you deal with it and try again in 4 years.
Exactly same in Canada, except we have to wait until all time zones have voted. By midnight we know who won. Transition of power is also very swift.
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In the USA they make it hard for poor people and minorities to vote. The government here doesn't want everyone voting. But we don't actually have to stick with 2 parties, it's just that voting for anyone else feels like tosdng your ballot into the trash.
you are not understanding the word democratic. Democratic does not mean individualist. It means rule by the people (The masses).
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Two party system in the UK? In the House of Commons we have the Conservative Party, the Labour Party, the Lib Dems, Greens, Plaid Cymru, Scottish National Party, the Democratic Unionists, Sinn Fein, Social Democratic and Labor Party, the Alliance Party and the Cooperative Party. You may not have heard of some of them (I hadn't) but they are there.
Sinn Féin never actually take up their seats though, since they refuse to swear allegiance to the crown. They just leave those seats unavailable for other parties from Northern Ireland. SDLP are the other main nationalist party in NI but they do take the oath and therefore their seats.
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Well then voting stops being a right.. And another thing - show me candidates capable to rule, I will vote for them, but when it's all just different faces of the same mafia - how do you pick?
https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/registering-political-party/ - register a party in usa
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The UK isn't "locked into a two party mess", it's just that too many people vote based on something their parents said to them 50 years ago rather than any comprehension of that party's policies.
In Brazil is obligatory to vote from your 18's to your 60's. You can start at 16 and keep doing It after 60, but then is your choice... You get fined and can't make/do certain documents with the Fine on your Record.
I would be deeply gratified if we adopted mandatory voting, proportional representation by both party and gender, and killed the electoral college system.
you are not understanding the word democratic. Democratic does not mean individualist. It means rule by the people (The masses).
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So you want everyone to vote -- even those people who do not care about the election, so they have not educated themselves on the issues. Hmmm . . .
they could give a blank vote or it may have an effect on them to actuallu educate themselves and make a choice.
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Australia too. it is the best way to ensure that EVERYBODY who wants to vote, can vote safely
Do you mean why ask a person unwilling to educate themselves about the candidates to vote?
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That IS horrifying. In an ideal world, only people who care and are properly informed should vote. If people don't know what they're even voting for, they could bankrupt the whole country without even meaning to!
Agreed. Exactly my view too. At least when only people who have a strong preference actually vote, you get a good representation of their views. If people who don't really care are forced to make a choice, then you end up with a random result that doesn't reflect the true will of the people
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In usa they actually make laws to prevent ppl from voting... One place to vote in a populated area, ppl have to wait in line for hours and they can't go to the toilet or have someone bring them water or food...but they want a democracy
In my country you automatically get a ballot if you are over 18. All the time.
The fact that this individual felt the need to mention that FORCING people guarantees a higher turnout...🤦♀️🤯 Ya think?
No, most democratic nations have more than two parties. You vote for who best represents you. If there is no clear majority, parties can form coalitions which together represent the voter majority. They have to negotiate and collaborate with each other if they want to stay in power. This means the voters wants and needs are always represented.
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If I don't want to vote, I should not have to vote. I like that about America.
God, I really hate politics. These posts just prove me why. Everyone is just seeing things from their own point of view, instead on looking at it from different perspectives, understanding and accepting that all people are individuals, with their own needs, thoughts, and emotions. Let people who care make their voices heard, and people who don't care stay in peace. If they have something to say or changes, they want to be made, trust me, they will speak up. Don't force a pacifist into war - nothing good will come out of it. Stand your ground, mind your own business, and accept that there are people who are just living in peace and happy about how things are. Why does everything have to be a combat or a war to win?
All it takes for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing. Apathetic constituencies are the breeding ground for the more violent-minded, racist, sexist fringe to seize power. Just look at history. I am a pacifist. I make sure my government considers my opinions when I vote for someone who speaks for me.
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It’s the same here in Australia. Also, you use a pencil to mark who you want in.
We are going to vote in Germany this year. And we don't have to register like Americans. We get a letter (which we should bring on election day, but...eh), we go voting on a Sunday, we don't stand in line for longer than 5min, we show our ID, get the paper, go into a booth, make one (or more, it depends) cross and are done. It is very difficult in our country to disenfranchise someone (prisoners do vote).
