Americans are very friendly and they will shake your hand and they will hug people that they know. He was not talking about that, he was talking about standing too close to somebody. Americans usually stay at least probably 4 ft 5 ft away from someone whereas if you get too close to us like 1 ft away or even 2 ft away we don't like that. We feel like you're in our space. That's what he was talking about.
@@stevegibson7464 I'm in the Northeast and everybody is extremely friendly, people shake hands and hug people they know and smile. But I'm not in a big city like Boston or New York where it may be somewhat standoffish.
I think in some cultures ,Britain included, it's unnatural to hug someone you don't know and stand close to them. America is no different . Friends and family ,yes ,but for all we know a stranger could have a disease or be a serial killer 😂
- Greyhound is actually a private company that provides inter-city (between cities) routes only. - Also be sure not to say you want to "hire" a car in the US. That means you want a fancy car with a private chauffeur to drive you around. You have to say "rent" to just get a car to drive yourself.
Tipping: In America we have all grown up with the idea of tipping. It's just a part of our society. That being said, the wait staff fully understands that their tip depends a lot on their attitude towards their job and the customers. If you want to make our dining experience a nightmare that's fine, but you just lost a tip and most likely my next order will be to see the manager. Never feel awkward when it comes to tipping. And never feel guilty. If you had a nice meal and the wait staff was friendly, 15 to 20%.
It depends where you are too. There's a reason there is so much pushback on the credit card readers that want you to tip. we don't tip at fast food restaurants. we tip at sit down restaurants where we're actually getting service, and tipping is based on the quality of service. And yeah - i've had service that was utterly atrocious on multiple occasions.
@@kristend344 Yep I've had amazing service and I've truly had the nightmare service. Sometimes you just draw the wild card that day I guess LOL. Nothing you can do about it just move on.
I am an American who hates tipping. I bought a meal. It already cost an arm and leg. Bring the food to me and leave me alone. Spit in my food and get sued or charged. Luckily I eat 99 percent of the time at home . . . where it is cheaper and better food under my control.
It's interesting that tipping actually started in Europe. In 17th Century taverns in England, patrons would tip for prompt service. Visiting Americans brought the custom home.
I agree, I have no problem leaving a tip. But the amount I leave depends on how much the server does. If they just do the bare minimum then they don't get anything.
They used to let staff at liquor stores police themselves when it came to determining whether people were old enough. The problem was they just basically ignored the law. So the police started hiring high school students to be secret shoppers. If they could get anyone to sell to them, that store got fined, and they wouldn't tell them who the secret shopper was. Get enough fines, and they'd take away the store's liquor license entirely. Now they hire older people to be secret shoppers to check if stores are checking ID as directed.
I am 74 and I get tickled when they ask for ID and they usually apologize for having to ask. I tell them don't apologize, I consider it a compliment, lol. Now to see Mom back on the reactions. Grandmas are special and amazing! I have 16 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren with another on the way.
You can smoke almost anywhere outside of the United States. I do outside anywhere I can smoke in my state. Also we can smoke in most casinos in the smoking area which is actually bigger than a non-smoking area
Holiday Inn Express rocks. Dog friendly, free breakfast, free wifi, free pool/hot tub with free towels, free parking, free ICE. Upon request, you can also get a toothbrush/toothpaste and a mini shaving kit.
Ya, big cities have great public transportation . . but with so many states and the size of the country . . it certainly makes it more difficult . . we have AmTrak Train - which goes across the country - but it's not quick transportation it's vacation transportation or to get from one state to another in no hurry! LOL
Most American cities DO have a bus system, but some of the routes might run only once every 45 minutes or once per hour. It's just very inconvenient if you have to get off and transfer in a residential neighborhood; then have to stand there and wait 30 minutes or more for the next bus, (especially if it's 10° F, or pouring rain. and there's no shelter) . Plus, you might have to walk 8 blocks after you get off the bus, to really get where you're going. You can smoke cigarettes, but usually only outdoors, and often in designated areas, (for example, "No smoking within 25 feet of building").
And LA does have a subway system. It goes from the ocean the downtown, Long Beach and even to Orange County. The only part it doesn’t serve well is the Beverly Hills and Fairfax area. Now when you get there you may need a ride! But still it beats sitting in a car driving if you don’t drive .
@@mocrg Exactly I Hope the Beesley's check out the public transport systems before they arrive, I think it would help them a lot if they don't want to drive their car rental, everywhere, I mean gas can be costly here in LA. depending on where they stay.
When he was talking about public transportation, he specifically said that large cities in the USA do have public transportation for around the city, such as city buses, sometimes trains, etc. Greyhound buses will take people from one city or town to another, but only on specific routes. There are also train routes, such as Amtrak, that go between cities, but again on specific routes, and usually don't stop in rural areas. There are also commuter trains in some areas, to take people from the suburbs into large cities for work and back home again in the evening. If you go to more rural areas or small towns that are not next to a large city, then public transportation usually does not exist.
That said, I live in Los Angeles and you don't want to arrive at night to the Greyhound bus station, it can be dangerous. So if you take Greyhound or any bus, make sure you are arriving in daylight if the city is big or the station is in a bad area.
Not skipping out on the local food is huge for me. I tend to avoid chain restaurants anyways, but especially so on vacations. Sure, I'll hit a Burger King or something really quick for lunch when we're doing a full day of travel, but once we're at the destination it's 100% locally owned small restaurants. From lobster in Maine, to fresh fish in Florida. From Mexican food in Arizona to BBQ in North Carolina and Tennessee... And I'm sure you could get plenty of recommendations for each and every state. There's far too many good things to eat to be spending time at Applebee's or whatever. Of course that may be different for a foreign TH-camr looking to make globally relatable videos, but I'd be miserable if that's how i had to eat on vacation.
Yes. Definitely ask for where the locals eat, but also ask when is the best time to go. Going to a local diner at 11am on a Saturday or Sunday or a restaurant in the theater district on Friday at 6 is going to mean a long wait. I am lucky that I live in Baltimore and there are local restaurants that specialize in Afghan food, Indian food, BbQ, Thai food, Greek food, obviously lots of seafood places. There is growing section of the city with Latin American immigrants but not much of a Latin American food scene yet.
When I was still a little kid on our summer family vacations (advantage of both parents working for public school system -- our summer vacation times coincided!), we used to eat at fast food places, because that's what my mom knew I would eat. As I got older, we started eating more locally. A restaurant I fondly remember from somewhere in New England, sometime in the mid 1970s, had a dock in back where fishing boats dropped off their catch!
I tip Valet, Server, Hairdresser, Nail Tech, Bartender. Anyone else asking for a tip, which seems to have become a trend at smaller retail businesses and coffee shops, doesn't get one. Don't think that because the machine asks if you would like to tip that you have to tip.
Bless you! I hope you’re enjoying your new grandson! My first was a boy as well and I was so excited! The time has gone by so fast..he’s already 12 and I’m up to 7 grandchildren and one great-grand baby!
I don't know about the entire country but where I am in Ohio the conversation goes like this: Me : I'm going to visit my parents this weekend. You: Nice, how far away do they live? Me: About 4 to 4 and 1/2 hours. Distance is more often given in time than mileage.
It is also worth mentioning that there are many immigrant and refugee communities throughout the U.S., as well. Most states will have areas where English may be a second language, or where the young people speak English but their parents do not. There are many more cultures in the U.S. than people realize.
Going to add to this- there are states where there are "dry counties"- this means they do NOT sell alcohol at all in the county, and if you want it, you need to travel outside the dry counties to purchase it. We found this out when vacationing in Arkansas.
