What as a English man should I look out for on a trip to the USA.
Don’t try to bring food. I’ve seen people stopped for smuggling meat. You’re probably okay with packaged sweets or chocolate, but you should declare it.
Don’t be fooled into thinking you can get tea if you see it offered. It may be some strange flavour, or very weak, or iced, or all three. And it will be hard to explain that you want milk and sugar with it.
Biscuits are good enough, but chocolate is rough.
And, of course, a “biscuit” will mean a type of savory scone.
If your shop, at most stores they will pack shopping bags for you and are a little shocked and overly grateful if you do it yourself.
Be prepared to tip in many circumstances (but not, oddly enough, for having your groceries packed).
Be prepared to be asked about football, the Beatles, the Queen, maybe even the King.
Don’t be offended is someone attempts to do a British accent at you, it’s meant as a friendly greeting.
If driving:
Four-way stops are like roundabouts without the roundabout. But with stop signs.
Pedestrians are not expected to look out for traffic, but are not allowed to just cross anywhere. So it balances out.
Someone has stolen the clutch pedals from all the cars.
Can’t tell if you realize this is a shitpost
I noticed! That’s why my reply became a semi-crazed random stream of consciousness.
Four-way stops are like roundabouts without the roundabout. But with stop signs.
The priority is different to a roundabout. A four way stop is ‘person who arrived at their stop line first goes first’. If two arrive at the same time the person on the right has priority.
True. But I’d sum it up as “A roundabout is a group of T-junctions. A 4-way stop is a nightmarish hellscape that relies on people paying attention and being reasonable.” A 4-way stop near a school at drop-off time is basically Mad Max. Kids crossing at each corner holding up the vehicle that should be next, people splitting into two lanes so that they can turn right out-of-turn, buses obscuring the view, people who decided that “surely it’s my turn now”…
In my experience if 2 cars arrive at a 4 way then it’s just pure panic until someone decides to go. Drives me up a wall.
The way I see it, hesitation is defeat. So take the initiative.
So glad I’m not driving
Well, I hope this thread has also put you off being a pedestrian.
The last one got me. A friend of mine from the US asked if my partner could drive a manual. I was confused at first, “can’t everyone?”
On the reality show The Amazing Race, it’s never the rock climbing or skiing or skydiving that holds back the teams. It’s driving the manual rental car from the airport.
I drive manual in the UK but have never tried a left-hand-drive manual car, I’d probably keep hitting the door with my left hand.
I did that all the time driving a manual in Japan and England the other way around. 🤣
Quick note on this one
Pedestrians are not expected to look out for traffic, but are not allowed to just cross anywhere. So it balances out.
If you end up driving, pedestrians are not allowed to cross anywhere (although some places like New York have legalized crossing anywhere) but pedestrians always have the right of way. You can’t run people over because they crossed outside a crosswalk.
So if on foot, use crosswalks or you could get a ticket for jaywalking. If in a vehicle, don’t hit pedestrians.
You can’t run people over because they crossed outside a crosswalk.
Unless they are black and poor and you drive a big truck in a southern city at night. Then, it’s just another unfortunate accident.
You can’t run people over because they crossed outside a crosswalk.
But you can shoot them, right?
Only if you do it politely and with covered chest
If you shoot them to keep them from entering the street, it’s self defense.
The pedestrian tried to attack your property by covering your car in their blood.
So if you cross the street, you’ll be run over, then both you and the driver get a fine.
USA USA USA
Much more likely to get run over in a crosswalk in the us than in Europe. American drivers don’t stop. The amount of overengineered zebra crossings in the US are crazy.
Part of the problem is that if you get a green light, so can go ahead or turn right, the road to your right has a “walk” sign on at the same time. So pedestrians can start crossing. In the UK a walk-sign equivalent means that “the traffic has stopped so that you can cross”.
I’d rather shite in my own hands and clap than click a YouTube thumbnail like that
USA is really quite safe, just remember to not be black or a woman
Oh and wear a ballistics vest if you’re going anywhere near a school
Also not arabic or queer. Also dont cross streets without a green light or you might get vaporized by an orbital drone for the royal offense of “jaywalking”
And don’t try to stand in some place idly outside for more than a minute. They call that “loitering” and it’s the barbaric act of experiencing being alive in public without spending a dime.
When does the freedom kick in?
When you swipe your credit card and leave a generous tip, of course!
You’re free to choose between 25, 30 and 35%.
As a free American, you have the right to have your teeth kicked in by cops.
I think Italian and Irish are now acceptable. Maybe choose one of those.
