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What’s totally acceptable and completely normal in one country might get you some funny looks elsewhere. Or, in other words, welcome to Planet Earth where there are loads of different countries and cultures that are bound to blow your mind when you travel.

This time, we’re looking at the differences between the United States and the United Kingdom. Even though both countries have a ‘special relationship’ (not to mention a rocky initial history together), far from everything is the same there. Hopping ‘over the pond’ means traveling a large distance both physically and culturally, too. Like you'd expect when going to any new country when you fly abroad.

Redditor TownImmediate9060 went on r/AskReddit and wanted to find out what’s socially acceptable in the US but would be horrifying in the UK. The thread went viral and the responses made us seriously realize the extent of the differences between the two allies. Check out some of the best answers below and remember to upvote your fave ones, dear Pandas.

#2

30 People List What Things Are Accepted In The US While Are Totally Horrifying In The UK Paying more than the price you see on a price tag in a shop due to taxes. WTF just put how much it costs!

gibsterminator , Akshay Chauhan Report

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WolfGirl23
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But the thing is tax changes. Are you going to change every single price tag every time tax changes?

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Steve Barnett
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I believe that it has something to do with different states charging different taxes. Hence the manufactures state the price that they intend to sell the product for; If they were to label items differently, depending on the state, that would involve producing numerous different labels. A logistical nightmare.

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John C
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In all fairness, tax rates vary between counties - they can literally be different across the street, and they can change at the drop of a hat. I'd LOVE to see the 'final' price on the shelf, but for these reasons I've accepted how things are.

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Rall
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is illegal in Europe, the price tag must be what you will pay.

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Rod Egret
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's a pain but makes total sense when you know that most sales taxes are state based.

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John Baker
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No, it isn't. It's second nature, really. And yet Europeans, most of whom pride themselves on their imagined intellectual superiority over Americans, can't seem to manage it. ;-)

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MisterE
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Add 10%. The metric system is base 10... stop complaining about sales tax here..... it is not that difficult.

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Soggy Crumpet
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Since no one seems to understand how this all works, here’s an explanation: Manufacturers, producers, etc. have a recommended retail price for products. States, counties and cities are separate and sovereign in their right to tax as needed AFTER receiving the approval of voters. Where one city may have voter approval to raise sales (or whichever) tax to fund a project, the next city over might not. This is why stores post only the retail price. Why changes price tags constantly? That makes no sense when the retail price has not changed.

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Daniel (ShadowDrakken)
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That happens so infrequently no one is making decisions based on it. Very few places still put stickers directly on the product, and brands and distributors change their prices more often than sales tax changes.

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Requiem
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I dont think theyre aloud to for some reason. Canada is the same

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Daniel (ShadowDrakken)
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Seems there's a lot of uptight people in the comments that don't understand why the US does this. First, let me start with: as an American, I hate this too. It no longer makes sense with current technology and POS systems. Now on to the explanation: this harkens back to the "Taxation without representation". Taxes had to be clearly defined and separated from good and services because lumping them all into a final price was equivalent to hiding them. Thing is, modern POS systems almost universally have an option in them to flip between showing taxes in-line or at the end of the ticket (sometimes both). So it's become a completely moot point and useless artifact of history. We could easily mark items with the final amount now and still show the separated taxes on the ticket. But all cultures are resistant to changes, especially changes that don't really matter, and the US may be worse than other countries about change for various reasons I'll not delve into here.

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Dorothy Cloud
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I guess we're used to it. I have lived in a state with NO sales tax, but WOW a lot of other stuff made up for it.

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Susan Egan
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Heck I live here and it's annoying. It's not the same even state wide much less across the country.

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Billy Maguire
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've NEVER understood that. We don't have a sales tax in Oregon. I HAVE experienced this in Germany and Ireland, though.

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backatya
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah but then you'll be complaining that you don't know how much you're paying for something or how much taxes you're paying.

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Andrew Gibb
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Taxman by the Beatles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0zaebtU-CA

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Tim Haight
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes sales tax is not included in the price. Oregon does not have a sales tax, so it is the exception. What is really bad in Washington is on liquor. The spirit tax is 20.5% and a $3.7708 per liter tax. Some stores like Walmart do disply how much these taxes are.

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Carrie B
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

At least you know exactly how much the government is getting.

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Greg Mingus
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Or you could just do math. Try it it isn't that hard you lazy bum

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InfectedVoice
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nonsense, but we have very different tax laws here, would still suck though.

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Andrea Paternioner
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

we have this system without tax in some wholesale traders bc the reseller needs it like this

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W Bruce Jaworski
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah! Hide those taxes! Ignorance is bliss. Just bitch to the store if the prices are too high.

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Jim Day
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If yo grow up with it, you just take it as part of the sale process.

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JessG
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I just look at the price and assume it costs a couple bucks more. It's definitely an antiquated system in the US and needs to change

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Leo Domitrix
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I live in the US and it bugs me. But I just do mental math by knowing all applicable taxes and rounding up. (Not sarcasm, alas. I really was taught to do it that way.)

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Vicky Z
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What Is Socially Acceptable In The US That Would Be Horrifying In The rest of the world you mean probably!! Cause especially this one happens only in US!

