Brit Reacts to Visit USA - 10 Culture Shocks Foreign Tourists Have When They Visit America
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.ค. 2023
- Checking out the 10 culture shocks for america
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No joke. I was in Home Depot today with a Scottish friend. She is here for a couple of weeks. We walked in and a lady asked if we needed any help, I said no, and we went on. About two aisles over a man asked if "we girls" needed any help. She about came unglued that he would assume we were helpless and he called us "girls". I laughed. We are in the South honey!! You're gonna be called sweetie, love, honey, baby, sweet pea, girl, you will have someone open your door for you, tip their hat for you. Stop cussing when you walk by, and they'll going ask you how you're doing and really care about your answer. It's just the way it is.
Bless her heart. 😂
Not only did you find an employee at a HD, you found TWO that even asked you if you needed help?!
😊 you@@UrbanGardeningWithD.A.Hanks14
Last time I went to Home Depot I couldn't find an employee to help me, but no problem. A fellow customer asked me if I needed help and he helped me find what I needed. Then I went to Office Depot and the same thing happened. I couldn't find an employee, but a fellow customer asked me if he could help me find what I needed. People really are friendly here!
@@mellie5899I have lost count of how many people I've helped find stuff at stores I don't work at. Lol
I was in NYC and needed to take a bus at grand central station to newark airport. When i got to the station there was about 30 buses lined up. I had no idea what bus to take. A young new yorker could tell i was confused and immediately offered assistance and took me to the correct bus.... Even in NYC you will find kind people 😊
yeah New Yorkers aren't all that bad, Bostonians on the other hand...
When I lived in San Francisco if you stopped on the street and pulled out a map I guarantee someone would stop and offer to give you directions. They might stop their car and roll down the window and ask if you need help.
Denver used to be such a friendly city. That’s all gone after the legalized pot.
I was and am always that kind person to help people out. Have to give back
@@impudentdomainBostonians scare me! And I’m from New Jersey!
There's another oddity I'd mention, is that often the poorer the state/city/community, the more generous they are. I'm sure that's not entirely unique to the US, but it's something to keep in mind if you're going to visit new friends in the US. Don't refuse their hospitality, but don't take it for granted either.
Very true cause eventually for me any way imma get upset and I'll be nice to a point but then I will explode and we won't he friends anymore lol
Facts about poor states being very generous. I think it's because we are more likely to actually know poor people
So true
@@1GorgeousGodzilla plus we know how it feels to be in need
I agree 1000%
As an American (born and raised in the USA) I can assure you that a lot of Americans (myself included) do not consider spray cheese in a can to actually be cheese. Cheese in a can is nothing more than imitation cheese.
Public Restrooms annoy me too.
Honestly it's not food at all. I think we should spray it on things for Halloween.
The cashier once carded my 70 year old mom for buying wine in the grocery store. She was so thrilled that she called me to tell me about it😂
Lol I'm 55 and got carded for cigarettes because they have to scan i.d.s. I told the clerk I was gonna tell everyone I know that I got carded 😊
I got asked if I was 18 yesterday. I'm 46. ❤❤❤❤ Unless you are / look that young, they only do it because they have to for their job but it makes your day.
@@katehaynes5735 in WV, an i.d. is needed to buy cigarettes no matter ur age. I personally love it. I'm 55 and telling Everyone I got carded lol
They card everyone here. I'm 72 and get carded every time I buy beer or cigs.
I’m over 60 and they card me for alcohol. It’s CYA.
I do have to say that having the space under the toilet comes in handy to pass toilet paper to the person next to you! 😂
Hahaha - okay, so that's the only good thing about it!
@@diane9247 they also are very handy for when, inevitably, some poor junkie goes in and has an O.D. people are more likely to see and call for help than if the walls went all the way to the floor. its annoying as all hell that you dont have privacy, but id take faster help in an emergency tbh.
And pads or tampons 😅
If George Michael had been in a British toilet he'd still have a singing career.
Yep! Can u spare a square?😂😂 good thing we're so friendly huh?!
My mom moved from England to Texas in the 60's. The first major shock was the weather. Back then, many did not have air conditioning. They stopped at my grandparents house which only had a swamp cooler. One of the cars had an air conditioner, so she would go on rides just to get some relief. People from the U.K. usually aren't prepared for the extreme heat in the south.
The US is more extreme in weather of all kinds, depending on where you're at.
New England winters are way more intense than what the UK experiences. Both in temperature and snowfall.
The south, especially the southwest, gets temperatures far higher than anything England will ever experience.
The southeast gets humidity that England doesn't experience. Making both their hots and colds unbearable.
And the Midwest gets a little bit of all of them together.
Plus tornadoes and hurricanes.
@@hole-sawbear1500
Hell. I’m from the south (south Louisiana) and have lived in the south for 6 decades and I’m still not prepared for it. 😂
It is very true that we are very friendly here in the U.S. We genuinely want to help. I work at a gas station/convince store, and I work the super early morning shift (3:30am to 11:30am). Even in the morning when I am super tired myself, I will greet all my customers with a smile and make sure that they get everything that they need. Most of the people who stop in early in the morning are regulars who are heading to work. They don't want an overly friendly cashier, but they also don't want someone who is rude and grumpy. I try not to be over the top, but I do make sure that they are taken care of so that their day doesn't have to start out so bad. 😅
I’ve driven across the country several times and the one rule I have is to eat in small hometown restaurants. The more cars in the parking lot, the better. Stay away from the chains.
Once you start venturing one or two blocks off the main path, that’s where you find America.
Nope tried it. We went halfway across and tried that. Unless you’re into greasy bland food it’s the most disgusting food I’ve ever eaten. The 4 children we had with us were not amused. If you think they’ll ‘eat if they’re hungry enough’ you’re wrong. They couldn’t gag it down and several times we were rewarded with children with diarrhea
I did once drove across Canada It’s even bigger. Mile after mile of nothing It’s actually hypnotic. Chain places will give you a predictable risk free meal but a local place will be an adventure I’ve been to places that are inedible and places that are out of this world with local cuisine.
@@debbylou5729 As opposed to the greasy shit you get at McDonald's?
