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The United States of America is the land of the free and full of opportunities. It is one of the largest economies in the world and it has always amassed people for the life one can create there. But, like every country, it has its own way of functioning and the people living there have their own culture. And if you are also attracted to this country and would like to travel to the United States or you are planning of moving there, you should expect to encounter things you‘ve never seen before or things done differently to what you are used to.

A few days ago, Reddit user Ymij asked people to share some things Americans don‘t realize exist only in the United States. And people had a lot to say. The post got more than 10k answers and Bored Panda gathered a list of some of the most upvoted responses.

More info: Reddit

#1

45 Things That Are Normal In The US, But Seem Bizarre In Other Countries Shared In This Online Group GoFundMe being an acceptable replacement for a health care system

GTrav44 , gofundme Report

#2

45 Things That Are Normal In The US, But Seem Bizarre In Other Countries Shared In This Online Group Literally being too poor to go to the doctor, but have too much income for any kind of assistance

kaden123drake , Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja Report

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

THIS! I remember a time that my dad had gotten laid off and my mum was dealing with health issues. They were simply down on their luck and filed for food stamps. Due to their Canadian pension they only qualified for $18 in food stamps a month and made too much to have health insurance, just adding to the health issues.

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#3

45 Things That Are Normal In The US, But Seem Bizarre In Other Countries Shared In This Online Group Tipping as a wage subsidy. Many countries don’t have tipping and those that do generally tip a small amount for good service.

Also displayed prices not including taxes or other fees.

Impossible-Buy-4090 , Wikimedia Commons Report

#4

45 Things That Are Normal In The US, But Seem Bizarre In Other Countries Shared In This Online Group Pronouncing corruption as "lobbying"

GSLaaitie , RJA1988 Report

#5

45 Things That Are Normal In The US, But Seem Bizarre In Other Countries Shared In This Online Group Assuming that everyone on the internet is American until proven otherwise.

Officer_Cat_Fancy_ , Steven Martin Report

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

Everything in American-English too rather than British-English. things that are translated from almost any other language into American-English rather than British-English regardless of the subject matter

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#6

45 Things That Are Normal In The US, But Seem Bizarre In Other Countries Shared In This Online Group The pledge of allegiance. If you tell people here that in America they make kids stand up and recite some prayer to a flag every single morning, they'll look at you like you just grew a third arm.

emissaryofwinds , USAG- Humphreys Report

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

We’d call that indoctrination in the UK. I remember speaking with an elderly Italian man who was a child when Mussolini came to power. He told me they were forced to do similar things at school.

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

It's particularly wrenching when that pledge ends with, "indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." - when this could not be further from the truth.

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

It is really weird how people here are trained from a young age to be proud of something that isn’t an accomplishment they made.. yay! You happen to have been randomly born on this piece of ground.. now be proud of your non-accomplishment and exclusionary.

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LJ Robinson
Community Member
3 years ago

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It's weird to pledge allegiance to, and be proud of, the country they were born to? I know it's kinda like watching fleas fight over the dog, but it does have value.

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

Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Mao and msny others used to make their citizens do that as well...

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

bet you a dougnut, that those examples aren't equally the same. its not fidelitly to a person. like a promise to live and abide by our nation's ideals. can't find fault with freedoms guranteed to it's citizens. honestly.

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

And they declare that the USA, which was formed on the basis of freedom of religion, is "One nation, under God", which wasn't even added to the pledge until the 1950's even though many people think it was always there.

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

the pledge was written by a methodist minister. w/o the 'GOD' part too. sumin' to think 'bout.

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

And they added "under God" when no one in power really believes they are. It was added in the 50s to differentiate the US from "them Godless commies".

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Noelle (she/her)
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ugh, I used to do that at my kindergarten. I remember a lot of kids (including me) skipping the part about God because we didn't believe in that.

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

For the record (in case anyone is interested in facts), schools cannot "make kids stand up and recite some prayer to the flag." The Supreme Court has held that it's an unconstitutional infringement of one's right to freedom of expression under the First Amendment to force a student in a public school to recite the pledge or even stand; schools can be held liable if they punish a student for not doing so. In my school there were lots of kids who didn't recite/stand and it was no big deal. So calm down with the "indoctrination"/North Korea talk...

