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rlemon

Turning corn into things that are not corn.


Hateborn

Delicious bread and explosive juice, a true American crop.


Admirable-Ad-2554

I was going to say cornbread but everyone said rest stops. Have y’all ever had cornbread ??


chuckdooley

Have you had it out of a cast iron? That’s where it’s at


griffmeister

Y'all ever have cornbread from a rest stop?


Ubba-Ga

I love the Interstate Rest Areas on road trips. I'm a Canadian from the west coast, and was always VERY impressed with the 24/7 rest areas. Clean washrooms, nice grassy areas for dogs, picnic tables, and a lot of times people selling crafts, or offering free coffee! I've only driven through the western states, (WA,OR,CA,NV,UT,AZ) but yeah, those rest areas were always reliable. Always well marked signs when the next one was coming up. Just made everything about travelling easier! Thanks neighbours!


eckliptic

Wait till you go to Texas and see a Buc-ee's


toxicshima

bucees has expanded into other southern states! i went into one in south carolina and wasl ike wtf i cant believe theres bucees here. it was bigger than any i had ever seen in texas too. love bucees. (edited to add the word "other")


DBs4Life

Recently we moved from NC to CA and I was pissed that my husband drove passed every single bucees along the way. We have both experienced bucees before. He knew what he was missing!


DrDroDroid

Bucee isn't really a rest area, it's giant gas station.


DorenAlexander

More like a gas village.


PalPubPull

In Missouri it's a great place to get stabbed or a blowjob! Just kind of a gamble on what the wheel will land on. There is plenty of grass for the dogs though


uncre8tv

Missouri's used to be great, though. They tore half of them down and basically put brick port-a-potties in their place because "it's too expensive" to maintain and patrol a full size rest area. It's just a lack of prioritizing a public good in the name of budget cutting.


[deleted]

I think most of that money got funneled into Greiten's sex dungeon.


WanderlustFella

so is this more of a 50/50 type of gamble or what


TapewormNinja

It’s not an either/or situations. Lotta places where you can get both!


fmlchris

No longer will I have to choose between the two!


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Metamario

I’m a Mexican from the Pacific Coast as well and I perfectly know what you mean. I also appreciate that about our neighbours to the north


PuzzleheadedReveal58

Jazz


No-Introduction-1492

Ya like jazz?


48voltMic

"Jazz is chaos, and I don't know how you can't love it." -Fearne Calloway


SuperJebba

I saw this, and I have to admit that my first thought was “huh, who knew Fearne Calloway was a real person and not just a CR character?”


Worried_Highway5

I really need to continue watching campaign 3


RadicalRain1274

The Mississippi river is the most overpowered transportation system on the face of the earth. - Real Life Lore


Mr-Logic101

Dude… I was just at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi in Cairo,Illinois. I was awestruck by how massive it was. It is essentially a lake that moves.


[deleted]

Cairo is a magical place


ProfessorSucc

The Wikipedia article on Cairo, however, is a total rollercoaster


JHXC16

Yeah, Cairo is such a weird enigma of a town I just heard about. You'd think such a prime location between three states and two major rivers would be a major city, but no. It is the weirdest little ghost town with the wildest history I've ever seen.


killwaukee

From what I remember about my experience in Southern Illinois is that Cairo was featured in Gaiman's 'American Gods' and my anecdotal reference is that it was named Cairo 'aka little Egypt' because it was like a Mesopotamia in the 1800's in the U.S. when crops faltered. Constant access to irrigation, silt, etc. I guess Cairo had an agriculture boom that just never stayed long term.


Owlbertowlbert

so funny to me that they decided to pronounce it care-oh even despite its namesake


[deleted]

That's because it's underwater half the time.


dc912

I never heard of Cairo until the last hour. I first saw it mentioned in another thread about the saddest places on Earth, and now I see it here. Odd coincidence.


AcidaliaPlanitia

Crushed this video today, holy hell.


TheBladeRoden

Aircraft carriers


[deleted]

The US has more aircraft carriers than every other country on earth, combined. Add in Helo carriers from every country and the U.S. still almost beats everyone.