@@hole-sawbear1500 ya know, I’ve never ordered the shit. I guess you did because you know it’s greasy
That is very true. And watch out for the water in some places. Don't drink tap water
Yes, the US restaurant portions are huge, BUT most people don't eat all that in one sitting. They'll either split it with someone else, or take the leftovers home to eat later. In most US restaurants, it's perfectly acceptable to ask for a to-go box, or a "doggie bag" as it's sometimes called.
My husband and i always take home roughly half our meals out. We're retired and eating huge meals until you're overfull is ridiculous. We sometimes get fish dinners at this bar and the table gets full of plates. Salad bar, bread sticks, full plate of hashbrowns , cole slaw and 2-3 big pieces of fried cod. Plus the drinks. Times 2 ! Yep, get me a take ou th box please !
@@kathybouziane5269 Yep, exactly!!
I almost always ask for a take home box.
My husband and I always split an appetizer, then have a couple bites of our meals to try it fresh and ask for to go boxes immediately lol
Only hicks take leftovers home from a restaurant -- so, so declassé
I’m in RI and I had jury duty at a Providence courthouse. It was middle of winter and I was lost. I just asked a man and he walked me all the way to the building. He was so nice to give me tips to navigate Providence and I was born here 😂
If you ever come to the US, you can combine two things at once - food and friendly people - by going to a Japanese steak house and having hibachi prepared food. First they seat you at a table with about 6 seats and if you aren't a party of six they just fill those seats with strangers. Then they cook the food right in front of you.
It's fun!
You won't just see American flags in people's yards here, you might also see a state flag as well as a college team flag, for instance in my area.
There're city and some neighborhood flags here, too. And a regional flag. And don't forget sports teams, not just colleges.
@@willcool713 Exactly, for sure. I was just speaking about my area specifically because we don't have a pro team or a huge city in the state so most people are state proud and college proud. But you're right with things like the DC flag, STL flag, or Chicago flag
Or a military flag from the different branches 😅
I'm in Missouri, you're gonna see a ton of American flags plus others in peoples yards here.
In Nashville you see a lot of Mexicans Ivan flags.
Each State is really its own country in *many* ways, so it's better to think of it that way, I think :)
That was the whole point. Even then it took a lot of arguing to join up. The electoral college was the result. You don’t get more power just because you have NYC, making ALL of the other states irrelevant
Relating to British being more often than not ' grumpy ' ...
Reminds me of being in London 2004 ... standing on the train platform in London ...
I looked up and saw like 4 layers of clouds ... one being dark grey ...
I spoke to a nearby guy asking if he thought it might rain ?
He said dispondantly , " No , it never rains it's always just like this ; overcast and miserable "
During the food part, he forgot to mention all-you-can-eat buffets.
Many of our Southern food traditions are hold-overs from when most of the South was rural, and working in the fields requires a lot of calories to keep you going all day.
Rural and POOR. So people had to really become creative to increase caloric intake. And it’s all so good!
For the 13th floor issue, most buildings simply just skip the number altogether. The floor immediately above the 11th floor is the 12th floor, and the floor immediately above the 12th floor is the 14th floor. This is how you sometimes end up with a hotel whose top floor is labeled as the 20th floor, yet from the outside of the building you can clearly count that the building has only 19 stories.
How friendly are Americans? VERY! I travel by myself and I've had a few friends/family ponder if I get lonely on the road. Nope! I always meet great people to hang out with:
Vero Beach, FL: at the resort I was staying at, i met a mother and daughter, who sold jewelry they hand made at one of the shops in the resort. I spent the week hanging out with them and the mother taught me how to bead (its been one of my passions for @12yrs now, bless her!). When my stay was up, they wanted me to visit longer and invited me to stay with them.
I had a great time talking to the young maintenance guy that week as well. After commenting on the iguanas, we discovered we both had reptiles as pets and had great conversation while he worked on the pool a couple afternoons.
Cape May, NJ: I stayed in a park model trailer in a campground nearby. The couple in the model next door were fantastic! We had several nights of sharing a campfire, great stories, campfire food and plenting of drinking. Lol.
Sapphire, NC: I met a young college girl at one of the local gem shops (they have rocks, mining, carved stone, fossils, etc). We both love natural stone jewelry. We couldn't coordinate schedules, but next time I'm in town, we plan to get together so i can teach her beading. Her name is June and we were both born in June. Lol.
I also met one of the receptionists at the resort, who (after chatting a while) told of the health problem she was going through and asked for prayers. I hope i get to see her again and that she's recovered.
Kissimmee, FL: I spent 4+ weeks at a weekly timeshare. Each week, as visitors came and went, I'd meet new people to hang out with. The mother with her 25 year old son - enjoying a vacation and rest from breast cancer treatments. The @10year old girl with her grandma. The elderly couple - Bonita (the wife) liked to read to me at poolside while I beaded and we swam a lot.
This is just a small list of the people I've enjoyed spending time with. Sometimes it's just spending an hour chatting with someone I've met at a park, sometimes it's people I've spent considerable more time with. But they're all genuinely friendly people and im thankful I met them.
Americans are so friendly, they'll say hello to you on the street!
We drive everywhere! We think nothing of driving five hours to see a football game or a concert!
We believe entire glasses of ice are necessary no matter the weather!
We don't wear coats until the temperatures hit freezing. We might wear a hoodie or a sweater, but coats are for cold and snow!
We have side dishes in restaurants. We get a main entree in the plate, but sides come on separate plates. Bread, salad, veggies, potatoes, beans etc....all on other plates.
The thing about the American people being friendly to strangers is what we just call "common courtesy." Or in other words, "Don't be a dick." When someone speaks to you in public, other than say a drunk or drugged out person, you generally and instinctively want to talk to them back. The fact that this action is scoffed at in most other places around the world is mind blowing to most Americans. It's like it should be a natural human instinct to reciprocate the conversation.
