# Ask the Scottish lady about her solo US trip **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 28, 2017, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-scottish-lady-about-her-solo-us-trip/794958 "2017-08-28T21:17:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-scottish-lady-about-her-solo-us-trip/794958/61 "2017-08-29T19:12:13Z")
Speaking of the wide open, I live in South Dakota on the eastern side and once went to visit my brother on the western side. I was driving home on a state highway, not the interstate, and I figured it was about 2 hours before I saw another vehicle on the road. And I was still a good 4 or 5 hours from home. ---
**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-scottish-lady-about-her-solo-us-trip/794958/62 "2017-08-29T19:38:59Z")
> [@Scougs](#): > > I asked for that, didn’t I? > We call that “tailgating” in the UK I call that tailgating in the US Now imagine that with you on a motorcycle instead ☹ That is my everyday > [@](#): > > Tipping: oh boy, where do I start. You start by avoiding everything in america labeled tourist trap > [@](#): > > It feels odd to have the top of my head and the bottom of my legs on show Oh my ☹ I almost need to ask where you used the restroom at? > [@](#): > > Alcohol: Having to produce ID regularly when I’m in my fifties. Folk on Bourbon Street in New Orleans and Beale Street in Memphis buying drinks and wandering the streets with it. Folk at the Roger Waters gig being really, really drunk and missing chunks of a $200-a-ticket concert to buy $14 cans of Bud Light. Take the ID as a compliment, you look under 40. New Orleans is like that, it is not the norm. Bloody hell i’m paying $14 for a can of awful cheap bubbly water passing for beer. $14 you could take a whole flat of them home from the nearest corner store. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-scottish-lady-about-her-solo-us-trip/794958/63 "2017-08-30T01:30:14Z")
> [@Scougs](#): > > Crazy one you probably don’t realise - I loved the difference between yellow lines and white lines between lanes on the road! Kept me alive more than once, I’m sure. We only have white lines, and you’re expected to know from other clues whether the adjacent traffic is going in the same direction or not. I remember when we first got that – mid 70s. At first I thought it was superfluous. But I’ve visited other countries since then and wondered why no one else seems to have borrowed the idea. ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-scottish-lady-about-her-solo-us-trip/794958/64 "2017-08-30T03:29:15Z")
> [@Scougs](#): > > I’ve mentioned it already in the thread, but I loved the difference between white lines and yellow lines between lanes. All lane markings here are white. That must make things very, very difficult - and dangerous - to folk from the US driving here. Another advantage of the yellow lines, especially useful to us in the North, is that they are much more visible when it snows. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-scottish-lady-about-her-solo-us-trip/794958/65 "2017-08-30T03:33:15Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > I remember when we first got that – mid 70s. At first I thought it was superfluous. But I’ve visited other countries since then and wondered why no one else seems to have borrowed the idea. Traffic controls, like street markings and road signs, are something everybody (almost) deals with all the time, but never gives much thought to. Every now and then I run across some unusual details about it and think there’s a whole, vast science to it that I’m completely unaware of. ---
**Author:** ![Scougs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scougs/32/3158_2.png) [@Scougs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scougs)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-scottish-lady-about-her-solo-us-trip/794958/66 "2017-08-30T12:04:36Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > How was the food? Best meal? Worst meal? Thoughts on quantity? I just noticed that this asked about “quantity” not “quality”. I’m guessing you know the answer - I find American portion sizes ridiculously massive. “Oh, I’ll just have a light chicken salad… are you KIDDING me?!”. The resulting obesity issue was really, really noticeable to me also. I am a pretty big girl, and normally when I buy a T shirt it’s a case of the biggest one they’ve got. Not on this trip - I felt positively normal. ---
**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:** [August 30, 2017, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-scottish-lady-about-her-solo-us-trip/794958/67 "2017-08-30T12:36:05Z")
To put the restroom thing in context, in most countries, the partitions between restroom stalls go floor-to-ceiling, not stopping a foot above the floor as is typical here. I think the reason ours have the gap is to make it easier to mop. ---
