# Customs abroad the US should adapt **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 3, 2025, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customs-abroad-the-us-should-adapt/1025374 "2025-12-03T21:22:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customs-abroad-the-us-should-adapt/1025374/21 "2025-12-04T20:00:55Z")
How many years ago was that? NYC didn’t start free universal school meals until the 20 teens. When I was in school back when dinosaurs roamed the earth (graduated in 81) there were free lunches, reduced price lunches and full price lunches ( which were under a dollar at the time). Although I’m sure a lot of people lied on the forms because I don’t think there was any verification. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customs-abroad-the-us-should-adapt/1025374/22 "2025-12-04T20:17:44Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > Regarding item 3: We already have universal free school lunches in California. > > Also, regarding item 23: We have compost bins everywhere in California. Whether they are used correctly is another question. Good points. > [@Horatius](#): > > Canada has something like that during the Christmas season. I’ve never used it, but my old boss used to take vacation every year to volunteer with them as a driver. Thats great! ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customs-abroad-the-us-should-adapt/1025374/23 "2025-12-04T21:04:45Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > How many years ago was that? NYC didn’t start free universal school meals until the 20 teens. Late 1980s-1990s. I definitely remember waiting on line in the cafeteria with my tray. This was on Long Island, I don’t know if it was different in the city. ---
**Author:** ![MacDoc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/macdoc/32/18696_2.png) [@MacDoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacDoc)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customs-abroad-the-us-should-adapt/1025374/24 "2025-12-04T22:22:48Z")
no tipping ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customs-abroad-the-us-should-adapt/1025374/25 "2025-12-04T22:36:46Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > The custom of not tipping! Definitely this. It has gotten really out of hand since Covid, and now most POS terminals have a tipping option on as default for even counter service at Subway. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2025, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customs-abroad-the-us-should-adapt/1025374/26 "2025-12-05T03:38:32Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > I’d like to see American sports fans adopt old show tunes and novelty songs as “team anthems” like they do in the UK. > > “Hang On, Sloopy” at the Ohio State University. > > * * * > > The U.S. is large enough that it’s not really a single culture. I’m sure everything that Europeans do is done somewhere in the U.S. And probably the reverse. [Steelers](https://www.reddit.com/r/steelers/comments/1ozf7l1/renegade_111625/) [Ravens](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGRThLyuN1U) [Jaguars](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNXUrUNXNwM) ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2025, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customs-abroad-the-us-should-adapt/1025374/27 "2025-12-05T04:11:54Z")
Getting drunken men home was so much simpler before everyone drove. The 1994 Chinese film _To Live_ depicts hauling the overserved piggyback as part of the establishment’s offered services. Snopes confirms it was practiced in Turkey [![](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTX0Qrcsc3srnVYxGT6EUtoP2id1fbYdqWGc6RLJKxKqg&s=10) ](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTX0Qrcsc3srnVYxGT6EUtoP2id1fbYdqWGc6RLJKxKqg&s=10) In a bygone America, where the nearby corner bar meant cars weren’t needed, moms would send one of the kids to stumble dad home by hand _Father, dear father, come home with me now, The clock in the steeple strikes one; You said you were coming right home from the shop As soon as your day’s work was done_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customs-abroad-the-us-should-adapt/1025374.md?page=1)