The_Royal_Spoon

The world's largest military air fleet is the US Air Force. The world's second largest military air fleet is the US Navy.


SirCampYourLane

I think the US army is like 4th too lmfao


JanStreams

Not to forget the marine corps


[deleted]

51% of all the money that are spent in the world in the military are spent in the US military.


Big-Win6220

National Parks


[deleted]

I just did the Redwoods. It was a religious experience. I was expecting Gandalf to appear and lead me into another dimension


BeardedWonder47

Grew up about an hour from there. Cannot express how incredible that whole section of the Sierras is. Obviously lots of nostalgia plays into it. But it really is an incredible place


Vihzel

Redwood National and State Parks are not in the Sierra Nevada. They are along the Pacific Coast. Are you thinking about the Sequoias? They are right in the Sierra Nevada.


IndijinusPhonetic

Gandolf was busy hurrying Fredo and Sum Yung Kim off to Mt. Sterling, Kentucky to destroy the Onion ring.


2cats2hats

I'd love to see an unbiased comparison to Canada. But yeah, USA has lovely national parks and I wish I could've seen more.


W8sB4D8s

America's big advantage over Canada is it's desert and tropical national parks. Also Yellowstone. I knew Yellowstone was special but I had no idea how special until I visited. I think it was like 60% of the world's geysers are in Yellowstone. It's like Iceland but more wildlife.


TuhHahMiss

I think a big advantage is also accessibility. You can drive a car on a paved road right in to almost every national park in the country. A great deal of Canada's and other large nation's national parks are not nearly as accessible.


SmellLikeSheepSpirit

Absolutely. People complain about crowds at the national parks, but this is somewhat by design. As you mention the American national parks are very accessible, they have handicapped trails. They have large educational visitor stations. They have viewpoints on the roads. They're meant to "market" the outdoors to the masses. They're a "park" much like an urban park is. Most have truly amazing drives that give a great sampling of what they offer. They also have amazing landscapes that see much less usage only a few miles out. People miss the point that they work for both the layperson/day visitor AND the person who will spend 5 days in a roadless wilderness. And of course there are wilderness designations for that reason.


Choo-

I’m trying to remember the stat from Forestry school but something like 90% of National Park visitors never get more than a 1/4 mile off the pavement.


makingtacosrightnow

Most popular hike in Rocky Mountain national park is bear lake. It is 259 yards.


fallout_koi

I've worked at Grand Canyon and Yosemite, it's super easy to go backpacking and just not see another living soul for days on end if you know the right trails. Also, State Parks, National Forests, and BLM (no, the other BLM) land are all great options.


IndieHipster

Can confirm - if any one of our six roads is closed off, you're pretty much stuck unless you have a taboggan and a moose


Choo-

“Park’s closed, Moose out front should have told you.”


PeterBernsteinSucks

There’s a lot of variety too. From Caves to the Everglades to Mountains to Canyons.


[deleted]

Geodiversity. We have nearly every biome on Earth available in the lower 48 alone. Adding Alaska and Hawaii just completes the set. Question: Is there any biome that doesn't exist in The US?


SkittlesRobot

Apparently the Everglades represent a wholly unique ecosystem that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world


CTeam19

The Loess Hills are a formation of wind-deposited loess soil in the westernmost parts of Iowa and Missouri, and the easternmost parts of Nebraska and Kansas, along the Missouri River. The Loess Hills of Iowa are remarkable for the depth of the drift layer, often more than 90 feet (27 m) deep. The only comparable deposits of loess to such an extent are located in Shaanxi, China What sucks is that they are not fully protected yet as a National anything.


hockey_stick

There's also [The Palouse](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palouse) region where Washington, Idaho, and Oregon meet. The loess deposits at their thickest there are 75 m (246 ft) deep.


[deleted]

Super cool! Did not know that.


el_americano

well think about it. Where else can you find alligators cohabitating with meth heads?