**Author:** ![Scougs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scougs/32/3158_2.png) [@Scougs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scougs)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-scottish-lady-about-her-solo-us-trip/794958/68 "2017-08-30T13:15:41Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > To put the restroom thing in context, in most countries, the partitions between restroom stalls go floor-to-ceiling, not stopping a foot above the floor as is typical here. I think the reason ours have the gap is to make it easier to mop. That’s it in a nutshell, Chronos. Made me feel… vulnerable. ---
**Author:** ![Remember\_me](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/82dd89/32.png) [@Remember\_me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Remember_me)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-scottish-lady-about-her-solo-us-trip/794958/69 "2017-08-30T14:26:39Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > To put the restroom thing in context, in most countries, the partitions between restroom stalls go floor-to-ceiling, not stopping a foot above the floor as is typical here. I think the reason ours have the gap is to make it easier to mop. Well, I would say some go from floor-to-ceiling and the rest does indeed have a gap. But the gap at the bottom is noticeably smaller in Europe compared to the US rest rooms I visited. I just sneaked into my office rest room with a folding rule. Here, the bottom gap is 15 cm (so about half a foot). But the more important difference, at least for me, is that there is no see-through-gap along the doors. In many restrooms in the US, there is a small gap of maybe 5 mm on each side of the door that you can (only just) look through. In Europe\* this gap is usually closed. ---
**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:** [August 30, 2017, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-scottish-lady-about-her-solo-us-trip/794958/70 "2017-08-30T15:04:10Z")
Are you considering a trip to S. America for 2019 Solar eclipse? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-scottish-lady-about-her-solo-us-trip/794958/71 "2017-08-30T15:06:22Z")
> [@Scougs](#): > > Gritted my teeth and grudged every penny… ‘Och! I canna stand the rape o’ me purse!’ (I kid the Scots! 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-scottish-lady-about-her-solo-us-trip/794958/72 "2017-08-30T15:08:08Z")
> [@Weisshund](#): > > I call that tailgating in the US > Now imagine that with you on a motorcycle instead ☹ > That is my everyday One of the things I miss about California is never having to worry about being tailgated when I’m on a motorcycle. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-scottish-lady-about-her-solo-us-trip/794958/73 "2017-08-30T15:13:57Z")
Did you ever have occasions in conversing with Americans where you heard or interpreted a word mistakenly? Did you ask about something that had different terminology in the US? The reason I ask is because when I went to London, I asked for directions to the subway, when the proper term was actually “the tube.” We wound up underneath traffic. I also thought the concierge at the hotel said “Soca line” when she actually meant “Circle line.” Did you try to use an American keyboard and find the layout totally different? Also happened to me in London. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-scottish-lady-about-her-solo-us-trip/794958/74 "2017-08-30T15:44:52Z")
> [@Scougs](#): > > We call that “tailgating” in the UK, but I know that’s something different in the US, especially after the parking lot for the Roger Waters concert 🙂 As some have already noted - close following in trafic is ‘tailgating’, but cooking enormous spreads of food in parking lots before events (particularly American football) is another usage of the word (from eating off the lowered tailgate of a pickup truck (or so I always assumed)). ---
**Author:** ![Scougs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scougs/32/3158_2.png) [@Scougs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scougs)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-scottish-lady-about-her-solo-us-trip/794958/75 "2017-08-30T16:26:20Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > Are you considering a trip to S. America for 2019 Solar eclipse? I definitely would have if it had been cloudy for this trip. But those on this trip who had seen totality before said not to. Apparently this one was so perfect that it would be difficult to beat, and another might be a disappoint. I might get twitchy for seeing another one by the time of the 2024 in the USA, or the 2026 one in Spain. ---
**Author:** ![Scougs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scougs/32/3158_2.png) [@Scougs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scougs)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-scottish-lady-about-her-solo-us-trip/794958/76 "2017-08-30T16:27:46Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > As some have already noted - close following in trafic is ‘tailgating’, but cooking enormous spreads of food in parking lots before events (particularly American football) is another usage of the word (from eating off the lowered tailgate of a pickup truck (or so I always assumed)). Ah, I now see you use tailgating for both senses. Over here tailgating is only applied to the dangerous practice of following the vehicle in front two closely. I discovered the alternative use when people were hanging around the parking lot before the Roger Waters concert. ---
**Author:** ![Scougs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scougs/32/3158_2.png) [@Scougs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scougs)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-scottish-lady-about-her-solo-us-trip/794958/77 "2017-08-30T16:35:44Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Did you ever have occasions in conversing with Americans where you heard or interpreted a word mistakenly? Did you ask about something that had different terminology in the US? > > The reason I ask is because when I went to London, I asked for directions to the subway, when the proper term was actually “the tube.” We wound up underneath traffic. I also thought the concierge at the hotel said “Soca line” when she actually meant “Circle line.” > > Did you try to use an American keyboard and find the layout totally different? Also happened to me in London. I’ve hung out on this message board enough, and spent enough time on Tripadvisor, for this to generally not be a problem. I even helped interpret when I overheard a fellow Scot telling the guide for a tour in a Memphis that her son had just “nipped to the loo”. (I translated: “Her son is in the restroom”). You’ve got to remember that we get exposed to an awful lot of American culture through films and TVs, so most terminology is understandable to us. I did have to stifle a giggle at being told that “fanny packs” were allowed in the Jack Daniel’s distillery, and burst out laughing when someone introduced themselves to me by saying “Hi, I’m Randy”. Not this trip, but on a previous occasion a cab driver gestured at my luggage and said “in the trunk”? Not being used to the word - even though I know what it means - I thought he was asking if I was drunk.:smack: One thing I did get a bit lost with was alcohol measures. Spirits measured in ounces. A “glass” of wine with no indication of the size. Trying to buy a bottle of vodka and being asked if I wanted a “fifth”. A fifth of what? ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-scottish-lady-about-her-solo-us-trip/794958/78 "2017-08-30T16:42:07Z")
> [@Scougs](#): > > Trying to buy a bottle of vodka and being asked if I wanted a “fifth”. A fifth of what? It used to mean a fifth of a gallon but now refers to a 750 ml bottle. Also called a ‘metric fifth’. ---
**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:** [August 30, 2017, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-scottish-lady-about-her-solo-us-trip/794958/79 "2017-08-30T19:01:33Z")
> [@Scougs](#): > > I’ve hung out on this message board enough, and spent enough time on Tripadvisor, for this to generally not be a problem. I even helped interpret when I overheard a fellow Scot telling the guide for a tour in a Memphis that her son had just “nipped to the loo”. (I translated: “Her son is in the restroom”). You’ve got to remember that we get exposed to an awful lot of American culture through films and TVs, so most terminology is understandable to us. > > I did have to stifle a giggle at being told that “fanny packs” were allowed in the Jack Daniel’s distillery, and burst out laughing when someone introduced themselves to me by saying “Hi, I’m Randy”. > > Not this trip, but on a previous occasion a cab driver gestured at my luggage and said “in the trunk”? Not being used to the word - even though I know what it means - I thought he was asking if I was drunk.:smack: > > One thing I did get a bit lost with was alcohol measures. Spirits measured in ounces. A “glass” of wine with no indication of the size. Trying to buy a bottle of vodka and being asked if I wanted a “fifth”. A fifth of what? In an interview w/ a Brit of some stature (I can’t recall who now), the US morning show hosts referred to her a couple of times as _spunky_, IIRC. This led to all manner of tittering and such on the Brit’s end. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-scottish-lady-about-her-solo-us-trip/794958/80 "2017-08-30T19:05:49Z")
> [@](#): > > burst out laughing when someone introduced themselves to me by saying “Hi, I’m Randy”. 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-scottish-lady-about-her-solo-us-trip/794958.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-scottish-lady-about-her-solo-us-trip/794958.md?page=5)