Foreigners Share 30 Of The Weirdest Things About The US That Americans Don’t Even Realize

Cultures are a thing. And they’re all unique in their own ways.

Hence, it’s only normal that someone outside of a particular culture would find some things odd about it—or at the very least interesting.

AskReddit is at it again, asking non-Americans who had been to the US what they thought was the weirdest thing about America that Americans don’t realize it’s weird.

Bored Panda has recently covered this topic in another article, so be sure to check it out once you’re done with this one. And while you’re down there, why not vote and comment on the submissions you like the most!

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Foreigners Share 30 Of The Weirdest Things About The US That Americans Don’t Even Realize Tax. I find it annoying how in America tax is added after you check at the cashier. In Australia tax is included in the price, e.g if the price says $6.00 you pay $6. But in America if it costs $6.00 it's actually $6.07 or something. Idk I just have found it a nuisance.

im_no_W0LF , Jeramey Jannene Report

Final score:

249points

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Samantha PandaNotBored 3 years ago

That would drive me nuts .

59points

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Foreigners Share 30 Of The Weirdest Things About The US That Americans Don’t Even Realize Now that Thanksgiving and Christmas is over:

The weirdest thing is that Americans will ask what you are doing for thanksgiving. Are you going to your family etc... When you say no. They invite you to their home.

(I was a student, My family was thousands of miles away, and I'm happy that the local Cracker Barrel is open and looking forward to a meal there)

My Professor did that. Invited me to his home. I had a good time, but it was strange. I'm meeting his uncles and aunts. and one little girl threw a tantrum, I had to take her to calm her down etc...

It was weird. But also wonderful. In my country things like this would never happen. You don't bring a stranger to a family event.

But I'm thankful things like this happen here.

tinkrman , Brian Black Report

Final score:

228points

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Foxxy (The Original) 3 years ago (edited)

When I was younger I thought thanksgiving was what the Americans called Christmas Eve. It wasn’t til I was older that I found out Thanksgiving is like a month before. I do have a question for the Americans, do you eat the traditional turkey on Christmas Day as well as thanksgiving or vice versa etc?

48points

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Foreigners Share 30 Of The Weirdest Things About The US That Americans Don’t Even Realize How your medical ads show an old guy living life well because of X-drug. He has the best time, the wife is having the best time and it's all because of the drug making things better.

The end of the ad is full of warnings about how this happy drug can potentially kill you and your family, nuke your dog and make cats impotent.

Recap the cliff-hanger episode of life in Alaska before another ad break.

Unwatchable TV

bodhan40 , CommercialsUSA Report

Final score:

227points

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J. F. 3 years ago

We in Germany have the same adverts - just the mention that we should ask our doctors or pharmacist for the risks at the end

35points

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How much power your employer has over you. They can fire you at will, dictate that you work overtime, mandate that you take a drug test at will... the power balance between employer and employee in NZ is very different...

muncherofhay Report

Final score:

190points

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Commander Rex 3 years ago

Actually there are a lot of laws preventing such things from happening now

26points

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Foreigners Share 30 Of The Weirdest Things About The US That Americans Don’t Even Realize Flags. Everywhere. It’s not as if you’re likely to forget where you are!

who-wasi , Jim Winstead Report

Final score:

188points

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Commander Rex 3 years ago

Okay, we’re just making sure

64points

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The concept of pharmaceutical advertisements. Your doctor is supposed to recommend drugs to you, not the other way around.

handouras Report

Final score:

173points

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backatya 3 years ago

We don't like the commercials of large companies trying to sell us their drugs on TV either. But you can't tell the doctor to prescribe you a drug unless he feels you need it. It's just a choice from other drugs when you know what drug you need.

20points

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Foreigners Share 30 Of The Weirdest Things About The US That Americans Don’t Even Realize Americans are super friendly to the point that I (Australian) thought it was sarcasm or fake.

dinosaur-pudge , Insights Unspoken Report

Final score:

168points

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Foxxy (The Original) 3 years ago

Really? I find Australia is pretty friendly too. I walk along the street and most of the time people will say good morning/afternoon. You drive in the country and people will wave, you get greeted by checkout operators etc.

69points

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Foreigners Share 30 Of The Weirdest Things About The US That Americans Don’t Even Realize I went to seaworld with my mum when I was in my mid teens. Halfway through the show, the performer (Not the whale) asked everybody in the military to stand up and the whole crowd gave them a round of applause. They sat back down and the show continued as if nothing had happened. Couldn't imagine anything similar happening back in Blighty.

