# Misconceptions about USA **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 19, 2003, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510 "2003-09-19T00:33:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/101 "2003-09-21T05:51:42Z")
Landmarks, experience, small outposts that are now cities, and wel established trails. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/102 "2003-09-21T06:00:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spogga \* > \*\*Given that the US is one hell of a size how did the old cowboys get from one place to another without ending up in Dodge City instead of Tombstone. > I mean it’s not as if there were highways with markers on them is it? \*\* There were trails from point to point. Usually from fort to fort in the Old West. Also, you could just follow the railroad tracks, if it was on a railroad line. ---
**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/103 "2003-09-21T06:17:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Laughing Lagomorph \* > [BMaybe it’s a Michigan thing. Can anyone explain? I’ve never heard of anything so ghastly. > \*\* Not a Michigan thing that I’ve ever heard of. We do have a local beer called Bell’s Oberon that is invariably served with a lemon, but I’ve never heard of oranges in any beer, Sam Adam’s or otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![spogga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ab097/32.png) [@spogga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spogga)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/104 "2003-09-21T06:19:20Z")
All well and good once the cowboys/settlers had gone to and from the places a few times but what about before. They would not have known of any landmarks, there would be no outposts, the trails would not have been established, no forts,and the railroad came much later than the covered waggon. I hardly think that the native Americans would have willingly shown them how to get from A to B without getting lost. ---
**Author:** ![CaptBushido](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@CaptBushido](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptBushido)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/105 "2003-09-21T06:21:09Z")
In the southwest particularly, the Spanish already had a pretty good infrastructure built. And THEY got their info from the random wanderings of their many explorers. Speaking of which, Americans did a fair bit of random exploring themselves. Lewis and Clark, for example. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/106 "2003-09-21T06:28:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cardinal \* > \*\*Another illustration of size: > > Dallas to Los Angeles, flying like a bat, barely stopping at all: 20 hours. \*\* What exactly were you flying? The Average cross country plain trip I’ve been on is between 5-7 hours. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/107 "2003-09-21T06:51:16Z")
He was flying like a bat. Flapping his arms. ---
**Author:** ![spogga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ab097/32.png) [@spogga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spogga)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/108 "2003-09-21T07:04:55Z")
Another thing I find rather strange is the American “fickleness” about certain sport. For example, I support Manchester City Football Club (the round ball) but if they were to be bought out and moved to London (God forbid) I would still support my team, I could not follow the other Manchester shower of crap. Yet we hear of American football teams re-locating hundreds maybe thousands of miles away from the city that bears their name, so you could have the Miami Muffdivers playing in Washington but still carrying the same name. This makes no sense, who do the muffdiver fans now support?and who in Washington would go watch a team they knew sod all about. We have recently had an example over here where Wimbledon FC a former premiership side have moved to Milton Keynes. What happened? The fans formed AFC Wimbledon who still play in that Borough and get more fans watching them than do the team that sold them out who incidentally are now bottom of the 3rd division. We do get teams moving to other grounds but ALWAYS in the same town or city, My own team moved this season to a brand new stadium which seats approx 12,000 more than the old one and it gets filled. ---
**Author:** ![spogga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ab097/32.png) [@spogga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spogga)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/109 "2003-09-21T07:18:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CaptBushido \* > \*\*In the southwest particularly, the Spanish already had a pretty good infrastructure built. > > And THEY got their info from the random wanderings of their many explorers. Speaking of which, Americans did a fair bit of random exploring themselves. Lewis and Clark, for example. \*\* Oh come on! random exploring isn’t going to provide all and sundry with an ordnance survey map is it? Again given the sheer size of the USA these random explorers are going to have to be pretty good at map making and writing as well as having damn good memories. When the Great Plains were opened up to settlers and the waggons all charged furiously across (I’ve seen the films y’see) where exactly were they charging to? Excuse the ignorance of a Brit (English) but this aspect of American history I find fascinating. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/110 "2003-09-21T07:28:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spogga \* > **The quote I gave was just an example of how cheap it is to fly from the UK to the US. As you live in NC (Nth Carolina?) I can’t see the price being that much more.** Just for kicks, I’ve tried to find a flight from Charlotte, NC (the state’s largest city I believe) to London - going outside peak times, leaving mid-week and with a Saturday stayover. They _start_ at $439 and go up from there. That’s considerably more than £201. An American lucky enough to get a long Christmas break will pay at least $493. August fares, at the moment, are starting at $968, and July fares at $1031. Why did you think it wouldn’t be much more? ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/111 "2003-09-21T07:38:42Z")
Another misconception about California: that it’s all warm and tropical weather. This misconception provides great laughs (at tourists’ expense) for San Francisco residents in June. I can only imagine what would happen if these tourists tried to venture to the far north or east of the state in wintertime. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/112 "2003-09-21T07:41:08Z")
