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While it might depend on who you ask, the truth is that life in the US is truly very different from everywhere else, for better or worse. However, even though this seems like it should be common sense, many travelers arrive in America and immediately realize that there is a whole lot going on that they maybe didn’t expect.
Someone asked “Non-Americans, what is something quite common in the U.S. that is completely unheard of in your own country?” and people shared their best examples. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to comment your own stories and experiences below.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
* employers firing people on the spot
* having a limited number of days for sick leave
* unpaid maternity / sickness leave
* "tipping culture".
RELATED:
#3
Advertising medications on TV.
Dumbest thing I've ever heard of.
Javelina Poppers 1 year ago
After they get through rattling off all the warnings it sounds like your illness is less debilitating than the medicine.
#4
Open carry firearms. Like, I get it, I have a gun licence and go to the gun range and have a good time. But like, folks walking around openly with huge-a*s guns as though they're Walmart Mercenaries is seriously f****d.
#5
Having Kids say the pledge of Allegiance in School.
Last time my Country had something like that.....well lets just say it didnt end wel for anyone involved.
#6
Displaying prices without taxes. It threw me off when I first went to buy a bottle of coke a day after I arrived.
#8
Getting into University by being good at sports. I was chatting to an American guy online and he told me he went to college on a "Lacrosse Scholarship". I'm like, seriously? You got to go to college for being good at f*****g lacrosse?
#10
Not sure if it's been said. Americans with disabilities act is amazing. Wheel chair ramps everywhere and ease of access.
#12
Overwork culture. Why would someone choose to work 80 hours a week? I get it, double the money, but what are you going to do with the money if you have just enough free time left to sleep and you die at 65?
Of course someone doesn't have a choice and needs extra hours or multiple jobs, but from afar I still see an undeniable cultural push to a life dedicated to working, with those who choose something else regarded as lesser parts of the society.
Career too. It feels like you *must* always strive to be something more, no peace, no rest, no point where you can be happy where you are.
Luke Branwen 1 year ago
"Hustle culture" should be renamed to "huskle culture" because it leaves you as an empty husk of a human being.
#14
As a Dutchy, driving a car and turning right on a red light. That messed with my head. If you do that here you are gonna hit at least 5 cyclists.
#15
Being worried about calling an ambulance. Or just medical bills in general. I cant imagine not being able to afford getting cancer treatment if needed for example.
Huddo's sister 1 year ago
When I was in high school, we had someone from Ambulance Australia do a talk to my year level. They stressed that you HAD to get an ambulance for someone who has an overdose or alcohol poisoning and then worry about cost later. The cost would be much higher if you didn't have ambulance cover, but still under $200, much less than America. They urged us to make sure our parents have ambulance cover, which is about $28 a month. I went home and asked my mum about it and she said, because she was on a low income/carer's health care card, it is actually free for us to get an ambulance.
#16
Just how one-sided the employer/employee relationship is there.
TotallyNOTAFox 1 year ago
Or how unions work, completely different than they do here in Europe
#17
As the neighbours from the North, having a milkshake that’s worth your entire calorie intake for the day sounds insane.
Huddo's sister 1 year ago
This is common in Australia too these days. Ones with all these lollies, doughnuts etc on top too. I don't get it personally.
#18
Where I from you need to put an euro in a shopping cart in order to use it, when you you return it, it gives back the coin. I think this doesn't happen in the US right?
Also that they take your credit card to pay in the restaurant, in Europe you always have the card with you when you pay.
#19
Feet, yards, gallons, etc.
#20
Drive thru banks and pharmacies. My partner is American and was astonished that I thought that was so weird. We simply do not have enough space for that sort of thing in the UK.
DeoManus Argentem 1 year ago
Pants. Also - bad weather, kids, people with mobility issues, etc. Just extra convenience - few are shocked by delivery services for pretty much everything.
#21
My German friend visited us in college. First party he goes "THEY DO EXIST!!" and held up our pack of red solo cups. Haha.