The United States is 38 times bigger than the UK. You can fit 38 UK's in the USA. So how can we possibly have public transportation from coast to coast which is 3000 miles across the same size of all of Europe. USA has a lot of wilderness.
Well if you took any kind of US history class you'd know that we had public transportation that got killed by the auto industry so they could sell more cars. We had really good public transportation, and there's no reason we can't have it again.
@@warriyorcatI call B.S. Before cars were a few trains (now used for cargo transport) and the horse and buggy. Cars actually increased travel over long distances for almost everyone. The freeway system didn't exist until around WWII for easier military transportation, but was made use of by the public. If anything, planes took over from trains for public transportation. You need to ask for your educational money back.
@@n.d.m.515The American city that I live in had an extensive public transit system before automobiles became widely used - you might want to research a bit more. The streetcar system began in the 1870s and were first pulled by horses on tracks. Later, electric streetcars became in use. The last streetcar - the Council Crest line - ran until 1952. Luckily, the city still has an extensive public system with rail, streetcars (snazzy new ones), and buses. But it has had to be rebuilt over the last 30 years or so - something many American cities (in less ‘enlightened’ areas) are only just now starting.
@@pacmanc8103 you are talking about one city among thousands of towns and cities across thousands of miles. The kind of transportation system implied by the "educated one" never existed.
I've been in stores when a young person was with a person who had ID showing he was over 21. They look at the selection, both go outside, the person with ID goes back in grabs the stuff, and the cashier won't sell unless the other person comes in and shows ID.
Just a few words of advice. Visiting anywhere in the Southern US during summer is not a great idea, sorry to say. Especially for Europeans who are not accustomed to the intense heat and humidity. My sister and I took all our kids to Disney one year in late May. We live in Florida and went often. We were tired of paying $129 bucks for a soda every time the kids got thirsty (ok I'm exaggeting a bit!🤣🤣) just to watch them take a couple sips and then toss the drink. So for our 2nd day there (we stayed 5 days) I went to the grocery store and purchased juice boxes/juice bags (Capri Suns) and froze them the night before. The next day we were in line for a ride and there was a couple in front of us from the UK, with their adorable little girl. (About 4) She kept crying and begging for a drink. The temperature was well into the 90's and it was still May!!!😳 The mom kept telling the girl that if they got out of line to get a drink, they would have to wait in line all over again and we were almost at the front of the line after an hour wait! But the little girl cried harder. So I pulled 2 juice boxes out of my bag and handed them to the mom and she had tears in her eyes! She must have thanked me 10 times! She explained they were from the UK and had NO IDEA it would be so hot here. But anyway that girl sucked down an entire juice box in like 20 seconds! 😅 Poor tot. But my point is, if you are dead set on visiting the South in summer, please stay hydrated and know that it will not be a whole lot of fun for little Archie!! 😬😉 Wishing you safe travels and a fun time on your trip! 💙❤🩵😃
ok about the "how are you?" thing. Its true. I say "do'n all right?" and they say "Doing all right." Sometimes a fellow southerner will respond "doing alright thanks. You doing alright?" yeah im doin all right...just put my momma 6 ft under this morning.....so there is a code. If they simply say how are you...they are not willing to engage. If they say thanks or point the question back at you, that means they are willing to engage in conversation. THEN you can spill your whole life story. lolol Its true. The South is where you will find people willing to listen until they have to go. No one else cares.
My city, Seattle, has a fairly good bus system, with good bus service nearly everywhere. A light rapid rail train runs from the Airport to downtown, the University of Washington, and a few other neighborhoods.
Wolter's World always has pretty good info. He is right about people having a 3' foot bubble around them. If you stand too close to a stranger they will take a step back or say something. But if they are friends or even your subscribers, they would probably shake your hand or give you a hug. I always mention this, if you ask someone how far it is from A to B, they might not tell you in miles, but hours or minutes. It's because there are other things that may affect your drive: traffic, weather, sights or events. Tipping is a thing here, think of the waiter as your own personal tour guide. They should be friendly, show you around the menu, point out any specials not on the menu, be attentative to your needs while also helping other customers. In the past I have given everything from a penny for absolutely horrendous service and attitude, to $500 for stellar service, excellent menu recommendation, free alcoholic drinks and appetizer. Yes public transportation is pretty bad out here, most of the metropolitan areas will have bus/Uber/Lyft service, but once outside of those areas you are better renting a vehicle to get around.
I drove 10 hrs from eastern NY to western OHIO picked up a compact tractor and drove back no stops other than gas and bathroom. Most days I drive 3-4 hrs each way while at work. Over 100,000 miles last year
"We drive straight through" I lived in Montana for 12 years. It was 1,067 miles to Illinois. When I had a chance to drive to Illinois I drove straight through- 16 hours. I did it more than 50 times.
Do all of your shopping in New Hampshire, we don't have sales tax. In New England, we usually give distance in hours not milage. I couldn't tell you how many miles it is to my parents house but I know it's about 2 hours. 14m 24s the New Hampshire state house in Concord. That's about 5 miles/8km from my house.
Hi Neighbor, I live in Vermont, Walmart here had a CD , I had been looking for, it was $24.99 plus tax, I went to NH to buy in, I saved over $20.00 in taxes going to NH at Walmart and Market Basket.
I live about 40 minutes fromMystic, Connecticut. He’s fairly accurate on most points, but I do find Americans very friendly. Maybe not touchy with strangers, but definitely friendly. 😉
Yes, buy travel medical insurance when visiting > anywhere < away from the place you live. Your NHS health insurance may cover you in Europe but not anywhere else.
My wife and I went to a local restaurant the other day and I noticed that we paid a State sales tax, a City sales tax and a County sales tax. Total is was around $2.50 added to the bill.
I would recommend going to Florida to want ever city you choose and then renting a car and driving to the Florida Keys on Highway 1 ..It is very scenic and looks pristine
It depends where you are. The Seattle area for instance, has an extensive bus system, link light rail which is partially underground and partially above ground, the monorail, street cars, the commuter train, AmTrak for longer train trips, and because many of the surrounding cities and towns are on islands and peninsulas, we have ferries which are auto/passenger and the fast ferries which are passenger only. San Francisco has similar systems.
Tipping in Texas is a must. A lot of servers only get $2.13 per hour because they are expected to get tips to make up the difference. Some restaurants pay better wages but you never know who they are. So tip at sit dowwn restaurants and coffee shops.
Greyhound is a “coach” company for cross country travel. Most “big” cities have a decent, albeit not great, bus network to navigate the city and more larger cities (New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Phoenix) have some type of train system.
I am 78 years old. Tipping has gotten way out of hand here in my lifetime. People now tip for services no one tipped for when I was young. For example, when fast food first appeared, no one tipped at those places. Also, one didn't normally tip at a bar except at the end of an evening after a few drinks, a small tip might be left. Tipping was not ubiquitous when I was young, was optional, and tips were generally smaller.
I usually tip the standard 15%. If I get excellent service with the wait staff going out of their way to be super friendly and helpful, I tip extra. I've given wait staff $20 for a $10 meal. If the waiter/waitress was a jerk or never checked on us once with a nasty attitude, they get anywhere from $1 or no tip at all. If they don't like their job then they need to take it up with their employer, not the patrons. If they want tips they have to provide at least adequate service and pretend to smile.
Especially in restaurants I go to often, I tend to overtip. First, because they get to know me and I get better service but secondly, because servers have to put up with a lot of abuse from rude customers.
We tip based on how well the service is at a sit-down restaurant. The servers know that's where the majority of their income comes from, and that's one of the reasons for better service. From my understanding, listening to other British reactors, American customer service, and the service industry in particular, is superior to British customer service, because of the tipping.