In Lithuania voting is mandatory, and everyone over the age of 18 are automatically registered (some exceptions exist). We don't get fines for not voting, but people see it as their duty to do so. There are options to vote from another city if you're not home, use postal vote if you're unavailable during voting day, and of course vote at the embassy if you're in another country at the time. Voting is usually on a Sunday 7am-10pm at a local school, so most people can attend; and during Covid, we could even vote at city squares for a whole week to avoid indoor crowds.
I will complain if there's no one to vote for. A vote for the lesser of two evils is still voting for evil.
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Voting is compulsory in Australia but as already said just because legally one has to vote it doesn't stop a voter submitting a "donkey" vote (spoil your vote so it doesn't count).
We have compulsory voting in Australia. I think it’s great. There is no questioning about who won an election.
That's what I've been saying for a long time. Voting should be mandatory but you don't have to fill out a ballot. You should have to show up at the polls or send an absentee ballot or a doctor's note. And voter registration should be automatic at age 18 once you can establish residence.
The same in Australia. If the US made it the same way, the difference of the outcome would be astounding.
Not compulsory to vote in Ireland, but the voting system is very proportional. You can vote for one person or many people by just numbering your choices. The 1st choices get counted first and so on until every seat is filled (yes - there's more than one seat per district). Malta also uses this system (STV). Pros: You vote for individuals, not parties; most people get at least one of their choices elected; gerrymandering is nearly impossible; 2 parties taking most/ all seats between them is very difficult. Cons: in some cases, candidates of the same party compete against each other for votes; counting votes is more complex, so can take days. Pro or Con: coalition governments are the norm, so you can get strange mixes
I heard several years ago that Australia also has mandatory voting. Don't know if they still do, but I would not mind it coming to Canada.
If they tried to make this law in the US, they'd have to add $2bil. funding, because citizens would demand free transportation and payment for taking up their time.
In Canada, your employer is legally obliged to pay you up to 4 hours on voting day to ensure you can vote. Simple.
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I HATE THE TWO PARTY SYSTEM. It sets us up to fight from the get go. And mandatory voting would be lovely because they can't gerrymander all the POC votes out so they get skewed votes in their favor. Makes me sick.
Oh hey- here we can pretty much vote any ole way, any ole time, how many times you want, with or without ID, whether you are still breathing or six feet under- At least that seems to be the desire of certain political affiliations. (I am 100% sure this does not apply to whatever party the reader may feel offended by the mere possibility this might be directed at said party.)
If this was in place for Poland last time, we wouldn't have That people stil there
Same in Australia, compulsory voting (though we do still have a two party preferred system).
It’s scary, but Hitler did that, I’ve seen footage of people being carried in to polling places on stretchers during the Reich. The freedom to vote should include the freedom to abstain from voting as well. Don’t get me wrong, I vote, I even sent in an absentee ballot while serving with the 38th Artillery in Korea back in the ‘70’s ..... but it shouldn’t be universal suffrage at the point of a gun. Freedom is a two edged sword.
In Italy, if you're eligible to vote, they send you your card. But you don't have to vote if you don't want to.
This is significantly important to a few Americans to be able to not vote. It’s a freedom.
Voting is compulsory in Australia and still they are dominated by a two party system. The real difference is that it's a parliamentary system which means independents and small parties can effect the balance of power. Last I checked there were over 50 political parties here, including at one time the Sex Party (they joined with the Australian Cyclist Party to become the Reason Party).
In Australia we have mandatory voting but still have a two party mess .
Same in Australia, you just need to show up and get your name ticked off
Meanwhile, in the US, Republicans work hard to prevent people from voting: closing precincts, making it illegal to bus people to their polling location (such as from a poor section of town), requiring photo ID then closing all the driving license offices anywhere near minority communities, and gerrymandering. Blake-Fare...a5-png.jpg 
Ditto Australia. And it's so easy to vote early or by mail. Result, some weird fringe parties win senate seats, but on balance compulsory voting is a plus. No gerrymandering either, districting is done by independent statutory boards and the political parties accept the decisions.