For a personal anecdote, I had a Filipino girlfriend online back in 2017/2018. Yes, she was real. We did video chats almost everyday. So in the Phillipines, there are strict Catholic and Muslim communities, and in order not to stir up trouble, people don't generally talk to one another out in public, because nobody knows who's who, right? So people just keep to themselves. But here in the States, we obviously do speak to "strangers." So I was out one day at our local SONIC car hop restaurant and the waitress asked me a question about something and I answered and we struck up a very brief and quick conversation. I told my gf about that encounter and she got very upset. Thought I was cheating on her because I talked with a female stranger. I just told her that it was common courtesy and whatnot, and I don't think it actually registered with her that it's just being nice. In fact, that sort of thing got so ridiculous with her, that I just started trolling her about it. We ended up breaking up at the end of 2018 because of stuff like that. Cultural differences and personal situations just snowballed to a point that the relationship kinda hit a brickwall and there was no point in continuing it. So I called it off in Dec 2018. I just said, "Look, this ain't working out, your plan on immigrating here is becoming untenable, which makes the whole relationship a waste of time for both of us." And my next point kinda goes along with one of the other points this video made. The size of the US, right? I live in the Midwest. About 120 miles SE of St. Louis, in SE Illinois. She told me that she was just wanting to move to somewhere in California to live with a childhood friend that had moved there many years prior. And so I'm thinking...what good is that gonna do me? It's 1840 miles from my house to San Francisco, 1650 to L.A. Without knowing where her friend lived, I can almost guarantee she lived close to one of those two cities. But besides that point, she thought that because we'd be in the same country, I could just swing on by her new place any time I wanted. I'm like "no hun, we're still 1700 miles apart." She had no concept of distances because she hates Maps and never looks at them to get her bearings as to where she is. She worked in Abu Dhabi as a migrant worker for most of the time we were together. And she thought we were only 1000 miles apart then. When in fact it was 7530 miles. She had no clue. She didn't know where shit was in relation to each other in her home country. She lived in a small town about 23 miles from down town Manilla. And I don't think she knew where it was on a map in relation to anything. The village name was Trece Martires. I would make references to places around there and she'd be like "I don't know." Crazy nuts. So it just got a point where I said, I'm done with this. We'd argue more than we'd talk cordially, so the relationship was doomed probably 6 months into it, but I held on for 18. Well anyway, see I worked in two plotpoints from this video into my personal story, so there ya go. 😅
Exactly.... My profile pick here is a guitar of mine and the sticker on it says ' don't be a dick'
Words to live by... for happy enjoyable existence
Actually, your girlfriend was a guy named Namu, from India. You might as well have been romancing a lamb in your barn, sheesh!
It doesn't sound like she would have adjusted well here as well as not trusted you. Good on you for moving on. Anyways, back to your main point, yes, it's just being polite and our culture in the US.
If you overdose or have a heart attack on the toilet, they need to be able to get you out, so there has to be enough room to either get someone in to you or pull you underneath the door to get you out. The space under the door and sides aren’t the problem, it’s the gaps around the door that you can stick your fingers through and people can see you that is the problem.
Only a perv would look, and they could get their ass kicked.
Also if the door jams for some reason and the fire alarm goes off - the door’s hinge doesn’t have to be functional in order for you to be able to exit in case of an emergency
I think it's easier for the staff to clean the floors, which is why the stalls are the way they are. The stalls aren't usually like that in high-end restaurants.
Man, I *love* living in America, but have to be honest, when I see your excitement about the USA, I feel pretty much the same way about the UK! Would *LOVE* to spend some time there!!
Re: ID in the US -- the law isn't just 'you have to be 21' -- the other side of the law applies to the vendor, and it's 'You must always check ID' - doesn't matter what the person looks like. I'm 57, and I still get my ID checked every time I buy beer. Every. Single. Time.
Yes, free chips and salsa with free soda refills. I usually fill up on those and pack my meal for lunch the next day
I can't understand how shocked people are that a person's shoes are visible in a public restroom! Europeans call Americans prudes for not being big on public nudity, yet they think seeing a person's feet in a restroom is shocking???
Good point!
Right?? Like you can't see them outside the bathroom lol
@@FourFish47 Yeah! This got me thinking about the 1800s and how it was scandalous if a woman showed her ankles!
You missed the point, there are spaces that EXIST in between the door where people may be able to see you sitting on the toilet and vice versa
@@sweetdulcesunshinenyc For someone to see in, they'd have to come up, press their eye against the crack. I've never seen anyone do that, ever.
In the US, in many places it doesn't just matter how old you are, if you want to buy alcohol, weed, tobacco, or many pharmaceuticals (OTC or prescription), you have to have a current, valid form of government issued ID, whether you're 18 or 81. In some places even spray paint and glues are controlled. Stores can be heavily sanctioned and bars can get shut down entirely if they don't comply. In this state, if they revoke a place's right to sell alcohol, it can be a two year process to get ot back. That will just flat close down bars and pubs.
yep and many of the point of sale devices HAVE to have the ID for the sale to even go through. I got carded for a lighter....wasn't smoking just wanted a lighter. And I'm over 50.
@@jeanettegirosky7735I work in a grocery store and we scan the back of id’s for everything from alcohol to cough syrup and we scan everyone.
Big fines also for the establishment and often times the clerk who sold them. They have undercover folks going around trying to buy alcohol or tobacco products too
Everything this guy said isn’t true. Between me and my relatives we have Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Connecticut New York, Georgia Toronto and Ottawa in Canada, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Utah. And that’s just me. Now we can add Tennessee, Kentucky, California and Indiana. These include different towns that are far from each other
@@debbylou5729 What who said isn't true?
I went to visit family in Belgium back in the 80's. My grandmother told my mom that she thought that I had a drinking problem because I had a drink EVERYWHERE! I had just turned sixteen. My mom said, "Leave her alone, she's not allowed to drink in the States." The family was shocked because there they are allowed to drink at fifteen when accompanied by an adult.
The 13th floor is often used for non residential purposed. Boiler room, maintenance offices/rooms, etc
As an American I never really thought about the gaps in the restroom doors? You're trained very early not to stare through the gap. At most it is a very unfocused passing glance to see if it is occupied. I actually prefer it. I somehow feel safer in a public restroom if I have some idea if it her stalls are occupied or not. I also really hate when someone knocks on the restroom door which doesn't happen when it is obviously occupied. It scares me every time 😮
There's a theory in linguistic psychology that the reason almost all swear words are related to either the bathroom or sex is because these are the times we are most vulnerable and therefore at the greatest risk. It's natural to react with high fear and agitation when anything intrudes at these times. A knock at the bathroom door may seem innocuous after the fact, but during the event it's a reminder that a possible threat is entering your personal space at a vulnerable time.
The reason for the gap is so that in case of a medical emergency, they can get you out quicker.
I'm an American, and it really bothers me. I feel exposed.
I just say “seat’s taken” when they knock
Just back from trip across pond and reminded that their public toilets are in fact little closets. Glad I am not claustrophobic.