Mass transit in the US, is like mass transit in Europe. It is ENTIRELY based upon population density. Europe is much more dense, but really dense cities will have reasonable mass transit. (e.g. Chicago, NYC) But that doesn't mean they're safe, there's a lot of crime on them. Even in Europe . . . My husband had lived in Austria years ago, so we went back and spent two weeks. There were places we wanted to go that required us renting a car. (In Vienna - sure, you can get anywhere easily on transit - more rural parts, not so much.) Stay away from Grayhound. (those are for between cities, generally those who can't afford a train or a plane.) For size, it helps to remember Texas (one state) is bigger than France. Fun fact: the Distance from Texarkana TX (eastern point) to El Paso TX (western point) is farther than the distance from El Paso TX to Los Angeles CA (crosses three states) And California (one state) - is nearly twice as big as Great Britian. In parts of the country, driving the distance+ = to Land's End to John O'Groats *in one day* is common for a road trip. (when the speed limit was 55mph, that could be 15 hours) When my kids were young, we did it at least every other year. Ben Nevis would be a foot hill, in most western states.
In the USA, if you are a guy you don't kiss another guy. Once I tried to kiss a very good friend of mine and he freaked out and backed away in horror. Straight guys here don't kiss each other!
Errm ... it may vary with ethnicity, especially if you're first or second generation American. Be aware of your surroundings, and that the gesture *is in no way* an affront to your masculinity.
Greyhound is in America but they have limited runs to specific cities and towns. There is so much distance between cities that are very rural. 3 hours to Yosemite from our home in CA. A frequent day trip for us multiple times a year. Food at the grocery stores is not taxed but restaurants do add tax. In the state of WA you get IDed even at 70. Crazy!
The UK is about the size of Oregon; England about the size of Alabama. The US is 98% the size of Europe. I like the ease and convenience of buying alcohol in England. Liquor bottles in the US stores is in metric.
Also don’t rely on the British imperial system here in the US. We don’t use it. The US Customary units are different and the US never used British imperial. The US pint and the US gallon are smaller than the British imperial equivalents.
Trains in Europe have always impressed me. You can go anywhere by train. I was eve dumb enough to grab a commuter train between Rome and Florence and it stopped at every town in between. It was a long ride.
We don't have as much public transport because we are much bigger and more spread out. It is not cost effective to have public transport in small towns that are separated by 20 miles.
For America's greetings, it's usually just a handshake between men, and most of the time between women as well, bht between women who know each other then a hug and/or even a kiss on the cheek is quite common. But between strangers that you just meet during introductions, a handshake is about all your expect, if you were to go in close for a hug or a double cheek kiss, we'd be like "what you doing?"
Hello. Millie and Mum. Here in Texas most people are friendly. We will talk your ears off and hug at the drop of a hat.I think it depends on the individual.. We even wave to passing motorist in most rural areas. Keep the videos coming. ❤ Y'all.
The US is waaaay too big to have readily available public transport outside big cities. You need a car. Or fly. Amtrak is expensive and takes FOREVER. My Mum is coming down for Thanksgiving, and it’s about 980 miles (two states away). Two-day drive each way. Never forget how big this country is. I used to go to Hawaii for Thanksgiving, where much of my family lived for years. Thanksgiving morning, take the c. 08:00 flight from California, into Honolulu c. 12:00 (five hour flight), time to settle in, relax, get our toes wet on Waikiki before we set out for our big reunion.
American friendliness varies by location. What a friendly gesture or compliment in New York City is a rude gesture or comment in Minnesota. Even in the same state friendliness varies. For example, there is a big difference in attitude between New York City and the rest of New York State. With mass transit, the big cities are covered pretty well. America only has one major bus line and one major rail line for passengers. Greyhound bus runs throughout the nation. It is usually considered very low budget and the stations are usually filled with vagrants, homeless, pickpockets and other unsavory characters. Amtrak is our rail service that goes nationwide but its biggest use is the northeast corridor between Virginia and Boston. Amtrak is so reliable that when President Biden was in the Senate he would commute daily on Amtrak between Washington and his home in Delaware. Americans either drive their own vehicles or fly whenever they go somewhere. I prefer to drive because then I am not tied to a changing airline schedule and I can come and go when I please.
Ladies... I and my husband both have been employed together as what's called here within the American Trucking Industry as being an "Team Driver Operation" and we each daily drive an 80,000 gross vehicle weight loaded Semi Truck-53 ft Trailer an average of 11 hours each of us and we can leave Seattle Washington one morning and three days later be in New York City unloading freight. Or for another example we can leave Oakland California one morning and arrive in Chicago Illinois two days later. Chicago to the District of Columbia in Maryland where our Nation's Capitol is located is but an 12 hour drive for us. This man talking about driving three hours to have Lunch with his mom and three hours home isn't much driving to us. Cross Country Commercial Truck Drivers have much more knowledge pertaining to driving distances of United States and many also transport goods and commodities into Mexico and Canada. We have. And we definitely know all about the fastest and safest routes to take and also hazardous road conditions.
In the US, it is illegal to purchase alcohol if you are under age 21. The law is 21 because there was a huge uptick of drunk driving incidents related to younger drivers. The death rates for those drivers and innocent others skyrocketed. There was a group of mothers that organized because they were upset about their children being killed, so they got the law changed. The group's name to this day is MADD: Mothers Against Drunk Driving. They are active now in the US, Canada, and Brazil. Also, I wouldn't say that these are hard and fast rules by any means. I have been known to give people a run down when asked "How are you doing?", How's it going?" or "What's going on?" Granted, it's only when it's someone I know, but I do it from time to time. I just look at it like if they didn't want to know, they shouldn't have asked. Also, he said 'Don't smoke.' That is absolutely untrue. People smoke everywhere here. You will just have to find a smoking area and they are all around. You can smoke anywhere outside unless it is posted not to. You can't smoke in bars or restaurants.
That's another thing, the car culture is so huge here, people don't want to take public transportation if they can help it so we get major traffic jams.
Being American, I thought “Okay, Yeah, I suppose...” I should note here that I am also ‘Retired (American) Military’ so I have been other places. I did manage not to offend most of the most serious rules in the two places I lived (Thailand and Germany) but I would appreciate a ‘reverse’ of this video. What are some of the things that Europeans routinely do or expect that Americans might not?
I know from my experience in Paris, France. Tipping is rude, don't ask for your check unless you are leaving and don't order a "coke". It's "coca". Fortunately, I was told about them and only committed one of those don'ts.
Rent a car at the airport. Don’t count on public transport unless you’re in New York or Chicago. We have lots of parking and driving is incredibly convenient. The distance is so great between places, I don’t recommend Greyhound etc. if you do drive a car long distance, you can stop when you want to eat, walk around, or see something interesting.
the two acceptable responses to “how are you?” are “good” and “living the dream,” which roughly translates to “i’m barely holding it together but let’s keep it moving”
When I was growing up in the 90's and 2000's tipping had t9 be earned. If someone wanted a tip, they had to provide excellent service to get a good tip but if the service was bad they'd either get a small tip 9r no tip at all. Now days people expect a tip regardless, and i think I speak for most of us Americans when I say most of us don't agree with the new ways of tipping
Mum, like me, will be very pleased when they ask for her ID to buy alcohol. I usually thank any clerk who does that profusely. I have a thing about being asked "How are you?" when I call customer service or in certain other situations. Sometimes I answer honestly: "Not so great; that's why I'm calling YOU."
Driving distances are roughly 3½ to 4 hours per tank of gas. And you can get pretty far on that tank. Between 250 to 350 miles. Like I could drive from Southern Illinois up to Chicago on just about a 1¼ tank of gas. 290 miles, straight as a Crow's Fly.