Edit: this was at Seaworld, Orlando not San Diego. Roughly 2003/4

Daverotti , woolennium Report

Final score:

167points

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Foxxy (The Original) 3 years ago

I just find that really bizarre.

72points

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Foreigners Share 30 Of The Weirdest Things About The US That Americans Don’t Even Realize Everything in America is huge. I don't just mean the people or portion sizes, because we all know about that- but the roads, the buildings, the ceilings, the space between everything... America is gigantic. It just feels larger than it does here. I'm Australian but I've been to Asia and size-wise it's similar to Australia, and I've seen Europeans say the same about America. Everything is bigger.

betterthansteve , Chris Lawrence Report

Final score:

162points

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N G 3 years ago (edited)

We honeymooned in Florida. The hotel apartment had a bigger floor space than our entire two-bed house! ETA: we live in the North of England for comparison's sake.

43points

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#10

Foreigners Share 30 Of The Weirdest Things About The US That Americans Don’t Even Realize Free refills. Went to a restaurant with my dad (both German) and all of a sudden the waiter took away my drink with another perfectly good sipp in it and I must have looked pretty shocked. It was only then when my dad explained to me that you guys have free refills.

AnLe21 , Mike Mozart Report

Final score:

162points

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Commander Rex 3 years ago

Okay, pros: free refills

56points

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#11

Foreigners Share 30 Of The Weirdest Things About The US That Americans Don’t Even Realize Legal drinking age at 21 it’s really weird especially at age 18 people consider u as an adult.

rachelxie888 , Steven Miller Report

Final score:

161points

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Truth Monster 3 years ago

Yeah, most Americans don't really understand it either. You can be handed a weapon and told to kill someone in the military, but nooooo, pweese no drinky.

122points

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#12

Complimenting strangers. When I visited the US I went to an amusement park and a girl complimented my glasses and that was my first time getting complimented and at the same amusement park a senior lady complimented my dad for having a beautiful family and a handsome son (lol me). I was really happy that day.

ItzMeRzx Report

Final score:

157points

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Foxxy (The Original) 3 years ago

It brightens my day when randoms compliment me too. Just yesterday someone complimented my son and said he has such beautiful eyes. Best compliment I ever got was a woman telling me that I’ve got this and I am doing a good job even though I was a sobbing mess because my son was being difficult in the middle of the footpath.

70points

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#13

Waste. Especially of food.

I've seen half of a large pizza thrown in the garbage, simple as that. Broke something? Don't even bother fixing it, just throw it into the bin and buy another.

I once went to a show in Broadway, they had special themed cups for the Phantom of the Opera show that you could purchase. They were made of glass. Some of the theater bought it, consumed it, and just left it there. They didn't even bother taking it home as a souvenir. They saw it, had the urge to buy it, and just did it.

That's something insane for me.

checkyourlogicmate Report

Final score:

156points

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Samantha PandaNotBored 3 years ago

I’d of collected all their unwanted ones, bought them home washed them up and be very proud of myself 🤣

111points

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#14

Foreigners Share 30 Of The Weirdest Things About The US That Americans Don’t Even Realize On behalf of my wife “what’s up with the gaps in the toilet stall doors and no bidet?”

Inaka_ , Forest Service, Eastern Regional Report

Final score:

147points

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Commander Rex 3 years ago

That stall door question is actually pretty good, I don’t know the answer.

61points

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#15

In Germany "How are you?" is an actual question and you generally only ask it, if you know the other person. It was super hard to explain to my mum that the answer is always "fine, thank you" and that cashiers don't really care about how you actually feel, when we visited the US in 08.

Wished-this-was-easy Report

Final score:

139points

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Paul Budhram 3 years ago

yeah we just say "good". If we don't then they get alarmed... only is they know us tho

27points

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#16

Some European told me that it’s crazy how restaurants are loud and busy and how people eat quick and leave. For him it was normal to sit around and talk for an hour or more after eating in a restaurant.

Ashtronica2 Report

Final score:

139points

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Foxxy (The Original) 3 years ago

I would hate to be rushed whilst eating my meal. It’s completely normal to sit down and chat whilst having you meal, we take our time and socialise.

