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“What Things Are Normal For Americans But Weird For Non-Americans?” (43 Surprising Answers)
Tell me you're in America without telling me you're in America... I'll go first. Metal detectors at schools, gallons of gas, exorbitant healthcare costs, corn dogs.
Each country has its unique quirks and kinks that make it special, and America is no different. There are certain things that just scream "United States." But often it takes a non-American to point them out because, for those living in the Land of the Free, there's nothing unusual about having a garbage disposal in the kitchen sink while living under the rules of a power-hungry HOA.
Someone asked, "What things are normal for Americans but weird for non-Americans?" and the answers came flying in at 100 miles per hour. Bored Panda has put together a list of the best ones for you to scroll through while you wonder why the States is worlds apart.
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#1
Excessive thanking of veterans for their service, but also apparently providing them limited access to mental health support.
Zig Zag Wanderer 1 week ago
I'd say borderline obsessive adulation of armed forces. It's weird to everyone else.
America. The Land of the Free … It’s all cotton candy, glitz and glamour, endless opportunity and big dreams. Or is it?
The country was once seen as a top place to live by many Americans and non-Americans alike. But recent research reveals that people are nowhere near as proud as they once were to be a U.S. national. A Gallup poll conducted in June 2025 found that American pride is at a record low.
"58% of U.S. adults say they are “extremely” (41%) or “very” (17%) proud to be an American, down nine percentage points from last year and five points below the prior low from 2020," reports Gallup.
Gallup first asked Americans how proud they were in January 2001. Back then, 87% said they were “extremely” or “very proud.” That figure increased to 90% after 9/11 and remained steady between 2002 and 2004.
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#2
Being poor can potentially [put] you in debt for life.
I had a heart operation in the UK and didn't even have to pay for parking. A guy on Reddit in the U.S. had the same operation and is now in debt 1/4 million dollars.
He is also likely to be in & out of hospital for the rest of his life and no insurance company will go anywhere near him.
To a non-US person this is both mind-blowing and disgusting in equal measures.
WindySwede 1 week ago
"Not guilty until proven otherwise" or something like that, though?
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Earonn - 1 week ago
It really looks as if the USA loves money and doesn't care about the human beings. And it pretends that this was how it must be, while literally hundreds of other countries get their priorities straight.
Calane E. Vanya 1 week ago
maybe it's too late. people strongly supporting things like universal healthcare in US aren't the types to "go to war" for it (and I don't say that they should). they would rather see a civilized, peaceful transition. they have too rich and strong opponents. the beginnings of healthcare systems in Europe were in completely different conditions.
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Ghostchaplain16 1 week ago (edited)
We lost everything, twice. When my son was born, both he and my wife weren't expected to live. Wonderfully, both did, but we had to sell our home and empty our savings to pay what wasn't covered by (quality) group health insurance coverage. Slowly rebuilt; then 25 years later, had to sell everything--including our car, furniture, rights to my writing and exhaust our savings when we were hit with open heart surgery (me) then back-to-back different forms of cancer (my wife). Lost everything again, but my wife beat both cancers so no regrets; but we're both haunted by the question of what others do who didn't have those resources. Greed is the culprit in American healthcare. Edited to be clear we're not whining.
Kelly Scott 1 week ago
I think the medical profession will figure this out when people start defaulting on their medical bills in a huge, huge way. And then maybe when the insurers and the medical admins start leaning on our stupid politicians, something might finally be done about universal health care. I'm deliberately not going in for some needed surgery because I want to keep my credit score to get a loan in the next couple of years, but I honestly know I will never be able to pay my medical bill from that surgery. I mean, Medicare will cover 80%, but I know I won't ever be able to afford the 20%. So my plan is to just not pay the bill. What are they gonna do? Sue me? Seriously, I have absolutely nothing of value. Maybe they can take my 20 year old car.
Geoffrey Scott 1 week ago
Repubs are going OUT..Of..Their...Minds over the ACA and wish to abolish it. Ironically, they have faced such significant blow back from their constituents, there is now a majority to preserve it.
Fat Harry (Oi / You) 1 week ago
Pfft. Didn't have to pay for parking? Where is this utopia of a hospital! When I was in hospital for three days I racked up a £24 parking charge!
