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45 Things That Are Normal In The US, But Seem Bizarre In Other Countries Shared In This Online Group
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
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#1
GoFundMe being an acceptable replacement for a health care system
RELATED:
#2
Literally being too poor to go to the doctor, but have too much income for any kind of assistance
Terilee Bruyere 3 years ago
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.
#3
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.
#6
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.
Karl Baxter 3 years ago
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.
#7
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
#10
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.
#11
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
#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.
#14
Waiting like 8 weeks after your elections till the new guy comes in to power is pretty f****** weird
#15
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
Biana Vacker 3 years ago
i know- you can literally stare someone in the face while they are going to the bathroom
#16
Flags. Everywhere
Pezor Zass 3 years ago
How else can they keep up the illusion that they live in a country worth celebrating?
#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?
#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.
#19
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.
Biana Vacker 3 years ago
we get sooo many ads too; they're literally everywhere and most of them are attack ads with questionable information
#20
College sports, people do not care about nor have college sports like we do here.
Pezor Zass 3 years ago
it's disgusting the amount of money my school spends on sports, and we're not even remotely a sporty school
#21
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
#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.
Kanishka Patel 3 years ago
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.
#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.
#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.
#26
People constantly thanking god for every day occurrences
#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"
#28
Tipping, most other places actually pay their waiters/waitresses and tippings just for extremely good service or rounding up.
Nikki Hilton 3 years ago
Already noted. Pay everyone a living working wage (NOT $7.50/hr). Do away with tipping.
#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.
#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.
#31
Garbage disposal units in sinks. I've been to nearly 20 countries, and I've never seen one.
Andrew Gibb 3 years ago
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.
#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.
Fred and George Weasley 3 years ago
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
#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.
Alexis draskinis 3 years ago
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.
#34
Your identity politics used to be just in America, then it spilled out like a burst sewage pipe.
#35
Red solo cups. My european cousins asked me if parties in the us really had those red cups.
angie but who cares 3 years ago
yuppp they taste better for some reason just like a grilled cheese tastes better cut
#36
Bumper stickers. They’re a lot less common in Europe anyway, not sure about the rest of the world.
#38
Free refills at restaurants
SimplySarcastic40 3 years ago
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.
#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.
Terilee Bruyere 3 years ago
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.
#40
Girl Scout cookies?
#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.
#42
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.
Theoretical Empiricist 3 years ago
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.
#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.
#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.
Ulrike Sponagel 3 years ago
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.
#45
It always surprises me when someone from another country has never heard of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
What do you think ?
Carrot dude 3 years ago
Here, I'm just going to copy Vunn's comment on a similar post from about a month ago: "Does this really need to be covered once a month?"
Nevits Yibble 3 years ago
Evidently it does. There's an obsession here with this s**t. I've never seen anything like it
Load More Replies...
Vincent Philippart 3 years ago
This! I wanna learn weird things about Bhutan or Estonia.
Load More Replies...
Ryan Deschanel 3 years ago
The existence of Home Owners Associations. Why would your neighbours have any right to decide whether or not you can grow an edge, build a fence, or paint your shutters ? By the way, why do you never have edges, fences and shutters? Do you not need privacy and sleep too?
WiTchY_WoMaN 3 years ago (edited)
I mean, a lot of this stuff makes sense, but I feel like some of this stuff was just put on here in a desperate scramble to find anything wrong with America. Like bumper stickers? Ranch dressing? College sports? Is there something wrong with these things??
Sneeze 3 years ago
I feel a lot of these are just to attack Americans... like OKAY I KNOW WE HAVE A SHITTY HEALTHCARE SYSTEM BUT I CAN"T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT SO STOP SHOVING IT IN MY FACE! I was looking for some interesting things but its just a bunch of people attacking us.
Load More Replies...
ivan bolitekurac 3 years ago (edited)
So we are back to #usabad on bp.I really missed those stories.Pls tell us the story about health system and schooling debts once again,i didn't get it the first 3000 times.
Brobro McDuderson 3 years ago
Time for the weekly “US bashing” thread from Bored Panda. Got it out the way early this week 👍.
Lili 3 years ago (edited)
Today I realize that the US propaganda system is even more than some communist countries. I'm from a Communist (socialist?? I'm not sure) country and my god I rarely see patriotism and pride shoved onto our faces like that everyday everywhere. The US is like a free country living under a blanket.
Javiera Gotelli 3 years ago
The oxymoron of presenting themselves as the land of the free while being forced to worship the flag/anthem and pledge allegiance, just like dictators (of any kind, they're all bad) did to the countries they destroyed.