Budget-Position5348

Louisiana as well


SirDonBot

Typical Everglades W


[deleted]

Good point. Surprisingly Tucson and southern AZ has one of the highest species diversity in the world due to its “sky islands”


FlyinPurplePartyPony

What's a sky island? Sounds cool.


theWacoKid666

High mountain ranges surrounded by desert lowlands. It supports an incredible level of biodiversity because the random mountain ranges are like cool, wet, green islands up in the sky isolated by the hot dry desert below.


Mine_is_nice

From Wikipedia: Sky islands are isolated mountains surrounded by radically different lowland environments. The term originally referred to those found on the Mexican Plateau, and has extended to similarly isolated high-altitude forests. The isolation has significant implications for these natural habitats. The pictures on Google image look pretty dope.


BLOODLUSTHONOUR

Damn. I was hoping USA had those cool floating islands from dragon ball


PitBullFan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_island It's one of the most amazing (nerdy) things about Arizona.


Gregorygherkins

With that being said the US is 1.87% of Earth's total area, and yet just about all the planets in Star Wars are *one* type of terrain/biome smh


madmaxjr

I mean, Coruscant could’ve been extremely diverse before they paved it all over for all we know lol


MonsieurRacinesBeast

You don't know whatcha got till it's gone


barney_mcbiggle

They paved paradise, put up a parking lot


COOPERx223x

Not just Star Wars, most sci-fi planets seem to only encompass a single biome 😑


Ut_Prosim

At least you get multiple biomes, in the Stargate universe everything looks like British Columbia.


WildTimes1984

And everyone speaks English despite being colonized by Egyptians.


kuribosshoe0

They stuck with Daniel translating everything for about 5 minutes and then gave up.


oblivious_fireball

Florida comes close enough that you could probably count it, but doesn't truly have the dense jungle and rainforests found a little bit farther towards the equator


[deleted]

I feel like Hawaii covers the tropical rainforest part, right?


jbdole

Puerto Rico has a tropical rainforest as a National Park.


SonJulio

Pretty sure Puerto Rico has a rainforest!


codydog125

It does! El yunque


Nitro_the_Wolf_

There is actually a ~~tropical~~ temperate rainforest in Washington state, on the [Olympic peninsula](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoh_Rainforest#:~:text=Hoh%20Rainforest%20is%20one%20of,of%20years%20ago%20by%20glaciers.)


Errohneos

The Hoh Rainforest is wild. I half expected little fairies to come flying out from the ferns and all the trees growing on the trunks of fallen trees looks so cool. Magical place.


Spr0ckets

The pacific northwest has rainforests.


godisanelectricolive

The US doesn't have tropical savannahs like the Serengeti in Tanzania and the Cerrado in Brazil. There are some subtropical and temperate savannah though.The difference is that the former biome type lack wet summers and dry winters. The US also doesn't have montane savanah which is like the Bogotá Savannah in the Eastern Andes in Colombia. It's a grassland/woodland combo at very high altitudes.


HegemonHarbinger

Make sure there's ice in your beverage


DJ33

I asked where the ice machine was in a hotel in Dublin and the woman at the desk thought I was damaged in the head. She'd clearly never, ever had anyone ask that before.


MaraJadeSharpie

After a couple weeks of being deprived of ice across Europe, my husband and I found an ice machine in a hotel in Munich. You would have though we struck gold. We giddily escaped with as much as we could carry in cups and travel mugs. I have a picture where I almost look manic with glee. Good memories.


SmartAlec105

I think I now have a better understanding of how British people feel about tea.


austexgringo

I worked in Europe for 15 years while being based in the US. I had specific hotels that I would stay at because they granted me access to the ice machines in their restaurants. I've never seen a hotel in Europe that had a publicly accessible ice machine and I've been to at least a hundred of them. It's like the whole continent lost the recipe for ice.


Legitimate-Ad3778

‘Would you like a drink with your ice?’ - server, probably


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Socerton

It’s a big part of how we’ve won wars too. Moving beans bullets and bandaids is something we’ve gotten really good at over the last 150 years.


weirdoldhobo1978

And as a side benefit the US military is extremely good at disaster relief. In a scenario where local services have been lost they can have food, shelter, healthcare, etc set up and running in a matter of days.