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Eemeli Saarelainen (Molter)
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It seems, judging by some comments on this thread, that the practice isn't the same everywhere and, in fact, people can get to some trouble should they not participate.

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

For the record, in case anyone is wondering, they can't actually force you to recite the allegiance. There is Supreme Court precedent deciding that it's an unconstitutional infringement to compel students to recite it, and schools can be liable if they attempt to punish a student for not doing so. Students can just sit there in silence if they want; there were several in my class who didn't recite it and it was no big deal.

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

Eh, I stopped doing it after kindergarten- oh, and it's because we want to yell about how we are free and proud when really we only feel pride when we get likes on a social media post.

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

Now that I’ve considered this further, it’s really weird. The pledge was created in 1942 with the stated goal of making kids more willing to fight the communists. I prefer my politicians to manipulate my underage children with more subtlety than this. I can’t imagine a politician today saying “listen, I want to manipulate your kids before they get too jaded so that they are more willing to die for my causes, by having them forced to repeat a mantra every morning... we good with that?” Whether it works or not, how weird is it that helicopter parents that are refusing to vaccinate and cutting their kids grapes in half so that they don’t choke are like “you want to try and manipulate my kids mind while they’re young and impressionable so they are more willing to die for you? I’m cool with that”

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

My friend moved here from China,and she refused to say the pledge.My teacher at the time told her to stand up and say it anyway.From that point on,i lip-synced it on account of the teacher not caring about the immigrants that moved here for a better life.

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

I'm an American I hate this. No way am I going to say the pledge of allegiance to a sexist, racist, homophobic country. Seriously. My entire class stays silent and sitting during it.

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

When I waas in grade school in the 60s we started the school day reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Someone would also read a bible verse.

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Avery S Alberico
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I always feel like I'm in a trance while doing this in school. We stand up at the same time, put our right hand on our heart, say the Pledge of Allegiance in a monotone voice (also in unison) and we sit down and start class. Is this a cult? an initiation?

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

Interestingly, it was written by a socialist in 1892 and the words "Under God" weren't added until 60 years later.

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

umm... thats still weird to me and im from and still live in the US

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

we dont do that in Canada. there is litteraly no point. we get to school and go to class and our flag is always up. plz dont downvote me

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Eemeli Saarelainen (Molter)
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Here in Finland the flag is only up in certain special days which are shown on an official calendar. You can raise it in any other day as well but that's exceedingly rare.

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

I received so much flak for exercising.my 1st amendment right to freedom of speech by sitting quietly during the pledge. Grown adults wanted to punish me for respectfully and quietly abstaining from the pledge in HS. They tried to fail me for a required class (speech) because part of the class requirements was doing the morning announcement for one day and that included the pledge. It still baffles me how much they let a 17 year old exercising her constitutional right to be silent aggravate them.

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

At my school in America you can choose whether to recite it or not.

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

When my generation said the pledge of allegiance in school we also had little fear of walking down the road at night or keeping our doors locked.... But I'm sure there's no connection between the two.

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

You have no clue what we get away with on that... Someone once literally did the fortnite L dance and the teacher never noticed... lol

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

To be completely honest, I always felt really weird whenever I stood up to recite the pledge to the flag... still do. It’s not that I don’t respect the US, I do, but it just feels like something I’ll never really be part of because of my nationality. Sorry if that sounded cocky.

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

thats a thing in my school but there's no law that enforces it so I don't do it and the teachers just get mad at me :)

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

It is partly a pride thing. And students do not have to participate. We are not "brainwashing" anyone.

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Gin. No tonic
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My parents used to have to pledge allegiance every morning in school. This was ~40 yrs ago in the SOVIET UNION.

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

I used to think this was pretty normal till I got to middle school and realized not every country recites their flags anthem, high school so far hasn’t made me recite it but if anyone starts up “I pledge Allegiance to the flag..” I still have it memorized and will go along without thinking.