Load More Replies...
s. vitkovitsky 3 years ago
Not an American, but if Americans are a 'race', some of these could be considered racist. Also rather petty. Why not some articles here about Euro quirks? Eating snails, killing whales, or killing bulls in public, for funsies; weensie little countries, some with fancy, expensive, useless monarchies; giving kids booze; extreme chauvinism vs.multiculturalism and tolerance; getting into wars and relying on the U.S. and Canada to send their young men and women over to die getting much of Europe out of harm's way. Etc.
Ryan Deschanel 3 years ago (edited)
I do not think it is racist nor petty, those are just facts which people have the right to judge as weird or not in comparison to what they are used to. But I think your suggestion about Europe could be a good idea. By the way, I have been living in Burgundy for my entire life, and I have never seen anyone eating snails. Killing whales is more a Japanese thing. Monarchies are absolutely not useless and are less expensive than republics. And the US (which relied on good king Louis XVI's army to gain its independence from Britain which had founded it) and Canada (which would not exist if France and Britain had not created it) decided to get involved with these wars by their own will, earning our eternal gratitude.
Load More Replies...
Louloubelle 3 years ago
A lot of the things here I agree with. Healthcare, tipping, etc. By why does the rest of the world care what words we use, or why measurement system? How is it affecting them? It's just another reason for the rest of the world to bash America. And I'm not a particular patriot, but while our government sucks, the people here are great (trump supporters excluded).
Christel Nellemann 3 years ago
Hehe don’t take it to heart, most of this really is just laughing at different (thus “weird” ) customs, like girl scout cookies or meassurements . Ofc there are flocks of wonderful americans. And i believe most of europeans like lots of things aboyt the Usa, just see how many non americans speak american. And many have been genuinly worried about ordinary americans during these ever more testing times. And the crazy division and growing poverty. Wish you luck and better times from Denmark .
Load More Replies...
Lisa T 3 years ago
I’ve always wondered about this orange plastic containers you get prescription drugs in. Like you see in a US movie inside a medicine cabinet, it’s full of those orange containers. How easy would it be to take the wrong tablet? In Australia, our prescription medication comes in packets with the name of it written large on the box, each medication has a unique box
Leo Domitrix 3 years ago
The orange prescription bottles are not always orange. Also, they're labeled. Contrary to overseas opinions, yes, Americans can read! :-D
Load More Replies... angie but who cares 3 years ago
oh my another post about the us all voicing so diffrent things like the healthcare
Loki’s Lil Butter Knife 3 years ago
Sigh, yet another listicle about how uncouth, unruly, and quirky the United States is in comparison to other countries around the world (this is coming from a Scot). Look at those crazy Americans guzzling their ranch dressing. Every country has problems and odd quirks. Why can't we celebrate the unique foods, celebrations, history, etc. of other countries instead of pointing out differences?
Christel Nellemann 3 years ago
Oh my, most series tv and films, loads of cultural stuff does exactly that , celebrate Us . Maybe because US is so dominant culturally, and we also get affected by their politics, we can joke about odd quirks, or the bad stuff like healtcare for the few.
Load More Replies...
Mark Fuller 3 years ago
I do like visiting the states. It's our most common holiday destination. But bloody funny to see that the things we think are odd, stupid or offensive are seen the same by so many others!
Mike Mader 3 years ago
Wow, you mean the United States of America is different than other countries!?. Who would have thought!
Anony Mouse 3 years ago
Can we do another country next time? Between BP and Buzzfeed I see America get crapped on at least once a week. Bathroom stalls. Tipping. Drug commercials. The Pledge. We get it. We suck. Do another country - ask the Pandas what we think is weird about somewhere else.
birdie asf 3 years ago
we would ALL be speaking German if the Axis Powers had won. and while your statement is partially true, the US would have been screwed without its allies.
Load More Replies...
Simon 3 years ago
I see a lot of these 'stories' on here and it's a bit sad that there seems to be a constant digging out of the USA. Yes, we all know about healthcare system, OTT nationalism, gun laws etc etc. but why not focus on what's cool? I'm not from the US but there is so much to love about the country and many people in it. A great place.
Requiem 3 years ago
Im in Canada and I get 3 weeks now of unpaid vacation (I get vacation pay that builds up at 6% every payday) I didnt use any last year and its now gone and cant use 6 weeks this year. People with salaries are forced to take their vacation days before the end of the year so they dont get wasted. (being paid the same as if they were at work)
Milan 3 years ago
Being gossipy. When i walking down the streets, where are more people in one place i constantly hear from people around who talking: "and she was like" "and he was like" "she was like he was like" "he she he she" like many and many times :D :D
birdie asf 3 years ago
that's just a person thing? there are people like that EVERYWHERE.
Load More Replies...
Jane Alexander 3 years ago
Yes, all the bizzarre things being done in this country by all the bizzarre people that came here From Your Country!
CatWoman312 3 years ago (edited)
I think it’s weird the British eat baked beans for breakfast and put gravy on everything. So yeah this is my if we have to question the US then we get to question the weird things in other countries too.