That's silliness, no one is doing that. If some states are asking for an ID, that is perfectly reasonable. 85% of the US agrees that makes sense
Load More Replies... We have compulsory voting in Australia, too. You can leave the paper blank or write rude words on it if you don't want to vote for any of the buggers. Elections are always on Saturdays and they use local schools as polling places. The parents and citizens groups put on a sausage sizzle and sell a sausage (snag) in a piece of bread for $2 to raise money for the school. We call them democracy sausages.
Depends are you given a paid day to do it, or forced to use one of your days off or what? I suspect if given a paid day there'd be cheering, if forced to and lose money there'd be rioting when a single day of work can be the difference between eating for a week or not you tend to value survival above which rich ahole gets fat off legalized bribery, I mean lobbying.
Unfortunately in parts of the USA they are actually making it harder to vote, especially if you are poor.
By doing what? Having to prove you are who you say you are with a government ID? Oh the horror!
Load More Replies... Its the same in aus.... including the "lesser of two evils" bit unfortunately. However - compulsory voting and a preferential system is still a good system IMO.... its just the corrupt, cruel and otherwise useless people that run for office.
Luxembourg is the smallest country in all of Europe so this rule is easily enforced. Try factoring in hundreds of millions of people. So many people think "Europe does it better" but fail to factor in our geography, history, and population size.
Australia, too, according to a friend on FB. If you want to refuse the right to vote, you can do so, but you have to go to the polling place anyway to do it. Brilliant.
Voting here in Australia is also like a social outing complete with your democracy sausage and cake stall.
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The problem is, voters registration here is also tied to jury duty selection. If you register to vote, you also agree that you can be brought in to serve jury duty if called upon. I've been sent 3 jury notices in my lifetime...my son has had one. My husband (who is not registered) never received a summons. Sever that link, and you will have more voter turnout in the USA.
I think the very fact of having to register to vote is kind of messed up to begin with. Why isn’t every adult citizen automatically allowed to vote without having to jump through hoops?
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In Spain we say voting is a right and an obligation but not mandatory. Also having only two big parties is easier. Right now here is a mess.
It horrifies Americans who know how the electoral college works (because it doesn’t work).
I think in Australia, voting day is a day off work. You are expected to vote.
There’s more than two parties in the UK. Two main ones, yes... but also Lib Dem, Plaid Cymru, Greens etc - who all perform better at a local level than National which over here actually has more of a direct effect on everyday life.
UK isn't "locked into a two party mess", we just only have two parties with a full manifesto, the others tend to be a one-trick-pony although labour also became like that, especially under Corbyn. Under Starmer they don't even have one trick.
We have to vote in Australia, both state and federal elections by law. If you don't you get fined.
The Republicans would hate this. They depend on ploys like gerrymandering, voter suppression, and the electoral college to win elections.
We have this in Australia too. I think it is the only way to ensure that everybody who wants to vote, can
I would preferandatory voting Unfortunately the Constitution guarantees freedom of expression, including not voting
Not a problem in America, the Dem's will just rig it anyway. Even the dead vote in the states but only for one party.
i would make it mandatory in slovakia. it was mandatory during communism now it is optional. the result is very low turnout and mostly old ppl voting as they still live in their reality where it was mandatory. then old ppl decide the future of the country. some elections have a turnout 20% even. no wonder we have crappy governments all the time. and yes you could still choose to submit an empty envelope if you cannot decide
It's a decent idea. It would lead to a lot of "joke" parties, but at least there would be more than two.
That's not a bad idea. If everyone had to vote, every time, then people wouldn't get confused by higher/lower voter turnout percentages. Also, I hate the two-party system. I was first able to vote in 2000 and I have never liked either candidate.
Being expected to know another language other than English.
At least in Germany, nudity. No one cares if you're naked, no one thinks you're a sex offender, no one thinks it's even sexual to be naked unless you're actively having sex, and no one makes it weird.
You can be naked in public parks to soak up sun, on beaches, swim naked in lakes. Saunas are all naked, mixed sex areas in spas and saunas are naked with no issues and in general, it's just not an issue.