On the tipping thing that I didn't hear him mention...servers in sit down restaurants don't earn the regular minimum wage. In fast food restaurants the people earn at least the minimum wage or more and so that's why you don't need to tip there. Minimum wage varies by state. Here in Massachusetts the cost of living is higher than a lot of states, so our minimum wage is $15 an hour, which isn't as high as it sounds based on costs here. Last I heard our state minimum wage for a server was $4.95 an hour. That's why servers are dependent on getting that 20% tip. Honestly, now you're expected to leave at least 20% unless your server isn't very good. Some people have gone crazy tipping everyone. As a former server myself, please be sure to tip them, but not everyone else because their base pay is often 2 to 3 times higher than a sit down restaurant server's, depending on the state.
The public transportation around the Philadelphia area here is not too bad. I used to use the underground trains in college sometimes. They are on time but they're not very clean or quiet. I use the above ground trains every few months to get into the city, in fact I will the day after tomorrow. Those are better but they do have delays. Usually no more than 8-10 minutes.
Generally avoid Greyhound and their bus stations. Try Megabus or similar services where available. Get to know the appearance of the currency denominations. Do carry some cash but not loads of cash.
I put this under all of these videos that I see: You don't *have* to tip! Only tip if the service was good. Insuring good service is the whole purpose of tipping. If you receive below-average service, *don't tip* . Yes, it's part of the server's wages, but it's a part they have to actually earn. Never let a server give you bad service and then try to guilt you into tipping. They are basically trying to get you to pay for something they haven't delivered.
Hello from Tulsa 👋oh oh I've seen this before. Yes we do have Greyhound buses that pretty much go to any town you want but once you get to that town you're on foot most towns don't have public transportation. Of course you already know that
I don’t understand why people consider macaroni and cheese southern cuisine. In my opinion, mac and cheese is an equally popular dish across all states. It’s almost as American as apple pie. Just saying…
The waiters and waitresses don't make minimum wage here. They make like 2.50 an hour and are taxed 15 percent of the bill you get as wages if you tip or not.
Yeah, it's especially a real downer when you ask someone how they are doing, how it's going, or tell them good morning and they respond negatively. It's meant to be a nicety, a polite, little remark that will hopefully make both parties feel a little better or even just seen. Social creatures often--though not always--desire recognition, even if they don't realize it, so it can be either conscious or subconscious. Sometimes we do use it as a conversation starter/ice breaker, though, so you just have to read "the atmosphere". If someone is turning their body away from you, they may not want a conversation. If they stop and turn their body toward you, then they may be looking for a conversation.
Sometimes that negative response isn't meant to be a conversation either. It's just a person who wants to be honest. A, "I am sorry. I hope things go better for you," is all the response back needed. The most people get from me is, "I'm OK," because I am not a bubbly personality.
When he says people will drive straight through on long trips, that is much more likely to apply to youngish men. Those of us who are older and/or female are likely to stop every couple of hours to stretch, use the restroom, etc. Also, he's wrong when he says that if you ask someone how far away a town is, they'll say, "Sixty miles." They are much more apt to use minutes and hours - how long it will take you to drive there. (Scientists do use the metric system, but the average traveler is unlikely to encounter that.) Regarding the states, the U.S. does have 50 states, but it also has the District of Columbia, plus Puerto Rico and 13 other territories.
This is funny. I had a couple of friends visit from the Philippines. We met up in California. We stopped by one of the beaches in Orange County, I believe it was Huntington Beach. After seeing the big billboard of rules for the beach my friend asked, and I quote, "Is America the country of NO?". The list of things not allowed on the beach was a bit ridiculous.
Distance in America I use this example: Imagine getting into a car in London and driving to Moscow. On the way back swing by the Pyramids and have a stopover in Gibraltar. You now have some idea of the size of America.
Yes each state regulates their own sales tax but, rest assured every state is pretty much with a half cent of each other. It's not like one state has 20% and the next one is 7%. They are all around the .7 cents or .8 cents point for tax.
In most places there's a state sales tax, and counties and individual cities are allowed to add their own taxes on top of that. You'll almost always be safe if you assume the total sales taxes will add no more than 10% to your purchase. A few complicating factors: some states have different tax rates depending on what you're buying. It's not uncommon for goods to be taxed but (unprepared) food to not be taxed (this can lead to complicated situations at a place like a grocery store that sells MOSTLY food but also things like paper plates, where you'll be taxed on SOME items and not others), and the tax rate on a hotel and/or restaurant bill may be different (usually higher) than the general sales tax rate. Finally, the taxes on gasoline (petrol) and diesel are already added into the posted price nearly everywhere.
With tipping lately there's been a bit of a problem. When you pay the screen will now have "suggested tip" buttons and they're higher than what you would normally tip. There is a button to enter your own amount but that's an extra step so you usually just end up picking one and playing even more.
Well I’m from the south so if you ask me how I’m doin, we are gonna stop and have a whole conversation and get to know each other 😂 we’re very friendly down here and love to meet new people!
I go to a bar every Wednesday to play pool and order a coffee every week. It’s $1.50 for the coffee and I give her $10 every week. My coffee is always full and I don’t even have to ask anymore
Americans are very friendly and they will shake your hand and they will hug people that they know. He was not talking about that, he was talking about standing too close to somebody. Americans usually stay at least probably 4 ft 5 ft away from someone whereas if you get too close to us like 1 ft away or even 2 ft away we don't like that. We feel like you're in our space. That's what he was talking about.
A lot depends where you are. NE is more stand off, south is much friendlier and touching is more common.
@@stevegibson7464 I'm in the Northeast and everybody is extremely friendly, people shake hands and hug people they know and smile. But I'm not in a big city like Boston or New York where it may be somewhat standoffish.
We’re not so friendly here in the PNW, either…but then again, my region has always been the bastion of odd ducks and castoffs.
I think also he was giving heads up to people that Americans are generally weirded out if you go in for the kiss 😅
I think in some cultures ,Britain included, it's unnatural to hug someone you don't know and stand close to them.
America is no different . Friends and family ,yes ,but for all we know a stranger could have a disease or be a serial killer 😂
- Greyhound is actually a private company that provides inter-city (between cities) routes only.
- Also be sure not to say you want to "hire" a car in the US. That means you want a fancy car with a private chauffeur to drive you around. You have to say "rent" to just get a car to drive yourself.
Greyhound is one of a few bus services you can use to go from one city center to another, but you can't use them to get around in the city.
At the same time, you only ride on Greyhound if you HAVE to get to [x location] and have literally have zero other options....
Tipping: In America we have all grown up with the idea of tipping. It's just a part of our society. That being said, the wait staff fully understands that their tip depends a lot on their attitude towards their job and the customers. If you want to make our dining experience a nightmare that's fine, but you just lost a tip and most likely my next order will be to see the manager. Never feel awkward when it comes to tipping. And never feel guilty. If you had a nice meal and the wait staff was friendly, 15 to 20%.
It depends where you are too. There's a reason there is so much pushback on the credit card readers that want you to tip. we don't tip at fast food restaurants. we tip at sit down restaurants where we're actually getting service, and tipping is based on the quality of service. And yeah - i've had service that was utterly atrocious on multiple occasions.
@@kristend344 Yep I've had amazing service and I've truly had the nightmare service. Sometimes you just draw the wild card that day I guess LOL. Nothing you can do about it just move on.
I am an American who hates tipping. I bought a meal. It already cost an arm and leg. Bring the food to me and leave me alone. Spit in my food and get sued or charged. Luckily I eat 99 percent of the time at home . . . where it is cheaper and better food under my control.