I was totally shocked that in Spain in 1973 one had to leave a tip for a person that just sat in there to hand you a little bundle of toilet paper. In Scotland in 2016 one had to pay to go INTO the toilet. This was a total shock to me since in the US it is EXTREMELY rare to see a toilet with a coin collection box.
You can see restroom tip plates at events but that's because the person stationed there cleans the room throughout the day. Personally, I think the person who's keeping the toilets clean is the most important person in the store/business/public space, lol.
Pay toilets were common in the US but when I was young there was a big controversy over women having to pay and men not having to. That ended that.
I remember when we had pay toilets at some stores in Utah.
I’ve never seen a toilet in the US with any money collection anything, that’s ridiculous lol
@@amandataylor1166 I m 72. I absolutely know that in the late 50’s and 60’s in some public toilets there would be 1 or2 stalls that had a coin operated door. Don’t know why they did this. I NEVER was in a public toilet that had ALL the stalls with a coin operated door, but there were some that had 1 or 2. Generally in large public buildings. Family vacation to DC and NYC in 1960. That’s where I remember them for certain.
I’m American and was surprised by pay toilets in London. I was there last August and credit cards were favored over cash almost everywhere I went in England and Wales so this was not a pleasant surprise. Another observation: the first floor in America is usually the floor you walk in on. In England, all the hotels were ground floor and our 2nd floor was their 1st floor. And I kept calling the Lift an elevator, and using other terms that were puzzling ppl. 😆
I grew up on a family farm in Kentucky, not Deep South, but Southern. Most of the work was done by us, but for some things we did have extended family come in to help, aunt, uncles, and neighbors. We even occasionally hired help. What often shocks people is we would FEED all workers. I am not talking about a sandwich. Nope we cook massive amounts of food. A little before lunch time, several of the females would quit work to go cook. We always made at least three types of meat usually fried chicken, pork chops, and ham or roast. At least two potatoes dishes, usually mashed, fried, or stewed. Two types of fresh baked bread, usually biscuits and cornbread. Plus at least three veggies, green beans, corn, carrots, peas, whatever was ripe fresh from the garden. Dessert was usually a cake, a cobbler, pie, fried apples, depending on what was in season, at least two of these, sometimes all the above. Dessert was the only thing made the day before, the rest as cooked that day. Some days we cooked three meals for everyone working. Next day we would do it all again, but at someone else’s house.
That sounds like full day just cooking!!
@@user-pn3ly6sl1e it was a lot of cooking.
States started allowing right turns on red to help save gas (petrol) back in I think 1980s or maybe earlier. You have to treat a right turn on red like a stop sign, you have to come to a complete stop and if there's no traffic coming you can go instead of sitting idling waiting for the light to change.
Its always been that way here.
There are about a thousand videos of people touring Buc-ee's convenience stores and gas stations, which are found in Texas and a handful of other Southern United States. The reason Buc-ee's started to become famous was because of the absolutely beautiful, sparkling clean toilets. Seriously... they're now known for a lot more, but they got big because of their bathrooms.
and beaver nuggets, those things are addictive
LOL and the fact that they have over 100 gas pumps. We have tour busses that actually make stops at buccees. I can't leave a buccees without the nuggets, they are just too good. I love the jalapeño candy too!
As a Texan, Buc-ees has become a point of pride for us. it is a gas station from texas, where the state motto literally says "Everything's Bigger in Texas". you got your wawa and tim hortons. Hold my beer cause we got a gas station, with a Walmart inside. and you can sit directly on the toilet seats because we clean them after every use. Yeah. Buc-ees is a great place to stop if you wanna see what a Texas fairy tale come to life is. but ill be real. since they are only on the interstate freeways, the gas prices are crap. If you ever visit, you would do well to try one of their brisket sandwiches or tacos, the beaver nuggets, and some of their fresh made-in-house Beef Jerky.
Yes, the bathrooms are great, but are also very well known for their jerky. Not the packaged stuff. Buy it from the counter. It’s not cheap, but it’s so worth it.
For the sales tax, when you get used to your area, you can pretty accurately guess how much it's going to cost, rather well. I know I've gotten really accurate with it.
NOTE: There is a difference between "Hotel", "Motel" and "Extended Stay". Free refills are only available in Fast Food Restaurants unless you are having coffee or tea in a sit-down. Yes you can make a RT turn on a red UNLESS there is a sign that says "NO TURN ON RED" and sometimes the sign will say "YEALD ON RED", which means you can go RT as long as the cars going your same direction leave you an open space to do so. I am willing to bet that the cost of $1.00 +tax will get you flat soda. My 2 Pennies.
Most casual dining restaurants will have some sort of free food at the onset of the meal. It may be chips & salsa, bread & butter, cheese and crackers, soup etc. I’ve been to some local Italian restaurants before that served spaghetti with marinara for free as an introductory entree. I’ll even harshly judge a place if they don’t serve some sort of free food item prior to the meal 😂
This video is a few years old. It’s 21 to buy cigarettes now. If shops don’t ask for ID and they’re caught, they will be fined. The person working at the counter also can’t sell alcohol or cigarettes if they’re not 21. My daughter worked in a deli when she was 15. Someone wanted cigarettes, she got someone working who was over 18 to make the sale. Good thing, because the person buying the cigarettes was an undercover agent whose job it is to catch shops not following the rules.
In the US there is a federal minimum wage, which is really low (each State can regulate its own minimum wage but it can’t be lower than the federal minimum). Restaurant workers have a separate minimum wage which is even lower than the federal minimum. It is assumed their tips are going to make up for the low wage. While tipping is voluntary, we all do it unless the service is horrible because we are aware of the wages they receive.
In most of the US you can turn right at a red light unless there’s a sign posted forbidding it. You have to come to a full stop and make sure there’s no oncoming traffic before you go. However, if you’re visiting any of the 5 boroughs of New York City, right on red is illegal unless there’s signage permitting it.
The actual 13th floor is just labeled 14 in many buildings. It’s stupid. Some buildings might reserve the 13th floor as a mechanical floor so that no one lives or works there.
I think we are really friendly because we arent always in survival mode in general. For the most part we want to be entertained and we have found its even more fun to be entertaining and see people smile and be joyous. Its contagious.