Phillip Adams 3 years ago
Yet in Canada you wait months for a CT scan or specialist appointment... In the US, people go to Canada for prescription drugs, but Canadians who can afford it come here for surgeries... yet let's bash America because nobody remembers "county hospitals" and when you shared a room or were kept in a ward with 10 or more other patients.
Christel Nellemann 3 years ago
To my knowledge, canadian research doctors in hearings) canadians do not flock to surgeries in the Us. At all.
Load More Replies...
Stephanie Hewitt 3 years ago
I'd add, the way they ID everyone, even adults, when. You buy alcohol, even if you're just with someone who's buying it. Weird.
MarionHood 3 years ago
Change Your Life Right Now! Work From Comfort Of Your Home And Receive Your First Paycheck Within A Week. No Experience Needed, No Boss Over Your Shoulder... Say Goodbye To Your Old Job! Limited Number Of Spots Open... Find out how HERE....... Www.Work85.com
birdie asf 3 years ago
there's like a million you don't even have to look it's one of bp's favorite topics
Load More Replies... 
Vincent Philippart 3 years ago
You have love and respect for a piece of fabric??
Load More Replies...
Carrot dude 3 years ago
Here, I'm just going to copy Vunn's comment on a similar post from about a month ago: "Does this really need to be covered once a month?"
Nevits Yibble 3 years ago
Evidently it does. There's an obsession here with this s**t. I've never seen anything like it
Load More Replies... Vincent Philippart 3 years ago
This! I wanna learn weird things about Bhutan or Estonia.
Load More Replies... Ryan Deschanel 3 years ago
The existence of Home Owners Associations. Why would your neighbours have any right to decide whether or not you can grow an edge, build a fence, or paint your shutters ? By the way, why do you never have edges, fences and shutters? Do you not need privacy and sleep too?
WiTchY_WoMaN 3 years ago (edited)
I mean, a lot of this stuff makes sense, but I feel like some of this stuff was just put on here in a desperate scramble to find anything wrong with America. Like bumper stickers? Ranch dressing? College sports? Is there something wrong with these things??
Sneeze 3 years ago
I feel a lot of these are just to attack Americans... like OKAY I KNOW WE HAVE A SHITTY HEALTHCARE SYSTEM BUT I CAN"T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT SO STOP SHOVING IT IN MY FACE! I was looking for some interesting things but its just a bunch of people attacking us.
Load More Replies... ivan bolitekurac 3 years ago (edited)
So we are back to #usabad on bp.I really missed those stories.Pls tell us the story about health system and schooling debts once again,i didn't get it the first 3000 times.
Brobro McDuderson 3 years ago
Time for the weekly “US bashing” thread from Bored Panda. Got it out the way early this week 👍.
Lili 3 years ago (edited)
Today I realize that the US propaganda system is even more than some communist countries. I'm from a Communist (socialist?? I'm not sure) country and my god I rarely see patriotism and pride shoved onto our faces like that everyday everywhere. The US is like a free country living under a blanket.
Javiera Gotelli 3 years ago
The oxymoron of presenting themselves as the land of the free while being forced to worship the flag/anthem and pledge allegiance, just like dictators (of any kind, they're all bad) did to the countries they destroyed.
Load More Replies... s. vitkovitsky 3 years ago
Not an American, but if Americans are a 'race', some of these could be considered racist. Also rather petty. Why not some articles here about Euro quirks? Eating snails, killing whales, or killing bulls in public, for funsies; weensie little countries, some with fancy, expensive, useless monarchies; giving kids booze; extreme chauvinism vs.multiculturalism and tolerance; getting into wars and relying on the U.S. and Canada to send their young men and women over to die getting much of Europe out of harm's way. Etc.
Ryan Deschanel 3 years ago (edited)
I do not think it is racist nor petty, those are just facts which people have the right to judge as weird or not in comparison to what they are used to. But I think your suggestion about Europe could be a good idea. By the way, I have been living in Burgundy for my entire life, and I have never seen anyone eating snails. Killing whales is more a Japanese thing. Monarchies are absolutely not useless and are less expensive than republics. And the US (which relied on good king Louis XVI's army to gain its independence from Britain which had founded it) and Canada (which would not exist if France and Britain had not created it) decided to get involved with these wars by their own will, earning our eternal gratitude.
Load More Replies... Louloubelle 3 years ago
A lot of the things here I agree with. Healthcare, tipping, etc. By why does the rest of the world care what words we use, or why measurement system? How is it affecting them? It's just another reason for the rest of the world to bash America. And I'm not a particular patriot, but while our government sucks, the people here are great (trump supporters excluded).