59points

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#17

Foreigners Share 30 Of The Weirdest Things About The US That Americans Don’t Even Realize American that just traveled overseas. I went to a great bookstore in Edinburgh and the cashier asked if I wanted to sign up for a rewards membership. This led to a conversation about how their CEO or something just took over Barnes and Noble in the States. I stated the closest B&N to me is an hour away, and the other cashier jumped in, saying how easy it is to forget how far apart things are in the States. He was just kind of baffled and said it often blows his mind. I moved 13 hours away from my hometown and I still manage to be in the same country, which seems like a foreign concept for most Europeans. When, in reality, I could have moved even further away and still been in the US.

suomihobit , Mike Kalasnik Report

Final score:

130points

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Foxxy (The Original) 3 years ago (edited)

You can drive for few days to a week in Australia and still be in the same country. Our country is about the size of the US. It will take approx 60 hours (without stopping) to drive from one side of Australia to the other.

52points

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#18

Foreigners Share 30 Of The Weirdest Things About The US That Americans Don’t Even Realize Clearly the fact that there are people to put your groceries in a bag for you, I’ve never been so stressed and uncomfortable that while I was watching this young girl taking care of my groceries

alicebaguette , West Seattle Herald Report

Final score:

123points

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Truth Monster 3 years ago

This is not common in my area of the US. You bag your own while the cashier glares at you.

61points

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#19

Foreigners Share 30 Of The Weirdest Things About The US That Americans Don’t Even Realize Not necessarily weird but I've been here five years and I still can't get used to people replying to "thank you" with "uh huh". To me it sounds/feels like I'm thanking them and their response is "yes that is correct, you should thank me".

InternetWeakGuy , Nate Bolt Report

Final score:

122points

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Samantha PandaNotBored 3 years ago

Knowing me, I’d think they didn’t hear me correctly and say it again 🙈🙆🏼‍♀️

30points

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#20

For context: I'm from The Netherlands. The weirdest thing for me was a drive through liquor store. And a drive through ATM. In fact, it was the realization that Americans do everything by car.

My wife went to Philadelphia for work about ten years ago and wanted to walk from the hotel to the Target store across the street. People thought she was crazy.

robvdgeer Report

Final score:

119points

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Commander Rex 3 years ago

Well take into consideration that it’s Philadelphia, we do weird crazy stuff all the time. A man stole an ambulance, got shot at by cops, got tazed, and at last, arrested.

37points

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#21

Foreigners Share 30 Of The Weirdest Things About The US That Americans Don’t Even Realize Someone from my country who lives in USA told me that without a car you are crippled in America.

Edit: this is just an observation, not criticism.

The point of that person was that a car in US is a necessity, not a luxury or extravagance or a status symbol or sth.

And a lot of people buy second hand or used cars coz they are cheaper.

[deleted] , Greg Walters Report

Final score:

115points

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Truth Monster 3 years ago

Most of America's infrastructure was built for or with the expectation that people would be using cars.

54points

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#22

Foreigners Share 30 Of The Weirdest Things About The US That Americans Don’t Even Realize Car dealerships have huge flags. I don’t get why you’d have a flag the size of ten RVs.

So many roads don’t have street lights.

Not weird, but portion sizes are also huge. I struggled with finishing my food sometimes.

linerys , Michel Curi Report

Final score:

106points

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Your_local_introvert 3 years ago

With the portion size thing (which is one of the things people tend to find odd about the US) a lot of us like the larger portions because we can bring home the leftovers to eat on busy days where there isn't much time to make supper.

71points

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#23

For me as British bloke who only travelled for 6 weeks in the US:

Your public transport is largely poor but everything is built for cars and your cars are big.

You advertise not businesses but personalities a lot. So it’s not that KGH Estate Agents will well your property but MARY HUGHTON WILL PERSONALLY SELL YOUR HOUSE (with a big picture of her face).

Random people will talk to you. I’m a Londoner so it is different up north in the UK but especially when I got to the southern states people were so happy to talk to random strangers.

You guys actually sit at the bar in bars. When we go to a pub/bar, we’ll go with friends and rarely interact outside of that group really. You guys jump up at that bar and just start chatting.

Where homelessness is visible it’s bloody awful. San Francisco was horrible for this, me and my (now) wife ended up making a load of extra spag bowl to give to the homeless people outside our hostel because it was shocking to us.

If I think of anymore I’ll add them but it’s Christmas Day and I should probably talk to my family.