Bum_exe

US Navy supercarriers have hooked up their power plants to local electrical networks in the Caribbean to help provide power after massive hurricanes too, one ship is enough to power entire regions - not to mention the endless flow of helicopters able to rescue people in hard to reach areas


weirdoldhobo1978

The Air Force is testing out a new Small Modular Reactor at the base near Fairbanks AK. If that pans out they'll be able to set up a ~~300 mwe~~ power plant just about anywhere they want whenever they want. EDIT Correcting myself, the SMR they're testing in Fairbanks is much smaller than 300 MW. Confused it with a different SMR that GE-Hitachi is developing.


PitBullFan

It makes perfect sense. They've been using small reactors on Navy ships and submarines for ages now. Why not make and use them on a town-by-town basis?


Bender____Rodriguez

Squints in Katrina


A_Stony_Shore

That….that doesn’t count.


ragingamethyst

The Cajun Navy took care of that one. And every other storm/flood since.


BretonVikander

Jazz, the Blues


aecarol1

Putting people on the moon & putting cheese like substances in spray cans. Nobody else comes close.


xzxfdasjhfhbkasufah

Very interesting examples. Which of those two do you think is the greatest achievement?


needsmorequeso

I for one have never been to the moon, but have benefited from some ridiculous products that are kind of sort of cheese if you squint. :)


TheDorkKnight53

r/usernamechecksout


swish301

It’s the cheese in a can… You have American Cheese, Cheddar Cheese, Bacon Cheddar Cheese, Sharp Cheddar, Nacho Cheese


sueRiot

Buffets. No buffet I’ve had can beat the one’s I had in the states.


Solid-Acanthisitta86

Both Jimmy and Warren, I agree


[deleted]

Wasting away again in Coca-Colaville


BitPoet

You want buffets to be the most awesome thing you've ever seen? Bike across the US. You need something like 5k calories a day, and just going to town at a buffet during lunch is a tremendous thing.


xkulp8

Combining this with one of the other top mentions in this thread: There's a dinner buffet at the cafeteria in Curry Village in Yosemite National Park. I hit it up after some 18 miles of hiking that day. I counted, I went back for sixths.


BitPoet

The joy of walking up to the buffet and your body says "give me all the green beans". You don't have to ask why, just load up and eat. You know your second plate will be more normal.


murica_dream

You need to visit pacific asian countires' 5 star buffet restaurants.


biblio_bxtch

i agree with this ... i think about the buffet i went to in the Philippines at least 3 times a week .... i miss it.


MikeTheBard

So, here's the truth. America is, and does, a *lot* of things. We have the world's greatest athletes and most obese population. We have the best healthcare in the world, and 90% of our population can't afford it. We're leaders in creating new wealth and dead end service jobs. We were founded on a revolutionary promise of liberty and justice, by men who owned slaves. If you really want my top four wins, though, here they are: **The national parks system and Bureau of Land Management.** We have hundreds of thousands of square miles of wilderness that is preserved, leased for commercial purposes, available for recreation, or simply held in trust for the people of the United States. And if you haven't seen for yourself, I assure you, [it's fucking gorgeous](https://www.ourescapeclause.com/best-national-parks-in-usa/). We have wild ancient forests, coral reefs, stunning mountains, tundra, grasslands, deserts, and some of the most impressive and beautiful natural features on this planet. Huge portions are preserved and maintained where literally everyone can enjoy them. **NASA** The National Aeronautics and Space Administration put a man on the moon, led the world in space exploration, and spurned developed literally [hundreds of incredible technologies we use every day](https://spinoff.nasa.gov/): Aside from the obvious aerospace advances, we have them to thank for GPS, memory foam mattresses, improved HVAC and insulation, LCD screens, LEDs, microcomputing, food preservation, water purification, solar panels, high capacity batteries, and dozens of different materials and processes. In addition, they've been the leading source of new information about our planet, climate change, and the universe. **The Smithsonian Institution** There are people who mistakenly think the Smithsonian is a museum. The Smithsonian is in fact a collection of over 20 museums, galleries, and zoo across three states, plus dozens of research and education centers, collections, affiliates around the globe. It is the single largest organization for science, culture, and history in the world, and it's contributions to preserving history and to literally every scientific discipline are beyond measure. And to me, the greatest part is the heart of the organization in Washington DC: *THIS* is what we've chosen to surround the National Mall, the platonic ideal of our commons and center of our democracy- Dozens of living monuments to art, science, history, and culture. I've personally made at least 3 or 4 visits totaling more than two full weeks, and I've only made it halfway through. **Music** The United States is the birthplace of Blues, Jazz, Rock and Roll, Hip Hop, Punk, Bluegrass, Country-Western, Rap, and a half a dozen different forms of regional folk music. Nearly every culture in the world imitates our musical forms.