For example i hear some of the cringest jokes from people and they will burst into tears of laughter cause they think it was so funny. And i end up laughing just as hard even though it wasnt so funny to me because i find it entertaining they are so entertained.
I doubt you’ll see this but a tip/reason for the ID strictness in the US is that some locations test venders to see if they’re checking and if they’re caught not checking, their business can be shutdown or heavily fined or both.
oh that makes sense, better safe to always ask then
Most videos don't mention this. But it's not just free refills that you can get. Alot of restaurants if you ask will give you a soda "To-Go" in a plastic or Styrofoam cup for FREE. Which is awesome as well.
True! I always ask for a to go cup to start with, then just get a refill before I leave.
Also, some times a restaurant will have all you can eat specials. Like will say all you can eat catfish on Friday nights. They will bring out more fish if you can eat it. I can usually only eat one portion, but my husband can usually eat more than that.
Another mention should be that state laws vary in many aspects. For example, marijuana is legal in California and several other states... but not everywhere. Check where you are!
My partner and I drove non-stop from Pittsburgh, PA to LasVegas, Nevada and it took 37 hours and I was sick for a day afterward.
My wife use to work in the service industry and relied on tips. I think her actual base pay/wage was between 2 and 3 dollars per hour, so tips were a lifeline and encouraged great service. Now, some of the more progressive restaurants are paying living wages.
The emphasis on his statement about ID'ing for cigarettes and alcohol was really on the part when he said you need look 40 not to be carded. I am a cashier at Walmart and that is accurate. If the customer looks younger than 40, even if they are obviously older than 21, we are required to ask for ID. We are also required to card anyone with the customer who looks less than 40 unless it is obviously their children. One last thing, a few years ago the minimum age to buy cigarettes in Florida was raised to 21.
If people understood the trouble the CASHIER gets into if they get caught selling to underage folks..not the STORE...the CASHIER. I'm not paying fines, getting fired and have to go to court for you to buy alcohol, so yeah...show me your ID. I carded EVERYONE with you too after midnight. I was young once too...I would tell them, now that you know what you want, go down the road and leave the underage in the car.
@@kimmycook2698the store actually gets the same fine as the cashier. However cashier only gets in trouble if they didnt id so if someone had a fake id it is actually not the cashiers job to check it isnt fake as that isnt in the law. But if the cashier knowingly did this it is a $10k fine to cashier and the store if i remember right for the fine amount and then the store gets audited and they can potentially suspend temporarily or permanently the stores ability to sell these products as well.
@@wolf2179 Foodmax told ALL cashiers, if you get caught-YOU will pay everything and be fired AND you will be kicked out of the union, so no free lawyer. They made it a point to remind us of that weekly. I carded just about everyone for that reason. If you bought a keg, i had to ID every person picking it up. The amount of times i was threatened,cussed out, attempted to be bribe, attempted to intimidate me into selling alcohol is THE reason I had to stop cashiering. 11-7 is the worst.
@@kimmycook2698 they may say that but they cant force an employee to pay a fine the store incurred. Law doesnt permit this at all barring some exceptions of course. As for firing yes a store can fire you for such things as is their right to do so because as i said in my previous comment it does jeopardize their license to sell those products. As for union stuff it depends on the rules you agreed to when joining said union in what permits them to do this or not. But unions are completely different beast all together lol
@@wolf2179 Our 'union' was just a front for corporate. They never really did anything, but you were entitled to a lawyer if you needed one. Foodmax did a lot of shady things...they tried to strongarm us into signing papers that said we had OSHA training when we had never. They often 'lost' your overtime pay. When Pepsi and coke did giveaways, our manager would just take the item and hide the box. Doesn't surprise me they lied about the ID thing.
Right turn on a red light is
an open turn all the time. You have to stop first and make sure no one is turning in front of you, then go.
The changing speed limits get me. It can be 55mph between towns, 35mph approaching a town, 25mph through town, then 35mph leaving town, then back up to 55mph. Or not Could be 45mph. Or 65mph. Ya never know till you see the sign.
I genuinly love your reactions. 😂 this stuff is so normal to me, I don't realize how abnormal it is for the rest of the world. I have friends from all over but we never discuss thess things haha
In the states, you get the minimum wage as a server ($7.25), if you make more than that in tips, then your wage drops to around $2/hr + tips.
24 hr Walmarts are not as common as they used to be since Covid. All the Walmarts in my area close at 11pm (2300). There are still 24 hr convenent stores and late niight restaurants. Speed limits are set by local governments and are usually well posted. If you use Google Maps gps it will tell you the speed limit and warn you if there is a speed trap.
In another video you commented about when bars close. This is usually set up by the county the bar is in or the State. I have seen laws from midnight to 5am. Used to live in an area that had after hours clubs that closed when the last person left (those are very rare). You just adjust the time you go out to when the bar closes. There are also ciunties that have laws that prohibit any alcohol sells or limit sells on Sundays. When and where you can buy alcohol varies greatly by your location.
Most know their metric system because we learn both imperial and metric at school. And not just liters of soda, but if you take medicine, all measurements are metric as well. Etc etc. We just know both 😊
Sciences and sports commonly use the metric system too. I worked at a cross country ski area and their races were always done in kilometers.
I worked at a pizza place that was know for its salads of all things. We were near a race track that hosted Europeans every 6 months. They would cone in and each order a large salad and a medium pizza. I asked if they were sure they wanted the large salad. Because they were 96oz salads as in about 8inches tall on a standard plate. The looks on their faces were great. Then it became kind of a small hazing thing for new drivers every 6 months.
Sounds like US pizza
Road speeds vary based mainly on the level of population in the area. Rural roads are usually 45-50 mph but break down to 35-40 in residential areas and 15 around schools. Right on red is convenient it works well as if there's a safe opportunity you can just go when there's an opening without obstructing other drivers. It only applies to the furthest right lane
It's also not allowed at some intersections because of crosswalks and other things that are felt to create a danger so you can't assume. Make sure there is no " no right on red" sign posted before you proceed as well.
I had a situation a few years ago where I had to drive from northern California to central Arkansas. Stopping for meals and gas, and nights in hotels, like a sane person, it's best to allow 4 days.
I have worked as a cocktail waitress and a bartender many years ago. While I only got $2.10 an hour earning $100 and up a night in tips was common. I loved tipping. It was much better than $3.35 or so an hour which was minimum wage back then. Tipping is not required although some restaurants will add 20% on your check (mainly finer restaurants).