OIiver Report

Final score:

106points

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Commander Rex 3 years ago

In the south a lot of people are very polite, wE nOrThErNErS call it southern hospitality, idk if anybody else calls it that but we do.

24points

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#24

Foreigners Share 30 Of The Weirdest Things About The US That Americans Don’t Even Realize Canadian here, canadas fast food restaurants have signs that fairly normal height, just enough to get the point across while not being obnoxious, cross over to the usa and within 5 seconds of leaving customs you can see fast food signs hundreds of feet in the air on giant poles. 2 - 3 times taller than here in Canada, why!? also finding peanut butter and jelly swirled into the same jar was shocking.

rustyplayer1515 , JJBers Report

Final score:

102points

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S T 3 years ago

I'm from America, whoever had that jar of peanut butter and jelly is currently being deported, we do not accept them.

15points

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#25

Foreigners Share 30 Of The Weirdest Things About The US That Americans Don’t Even Realize When we were flying between cities, I found it weird to look out of the side of the plane and see towns midflight. In Australia, once you leave the city's airspace the landscape is completely barren until you arrive at your destination.

victimsoftheemuwars , Shelby L. Bell Report

Final score:

99points

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Foxxy (The Original) 3 years ago (edited)

That’s because the further you go inland the more un-inhabitable and barren it becomes.

43points

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#26

Foreigners Share 30 Of The Weirdest Things About The US That Americans Don’t Even Realize Ranch; it is somehow both delicious and revolting. And changes which with every mouthful.

Kiki200490 , Larry Hoffman Report

Final score:

94points

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Samantha PandaNotBored 3 years ago

Never tasted it. What’s it taste like. I haven’t seen it in the UK . I probably wouldn’t buy it either way 🙈

18points

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#27

European here, to me what was surreal was how openly they talk about guns and how many they have at home.

Also I took an uber for what 5-10 mins to get back to the hotel and the lady driving me super casually told me about how when she was a child in the compton area, she'd be playing outside, lie to the ground when there was a drive by then just continue playing

TractoJohn Report

Final score:

94points

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Foxxy (The Original) 3 years ago

That is completely f****d up.

46points

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#28

The rituals for paying after food.

Call server ask for bill Wait Server brings bill, put card down Wait Server takes care and bill away Wait Server brings back copy, you add tip Get up and leave.

In NZ Finish meal, go to front of the restaurant and pay then leave (no tip)

frogsbollocks Report

Final score:

90points

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Foxxy (The Original) 3 years ago (edited)

In most places in Australia (SA) you go to the counter, order your meal and pay it as well as your drinks then you sit down and wait for your drinks and food to be served, eat and then leave. Also no tip.

25points

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#29

Foreigners Share 30 Of The Weirdest Things About The US That Americans Don’t Even Realize Neon signs for a f!@#$%^ funeral home will always stand out.

sassygaycriminal , Stevan Sheets Report

Final score:

88points

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Samantha PandaNotBored 3 years ago

In pink also 😂

30points

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#30

Foreigners Share 30 Of The Weirdest Things About The US That Americans Don’t Even Realize Ads in general actually, it is so hard to go anywhere without having something in obnoxiously large text trying to get your attention. Whether it be on the road, on tv, on the internet, and hell even in people’s phones.

Escrovenjah , Matt Wade Report

Final score:

87points

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Your_local_introvert 3 years ago

Is America the only place that has pop-up ads on websites and apps??

21points

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#31

Canadian here, I was blown away by how weirdly social people are with strangers. Like some random guy I've never seen before just starts telling me his life story on the street. He is super normal, and doesn't seem crazy, just wants to talk to me for some reason. But then also, the dude at Wendy's is loudly threatening some 16 year old cashier in front of like 45 people. I got the impression the Wendy's guy was uncool, but the other guy seemed normal, and where I live I generally assume that a stranger talking to me for no reason is either crazy or high.

mr_cristy Report

Final score:

29points

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HooowlAtTheMoon 3 years ago

That happened to me too, and even as an American it's kinda weird. Its like ".. i just met you. You don't want to be telling me everything about you."

10points

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#32

Foreigners Share 30 Of The Weirdest Things About The US That Americans Don’t Even Realize Lemondade made with real lemons and its like super sour but some how sugary sweet at the same time.