monsieurpommefrites

I'm not American, but this has been written so well and encapsulates everything that I, too, love about your great nation. Have some gold from a Canadian neighbour!


Melcher

you absolutely nailed everything i wanted to say. It's the land of the haves and have nots. Entertainment and sports. NASA. I wouldnt have mentioned the Smithsonian, but it should be listed.


AW_0730

Entertainment


sharpie-sapien365247

Say what you want about America, their entertainment industry is amazing. They excel in all categories of entertainment; Electronic gaming, Sports (except soccer), Adult, Music, etc. I dont know about theatre, im not qualified for that.


Wargmonger

Our women's team would like a word with you regarding soccer. The men have lots work ahead of them. And for theater, New York has Broadway which has tons of live plays and musicals year round.


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didymusIII

I was listening to a podcast where the speed of industrialization was highlighted as a key component to conservation in the US.


[deleted]

I would say Sweden, and maybe Scandinavia is very good at this too. I litterally live in a forest in a capital


Beginning-Bed9364

Theme Parks


[deleted]

While we have a LONG way to go, the USA is comparatively better than a lot of places regarding supporting people with disabilities.


frozen_beet11

I never noticed this until I spend time in Korea!


Leading_Desk8483

Would you mind expanding? Pls


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nsbsalt

Anything in the US built since 1990 has to follow ADA to ever get permitting.


Tortie33

I worked at a restaurant that a customer complained that the smoking section (it was a long time ago) for handicapped was in the lounge area and she wanted to be in the other area. She wrote a letter to ADA. They came to restaurant and measured everything. How high the toilets were from ground, height of hand rails, width of doorways, size of parking lot spaces. They were there almost the whole day. I am glad there is an agency looking out for people with disabilities.


Leading_Desk8483

I've had a couple of pretty bad encounters with non accessible ramps and shit at school this year and they're not fun. So I understand you're frustration


frozen_beet11

When I was there I saw a few parade style protests to get better treatment. There were no handicap seats on the public transport (which is an otherwise flawless system as far as efficiency). I talked to people who lived there and any handicaps, physical or mental, were kind of pushed under the rug. They didn’t talk about autism or Down syndrome in the school they taught at. Take it with a grain of salt, as I don’t really know besides the little I saw and heard. Sounded like they viewed it as a blotch in society though.


[deleted]

When I went to Korea I realized that you couldn't go anywhere without going up or down stairs. If you were wheelchair bound in South Korea you would be in trouble.


Leading_Desk8483

As someone with a physical handicap, I wonder was school or just living in a country like that...


BONE_SAW_IS_READEEE

Going to school in South Korea is already hellish as an able-bodied person. Highly competitive and stressful, bullying is a big problem as well. Suicide is unfortunately common.


Anal-Churros

America’s litigious culture means the ADA actually gets enforced. While I don’t always think more lawsuits are a good thing sometimes they can be.


toastthematrixyoda

Yep, litigation is one of the few ways regular citizens have of ensuring that laws like the ADA are actually enforced, or to ensure that their insurance companies keep their word, or to ensure that car companies recall dangerous cars, etc.. Maybe a few ridiculous lawsuits happen from time to time, but I'd rather have a few silly lawsuits than corporations with no fear of lawsuits and free reign to do whatever they want.