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

Yep, the most successful advertisement of all time. People are still talking of this.

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

Thant kind of wears off in high school. People just stand there looking bored.

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

Not had to say for 49 tears !--yet it's ingrained in my memory banks. Once refused in Jr. High school, was suspended for that day (pledge done in pre-leaning "home room"-also for attendance check.

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

Not american, but where I live, it's common in Primary and Secondary schools (age 7-16) to have an assembly before classes start to sing the national anthem (and possibly a school song, in some cases), and recite the national pledge. It's basically pledging national unity and nation-building, democracy, and meritocracy, as a country comprising a multitude of races, languages and religions. We are primarily a Chinese diaspora, but also have significant populations of regional ethnic races and religions (English is our operational language, but neither that nor Chinese is our official national language).

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

Kids have a right to not stand for the pledge. They just get death glares by teachers...

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CatWoman312
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The only time I remember doing this was at special assemblies or if we were learning American history. It wasn’t done everyday I think that’s just a myth

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

And the American laugh at how the Chinese government indoctrinate their people.

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

I barely know what the Icelandic flag stands for, but I know what the American does. Ours is basically sea, ice, fire(blood)...the sea that feeds us, the land that houses us and the blood(fire) that fuels us to work endlessly.

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

we do that in Mexico too (weekly, not daily) or special ceremonies, but it's nowhere near as the kind of fanaticism shown in the US. You'd actually get fined for making or wearing underwear or dresses or any kind of mundane object with the flag motif.

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

I went to boarding school in the North of England and we were made to sing God Save the Queen every morning at assembly

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

Agreed. it's freaking weird. It's a piece of cloth. A symbol.

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Gabby M
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Honestly, not every classroom does this. I'm a teacher and most kids don't really say it. The whole "liberty and justice for all" line is complete bs. I'm not gonna stand and support something so hypocritical, and I'm not gonna make my kids say it either. When I was in school, we also didn't really say it. Admin forgot to say it during announcements. And this was at a rich white school.

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

We used to stand and sing the National Anthem in school here in Canada... not sure if it's still a thing.

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

What about the national anthem before a 5 tear old's little league game? It's just mental.

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

I always hated having to do the pledge. I remember that for some reason, I would always yawn at the exact same time every morning. "I pledge allegiance, to the *yawn* flag"

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

We do that at my middle school- I normally just don't say it and stay sitting since it's 1. Stupid, and 2. I've been doing it since Kindergarten-

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

Why? People f*****g die for you to be free in this country and you dont respect them?

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

In India, you have to stand outside for one hour in the blistering heat, and do your prayers, and your hymns, and listen to the announcements. All outside. All while standing. In their uniforms.

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

im hybrid in school so on meets i dont stand up. in person i have to but im not going to pledge allegiance to a flag. they can't make me.

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

Well we grow up being taught that it’s respectful to the country but I also think it is a little much

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

Bleh I hate the pledge. Now that I'm in high school I've realized how weird it is.. We don't have to stand up if we don't want to, but I feel like teachers think your being disrespectful if you don't, so I stand up anyways...

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

Don't stand up if you don't mean it, that's more disrespectful. At least your username is honest.

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

Actually, they may be able to make you stand with the class, but they cannot make you pray or Pledge anything. I would have bet that went out of schools long ago.

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

I never thought of that. I guess it was really weird, even though no one even cared about what they said.

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Rob
Community Member
3 years ago

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

When I was in elementary school, our teacher made us pledge allegiance to the Queen every morning.

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

Unless you’re in Texas of Florida, you legally don’t have to stand during/recite the pledge.

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NinjaWolfy94
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But if we're talking about a bunch of kids who have been taught to do as they're told and listen to the teachers, they're gonna do it just because they are told to :(

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

I'm in America and i have never went to a school that did this. i know a lot of schools do though

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John Smith
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

it's not a prayer. the 'allegiance' part should have made that obvious. maybe that's why they didn't understand it. personally find it honorable. a noble pledge. to each his own. BTW: have met and talked with Europeans, South Americans, Asians and Africans. not once have i seen at a 'third arm' person*. they've been unlucky. * yes. they meant it figatively but it's a bit hyperbolic.

