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Cars and guns. Flags and freedom. Fast-food and air-conditioning. That’s what the United States is all about—or at least the stereotypical version of America, according to the internet. No matter how hard people try, it looks like there are some stereotypes that Americans just can’t shake.

Whether because of pop culture or anecdotal experiences with tourists, some foreigners have a very clear-cut picture in their minds of what American everyday life is like. Even though it actually varies so much. And redditor Pfl2020 wanted to find out what exactly non-Americans think that Americans can’t live without.

Check out some of the most interesting responses to their thread and remember to give the ones that you relate to a big ol’ upvote as you scroll down. We’d also love to hear your opinions on what you associate Americans with, dear Pandas. And if you’re from the US, share your thoughts and feelings about these stereotypes in the comments.

For instance, I personally associate Americans with extremely warm and friendly people, delicious homecooked meals, great education, excellent four square skills on the playground, flags, and… powdered donuts (yum!). I’m pretty sure there are unfriendly Americans out there, but I’ve yet to meet one in person. (They could be a myth conjured up by jealous Canadians.)

#1

The belief that they’re more free than the rest of the world.

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Foxxy (The Original)
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Definitely NOT. Every country has there issues but for a western country the US has some serious big issues that aren't as prevalent in other western countries.

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#2

The believe that America is the greatest of all democracies while it is just another empire on its way down...

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#3

30 Things Americans Can't Seem To Live Without, As Observed By Non-Americans Medical debt

victorianfolly , Tyler Report

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Idan York
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not just medical debt, but serious debt of many kinds. Everything paid on credit or loan, and people working just to pay interest while being "1 paycheck from the street" while the government will not help you if you get in financial or medical trouble, are hungry or face eviction.

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It’s best to think of cultural stereotypes as incredibly rough guidelines that sometimes help us navigate life, but you should never think that they’re completely accurate representations of reality. Life’s too complex and deep to be summed up in a couple of throwaway phrases.

Not all Americans are overweight, own a gun, only speak English, and tip their waiters all the time. But does the country have a problem with obesity? Yes, it does. According to the CIA, 36.2 percent of all Americans were considered to be obese in 2016. And the US ranked twelfth in the world by obesity. But it would be unfair to ignore that in such a vast country there are plenty of fitness enthusiasts and healthy eaters out there, too.

#4

A sense of superiority and a denial of the truth of their own history.

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IlovemydogShilo
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am English and I am ashamed of MY country's sense of superiority and a denial of the truth of their own history. Especially concerning the slave trade and the way they treated the Irish during the Irish famine.

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#5

30 Things Americans Can't Seem To Live Without, As Observed By Non-Americans Fast food. I remember watching a piece about how fast food is sometimes the cheapest option for poor families. They literally can't afford to eat healthily.

RyzenRaider , Calgary Reviews Report

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wandile dludlu
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The fact that even their fast food is worse... there is this show on youtube where they compare Uk and US fast foods from the same brand. example: chips in the UK have potatoes, vegetable oil, salt... in the US, it has 11 other ingredients.

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#6

30 Things Americans Can't Seem To Live Without, As Observed By Non-Americans Flags. You really care about showing off flags. Pro tip: Any place with lots of flags has a national identity crisis.

gullman , Best Picko Report

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Awkward Manatee
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I mean, this flag site is probably a memorial/grave to veterans so yeah, this specific picture might be a tad offensive. However, as an American, I really don't understand why everyone is so obsessed with American flags. Although uh I'll take that flag over,,, certain,,, other flags that show up in the south :(

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Some stereotypes are nearly perfectly true, however. Like how much Americans love cars. They're not the only ones, though. The US really does have a car obsession and ranks fourth on Planet Earth by the number of motor vehicles per capita, but it falls right behind—you’ll never believe it—New Zealand. That’s right, our loveable Kiwis own more cars, on average, than Americans do. Who needs eagles when our hobbit protagonists could have headed to Mordor in a Volvo?

Plenty of Americans really can’t live without cars because they rely on them for their day-to-day lives. Those who argue against this would point to the fact that, in 2019, Americans also took a whopping 9.9 billion trips on public transportation. Which sounds very impressive...

...Until you realize that there were 328.2 million people living in the US that year and that they'd each end up using public transportation just over 30 times each, on average. All year. So there's some truth to the stereotype about loving cars after all. But it's not the entire story. Nor the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Not by far.

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#7

The goddamn Imperial System of Units.
I don't even live in the US but a lot of content on the internet is American and it annoys me when I need to multiply miles by 1.6 to get kilometers.

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Dominika Juillet
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

omg yes, this is terrible. I've been here over five years and I still can't get used to it. :"My god, the temperature is over 100? are we FRYING TO DEATH??"

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#8

30 Things Americans Can't Seem To Live Without, As Observed By Non-Americans A car. In European countries, it’s pretty common that you can get anywhere by public transport, but I haven’t heard about any properly functioning public transportation besides New York’s subway.

avadakabitch , llee_wu Report

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Jolee Koop
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My friends are always confused when I tell them how there isn't any public transport in most of the US. They didn't understand why Uber was doing so well in the US, well thats why. You need a car to get anywhere and most people can't afford one

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#9

30 Things Americans Can't Seem To Live Without, As Observed By Non-Americans Bumper stickers informing others of their opinions.