It's interesting that tipping actually started in Europe. In 17th Century taverns in England, patrons would tip for prompt service. Visiting Americans brought the custom home.
I agree, I have no problem leaving a tip. But the amount I leave depends on how much the server does. If they just do the bare minimum then they don't get anything.
They used to let staff at liquor stores police themselves when it came to determining whether people were old enough. The problem was they just basically ignored the law. So the police started hiring high school students to be secret shoppers. If they could get anyone to sell to them, that store got fined, and they wouldn't tell them who the secret shopper was. Get enough fines, and they'd take away the store's liquor license entirely. Now they hire older people to be secret shoppers to check if stores are checking ID as directed.
Yes, that guy was right in the video, the workers are required to ask for ID so it doesn't do well to get upset or mad, they have to ask.
I am 74 and I get tickled when they ask for ID and they usually apologize for having to ask. I tell them don't apologize, I consider it a compliment, lol. Now to see Mom back on the reactions. Grandmas are special and amazing! I have 16 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren with another on the way.
Oh boy. I can’t imagine the chaos around during special holidays.
You are blessed
Usually when some one asks "how you doin" i usually respond "not bad" or "alright how bout yourself?"
Purty good. How’bout you?
😃
You can smoke almost anywhere outside of the United States. I do outside anywhere I can smoke in my state. Also we can smoke in most casinos in the smoking area which is actually bigger than a non-smoking area
Holiday Inn Express rocks. Dog friendly, free breakfast, free wifi, free pool/hot tub with free towels, free parking, free ICE. Upon request, you can also get a toothbrush/toothpaste and a mini shaving kit.
Ya, big cities have great public transportation . . but with so many states and the size of the country . . it certainly makes it more difficult . . we have AmTrak Train - which goes across the country - but it's not quick transportation it's vacation transportation or to get from one state to another in no hurry! LOL
Most American cities DO have a bus system, but some of the routes might run only once every 45 minutes or once per hour. It's just very inconvenient if you have to get off and transfer in a residential neighborhood; then have to stand there and wait 30 minutes or more for the next bus, (especially if it's 10° F, or pouring rain. and there's no shelter) . Plus, you might have to walk 8 blocks after you get off the bus, to really get where you're going.
You can smoke cigarettes, but usually only outdoors, and often in designated areas, (for example, "No smoking within 25 feet of building").
And LA does have a subway system. It goes from the ocean the downtown, Long Beach and even to Orange County. The only part it doesn’t serve well is the Beverly Hills and Fairfax area. Now when you get there you may need a ride! But still it beats sitting in a car driving if you don’t drive .
@@mocrg Exactly I Hope the Beesley's check out the public transport systems before they arrive, I think it would help them a lot if they don't want to drive their car rental, everywhere, I mean gas can be costly here in LA. depending on where they stay.
When he was talking about public transportation, he specifically said that large cities in the USA do have public transportation for around the city, such as city buses, sometimes trains, etc. Greyhound buses will take people from one city or town to another, but only on specific routes. There are also train routes, such as Amtrak, that go between cities, but again on specific routes, and usually don't stop in rural areas. There are also commuter trains in some areas, to take people from the suburbs into large cities for work and back home again in the evening. If you go to more rural areas or small towns that are not next to a large city, then public transportation usually does not exist.
Yes Greyhound is one of the biggest, if not the biggest bus company, but we also have one called Coach. Good job mum!
That said, I live in Los Angeles and you don't want to arrive at night to the Greyhound bus station, it can be dangerous. So if you take Greyhound or any bus, make sure you are arriving in daylight if the city is big or the station is in a bad area.
I've been on Greyhound 4 times. Never. Again. Nope.
Yes but they should know its just for travel, not within a city.
Not skipping out on the local food is huge for me. I tend to avoid chain restaurants anyways, but especially so on vacations. Sure, I'll hit a Burger King or something really quick for lunch when we're doing a full day of travel, but once we're at the destination it's 100% locally owned small restaurants. From lobster in Maine, to fresh fish in Florida. From Mexican food in Arizona to BBQ in North Carolina and Tennessee... And I'm sure you could get plenty of recommendations for each and every state.
There's far too many good things to eat to be spending time at Applebee's or whatever. Of course that may be different for a foreign TH-camr looking to make globally relatable videos, but I'd be miserable if that's how i had to eat on vacation.
Yes. Definitely ask for where the locals eat, but also ask when is the best time to go. Going to a local diner at 11am on a Saturday or Sunday or a restaurant in the theater district on Friday at 6 is going to mean a long wait. I am lucky that I live in Baltimore and there are local restaurants that specialize in Afghan food, Indian food, BbQ, Thai food, Greek food, obviously lots of seafood places. There is growing section of the city with Latin American immigrants but not much of a Latin American food scene yet.
When I was still a little kid on our summer family vacations (advantage of both parents working for public school system -- our summer vacation times coincided!), we used to eat at fast food places, because that's what my mom knew I would eat. As I got older, we started eating more locally. A restaurant I fondly remember from somewhere in New England, sometime in the mid 1970s, had a dock in back where fishing boats dropped off their catch!
Yelp is your friend for local spots.
In the South, we tend to be more laid back and have no issue in giving a hug. Wevare generally known for being open and friendly.
True. I’m a hugger. Lol
I like what your mom said about going to a bar and buying the bartender a drink if you don't know what to tip and they have been really good to you.
There is greyhound but it does not go everywhere, only to certain designated areas.
I tip Valet, Server, Hairdresser, Nail Tech, Bartender. Anyone else asking for a tip, which seems to have become a trend at smaller retail businesses and coffee shops, doesn't get one. Don't think that because the machine asks if you would like to tip that you have to tip.
All my friends and family are big huggers! Always, always hug hello, good bye, congratulations, comfort, sympathy, Merry Christmas, etc...
Bless you! I hope you’re enjoying your new grandson! My first was a boy as well and I was so excited! The time has gone by so fast..he’s already 12 and I’m up to 7 grandchildren and one great-grand baby!
I don't know about the entire country but where I am in Ohio the conversation goes like this:
Me : I'm going to visit my parents this weekend.
You: Nice, how far away do they live?
Me: About 4 to 4 and 1/2 hours.
Distance is more often given in time than mileage.
He's right about driving distances a 2-hour drive is really just down the road for us
It is also worth mentioning that there are many immigrant and refugee communities throughout the U.S., as well. Most states will have areas where English may be a second language, or where the young people speak English but their parents do not. There are many more cultures in the U.S. than people realize.
Excellent tip!
Some states don't sell alcohol in grocery stores, you need to go to specific Liquor / ABC stores.
Going to add to this- there are states where there are "dry counties"- this means they do NOT sell alcohol at all in the county, and if you want it, you need to travel outside the dry counties to purchase it. We found this out when vacationing in Arkansas.
The United States is 38 times bigger than the UK. You can fit 38 UK's in the USA. So how can we possibly have public transportation from coast to coast which is 3000 miles across the same size of all of Europe. USA has a lot of wilderness.
Yeah its like Dutch people saying Americans should have more bikes! Bro.... we have Walmarts bigger than your country.
Well if you took any kind of US history class you'd know that we had public transportation that got killed by the auto industry so they could sell more cars. We had really good public transportation, and there's no reason we can't have it again.
@@warriyorcatI call B.S. Before cars were a few trains (now used for cargo transport) and the horse and buggy. Cars actually increased travel over long distances for almost everyone. The freeway system didn't exist until around WWII for easier military transportation, but was made use of by the public. If anything, planes took over from trains for public transportation. You need to ask for your educational money back.
