# 16 People On Things They Couldn’t Believe About America Until They Moved Here **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 15, 2013, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954 "2013-11-15T01:24:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2013, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/141 "2013-11-18T19:29:10Z")
Years back one of my elderly cousins was brought over from Yugoslavia for a visit (omitting long story about uncle trying to make up for mishandling an estate) and she was shocked to be able to see down the long stretch of road that is I-90 here in Cleveland. Shocked to the point of unnerved and nearly in tears. Now this isn’t Texas…you really can’t see THAT far down the highway since it runs thru town. But she lived in the mountains in the old country and had never seen a road so long and straight. Then they were always coming home to find that she had pulled all the milk and juice out of the fridge and left them on the counters, because she wasn’t used to drinking anything that cold and couldn’t understand why anyone would want to…even though it was a very hot summer. For her the entire visit to this country was way too much sensory and culture shock for an old woman from a tiny old town. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2013, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/142 "2013-11-18T20:36:11Z")
> [@Ximenean](#): > > So if I ever find myself in a queue in Manchester while some Dutch guy buys a can of Coke with a debit card, I will know who to blame. > > Luddonite and proud of it! (Not affiliated to Luddites. They are scum.) Actually with paypass technology it’s faster for me to pay by card (Credit or debit) than it is to pay by cash. Tap on the device and then it’s just time for the receipt to print. > [@terentii](#): > > … and that means you can drive drunk in California? 😕 What that means is that it’s legal to drive in California in a condition that would be considered drunk in Sweden. There’s really nothing for me in this category because the US was my second home since before I could walk. We spent a month every summer driving and camping our way through the states with the goal of visiting them all. My father loves driving with no plans in place just seeing what’s out there and since the US was within reach we explored almost every year. We did fit in a few years of Canadian trips too but most of the time the US was just cheaper and when you want to travel for a full month that’s high on the list of priorities 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2013, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/143 "2013-11-18T20:52:39Z")
> [@kittenblue](#): > > Then they were always coming home to find that she had pulled all the milk and juice out of the fridge and left them on the counters, because she wasn’t used to drinking anything that cold and couldn’t understand why anyone would want to…even though it was a very hot summer. That’s one I’ve seen a lot of - foreigners grousing about America’s obsession with cold beverages. Oddly enough, I encounter it most because I don’t have it - seeing me open and drink a warm soda starts a conversation with “Oh, so you’re not like the _rest_ of them, I see…” ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2013, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/144 "2013-11-18T21:26:54Z")
> [@PookahMacPhellimey](#): > > What struck me in the USA (I’ve visited but haven’t lived there) is the respect for and/or fear of the police. Like when we were pulled over (not doing anything remotely illegal) my American friend was making very sure her hands were in sight and she was being very cooperative and polite. Here in Europe (I’ve lived in The Netherlands, the UK, Ireland and Italy) I think we take cops are lot less seriously. Like, oh my, a cop, now what does he/she want. I’ve certainly given a lot of backchat to police officers. Sometimes I worry that I might get arrested or fined, but that I would never worry that they would use a gun on me or anything like that. Well the police in the US do have a valid fear, or danger, that some simple traffic stop might lead to the citizen pulling out a gun and shooting at them. They have to be cautious. They get a little touchy about that. And all police in the US are well armed. So it is important to follow the instructions the police give and make no sudden moves. After you are identified and the reason for the stop is explained the situation becomes more normal. “Backchat”, or arguing with the cops is a good way to find yourself tazed or otherwise detained. It is best to just take your citation and leave the backchat to your lawyers. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2013, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/145 "2013-11-18T23:42:14Z")
Agreed. I try to be sensitive that a cop pulling me over has to worry with every traffic stop if this will be the one that ends with him/her getting shot in the face (though they are probably not that concerned about a fat middle aged woman in a minivan in one of the safest cities in the country, I will grant you). > [@Malthus](#): > > My family lives in Toronto, but has what is now a vacation property (used to be my grandfather’s wilderness laboratory - he studied forest bugs) in northern Quebec - a 7 hour drive by car and boat to a place that is pretty remote. > > The property is on an island on lake Kipawa, and the cabin there is very primitive - you burn kerosene lamps for light and pump water by hand. The view off the dock is quite spectacular. Sometimes a day can go by without seeing a boat - although the lake is reasonably popular for recreation, it is also huge. > > Taking guests from other parts of the world up there is always an interesting cultural experience. The sheer length of the journey is impressive, as is the isolation once you get there. Also, the notion that everything you see is “Crown Land” - that is, not owned by anyone. Also, the notion that such an enormous lake is basically unknown to most of the people who live in this country, only one of hundreds more or less like it. The fact that you could encounter moose and bears adds a certain interest. > > I remember one time driving up there at night (we got a late start) with an English fellow from London, when a moose ambled out onto the road - we almost ran it down. It went galumphing away across the road. Scared us both, but for different reasons - I was scared I’d hit it, which could easily crush our car (moose are so large if you hit them you generally knock the legs out from under them and the body lands on your windshield/roof - crushing you - or at least, so I’ve heard). He was scared because he simply could not believe the sheer size of the beast, looming out of the dark like that. I really hope you offer them a dramatic reading of “The Wendigo” while they are visiting. It would underline everything perfectly! ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/146 "2013-11-19T04:18:44Z")