Well, **Spogga** , your original Q was about cowboys. By the time of the ranches and cattle drives, yes, the trails were very well established. As for the migration out West, hope of California gold or a place of their own (didn’t have to be CA) fueled the hearts of those settlers. And _they_ followed the trails of trappers, hunters, Native Americans, and the many and sundry explorers. Plus, leaving from St Louis, it was pretty easy to tell where you were. Plains, hills, mountains, or desert. Even if it wasn’t an exact fix, they knew how far they were likely to travel in a day. And there are some pretty specific landmarks. (Ever see some of the mountain shapes or rock formations in the West US?) I think the praries would be the hardest to have dealt with. Until you caught sight of the Rockies, it pretty much was very similar. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/113 "2003-09-21T08:08:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spogga \* > \*\*Oh come on! random exploring isn’t going to provide all and sundry with an ordnance survey map is it? > Again given the sheer size of the USA these random explorers are going to have to be pretty good at map making and writing as well as having damn good memories. > When the Great Plains were opened up to settlers and the waggons all charged furiously across (I’ve seen the films y’see) where exactly were they charging to? > \*\* There were landmarks (Chimney Rock, Independence Rock, various rivers) as well as a network of forts they traveled between. Before the forts, it was pretty much only mountain men and such who crossed the country. ---
**Author:** ![spogga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ab097/32.png) [@spogga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spogga)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/114 "2003-09-21T08:12:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ruadh \* > \*\*Just for kicks, I’ve tried to find a flight from Charlotte, NC (the state’s largest city I believe) to London - going outside peak times, leaving mid-week and with a Saturday stayover. > > They _start_ at $439 and go up from there. That’s considerably more than £201. > > An American lucky enough to get a long Christmas break will pay at least $493. > > August fares, at the moment, are starting at $968, and July fares at $1031. > > Why did you think it wouldn’t be much more? \*\* Check out [www.travelbag.co.uk](http://www.travelbag.co.uk) I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the cheapness of the flights ---
**Author:** ![spogga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ab097/32.png) [@spogga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spogga)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/115 "2003-09-21T08:23:12Z")
NOCLUEBOY/HPL: Well obviously I bow to your superior knowledge of your own country and it’s history and I do not doubt for one second that you are wrong. It is just that to me the vast distances would have put me off right from the start, I mean I don’t even like driving 28 miles to visit my brother…he lives a long way from me, my son even further, something like 35 miles and thats L-O-N-G. The only part/s of the US I’ve seen were Chicago,Grand Rapids, Gary,Detroit and Lake Michigan of course…now that is big!! Of course I have seen the rock formations but only on TV or cinema and I would love to see Mt Rushmore. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/116 "2003-09-21T10:03:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spogga \* > \*\*Check out [www.travelbag.co.uk](http://www.travelbag.co.uk) I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the cheapness of the flights \*\* First off, that site won’t help Americans, since the starting point for all flights must be within the U.K. But I’ve tried London-Charlotte anyway, using the same dates I put in the previous post. Flight #1 (offpeak): “Sorry, no flights available on those dates” Flight #2 (Christmas): £468 and up Flight #3 (Summer): £427. OK, _that_ one is significantly cheaper than the one I found, but still a lot dearer than £201! ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/117 "2003-09-21T11:04:36Z")
Part of the reason for the flight price discrepancy is that lots of Brits go to NYC (or want to) for weekend breaks and suchlike, so the airlines offer cheap deals on that route. Charlotte ain’t exactly brimming over with British tourists; if you’re travelling from the UK, you probably _need_ to go and thus can be charged a bit more. Also, Americans don’t tend to take short overseas trips, so the need to offer competitive rates doesn’t apply quite so much. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/118 "2003-09-21T11:19:02Z")
I know that some of you Dopers, being some of the smartest, hippest people on the planet (see the Straight Dope homepage if you don’t believe me), are working on time machines in your basements and garages. When the first one of you succeeds in building a working model, I’d like to borrow it. It’s for a good cause. I’d like to go back in time and find out who is ultimately responsible for allowing a textbook to be published, for use in Norwegian schools, saying that the United States has **fifty-two** states. When I find this person, I will beat him until he can’t grow no more. I’m so tired of correcting that misconception I could scream. Particularly when they start **arguing** with me about it. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/119 "2003-09-21T11:21:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by flodnak \* > \*\*I know that some of you Dopers, being some of the smartest, hippest people on the planet (see the Straight Dope homepage if you don’t believe me), are working on time machines in your basements and garages. When the first one of you succeeds in building a working model, I’d like to borrow it. It’s for a good cause. I’d like to go back in time and find out who is ultimately responsible for allowing a textbook to be published, for use in Norwegian schools, saying that the United States has **fifty-two** states. When I find this person, I will beat him until he can’t grow no more. > > I’m so tired of correcting that misconception I could scream. Particularly when they start **arguing** with me about it. \*\* Absolutely. There’s actually **53** , including Canada, Great Britain and Puerto Rico. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510/120 "2003-09-21T11:30:07Z")
Now that you mention it, I’ve had to correct that misconception a number of times too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-usa/202510.md?page=7)