# What I know about American homes from the movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 20, 2006, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-know-about-american-homes-from-the-movies/345308 "2006-02-20T11:01:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-know-about-american-homes-from-the-movies/345308/101 "2006-02-21T21:42:21Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Well, _that’s_ true. I never lock my car or house. Many others, however, do. [Boy do I miss not having to lock my house or car.] ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-know-about-american-homes-from-the-movies/345308/102 "2006-02-21T21:54:35Z")
A gallon is about 4 liters, by the way. Families buying milk in gallons is very, very typical. Couples and singles are more likely to buy half gallons (sometimes in smaller plastic containers, sometimes in paper cartons) or quarts (about 1 liter, always in cartons). > [@cactus waltz](#): > > _Americans walk with their shoes on when in-doors._ :eek: Some do, some don’t. Some of us take off our shoes right away when we get home, but would keep them on in someone else’s home unless they asked us to take them off. > [@Zsofia](#): > > For the most part, at least around these parts, paper grocery bags have gone the way of the dodo. I get paper grocery bags, with handles, all the time. They make good cat toys (though you do have to tear off the handles before giving them to the cats). > [@paulmarkj](#): > > All the phone number begin with 555, presumbly this is a fake code. [It is.](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_374a.html) > [@](#): > > All the classes in school have the old fashioned seating method, ie: all children sitting sigularly or in pairs, facing front. Whereas in documentaries I’ve seen most children sitting as they do in England - in groups around tables. I think the single desks are more common, or at least they were when I was in school in the 80s and 90s. I only remember sitting in groups around tables in kindergarten. ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-know-about-american-homes-from-the-movies/345308/103 "2006-02-21T21:55:36Z")
> [@saoirse](#): > > [Boy do I miss not having to lock my house or car.] But was it cool living on the International Space Station like that? ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-know-about-american-homes-from-the-movies/345308/104 "2006-02-21T21:58:23Z")
In most larger grocery stores you _can_ buy quarts of milk in glass bottles, but it’s usually an expensive organic brand. This is the case in Houston and Austin, where I have recent grocery shopping experience. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-know-about-american-homes-from-the-movies/345308/105 "2006-02-21T22:12:45Z")
Yeap - I don’t lock my house, whether I’m there or not. I’ve left for a week and not locked it, just had the neighbor kid feeding the animals daily. I also leave my car unlocked and the keys in the ignition. Of course, it’s not worth stealing. I got into that habit with my first car, a Volkswakon convertible bug. I’d rather someone open the door and steal whatever is inside, than slash the top and steal the contents. StG ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-know-about-american-homes-from-the-movies/345308/106 "2006-02-21T22:36:18Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Well, _that’s_ true. I never lock my car or house. Actually, neither do I. Well, my car I often lock, but almost never lock my house. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-know-about-american-homes-from-the-movies/345308.md?page=5)