At least where I live in Germany it’s NOT usual to be naked in parks or bathing naked in crowded places, except they’re designated as nude areas. Topless is tolerated in most urban parks, if you don’t Walk around. Otherwise it’s a "Public nuisance", which is an administrative offense and is punished by a penalty fee.
From what I’ve heard, allowing retail workers to sit. I’ve heard it’s regular for people to be sitting in Europe as cashiers, but in the us it is seen as lazy. Only store I know of that allows it is Aldi and that’s because it helps their cashiering metrics.
The number of rooms in the description of apartments. 1 room in the US usually means 1 bedroom, a living room ,and separate kitchen. Was shocked when I realized it means everything inside one room in most European countries
In the UK we normally describe properties as 1 bed, 2 bed etc. and give a separate count of other rooms. Studio is normally used to describe rooms of mixed use. So a 1 bed studio apartment will normally be a combined kitchen, living and sleeping space with a separate bath- or shower-room.
Not being super patriotic.
I love being Scottish, I love living here, the people (mostly), the accepting and open culture, the sarcastic swearing humour, that we can take the piss out of ourselves - but I don't feel the need to fly a flag on my doorstep or cover myself in Scottish symbols and scream about my freedom and rights and chant some verse every morning - im sure there are plenty of Americans who also think that the stereotypical over the top patriotic American is as odd as outsiders do - but they do tend to be the loudest
Long paid parental leaves and month long holidays (vacations).
Fun fact: These are all things that Unions achieved and next the government made them law. Some Americans would go bat shyte crazy over that. "The government has no right to force 25 mandatory vacation days on me!!!!"
Oh man... europe has so many different countries. Something that is completely normal where I live could be frowned upon as soon as I cross the next border. But in general we tip for good service, not bc we have to. A rude waitress won't get tipped by me. Also we usually remove our shoes before we enter a home. And yep, "free" healthcare.
Absolutely, what's acceptable in Spain wouldn't fly in Denmark and vice versa. All countries have their own cultures. The first time, years before the internet through reading American magazines, I came across 'Europe' being referred to as a homogeneous whole I was extremely confused. I was also highly entertained by all the adverts stating 'Everyone in Europe is using this product' for something I'd never seen in my life.
Not giving your debit/credit card to your server but doing it yourself
It prevents them from copying you card information and using them to commit fraud by buying stuff online with your creditcard information. In fact I think we ought to memorise the control numbers on the back of the card and then remove them for the card. Having them there is like writing the pin code on the card with a marker, it is just making abuse way too easy.
Sitting a foot away from a complete stranger and then completely ignoring them.
Americans get so bend out of shape over naked children running around the beach.
On every beach in Bulgaria I've been, naked children is the norm, women sunbathing in monokini is considered absolutely normal, while naked men are okay only in the nude sections of the beaches. And every beach has a nude section.
Not enrolling your kid in extracurricular activities. In Europe, some kids are enrolled in a sport or club and the older ones are mostly responsible for getting there and figuring out their schedule. In America, some parents are so obsessed with kids sports that the whole family's existence revolves around it, or they get judgemental when they hear that a kid isn't involved in any sports or clubs.
Almost every car having a manual transmission. when i visited ukraine, i only saw rich people with automatic cars
Charging for water at a restaurant.
In Norway you'll get tap water when you ask for water, and that's free.
Bidets? I was born and raised in the US and I think they're efficient and far more hygienic than TP, but apparently most other dudes in this country think it's gay to clean up after your business is done lol
The only really gay thing I know is falling in love with someone of the same gender as yourself. If cleaning your ass after you've been to the toilet is 'gay' to you, you have some real issues.
In Germany, looking for a apartment doesn't automatically mean it will come 100% with a kitchen. 90% they don't have them in and you have to buy them yourself.
That's one of the most stupid things in Germany. The kitchen should belong to the apartment.
Underage drinking seems more of a crime in the US - in most cases of a kid is caught with alcohol in the UK it's just confiscated and poured away. Strictly speaking the age you can drink alcohol is really low as well, so long as you're home with a parent I think it's like 5/6. When you're in a restaurant you're also allowed low percentage alcohol like cider with a meal so long as you're with an adult.
