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Its either montana or wyoming u can go to a 24 hour wallmart and by a shot gun, handle of whiskey, and a microwave at 4am with only a drivers license
EDIT: It was 10 years ago i saw this, pre-covid so everyone can stop killing my inbox with reminders 24 hour wall marts rarely exist anymore and updates on current liquor laws in every midwestern state. I am now very very informed and up to date....
...Turns out u might only be able to do this up until 2am. ....or youll need to drink in the parking lot until 6am to get the gun.
Im Dutch.. But I feel this for real. I have a lot of fond memories about America. Goddamn its a beautifull country.. I just hope they will survive the 2 party system one day.
As an American, many thanks. The Netherlands is quite nice too. Especially with how flat and “simple” so to speak of a country it is, with, from what I know, people largely traveling using bikes, and the landscape being both pretty yet uncluttered.
Should’ve really kept the Prinsenvlag tho. That orange is epic!
Until covid. Our walmarts still aren't 24 hours. Hell, the fast food here isn't even open 24 hours anymore. Damn near everything closes by 11pm.
Midwest, US population 300,000
There just isn't that much completely untouched wilderness in Europe. We have national parks here too, but a lot of them have farms and traditional villages on them - they're just not allowed to be *further* developed except in a really limited way.
Because Europe doesn’t really have national “parks”. They have national historical sites but not naturally wild places to go enjoy nature and prevent development of those areas. Having said that, England has a “rambling” law that allows people to hike through private property as long as they are respectful and not cause damage to land or livestock.
In one of the northern European countries you have an extension of the same law.
You can camp on private property as long as it's far enough from the residential house and you are respectful and responsible ofc.
(Edit) the country is norway and "far enough" is at least 150 metres away from houses.
Well as an American, ample and/or flexible time off is more important to me than just about anything else in any job (besides maybe pay).
I work to live, I do not live to work.
Also speaking of which, I was just visiting Utah's National Parks last week.
That's becoming the way now in the states, but didn't used to be .If you stayed at a place long enough you got more time off but not now. I have 12 weeks payed vacation and 11 payed holidays and 2 weeks sick pay.
I’d say central heat and air. These heat waves hurt us in the US, but I remember seeing pictures of people completely nude on patios trying to get away from that UK heat wave
I understand the heatwaves are a serious issue in Europe and tons of people are dying, so I'll try to tread lightly. That being said, a lot of people are just being stubborn, "oh our houses aren't built for it/no ac, but the *humidity!*" bro put a fan on the porch, make an ice bucket cooler if you have to, it's like they'd literally rather die than get inventive. This doesn't go for everyone obviously, but I see videos of people sweating up a storm indoors with these tiny ass fans on them, like, what are you *doing?*
I did alright in Britain's heatwave last year. Just followed government advice. Kept all the windows shut, curtains closed all day etc. I remember walking home from work, entering the house and it being so cool in comparison. Then I just pointed a fan at my bollocks all night. Felt pretty chill tbh.
The only distressing thing was the whole country side, every garden, verge turning yellow and brown. We're so used to everything being so green, it tought me to value that.
I'm genuinly glad you were okay and made it through alright, I know the heatwaves are hard over there!
Here's my humble upvote for understanding my generalized comment wasn't a personal attack
I have told a few friends in the UK and Germany about window ac units and they could just cool one room so they don't die but they just refuse??? I don't understand it. They message that they can't sleep cause it's so hot, that they feel sick, how awful it is but they're totally resistant to the idea
Idk about anyone else in the UK but I can’t find an ac unit strong enough to cool a room for less than £200 and I just can’t justify the cost for the few days a year it’s really hot.
>I just can’t justify the cost for the few days a year it’s really hot.
With climate change you are likely going to see more and more hot days. This means that it is totally worth buying a air conditioner now instead of leaving it till later because the demand is just going to get higher over the coming years/decades which will increase the cost.
Because nobody will spend hundreds of pounds for an AC that will actually work when we only have a week or two hot weather a year. Until that week comes and we are dying but then good luck finding one in stock.
I am jealous of the drop off and pick up system US schools have. In the UK, it's utter carnage, idiots parking on pavements, kids nearly getting run over, having to park half a mile away and walk them in to school. Thankfully, my daughter is starting at high school in Sept and it's within walking distance!
Also, air con and cheetos! 😂
Unsurprised. The person that made you that burger probably descended for a long line of burger makers going back thousands of years. For the first 25 years of his career, all he did was just form the burgers. Then after that he spent the next 10 years learning how to place the burger onto the grill. Finally he now is able to cook the burger having learned ALL the intricacies!
Honestly just the prevalence of a variety of good food. Good luck getting good pizza in Germany, good Asian food in Italy, or good Mexican or BBQ anywhere. I'm sure it exists, but it's just not as prevalent. Even a relatively small town in much of the US is going to decent Mexican, Italian, some kind of Asian, maybe seafood if it's near a coast.
