The United States attracts many visitors. For example, in 2019, over 79 million international tourists came to the country, making it the number-three most popular choice, behind only France and Spain.
But whether we're talking about natural parks or busy cities, there are some "unwritten rules" that everyone should know. And that includes travelers, not just locals. So it pays to do your homework.
For our first assignment, let's go through the comments under a post on the subreddit r/AskAnAmerican, where a now-deleted user asked people to share these customs.
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Do not cut in line. We are not British, we won't just shake our heads and mutter under our breath. Americans will absolutely start a fight over line cutting. It will become a whole big thing, people will film it on their phones, and boom! There you are all over [internet], getting beat up because you couldn't just wait your turn in line for a few minutes
Internet? The original says "Reddit". At least acknowledge when taking content from other sites. Edit: For those confused, I am talking about this specific image where they replaced the word "Reddit" with the word "Internet".
Don't wear the red hats.
Actually we prefer they wear them. It helps us identify who the easily duped morons are.
The word c*nt is lot more offensive in the US (and Canada) than in other English-speaking nations. Don’t use it casually
Also calling someone a pedo. I see that a lot in British tv and movies and of course it’s an insult, but here it has serious implications. If you call someone that, you truly mean it and it can get someone beat up or attract the attention of law enforcement. It’s never said as an offhand comment here.
That whole trespassers will be shot thing is not a joke
Since someone commented: What, nobody ignores fences? LOL. Yeah, no. They do. They also ignore no-jaywalking signs in other places.
The price marked on the shelf does not include taxes. What you see is not what you pay.
Except in Oregon! I just moved here a few months ago and was pleasantly surprised to find that there is NO sales tax on anything! The price on the shelf/sticker/menu etc. is what you actually pay. It's pretty sweet
21 is the Legal Drinking Age. Don't try to reason convince the bartender that it's 18 back "home". It's not that they're being difficult just to be difficult. Their jobs and possibly the liquor license of the establishment (which is super extremely incredibly crazily difficult to get in some places) could be revoked over something as small as this.
I visited the US at the age of 18 and saw a girl my age take a sip of beer from her older friend at a concert. She was led outside. I turned to my bf and said, "This feels crazy to me. Back home I would be legally allowed to buy alcohol and drink myself to coma at the age of 16 and here I couldn't even take a sip if I wanted to." Not that I think it's a great idea to sell alcohol to 16-year-old. It just felt crazy.
Don't dine at a sit down/table service restaurant and not tip just to make a point.
Not the way things are done in your country? Great! Part of the fun of travel is experiencing other cultures. You should embrace the opportunity to experience our primitive way of life first hand.
The fact is that it's not just the 'culture' but it's also (mostly?) the fact that servers and waitstaff SURVIVE on those tips because of screwed up laws allowing food service businesses to pay them super-low wages (like $2.00/hour).
Back in my MMO days a scottish friend of mine went to Atlanta once and called a black guy 'boy'. I guess you just call people boy in Scotland?
Yeah but do not call black people boy. Its perceived as racist / talking down to them and its a good way to get in a fight. Especially in the South
Yeah, as a black American, I can tell you that calling a black man "boy", however innocent it may seem, can cause some problems. Best to avoid it.
Don't take selfies at memorials honoring the dead.
I just about threw up from all the selfie sticks at the world trade center memorial in NY.
NEVER pass an unloading school bus. When those stop signs flap out, you've got to wait until those little crotch goblins get off the bus until you even think of moving again. Whether it's hitting a pedestrian child, getting a nasty ticket, or just the absolute looks of disgust you'll warrant, it won't be worth it.
Yes! Many tourists may not realize this, but it's very important. Traffic on both sides of the street must stop when a school bus flashes its lights and the stop sign on the side of the bus pops out. This is to ensure children's safety.
Don't complain that taxes aren't included in the price. I know it's annoying, but the poor souls who have to work retail didn't set U.S. tax policy.
If you're driving and get pulled over, DO NOT get out of the car. Roll down your window and wait for the police officer to walk up to your car. Keep your hands visible (resting on the steering wheel).
Absolutely. They will think you are coming after them with a weapon or something (which of course does happen). I made the mistake of getting out once and got his gun drawn on me pretty quickly.