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Gotta say that "things normal in Europe" means you take more than 40 very different countries together. Example; The Netherlands doesn't have bagged milk at all, we don't allow underage drinking in the general sense and we don't leave kids in strollers outside. We're one of the few countries that use diseases as swear words, though :)
The same could be said for the United States. People love to generalize Americans, but the truth is we're vastly different from one another. I notice a lot of ignorance from Europeans about the differences in Americans. Like someone made a southern Texas joke towards me and I had to explain I'm from the east coast. It seems like they forget how big America really is.
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As an european who spend so much time in the states I just can't see the US as one country... there are so much differences depending on where you are... and I'm so just tired of those meaningless comparison...
This is even more true for Europe. They are lumping 40 different countries into this comparison.
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About half of these are just cultural differences that aren't "Horrific" one way or the other, and some even reflect badly on the Europeans, not to mention the whole "not all of Europe, but n a few places..." thing. So basically, the author is full of s**t.
I am not sure that anyone in the US finds these things “horrific.” I assume no Americans were consulted in the creation of this list? Bull fighting… this is an example of something horrific…
Yeah. It's awful. I think it's only parts of Spain though. (I could be wrong) not the kind of thing I want to google.
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One "European" concept I wish the US would embrace is free college/university!
Yup. It's very freeing not having to save up for my son's university.
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Yea. I mean… it’s just sad. All the other nations target America. But I’m used to it.
Load More Replies... One thing in North America I question is why women’s breasts are considered illegal. I suspect it has to do with the Puritan roots of NA but why does the USA love guns and violence (especially on tv, movies and video games) but as soon as a woman’s breasts are visible everyone throws a fit?
I like my guns, because I use it for hunting. Not for the sport of it, but because in my part of the US, groceries are pretty expensive, and good paying jobs that can support your family are few and far between. But god forbid women decide to go without even a bra 🙄
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So often articles like these seem based on stereotypes and Stupid American stories taken as fact. They also feel mean spirited.
Yet another post by someone who's never been to the US and doesn't actually know any Americans.
Definitely true. But considering there's so many untrue statements about Europe too it's easy to come to this conclusion. It's all or mostly just b******t.
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This is full of a lot of stereotypes, exaggeration, and people who have never gone to the US. It was cool to learn more about 'Europe'. (Europe is a bunch of different countries and cultures, you can't just group them all together like they did the United States.)
Yes. Sadly there's a bunch of people who lump together all European countries and people tend to lump together all of the US states too. European countries differ. Sometimes very much and sometimes less. And I know it's the same with many states in the US. Never hurt to learn though, which is why I ended up here. ;D
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I don't see anything horrific except for the hateful disdain expressed toward Americans.
Americans can be pretty damn disdainful of whole groups of people, it's the driving force behind much of our politics.
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The problem is that Americans are stereotyped by The politics of rural areas predominant primarily in the south and midwest even though that only makes up at a relatively small percentage of the total population. However that gets blown out of proportion because the American political system ensures a disproportionate amount of power to those areas. On the flipside Europeans are stereotyped based on the population of its large cities. But of course if anybody does just a little bit of investigation they will see that rural America and rural Europe are very similar (why do you think Brexit happened?) American cities and European cities are also very similar. Even more extreme many of the countries of Eastern Europe are considerably more conservative than even the most conservative parts of America.
I'm a bus driver. Taking a bus in America is not horrific, thank you very much.
It depends on where you live. My experience with buses in Atlanta was fine. My experiences with the buses in Alaska was awful!
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Looks like Americans aren't as "free" as they think they are and as they would like the World to see them.
So much content on BP is Europe vs USA. Like f**k off already... we don’t need any more division and hatred in the world
Agreed. I wonder why it is like that though? Maybe the states is a soft target for some reason.
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Please stop viewing Europe as one country. It's a group of very different countries, with different culture, different history, different languages, different customs, different way of life. European countries are NOT like US states, they don't really have nearly as much in common. And while they're a group and share a currency now (and it's only been 20 years) and all that, you cannot group all European countries and treat them like they're all the same. Enough of this, please.
Not all european countries are members of the eu though. But I agree, most european countries have many differences.
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So many of these are not even close to true. Someone is watching too many movies.