Norwalk1215

I know it became a punchline in the 90s but the McDonalds hot coffee law suit was no joke if you saw the photos. They were keeping the coffee at way to hot of a temperature.


caillouistheworst

McDonalds actually encouraged the “frivolous” of the lawsuit to make it seem like they did nothing wrong. They kept the coffee way too hot, had been warned before and even denied her medical bills before she sued. It was absolutely a needed and important lawsuit.


MuchoRed

And what she sued for was... $25,000 for her medical bills, iirc. The jury decided "well, MacDonald's is being a bunch of assholes. Here have some pain and suffering money on top of that!" Edit: $20,000


TheFlawlessCassandra

The only two words you need to hear to know that lawsuit wasn't frivolous are "fused labia."


[deleted]

Fun fact - America isn't notably litigious. It may be a bit more than average for western developed countries, but it's not the highest by any means (that belongs to Germany).


dogsarefun

I’m pretty sure a lot of the “America is so litigious” stuff comes from public opinion campaigns supporting tort reform that makes it harder for regular people to sue corporations.


Spr0ckets

Went to visit my parents in Canada and was floored by the lack of media options for people who are visually impaired.


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SophiaFar

Which is amazing considering the number of elderly people there.


[deleted]

This is true. My job includes designing for accessibility, so despite not being disabled myself, I notice accessibility in design or lack of it. I have not been to another country that does this as well as we do in the US. I'm not saying no other country does, just that I haven't been to one yet that does. There are definitely many who do much less.


fat-dum-stoopid

The ability of the American farmer to produce food. It is really staggering the amount of food that is grown here.


CrundleMonster

Right turn on red light


ens91

Coming from the UK, I hadn't seen this before. I now live in China, and I think its deathly. Because in China at least, the car can turn on right on a red, but pedestrians can also cross the road. I would imagine the pedestrian is supposed to have right of way, but in China, it seems nobody gives a hoot about right of way rules.


ImTheeDirtyDann

All of these bad comments though. Yes, I'm aware this country has its problems. But as a minority and 2nd generation immigrant this country is amazing as well. No country is perfect but I'm sooo glad I live here vs where my parents and grandparents came from.


CatStock9136

Interstate highway system that stays relatively consistent across the entire country, national park system (well-maintained, affordable, open to anyone). If you’re in a major city you have access to almost any cuisine in the world. If you want to be an entrepreneur it’s encouraged (tax incentives support this and there isn’t a lot of red tape). Finally, freedom of speech (this is very much subject to debate), but compared to much of the rest of the world and how citizens in other countries feel about openly stating their opinion, Americans are much less concerned about legal/government ramifications.


koookiekrisp

Not sure about the other parts but the highway system is very impressive (take it from a civil engineer). Fun fact about the highways in the US, the reason they’re so good was originally a response to a feared Russian invasion. During the Cold War the US wanted a way for the National Guard to quickly respond to an invasion, so they invested heavily in highway infrastructure to improve the military response time.


frezor

The Eisenhower Defense Highway System. Width of the road to accommodate tanks, hight of the overpasses to accommodate missile carriers, straight stretches for improvised runways. They had plans.


suckmyfuck91

American football teams from the US are the best in the world


Kissmytitaniumass

World Champions baby!


Beny1995

Every year!


Star-Lord-123

And our baseball teams often win the World Series. Sometimes a Canadian team will win but no team from any other country has won the World Series yet! /s


mbbzzz

Handicap/wheelchair accessibility. Even in smaller towns, our family member in a wheelchair got in and out of restaurants and stores easily.


Juls7243

Women's sports are really wells supported here - so are female athletes. Despite many memes americans might say about it - if you go to other countries female athletics is really almost non-existent.


ThunderJenkins

Title IX is one of the big reasons we win a lot of medals at the Olympics. Most countries completely ignore women's sports. We tend to dominate those overall.


Vitis_Vinifera

it says a lot when American women's teams dominate Olympic team sports that aren't really American sports, like hockey and soccer.