Don’t f**king use racial slurs. Good lord, I work in the service industry with lots of people from China and they’ll just say the N-word with the hard R (or just s**tty racist stuff in general) and will be confused as to why people get pissed off.
While America’s race relations are strained at best, it’s completely unacceptable to voice your racist opinions in public. If you choose to do it anyway, you will be completely ostracized - and any people who are accepting of it are probably s**tty racists themselves. Yikes.
The Chinese guys may have been using the Chinese word “那个” instead of the N word It sounds similar but there’s absolutely no connection
Treat wildlife with respect, you will see it everywhere and it is generally dangerous or can kill you.
Dont try a selfie with a Bear or Buffalo
There's 330 million of us. Saying something like "I heard Americans like/dislike," is almost always going to be met with a grain of salt/resentment
Don't talk down to people in service industries. They work for the company and not for you. They are not servants, and they deserve respect and decency
Don't go to dangerous neighborhoods because you saw them on TV.
Not a foreign visitor, but a naive friend from Colorado came to visit in California and wanted to see the gangs on Crenshaw in South Central L.A. because he'd seen it on some cop show.
Yeah, no, we're not driving through the 'hood so you can take pictures of the thugs and poor people. He's a Latino guy, too, so the last thing I needed was someone thinking he was cruising and looking for a fight.
Smell bad. It sounds like a joke, but Americans are really unaccepting of any type of BO. We (probably) won’t actually say anything to you, but we will automatically dislike you.
I spent a bit of time abroad with people foreign to the US
Pointing is VERY rude! My one friend (from Thailand) would always point to people when speaking about them. It was just very uncomfortable and I didn’t realize it was part of the social structure here until she was doing it everywhere lol. Don’t point at complete strangers and talk about them, you may end up starting a fight
The American South, while known probably to some for being racist, is VERY VERY big into politeness and manners.
Generally do things like hold the door open for others, a cashier may ask you “hi how are you” just answer “good, how are you?” Or “I’m okay, how are you” but whatever you answer remember to return the ask. Always say please and thank you. If you make eye contact with a stranger give a smile and a nod. Unless they say hi, then say hi back. I also tend to end conversations with people by saying “have a good one” if meeting somebody (more of a professional thing) when shaking hands, let the person who initiated the handshake introduce themselves first.
Also Americans tend to be very friendly and will strike up conversations with people, don’t be afraid to chat, just don’t bring up politics
I am so damn tired of ya'll bashing the American south about racism. We can be talking about fried chicken and you all can still somehow manage to bring up racism. We are talking about manners and the first thing yall bring up is racism. We are not all racist and we are tired of being labeled as such. We do have some racist people down here, but so does every place on the planet.
Don't sit around for hours in a restaurant after eating. The wait staff get fussy
Americans are about personal bubbles. If you're a stranger, keep an arms distance when conversing with an American. If you are familiar with them, keep an elbows distance. And lastly, unless you are extremely familiar with them, do not touch except for a handshake. We're like the Swedish, but louder.
Goes double for braids/dreadlocks/spikes. DO NOT EVER feel someone's hair. Don't even ask. It's crazy rude here.
OMG I can't imagine touching someone else's hair! How rude. Pregnant women don't like their bellies being touched either. Why you would want to is beyond me but people do it.
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Elbow distance seems way too close even for a close friend or relative. Strangers should stay at least a meter (3 feet-ish) away and close friends should stay arms-length unless they are going in for a hug.
The amount of people that will just grab my hair is infuriating. They will grab a lock of my cork screw curls just to watch it spring back up and think I'm rude for being upset about it.
I can't understand why people think that's ok.
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My bubble is huge cuz I’m an introvert, I hate when people touch me except if I know them well :’)
same goes for the UK tbh, and most North European countries, Finland especially xD
I actually think this is pretty universal...it have been studied. Sure, the exact size of your "bubble" might be a little bit bigger/smaller depending on where you're from but we, as humans overall, like to keep a little distance to strangers if possible. If you don't keep that distance it's considered a threat.
We get a lot of eastern European workers here in the summer. They don't have any concept of personal space. In line to cashier they stand as close as possible to the person in front.