I have to wonder why these kinds of generalizations are only acceptable about Americans/America. Many of these would largely depend on where you live in America
This entire post generalizes the entirety of Europe as well. Most of these examples absolutely do not apply for the majority of countries in Europe.
Load More Replies... A lot of the things on this list isn’t true. Downvote me if you want.
definitely another bored panda Stigma induced post for both Europe and America. though it definitely likes to stir up hate in a lot of different forms of these stigmas of Europe and America I think it could have potential of having some fun conversations if delt right...*if* being key because for this Panda, that can't happen in heaven or hell it seems...this Boredpanda loves to just dump loads on America usually which really frustrates me. and this time had a bonus with Europe in it.
For those who misspell America, it just goes to prove you Europeans are a bunch of snotty little pricks.
The author simply revealed their ignorance. It’s embarrassing to see someone actually wrote this truly fact-anemic tripe. I will give one example. The “public purchase and consumption of alcohol” is illegal until age 21. However in 45 states, on private property, with parental consent children may consume any alcohol they wish. The drinking age in this case can go down to 12. The government limited public drinking but preserved parents rights to teach their children to drink responsibility. In America, on private property, one can enjoy a beer or 100 proof whiskey with their child…if they desire. Most parents choose to wait. A simple google search would do you well.
The only thing I would find horrific that is done in many parts of Europe is leaving your baby outside a shop in their stroller. I know its quite common in some places, (lived in many different European countries growing up). But if I saw that in America I would start freaking out lol. Cops would immediately be called by someone, it would be a whole thing.
Not saying ALL americans are patriotic. Although I myself would never feel the same need to defend my country like some (again not all) americans do here. Maybe I'm missing something, it's probably not a bad thing to defend your country. I just never get the urge to defend my country. Is that weird? I hope I am not offending anyone by asking this.
I have a home on 10 acres that is very remote no bus would come there. I also require a lot of tools to do my job and could not take them on the bus. I have never been shot nor have I shot anyone though I do enjoy match shooting g and own many firearms. I guess Europe has zero child molesters and kids are never abducted over there. We do have crime and kids can be abducted so to allow your kids to roam freely is negligent. Plus they might crash on their bike or be hit by a car. I don't know of any kids that are not involved in some kind of extra curriculum activity and I have never been charged for water. It is illegal in Arizona to not provide water if requested. We smile to be pleasant unlike Europeans.
First of all as an America has plenty of issues I will admit. We aren't perfect like you Europeans. Everyone I know removes their shoes when entering a home. Some may keep shoes by the door that are only worn indoors as they have foot problems and shoes provide comfort. To each there own but I have no desire to see old wrinkled sweaty testicle, or gray public hair or any public hair, sagging breasts or stretch marks that make it look like a person was mauled by a tiger. Fish belly white rolls of fat or even a naked super model naked. I took Spanish for 4 years in high school as a foreign language was required. As a business owner employees are given paid vacations, paid sick days, paid holidays and we are a Construction Company when an employees partner has a baby they get 3 days off to help the new mother and baby settle in paid. If the spouse can't handle a newborn after that then they shouldn't have had a kid. So many people abuse sick days though and screw over coworkers
I really take offense with the whole if u can't handle a new born after 3 days u shouldn't of had one. There can be literally hundreds of reasons a new mom needs help after delivering a child she could have had a c-section or a difficult birth the child could had birth defects or other issues that were unforeseen. The child could have colic there could be other siblings in the home and they are not adjusting to the new arrival there's also postpartum depression like I said literally hundreds of things and to judge a person after only three days and saying they shouldn't have had one what are they going to do put the child back because that's about how much sense your post made
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This is simply showing differences... one could just as easily say this is "European bashing" if you decide that the American side of the difference is the preferred version. (and in some of these cases, that would be an easy argument)
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Usa is like a fourth cousin twice removed of European countries that had the guts to jump over the wall to go see the world and so they evolved in their own way . And it doesn't seem so problematic to me. I love both.
So...pointing out differences means you're hating the country? Got it. Are there any other conditions other than patriotic paranoia you want to tell us about?