Norm Gilmore 1 week ago
I know right! I've had to pay around $40 in total over the last 5 years for the many, many outpatient visits to my local hospital... :-)
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Lesley Thomas 1 week ago
Have had surgery and undergoing radiation for stage 2 breast cancer, it hasn't cost me anything - Australia
Nova Rook 1 week ago
The country was founded largely by s***e owners from ai - Research consistently shows that some white Americans are less likely to support social welfare programs when they perceive those programs as primarily benefiting Black people, or when they feel their own social or economic status is threatened by minority gains.
Bonnie Gardiner 1 week ago
I had a stroke two years ago and then a couple of months ago I learned I have cancer, but thanks to the Big Beautiful Bill I have to find work to keep my medicaid. I can't drive and I have extreme exhaustion, so yeah.... Way to add more stress to an already ridiculously stressful life.
Tommy DePaul 1 week ago
This doesn't make sense. The easiest way to qualify for Medicaid is to be unemployed. The easiest way to lose it is to get a job. I was scheduled to have bariatric surgery in January 2013. I got a job paying $12/hour. I immediately lost my Medicaid and had to postpone the surgery. The season ended and I was laid off on a Sunday. Monday I went and got re-enrolled and had the surgery 2 days later.
Load More Replies... #3
Attaching medical insurance to employment. One shouldn’t have anything to do with the other.
Gallup's experts put the decline in U.S. pride down to a few things... They say national unity has eroded over the past 25 years due to a combination of political and generational changes.
"These changes have occurred mostly over the past decade, and have done so amid greater pessimism about the economic prospects for young people, widespread dissatisfaction with the state of the nation, greater ideological divides between the parties, unfavorable images of both parties, and intense partisan rancor during the Trump and Biden administrations," explains the site.
#4
The fact that a 18 year old can drive and buy a gun while still being considered too young to drink alcohol.
Zig Zag Wanderer 1 week ago
You can actually drink at any age in most European countries. Buying it is restricted. In America, even drinking beer is illegal under 21 in some states!
#5
My friend attended his cousins high school graduation in LA a while ago and he had to go through metal detectors and all that, as if he was going through airport security.
So I guess metal detectors at school.
#6
1. The units (non metric ones)
2. The overall insanity of politics no matter what colour
3. The heavily biased main stream media
4. The lack of affordable health care
5. Guns, guns, guns
6. The importance of credit scores
7. Checks as payment
8. (Lack of) Worker's rights (like paid vacation, maternity leave, etc.)
WindySwede 1 week ago
Parents had a hard time using checks in the (late?) 90s, the stores didn't have knowledge of how to receive and verity them.
Despite many Americans voicing their lack of pride, this hasn't stopped people from flocking to the country in search of a better life. The so-called American Dream... The United States had, until recently, seen 50 years of rapid growth in terms of the number of people immigrating there.
"In January 2025, 53.3 million immigrants lived in the United States – the largest number ever recorded. In the ensuing months, however, more immigrants left the country or were deported than arrived," reports Pew Research Center. "By June, the country’s foreign-born population had shrunk by more than a million people, marking its first decline since the 1960s."
#7
Seeing someone post on Reddit the other day about feeling guilty for calling a coworker an ambulance because they knew their wage and worried they would leave them in debt.. my mind was blown.
#8
Having opinion presented as "news".
Kid Murray 1 week ago
Fox was the first network to figure out that if you want to insert editorial opinions into the news, you just have to start by saying "Some say..."
#9
Tipping as standard.
Laserleader 1 week ago
This only a standard for businesses that pay LESS than LEGAL FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE and expect tips to cover the rest. I view it as a federal crime, and I have no idea how they get away with it. I am a small courier service and we have a no solicitation policy, where mentioning or asking for tips is never allowed, but if people want to gift us something that's their choice.
According to Pew Research Center's analysis of Census Bureau data in June this year, 51.9 million immigrants lived in the U.S. and 15.4% of all U.S. residents were immigrants. That's down from a recent historic high of 15.8%, notes the center.
So, what are the main reasons someone would want to move to the United States?
"At the heart of immigration decisions is the push-pull dynamic," explain the experts over at Boundless, an immigration company. "Push factors like violence, poverty, and political instability compel people to leave, while pull factors such as job opportunities, education, family connections, and safety draw them to the U.S."