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

I remember in 6th grade I said the US was a cult and that was their way of brainwashing you.

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

Whats wrong with this? No one is forced to stand up no one is making you (You should) Its a tradition we do to show respect and love to the men and women who fight and die for us and the struggle we went through to become the country we are today. Where has the love for your country gone? Prob the time you started attacking Dr.Suess.

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Vera
Community Member
3 years ago

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SC
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3 years ago

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Better this than being ashamed or hate your own flag or national anthem. Come to France to see how destructive this is for the national cohesion.

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SC
Community Member
3 years ago

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Better this than being ashamed or hate your own flag or national anthem. Come to France to see how destructive it is for the national cohesion.

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Melanie King
Community Member
3 years ago

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I don't know about everyone else, but i actually like the pledge of allegiance, in my math class last year most of the kids didn't do it, and my teacher was ok with that, there was only like 3 people including me who did it.

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BIG FOOT
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3 years ago

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It's respecting our fore fathers who fought for our freedom so it's something for us to be proud about and take a stand for.

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BonnyDK
Community Member
3 years ago

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The pledge of allegiance is not a prayer. It is an oath of allegiance to the United States. They are teaching children to pledge themselves to the United States and what it stands for. In the schools I taught in the JW kids did not participate as by their religious views they were only allowed to pledge an oath to God.

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CarolKing
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3 years ago

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Everybody can earn $500 Daily… Yes! you can earn more than you think by working online from home. I have been doing this job for like a ADt few weeks and redw my last week payment was exactly 2537 dollars copy and paste...... W­w­w.N­­e­­t­­P­­a­­y­­1­­.C­­o­­m

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#7

45 Things That Are Normal In The US, But Seem Bizarre In Other Countries Shared In This Online Group I want to say for-profit prison systems.

These things are f***** up. If the state doesn't keep up the prisoner quota they gotta pay a fine to the company they owns the prison.

So this basically makes them try to keep existing prisoners

downtimeredditor , Molly Haggerty Report

#8

45 Things That Are Normal In The US, But Seem Bizarre In Other Countries Shared In This Online Group Gender reveal parties

jemariebearimy , highlander411 Report

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#9

45 Things That Are Normal In The US, But Seem Bizarre In Other Countries Shared In This Online Group People who angrily DO NOT WANT healthcare.

spammmmmmmmy , Presidencia de la República Mexicana Report

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

It's so much more than that. It's not that they dont want healthcare, they dont want to pay for SOMEONE ELSE'S healthcare.

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#10

45 Things That Are Normal In The US, But Seem Bizarre In Other Countries Shared In This Online Group Having the restaurant take your credit card - in most countries it's considered impolite to disappear with the card as they might write the digits down to charge extra later. Therefore they normally bring a portable terminal to your table so you can keep the card in eyesight and have the (optional) tip actually charged when the card is run and not added after the fact.

Broadmin , Unknown Report

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

Most places use chip-and-pin where they *have* to take the card at the table since you need to enter your PIN. USA credit card banks decided Americans aren't smart enough for chip-and-pin, so we just have chip and an archaic signature.

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#11

45 Things That Are Normal In The US, But Seem Bizarre In Other Countries Shared In This Online Group The Imperial System, Fahrenheits, massive ad breaks. I swear i watched US Television once and i nearly had time to go take a s*** before the adbreak ended. And i'm one of those people that play on their phone while on the throne

Pyanez11 , ilovebutter Report

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#12

I am from Europe and I have never seen in supermarkets scooters for people that are so obese they can't walk by themselves.