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For god sake! Americans just make up rules, what exist all around globe and think, they are unique!
This is very much age dependent. I was raised in a time when people were a lot more "touchy feely" than they are these days. Little old ladies would grab you by the wrist and wouldn't let go until they were done talking to you. The concept of "personal space" didn't become an obsession until I was well into my 30s.
I don’t find this to be true all the time ! Maybe more so since Covid !
Yes! Even before COVID, personal space has been ingrained in us in the USA. (Maybe because we've got so much space in this country in general.) I have been in lines (queues) at at fast food place where someone from a foreign country has just stepping in line in front of me, then when I told them, "The line starts back there," pointing to several people behind me, they'd say something like, "I didn't know you were in line," figuring that because I wasn't like 10 inches behind the person, I was just standing around for no reason.
When we take a step back during conversation, please don't step forward. We are politely showing our own personal bubble
I came from a more african-american part of NJ, if you're black, latino, or anything like that and they like you. Expect fist bumps and handshakes, Covid-19 didn't stop them at first, and nobody's getting stricter over time.
I like my hair played with and I do like being incredibly close to my best friends and family.
I'm American and I touch peoples hair but only if they are really good friends and then I'll compliment them on it so the get over it. It's because as a kid my mom said my hair looked ugly and no one likes it so I'd compare mine with others by touching theirs. I've kept doing that but I know that she just said that because she was mad at me so I try to be more confident in it
Don’t try to make it cross country in a day. Especially during extreme weather
"Especially during extreme weather"? As if it's some remote possibility otherwise but the weather makes it a 0%? It's more 2700 miles. Even driving for literally every single second, "cross country in a day" would require an *average* speed of around 115 miles per hour - that number goes up with stops for gas, food, toilet breaks, etc. The Cannonball run record - i.e., the stupidly illegal trip undertaken by people pouring significant resources into it (at least in the modern attempts) is 25 hours 39 minutes. Literally no one has ever done that in a 'single day.'
You can buy alcohol in any store in town but you will get the long d*ck of the law if you open that puppy up in public
If you are driving, don't forget that you can make a right turn on a red light, and if you get pulled over by a cop, being friendly/respectful can go a looooooong way
When pulled over by a cop, roll the window down and keep your hands on the wheel where they can see them. Be polite. I would go as far as saying “my license/registration/insurance” or whatever they are asking for are “in my wallet/glove compartment” etc, “may I reach out and get those?”
Restaurants and stores will take your cards. I know, it is weird. You lose sight of it. If you do not want that to happen have cash prepared.
We Americans love foreign visitors and we will pepper you with questions, ask about your language, culture, almost really intrusive questions. Some might even try to relate to you on some level because we Americans are taught that the United States is a melting pot and we all have distant relatives in other countries. For the Irish, English, Scottish, and German; do not be shocked or offended if an American says "Oh! I'm insert heritage too!"
If you said 'I have Irish heritage too!' there wouldn't be an issue. The fact that you mostly say it as 'Hey, I'm Irish too!' is the offensive part. You're not Irish. You're American. Your great-great-granddaddy was Irish. (Edit: Changed 'English heritage' to 'Irish heritage' as people really seem to be misunderstanding what I'm saying and this is the only thing I can think might be tripping them up)
For the love of god please just go the speed limit, and NEVER stop in the middle of the road no matter where you are
In America is best to think of the speed limit as the slowest you can go without being a nuisance.
A few from personal accounts of people I know.
Do not think it's acceptable to bribe someone in authority. It's not even a joking matter in the U.S. I grew up in a country where it was an unwritten rule that these things could be "negotiated" and there were tell-tale signs to know whether said authority was open to it.
Coworker of mine knows a guy (comes from a European country where this is common place) that was in the U.S and had to be escorted out of a shopping mall because he cat-called a group of girls... who also happened to be underage. Yeah, that's a no go here. Maybe it will be tolerated at a night club, but in public? You'll likely face repercussions. It's just not culturally acceptable. (Note: that's not to say it doesn't happen in the U.S - as I know it's a problem in a lot of major cities).