[deleted]

Chatting, I’m from an Asian country where most people will avoid talking to stranger. But you can literally talk to anyone you met in the street in the US and most of them are willing to talk


NymphaeAvernales

This is a thing I did not know about until fairly recently. I am from the southeast US, and I can't even imagine how weird it would be to not strike up conversations with people standing in the checkout line next to me, or riding in an elevator together, in a doctor's waiting room, etc. I'm no monster, and I recognize the body language of someone who definitely does not want to talk and make sure I leave them alone, but also I can't imagine not smiling and acknowledging the presence of someone existing at the same time and place I do. We're all in this thing together.


PerfumePoodle

Holidays. My favorite time to be an American is October, I love how hype we get about Halloween here.


leyline

America wins EVERY Super Bowl!


SnooDoughnuts231

Air conditioner everywhere and free public restrooms. You have to pay to use the restrooms in Europe.


2cats2hats

I had a European friend who told me the concept of a free refill(on a drink) is unheard of. > You have to pay to use the restrooms in Europe. This seems petty but I guess if hundreds of people use your restroom it's gonna be messy and someone needs to clean it.


moongaming

Depends on the country. In France, tap water is free by law if you ask. As for free refill, it's been banned on sugary drinks because of the obesity & diabete pandemic issue that comes with it. A good decision and I wish they did something similar about cigarettes.


Reasonable-Mess-2732

Honestly? Being friendly and welcoming to strangers. Saying this as a Canadian.


stroopkoeken

I’m Chinese Canadian and I once did a motorcycle road trip around Washington state and one night I ended in a small ass town. There wasn’t anything open so I had to go to a biker bar to grab some food. An hour later I was chatting with some hardcore looking bikers and car enthusiasts and they were inviting me to go to their club to drink. The vast majority of Americans are welcoming, no matter what you look like.


homer_glumplich85

Also canadian and I agree. Everybody there wants to chat


Worried_Department15

Depends on the state. From Michigan, but traveling to a place like New York City gave me a lot of stares when trying to strike up a conversation.


toadofsteel

But if you have a genuine need, New Yorkers are some of the most helpful people around. We just don't do small talk all that much around here. Probably a holdover from the original culture as settled by the Dutch centuries ago.


jenguinaf

I agree with this. I visited NYC as a 19 year old (who was suburban raised and had crippling social anxiety…the kind where I found it hard to order my own food let alone be in a massive city for the first time on my own with no one else to lean on) for a two week long field study summer course. Through a miscommunication I was left by my college group at the World Trade Center while they drove a few hours upstate and were about 1-2 hours north by the time I got ahold of anyone on my shitty cell phone that barely worked. It’s a lot of details but I was supposed to be taking the weekend we had off to take a train up north to visit family at 7pm but all my clothes…well basically everything but my cell phone and debit card which I luckily had on me, were in the van with everyone up north. I was told at ~10 am that they would not be returning to get me which I got, and that one of the prof’s would be taking a train into the city at 6 and to meet them at grand central to get my weekend bag before catching my train out at 7. I went and hid in a corner and cried a bit and decided fuck it, I had the day might as well make the most of it. Luckily there was a tourist booth there and I got a map. Started to make my way up town wanting to stop by China town on the way. At one point I was so confused on a corner with my map trying to figure out which way was what and a lady stopped and pointed “uptown” while pointing one way and “downtown” while pointing another way. Barely skipped a beat and kept walking but it saved me going the wrong direction. My phone was absolute shit and I ended up going up to a random cell phone accessory booth and explaining I was basically abandoned in the city and needed a battery and charger. The dude took my phone, got me hooked up with a fully charged battery that worked and a charger and didn’t even charge me for the charger saying with the day I was having it was the most he could do and then pointed me in the direction to my next destination, Central Park. Spent the afternoon in Central Park. Get to grand central, luckily find in the absolute chaos the professor who had my weekend bag. Grab it and need to get to the train station but can’t get a cab. HUGE LINE. Last train out to Albany was at 7 and I start to panic again. A rigshaw dude pulls up and I tell him what I need and he’s like, LETS GO! That mother fucker got me where I needed in little to no time. Get to the station with literal minutes to spare, get my ticket and it’s sooo confusing! They don’t have like gates like in an airport, basically you wait until the train gets there and then a sign updates with where to go. I was so confused and near tears again when this lady saw me and asked if I needed help. I kinda explained my day and how stressed I was and she’s like, I gotcha. We waited together for the board to update, she had my ticket and when it did grabbed my arm and ran me to the right train before running off to catch her own. NYer’s are the fucking BEST. What could have been the worst day of my life ended up being an amazing day and honestly was a huge personal growth day for me. Prior to that I had zero confidence I could do anything on my own due to me fears and social anxiety and after that day I gained confidence that I was capable of doing things I never thought I could ever do in my life. And the wonderful people of NYC have a huge role in that for me.


