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“Still Illegal In Most European Countries”: 30 Things That Are Only Normal In The USA
The US and Europe (with a few notable exceptions) have much in common. They hold democratic elections, fight for human rights, and are conscious of their carbon footprint. But at the same time, they're an entire ocean apart and geography isn't the only thing separating them.
So we dug around the internet and found a couple of online threads (one and two) where people have been sharing what they believe to be the aspects of American culture that are foreign to the Old Continent. From the popularity of university sports to free soda and coffee refills, here are the most popular submissions to the discussion.
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#1
If you are an American citizen, you can choose to live in just about any climate and landscape that the Earth has to offer, and still be in the same country. Whether you like mountains, volcanoes, the beach, the desert, the arctic, the prairie, the rainforest, whatever, the US has it.
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#2
I’d say the whole system of National Parks is just amazing! Open 24/7 (unless some weather or gov’t shutdown), maps available, trails laid out, camping spots designated… It’s the most treasured and inderappreciated thing in the US, IMO.
#3
A country that's like 99% unwalkable. Seriously, I've been around the globe and every time I came I became frustrated that I can't just walk to a corner grocery.
#6
The endangered species act, one of the few laws in the entire world that actually enforces protections for endangered animals proactively and retroactively. You could go to prison for destroying some rare flowers. just because those flowers were rare. It’s not perfect, but the ESA is one of the most powerful environmental protection laws in the world, spanning some of the largest area, and very very few countries have something similar.
#8
That's alwys struck me as weird. We get adverts for over the counter meds, like painkillers or cold and flu medicine but the thought of seeing an advert for something you need to go to the doctors and get a prescription for like adhd meds / anti depresents / antibiotics / heart meds or blood thinners is absolitly mental to me.
#9
I'm from the UK and it looks like the houses in the US are a million times bigger than they are here.
IamMe 4 months ago
The house in the picture has three front doors. There are probably two downstairs apartments, and two upstairs. Surprisingly, this is a much more accurate representation of what we really live in. In most smaller cities and towns, it's going to be mostly houses like this, or single level ranch style houses. Not, McMansions.
#10
On the up side, amazing geographic diversity. In one country, we have mountains, deserts, tropics, sweeping plains, fertile farmland, tundra, huge beaches, and rugged coastlines.
On the down side, school shootings. Mall shootings. Grocery store shootings. Church shootings. Birthday party shootings. We know another one's coming soon - we just don't know where.
#11
So many extracurricular activities in schools. Playing a specific sport or being part of a team isn't something schools offer in Europe. I have cousins who live in Texas, and the fact that their school has tennis courts and a pool blows my mind. Some schools here have small clubs like theater or choir, but the options hardly compare to those offered at schools in the States. Your high school theater plays look like professional productions sometimes.
#18
Diners. Fast cheap American food available at all hours. One of the best meals you will ever eat is American diner food at 2 am.
#22
THE F**KING BBQ!
Thank the cosmos I live there and travel alot. States seem to have their own twists and specialities and it's all so f**king good I can't decide what I like more.
The Texas BBQ Pit I went to once was an experience.
Before I came here, BBQ meant store bought frozen burgers and sausages on a grill in the garden during summer. One thing I don't miss about the UK lol.
#24
Good Mexican food. It doesn't exist in Europe. I ordered a burrito in Berlin, and it was worse than Taco Bell.
#25
American who lived in Europe for a time. (The Balkans)
Things I have here that I didn't have there:
Cheap gas (yes, it's still quite cheap in the US)
Larger appliances with words on them (my appliances there had graphics on them, the washer had a Half Mushroom Cloud setting)
A zillion kinds of breakfast cereal (when I came back, I routinely got overwhelmed in the grocery store)
Lol, diplomatic immunity
Things I had there, that I don't have here:
There was a produce/meat market that was open every day, that I could walk to, it ruled
Cafe culture
The newsstand sold lots of rowdy porn.
#26
Turning right on a red light. I think that's still illegal in Germany and most other European countries, isn't it?
#28
The mountains in the Mountain West and the Red Rocks. I’ve lived next to the Red Rocks in Utah and Colorado. I grew up and worked in the Tetons. We’ve lived on the Wasatch, and super close to the Rockies. Europe is so beautiful but the Mountain West is one of the most beautiful regions on earth.
#29
Truck Nuts
At least I haven't really seen them over here in central Europe. Then again also Pickup Trucks are a pretty rare sight in Europe.
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