Note: this post originally had 76 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
So, to summarize this entire thing: be a nice person, don’t get hurt/sick, and always be polite to cops. That’s really all you need to know bout Murica. (We’re not all horrible people; there’s just a lot of idiots)
Basically, and given what I've seen when I travel outside the US, that sums up humanity. Not all horrible, but a lot of idiots!
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Gotta love how BP loves to s**t on America for being ignorant/backwards/selfish/whatever, yet complain about our customs and will insist on using their own even if it's rude.
Only overly sensitive people think that BP loves to s**t on America. BP does have a habit of repeatedly posting articles about hos America is "different"... but that isn't s**ting on.
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Don't abuse animals, be kind to other people, don't vandalize monuments, don't fight the cops? Do Americans think other people have a habit of doing those things in other countries? This article is pure b******t.
It’s a Reddit thing. There are certain comments people always post because they know they’ll get upvotes. It’s irritating and part of the reason I don’t go on Reddit anymore.
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As an American, I have to point out that none of the things mentioned here are universally true in every part of the country. The US is bloody huge, and we tend to identify with the part we live in: New England, Mid-Atlantic, the South, the Midwest, and so on. In New England, we tend to move and speak quickly. In the South, they're exactly the opposite; they stroll and drawl. Different areas have different values as well, and different cultural norms. Think of the US more like the EU, that is to say, a group of somewhat disparate, but somewhat similar countries and cultures.
To be honest, I don't want to visit the US that much. A wild country with too many civilian firearms for my taste.
The thing about the South... South means Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, South and North Carolina, Mississippi. We do love people. But there are still parts segregated. My best advice is ask a local where not to go. They will tell you. We want you to get back home safe. I can tell you now.. too keep your car gased up. Don't travel alone if you can help it in big cities. Stay away from cherry st area in knoxville tn. Not all are bad there but it's not friendly unless you know someone who lives there personally. Don't f*****g touch wild life or try to capture a picture of a bear. Admire it from an distance. In Codes Cave loop in the smokies....keep driving. Don't stop. It's 11 miles of a loop rd. If you want to take pictures park in the designated areas and go walk. Please for the love of God pull over and allow faster traffic to pass you when you can if on a two way highway. Don't litter. No matter where you are in the world don't litter. Th
I lived in Florida a general rule is if you see it Confederate flag maybe not the place to be. One thing they didn't mention about the south is a lot of people prefer to be called Sir or ma'am it's just considered polite. When I moved up North with this habit people thought it was rude they said I'm not that old.
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Tbh, I'm surprised bribing police isn't a huge thing in the US. Everything is about money, politicians accept huge bribes (but call them donations or lobbying), but police won't accept it. It's quite amazing.
Ordinary people (including police) aren't that shady. It's the people in power who love bribes.
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So, as far as I understand, US people are.... people, but I don't really understand why they think in other parts of the world we don't use common sense like chewing with the mouth shut, don't bribe, respect flora and fauna and everything else apart from including taxes to the final price.
You're triggered by things like "don't litter." Sit tf down.
Load More Replies... I'd like to edit #74. Do NOT try to crush a woman's had if you happen to shake hands with her. I've dealt with that macho BS all my life and now that I'm old AND have arthritis in my fingers, I'll let out a rebel yell and possibly deck you if you squeeze my hand too hard. Just sayin'...
These fall into two categories: 1) Be a decent f*****g human being (animals, racism etc.). 2) Be prepared to be confronted with our moronic laws re: healthcare, firearms etc. I have yet to feel any inclination to visit the US at all.
Then don't. Shockingly, foreign countries are different; if you want things to be exactly as they are where you live, why leave? :/
Load More Replies... Funny how much I learned from this. I've lived in the inland west of the US for my whole life. I've traveled a lot, but never been east of Wyoming. As far as I'm concerned, the Eastern or Southern US is just as foreign as Timbuktu. Those people are weird.
Yes a lot of these people tend to generalize America as one big place but someone from the south can get culture shock going to the north same East versus West.
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This list should have been cut in half lol most of them are repeated and the others are common sense.
no. 1: glad my health ensurance has warrancies that cover for me if I get sick abroad
"Don't litter." Great idea, but we can't even get our fellow Americans to stop littering.
Do you guys know that America is a whole continet, don't you? From what I read you are probably talking about the US and Canada that are only one part of America.