Christel Nellemann 3 years ago
Hehe don’t take it to heart, most of this really is just laughing at different (thus “weird” ) customs, like girl scout cookies or meassurements . Ofc there are flocks of wonderful americans. And i believe most of europeans like lots of things aboyt the Usa, just see how many non americans speak american. And many have been genuinly worried about ordinary americans during these ever more testing times. And the crazy division and growing poverty. Wish you luck and better times from Denmark .
Load More Replies... Lisa T 3 years ago
I’ve always wondered about this orange plastic containers you get prescription drugs in. Like you see in a US movie inside a medicine cabinet, it’s full of those orange containers. How easy would it be to take the wrong tablet? In Australia, our prescription medication comes in packets with the name of it written large on the box, each medication has a unique box
Leo Domitrix 3 years ago
The orange prescription bottles are not always orange. Also, they're labeled. Contrary to overseas opinions, yes, Americans can read! :-D
Load More Replies... angie but who cares 3 years ago
oh my another post about the us all voicing so diffrent things like the healthcare
Loki’s Lil Butter Knife 3 years ago
Sigh, yet another listicle about how uncouth, unruly, and quirky the United States is in comparison to other countries around the world (this is coming from a Scot). Look at those crazy Americans guzzling their ranch dressing. Every country has problems and odd quirks. Why can't we celebrate the unique foods, celebrations, history, etc. of other countries instead of pointing out differences?
Christel Nellemann 3 years ago
Oh my, most series tv and films, loads of cultural stuff does exactly that , celebrate Us . Maybe because US is so dominant culturally, and we also get affected by their politics, we can joke about odd quirks, or the bad stuff like healtcare for the few.
Load More Replies... Mark Fuller 3 years ago
I do like visiting the states. It's our most common holiday destination. But bloody funny to see that the things we think are odd, stupid or offensive are seen the same by so many others!
Mike Mader 3 years ago
Wow, you mean the United States of America is different than other countries!?. Who would have thought!
Anony Mouse 3 years ago
Can we do another country next time? Between BP and Buzzfeed I see America get crapped on at least once a week. Bathroom stalls. Tipping. Drug commercials. The Pledge. We get it. We suck. Do another country - ask the Pandas what we think is weird about somewhere else.
birdie asf 3 years ago
we would ALL be speaking German if the Axis Powers had won. and while your statement is partially true, the US would have been screwed without its allies.
Load More Replies... Simon 3 years ago
I see a lot of these 'stories' on here and it's a bit sad that there seems to be a constant digging out of the USA. Yes, we all know about healthcare system, OTT nationalism, gun laws etc etc. but why not focus on what's cool? I'm not from the US but there is so much to love about the country and many people in it. A great place.
Requiem 3 years ago
Im in Canada and I get 3 weeks now of unpaid vacation (I get vacation pay that builds up at 6% every payday) I didnt use any last year and its now gone and cant use 6 weeks this year. People with salaries are forced to take their vacation days before the end of the year so they dont get wasted. (being paid the same as if they were at work)
Milan 3 years ago
Being gossipy. When i walking down the streets, where are more people in one place i constantly hear from people around who talking: "and she was like" "and he was like" "she was like he was like" "he she he she" like many and many times :D :D
birdie asf 3 years ago
that's just a person thing? there are people like that EVERYWHERE.
Load More Replies... Jane Alexander 3 years ago
Yes, all the bizzarre things being done in this country by all the bizzarre people that came here From Your Country!
CatWoman312 3 years ago (edited)
I think it’s weird the British eat baked beans for breakfast and put gravy on everything. So yeah this is my if we have to question the US then we get to question the weird things in other countries too.
Phillip Adams 3 years ago
Yet in Canada you wait months for a CT scan or specialist appointment... In the US, people go to Canada for prescription drugs, but Canadians who can afford it come here for surgeries... yet let's bash America because nobody remembers "county hospitals" and when you shared a room or were kept in a ward with 10 or more other patients.
Christel Nellemann 3 years ago
To my knowledge, canadian research doctors in hearings) canadians do not flock to surgeries in the Us. At all.
Load More Replies... Stephanie Hewitt 3 years ago
I'd add, the way they ID everyone, even adults, when. You buy alcohol, even if you're just with someone who's buying it. Weird.
MarionHood 3 years ago
Change Your Life Right Now! Work From Comfort Of Your Home And Receive Your First Paycheck Within A Week. No Experience Needed, No Boss Over Your Shoulder... Say Goodbye To Your Old Job! Limited Number Of Spots Open... Find out how HERE....... Www.Work85.com
birdie asf 3 years ago
there's like a million you don't even have to look it's one of bp's favorite topics
Load More Replies... Vincent Philippart 3 years ago
You have love and respect for a piece of fabric??
Load More Replies... You May Like 30 Horrifying Things From American Schools That Foreigners Find Shockingly Weird The Midwest Is A Whole Different Place, And This Account Shows That Perfectly (30 New Pics) Get To Know The USA With These 97 State Jokes
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