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Don’t take your real phone with you. Just get a cheap burner phone that you can reset after customs went through it.
My condolences
Where in the USA are you going. Saying you’re going to the USA is like saying you’re going to europe. There’s a vast difference between the different states and regions within those states.
Arozona mate just a short stay
I lived in Tucson for a while. Very good food scene.
Weather is actually pretty nice this time of year.
Nothing really special to be aware of. Stay away from cholla cactus. Lol
My condolences.
Mostly joking, I dont know a damn thing about Arizona. There should be some beautiful national parks there but other than that it’s pretty empty. Vastly different landscape than the UK though so that should be interesting. Also you’re definitely visiting durring the right time of year.
My condolence, I’m not joking.
If you’re doing activities outdoors: Always bring an extra bottle of water. That is to say, bring a bottle to drink, and then another for when you get thirstier than expected. This season is relatively cool, but you really don’t want to be caught unprepared. Also: Arizona has a law requiring businesses to serve water for free if you ask. Don’t let anyone bullshit you and ask for money.
Keep an eye on the weather reports, and do not hike down washes, ravines, or narrow canyons if there’s a rain storm anywhere nearby. Heavy rainfall several miles away can turn a sunny, dry ravine into a raging torrent that can kill. If you see a road that’s currently flowing with water, don’t try to cross it, even in a big car. You don’t know how deep it really is, and even just a few cms of fast water is enough to sweep a person off their feet and drown them. It doesn’t take much more to get a car stuck.
If you’re going to Northern Arizona, bring warm clothes. People can be caught unprepared when they leave Phoenix for a day trip and it’s 60⁰F, but when they get to Flagstaff 2h later it’s snowing.
If you see a Jumping Cholla:
Don’t get too close. Their spines are longer than they look because they get so thin as to be nearly invisible.
It’s a single country with a single currency, a single government, a single history, and a single language. Yes there’s a lot of variance within the country, but it’s really nothing compared to visiting Europe.
I think they meant where, as in are they visiting mountains, desert, rainforest, plains, or certain city or state. There’s a huge range of cultures across the very different regions in the country.
I honestly love it when such profoundly misinformed statements are put forward with absolute authority like this.
a single history
You know that half the country went to war with the other half, right?
a single government
In California, you can order weed through an app and get it delivered to your front door. In Idaho, get pulled over after picking up for the month, you’re a felon.
a single language
Single official language sure. At my work I’m the only native English speaker and a majority of our customers are foreigners who speak little English.
Single currency, true, nothing else you wrote was
Single language made me lol.
Sure, most signs have English on them… but that’s it.
I’m told the temperature is different here.
Bring your own marmite.
You can buy marmite in many stores in my area (LA).
Customs maybe be unhappy at bringing in food.
What is it with the US and marmite if you all like it so much import it
Tarrifs :(
Marmite is nasty
Take that back
Did I just insult the entirety of the UK?
50% at most
Only part of it.
There was a successful ad campaign based on how many people in the UK find it repulsive.
https://www.creativereview.co.uk/you-either-love-it-or-hate-it/
Irn-Bru too, funnily enough.
The FDA aren’t a fan of how it (or was) made.
I dont know if it’s a different recipe but you can get Irn Bru in Kroger.
when you stub your toe you get heroin
They’re driving on the right side.
Good reminder, he should teach them how to drive on the left. Lead by example.
The Queen is still alive and we have her. Just don’t tell anyone, okay?
Good luck not getting shot mate.
I’ll try my best
Just avoid schools
Never take the ambulance. They will suck your money and your soul.
Remember not to be black.
Or brown
Bring a printed copy of your ESTA / visa for immigration. Get some kind of travel insurance that covers health emergencies, and have proof of that printed as well.
This could vary depending on the situation, but as someone who works in healthcare in the US (pray for me), it doesn’t really matter if you’ve got proof of traveler’s insurance, unless I’m able to bill them directly and get a paid claim for it. In every case I’ve dealt with traveler’s insurance (admittedly not a ton, but these things are usually handled similarly across the industry), I’ve been instructed by the insuring company to bill the patient/ client, and that the client will be submitting a claim.
If it’s something relatively inexpensive like medication, you’ll probably be charged at the pharmacy, pay out of pocket and get reimbursed.
If, God forbid, you need to stay at a hospital, or dare to mention the word “ambulance”, you’ll be given a bill for $1 million, which you’ll forward to the insurance company. They’ll handle paying the hospital, then follow up with you on any kind of copay you’re meant to be left with.