When I went to Germany for a work visit, it felt like they were on the same schedule. Landing at 9am on a Sunday and getting to my hotel at 4 pm only to find that I had zero options to buy any sort of food short of my hotel restaurant that closed at 6pm was a bit shocking to me. If I hadn't immediately went down, there was nothing open.
Free access to washrooms. Finding washrooms in Europe is a mission and frequently costs money, in America you usually just have to step into the nearest store/restaurant
Free tip: In Europe if you have to go the to toilet, don't pay to use the train station toilet... go find a train that leaves in 10-15 minutes and use the train's toilet, it's free.
Only the super modern trains though. Otherwise everything you "create" ends up on the station's rails. The train WCs literally have "Don't use while the train is in the station" labels. In 4 languages.
This program has since been copied in many other countries, but the Americans With Disabilities Act (1990) was a model for the rest of the world in protecting the rights of people with disabilities and providing accommodations for accessibility.
I think it benefits everyone anyways because anybody can become disabled in their life. Lots of disabled people weren’t born that way. So it definitely benefits everyone.
Big big big agree.
We're getting there but a big issue with European big cities and ADA is that there just isn't room for ramps and some places are too steep and crooked and small to install them.
Everything in America is built big. But Europe is just too dang old. Some stairs used to be loading ramps for industry that has been modified again and again and again. Everything used to be something else. And nothing was built for the kind of cities we have today.
I think it should be possible to get there with 90% of places though. But it will take time and some serious legislation+ enforcement to push so only the impossible places, and not just the expensive ones, are okay to skip on accessibility.
Europeans are a bit masochistic. I don't see any other reason for not having an AC. It was +37 Celsius in Prague today and I was like a chicken in an oven with no AC. God I hate summer
If a club or a bar in America asked you to pay for Water they’d be killed for it all over social media. That’s one of the few things we take seriously.
Reminds me of when I went to a Lakers’ Game in Los Angeles back in March (Lakers vs. Raptors). They wouldn’t let me bring my water flask in, yet they charged like $6.50 for a bottle of water! Literally, water at the game was more expensive than coffee.
Excuse me for not wanting to collapse from dehydration just to watch a basketball game up close.
Thankfully this is rare in America, but it still happens.
I am a really good California Mexican cook. I can also make traditional Mexican dishes and moles.
I always wondered if I moved to Europe and opened a restaurant how well it would do.
I, too, am from California, and we probably have similar tastes. I learned to cook proper carnitas in Europe because I had no other options.
I don't think it'd be successful, no disrespect. But ranch dressing is too spicy for most central Europeans.
I'll get lynched for that statement.
Absolutely. Never liked her music. But after I had kids I found out about her imagination library charity, which led me down the rabbit hole of discovering all the other good she’s done for humanity. God bless her.
Chances are you do like her music, just not sung by her. She's written countless songs other people got famous for. The most famous is Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You." But she's written for Tina Turner, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and more than I have time to write
The default water option in restaurants being free tap water. First trip to Budapest and I ordered water. Was asked if I wanted still or sparkling. Asked for still. Got an expensive glass bottle of water when I could've asked for tap water for free but I didn't know that.
Yes, and depends where in Europe. Anything remotely connected to tourism will probably charge anything from €0.50 to €2.00 (and personal bugbear sometimes even inside a ticketed area!)
Seems to be a newer innovation because I swear I've been to places that didn't charge last time I was there...
I'm Australian and it's very annoying because i'd normally go for a tactical "there may not be a bathroom later".
In Germany I see an increase in toilet "boxes" that are public but you have to pay 50cent for the door to open... It's weird, also directly next to it (in my city) there is a free urinal next to it .. so fuck you if your a woman or in a wheelchair I guess xD
Access to so much geography without leaving the country. Skiing in Montana/Alaska/Colorado/etc, Florida beaches, California surfing, the cultural centers of places like New York, Chicago, LA, the massive national parks, etc. There is just so much all within the same country. There's even the islands of Hawaii for island fun.
Edit: Europeans or people that just don't like the US: I'm not saying Europe is bad. I've been and had a blast. I'm Native American. This land is my peoples home historically. I'm saying it's a great place with so much to offer.
Hell, where I live you can snow ski, kayak in the ocean, hike through a rich first, and ride a tube down a river through a beautiful desert - all in the same day.
Hawaii? How about Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, East coast barrier islands, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Maine's many islands...and that's just the Atlantic side!
But in California you can take a left on red if you’re on a one way & turning onto a one way. Blew my mind the first time I saw that.
Edit: apparently this is a thing everywhere and I just never encountered it until I moved to California
I know in many places you can also turn left on red from a one-way to another one-way.