Maybe it's my imagination but lately most of the topics or articles come straight from Reddit.
I agree - but please, people, can we just stop this "y'all" sh!t?
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Here is a DO: You can pretty much ask any stranger for help and they will be glad to help you. Need directions? Can't find something in a store? Want to know how much to tip? Need the nearest public bathroom? Literally ask anyone above the age of 12 and not only will you get a straight answer, but they'll be delighted that you asked.
They could have cut out the nearly identical/ repetitive posts on several topics and shortened the entire post. The redundant posts were ridiculous. It's sad that there wasn't better options given for the posts. Like maybe, don't wash your feet in public toilets here, they're far too disgusting and don't be afraid to ask some people to take pictures of you and your family or friends, you can usually tell who may be polite enough to do this. Common sense plays the biggest role as it does anywhere you go.
I have always wanted to visit America in the future when money is available but the more I read on BP I do not think I will, no, never.
There are also the non fiction programs on TV, but many on BP do not like facts or peoples personal feelings, they can not cope if they do not agree. Think I will start marking down everyone I do not agree with
Load More Replies... So, when I travel, I'm meant to, as an American, be seamlessly integrated into whatever nation, but nobody visiting the US should... be polite? Use common sense? Someone at BP make up their minds what the standard is, or just admit to the double standard.
You have some reading comprehension skills to work on. This article is specifically saying that people visiting America SHOULD change their behavior to properly fit in.
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yeah, the stopping behind a school bus that is unloading children... what a horrible country we live in!!!
in my country we do not have school buses. everyone lives in a walking distance of a school or else they use normal public transport. so there is no need to have specific rules for school buses. the whole traffic does not stop for one bus staying at a bus stop. We only have a rule that if you see a bus is giving a turn signal saying it is leaving the bus stop you should give a precedence so that it is not stuck there, but I feel like this is more a courtesy than a low, but I am not sure
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Why is your skin so thin? How do you see this as an attack? Do you spend your whole life being defensive? That must be tiring.
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So, to summarize this entire thing: be a nice person, don’t get hurt/sick, and always be polite to cops. That’s really all you need to know bout Murica. (We’re not all horrible people; there’s just a lot of idiots)
Basically, and given what I've seen when I travel outside the US, that sums up humanity. Not all horrible, but a lot of idiots!
Load More Replies... Gotta love how BP loves to s**t on America for being ignorant/backwards/selfish/whatever, yet complain about our customs and will insist on using their own even if it's rude.
Only overly sensitive people think that BP loves to s**t on America. BP does have a habit of repeatedly posting articles about hos America is "different"... but that isn't s**ting on.
Load More Replies... Don't abuse animals, be kind to other people, don't vandalize monuments, don't fight the cops? Do Americans think other people have a habit of doing those things in other countries? This article is pure b******t.
It’s a Reddit thing. There are certain comments people always post because they know they’ll get upvotes. It’s irritating and part of the reason I don’t go on Reddit anymore.
Load More Replies... As an American, I have to point out that none of the things mentioned here are universally true in every part of the country. The US is bloody huge, and we tend to identify with the part we live in: New England, Mid-Atlantic, the South, the Midwest, and so on. In New England, we tend to move and speak quickly. In the South, they're exactly the opposite; they stroll and drawl. Different areas have different values as well, and different cultural norms. Think of the US more like the EU, that is to say, a group of somewhat disparate, but somewhat similar countries and cultures.
To be honest, I don't want to visit the US that much. A wild country with too many civilian firearms for my taste.
The thing about the South... South means Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, South and North Carolina, Mississippi. We do love people. But there are still parts segregated. My best advice is ask a local where not to go. They will tell you. We want you to get back home safe. I can tell you now.. too keep your car gased up. Don't travel alone if you can help it in big cities. Stay away from cherry st area in knoxville tn. Not all are bad there but it's not friendly unless you know someone who lives there personally. Don't f*****g touch wild life or try to capture a picture of a bear. Admire it from an distance. In Codes Cave loop in the smokies....keep driving. Don't stop. It's 11 miles of a loop rd. If you want to take pictures park in the designated areas and go walk. Please for the love of God pull over and allow faster traffic to pass you when you can if on a two way highway. Don't litter. No matter where you are in the world don't litter. Th
I lived in Florida a general rule is if you see it Confederate flag maybe not the place to be. One thing they didn't mention about the south is a lot of people prefer to be called Sir or ma'am it's just considered polite. When I moved up North with this habit people thought it was rude they said I'm not that old.