AmJusAskin , Michael Pereckas Report

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Candace Fitzpatrick
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And on t-shirts. If I wear a t-shirt with a graphic on it, it’s a band name or beer merch (because I get those free from work lol)

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#10

High Self confidence. Good thing in most people. Bad thing in flat earthers and antivaxxers

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Cynthia Bonville
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That is not all of us, just the loud ones. You really only see the loud ones.

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#11

30 Things Americans Can't Seem To Live Without, As Observed By Non-Americans Material consumption. This is true in most places but from my observation it seems to go to another level in America. Everyone spends so much time discussing the latest thing they bought and how great it is.

TauCeti2050 , greychr Report

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#12

30 Things Americans Can't Seem To Live Without, As Observed By Non-Americans Insurance. If they get sick without it, they're [screwed]. Meanwhile, if I have an health issue in Europe, I'll get free assistance in case of emergency and pay a small fee (usually between 30€ and 70€) for a routine visit.

Zek_ , looseid Report

#13

30 Things Americans Can't Seem To Live Without, As Observed By Non-Americans A house. Even if you can't afford it. No flat — a house. Big house with two living rooms: one for family, one for ????

Iseult-benoit , daryl_mitchell Report

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Foxxy (The Original)
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Maybe I am just privileged coz I could never live in a unit or apartment. I don't need 2 living rooms though. Just an extra room to clean lol.

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#14

Mentioning someones race/culture/sex etc. constantly

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Helen Haley
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The history of the US is steeped in race/culture/sex atrocities. I think it is an attempt at over correction.

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#15

Overly-fat-saturated and sugary foods.

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#16

War? Jk but I read somewhere in all layout history you’ve only had 17 years when you weren’t at war with someone or the other

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David K
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some say that the USA is a culture of war rooted within a widespread ethos that uses military force in pursuit of self-interests. The truth is however that the USA has been continuously at war since the earliest days of its existence as a nation and the political, economic, cultural, and moral costs and consequences of war have reduced the USA's moral authority, political stability, and economic viability. Way out? I don´t know the right answer. Perhaps the USA must establish itself as a “culture of peace” by pursuing a new set of cultural ethoses.

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#17

News telling them who to be angry and outraged with this week.

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#18

30 Things Americans Can't Seem To Live Without, As Observed By Non-Americans Air-conditioning. That's usually the first complaint that American migrants have in Germany.

HabseligkeitDerLiebe , Sagar Verma Report

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MikeyG
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

(Not) a fun fact: The USA consumes more energy each year for air conditioning than the rest of the world combined, and in fact more electricity for cooling than the entire continent of Africa uses for ALL purposes.

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#19

30 Things Americans Can't Seem To Live Without, As Observed By Non-Americans Guns, walmart, and deep friers

Hachater , Mike Mozart Report

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Ludwig Michiel
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Deep friers are pretty standard in Belgian households: we love our fries :)

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Marcellus the Third
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, but they don't do "fried butter on a stick" and similar crimes against humanity.

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Helen Haley
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Walmart, mostly because we are so very large (space wise) that visiting many shops to get several things in several places would simply take to long to be practical, so it flourishes on the premise that you can go to one location and get everything you need cheaply. Guns, because people seem to think it secures their freedom (completely ignoring that your average police force could easily take you down, no matter your arsenal, let alone the armed forces). Deep friers, I really don't know, frying is easier than seasoning?

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Stannous Flouride
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Pro tip- If you're going to RV camp in the Walmart parking lot and deep fry your semi-automatic, ALWAYS empty the magazine and chamber first.

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kathoco
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm an American living in France (close to Belgium) and I know more French people with deep friers than Americans.

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KMill
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This might be a stereotype in some parts of the country but the US is a huge country. I’ve never owned a gun or a deep fryer and I live about an hour from the nearest Walmart.

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Tabitha L
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have not shopped at Walmart since Sept 2005. It was right after Katrina and it was the only place in Baton Rouge that had clean water. We were heading to SBP to clean out houses and needed water to drink while there. I don't own a deep fryer. I have a pellet gun. Not sure that counts.

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Jeannie Carle
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

More than once, having a small gun has saved my life - 3 times, NOT having one, almost took my life. WalMart is a horror which in my opinion, is ignoring the so-called anti-monopoly laws, but it isn't the only one. I don't own a deep-frier - I have an air frier. We seem to be a country which loves it's fried foods :-)

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Adonis Tarcio Moreira
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Only a man with a gun can stop another man with a gun" still having mass shootings all the time even though everyone has guns

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Luther von Wolfen
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was watching a French zombie movie once and suddenly realized there were no guns. In American zombie movies, everyone has guns. Just thought I'd share.

