# Things you've seen abroad you wish were adopted world wide **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 28, 2021, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094 "2021-05-28T14:31:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/61 "2021-05-30T11:18:51Z")
> [@Die\_Capacitrix](#): > > But as soon as there are children around, I think it should be a no smoking area. A friend in New York, where recreational cannabis is now legal, has been shocked to see consumption going on totally in the open. In NY now cannabis is no different than cigarettes. If you can legally light and smoke a cigarette, you can consume cannabis. (Totally ignoring federal law, of course) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/62 "2021-05-30T11:22:49Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > \*Waitstaff doesn’t bug you as much while you are dinning. American waitstaff are the most obnoxious on the planet. Every 5 fucking minutes in your face with “hows everything tasting?” Or “what else can I get you?” This!!! I love dining out in the Caribbean. No hurry ever. If your reservation is for 8 and you’re enjoying after dinner cocktails at 11, that’s par for the course. Compare that to the US where you start eating your meal and if you set your fork down, a waitperson is there asking, “need a box for that?” ---
**Author:** ![Chad\_Sudan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chad_sudan/32/4509_2.png) [@Chad\_Sudan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chad_Sudan)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/63 "2021-05-30T13:59:25Z")
It wouldn’t work everywhere, but many places would benefit from [free public transport](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_public_transport). ---
**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/64 "2021-05-30T14:21:48Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > The freaking metric system. FFS America, Myanmar and Liberia: stop being stupidly obstinate and join the rest of us Why would we do that when our current system is so much more intuitive than the metric system? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/65 "2021-05-30T16:21:21Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > One of my sons owns 3 restaurants. At the higher end bistro he’s taken this to heart. Each server has a small pager. There is a small button at the side of the table. They tell patrons something in effect of “if you need anything at all press the button. Otherwise I will leave you to dine and visit in peace”. And they don’t bother them during their meal unless they’re paged. I’ve often said restaurants should have buttons to summon the staff. Yes, it’s handy for being left alone, but even more important when they vanish completely when you’re ready to leave. Usually higher end places, perhaps trying to be polite and not rush you out, but dear lord, I’m sick of the disappearing act when I’m trying to get out of there. Give me a button! ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/66 "2021-05-30T16:36:54Z")
While not universal, it is fairly common to have one of those “pay to play/menu/payment terminals” on the table around my part of the world. It is a huge convenience. You can see the menu and order, order additional items, split and pay the bill, and calculate a tip in multiple ways and amounts, print reciept(s) and never have to see the server except when food and drink is delivered to your table(it seems to me that this also cuts down on check back visits) and if you do want to see the server, there’s a call button for that too. Oh yeah, you can pay to play various games while waiting for your food also. I remember a precursor to the call button. When I was a wee lad, we were visiting family in California. At a mexican restaurant we went to, there was a miniature Mexican flag on a flag pole on the table that you raised to summon the wait staff ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/67 "2021-05-30T16:49:00Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I’m sick of the disappearing act when I’m trying to get out of there. Give me a button! Thanks to the ubiquitous phones in our pockets I have found the solution to that problem: call them. “Table 18 here, please bring us the bill.” > [@Bootb](#): > > Why would we do that when our current system is so much more intuitive than the metric system? You are whooshing me, right? > [@jtur\*\*](#): > > Bread. How come only Russians can figure out how to make it?? You win the wrongest comment of the day award. > [@Voyager](#): > > In Barcelona we had to put our key card in a holder in our room to turn on the lights and air conditioning, which meant that they were off when we left the room. FYI, any card will do the trick, even a paper card like a visiting card. It may be useful to know in case you want the air conditioning running, which, in a city like Barcelona in summer, can be quite convenient. Otherwise the room will get so hot that the AC cannot cool it down again before bedtime when you come back late. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/68 "2021-05-30T17:14:04Z")
Have you been to Estonia? ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/69 "2021-05-30T17:14:12Z")
> [@Bootb](#): > > Why would we do that when our current system is so much more intuitive than the metric system? Our current system is only intuitive to you because you’ve used it your whole life. People who’ve used the metric system their whole life find that much more intuitive. When it’s going to be better henceforth to change to a better system of anything, it’s always going to be inconvenient at the point of change for the people who’ve used the old system for a long time to change. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/70 "2021-05-30T17:21:31Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > FYI, any card will do the trick, even a paper card like a visiting card. It may be useful to know in case you want the air conditioning running, which, in a city like Barcelona in summer, can be quite convenient. Otherwise the room will get so hot that the AC cannot cool it down again before bedtime when you come back late. I did this in a hotel room in Honduras in the summer. I learned quite a few really useful Spanish curse words that day. The proprietor of the hotel was none too thrilled that I had bypassed his cost-saving measure. But it was brutally hot, and – just as you say – there was no catching up once you got behind. I liked the concept, _conceptually,_ but it has its limits. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/71 "2021-05-30T17:36:57Z")