Load More Replies... Tbh, I'm surprised bribing police isn't a huge thing in the US. Everything is about money, politicians accept huge bribes (but call them donations or lobbying), but police won't accept it. It's quite amazing.
Ordinary people (including police) aren't that shady. It's the people in power who love bribes.
Load More Replies... So, as far as I understand, US people are.... people, but I don't really understand why they think in other parts of the world we don't use common sense like chewing with the mouth shut, don't bribe, respect flora and fauna and everything else apart from including taxes to the final price.
You're triggered by things like "don't litter." Sit tf down.
Load More Replies... I'd like to edit #74. Do NOT try to crush a woman's had if you happen to shake hands with her. I've dealt with that macho BS all my life and now that I'm old AND have arthritis in my fingers, I'll let out a rebel yell and possibly deck you if you squeeze my hand too hard. Just sayin'...
These fall into two categories: 1) Be a decent f*****g human being (animals, racism etc.). 2) Be prepared to be confronted with our moronic laws re: healthcare, firearms etc. I have yet to feel any inclination to visit the US at all.
Then don't. Shockingly, foreign countries are different; if you want things to be exactly as they are where you live, why leave? :/
Load More Replies... Funny how much I learned from this. I've lived in the inland west of the US for my whole life. I've traveled a lot, but never been east of Wyoming. As far as I'm concerned, the Eastern or Southern US is just as foreign as Timbuktu. Those people are weird.
Yes a lot of these people tend to generalize America as one big place but someone from the south can get culture shock going to the north same East versus West.
Load More Replies... This list should have been cut in half lol most of them are repeated and the others are common sense.
no. 1: glad my health ensurance has warrancies that cover for me if I get sick abroad
"Don't litter." Great idea, but we can't even get our fellow Americans to stop littering.
Do you guys know that America is a whole continet, don't you? From what I read you are probably talking about the US and Canada that are only one part of America.
Maybe it's my imagination but lately most of the topics or articles come straight from Reddit.
I agree - but please, people, can we just stop this "y'all" sh!t?
Load More Replies... Here is a DO: You can pretty much ask any stranger for help and they will be glad to help you. Need directions? Can't find something in a store? Want to know how much to tip? Need the nearest public bathroom? Literally ask anyone above the age of 12 and not only will you get a straight answer, but they'll be delighted that you asked.
They could have cut out the nearly identical/ repetitive posts on several topics and shortened the entire post. The redundant posts were ridiculous. It's sad that there wasn't better options given for the posts. Like maybe, don't wash your feet in public toilets here, they're far too disgusting and don't be afraid to ask some people to take pictures of you and your family or friends, you can usually tell who may be polite enough to do this. Common sense plays the biggest role as it does anywhere you go.
I have always wanted to visit America in the future when money is available but the more I read on BP I do not think I will, no, never.
There are also the non fiction programs on TV, but many on BP do not like facts or peoples personal feelings, they can not cope if they do not agree. Think I will start marking down everyone I do not agree with
Load More Replies... So, when I travel, I'm meant to, as an American, be seamlessly integrated into whatever nation, but nobody visiting the US should... be polite? Use common sense? Someone at BP make up their minds what the standard is, or just admit to the double standard.
You have some reading comprehension skills to work on. This article is specifically saying that people visiting America SHOULD change their behavior to properly fit in.
Load More Replies... yeah, the stopping behind a school bus that is unloading children... what a horrible country we live in!!!
in my country we do not have school buses. everyone lives in a walking distance of a school or else they use normal public transport. so there is no need to have specific rules for school buses. the whole traffic does not stop for one bus staying at a bus stop. We only have a rule that if you see a bus is giving a turn signal saying it is leaving the bus stop you should give a precedence so that it is not stuck there, but I feel like this is more a courtesy than a low, but I am not sure
Load More Replies... Why is your skin so thin? How do you see this as an attack? Do you spend your whole life being defensive? That must be tiring.
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