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David Armstrong
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is also how it works in Canada, only worse as our added taxes are generally higher.

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Noname
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, the taxes depend on which state you are in at the moment. That have to keep the base price same throughout the country.

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Pedro
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The price tag is labelled at the selling point, so your argument is irrelevant.

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Paul Davis
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well be sure that creeping capitalism doesn't get into the U.K. because the whole point of this is that businesses love being able to trick customers into thinking the products are cheaper than they are, and our politicians have long been in the pockets of big business. Which is why all our prices end in .99 and we have to pay waiters' salaries when we eat out also.

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Soggy Crumpet
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This literally has absolutely nothing to do with capitalism. Please educate yourself

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#3

Cashiers being forced to stand... give them a chair you masochists

andy_james_78 Report

Britain continues to use soft power to spread its influence abroad. Its cultural impact is off the charts. Just consider how influential the Harry Potter books, musicians like Ed Sheeran, and football entities like the Premier League really are.

They’re known and respected globally. As such, the UK’s able to draw in plenty of tourists (global pandemic notwithstanding because it’s hit everyone badly) and students from abroad because it remains at the forefront of people’s minds.

#4

30 People List What Things Are Accepted In The US While Are Totally Horrifying In The UK Politicians mentioning religion when campaigning

awbayley97 , wikipedia Report

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Hans
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Religion should have no room in politics anywhere. (But for positive values such as grace of charity.)

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#5

New mothers going back to work almost immediately after giving birth, because they don’t have paid maternity leave

MultipleDinosaurs Report

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#6

30 People List What Things Are Accepted In The US While Are Totally Horrifying In The UK An $800, four-block ambulance ride.

jeff_the_nurse , REEET JANK Report

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Downunderdude
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Anything about the so-called American health system is a mystery to the rest of the world.

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However, research shows that the confusion and uncertainty around the long-term effects that Brexit, the UK’s exit from the European Union, will have slightly dampened the country’s influence abroad.

Meanwhile, the British Council found that it’s actually culture, not politics, that deepens the ties between the UK and the US. And it’s culture that’s going to play a vital role in the future of both nations as well.

#7

That whole thing where American kids pledge their allegiance to the flag. That is completely weird and scarily totalitarian to us Brits.

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#8

30 People List What Things Are Accepted In The US While Are Totally Horrifying In The UK Overworking. It's rewarded and encouraged in the U.S., but during my time in the U.K. my colleagues were horrified by the long hours and lack of holidays that was the norm in the U.S.

CuriousAboutLife0 , Alex Kotliarskyi Report

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Downunderdude
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What an awful soulless place. And I'm guessing the only reason they give them what looks like expensive chairs is so they don't get sued for workplace injury.

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#9

30 People List What Things Are Accepted In The US While Are Totally Horrifying In The UK Greeters in supermarkets. Just feels fake.

smokingthegateway , Kristina Paparo Report

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Lauren Caswell
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Are greeters real? I thought the Simpson's was exaggerating. I guess in a country so massive, you gta find a way to stand out? Still seems weird tho

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“Culture and history were the two top rated factors contributing to the UK’s attractiveness among American respondents, with 43% identifying ‘cultural and historic attractions’ as a major draw and 42% identifying ‘history,’” the British Council explains what it discovered in its research.

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#10

30 People List What Things Are Accepted In The US While Are Totally Horrifying In The UK Driving everywhere.

In the UK it's perfectly normal to have your kid walk to school and walking to the shops to do your shopping.

X0AN , why kei Report

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Something
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This varies in the US too. In most cities it's normal not to have a car, but not in places where most people don't live within walking distance to anything.

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#11

Offering full-time employees anything less than 28 days of paid holidays per year - it's not only socially unacceptable - it's illegal!

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#12

Bragging about how expensive something was.

In the US "this is a $100 shirt" ...smug face

In the UK "can you believe I got this whole suit for £25!" ...smug face

NCC-2000-A Report

Despite some of the more superficial cultural differences between the US and the UK, both nations appear to care about pretty much the same issues.

“The research showed a high degree of shared concern about global issues among young people in both countries with poverty, extremism/terrorism, and climate change as the top factors chosen by young people in both the US and UK,” the British Council found. “The research suggests the relationship between the two countries is at root a cultural as much as a political phenomenon, and viewed in those terms it is indeed special.”

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#13

Labelling the winner of a sports tournament that only your country plays as ‘World Champions’

Calling Football ‘Soccer’

DM1994 Report

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Paul Davis
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We're not the only ones doing that. No one seems to blink at the audacity of the Miss Universe beauty contest, where Earth seems to win every time.

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#14

30 People List What Things Are Accepted In The US While Are Totally Horrifying In The UK A rubber in England is not the same as a rubber in the US.

Butwaip , Annie Spratt Report

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Downunderdude
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In the UK, a durex is (or used to be) a condom. In Australia, it's sticky tape. Best not to get them confused.