@@n.d.m.515The American city that I live in had an extensive public transit system before automobiles became widely used - you might want to research a bit more. The streetcar system began in the 1870s and were first pulled by horses on tracks. Later, electric streetcars became in use. The last streetcar - the Council Crest line - ran until 1952. Luckily, the city still has an extensive public system with rail, streetcars (snazzy new ones), and buses. But it has had to be rebuilt over the last 30 years or so - something many American cities (in less ‘enlightened’ areas) are only just now starting.
@@pacmanc8103 you are talking about one city among thousands of towns and cities across thousands of miles. The kind of transportation system implied by the "educated one" never existed.
I've been in stores when a young person was with a person who had ID showing he was over 21. They look at the selection, both go outside, the person with ID goes back in grabs the stuff, and the cashier won't sell unless the other person comes in and shows ID.
Hi Mum / Grammum! I bet you are really enjoying that new Grandson!! My first grandson was a boy! Spoiled him rotten!!
Just a few words of advice. Visiting anywhere in the Southern US during summer is not a great idea, sorry to say. Especially for Europeans who are not accustomed to the intense heat and humidity. My sister and I took all our kids to Disney one year in late May. We live in Florida and went often. We were tired of paying $129 bucks for a soda every time the kids got thirsty (ok I'm exaggeting a bit!🤣🤣) just to watch them take a couple sips and then toss the drink. So for our 2nd day there (we stayed 5 days) I went to the grocery store and purchased juice boxes/juice bags (Capri Suns) and froze them the night before. The next day we were in line for a ride and there was a couple in front of us from the UK, with their adorable little girl. (About 4) She kept crying and begging for a drink. The temperature was well into the 90's and it was still May!!!😳 The mom kept telling the girl that if they got out of line to get a drink, they would have to wait in line all over again and we were almost at the front of the line after an hour wait! But the little girl cried harder. So I pulled 2 juice boxes out of my bag and handed them to the mom and she had tears in her eyes! She must have thanked me 10 times! She explained they were from the UK and had NO IDEA it would be so hot here. But anyway that girl sucked down an entire juice box in like 20 seconds! 😅 Poor tot. But my point is, if you are dead set on visiting the South in summer, please stay hydrated and know that it will not be a whole lot of fun for little Archie!! 😬😉 Wishing you safe travels and a fun time on your trip! 💙❤🩵😃
I mean they've been having pretty bad heatwave every summer so they might be more used to it than you might think
You and your mom did a great job Seems like your mom enjoys this Great video is always Do you and your mom have a blessed day ❤
I've been carded and I'm 75!
Also, in the south we are very touchy and huggy!
ok about the "how are you?" thing. Its true. I say "do'n all right?" and they say "Doing all right." Sometimes a fellow southerner will respond "doing alright thanks. You doing alright?" yeah im doin all right...just put my momma 6 ft under this morning.....so there is a code. If they simply say how are you...they are not willing to engage. If they say thanks or point the question back at you, that means they are willing to engage in conversation. THEN you can spill your whole life story. lolol Its true. The South is where you will find people willing to listen until they have to go. No one else cares.
Greyhound does take you anywhere. There are cross country trains. It's just usually once a day and not convenient!
Greyhound in Vermont only takes you from city to city in a 50 mile raduis.
@@marydavis5234
Check your Greyhound again. I can take it from Wyoming to Vermont
The greyhound service in my area of Vermont, only provides service in Rutland County.
My city, Seattle, has a fairly good bus system, with good bus service nearly everywhere. A light rapid rail train runs from the Airport to downtown, the University of Washington, and a few other neighborhoods.
Wolter's World always has pretty good info. He is right about people having a 3' foot bubble around them. If you stand too close to a stranger they will take a step back or say something. But if they are friends or even your subscribers, they would probably shake your hand or give you a hug. I always mention this, if you ask someone how far it is from A to B, they might not tell you in miles, but hours or minutes. It's because there are other things that may affect your drive: traffic, weather, sights or events. Tipping is a thing here, think of the waiter as your own personal tour guide. They should be friendly, show you around the menu, point out any specials not on the menu, be attentative to your needs while also helping other customers. In the past I have given everything from a penny for absolutely horrendous service and attitude, to $500 for stellar service, excellent menu recommendation, free alcoholic drinks and appetizer. Yes public transportation is pretty bad out here, most of the metropolitan areas will have bus/Uber/Lyft service, but once outside of those areas you are better renting a vehicle to get around.
Fun drinking game: Take a drink each time you hear the phrase “stuff like that” in this video.
My mom and I just recently went from Montana to Maine, and we took a Greyhound bus, and it was a long trip, 64½ hours to go 2500 miles
I drove 10 hrs from eastern NY to western OHIO picked up a compact tractor and drove back no stops other than gas and bathroom. Most days I drive 3-4 hrs each way while at work. Over 100,000 miles last year
You guys have great public transportation.
"We drive straight through" I lived in Montana for 12 years. It was 1,067 miles to Illinois. When I had a chance to drive to Illinois I drove straight through- 16 hours. I did it more than 50 times.
Do all of your shopping in New Hampshire, we don't have sales tax. In New England, we usually give distance in hours not milage. I couldn't tell you how many miles it is to my parents house but I know it's about 2 hours. 14m 24s the New Hampshire state house in Concord. That's about 5 miles/8km from my house.
Hi Neighbor, I live in Vermont, Walmart here had a CD , I had been looking for, it was $24.99 plus tax, I went to NH to buy in, I saved over $20.00 in taxes going to NH at Walmart and Market Basket.
I live about 40 minutes fromMystic, Connecticut. He’s fairly accurate on most points, but I do find Americans very friendly. Maybe not touchy with strangers, but definitely friendly. 😉
Mom is a nice addition.
Yes, buy travel medical insurance when visiting > anywhere < away from the place you live. Your NHS health insurance may cover you in Europe but not anywhere else.
My wife and I went to a local restaurant the other day and I noticed that we paid a State sales tax, a City sales tax and a County sales tax. Total is was around $2.50 added to the bill.
Such a sweet video, thank you so much for sharing, much love from New Hampshire ❤❤
I would recommend going to Florida to want ever city you choose and then renting a car and driving to the Florida Keys on Highway 1 ..It is very scenic and looks pristine
It depends where you are. The Seattle area for instance, has an extensive bus system, link light rail which is partially underground and partially above ground, the monorail, street cars, the commuter train, AmTrak for longer train trips, and because many of the surrounding cities and towns are on islands and peninsulas, we have ferries which are auto/passenger and the fast ferries which are passenger only. San Francisco has similar systems.
Tipping in Texas is a must. A lot of servers only get $2.13 per hour because they are expected to get tips to make up the difference.
Some restaurants pay better wages but you never know who they are. So tip at sit dowwn restaurants and coffee shops.
Greyhound is a “coach” company for cross country travel. Most “big” cities have a decent, albeit not great, bus network to navigate the city and more larger cities (New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Phoenix) have some type of train system.
I am 78 years old. Tipping has gotten way out of hand here in my lifetime. People now tip for services no one tipped for when I was young. For example, when fast food first appeared, no one tipped at those places. Also, one didn't normally tip at a bar except at the end of an evening after a few drinks, a small tip might be left. Tipping was not ubiquitous when I was young, was optional, and tips were generally smaller.
I usually tip the standard 15%. If I get excellent service with the wait staff going out of their way to be super friendly and helpful, I tip extra. I've given wait staff $20 for a $10 meal. If the waiter/waitress was a jerk or never checked on us once with a nasty attitude, they get anywhere from $1 or no tip at all. If they don't like their job then they need to take it up with their employer, not the patrons. If they want tips they have to provide at least adequate service and pretend to smile.