#10
Having to mentally add sales taxes on everything you buy. In Europe 9.95 means paying 9.95.
anon:
Every state has different tax.
#12
Seeing a possible serious medical problem with yourself and going “ehh”.
woopbeeboop:
No literally. Most Americans go to the doctor as the last option and not the first one.
PlayedUOonBaja:
Yeah, I ignored a non-stop splitting migraine for 3 months before I finally went to the Doctor. Well, technically I waited until the migraine became a Hemorrhagic stroke, then I finally decided to go see one. In the back of an ambulance.
Multa Nocte 1 week ago
This was the main reason my spouse and I moved from the US - our concerns that healthcare would wipe us out financially as we aged. Of course, the political climate made it essential to leave as well. I feel a mixture of joy that we are somewhere that we feel safe from the fear of losing everything to a health crisis (and the hellscape that politics have turned the country into) and guilt that others can't have the same security that we now feel.
A survey conducted by Boundless in 2025 found that nearly half of recent immigrants moved to the U.S. for job opportunities. The company notes that immigrants are vital to the U.S. labor market and often fill critical roles in agriculture, construction, and healthcare.
"They’re also more likely than U.S.-born individuals to start businesses, fueling innovation and job creation," adds the site.
But economic opportunity isn't the only reason families choose America...
#13
Large gaps above, below and between the bathroom stalls....
coleus:
We're weird. We hate public indecency, but have no problem with big stall gaps.
Becky Samuel 1 week ago
Before anyone gets in here to defend this weirdness and shout "NOBODY IS LOOKING! OMG! SO WHAT!" It literally costs nothing to make doors that close without a disgusting big gap, every other country seems to be able to manage, and why the héck are you so determined to defend it?
#14
If you drive for five hours in the United States, you’re pretty much still in the same place.
If you drive for five hours in Europe, everyone’s talking funny and the cheese is different.
insainodwayno:
In the US, 100 miles is nothing, 100 years is a lot.
In Europe, 100 miles is a lot, 100 years is nothing.
The stone retaining wall for the front of our property (here in Germany) is dated 1846, and it's nothing special. Many of the houses in the old part of our small town are 1300 and older.
#15
HOAs like wth. Other people who don't pay your mortgage telling you how to maintain your home.
Emilu 1 week ago
We (possibly, depending on what OP includes in the concept of 'maintain') have something similar in the form of strata, but this is only for (some) units and apartments. Essentially you pay a levy which covers repairs to communal areas such as driveways, the building itself, etc and they may also set rules like you're not allowed animals or whatnot. I don't think houses have a similar thing, though.
Boundless found that the U.S. education system is also a big drawcard when it comes to immigration. "With over 1 million international students currently enrolled, the U.S. remains a global leader in higher education," the site elaborates. "Many students also pursue long-term work opportunities and permanent residency after graduating."
Of course, family can also be a reason why someone would move to America. Boundless revealed that nearly a quarter of immigrants arrive in the States to join loved ones who are already there.
#16
Road infrastructure, terrible public transport.
I almost exclusively walk everywhere in my city or use public transport if I'm in a hurry.
Robert T 1 week ago
Not only that, but the road infrastructure is hostile to pedestrians. I tried walking around Addison in Texas, and it was dreadful trying to even get 3 doors down, as everything was separated by parking lots and waste ground. Crossing the road was a nightmare as there were so few crossing points.
#17
Light-emitting white teeth.
sturmwesen 1 week ago
A friend had hers done this year. She made sure the dentist understood she did NOT want american white
#18
Those safety bags for school "emergencies", yano the bullet proof ones, and security in schools.
If you're considering moving to the United States, you might want to familiarize yourself with this listicle … so that you aren’t caught off-guard when you see your neighbor disposing of trash in the kitchen sink or receiving a fine from your HOA for not mowing your front lawn!
Do you live in America already? Tell us you live there without telling us you live there, in the comments below.
#19
Guns. I live in the country where even some of the police don't carry guns. But I heard almost everyone had it over there.
Zig Zag Wanderer 1 week ago
Not everyone, but it's way too easy for most to get one. Being afraid of your own government or fellow citizens to the point where you need lethal weapons is a cause for medical intervention in most countries.
#20
Political commercials that are trashing their opponent. When I moved to the US, some of these commercials are just downright horrendous. No where else does this happen.