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#13

45 Things That Are Normal In The US, But Seem Bizarre In Other Countries Shared In This Online Group Medical debt

CIA_grade_LSD , Grant Source Report

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

Add "who is paying their debt while also stopping treatment because they can't continue accruing more debt"

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#14

45 Things That Are Normal In The US, But Seem Bizarre In Other Countries Shared In This Online Group Waiting like 8 weeks after your elections till the new guy comes in to power is pretty f****** weird

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#15

45 Things That Are Normal In The US, But Seem Bizarre In Other Countries Shared In This Online Group Massive gaps on all sides of toilet cubicle doors, like why even bother with a door at all when people can see through so easily

digitalelise , Victoria_Borodinova Report

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

i know- you can literally stare someone in the face while they are going to the bathroom

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#16

45 Things That Are Normal In The US, But Seem Bizarre In Other Countries Shared In This Online Group Flags. Everywhere

psyk738178 , WTF Colorado Report

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

How else can they keep up the illusion that they live in a country worth celebrating?

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#17

This may be a shot in the dark but product prices not including tax when they’re displayed? Like if something says it’s $10 and you only have $10, what’s with the surprise tax at the till?

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#18

Your toxic grind working culture. I find that Americans define their entire personality around their profession. It all feels so shallow and hollow way of living. Like I work so I can do the things I enjoy ( pre covid) I don't work because it defines me as a person.

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#19

45 Things That Are Normal In The US, But Seem Bizarre In Other Countries Shared In This Online Group Absurdly long election campaigns. In most countries I've been to election campaigns last a month or two, in the US they seem to go for a full year.

BerserkBoulderer , Unknown Report

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

we get sooo many ads too; they're literally everywhere and most of them are attack ads with questionable information

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#20

45 Things That Are Normal In The US, But Seem Bizarre In Other Countries Shared In This Online Group College sports, people do not care about nor have college sports like we do here.

UnusualLight0 , Unknown Report

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

it's disgusting the amount of money my school spends on sports, and we're not even remotely a sporty school

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#21

45 Things That Are Normal In The US, But Seem Bizarre In Other Countries Shared In This Online Group Food portion sizes... In EU you get food portions you can finish and are generally calculated to be pretty much fill/satisfy you over the entire meal.

When I go to the US I can fill myself up with half of the appetizer

Drumah , Wikimedia Commons Report

#22

45 Things That Are Normal In The US, But Seem Bizarre In Other Countries Shared In This Online Group Unused vacation days

Banana_Gorilla , Unknown Report

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

Yeah in my country, if you don't take your minimum of 5 weeks of holiday per year, it will be scheduled for you. Literally your manager will force you to relax :D.

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#23

The use of the words junior, sophomore and senior in school. I don't think I have ever heard these outside of an American TV show or movie.

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

Yeah it is pretty weird. Why not just say 9th, 10th , 11th, and 12 grade? Seems much more simple. I am going to be in high school next year and I am Indian but I live in America. I am used to saying junior, sophomore, etc. but my mom finds it really confusing. This seems so unnecessary.

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#24

I can't speak for the whole world, but having elections on a weekday seems crazy to me. We do it in the weekend so that people are off work anyway.

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#25

A single pool of paid time off that you use for both vacation and sick leave. Therefore having to forego vacation to keep a bank of leave just in case you get ill.

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

This is a bad policy because everyone comes to work sick so they can still take vacation days.

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#26

People constantly thanking god for every day occurrences

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#27

Those commercials featuring some sort of drug or medication. With the typical closing where the narrator states "Side effects includes blah blah blah...Discuss with your doctor about blah blah blah"

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#28

Tipping, most other places actually pay their waiters/waitresses and tippings just for extremely good service or rounding up.

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

Already noted. Pay everyone a living working wage (NOT $7.50/hr). Do away with tipping.

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#29

Having to drive everywhere. I'm 27-years-old, not from the US and never learnt to drive. I've also never felt like I needed it.

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#30

It's pretty funny watching Americans moan over their super-cheap petrol prices. "But we drive everywhere, cars are fundamental to our society". Yep, same here in Australia, too. Your fuel is still incredibly cheap.

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

I live in Canada and one of my friends did a cross-country drive via the USA to take advantage of cheaper gas.

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#31

Garbage disposal units in sinks. I've been to nearly 20 countries, and I've never seen one.