> [@Eliahna](#): > > Yeah, I don’t get that anecdote. Australia is roughly the same size as the contiguous US states. Maybe they were just idiots? They’d never traveled Oz the way they were traveling the US. Something I happened to encounter once I lived in the US but not in previous visits was Feds who have watched too much TV. Really? You go to the home of an old lady to ask for information and instead of asking politely you bully her into an anxiety attack from which she doesn’t recover completely for several days? Do the greysuits come out of an assembly line rather than from between the legs of women, that they have no respect? Also the banking system. And for my brother, check-cashing places. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/147 "2013-11-19T04:55:27Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > They’d never traveled Oz the way they were traveling the US. That’s my guess, along with the idea that while they knew Australia had big empty, they didn’t realize the US did. Like I said, lots of people think the US is 5 big cities thanks to the media. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/148 "2013-11-19T09:48:34Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I’m not surprised about Sweden. It’s likely no one there will even want to be seen with you if you’re carrying a bottle home from the liquor store. They’re very uptight about it. (True story!) Total rubbish. ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/149 "2013-11-19T13:44:51Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > Well the police in the US do have a valid fear, or danger, that some simple traffic stop might lead to the citizen pulling out a gun and shooting at them. They have to be cautious. They get a little touchy about that. And all police in the US are well armed. > > So it is important to follow the instructions the police give and make no sudden moves. After you are identified and the reason for the stop is explained the situation becomes more normal. “Backchat”, or arguing with the cops is a good way to find yourself tazed or otherwise detained. It is best to just take your citation and leave the backchat to your lawyers. Not saying it isn’t valid, just something that struck me. The desirability of access to guns is of course a Great Debate, but I’m sure that the fact that anyone might be armed has a lot to with it. If you, as a police officer, know someone isn’t going to pull out a gun and shoot you, sure you are going to be more tolerant of unpredictable behaviour and people not cooperating. Annoyed, sure, but you tazering is very rare in Europe outside of an actual riot. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/150 "2013-11-19T14:52:27Z")
Since we’re talking about alcohol: I think most people would be pretty shocked to discover you can’t walk around in public with a beer in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/151 "2013-11-19T15:27:17Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Since we’re talking about alcohol: I think most people would be pretty shocked to discover you can’t walk around in public with a beer in the US. It depends entirely upon where you are. It’s legal in Las Vegas in the tourist areas. They’re having some issues in the Fremont street area right now as some new clubs have opened up outside of the designated tourist area and people have been ticketed for carrying open drinks between those clubs and the actual designated area. The city just threw out the first bunch because the area is not clearly marked. I suspect they’ll just increase the area to cover the new clubs. That’s actually a big thing about the US that’s very different from home - so many decisions are based on the county you’re in rather than the country or state. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/152 "2013-11-19T15:52:08Z")
That’s a good one. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/153 "2013-11-19T15:54:59Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Since we’re talking about alcohol: I think most people would be pretty shocked to discover you can’t walk around in public with a beer in the US. An OPEN container, not usually. You can skate all over town w/ a closed can of beer in your hand. But there are some areas like Bourbon St where people freely carry open drinks. In some places an open container’s allowed in a vehicle so long as its the passengers; in other places an open container of any kind anywhere in the vehicle would result in an arrest. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/154 "2013-11-19T15:55:40Z")
Well, yeah, I meant open. Walking around with a closed beer isn’t very useful. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/155 "2013-11-19T16:40:39Z")
Huh, I didn’t even know that you couldn’t walk around (not in a car) with an open container. Then again, I don’t drink, so it’s not too important for me. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/156 "2013-11-19T17:34:31Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Since we’re talking about alcohol: I think most people would be pretty shocked to discover you can’t walk around in public with a beer in the US. Is that really all of the US, or just most of the US? (Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good assumption.) I was under the impression that New Orleans doesn’t have an open carry law as long as the container isn’t glass. Or maybe that was just the signs on Bourbon St.? And of course New Mexico was one of the last states to get rid of the drive-thru liquor stores. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/157 "2013-11-19T18:49:09Z")
Most. The difference is really that the places where you _can_ are the exception rather than the rule here. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/158 "2013-11-19T19:06:54Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Well, yeah, I meant open. **Walking around with a closed beer isn’t very useful.** 🙂 Especially if you’re under 21 as it will get a you ‘minor in possession’ charge. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/159 "2013-11-19T19:17:28Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > Is that really all of the US, or just most of the US? (Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good assumption.) I was under the impression that New Orleans doesn’t have an open carry law as long as the container isn’t glass. Or maybe that was just the signs on Bourbon St.? In Minnesota, in most parks alcohol is illegal. However, in my county you are allowed to have beer and wine in designated picnic areas as long as it isn’t in glass containers or in kegs (or ‘case lots’, so don’t be bringing large amounts). ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/160 "2013-11-19T19:21:12Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Just to add… when you apply for planning permission, the council will solicit opinion from your neighbours, who are given the opportunity to object. It’s kind of the same way here, especially if you are asking for what is called a variance. Meaning you want to do something the rules currently don’t allow like building to close to the property line (varying from the setback ordinance, in other words). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954.md?page=9)