#22
The tax system - having to do a return every year (ours is done for us unless you run your own business or are a contractor). Also having to pay tax when you live overseas.
Justin Tyme 1 year ago
The overseas tax is not bad. US citizens working in another country only have to pay US taxes on any amount over $126,500 in a year. If they do have to pay, there are other possible exemptions that can significantly reduce the tax amount.
#23
People caring about college sports.
Like people will actually show up to watch without being related to or friends with anyone playing?
There are actual stadiums with cheerleaders and marching bands?
Academic scholarships for being good at a sport?
Student athletes being handed passing grades even if they fail so that they can keep playing?
The only remotely comparable thing I can think of is my country is the Oxford vs Cambridge boat race.
Edit: I'm going to say this now even though its too late and I already slept while the American were awake and started replying. I don't think the hype and love of college/high school sports is inherently *bad* (except the grades thing). Its just something uniquely American and therefore my answer for the question posed by this post.
#25
Houses with small fences and little to no extra security
As a Latin american, our houses have either big gates and fences with spikes or concrete walls with barbed wire on top in order to stop burglars from entering. You can say it was quite a shock to me when I first visited the US and saw suburbs filled with houses with cars parked on the street and small wooden fences that anyone could jump over.
DeoManus Argentem 1 year ago
Fences/walls are used as boundary lines, not really security measures.
#26
Freshman sophomore junior senior... Have to translate this in my head every time.
#27
Long commutes.
Here in the Netherlands a lot of companies only hire within a 30 minute radius, maybe an hour if they really need you.
I once applied to a job around 100 minutes away and was rejected purely because of travel time. If the travel time was a problem for me I wouldn’t’ve applied.
#28
Free drink refills.
#29
Homecoming, Sadie Hawkins, Winter Formal, Prom...
We have none of this, the closest thing is the graduation itself.
Fire Singer 1 year ago
Aw, I loved school dances in high school. I can see why it might be weird to other countries, but I always loved them. It was fun to dress up, maybe go to a "fancy" dinner at Olive Garden lol! And just hang out with friends and boyfriends/girlfriends.
#30
So, I only heard this like a year ago. But apparently it seems that most of American men are circumcised. Which sounds bizarre to me.
#31
Good mexican food. in my experience, it doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world (except for mexico itself, obviously).
#32
Visited US about a dozen times, pretty much all around.
- random people smiling at you and engaging in small talk. They seem genuine about it and not acting out of some rule
- handling large crowds of people extremely well. Guys repeating ”this way sir/maam” endlessly actually puts people in the correct lane or place
- cash culture. I last visited a few months before the pandemic started so YMMV now, but at least then you just had to have cash money for lots of things. I still have a couple hundred dollars in a desk drawer somewhere for when I next visit. I have not had my own country’s currency in physical form for at least 6-7 years or as far as I can remember
- security guards inside establishments during opening hours
- jaywalking being a thing (I mean crossing the street at a place without a pedestrian crossing being looked upon negatively)
- incredible courtesy everywhere except NYC for cars and people using them. You can literally drive right up to most things and have generous parking for any size of car
Edit: one more thing I had to add which I just remembered. All signs and other things being written out in words, i.e. ”Left turn only” or such. Same in cars, buttons have the thing written in text. It’s pretty much symbols everywhere else around the world. First couple of times driving felt so difficult when nothing I saw was intuitively what I was expecting to see at that situation but rather I had to look and really process each thing separately.
René Sauer 1 year ago
that jay walking is a bit... I can understand getting upset about it if people do it within a few feet of a crossing, but what are you gonna do If there is no crossing for miles?
#33
Intense car culture to the point where you can't live without one. None of my parents even know how to drive, we use public transport ( subway, bus etc) and eventually either uber or taxis if really needed (like going to the airport etc).
#34
Health care workers going home after work still in scrubs. And washing them at home.