In Australia lemonade is the same as sprite. So when I was there my mum and I ordered Jack Daniels and Lemonade and they made it with the real lemondade and it was awful. It was also weird because they sold pre mixed bottles of Jacks and lemonade with the real lemonade but in Australia you buy the same ones with sprite lemonade.

Free refills was the other big one. Everywhere has free refills as many times as you like? Never seen that before.

Mycelium83 , Bre LaRow Report

Final score:

26points

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Foxxy (The Original) 3 years ago

I didn’t discover the differences in lemonade until about a year ago on another BP post. I had no idea they were so vastly different.

12points

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#33

I lived for a long time in different places around the world, and something that I really missed when moving to a new town was the lack of a US-style bar where it was easy for a stranger to meet people. Outside of the US, it is rare to find a bar where everyone just sits and faces the same direction, whether or not a sporting event was playing on the television. Instead, they have a more 'pub-like' environment, where everyone is sitting in groups at their individual tables.

This makes meeting new people extremely difficult. Think about it, with the "table-style" bar, in order to strike up a conversation with a stranger, you literally have to approach them while they are sitting at their own table with their own friends. It's almost impossible to not look like a total freak! In a proper "Cheers" style bar, you can just say some random phrase to the bartender and if the person sitting next to you wants to talk, they'll just join in on the conversation.

Basically, In non-US bars, if you aren't invited ahead of time by someone, you are damned to sit alone in some corner of the bar.

SladeBrockett Report

Final score:

24points

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Foxxy (The Original) 3 years ago (edited)

Sounds like Aus, not really the best place to “pick up” coz most of the time our bars are more for people watching sports, having a beer, playing keno or snooker/pool and that’s about it. Also majority of the time it is mostly men in the pubs. Some pubs have weekly special events or live music playing where there are more people and have more of an opportunity to mingle with strangers, it’s like a smaller version of a night club.

3points

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#34

I'm not sure if they find it weird or not but as a Canadian who has been to a few states:

Gambling at gas stations in Montana. So damn weird.

Edit: So I'm talking about slot/poker machines and sometimes a poker table or two in regular gas stations. Not just truck stops, not on native land. Find a street corner with some gas stations on it in Missoula and odds are at least one of them has a mini casino inside.

drailCA Report

Final score:

22points

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Paul Budhram 3 years ago

If you think Montana is weird then you are not prepared for Nevada, or California. Montana is pretty unpopulated and there gambling is no match for Las Vegas... That's why we call it "Lost Wages"

6points

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What do you think ?

Why does BP keep making posts about how different America is? We realize we're weird, we don't need six posts a month to prove it. How about some more INTERESTING articles.

33points

s. vitkovitsky 3 years ago

So people do things differently in different countries. Wow.

13points

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Becky Samuel 3 years ago

So long as people keep interacting with these articles then they will keep promoting them. Don't like it? Don't click through and don't leave a comment. Easy.

7points

Wandaluzt 3 years ago

They get whatever they can rip off on Reddit. They're after clicks for advert revenue. They really don't care.

1point

3 years ago

Pls don't downvote me, but I like it since it never been to the us

FABULOUS1 3 years ago

I am late to this one but I was thinking the same thing it feels like every week there is a what foreigners think is weird about Americans and America. Like we get it, we all do s**t differently but the constant look what the Americans do that we dont is annoying.

ℜ𝔬𝔟𝔢𝔯𝔱 ℭ𝔞𝔱𝔱𝔢 3 years ago

https://www.boredpanda.com/people-share-unwritten-rules-in-life/

0points

DrBronxx 3 years ago

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Iggy 3 years ago

Not another one of these! Hasn't this dead horse been flogged enough?

Cassie 3 years ago

I was hoping to see some for other countries. The US isn't the only country with its own nuances that seem strange to outsiders.

28points

Leo Domitrix 3 years ago

Can we have a thread where people post what they find weird about their *own* countries? England, Germany, Ukraine, Italy, Thailand, Belize, whatever? Please? That'd be awy more interesting, to me.

Remi Flynne 3 years ago

If you start with what's weird in England we could be here a while (I'm English).

Mer☕️🧭☕️ 3 years ago

This is what I want to see. I want to know what other people find strange about their own countries, or even what non-natives find weird/different about countries other than America. Surely America isn't the only country in the world...

Javiera Gotelli 3 years ago

Yes!!!

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Foreigners Share 30 Of The Weirdest Things About The US That Americans Don’t Even Realize

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