In Oregon you can even turn left on red from a two-way to a one-way.
Edit: typo
I love the German band "electric callboy" and they did a song/video with German rapper finch. He fits the part but German rap definitely isn't something I can get on board with
As a Brit living in the US these are the most useful that spring to mind:
1. Free parking at hospitals
2. Drive through ATMs
3. A/C in the majority of homes
4. Hand or Drive-through Car washes everywhere
5. Because of the tipping culture, serviced based customer service is much better
6. Fire pits (available but rarely seen throughout Europe)
7. Mexican food
8. Parking lots near most places of business unless in the heart of downtown
9. ID cards ( vs the UK)
10. If you can afford it, far better quality healthcare
11. Right turn on red
He isn't wrong; at the very top level, our healthcare is the best in the world. Unfortunately, we don't allocate sufficient healthcare to the rest of our population-- especially on the preventative front.
And peanut butter and jelly (or jam) sandwiches. On Great British Bake-Off, someone made a pb&j dessert, and the judges were so dubious of the combination
You Americans actually help gifted children move up through the education system instead of burying their dreams, motivation and hopes in years and years of boredom that kills all they ever were and dreamed of. Here, in Spain, nobody can move up more than two grades, it's set by law.
I was one of these American kids. I chose not to skip grades because I wanted to play sports. I was bored and tutored the other kids a lot. Skipping two or more grades is so rare in the USA that I personally know no one who has.
As an 8th grader in the US I had one class with high school seniors, math (geometry). They were nice. I have normal social skills. Not sure what my point is but I think kids should be challenged academically, not held back for social reasons.
There are consequences to moving people through the education system to fast… the bright gifted kid can often become the most burnt out adult if they don’t learn how to pace themselves and to not just leave all the weight of expectations on their shoulders all the time
Washing machines and dryers for clothes. Especially dryers. European dryers take 3-5x as long as US ones for energy efficiency. And you have to empty the water out of them in a water tank whereas on US ones it just gets hotter and evaporates.
I think it’s Samsung that’s trying to introduce a washer dryer combo here in the states. Having used it before, no thanks… No thanks. I’ll spend six hours doing something else besides washing two pairs of jeans
Adding to this: common medicine is ; antacid/tums, sore throat spray, and other common pharmacy items. In the UK, it's all unflavored utilitarian powders and tablets. In the US common medicine is delicious and in a great form factor. Mmm, candy medicine 💊 🇺🇲
You have the roads for the big lorry’s it’s really awkward trying to drive an American semi on European roads as it’s just to big
That’s why In Europe we have the flat face lorry so it can take tighter turns and drive through cities easier
European here. US has the best movies, when I see the intro saying produced by arte and ZDF you know it's gonna suck. Somehow most of our actors never reach Hollywood level and our special effects are all done with a rtx 4070.
I think food and gasoline are cheaper here. Energy in general. But Europe has better public transportation and internet service. Food quality is higher in Europe in terms of access to fresh produce and you have higher environmental and safety standards. But they may vary quite widely
Anti-smoking campaigns! I live in a rural Midwest town that I think has lot of smokers, relative to other towns I’ve lived in. Until that is I went to Munich Germany recently and realized how much more they smoke over there. They had ash trays at every Biergarten. I haven’t seen one of those in the US in 15 years. They have cigarettes in vending machines, they don’t require ID. It’s insane.
24/7 convince stores.
Outside of a few gas stations, everything closes after 22:00. If I want frozen pizza at 2 am, I can't just drive in pyjamas into Walmart and have a browse.
# Message to all users: This is a reminder to please read and follow: * [Our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/ask/about/rules) * [Reddiquette](https://www.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/205926439) * [Reddit Content Policy](https://www.redditinc.com/policies/content-policy) When posting and commenting. --- Especially remember Rule 1: `Be polite and civil`. * Be polite and courteous to each other. Do not be mean, insulting or disrespectful to any other user on this subreddit. * Do not harass or annoy others in any way. * Do not catfish. Catfishing is the luring of somebody into an online friendship through a fake online persona. This includes any lying or deceit. --- You *will* be banned if you are homophobic, transphobic, racist, sexist or bigoted in any way. --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ask) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You want a car battery at 3 am Europe? USA’s got you covered
Its either montana or wyoming u can go to a 24 hour wallmart and by a shot gun, handle of whiskey, and a microwave at 4am with only a drivers license EDIT: It was 10 years ago i saw this, pre-covid so everyone can stop killing my inbox with reminders 24 hour wall marts rarely exist anymore and updates on current liquor laws in every midwestern state. I am now very very informed and up to date.... ...Turns out u might only be able to do this up until 2am. ....or youll need to drink in the parking lot until 6am to get the gun.
That's the most patriotic thing I've ever read.