Scotira 1 year ago (edited)
Is this really true or a movie thing? Because that is a hard NO for me. I'm not going to bring all those germs, blood and stuff home with me. The hospital issues me a certain amount of shrubs (edit: scrubs 😅) to work in and washes them as well. It seems to me washing those at home can be a hazardous thing.
#35
Iced tap water on your table immediately. Such an amazing thing!
#36
Toilet doors with massive gaps in them so you can easily see people taking a dump.
#37
Driving at 16.
#38
Peanut butter jelly sandwiches. Never seen one ever.
Otto Katz 1 year ago
That picture is not an accurate picture of a pbj. They are common for kids, and older people who want a jolt of nostalgia. I had one the other night. Peanut-But...51b7b1.jpg 
#39
(Fake) Grape flavored stuff.
Over here, the purple gummies are black currant.
Huddo's sister 1 year ago
We have both in Australia, but I am much more of a fan of grape flavouring. Same with red lollies, some are raspberry or strawberry, some are cherry flavour. I love cherry flavouring, but I seem to be in the minority.
#40
Spray cheese.
#41
In my country basically every backyard has a greenhouse or garden.
Huddo's sister 1 year ago
So many people in Australia these days are building McMansions etc and filling up most of the house block. I couldn't live somewhere like that, I need some green space.
#44
The way you talk online about getting you wisdom teeth removed... do they sedate you? d**g you?
I got local anesthesia and got told to keep ice on it and take ibuprofen (or paracetamol, i don't remember) at home if it hurt too much.
(based on the online jokes about it, maybe it's not true i don't know, you tell me lol).
Huddo's sister 1 year ago
In Australia, if they are impacted and not through the gums, they will give you a general anaesthetic to remove them, usually at the dental hospital. (I had all four out this way when I was 19) This is because they have to break them up and may have to do something to the jaw to aid removal. If they have come through the gum they can often be pulled out at the dentist with minimal sedation and some local anaesthetic.
#46
Twinkies.
#47
Home depot.
#48
Signs. Signs everywhere. As in ”Branded” neighborhoods/communities. American residential neighborhoods will throw up a huge sign like ”Spring Creek Estates” or whatever, really announcing the name with a big logo instead of being low key.
Mikey Mozart 1 year ago
This is not true in my State: Vermont. There is an actual state law against advertising like this. That was the beauty of the State is what first and foremost.
#50
Freedom of speech. In my country (Belgium) the government can prosecute you for speech it considers to be politically incorrect or -phobic. In the USA you can be honest about how you feel and think. In my country you have to pretend to like things you don't like or you get fined/jailed.
Jan Rosier 1 year ago
I think I need to correct my fellow-Belgian here. You cannot be prosecuted for being politically incorrect. You CAN however be prosecuted for hatespeak, dicriminatory speak and for ignoring or repudiating the holocaust.
What do you think ?
Justin Tyme 1 year ago
Wow, Bored Panda. What took so long? It has been at least a day since your last US vs. the World post.
Justin Tyme 1 year ago
I see the title has been changed. I don't remember exactly what it was originally. It was something like "Things in America that could make the rest of the world die from shock".
Load More Replies...
ConstantlyJon 1 year ago
While I enjoy commenting on these, it's all very tired. Shoot these kinds of posts into the sun, please.
Multa Nocte 1 year ago (edited)
As a person who doesn't live in the US, this is becoming annoying.
Load More Replies... Justin Tyme 1 year ago
Wow, Bored Panda. What took so long? It has been at least a day since your last US vs. the World post.
Justin Tyme 1 year ago
I see the title has been changed. I don't remember exactly what it was originally. It was something like "Things in America that could make the rest of the world die from shock".
Load More Replies... ConstantlyJon 1 year ago
While I enjoy commenting on these, it's all very tired. Shoot these kinds of posts into the sun, please.
Multa Nocte 1 year ago (edited)
As a person who doesn't live in the US, this is becoming annoying.
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