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Isolation of nations, different climate and resources as well as other factors led to different customs in different places forming. But with globalization, we are able to know about those differences and prepare for them. However, some things are less talked about because people may not even realize that it could be different in other places, so there is always something that can surprise us.

The country that people like to talk about very often is the US. There are so many things they do differently, so visiting the country or living there might cause some culture shocks. Redditors were discussing this very topic when Miserablemermaid asked “Non-Americans of reddit, what was the biggest culture shock you experienced when you came to the US?” There were more than 30k answers given in just a day, so we collected the most interesting things redditors pointed out.

More info: Reddit

#1

30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group Your sugar has very little food in it.

manjeete , Lisa Risager Report

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    #2

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group Seeing children of all different colors. It was beautiful.

    SuspiciousSpecific71 , USAG- Humphreys Report

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

    Clearly the point of the message is they don't see it wherever they are from and they saw it in the US. Why is everyone mad and saying "that's not the only place that has that!" about an answer to the specific question asked.

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    Who Panda 420
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yes, growing up in Florida we had native white & black but also Haitian, cuban, pureto Ricans, Guatemalans, Dominicans, Brits and visitors from all over sampling the beaches. It was great growing up that way. My friends were a rainbow of culture and I loved every minute!

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

    Yeah I loved that when I visited the netherlands. In spain we didnt use to have that much diversity until recently but when i went there to study/work I met people from all over the world and many etnicities. It was amazing.

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

    As an immigrant I can tell u that this is true. There's no bigger diversity than the US

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

    Black people arnt welcomed everywhere and if we are we are most likely antagonized to madness so fk off with your "you see this in other countries". Stop lying to yourselves about the racist countries your from that's filled with racist people. I'm in Canada and the subtle racism here is meant to drive us insane. But yay for diversity right?

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

    I grew up in Scotland with plenty of asian neighbours, mostly of Pakistani and Chinese origin. I never saw a black person before I moved to London as an adult

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

    Racial diversity and racial acceptance are, unfortunately, not the same thing.

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

    America is the nation of change, don’t mistake US people/media openly addressing race issues as the US not having racial harmony. We have problems but we address those problems quickly compared to the old stuck in their way countries in SAmerica Asia and Europe. America went from slavery to emancipation to civil rights movements to having a black president in less time than it would take for another country to make a single jump. Luckily the US culture is now the “western” culture as US dominates and exports its culture globally. The US does reflection and adaptation better and is more or less forcing the rest of the world to get on board, good or bad. Western ideas like this have permeated even super isolated and traditional places like Japan and are affecting their youth to change their cultures flaws, a big one being racism/xenophobia or suppression of individuality in Japan particularly.

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

    It’s one of the reasons I love living in California. The State is diverse in its geology, flora, fauna, bio regions and cultures. Moroccan food, Thai, Indian, Himalayan, Japanese, British, or any one of the regional foods from the USA, all so different. And it does not stop at food, music, fairs and festivals featuring a specific region. It never gets old

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

    Now is more usual here in Spain but I remember going to New Orleans for the first time and being the only white person in the room.

    Anne Mitchell
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Whoever wrote this hasn't travelled very much. This is a very common sight in many countries. In fact my granddaughter was the only Caucasian in her class in a Parramatta school

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

    It's nice to see all races in USA and white Americans being so acceptable. I love this country. God bless America.

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

    You Know, I was of the very first generations in RSA to see children of colour start in schools. For us, we did not know apartheid, we merely lived within it. As a child, having children of colour in school was an initial curiosity, but quickly faded to a much more saddening and dire problem: The dissimilarities in the actual degree of raw education in a given grade was staggering between the races.

    Sharon Ingram
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Omg. We see that in the US, too. Everywhere. And it’s lovely.

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

    Is that unusual? Well, then I’m glad it’s the same here in Sweden.

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

    Colors??? What like cream, brown, caramel, porcelain? Clearly, diversity shouldn't be labeled according to a matter of (skin) color, but rather racial diversity. I mean seriously... it is 2022, not 1952! 🙄

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

    With people like me feeling extremely uncomfortable making it difficult to socialize like others because of the subtle racism... maybe they don't see us cause we're hiding from the racism that everyone has been fostering?

