What Guide Books Tell Foreign Visitors to the U.S. • Hacker News Board

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

#141

Post by Natsu » Sat, Jun 02, 2012, 7:51 PM UTC

tptacek wrote: post #139

Natsu wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I often drive home from work very late at night and I've been pulled over and followed for doing absolutely nothing wrong. I think one said my license plate was dirty. They let me go and told me to have a nice night when it was clear that I wasn't doing anything wrong, though.

The point is, the police are (usually) required to have cause to stop motor vehicle drivers, and if they arrest you for DUI after stopping you for no reason, you have grounds to challenge the arrest. Obviously, "grounds to challenge" is no guarantee that you'll be acquitted or have charges dismissed, and obviously the police can and do manufacture reasons to pull drivers over, but the requirement to have cause create…

Oh, I agree with all that. I'm just saying that you can be stopped for no reason even in the USA. I believe they call these pretext stops.

That said, I didn't give him a hard time so the cop remained very friendly the whole time and I didn't have any trouble after getting stopped.

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

#142

Post by roel_v » Sat, Jun 02, 2012, 7:53 PM UTC

joelhooks wrote: post #108

msh wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In denmark liberale are considered to be right wing...

At some point in the early 20th century they flipped it over here. A "rebrand" of sorts.

That's not what he meant - he meant (I think) that a US liberal is still considered right wing in Denmark, i.e. that the Danish 'liberals' are US 'pinko commies' and US right-wingers are in Denmark either 'capitalist oppressors' or 'crazy religious extremist', or both, depending on context.

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

#143

Post by darklajid » Sat, Jun 02, 2012, 8:05 PM UTC

khuey wrote: post #125

darklajid wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

I fail to understand your answer. Maybe you've got a good point, but the current reply is too short. I fail to see what you mean.

The 'whole point' was a discussion about mandatory tips. If you don't tip here it's not rare for the service guy/girl to get quite mad and insulting. You HAVE to tip, forced by social norms and by demanding workers.

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

#144

Post by specialist » Sat, Jun 02, 2012, 8:35 PM UTC

_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.

There are many, many Americas.

City folk like to walk. The others not so much. Suburbanites DRIVE to the gym.

We had some visitors from another office, took them to lunch, made it to the crosswalk (200ft), they asked "How far away is this place? We should have just driven."

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

#145

Post by glhaynes » Sat, Jun 02, 2012, 8:56 PM UTC

arethuza wrote: post #71

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…

Actually, I suspect there is a chance that those people were concerned for your immortal soul and therefore regarded your position in the face of impending endless torment as "brave". But I'm also an atheist and British... and despite growing up in an oppresively religious community I don't really understand these things.

That sort of usage of "brave" (to compliment while sending mild sarcasm/bemusement/disapproval) sounds distinctly British to me. :)

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

#146

Post by drucken » Sat, Jun 02, 2012, 9:57 PM UTC

kazuya wrote: post #98

Surprisingly, most of the descriptions apply also to Japan. Except you need to replace forks with chopsticks, cowboys with ninjas.

It's funny you should mention Japan. If you have ever actually visited it, I cannot think of any large culture that could be more different from Anglo and especially North American culture...

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

#147

Post by Hemospectrum » Sat, Jun 02, 2012, 11:40 PM UTC

darkestkhan wrote: post #62

christiangenco wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do the Japanese really say "desu"?

です？ Wikipedia says: "word used to grammatically link a subject and predicate, often translated into English using the verb "to be". And, yes they do use it. But what is strange about it? Do English really use "to be" (in its various conjugations)?

There's an anime character who ends every sentence with です (as I described above). GP is probably referring to a famous internet meme where that's the only word she knows.

Some context: http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/desu

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

#148

Post by loxs » Sun, Jun 03, 2012, 6:56 AM UTC

StavrosK wrote: post #83

loxs wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As an Eastern European, I concur. Here (Bulgaria), it's common to round up (only to the degree of 1 leva (0.50 euro)) for taxis and restaurants. This is "normal". If you tip higher, for example if you round up from 47 leva to 50, it's mostly regarded as a "tip", which means the server will be delighted. Anything more than that, is mostly regarded as unwise and unnecessary. Most of Eastern Europe (with the exception o…

I disagree about Greece, people don't generally tip more than 2-3 euros in restaurants, and usually just round up to the euro for deliveries, if that. Also: Hey neighbour!

Hey there :) Well, my observations are mostly from some seaside resorts, where I've seen more tipping. From what you say, the "normal" areas are just like in Bulgaria in this aspect.

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

#149

Post by christiangenco » Sun, Jun 03, 2012, 7:35 AM UTC

Hemospectrum wrote: post #147

darkestkhan wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

です？ Wikipedia says: "word used to grammatically link a subject and predicate, often translated into English using the verb "to be". And, yes they do use it. But what is strange about it? Do English really use "to be" (in its various conjugations)?

There's an anime character who ends every sentence with です (as I described above). GP is probably referring to a famous internet meme where that's the only word she knows. Some context: http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/desu

Yup.

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

#150

Post by batista » Sun, Jun 03, 2012, 10:21 AM UTC

StavrosK wrote: post #79

simonsarris wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, but visitors that buy guidebooks do not go to your mono-cultural hometown. They go to New York! Even in my (relatively) small-medium town in New Hampshire[1] there's an amazing variety of high quality restaurants. A lot of people abroad in their own similiar-sized towns don't get to ever try authentic Mexican, or Cajun, or American comfort, or sushi, or Greek, etc, all of which are available here. For most touri…

An aside: As a Greek, I tend to stay away from "Greek" restaurants abroad, because it's almost never Greek food. For example, people here generally eat lamb only once or twice a year, and I didn't know what hummus is until I had it in London (in one such "Greek" restaurant, no less). I think it's more about the stereotype that is expected of the restaurant rather than actually being authentic. For example, Greek gyro…

>For example, people here generally eat lamb only once or twice a year

Well, as a Greek, I beg to differ. We eat lamb more than "once a year" (you probably refer to easter, but forget the mighty paidakia). Plus, this cow meat we mostly eat now is a recent development.

The traditional meat until 4-5 decades ago was lamb and goat (mostly because Greek domestic cows where too skinny and the grass unfit to support them. Post 1981 they were replaced with foreign cow breeds plus tons of imports).

As for hummus: "Greek" restaurants abroad are often mixed Greek/Middle-Eastern, and some are run by Lebanese and use the "Greek" just to attract some additional customers.

A funny aside: the traditional american "diner" (the chrome plated, hamburger joint etc) was more often than not, a Greek business. Greeks pwned the diner business in the US in the '40 to '80s. If you check a series like "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives", a disproportionate percentage of iconic food joints are still in Greek hands, including the majority of NY hot dog stands. I have travelled extensively in the US (only missed Vermont), and I chanced upon several, such as:

• Lou Mitchels, the Chicago diner at the start point of Route 66. • Nick's, in Albq., NM at the crossing of Route 66 (old route) and Route 66 (later bypass) (!), • Leopold's, considered the best ice cream in Savannah, GA (and featured in top-10 US lists)• Ariston, on Route 66, IL, suggested by every guide, • Mike's Chilly Parlor, in Seattle, etc. nom nom nom nom...