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Gotta say that "things normal in Europe" means you take more than 40 very different countries together. Example; The Netherlands doesn't have bagged milk at all, we don't allow underage drinking in the general sense and we don't leave kids in strollers outside. We're one of the few countries that use diseases as swear words, though :)
The same could be said for the United States. People love to generalize Americans, but the truth is we're vastly different from one another. I notice a lot of ignorance from Europeans about the differences in Americans. Like someone made a southern Texas joke towards me and I had to explain I'm from the east coast. It seems like they forget how big America really is.
Load More Replies... As an european who spend so much time in the states I just can't see the US as one country... there are so much differences depending on where you are... and I'm so just tired of those meaningless comparison...
This is even more true for Europe. They are lumping 40 different countries into this comparison.
Load More Replies... About half of these are just cultural differences that aren't "Horrific" one way or the other, and some even reflect badly on the Europeans, not to mention the whole "not all of Europe, but n a few places..." thing. So basically, the author is full of s**t.
I am not sure that anyone in the US finds these things “horrific.” I assume no Americans were consulted in the creation of this list? Bull fighting… this is an example of something horrific…
Yeah. It's awful. I think it's only parts of Spain though. (I could be wrong) not the kind of thing I want to google.
Load More Replies... One "European" concept I wish the US would embrace is free college/university!
Yup. It's very freeing not having to save up for my son's university.
Load More Replies... Yea. I mean… it’s just sad. All the other nations target America. But I’m used to it.
Load More Replies... One thing in North America I question is why women’s breasts are considered illegal. I suspect it has to do with the Puritan roots of NA but why does the USA love guns and violence (especially on tv, movies and video games) but as soon as a woman’s breasts are visible everyone throws a fit?
I like my guns, because I use it for hunting. Not for the sport of it, but because in my part of the US, groceries are pretty expensive, and good paying jobs that can support your family are few and far between. But god forbid women decide to go without even a bra 🙄
Load More Replies... So often articles like these seem based on stereotypes and Stupid American stories taken as fact. They also feel mean spirited.
Yet another post by someone who's never been to the US and doesn't actually know any Americans.
Definitely true. But considering there's so many untrue statements about Europe too it's easy to come to this conclusion. It's all or mostly just b******t.
Load More Replies... This is full of a lot of stereotypes, exaggeration, and people who have never gone to the US. It was cool to learn more about 'Europe'. (Europe is a bunch of different countries and cultures, you can't just group them all together like they did the United States.)
Yes. Sadly there's a bunch of people who lump together all European countries and people tend to lump together all of the US states too. European countries differ. Sometimes very much and sometimes less. And I know it's the same with many states in the US. Never hurt to learn though, which is why I ended up here. ;D
Load More Replies... I don't see anything horrific except for the hateful disdain expressed toward Americans.
Americans can be pretty damn disdainful of whole groups of people, it's the driving force behind much of our politics.
Load More Replies... The problem is that Americans are stereotyped by The politics of rural areas predominant primarily in the south and midwest even though that only makes up at a relatively small percentage of the total population. However that gets blown out of proportion because the American political system ensures a disproportionate amount of power to those areas. On the flipside Europeans are stereotyped based on the population of its large cities. But of course if anybody does just a little bit of investigation they will see that rural America and rural Europe are very similar (why do you think Brexit happened?) American cities and European cities are also very similar. Even more extreme many of the countries of Eastern Europe are considerably more conservative than even the most conservative parts of America.
I'm a bus driver. Taking a bus in America is not horrific, thank you very much.
It depends on where you live. My experience with buses in Atlanta was fine. My experiences with the buses in Alaska was awful!
Load More Replies... Looks like Americans aren't as "free" as they think they are and as they would like the World to see them.
So much content on BP is Europe vs USA. Like f**k off already... we don’t need any more division and hatred in the world
Agreed. I wonder why it is like that though? Maybe the states is a soft target for some reason.
Load More Replies... Please stop viewing Europe as one country. It's a group of very different countries, with different culture, different history, different languages, different customs, different way of life. European countries are NOT like US states, they don't really have nearly as much in common. And while they're a group and share a currency now (and it's only been 20 years) and all that, you cannot group all European countries and treat them like they're all the same. Enough of this, please.
Not all european countries are members of the eu though. But I agree, most european countries have many differences.