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

    A bit surprising considering that there has been a lot of racism in the US, especially the last 10 years!!

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

    This varies wildly. It's actually been an extremely divisive issue for the last 100 or so years. Sweet, but fallacious.

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

    If you are surprised by children who play regardless of the color of their skin, you have never been to Spain. Spaniards (and Latin Americans) can be milk white or coal black without the need to distinguish between races. In a class it's normal to see Hispanic children with Africans, from Eastern and Northern Europe or with Asians, at least some of these are there. The weird thing is a class where all the kids are white.

    Chitose Art
    Community Member
    3 years ago

    This comment has been deleted.

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

    The media does not represent them because of racism so most people arnt aware of the fact that it's not only people with white or tanned skin. Some of my friends learned that fact when they were in their mid 20s so don't be surprised. The country is racist so it's expected

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

    Seeing children/people of different colors is normal in the middle East, but seeing different ethnicities (with obvious difference in appearance) is not.

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

    In Canada, there are many many schools that don't have any Caucasian kids at all. Or maybe 1 in the class. We are very diverse up here!

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

    When I was in school we didnt have a single non-causian kid in the whole school. Small city in northern Finland. Nowadays it's different.

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

    You can see that almost anywhere in the world. Americans trying to feel special is hilarious

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

    In no way does this post state that the US is the only place in the world with racial diversity. It's just pointing out that it DOES have it. That is all.

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

    I miss the time back when USA was overwhelmingly white. Or atleast 80% of it was White.

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

    I really disagree with this. This is a gross flex to say that only the US has diversity.

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

    You can see that in Europe too... unless it was just a cultural shock of moving from Texas to California

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

    That's not true. Have you ever visit Finland? There's no diversity at all. Besides, Europe is quite big for you to generalize.

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

    America is supposed to be a melting pot of all sorts of immigrants. I have read that soon "whites" will be the minority. That should make some people worried.

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

    We are diverse. Try explaining that to the people who have kidnapped and enslaved us.

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

    You know what you don't see there? The indigenous people who lived there originally.

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

    No other country is as divered as the United states, yet a lot of people like to think US is the most racist. Well, let’s first see your country accept as many immigrants from all over the world and then talk.

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

    And here is too... another one who has traveled the WHOLE world! LoL Please don't say "no other country is as diverse(...)". Have you ever been to Brazil?

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

    How the f**k is that unique to US?! Any developed country can boast of this.

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

    No they can’t. Have you been to US? There is no other country as divered as The US. Period.

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

    And yet no one pointing out they are almost all boys. Racism isn't the only thing that's a problem folks...

    Jace
    Community Member
    3 years ago (edited)

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    High time then for white people to emigrate en masse to Nigeria, they deserve that kind of diversity too.

    Ronald Copenhagen
    Community Member
    3 years ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    America is systemically racist and this does not happen based on the news coverage I’ve seen from there. This is lies. Don’t cops hunt down blacks people?

    Magoomba
    Community Member
    3 years ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    You must’ve been watching a movie. That s**t doesn’t happen much in America.

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

    Perhaps you are the one watching a movie. I am an American and in my college classes have met may people from around the globe who are US citizens. It's beautiful.

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    #3

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group The treatment of veterans. A lot of communication around the respect they deserve. Yet many of them are broke, homeless and in a generally bad position.

    coenw , Nick Vidal-Hall Report

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

    And (and I'm sure I'll be downvoted for this) unfortunately, I've seen and read about a lot of cases where veterans (and especially their spouses, for some reason) become extremely entitled. I completely agree with the quote from Bojack Horseman "Maybe some of the troops are heroes but not automatically" where he goes on to say that people can be jerks, and giving a jerk a gun and a title doesn't make them not a jerk. I respect the fact you fought for your country, but I'm not going to respect you if you're an entitled jerk. xP

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    #4

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group Not really a shock but one thing that really surprised me was the sheer amount of flags.

