Wednesday, July 1, 2020

American Things that Non-Americans Think are Weird


If you spend your whole life living in one place, it's easy to think that the way you live is the only way it's done. For someone visiting, there are some easy-to-notice differences like how Americans are basically comfortable talking to strangers, and some other subtle things, like when cultures collide over what lemonade is. Here are some rumors about Americans that ended up being true and some very American habits.

1.

Text - ferret_80 819 points · 1 day ago casually driving a couple hours. cars are so ubiquitous and stuff is so spread out a lot of the time we don't even think about travel in distance but instead in driving time. Driving 2 hours on a weekend for random day trip doesn't seem like anything of note. driving 8 hours is a long trip but not really a huge deal.

2.

Text - TitanicBeta 36.6k points · 1 day ago Toilet cubicles, where people not only can peek, but an adult person could crawl into your cubicle, there is so much space under the "door".

3.

Text - LampsLookingatyou 19.8k points · 1 day ago I've heard someone say that we are the only ones who drink out of Solo Cups

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Text - TheThingsWeMake 17.4k points · 1 day ago Putting a ton of sugar in products like bread.

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Text - WuuutWuuut 15.5k points · 1 day ago This one is more on the positive side, because I think we could learn some from it. Talking and sharing your life with complete strangers. I have met quite a few americans so it seems the norm that you share and engage with strangers in public. The bus, train, parks etc. And then you go on your way. In Denmark you'd be a "freak" if you did that.

10.

Text - gibbylewd 1.7k points · 1 day ago not owning kettles and MICROWAVING their water for coffee/tea

11.

Text - robot_cupcak3 15.5k points · 1 day ago My maternity leave was an unpaid 6 weeks, and I had to fight them on not shorting me because I went past my due date and didn't keep working until the day I went into labor.

12.

Text - Meemesfourdayz 15.3k points · 1 day ago Ambulance rides costing money seems pretty absurd to people from other countries

13.

Text - HollowMist11 12.3k points · 23 hours ago Attack ads against political opponents, ads for law firms or lawyers. These kinds of ads are illegal and considered unethical in our country. Also expecting a teenager to be out of the house by the time they're 18. I live in Southeast Asia. There's no stigma about living with one's parents. Most of the time, there will be three generations living in one house.

14.

Text - Ssffxx 12.3k points · 23 hours ago Asking everyone "what do you do?" when you first meet them. I live outside the US and realized there are some people I've known for years and I still don't know their job. I think in the US jobs are a bigger part of a person's identity than in some other places.

15.

Text - doughydonuts 10.3k points · 1 day ago · edited 14 hours ago American flags everywhere. I traveled throughout Europe and the Caribbean and I usually only saw their flag on government builds and here and there. Where as here in the USA the flag is like Franks Red Hot. We put that shit on everything. Magnets, churches, cars, condoms, every front porch, and street lamp. #murica

16.

Text - Dorkyporkypoo 7.8k points · 1 day ago · edited 19 hours ago When I went to New York I was flabbergasted by the amount of people just loitering on the streets or having phone conversations that everyone can hear on the train like npcs from GTA. People outside of the USA don't hang out in public or let other people into their business on public transport. I managed to hear a woman talk about how her baby daddy wasn't going to her daughters birthday party and I started to pick side's in her

17.

Text - I_hate_traveling 6.1k points · 1 day ago · edited 1 day ago Willingly putting yourself massively in debt for a college degree. I come from a place with free university education (which has its own drawbacks of course), and the fact that you can make such a huge, life-altering decision at 17 is considered normal over there, that seems downright bizarre to me.

18.

Text - -Sinister-Shadow 5.1k points· 23 hours ago Date Order (MM/DD/YYYY)

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Text - sunnyeggs0 3.3k points · 1 day ago Say "I'll just have water" at a restaurant and not be charged for it or be asked "What kind?"

22.

Text - Hic_Forum_Est 3.1k points · 1 day ago That the entire traffic has to stop when a school bus stops. I've seen this a few times on r/idiotsincars and there is always a debate about how its not normal outside of the US.

23.

Text - SparkySparkiBoomMan 3.0k points · 1 day ago · edited 20 hours ago Being concerned when anyone speaks a language you can't understand. I live in india and we have 28 language here, with multiple dialects of the each language.

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Text - Favres_dick_pic 2.6k points · 1 day ago While on my travels I've noticed that Americans have a totally different expectation on what service you get in restaurants and cafes and shit in Europe. Like the waiter arrives at their table seconds after they've sat down and takes their order and when he's out of ear shot they complain about the bad service. It's like if they don't get the OMG HOW ARE YOU GUYS MY NAME IS MIGUEL AND I'LL BE YOUR WAITER THIS EVENING and then have their water topped

26.

Text - srocan 2.3k points · 1 day ago The enabling customer service culture. It's created excessive portions in restaurants, created Karen, gives way to a disposable attitude towards products, and generally gives a sense of entitlement where most people start adding it to their list of rights.

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