Load More Replies... So many of these are not even close to true. Someone is watching too many movies.
I have to wonder why these kinds of generalizations are only acceptable about Americans/America. Many of these would largely depend on where you live in America
This entire post generalizes the entirety of Europe as well. Most of these examples absolutely do not apply for the majority of countries in Europe.
Load More Replies... A lot of the things on this list isn’t true. Downvote me if you want.
definitely another bored panda Stigma induced post for both Europe and America. though it definitely likes to stir up hate in a lot of different forms of these stigmas of Europe and America I think it could have potential of having some fun conversations if delt right...*if* being key because for this Panda, that can't happen in heaven or hell it seems...this Boredpanda loves to just dump loads on America usually which really frustrates me. and this time had a bonus with Europe in it.
For those who misspell America, it just goes to prove you Europeans are a bunch of snotty little pricks.
The author simply revealed their ignorance. It’s embarrassing to see someone actually wrote this truly fact-anemic tripe. I will give one example. The “public purchase and consumption of alcohol” is illegal until age 21. However in 45 states, on private property, with parental consent children may consume any alcohol they wish. The drinking age in this case can go down to 12. The government limited public drinking but preserved parents rights to teach their children to drink responsibility. In America, on private property, one can enjoy a beer or 100 proof whiskey with their child…if they desire. Most parents choose to wait. A simple google search would do you well.
The only thing I would find horrific that is done in many parts of Europe is leaving your baby outside a shop in their stroller. I know its quite common in some places, (lived in many different European countries growing up). But if I saw that in America I would start freaking out lol. Cops would immediately be called by someone, it would be a whole thing.
Not saying ALL americans are patriotic. Although I myself would never feel the same need to defend my country like some (again not all) americans do here. Maybe I'm missing something, it's probably not a bad thing to defend your country. I just never get the urge to defend my country. Is that weird? I hope I am not offending anyone by asking this.
I have a home on 10 acres that is very remote no bus would come there. I also require a lot of tools to do my job and could not take them on the bus. I have never been shot nor have I shot anyone though I do enjoy match shooting g and own many firearms. I guess Europe has zero child molesters and kids are never abducted over there. We do have crime and kids can be abducted so to allow your kids to roam freely is negligent. Plus they might crash on their bike or be hit by a car. I don't know of any kids that are not involved in some kind of extra curriculum activity and I have never been charged for water. It is illegal in Arizona to not provide water if requested. We smile to be pleasant unlike Europeans.
First of all as an America has plenty of issues I will admit. We aren't perfect like you Europeans. Everyone I know removes their shoes when entering a home. Some may keep shoes by the door that are only worn indoors as they have foot problems and shoes provide comfort. To each there own but I have no desire to see old wrinkled sweaty testicle, or gray public hair or any public hair, sagging breasts or stretch marks that make it look like a person was mauled by a tiger. Fish belly white rolls of fat or even a naked super model naked. I took Spanish for 4 years in high school as a foreign language was required. As a business owner employees are given paid vacations, paid sick days, paid holidays and we are a Construction Company when an employees partner has a baby they get 3 days off to help the new mother and baby settle in paid. If the spouse can't handle a newborn after that then they shouldn't have had a kid. So many people abuse sick days though and screw over coworkers
I really take offense with the whole if u can't handle a new born after 3 days u shouldn't of had one. There can be literally hundreds of reasons a new mom needs help after delivering a child she could have had a c-section or a difficult birth the child could had birth defects or other issues that were unforeseen. The child could have colic there could be other siblings in the home and they are not adjusting to the new arrival there's also postpartum depression like I said literally hundreds of things and to judge a person after only three days and saying they shouldn't have had one what are they going to do put the child back because that's about how much sense your post made
Load More Replies... This is simply showing differences... one could just as easily say this is "European bashing" if you decide that the American side of the difference is the preferred version. (and in some of these cases, that would be an easy argument)
Load More Replies... Usa is like a fourth cousin twice removed of European countries that had the guts to jump over the wall to go see the world and so they evolved in their own way . And it doesn't seem so problematic to me. I love both.
So...pointing out differences means you're hating the country? Got it. Are there any other conditions other than patriotic paranoia you want to tell us about?
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