> [@digs](#): > > But you said “So, chip and pin probably won’t ever happen here. It’s beyond stupid.” Where do you live that you don’t use your PIN for transactions? Or is it that you had to sign your name in 2016… did you think nothing’s changed since then? I’m trying to imagine a grocery store self-serve lane asking you to sign a receipt… I’m talking about credit cards, not debit. In Europe, if you have a nice dinner out for €150, they will bring a credit card terminal to your table, you will get out your chip and pin credit card, insert the card and use your pin to confirm. No signatures are used. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/72 "2021-05-30T17:40:59Z")
I have never had to put in a PIN when using a chip enabled credit card (or non chip cc). And only smaller stores or restaurants ask for a signiture. Many place are now tap and go. Not sure why people think we don’t have these here. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/73 "2021-05-30T18:27:20Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Have you been to Estonia? I was in Tallinn 2 years ago, the best bread I have ever had! Some salted butter on warm black bread…mmmm. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/74 "2021-05-30T18:41:30Z")
I hate, hate, hate roundabouts. I wish they’d get rid of every one. Trying to find anything in Washington DC is a nightmare. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/75 "2021-05-30T18:48:38Z")
> Capsule Hotels No way! I have minor claustrophobia and as much as I’d like to visit Tokyo someday I think this would be the one reason I’ll probably never go. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/76 "2021-05-30T18:53:19Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > No way! I have minor claustrophobia and as much as I’d like to visit Tokyo someday I think this would be the one reason I’ll probably never go. How about pod hotels? I’ve stayed at a lot in Europe, they’re slowing heading their way to the USA. > **[Washington D.C. - Hotel Hive](https://hotelhive.com/washington-d-c/)** > > We are Hotel Hive, a micro-hotel known for smaller rooms and bigger — more buzzworthy — experiences. Set in a historic building, our vibrant space is steeped in character. We’re building a community one guest at a time and are thrilled to welcome you... > **[The Pod Hotels - Intelligently Affordable Hotels in NYC](https://www.thepodhotel.com/)** > > Ditch pricy, pretentious NYC hotels for the #PodLife. Meet The Pod Hotels collection of modern rooms in Midtown Manhattan and Brooklyn. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/77 "2021-05-30T19:02:27Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > \*Waitstaff doesn’t bug you as much while you are dinning. American waitstaff are the most obnoxious on the planet. Every 5 fucking minutes in your face with “hows everything tasting?” Or “what else can I get you?” Their _average_ attentiveness seems to be the same, but in America it’s either every 5 fucking minutes in your face or disappear completely. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/78 "2021-05-30T19:07:12Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > Restaurant Food Weight > [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > Europeans will tell you how much they will fill your glass. I also have not seen the restaurant food weight listed, but then again I’ve only had 6 restaurant, non-buffet meals in Europe. But I have seen the size of the drink posted, and I think it would do well in America, where a drink can be anything from around one to two standard units of alcohol depending on the policies of the place and the bartender and how much is left in the wine bottle. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/79 "2021-05-30T20:44:14Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > No way! I have minor claustrophobia and as much as I’d like to visit Tokyo someday I think this would be the one reason I’ll probably never go. You don’t _have_ to stay in a capsule hotel in Tokyo (or anywhere else in Japan). They have regular hotels, too. You just pay a much higher price for them. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/80 "2021-05-30T20:53:41Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > > [@PastTense](#): > > > > But if the government decides to change the sales tax, then business has the enormous problem of changing the prices on everything. > > Yes, and the amount of angst that would cause is enormous pressure against the government upping the sales tax. Win! Well, for one thing, it’s not necessarily an _increase_ that it would prevent. In Canada, the goods and services sales tax (GST) has been _reduced_ twice since its initial introduction. As well, integrating the sales tax into the published price would create a nightmare on many different levels. The sales tax has a provincial component that is different in different provinces, and both provincial and federal sales taxes are subject to change. Some items are exempt from one or both taxes, the exemptions may be different in different provinces, and the schedule of exempted items is always subject to change. Furthermore, while the GST is federal, the regulations on published and advertised prices are under provincial jurisdiction. It would be virtually impossible to operate a retail business here under an included-tax pricing policy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094.md?page=5)