I'm the same way. They start at 10-15% and work their way up or down from there.
Especially in restaurants I go to often, I tend to overtip. First, because they get to know me and I get better service but secondly, because servers have to put up with a lot of abuse from rude customers.
We tip based on how well the service is at a sit-down restaurant. The servers know that's where the majority of their income comes from, and that's one of the reasons for better service. From my understanding, listening to other British reactors, American customer service, and the service industry in particular, is superior to British customer service, because of the tipping.
Mass transit in the US, is like mass transit in Europe. It is ENTIRELY based upon population density. Europe is much more dense, but really dense cities will have reasonable mass transit. (e.g. Chicago, NYC) But that doesn't mean they're safe, there's a lot of crime on them.
Even in Europe . . . My husband had lived in Austria years ago, so we went back and spent two weeks. There were places we wanted to go that required us renting a car. (In Vienna - sure, you can get anywhere easily on transit - more rural parts, not so much.)
Stay away from Grayhound. (those are for between cities, generally those who can't afford a train or a plane.)
For size, it helps to remember Texas (one state) is bigger than France. Fun fact: the Distance from Texarkana TX (eastern point) to El Paso TX (western point) is farther than the distance from El Paso TX to Los Angeles CA (crosses three states)
And California (one state) - is nearly twice as big as Great Britian. In parts of the country, driving the distance+ = to Land's End to John O'Groats *in one day* is common for a road trip. (when the speed limit was 55mph, that could be 15 hours) When my kids were young, we did it at least every other year. Ben Nevis would be a foot hill, in most western states.
In the USA, if you are a guy you don't kiss another guy. Once I tried to kiss a very good friend of mine and he freaked out and backed away in horror. Straight guys here don't kiss each other!
Errm ... it may vary with ethnicity, especially if you're first or second generation American. Be aware of your surroundings, and that the gesture *is in no way* an affront to your masculinity.
Greyhound is in America but they have limited runs to specific cities and towns. There is so much distance between cities that are very rural. 3 hours to Yosemite from our home in CA. A frequent day trip for us multiple times a year. Food at the grocery stores is not taxed but restaurants do add tax. In the state of WA you get IDed even at 70. Crazy!
Many states require ID checks now for most age-restricted restricted products, like alcohol and lottery tickets.
Groceries are taxed in certain states, groceries have a 10% tax here in Alabama, the only thing that doesn't have a sales tax attached here is oil.
The UK is about the size of Oregon; England about the size of Alabama. The US is 98% the size of Europe. I like the ease and convenience of buying alcohol in England. Liquor bottles in the US stores is in metric.
Also don’t rely on the British imperial system here in the US. We don’t use it. The US Customary units are different and the US never used British imperial. The US pint and the US gallon are smaller than the British imperial equivalents.
You can't smoke inside public places but lots of people do still smoke. I work in a smoke shop and we sell tons of cigarettes to customers
Lol, I’ve been refused service at a liquor store because my friend who was with was asked for their ID and they didn’t have one on them.
In the northeast people dont tell you how far away a place is in miles they usually tell you how long it will take to drive there.
In California, you cannot buy liquor without an ID, regardless of age.
Trains in Europe have always impressed me. You can go anywhere by train. I was eve dumb enough to grab a commuter train between Rome and Florence and it stopped at every town in between. It was a long ride.
You could answer "how are you?" with something like "good thanks, and you?" it might be rude to say nothing at all.
We don't have as much public transport because we are much bigger and more spread out. It is not cost effective to have public transport in small towns that are separated by 20 miles.
For America's greetings, it's usually just a handshake between men, and most of the time between women as well, bht between women who know each other then a hug and/or even a kiss on the cheek is quite common. But between strangers that you just meet during introductions, a handshake is about all your expect, if you were to go in close for a hug or a double cheek kiss, we'd be like "what you doing?"
10:06 yeah I don't like cigarettes.I also never talk about politics. I usually stay away from those conversations 😂
I'm 54 and got carded today for cigarettes! They ask for ID every time no matter how old you look.
Hello. Millie and Mum. Here in Texas most people are friendly. We will talk your ears off and hug at the drop of a hat.I think it depends on the individual.. We even wave to passing motorist in most rural areas. Keep the videos coming. ❤ Y'all.
DC has good public transport too.
The US is waaaay too big to have readily available public transport outside big cities. You need a car. Or fly. Amtrak is expensive and takes FOREVER. My Mum is coming down for Thanksgiving, and it’s about 980 miles (two states away). Two-day drive each way. Never forget how big this country is. I used to go to Hawaii for Thanksgiving, where much of my family lived for years. Thanksgiving morning, take the c. 08:00 flight from California, into Honolulu c. 12:00 (five hour flight), time to settle in, relax, get our toes wet on Waikiki before we set out for our big reunion.
American friendliness varies by location. What a friendly gesture or compliment in New York City is a rude gesture or comment in Minnesota. Even in the same state friendliness varies. For example, there is a big difference in attitude between New York City and the rest of New York State. With mass transit, the big cities are covered pretty well. America only has one major bus line and one major rail line for passengers. Greyhound bus runs throughout the nation. It is usually considered very low budget and the stations are usually filled with vagrants, homeless, pickpockets and other unsavory characters. Amtrak is our rail service that goes nationwide but its biggest use is the northeast corridor between Virginia and Boston. Amtrak is so reliable that when President Biden was in the Senate he would commute daily on Amtrak between Washington and his home in Delaware. Americans either drive their own vehicles or fly whenever they go somewhere. I prefer to drive because then I am not tied to a changing airline schedule and I can come and go when I please.
Ladies... I and my husband both have been employed together as what's called here within the American Trucking Industry as being an "Team Driver Operation" and we each daily drive an 80,000 gross vehicle weight loaded Semi Truck-53 ft Trailer an average of 11 hours each of us and we can leave Seattle Washington one morning and three days later be in New York City unloading freight. Or for another example we can leave Oakland California one morning and arrive in Chicago Illinois two days later. Chicago to the District of Columbia in Maryland where our Nation's Capitol is located is but an 12 hour drive for us. This man talking about driving three hours to have Lunch with his mom and three hours home isn't much driving to us. Cross Country Commercial Truck Drivers have much more knowledge pertaining to driving distances of United States and many also transport goods and commodities into Mexico and Canada. We have. And we definitely know all about the fastest and safest routes to take and also hazardous road conditions.
In the US, it is illegal to purchase alcohol if you are under age 21. The law is 21 because there was a huge uptick of drunk driving incidents related to younger drivers. The death rates for those drivers and innocent others skyrocketed. There was a group of mothers that organized because they were upset about their children being killed, so they got the law changed. The group's name to this day is MADD: Mothers Against Drunk Driving. They are active now in the US, Canada, and Brazil.
Also, I wouldn't say that these are hard and fast rules by any means. I have been known to give people a run down when asked "How are you doing?", How's it going?" or "What's going on?" Granted, it's only when it's someone I know, but I do it from time to time. I just look at it like if they didn't want to know, they shouldn't have asked. Also, he said 'Don't smoke.' That is absolutely untrue. People smoke everywhere here. You will just have to find a smoking area and they are all around. You can smoke anywhere outside unless it is posted not to. You can't smoke in bars or restaurants.
The amount of teens being killed hasn't gotten any better because of them changing the law. It's probably worse.
That's another thing, the car culture is so huge here, people don't want to take public transportation if they can help it so we get major traffic jams.
I tip if the service is good. If the service is horrible I will not tip.