#23
Getting a bill for healthcare.
#24
Having a pledge of allegiance, especially one that's practically mandated in public schools.
#25
Being able to criticize your government without being jailed.
#26
Americans call the 24 hour digital clocks “military time” and it’s actually how every other country views digital time.
#27
Writing the date format as mm-dd-yyyy instead of dd-mm-yyyy.
#28
Wearing shoes in someone else’s house.
Laserleader 1 week ago
In Alaska we have mudrooms, shoes, boots, coats, and raingear get taken off there.
#29
Driving around cities with big trucks.
MontanaMariner 1 week ago
You know what they say. Little hands and little feet equal big truck.
#30
Canadian here. What I find weird is that your conservatives (Republicans) are coloured red while your liberals (Democrats) are coloured blue. In Canada it is the opposite: Conservative Party, blue. Liberal Party, red.
Oh, and you leave out the u in colour. wth?
#31
Being super outgoing and friendly and yet at the same time being very aware and protective of our personal space.
We'll talk your ear off and charm the pants off of you but if we are on a bus or subway car that is all but empty with us in there, sit as far away from us as you can. Personal space, please. I know this may seem like the opposite points of each other but to Americans, it makes perfect sense. I'm serious. If we are the only two people on a bus and you want to have a conversation with us, don't sit next to us. That will make us feel as uncomfortable as hell. Instead, sit as far away as possible from us and shout at us. We won't think of it as rude. And it will signal that you are friendly and respectable. Then if we want you to get closer, we will tell you to come closer. But it is then and only then that you should do so.
#32
Writing and cashing checks all the time. I'm 54, and checks were something my parents used when I was little. What a quaint, old-timey thing to be doing these days.
#33
Alice drills in schools.
MoBeLa 1 week ago (edited)
"ALICE stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate, and is a training program designed to prepare students and staff for active shooter situations” The mantra has since been shortened to “Run, hide, fight,” but that doesn’t have an acronym that sounds like the title of a children’s book.
#35
City design. American cities and stores are designed for access by car, not on foot. Sadly that's permeating to other countries, too.
Earonn - 1 week ago
Not Germany, and not Scotland, as far as I can tell. Probably not the rest of the UK either. Can't imagine that would take hold anywhere in Europe. Why would we, we have public transport (btw, Scotland thinks about making bus travel free for everyone - currently it's kids, teenagers, young adults and seniors who travel for free. Boohoo, socialism! Communism! Whateverism!
#37
Expressing huge amounts of patriotism only when someone from another continent criticizes us.
I talk so much [trash]about our country and our government, but the second a European says anything I turn into the most stereotypical ‘Murica-Loving [jerk] you’d ever meet.
#38
Drinking a small amount of alcohol then shouting WHOOO as if you've done something interesting.
RamiRudolph 1 week ago
In the same vein, acting like getting drunk is a fun pasttime. But I guess that's not uniquely American
#40
Food that comes in a box. Seeing ppl comenout of grocery stores with boxes instead of veggies and fruit is really weird to me.
#42
Miles, gallons, 110 volt outlets, feet and more...
Multa Nocte 1 week ago
It's what many of us grew up with in the US and doesn't take long to switch when you move from the US. I am now "bilingual" in Fahrenheit/centigrade, MPH/KPH, and culinary measurements. ;-)
#43
Asking someone you just met what they do for a living is an annoyingly offensive habit for "Americans." When I first meet someone from another country they never ask.
#44
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've heard peanut butter and jelly isn't a thing outside of America.
Janissary35680 1 week ago (edited)
Something similar in Turkey is tahin (tahini) and pekmez (grape molasses). It's great on toast, freshly-baked bread hot out of the oven, and--in the absence of anything else--a spoon. 😋
#46
Ranch dressing.
Multa Nocte 1 week ago (edited)
Sorry, but that is a hill I'll die on. I quite like ranch dressing and it is one of the few things I miss from the US. I can buy the occasional bottle of Paul Newman's at the local Carrefour, but I loved Hidden Valley ranch and I miss it a lot. However, I don't miss it enough that I would give up anything I've gained from moving out of the US.
#47
Getting sued.