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

One of the primary concerns of using garbage disposals is that it puts excess strain on local wastewater treatment centers. All of the food solids in the wastewater must be filtered out. Those solids are used to create fertilizer or are sent to landfills.

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#32

Longer ad breaks in the Muppet Show.

The UK version had two minutes of extra content in every episode due to restrictions on the amount of ads you could play on British TV.

That's 240 minutes of extra Muppet content that most Americans never saw.

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

the UK has limited ad amounts. theyre regulated, so you can only have 12 minutes of ads per hour. obviously in the US im guessing its not the same

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#33

Playing the national anthem before sporting events. There may be a handful of other countries that do, but in much of the world it's only played for international matches.

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

I still dont understand why its played. Its a sporting event, a game, nothing more. Im a baseball fan & i can care less about it being played. I want to watch the game.

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#34

Your identity politics used to be just in America, then it spilled out like a burst sewage pipe.

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#35

Red solo cups. My european cousins asked me if parties in the us really had those red cups.

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

yuppp they taste better for some reason just like a grilled cheese tastes better cut

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#36

45 Things That Are Normal In The US, But Seem Bizarre In Other Countries Shared In This Online Group Bumper stickers. They’re a lot less common in Europe anyway, not sure about the rest of the world.

Random_Machiavelli , dalliedee Report

#37

45 Things That Are Normal In The US, But Seem Bizarre In Other Countries Shared In This Online Group Nearly everything about their high schools

Unfair-Act-4499 , Wikimedia Commons Report

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

That's a bit vague. High schools have lessons across the world, are populated with hormonal teens across the world, have school meals across the world - there's certainly a difference in quality here, but it's not a weird American thing. So, everything else...?

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#38

45 Things That Are Normal In The US, But Seem Bizarre In Other Countries Shared In This Online Group Free refills at restaurants

milwaukeeminnesota , James Petts Report

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SimplySarcastic40
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

one of the things i missed living 9 years abroad was this right here...i drink a lot of water. only water, but a lot of it and having to ask for refills of water and getting side-eye was something i never got used to.

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#39

Stores like Wal-Mart where you can buy everything that are open all the time. Groceries, alcohol, plants, medicine, tires, toys...

The first time I went to Germany on a work trip it was a bank holiday and everything was closed.

I live in Jerusalem now and there is a separate store for everything.

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

I'm in the bible belt. Alcohol can be bought 24/6 here (no sales on Sunday) at Walmart but the actual pharmacy is not open at night.

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#41

Graham Crackers.

Remember when I picked up a friend's mother and her friend at the airport, fresh from the US. One of them was like 'They don't have Graham crackers here?' I'm like nah mate we have crackers for everyone.

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#42

45 Things That Are Normal In The US, But Seem Bizarre In Other Countries Shared In This Online Group Parking lot size. I’ve been to about 20 different countries, all over the place, and I have never seen a standard Walmart sized parking lot anywhere out of America.

Upstairs_Cow , Walmart Report

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

You can also thank our tragic shadow of a public transportation system and how far we're spread out. In may instances, driving (and therefore parking) is the only option.

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#43

Buscuits and gravy. This conjures up images of having a plate of cookies smothered in a sauce made from the the meat juices of a roast.

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#44

I wanna say jaywalking. Like, in Europe, you can pretty much cross a road wherever you want but when I visited America there seemed to be this weird sense you were being judged if you walked out into an empty road. Maybe just me idk.

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

There is some sort of debate whether jaywalking is or isn’t frowned upon in Germany - many people believe that the Germans are sticklers for traffic etiquette when it comes to walking across a street on a red light, and, indeed, Germans will stand even when it would be safe to cross - for the sake of setting the right example for any nearby children. So, it might be the same everywhere.

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#45

It always surprises me when someone from another country has never heard of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

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

We say "peanut butter and jelly" but it really is jam and that has always bothered me. Jam spreads way better than jelly.

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Note: this post originally had 50 images. It’s been shortened to the top 45 images based on user votes.