Always tip good on the first and second drink at the bar and use paper money. You'll never be thirsty, lol
Being American, I thought “Okay, Yeah, I suppose...” I should note here that I am also ‘Retired (American) Military’ so I have been other places. I did manage not to offend most of the most serious rules in the two places I lived (Thailand and Germany) but I would appreciate a ‘reverse’ of this video. What are some of the things that Europeans routinely do or expect that Americans might not?
I know from my experience in Paris, France. Tipping is rude, don't ask for your check unless you are leaving and don't order a "coke". It's "coca". Fortunately, I was told about them and only committed one of those don'ts.
Rent a car at the airport. Don’t count on public transport unless you’re in New York or Chicago. We have lots of parking and driving is incredibly convenient. The distance is so great between places, I don’t recommend Greyhound etc. if you do drive a car long distance, you can stop when you want to eat, walk around, or see something interesting.
the two acceptable responses to “how are you?” are “good” and “living the dream,” which roughly translates to “i’m barely holding it together but let’s keep it moving”
I go with: "Fine; yourself?" It satisfies courtesy without expecting me to be social. (I'm a loner.)
When I was growing up in the 90's and 2000's tipping had t9 be earned. If someone wanted a tip, they had to provide excellent service to get a good tip but if the service was bad they'd either get a small tip 9r no tip at all. Now days people expect a tip regardless, and i think I speak for most of us Americans when I say most of us don't agree with the new ways of tipping
Mum, like me, will be very pleased when they ask for her ID to buy alcohol. I usually thank any clerk who does that profusely.
I have a thing about being asked "How are you?" when I call customer service or in certain other situations. Sometimes I answer honestly: "Not so great; that's why I'm calling YOU."
This reminds me, You two would love to watch "Nivht at the Museum" for a movie reaction. Its the Museum in New York ❤❤❤
Driving distances are roughly 3½ to 4 hours per tank of gas. And you can get pretty far on that tank. Between 250 to 350 miles. Like I could drive from Southern Illinois up to Chicago on just about a 1¼ tank of gas. 290 miles, straight as a Crow's Fly.
Yeah, my little 4 cylinder 07 versa can do about 380- highway before the light comes on.
On the tipping thing that I didn't hear him mention...servers in sit down restaurants don't earn the regular minimum wage. In fast food restaurants the people earn at least the minimum wage or more and so that's why you don't need to tip there. Minimum wage varies by state. Here in Massachusetts the cost of living is higher than a lot of states, so our minimum wage is $15 an hour, which isn't as high as it sounds based on costs here. Last I heard our state minimum wage for a server was $4.95 an hour. That's why servers are dependent on getting that 20% tip. Honestly, now you're expected to leave at least 20% unless your server isn't very good. Some people have gone crazy tipping everyone. As a former server myself, please be sure to tip them, but not everyone else because their base pay is often 2 to 3 times higher than a sit down restaurant server's, depending on the state.
The public transportation around the Philadelphia area here is not too bad. I used to use the underground trains in college sometimes. They are on time but they're not very clean or quiet. I use the above ground trains every few months to get into the city, in fact I will the day after tomorrow. Those are better but they do have delays. Usually no more than 8-10 minutes.
Generally avoid Greyhound and their bus stations.
Try Megabus or similar services where available.
Get to know the appearance of the currency denominations. Do carry some cash but not loads of cash.
I put this under all of these videos that I see: You don't *have* to tip! Only tip if the service was good. Insuring good service is the whole purpose of tipping. If you receive below-average service, *don't tip* . Yes, it's part of the server's wages, but it's a part they have to actually earn. Never let a server give you bad service and then try to guilt you into tipping. They are basically trying to get you to pay for something they haven't delivered.
Hello from Tulsa 👋oh oh I've seen this before. Yes we do have Greyhound buses that pretty much go to any town you want but once you get to that town you're on foot most towns don't have public transportation. Of course you already know that
I don’t understand why people consider macaroni and cheese southern cuisine. In my opinion, mac and cheese is an equally popular dish across all states. It’s almost as American as apple pie. Just saying…
You can get Philly Cheesesteak anywhere also, just sayin’….. 😎
Newsflash, Apple pie was created in England and brought over to the US by British citizens who moved to the US
The waiters and waitresses don't make minimum wage here. They make like 2.50 an hour and are taxed 15 percent of the bill you get as wages if you tip or not.
Yeah, it's especially a real downer when you ask someone how they are doing, how it's going, or tell them good morning and they respond negatively. It's meant to be a nicety, a polite, little remark that will hopefully make both parties feel a little better or even just seen. Social creatures often--though not always--desire recognition, even if they don't realize it, so it can be either conscious or subconscious. Sometimes we do use it as a conversation starter/ice breaker, though, so you just have to read "the atmosphere". If someone is turning their body away from you, they may not want a conversation. If they stop and turn their body toward you, then they may be looking for a conversation.
Sometimes that negative response isn't meant to be a conversation either. It's just a person who wants to be honest. A, "I am sorry. I hope things go better for you," is all the response back needed. The most people get from me is, "I'm OK," because I am not a bubbly personality.
When he says people will drive straight through on long trips, that is much more likely to apply to youngish men. Those of us who are older and/or female are likely to stop every couple of hours to stretch, use the restroom, etc.
Also, he's wrong when he says that if you ask someone how far away a town is, they'll say, "Sixty miles." They are much more apt to use minutes and hours - how long it will take you to drive there. (Scientists do use the metric system, but the average traveler is unlikely to encounter that.)
Regarding the states, the U.S. does have 50 states, but it also has the District of Columbia, plus Puerto Rico and 13 other territories.
This is funny. I had a couple of friends visit from the Philippines. We met up in California. We stopped by one of the beaches in Orange County, I believe it was Huntington Beach. After seeing the big billboard of rules for the beach my friend asked, and I quote, "Is America the country of NO?". The list of things not allowed on the beach was a bit ridiculous.
Distance in America
I use this example:
Imagine getting into a car in London and driving to Moscow. On the way back swing by the Pyramids and have a stopover in Gibraltar.
You now have some idea of the size of America.
Some states it is age 18 for alcohol, some are 21, and some have different ages for beer, wine or more high alcohol content drinks.
Yes each state regulates their own sales tax but, rest assured every state is pretty much with a half cent of each other. It's not like one state has 20% and the next one is 7%. They are all around the .7 cents or .8 cents point for tax.
And of course, there are 4-5 states with no sales tax at all.
In most places there's a state sales tax, and counties and individual cities are allowed to add their own taxes on top of that. You'll almost always be safe if you assume the total sales taxes will add no more than 10% to your purchase. A few complicating factors: some states have different tax rates depending on what you're buying. It's not uncommon for goods to be taxed but (unprepared) food to not be taxed (this can lead to complicated situations at a place like a grocery store that sells MOSTLY food but also things like paper plates, where you'll be taxed on SOME items and not others), and the tax rate on a hotel and/or restaurant bill may be different (usually higher) than the general sales tax rate. Finally, the taxes on gasoline (petrol) and diesel are already added into the posted price nearly everywhere.
With tipping lately there's been a bit of a problem. When you pay the screen will now have "suggested tip" buttons and they're higher than what you would normally tip. There is a button to enter your own amount but that's an extra step so you usually just end up picking one and playing even more.
Well I’m from the south so if you ask me how I’m doin, we are gonna stop and have a whole conversation and get to know each other 😂 we’re very friendly down here and love to meet new people!
It takes 24 hours driving straight through from NY to South Miami....My daughter is 28 she's ask for ID because she looks 19.
I go to a bar every Wednesday to play pool and order a coffee every week. It’s $1.50 for the coffee and I give her $10 every week. My coffee is always full and I don’t even have to ask anymore