    It was like almost every building had an American flag. Here in Belgium, if I see a house with a national flag I assume there's some kind of sport event going on that I didn't know about.

    Conocoryphe , Bill Smith Report

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

    And they "make" kids pledge their allegiance to it. Not to our country or fellow Americans, but a flag.

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    #5

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group The toilet doors (or lack thereof). Not enough door!

    Seriously, you're a wealthy enough country you don't need to leave an inch gap at the sides and a foot and a half at the top and bottom.

    litsto , njaminjami Report

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

    When you are on the loo and you make accidental eye contact with someone outside your cubicle, that should tell you that the gaps around the doors are too big.

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    #6

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group Could not walk anywhere, or take good public transport. Always had to take Ubers or hitch lifts.

    Everything was also HUGE. Cities, buildings, regular houses, food portions. I'd say people but I did not see anybody who was hugely obese there at least.

    There was an insane amount of space just...everywhere. As a European used to being crammed into every available nook, even in rural areas, the way that towns and cities just stretched out was unimaginable.

    ScotchSirin , Virginia State Parks Report

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

    I guess I should consider myself lucky by moving to a place where I can walk in the states. I don't like driving (anxiety, can't pump gas). It's a semi-urban place.

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    #7

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group Everyone I met treated me like a long lost friend

    Red_Ranger75 , Ricardo Moraleida Report

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

    Great, I suppose.. I, a swede, would hate it though. Not people being nice, just people invading my personal space. 😂

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    #8

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group The air conditioning. Everywhere. And the literal temperature shock between the inside and the outside of any f**king building.

    un_saumon , Matthew Paul Argall Report

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    #9

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group Everything being f**king huge. Literally. Road lanes, groceries, soda sizes. Especially distances: where i come from, 3 hours of driving are enough to cross half of the country, in the US it's just a small drive to go to see a relative or something.

    salderosan99 , Ben Schumin Report

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    #10

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group Lawyer commercials and "if this happened to you, you can sue them" commercials.

    RegnumRico , Wesley Fryer Report

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

    Absolutely! Lawyers billboards, TV ads, subway ads, bus ads incentivating people to sue everyone for every reason is simply disgusting. Let alone those advertising in spanish as your "abogado". Simply ridiculous. Easy to understand if someone says the US Legal system is overwhelmed.

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    #11

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group Christianity everywhere. On your money, in the school, every Sunday, churches everywhere, in your pledge, in the Boy scouts, verses at the bottom of In&Out milkshakes

    Majestic_Bierd , Ben Schumin Report

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

    This depends on where in America you are. I remember going to an area in the "bible belt" for the first time and it was also a culture shock for me lol.

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    #12

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group I was walking down the street and there were some road workers doing something a bit ahead. When I got near them, one of them approached me and super kindly asked me to cross to the other side, halted the traffic so I could cross and wished me a nice day as I went along.

    In my country they would've probably heckled at me for not crossing, and I would've told them to go f**k themselves for not signaling things properly as I walked in the middle of the street potentially getting hit by a car

    madkeepz , Daniel Lobo Report

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    #13

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group Turn right on red. Beautiful.

    klonricket , A_Peach Report

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

    The only reason it works is because most of the USA is built in a grid system. So you come to a 90 degree angle crossroads and you can make a right on red. It does not and cannot work on older streets where roads do not meet at a right angle, or when there are more than four roads meeting at the junction.

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    #14

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group The importance of the College/University you go to. For me it felt like the name, you can even call it brand, of the College is more important than your actual skills and knowledge as well as the quality of education you receive. So many times, people asked me which College/University I visit and told me about their College and the College their childrens are visiting. Totally different than what I am used to in Germany, where it is mainly focused on your skills and grades not the College/University your are visiting.

    Breathinglegend69 , carmichaellibrary Report

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

    That only matters for a very few colleges, and I am in a position to say that the education you get at Ivy League colleges is NOT superior to the education at other universities. It's just that it will open doors for you by other people who are part of the elite club. If it's not one of these elite colleges, it really doesn't matter where you go.