DeoManus Argentem 1 week ago
Unfortunately we have way more law schools than we need, graduating way more lawyers than we need - and everybody needs to get paid. It's also a big reason why our healthcare is so overpriced! The father of one of my best friends growing up was a physician and was paying almost $250k/year for malpractice insurance, and he's a pediatrician not an ortho/cardiac/neuro surgeon!
#48
Fahrenheit and MPH.
#49
Drinking rootbeer. It is almost exclusively sold in the USA.
Gingersnap In Iowa 1 week ago
Baby girl drinks root beer. Baby girl is the cat empress of the house.
#50
Small talk.
Apachebathmat 1 week ago
While in Mexico me and my group of friends (all in our early 50’s) sat next to a group of Spring Breakers, totally lovely, calm, sensible young adults that were an absolute pleasure to talk to and they approached us! Talked to us about what they were studying, what they wanted to do in life and it was great, we all ended up having dinner together every night. It was weirded they wanted selfies with us to send to their parents who were probably not too far off our age, but truly lovely people.
#51
Saying hi to random strangers in public.
I wasn't born in America but live here now. Still go home every few years. People like their privacy.
#52
Hunting
In some areas deer season is such a big deal that schools close on opening day. Here hunting is the hobby of the poor masses instead of the rich elite like a lot of other countries.
#53
Thanksgiving! People visiting from other countries have no reason to celebrate US Thanksgiving.
#54
Having the light switch on the inside of the bathroom instead of outside.
Pharmaceutical and lawyer commercials.
PrettyJoyBird 1 week ago
So if outside washroom you could be naked showering and someone turns light off on you???? If no windows I would freak out.
#55
Yellow cheese.
Zig Zag Wanderer 1 week ago
It's not cheese, though, is it? I'm allergic to cheese, but I can eat the American stuff.
#57
Donuts for breakfast.
Fat Harry (Oi / You) 1 week ago
Lol, I actually had a jam doughnut for breakfast this morning. There were some left over from yesterday.
#58
Free public bathrooms.
#59
Random men on the street coming up and asking for your phone number. Strangers talking to you at the bus stop, in the shops, on the footpath. So weird!
Roberta Surprenant 1 week ago
Sixty-nine years in States and never had stranger hit me up for phone number. Making conversations with strangers is just being friendly and polite
#60
Sweet potato and pumpkin desserts. I'm sure other places also do this but americans really seem to be obsessed with making vegetables dessert.
#62
I get 15% off Coupons for guns in my Sunday paper. I look forward to those deals every Sunday and every gun I've ever bought has been with a coupon out of the paper.
#63
Well speaking from my own experience from the “old country” I’d say:
Not being randomly pulled over for no reason other than “regular check” every 20 minutes and having to bribe the cop to let you go.
Being able to defend your home and not go to jail for years for it.
Being able to find a job.
Having an abundance of things in the supermarket.
Being friendly and smiling to other people.
Being in the center of the western culture.
Not fearing a war breaking up every month and/or a neighboring nation invading you.
Being able to go to the beach and go to a snowy mountain all in the same country.
Many many many other things. I am so grateful to live here now. God bless America 🇺🇸.
Zig Zag Wanderer 1 week ago (edited)
"center"? Sorry, we can do all this and a great deal more, and you're not CENTRE of anything except bizarre news stories!
What do you think ?
Zig Zag Wanderer 1 week ago
Ah yes, true. To the point of fanaticism, unfortunately. It's quite scary sometimes.
Load More Replies... Emilu 1 week ago
Wasn't there an article on this topic here a while ago? It's still interesting, though.
Zig Zag Wanderer 1 week ago (edited)
So much is around in other countries, except checks (cheques) and guns. I'm good with that!
Roberta Surprenant 1 week ago
Ah yes, BP's second favorite topic "American bashing" only surpassed by "boomer" bashing.
Zig Zag Wanderer 1 week ago
Ah yes, true. To the point of fanaticism, unfortunately. It's quite scary sometimes.
Load More Replies... Emilu 1 week ago
Wasn't there an article on this topic here a while ago? It's still interesting, though.
Zig Zag Wanderer 1 week ago (edited)
So much is around in other countries, except checks (cheques) and guns. I'm good with that!
Roberta Surprenant 1 week ago
Ah yes, BP's second favorite topic "American bashing" only surpassed by "boomer" bashing.
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