My sister waited tables for years and easily averaged $20/hr when tips were factored. Minimum wage would have been devastating.
I waited tables when I was in college. We had to share a percentage of our reported tips to the bussing staff. On my first day there, one of the older waitresses let me know to never tell report more than $100 on my tips.
I’ve owned several restaurants in a tourist area and every time we discussed going to a salary for the waitstaff they balked. They could easily make more money with less responsibility than the management. Essentially a wait person can come in and be their own boss of their section and determine how much money they can make in a day. Then walk out with CASH. And no matter how many said that they claimed all of their tips (it was said with a knowing smile) they didn’t claim everything. So they were actually even making more money because they didn’t pay taxes on all of their income.
So no one ever wanted to become a salaried employee unless it was for a massive amount of money.
You can also turn left on a red light IF you are on a one-way street, turning left onto another one-way street.
In some areas kids can drive at 14, in rural areas.
One reason you were often greeted when you first walk into a store is not just to be friendly and helpful, but also to let you know that they are aware that you were there and it reduces theft.
Speeding tickets help smaller towns with their budgets. Clearly, an American thing, but I love driving all over to do things. It is not a thing to drive 3 hours one way just to go leaf-peeping in fall, have lunch and go back home. Carding is a thing. I am on Medicare and still get carded when I order a drink. I just laugh and thank the server for the compliment. Our food is amazing. Visit the smaller independent restaurants for good food---locals have no problem giving the low down. Servers get paid crap hourly b/c tips are supposed to make up the difference. Totally agree with the presenter about hotels. Before Covid, I travelled a lot for work--and the upscale places were a major rip off. Nowadays when I travel, I will do the mid level hotels just to get a set price (there is a tourist tax, usually) and all the fun things that feel fun b/c you are not forced to pay for them whether you use it or not. When you come to the States, just pick a region to visit and soak up the flavor. Just too hectic to try to cram it all in one go.
17:10 Lewis realizing he wouldn't have to bankrupt himself in America with his coke addiction.
When I was a kid (in America) I always carried dimes in my penny loafers. Toilets were a dime, a phone call was a dime, and you could get a Coke and a Snickers for a dime. But why would a kid pay a dime for the toilet when a kid can just slip under the door?
I'm American and I've NEVER had canned cheese. And I never see anyone else eating it. The reason that you don't have the price with the tax added in is because every state, and often every county has different taxes, so that's why they couldn't ship the products to the stores across the country with the tax added to the price tag. These days we could.
Waiters get wages, but they are lower because they can make a LOT in tips. Most of us have some knowledge of the French(metric) system because we work on our own cars, and if you have an import from anywhere, you'll be using metric wrenches. The bathroom stall doors are so high up in case of medical emergencies. The "Right on Red" laws are different per state, and you can only do it if no cars are coming from that direction.
I think it's nice to have large portion sizes. Visitors and everyone can always ask for a doggy bag/container
if you're at a restaurant and have leftovers. Hotel rooms have microwaves so that works out.
It would help save money on food too. I don't know how it works since I've never done it, but there's
always Uber and there's taxis of course.
I only check for feet to see if someone is in a stall since I don't want to walk in on someone. No one here
looks through the cracks or cares. Besides chips (our chips not yours) rolls are free in restaurants as well.
24 hour shops are only in the big cities. I live in a suburb in the metro area of Milwaukee and most stores close
at 10 PM here. There is one restaurant Topper's Pizza that's open to 2 or 3 AM but that's uncommon.
24 hour shops in rural US are much less common since the pandemic due to labor shortages, in my town we had a 24 hour Wal-Mart that opened in the early 1990's and stayed open every day except Christmas until the Pandemic, since then it had been open 7am-10 pm, or even shorter hours, until just a few weeks ago when they expanded the hours to 6am-11pm
#4: It is traditional for waitpersons in the US to make a significant portion of their income from tips. Some restaurants will pool all the tip monies collected during a shift and portion them out to the waitstaff, others will make sure your waitperson gets your tip. Sometimes you will see a tip jar for the bartender or kitchen staff. Anything above 20% is considered appropriate for excellent service.
I flew into la Guardia airport with a 6 wk old baby, before cellphones, and the gate attendants insisted on getting me a ride to baggage claim. The gentleman (younger thsn me) helped me get the bags, helped look for my sister and stayed with me for about half an hour. Baggage claim desk took over let me call her and gave me comfy seat in their lounge so I could nurse my son even ordered me lunch.
My sister had gotten tied up in traffic due a bad accident and was hours late yet the entire time they fed me, entertained me and cuddled with my son.
When I flew out 2 weeks later the gentleman that carted us around found me with a load of gifts for my son from all those wonderful people that helped me on my arrival and drove us to the gate. He actually remembered my flight time!
Say what you will about Americans but there truly are amazing people here.
It takes us 26 hours from New York down to Tampa. That's hitting all the traffic that's stopping for food or bathroom. And of course you just can't do that straight. So you will stop for the night
Waiters and waitresses usually get about 2:35 or so per hour and everything else is from tips.
Also, you can take a ride on red light but you cannot take a right on a red arrow. And if it's a one way going left, you can take a left on a red at least here in Florida
Servers get wages, just not good wages. The sales taxes, those taxes are used to support schools, road work, and orher projects in the city, county, or state...not just to confuse visitors.
The right turn on red (after stop) originated in California in the 1970’s as a fuel saving measure. They called it the California Stop. It eventually spread to all of the US. There’s a trade off safety-wise for pedestrians, but people drive much more than they walk in the US so it’s considered a time-saver. A driver would be likely be held liable if a mistake results in an accident.
Arizona had a right on red in 1958, my mom was astonished by it so I remember.
A California stop is now known as a rolling stop, which is illegal
I actually missed a point on my driver's test by doing this. And yes, the dmv guy called it a California stop while chastising me 🤦♀️
Right on red is different than a california stop.
No, the California stop is rolling through a stop sign without coming to a complete stop; not a right turn on red. A right turn on red is literally just stopping at red and then turning right when the road is clear.
@@Mystery13x and to add, you can only turn right on red when youre in the farthest right lane.