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OrangeChicken
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hate all three (Well, I have some exceptions for the last one)

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SupernaturalPanda
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I will go absolutely anywhere EXCEPT Walmart. Hate em. Hate the company and how they treat their employees and customers. Evil company only out for the money

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

I don't own a gun. I don't have a deep frier. Walmart can save a lot of money - which everyone wants to do. I shop for the best bargains - not just at Walmart. What is the problem with that?

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Anna Harding
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don’t own a gun, hate Walmart and I don’t own a deep fried. New England native.

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AIDAN SIVITS
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Walmart is cheap and accesible. Guns are our right and we love some great food!

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Sasha Kuleshov
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yay, M-16s on sale with a free scope included $D (obviously for hunting)

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

actually that.... sums up trashy america pretty nicely.

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RavenClaw
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

i love deep friers..guns not so much..but walmart is king

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Foxxy (The Original)
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Walmart seems like an interesting place and deep fryers are useful to cook certain things in. Guns is the one I have a problem with.

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Owen Salmon2028
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

i cook my own chips with nana they are good ove baked with viniger andd veg oil im amercan we get our patos from the store but nana also grows some of here own stuff i live in nh i am also skinny as f

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Melvin Dragvelk
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Guns? Those are to protect us from a moron country like yours thinking they can take us over. Walmart? One stop shopping, what is wrong with that? Deep Fryers? The way you folks make some of your food you have no right to complain about a deep fryer. Hell, you stuff your food into a sheep's stomach and then eat it. Me, I will take it deep fried over that.

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Aragorn II Elessar
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Your guns won’t do s**t against a trained military, because while you think you can fight (and maybe you can), they will send in a missile, jet, or attack helicopter. I don’t think your AR-15 can do too much against 625 rounds per minute from a 30mm cannon. Civilians have no reason whatsoever to own an assault rifle. We have rifles, I’ve hunted, we’ve used shotguns, we have a pistol, but there’s no reason to own an assault rifle.

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#20

30 Things Americans Can't Seem To Live Without, As Observed By Non-Americans Soda pop. Spent some time in the southwest. Everyone had these enormous refillable beverage containers they would refill with soft drinks multiple times a day. While I agree it is important to stay hydrated, the jugs i saw held 1.75 quarts, and that much fountain drink could contain more than 200 grams of sugar.


LOUDCO-HD , Mike Mozart Report

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Helen Haley
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Caffeine. It is the only reason any of us are awake. We don't take vacations, and our sleep patterns suck. Ergo, caffeine obsession.

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#21

30 Things Americans Can't Seem To Live Without, As Observed By Non-Americans Garburators, garbage disposal. Every time an American was house hunting on House Hunters International, the Americans always wanted a garburator and would be disappointed if the kitchens didn't have one.

Queef_Quaff , Chris Winters Report

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Awkward Manatee
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have never heard the word Garburator before and uh wow I like it much better than garbage disposal.

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#22

Fahrenheit... it’s such nonsense. Celsius is where it’s at!

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Martha Meyer
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think both of these systems are equally arbitrary. That's why scientists use Kelvin.

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#23

30 Things Americans Can't Seem To Live Without, As Observed By Non-Americans A credit card. Not sure why people use it over there, possibly because of their weird credit system that seems to be so essential to their lives, or because of their even weirder mindset of liking to spend money they don't have. Probably both.

Joe-misidd , Håkan Dahlström Report

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aj B
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The system is an issue, first car I bought was told no credit score, aka living within your means was a red flag and I'd need a cosigner.

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#24

30 Things Americans Can't Seem To Live Without, As Observed By Non-Americans Ice. What's the deal with ice machines and them being such a big deal in any TV show or movie set in a hotel or motel?

halfshoe , Mike Mozart Report

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Foxxy (The Original)
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These people must live somewhere with a cool climate coz we have ice machines all over the place from petrol stations, supermarkets and bottle-o's etc

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#25

30 Things Americans Can't Seem To Live Without, As Observed By Non-Americans Paper plates. Used in your own home? That’s quite bizarre to me.

Notaelephant , Donald West Report

#26

Military.

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#27

Loans or debts of some sort, especially in their younger years. And i think Americans literally can't live without insurance.

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Helen Haley
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We'd love to live without loans and debt, but for the majority, if you want a job you need a car which needs a loan. You want a job that pays an almost living wage? You need an education, for an education, you need a loan.

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#28

30 Things Americans Can't Seem To Live Without, As Observed By Non-Americans Red solo cups, they are such an American thing

IIIHenryIII , hannabreezy Report

#29

30 Things Americans Can't Seem To Live Without, As Observed By Non-Americans Cheddar cheese, and jumbo everything

-butter-toast- , Joakim Jardenberg Report

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IlovemydogShilo
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Cheddar cheese is a big deal in the UK too. After all it comes from the town of Cheddar in Somerset, England.

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#30

Automatic transmissions.

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Kirsten Kerkhof
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I drive a car with manual transmission (I'm in Europe), but I have no problem with automatic transmissions. They just make driving easier and more inclusive. Similarly, IMO there are no brownie points for being able to drive a manual. It's just a car. Drive what works best for you.

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