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#15

30 People List What Things Are Accepted In The US While Are Totally Horrifying In The UK Gaps in bathroom stalls

8xxx5 , ttarasiuk Report

Ironically, the actual term ‘special relationship’ sees very little use in the US, primarily being a British way of categorizing the tight bonds between the two nations. However, this doesn’t change the fact that both countries are very much skipping along arm-in-arm, primarily admiring each other’s cultural output (leaving politics a secondary concern).

#16

30 People List What Things Are Accepted In The US While Are Totally Horrifying In The UK Making tea in a microwave.

fantsukissa , MoneyBlogNewz Report

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#17

When my Brit friends were visiting, they were horrified when the waiter took their credit card to swipe back at the terminal. This made them REALLY uncomfortable.

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#18

Cutting lines for things, I’ve seen some people when going to Disney world trying to cut lines for random reasons. Queueing in the uk is like our national sport

CMDR_omnicognate Report

Redditor TownImmediate9060’s thread about the differences between the US and the UK was a roaring success. It got more than 67.7k upvotes in just over a week. What’s more, the thread got over 51k comments which just goes to show that the OP hit the nail on the head and chose a niche topic that plenty of folks were interested in.

The thread also got over 300 awards, proving that TownImmediate9060’s fellow Reddit users really appreciated them asking the question in the first place.

#19

30 People List What Things Are Accepted In The US While Are Totally Horrifying In The UK My (British) partner & I (American) were in London, running late to meet our friends. Just as we get to the tube station, I see our train has just pulled in; we haul ass across platform and I yell, “HOLD THE DOOR.” Someone does, we make the train, I don’t see a problem. My partner, by contrast, is mortified. This was 4-5 years ago & he is still mortified. Apparently we were meant to just...let the train leave? Without us?? & wait for the next one???

Ok-Cryptographer8906 , Chris Yang Report

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Linus Nilsson
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

On the tube, there's absolutely no reason to "hold the door". The next one will be in in a few minutes, and you will just be a little late. By holding, everyone on the train will be late, and there is actually a possibility that it travels down the line, delaying several trains.

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#20

30 People List What Things Are Accepted In The US While Are Totally Horrifying In The UK Asking new neighbors, "Have you found a church yet?"

boganvegan , Cosmic Timetraveler Report

#21

30 People List What Things Are Accepted In The US While Are Totally Horrifying In The UK Huge portion sizes. Kids meal in U.S is like a adult meal in U.K.

Revolutionary_Ad5901 , Ashley Green Report

What’s your opinion about the relationship between the US and the UK, dear Readers? What, in your opinion, makes this relationship between the two special? What do you think are the main cultural differences between Americans and Brits? Let us know what you think in the comment section below. We’d absolutely love to get your take on this, especially if you’re currently living in the US or the UK.

#22

I was in Japan once and there was a vending machine selling beer outside my hotel room.

So, being British, I bought a can and went to the elevator where I shared an excruciating couple of minutes with two American business men. They were horrified at my early day drinking, and I at their willingness to express this.

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Shelp
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What's particularly wrong with day drinking? I mean, night won't reduce your drunkenness

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#23

As a Brit in the US, this is a fun one!

Pharmaceutical adverts on the TV are still weird af to me

The length and frequency of commercial breaks in general on TV is shocking

Low hanging fruit, but anything relating to child beauty pageants just makes me feel physically sick

Here's a nice one: taking 20+ minutes to help a complete stranger who is struggling with something. The amount of times a total stranger has stopped to assist me or someone I know? Y'all really make my heart melt!

Toxic_Orange_DM Report

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A Cat Named Dragon
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This happens in the UK too. I am a woman and I traveled by train with a suitcase too heavy for me to lift and always some lovely man immediately assisted me with getting on and off.

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#25

30 People List What Things Are Accepted In The US While Are Totally Horrifying In The UK Addressing a stranger as ‘Sir’

UnsaddledZigadenus , Wikipedia Report

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chi-wei shen
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To me, this sounds like a good style. How would you address a stranger in the UK?

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#26

30 People List What Things Are Accepted In The US While Are Totally Horrifying In The UK Responding to work emails while on leave/vacation.

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N G
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I fear this one may be culturally appropriated - I'm in the UK and have worked for people who have done this, and been "encouraged" to do this myself. I have offered once (but that was because it was a big, serious project, and my time off was looking after the MIL's house for two days and I was BORED!)

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#28

Chanting the acronym of your country at any given opportunity.

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#29

I don’t know how common it actually is there, but going fucking wild at the cinema during a hugely popular film like Avengers: Endgame or a Star Wars film. There’s a bunch of videos on YouTube of the audience reactions to various big franchise films and I don’t know how anybody lasts more than a few minutes in that room.

When I saw The Force Awakens, like two people half-heartedly cheered when the title screen came up and then someone immediately told them to shut up.

pinksoetko Report

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Linus Nilsson
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

While talking about american cinemas, why don't they have seat reservation? In Sweden, we book in advance, choosing our seats by how many we are, where the screen is and availability.

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#30

Refuse a drink to a grown-ass taxpaying 20 year old

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lenka
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I can legally buy a gun and hold a hunting license, I can legally get married, vote, make medical decisions, have a mortgage and go to an adult prison for legal infringements but cant enjoy a cold beer on a Saturday afternoon.

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