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What Guide Books Tell Foreign Visitors to the U.S.

theatlantic.com

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Re: What Guide Books Tell Foreign Visitors to the U.S.

#121

Post by khuey »

_b8r0 wrote: post #119
adrianhoward wrote: post #65

One thing I remember from a long road trip I took in the nineties across the US was, on multiple occasions, being told that I was "brave" or "courageous" when it came up in conversation that I was an atheist (okay - technical agnostic, working atheist if you want to be picky :-) Everybody was nice. Nobody was mean about it (I got a lot of hassle over being a vegetarian though) but it was felt odd for two reasons. Fir…

When I was last in the US (in 99) I was told I was brave for walking to the mall. It was only a few miles, for some reason this concept of walking was somewhat weird to the locals. To be fair, I was in Jacksonville NC, but I found it odd that they found it odd.

In some places in America sidewalks and crosswalks are virtually non-existent, so they may have been concerned for your safety. Walking a few miles (especially in hot, humid places like NC) is a bit unusual here though.

Re: What Guide Books Tell Foreign Visitors to the U.S.

#122

Post by underwater »

waterlesscloud wrote: post #115
Kudos wrote: post #96

> Of the many pieces of advice proffered, four of the most common are: [...] don't drink and drive (they take it seriously here!) That is absolutely not my impression of America. Americans I have met have a shockingly casual attitude to drink driving. I've also seen it been portrayed in a positive light on American TV (e.g. fictional protagonist regaling a tale). In Ireland drink driving is still fairly pervasive amo…

In the interest of saving visitors to the US some trouble, be assured that the police here take it quite seriously. Whatever you see on TV or even however you see people behave, if the police pull you over, you will definitely suffer serious consequences. There will not be any tolerance. People do it, yes, because they think they'll get away with it. But if they don't there's hefty fines and/or jail time awaiting the…

I've lived in Australia, UK and now California. Drink driving is much more accepted here. In Australia I regularly encountered random breath tests (police stopping and breath testing dozens of drivers at a time) and have been pulled over by a police car purely so I could be breathalised (I was completely sober).

I feel it's much more commonplace and acceptable in the US to drive alone to a bar, drink, and then drive home. Cities are much smaller in Australia and the UK so catching a taxi, public transport or walking is feasible.

Re: What Guide Books Tell Foreign Visitors to the U.S.

#123

Post by tptacek »

_b8r0 wrote: post #119
adrianhoward wrote: post #65

One thing I remember from a long road trip I took in the nineties across the US was, on multiple occasions, being told that I was "brave" or "courageous" when it came up in conversation that I was an atheist (okay - technical agnostic, working atheist if you want to be picky :-) Everybody was nice. Nobody was mean about it (I got a lot of hassle over being a vegetarian though) but it was felt odd for two reasons. Fir…

When I was last in the US (in 99) I was told I was brave for walking to the mall. It was only a few miles, for some reason this concept of walking was somewhat weird to the locals. To be fair, I was in Jacksonville NC, but I found it odd that they found it odd.

Jacksonville is on the small end of midsized towns in the US, and most cities in this size bracket are not at all walkable. Your couple-mile walk to the mall is obviously totally reasonable once in awhile, but it would be hard to manage day-to-day life in a midsize US city without a car, and the car is integrated into daily life.

The same is true of most suburbs around major cities.

Re: What Guide Books Tell Foreign Visitors to the U.S.

#124

Post by tptacek »

underwater wrote: post #122
waterlesscloud wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the interest of saving visitors to the US some trouble, be assured that the police here take it quite seriously. Whatever you see on TV or even however you see people behave, if the police pull you over, you will definitely suffer serious consequences. There will not be any tolerance. People do it, yes, because they think they'll get away with it. But if they don't there's hefty fines and/or jail time awaiting the…

I've lived in Australia, UK and now California. Drink driving is much more accepted here. In Australia I regularly encountered random breath tests (police stopping and breath testing dozens of drivers at a time) and have been pulled over by a police car purely so I could be breathalised (I was completely sober). I feel it's much more commonplace and acceptable in the US to drive alone to a bar, drink, and then drive…

We have a pesky 4th Amendment in our Constitution that broadly (but not completely) prevents the police from pulling over cars without cause.

So, it is true that if you're a "steady" drunk driver, you're perhaps more likely to get away with driving drunk here than in Oz.

If you get pulled over though, you're likely to be arrested. Getting arrested in the US (as opposed to getting cited) is very unpleasant.

Re: What Guide Books Tell Foreign Visitors to the U.S.

#125

Post by khuey »

darklajid wrote: post #85
AYBABTME wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What are those odd tipping practices? I'm from Canada (Ontario/Quebec), and the standard is to leave 15% of the bill as tip. Less is considered being extremely rude. In other countries, the tip is included in the bill. In other countries, tipping is rare and made in very specific circumstances.