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    #15

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group Tipping. And not just tipping, but tipping so much that the entire thing I bought (e.g. a meal) is now in an entirely higher price bracket.

    wristconstraint , Kai Hendry Report

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

    Tipping is really, really important, because US laws allow for servers to be paid around $2 an hour (which is just so wrong to begin with). So not only do they need the tips to stand a chance of making a living wage, but they are also taxed on those tips because it is ASSUMED that they will get them. So if you don't tip someone, they actually lose money. It's a really bad system, but while it exists, please plan to tip in the USA.

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    #16

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group How early everything starts. School, work. 6am wake ups. That was hard.

    helicoptercici , Paul van de Velde Report

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

    then you've never worked in brisbane, australia. we don't have DLS, and most people like working from 4am when it's bright and light ;)

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    #17

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group Advertisements in between the title credits of the show and the actual show. You guys have a LOT of advertisements.

    VodkaMargarine , Markus Report

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

    Same in the UK for any channel that isn't BBC (Itv is the worst for adverts. xD)

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    #19

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group No sidewalks, not everywhere, but outside of major cities, you often literally can't walk between places safely

    rioting-pacifist , TheMuuj Report

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

    This one is a catch 22. The reason usually given for not putting in sidewalks is that "nobody walks there." Well, no, not without sidewalks they don't!

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    #20

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group The different kinds of flavors for beverages. I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of options.

    Just so you guys know,I enjoyed having multiple options, until I came to the US I had no idea I liked Blue Raspberry flavored soda and I found out that I liked to mix different kinds of sodas from the fountain and make a cocktail soda occasionally.

    Also, I like how you guys have a s**t ton of flavors for your alcohol. I liked a lot of them but to be honest I didn't enjoy the whipped cream flavored stuff.

    howwouldiknow-- , danielle_blue Report

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

    When I was a kid in the 70's/80's, at the roller skating rink, we used to get suicides. A suicide was every flavor of fountain soda mixed in a cup with ice. So tasty!

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    #21

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group Medical advertisements on tv

    DifferentAd154 , Leonid Mamchenkov Report

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

    Wait, you don't have them somewhere? In Poland significant part of commercials on tv are painkillers, anti-flu pills and so on.

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    #23

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group When we first arrived, and I walked up to a soda machine. We never had those, and I think I drank 10-15 refills of coke before my parents started yelling at me. UNLIMITED SODA ARE YOU KIDDING ME WTF.

    Lord_Disagree , Mike Mozart Report

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

    Even if it was sugar free soda/pop I'd feel a bit sick after 15 refills o.o

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    #24

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group Billboards. They are everywhere. You can go hours in the UK driving without seeing one. In Florida, I saw one every few minutes.

    Ads on TV, motherf**ker, just play the show, this is painful.

    Traffic, how do people drive in the US, it's so easy to get caught in traffic, it's everywhere. F**KER JUST DRIVE, ITS PAINFUL, ADD A F**KING ROUND A BOUT

    7/11s are magical places though.

    IAmTheGlazed , Zen Skillicorn Report

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    #25

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group People pay for their own food. As someone who came from China, where everyone fights for the bill without the intention to pay, this is very refreshing.

    ListenOrElse_ , Pressmaster Report

    #26

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group 1.No walls around houses, or burglar bars by windows.

    2.HOAs, i don't get why neighbours can have any say as to how long grass should be or what colour i can/cannot paint a house.

    3. People walking around with their phones in hand freely and not worried about getting robbed.

    4. Not all but how many know little about anything outside of the U.S.

    5. How hard they go in advertising for any and everything.

    Natures_VO , Michaela Pereckas Report

    #27

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group My wife is from the Philippines and also worked in Singapore for over 10 years. When she came here she had many surprises but one big one was the ability to return items that she had purchased. She had never been able to do that before.

    CitySuper5546 , Gipsy Tights Report

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

    with our consumers right in australia, as long as you are able to show proof of purchase, you can return stuff for even after 12 months of use if unsatisfactory.