We also have free refill restaurants called all you can eat buffets. The most popular is The Golden Corral chain. Other restaurants sometimes offer free refills on certain items. The Olive Garden is a chain that offers unlimited soup and salad if you order it. The burger chain Red Robin gives you unlimited fries (chips); you pay for them though because the burger, fries and drink are $20 when including tax and a tip. Red Lobster sometimes has seasonal all you can eat options like all you can eat shrimp.
I love your reactions 😂 I from Dominican Republic 🇩🇴 and moved to the US in 2011 I always complain about preferring my country, but watching these videos make me appreciate my experience here in the US
Restaurants servers and bartenders are paid by the restaurant but it's very little. Most of their money comes from tips. Yes, the 2 liter soda is much less expensive than, let's say, a 20 ounce bottle, which can cost about $2.50 or more.
The metric system thing is absolute BS. Most Americans are familiar with the metric system as we are taught it in school and almost exclusively used in our sciences with very few exceptions. Foreigners won't really encounter the situations because it's almost entirely used in academia or the field of science. That's not to say most Americans know conversions off the top their heads, and you won't see many things measured in metric, but most adults have a rough understanding with approximate conversions
That’s true. It’s not that hard to figure out how many liters go into a gallon. It’s not so much of an obstacle as it used to be, especially now that we all carry calculators in our pockets and we have complete access to google.
I'm a nurse and we use metric for everything. But all Americans use it for meds. All prescriptions and over the counter medications are in metric.
No....i pretty much suck at converting to metric. But I'm dumb at math so...
Also, we I have all you can eat buffets too. And by the way, we don't always just sit and eat and eat and eat at the buffet. When I go to a buffet, I eat a salad, a main dish, and a dessert. But we can go back for seconds if we want to. Lol.
You're on the right track think about the US states as different countries, but I would say that even within states and also regions the cross state boundaries you have different countries/cultures. Hey, we have 330 million people and there is no such thing as a typical American (or worse an "American accent"--any more than there is a British accent--this guy, Erik Singer is a linguist and accent specialist and his video on American accents are outstanding--here is part 1 of 2: th-cam.com/video/H1KP4ztKK0A/w-d-xo.html)
We have a minimum wage in the US(there is a federal base of 7.25 hr but some states have made theirs higher) but many service industries(wait staff, bartenders, etc) their employers have a "cheat" to get to pay them less. The restaurant will pay their cooks minimum wage but their wait staff will be paid like 2.50hr plus tips. If they get less tips than it would average out to the minimum wage, then the restaurant has to pay the difference. If a waiter is constantly not making enough to bridge that gap, usually they will be let go. Most waiter/waitresses end up averaging anywhere from twice to three times minimum wage with their tips but that requires them to work much harder than your average UK wait staff.
Also, service staff are taxed as if you tipped them, so if you stiff them they are paying out of their pocket for the privilege of waiting on you.
@@giannablack5770 You clearly have no idea of what you are posting.
@@rosieohdonald1364 Tips are treated as taxable income (at least in Nebraska). At the end of their shift, the servers count out their tips in front of the manager or shift supervisor. The taxes are then taken out of the wages. This often leaves the server with a pay check of zero dollars and zero cents.🤓
More polite here also.
Also, when I was getting tips I'd only report 1/2 my tips as wages and the other 1/2 would be tax free. You can pretty much get away with that as long as you report enough that it brings you over the min. wage. That was 30 years ago and I haven't had another job like that so I don't know if they do that now or if it was even common, could be something I just did.
For the most part, speed limits on roads don't change dynamically (except school zones during student drop off and pick up times and the occasional accident or roadwork), he's talking about more like how you'll be going down a road that goes through urban, suburban, and rural areas, and in the urban part the limit may be 35 miles per hour, the suburbs it might rise to 45 mph, and in the rural areas it may reach 55 mph. I live in Houston and a lot of our major roads, especially as you get away from downtown, used to be old farm-to-market routes, so that's kind of how those things happen. Also they may permanently lower the speed limit on stretches of road where a lot of accidents happen, for safety reasons.
And for the 13th floor, nah they usually just change the numbering. Just goes from floor 12 to floor 14, no empty floor in the middle.
Yeah I shocked my friend from Scotland when she was here. I turned right on red and she's like "what thr he'll are you doing" so there's a reason for it. In the 1970s, there was an oil shortage in the US. So they implemented turning right on red to avoid cars idling and wasting gas at stoplights. Still have to wait on a left turn since we drive on the right but yeah that's the reason. And they never really changed the law back.
Older people learned on stick shifts, now 99% of cars are automatic. Especially in areas that are mountainous stick shifts are difficult. I’ve seen people burn out their clutch trying to parallel park in San Francisco
Stick shifts are easy anywhere. Everyone I know can drive a stick. If you can't manage the hills then you shouldn't be driving anyway.
Hotels in the US can generally be categorized into 3 tiers, budget, mid-rang and luxury, unless you are on a tight budget stay away from the budget hotels, and even if on a tight budget completely stay away from the budget hotels in larger cities (a clue that you have walked into a budget hotel in a larger city is the check in desk will be behind bullet proof glass). Popular brands of budget hotels are Motel 6, Super 8, Sleep Inn (these are built as no frill hotels), also in the budget category are Quality Inn, Rodeway Inn, Travel Lodge (there are generally older rebranded properties that may have started life 30-50 years ago as a mid range hotel). Crime, prostitution, and drug use seems to be much more rampant at these budget chains. The exception here may be if you are in a remote small town that only has a budget brand motel.
Mid range hotels to consider are Holiday Inn Express, Double Tree, Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn, La Quinta, Days Inn, Best Western, plus various smaller chains
A good rule of thumb to find a mid range hotel in the US is to see if they advertise having free self serve breakfast, if they do chances are they are mid range hotel, though the quality of the free breakfast will vary, in some places it is just juice, cereal, and pre-made packaged pastries. The better ones will also have warm food options in a buffet area such as sausage, scrambled eggs, self service waffle iron stations, toast, bagels, etc.
Love watching your videos!!! ❤
Oh another thing about free refills are a lot of the restaurants in the south will actually ask you if you want a to go drink when you get ready to leave! I grew up in the north and this was mind blowing when I moved south! So awesome!
As far as public transportation in the US, my favorite has to be the Washington DC Metro. Now, it's been years since I've been there, but it used to be clean, quick, efficient. Rumor was that it was funded directly by US Congress, since so many of them use it a lot. Don't know if that's true or not, but better than most places.