Here in Israel it's similar, although ten percent are considered okay. After one year here it still annoys the hell out of me. In Germany you only give a tip if you consider it appropriate. Your service costs exactly what the bill lists, not more. Especially in crappy places a 'forced' tip feels bad and wasted.

If the place is crappy don't leave a tip. That's the whole point.

Re: What Guide Books Tell Foreign Visitors to the U.S.

#126

Post by waterlesscloud »

tptacek wrote: post #124
underwater wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've lived in Australia, UK and now California. Drink driving is much more accepted here. In Australia I regularly encountered random breath tests (police stopping and breath testing dozens of drivers at a time) and have been pulled over by a police car purely so I could be breathalised (I was completely sober). I feel it's much more commonplace and acceptable in the US to drive alone to a bar, drink, and then drive…

We have a pesky 4th Amendment in our Constitution that broadly (but not completely) prevents the police from pulling over cars without cause. So, it is true that if you're a "steady" drunk driver, you're perhaps more likely to get away with driving drunk here than in Oz. If you get pulled over though, you're likely to be arrested. Getting arrested in the US (as opposed to getting cited) is very unpleasant.

Cause is pretty easy to come by, though. Speeding is the most likely, but there's also the old standby of "weaving".

I worked in a bar for a few years, which oddly enough involved driving home at the well-known bar closing time for the city. And that late at night I pretty much ignored speed limits. I got pulled over quite a lot, and every time as soon as they realized I wasn't drinking, they let me go with no penalty. They were quite obviously trolling for DUIs.

Re: What Guide Books Tell Foreign Visitors to the U.S.

#127

Post by maratd »

Kudos wrote: post #96

> Of the many pieces of advice proffered, four of the most common are: [...] don't drink and drive (they take it seriously here!) That is absolutely not my impression of America. Americans I have met have a shockingly casual attitude to drink driving. I've also seen it been portrayed in a positive light on American TV (e.g. fictional protagonist regaling a tale). In Ireland drink driving is still fairly pervasive amo…

> Americans I have met have a shockingly casual attitude to drink driving.

Were these Americans cops? Their opinion is the only one that counts. Getting caught with a DUI = jail, mandatory suspended license for 3 - 12 months, thousands of dollars in fines. And unlike in other countries, slipping the cop some money will = more jail and probably a beating. That's for natives. A foreigner? LMAO!

Re: What Guide Books Tell Foreign Visitors to the U.S.

#128

Post by maratd »

tjic wrote: post #104
dguaraglia wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True story: first time I'm at San Jose Diridon waiting for the Caltrain to SF, I notice the platform specified in the ticket was closed. I go to the counter, and the guy there tells me to "go through that door, walk to the left, the train should depart from that platform". I follow his instructions and can't find the platform, so I come back and ask him (very politely) "Hmm, I couldn't find the platform, was it throu…

Don't judge the US by our government workers, please. We can't stand them either.

They're victims of circumstance. They would be wonderful people, if only they had normal jobs.

It's the government's fault. It makes them into that.

Re: What Guide Books Tell Foreign Visitors to the U.S.

#129

Post by maratd »

henrikschroder wrote: post #50
ericb wrote: post #6

No mention of our odd restaurant tipping practices? I thought they are unusual compared to the rest of the world...

I think the restaurant tipping is the least strange, because at least in Europe you usually tip at restaurants if the service or food is really good, but you don't have to like you do in the US. What gets me every time is all the other places where you are expected to tip, and where I have absolutely no idea of how much I'm expected to tip or that I'm supposed to tip in the first place. Pizza delivery? What? Cab driv…

> Pizza delivery? What? Cab drivers? Seriously? The omelet chef in a hotel's breakfast restaurant? Are you kidding me?!?

I'm a native, but don't think it's so obvious for us either. One time I got a stern talking to by my barber. I now tip every time I get a haircut.

I used to work installing audio and video equipment as a kid and got tipped all the time.

If somebody renders any kind of service, tips are frequently expected.

Re: What Guide Books Tell Foreign Visitors to the U.S.

#130

Post by Cieplak »

Cieplak wrote: post #72
adrianhoward wrote: post #65

One thing I remember from a long road trip I took in the nineties across the US was, on multiple occasions, being told that I was "brave" or "courageous" when it came up in conversation that I was an atheist (okay - technical agnostic, working atheist if you want to be picky :-) Everybody was nice. Nobody was mean about it (I got a lot of hassle over being a vegetarian though) but it was felt odd for two reasons. Fir…

This reminds me of the episode of top gear where they paint offensive remarks on each others cars and drive across the southern US.

http://www.topgear.com/uk/videos/southern-discomfort
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