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    #28

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group How non-physical Americans are. I’m Latina and every time I meet someone new it’s considered polite to hug and kiss their cheek as a greeting. Obvi with professionals it’s a no go but like if I’m introduced to a friend of a friend I would do a very light hug and kiss, it was mind blowing to me that Americans mostly did the half hearted wave or a handshake.

    rainbow_elmo24 , Henry Burrows Report

    #29

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group People really care about their teeth like whitening and straightening.

    WhitePhatA** , Smiles7676 Report

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

    I wouldn't say people care about their teeth per se, but the people that can afford it spend a lot of money having their teeth look "perfect".

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    #30

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group Drive through ATM. Very friendly people. How very obese so many Americans were. Water fountains in every public place. Heating system in every house. I was amazed by so many trees along the highways. Still am

    Final-Couple-3729 , Sean Hayford Oleary Report

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

    Trees along the highways are something I'm happy about in America.

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    #31

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group A sign at the front door of a restaurant to remind patrons not to bring your firearms inside, to please leave them in your car

    for those who are asking, I saw it in Phoenix Arizona

    RushSubdivisions , Daniel Lobo Report

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

    Most states don't allow open carry. I'm from New England, and Arizona was as much of a shock to me as it was to you.

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    #32

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group The homeless in the US are very abrasive. I’m from Africa and am use to beggars and squatters, but the ones I came into contact with in California were so loud, obnoxious and invasive.

    KyleLucasZA , Elvert Barnes Report

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

    I'd be loud, obnoxious, and invasive if i didn't have anywhere to live, too.

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    #33

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group Root beer

    brigidsbollix , Meredith P. Report

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

    I've always been curious to try root beer! I remember when I was young watching American TV, the kids/teens would always drink root beer I was shocked that they were allowed, what I thought then, was alcohol haha.

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    #34

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group The power of some toilet flushes shocked me, one was so loud it actually hurt my ears. Then I remembered the whole poo knife thing and figured it must be necessary.

    subrhythm , Sophie Report

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    #35

    That you can't have a beer with your lunch in a lot of places.

    I get that they are family friendly places but where's my beer? Here you can pretty much get one at any restaurant from 11am onwards

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

    Liquor licenses, and dry counties (and other liquor regulations) are probably two of the big reasons for that in the US.

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    #36

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group The way in LA food came with warnings like may cause cancer, antibiotics used when buying things with meat in

    leajeffro , Global Panorama Report

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

    California has a lot more consumer protection than the rest of the country. I remember when my family owned a scrapbooking store that an adhesive company had to redevelop a few products in the 2000s (I think) when California banned import of a bunch of chemicals and harmful stuff into the state.

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    #37

    There was work being done on the highway and after like every kilometer there was a dude standing with a sign telling us how long the traffic jam still is. Or was it remaining construction area in miles? Dont remember really.

    The thing is... Why were there dudes? In my country we just hang those signs to iron sticks lol.

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    #38

    30 Of The Good And The Bad Culture Shocks Non-Americans Experienced While In The US, As Shared In This Online Group The first was on the train from.the airport into new uork.

    There were well dressed people coming back from the races and they were sober. At home that would have been a heavily drunk party train.

    Oh and then being able to buy 500 paracetomol at once in a pot. Wtf.

    Incantanto , Martin Cathrae Report

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

    500 paracetamol? You could probably kill an entire herd of elephants with that. Wtf? oO

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    #39

    It was weird to see alcohol being sold at ordinary grocery stores. Where I live it is only sold at liquor stores.

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

    It depends on where you live. In Utah, for example, it's only sold at state-run liquor stores.

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    #40

    Many things but the biggest was how difficult it was to take a left turn at an intersection. I had taken a car on rent as I could drive on my B1 and I thoroughly enjoyeed driving there but this rule baffled me.

    punkychandey Report

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

    If you don't wait for the left hand light, you will be driving through oncoming traffic, you will cause an accident and people may die. Just wait your turn.

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