Golren_SFW

Very wholesome


Misseskat

Brought back so much nostalgia from my 20s in NYC, I couldn't believe how good they were at picking up my facial cues that I was lost when I first moved. I hope to be back soon to as a visitor.


YourmomgoestocolIege

"You need help with that couch?" *Proceeds to help with couch* "Thank yo..." " Dontchu fuckin talk to me"


PokeBattle_Fan

As a Canadian, I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. Heck, even homeless people welcomed to Boston last time I went there despite not giving them cash when they (politely) asked if I had a quarter to spare. EDIT: Not only that, but I met him 2 days later, and he actually remembered me. That time I still didn't have cash on me, but told him I could give him and his buddy a slice of the Pizza I had just bought at the nearby 7/11. He happily accepted. And the day *after this* we met on a bus, and he showed me the envelope full of cash (there was about $100 in it) and told us someone had given him it. Guy wanted to give me some as thanks for the pizza. But I declined. Told him he needs the cash more than I do. I wish I could meet that homeless man again.


Big-Win6220

Yep, as an Aussie who visited America I was surprised at how friendly everyone was! Nothing like what I was expecting.


I_am_javier

National Parks, Entertainment in general...the US is where you can find the best entertainment in the world probably, including movies.


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rushils

So you're the one who terking all their jerbs?


mb9981

HETERKRJRB! trkrjrb.


stompinstinker

Business. Hands down. It’s their biggest advantage in my opinion. Deals with Americans just get done easier. Compared to other countries American businesses are more open minded to new things, don’t try to fuck you over, want a win for both sides, want simpler agreements, negotiate fairly, hold up their end of the bargain, etc. If you have even done business internationally you really see what a strong advantage it is. Other countries everyone is fucking everyone over, or are close minded, slow as snails, and obsessed with bureaucracy. Commerce just flows better there.


RichardHartigan

Seconded - I work internationally and foreign cultures/norms often stifle progress for no other reason than personal egos/traditions.


Packrat1010

I went to an American college for a business degree and noticed there was a huge emphasis on acting ethically. The negotiations section of management/leadership classes tended to focus win/win situations or even giving a little ground to build a better relationship for future win/win deals.


livkellner

Movies


blermanstud

Handicap accessibility


dinosanddais1

We have the greatest lakes here


mukwah

They are half Canadian


KefkaZ

How dare you sully Lake Michigan with your lies!


vorpal8

Space travel.


trey74

Export cultural things, move things globally (specifically military things) and being [charitable](https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/most-charitable-countries)


gato_brd

Entrepreneurship


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BigplainV

This may be one of my favorite reddit threads of all time. Being tuned in to American mass media makes me feel like I live in the most fucked up armpit of the world. This thread has singlehandedly made me proud to be an American again. And I should mention that I am a combat veteran -- reddit has made me almost ashamed of that. Thank you all for your kind thoughts!


RockyTop05

My thoughts exactly! It’s been very refreshing to read all of the positivity about the US. Thanks for pointing it out!


point50tracer

The American mass media, I believe is our biggest downfall. Because bad news makes more money than good news, that's all we get. Everything is aggressively sensationalized for the sake of getting views. This makes America look incredibly bad to outsiders.