I would like you to try Southern iced sweet tea. It's quite refreshing. I moved from Tucson to Tulsa, and what a freaking culture shock.
Someone commented on another TH-cam channel the reason our public toilets have gaps in the doorway. He said his father was a paramedic and firefighter. The doors are made so that in an emergency they can get a sick or a person who has died out by using a tool to unlock the door from the outside. Or if they can’t do that, they can pull the person out under the door. I’ve noticed now that some bathroom doors don’t have the gap in the doorway.
In downtown Houston, you can take a left on red on a one way street, but near the train and bike lanes no right on red. And we also have an In and Out Burger, and they have 2 lanes wrapping around the parking lot of HEB, and right across the freeway is a Whataburger.
2:01 thats actually one of my most favorite paintings ever. It's Washington Crossing the Delaware before his victory at Trenton. You'll find its quite popular in formal settings in the US.
Having seen it's image in print hundreds of times I was shocked when I finally saw it at how big the actual painting was.
@@marthapackard8649 I love it. It's such an iconic painting and while it seems relatively unknown by most people it's one of those distinctly American paintings I feel.
@@jamesturner9651 Absolutely!
Four (4) Time Zones (for Lower 48 states), Canada has one more (5) Atlantic.
It’s soooo regional. I recently moved to a little town near Seattle called Duvall (you’re welcome to visit anytime; we have a guest loft), and nobody in Seattle pronounces the town the way that people in Duvall do. It actually took me a while to be able to pronounce it properly. Normies call it Do-VALL, but if you pronounce it that way, you’re a foreigner (which is okay, but they treat you different). The emphasis needs to be on the first syllable, which was not natural to me: DOOO-vall. You’re not welcome to visit until you’ve mastered this.
Tipping in the U.S. really started during prohibition. Many restaurants used to serve alcohol, and when alcohol was banned, restaurants lost a lot of their income. So much so, that they were afraid they wouldn't be able to pay their wait staff. Many restaurant owners noticed that patrons sometimes thanked the waitresses by giving them a tip. So, restaurants started cutting the pay to the wait staff, encouraging them to earn their tips. When prohibition ended, however, restaurants realized that they could continue this practice, because the wait staff was earning enough just in tips. When FDR passed the minimum wage law, restaurants lobbied for a lower federal minimum wage for servers, and it has stuck ever since. The federal minimum wage right now is $7.25/hour, but the minimum for servers is about $2.15/hour, which hasn't increased since the 90s. However, in the 90s, people were expected to tip around 10% of their bill, while now we're expected to tip around 20%. Honestly, a lot of our financial oddities can be traced back to either prohibition or minimum wage.
The gap in the public toilets is getting to be the most exaggerated thing from others. The gap is an inch and who wants to look into a stall and you can't see anything. And seeing someone's shoes or feet is not exactly earthshaking.
The salaries for a restaurant servers is almost nothing. They depend on their tips. I always say, if you can’t afford to tip, you can’t afford to eat there.
I think the public toilet stall gaps are for security.
I just found your channel! You're expressions are cracking me up 😂😂😂
The two liter pops/sodas are now about $2-3 each. In most places, you can't turn right on a red light anymore. Speed limits do change on expressway, highways and city streets. Google maps can help with that.
Here's how my mom used to worry about buying items and making sure she had enough money. She would first know how much she wanted to spend.
Mom: Okay, I got $200.
She would keep in her head how much the items kept totaling up to. Say she would pick something up that was $2.37, she would count this as $2.50. Then her next item would be $5.54, this would be $5.50. Now she would say, I'm up to $8.00. She wouldn't exceed $175, hoping the tax wouldn't throw her over $200.
Also, there wouldn't be many places for you to buy alcohol or tobacco products in the US without an ID... looking as young as you do.
Legally speaking, there is not a single establishment in the U.S. that would sell him alcohol or tobacco without ID. If you serve alcohol or sell tobacco, the law requires you to card anyone who you believe to be under 40 years old.
@@vinchinzo594, At a convenience store here where I live, I bought cigarettes all the time without an ID throughout my 30's.
In Europe, If you can't see a person's feet at a bathroom stall how do you know if it's occupied or not? Do you knock? Do you jiggle the handle? Do you say hello, is anybody in there?! 😂😅😆
Yes! Seriously. The gap that freaks everyone out is so weird to me. No one actually looks in there. What kind of weirdo would? Even if you looked you couldn't really see anything. There are multiple reasons why that gap is helpful. It's safer, it is easier to clean and you can tell it's occupied without having to knock or try the door.
Another note I’ll give you is the reasoning for the lack of privacy in the bottom of public toilets. It’s for safety. It makes sure 1. You can’t get stuck inside accidentally, 2. If someone is checking for you they can see you’re in a stall, 3. If you collapse it’s easier to rescue you.
In Massachusetts, you get carded no matter what your age. Also there is a TH-cam video set in Boston where the directions are all Dunkin' Donuts locations. We do like our Dunkin'
5:25 you know thats funny when I was in London the Aussie couple was asking me for directions and what certain buildings were. Guess they were tired of asking grump Brits :P
i haven't seen 2L coke for a $1 in about 3yrs
This video is a few years old, $1 2L drink is either pre pandemic prices, or a cheap off brand cola.
@@MrPenguinLife it is not off brand and it was def 2020 and maybe early 2012
Needed a toilet in the UK. Some1 seems to point it out across 2 fast moving streets. Public bathroom was underground, only accessible through the neutral ground in the middle! Surprising experience!
Love your channel and look forward to your videos. The point he made about culture and cultures is accurate. I live in a small town of about 7,000. There are three languages spoken here and along with that we get to enjoy the holidays, food, etc., of each culture. It's considered rude to say we have no culture because it's not true at all. However, it is true most of us are pretty friendly and try to be helpful because we want you to leave with a good impression of our country, and we genuinely enjoy visiting with others.
The public toilet gap is a safety measure, supposedly, so you can't be trapped inside without a means of escape. I think it has to do with fire codes, mostly, but it's as a security measure, too, I suspect. Americans have psychopathic levels of freedom and autonomy, so there's always somebody testing the limits in public.
Kids lock themselves in by mistake.. as a mom I loved the cracks
It started that way back in the day because a store owner didn't want customers to linger in the bathroom, so he made it as uncomfortable as possible. Other store owners copied him, and here we are today.