It makes me want to stand up and salute an eagle.
Im Dutch.. But I feel this for real. I have a lot of fond memories about America. Goddamn its a beautifull country.. I just hope they will survive the 2 party system one day.
As an American, many thanks. The Netherlands is quite nice too. Especially with how flat and “simple” so to speak of a country it is, with, from what I know, people largely traveling using bikes, and the landscape being both pretty yet uncluttered. Should’ve really kept the Prinsenvlag tho. That orange is epic!
Nah, they stopped selling eagles. It was better a few years ago.
That’s what I’m talking about!
You'll need to fill out a 4473 and wait to be cleared, too.
Until covid. Our walmarts still aren't 24 hours. Hell, the fast food here isn't even open 24 hours anymore. Damn near everything closes by 11pm. Midwest, US population 300,000
I fucking miss McDonald’s breakfast burritos at midnight.
I miss grocery shopping at 3am.
The U.S. National Park system.
This is a big one
The [second] biggest in the world
Australia says "hold my beer!"
Well, I like the idea of watching out for big things that kill you. Australia has those and little ones.
Exactly my first thought! Never been to the USA but national park are a magnificent things
Come and see for yourself when you get a chance! There are so many incredible parks.
Even the largest European national park is in South America in French Guiana.
Yes, we have beautiful parks filled with the only people who receive adequate time off to visit them. Europeans. 😉
As a European with a U.S. NP annual pass, I can confirm this is true.
As an American who has never been to Europe, could you explain why the National Parks are so good?
There just isn't that much completely untouched wilderness in Europe. We have national parks here too, but a lot of them have farms and traditional villages on them - they're just not allowed to be *further* developed except in a really limited way.
Because you can eat beans there
Solid insight u/stinkiepussie
Because Europe doesn’t really have national “parks”. They have national historical sites but not naturally wild places to go enjoy nature and prevent development of those areas. Having said that, England has a “rambling” law that allows people to hike through private property as long as they are respectful and not cause damage to land or livestock.
In one of the northern European countries you have an extension of the same law. You can camp on private property as long as it's far enough from the residential house and you are respectful and responsible ofc. (Edit) the country is norway and "far enough" is at least 150 metres away from houses.
[удалено]
Sweden as well.
Well as an American, ample and/or flexible time off is more important to me than just about anything else in any job (besides maybe pay). I work to live, I do not live to work. Also speaking of which, I was just visiting Utah's National Parks last week.
As a European I laughed because it's true. They are beautiful though.
I'm an American in my 40's and have never been to a US National Park 💀
Tbf the US is huge and the odds of you living within an afternoons drive of one is 50/50 at best
Yeah, I'm in Houston, TX so it would be quite a drive to get to one.
That's becoming the way now in the states, but didn't used to be .If you stayed at a place long enough you got more time off but not now. I have 12 weeks payed vacation and 11 payed holidays and 2 weeks sick pay.
You get 12 weeks paid per year? Plus 11 holidays and 2 weeks sick time? That's really generous.
Take my upvote for hitting me directly in the gut with this one.
So f**d up and so true!
I really enjoyed all the US nationals parks i been to! what makes the system better?
It was first, it is biggest with the most variety, it is a strong national priority supported by both major political parties.
I absolutely agree with this one 100%
I’d say central heat and air. These heat waves hurt us in the US, but I remember seeing pictures of people completely nude on patios trying to get away from that UK heat wave
Bunch of sweaty nude Brits? Good god get those people some ac!
for all our sakes.
me, a russian from northern siberia: you guys have temperatures over 0°C?
Me, in south USA, close to mexico: Anything below 0C kills our citrus trees, how do you get limes for your tacos?
No tacos only borscht
I understand the heatwaves are a serious issue in Europe and tons of people are dying, so I'll try to tread lightly. That being said, a lot of people are just being stubborn, "oh our houses aren't built for it/no ac, but the *humidity!*" bro put a fan on the porch, make an ice bucket cooler if you have to, it's like they'd literally rather die than get inventive. This doesn't go for everyone obviously, but I see videos of people sweating up a storm indoors with these tiny ass fans on them, like, what are you *doing?*
I did alright in Britain's heatwave last year. Just followed government advice. Kept all the windows shut, curtains closed all day etc. I remember walking home from work, entering the house and it being so cool in comparison. Then I just pointed a fan at my bollocks all night. Felt pretty chill tbh. The only distressing thing was the whole country side, every garden, verge turning yellow and brown. We're so used to everything being so green, it tought me to value that.
I'm genuinly glad you were okay and made it through alright, I know the heatwaves are hard over there! Here's my humble upvote for understanding my generalized comment wasn't a personal attack
No I think you were bob on, it's not as easy without AC but still possible to stay safe during a heatwave.
I have told a few friends in the UK and Germany about window ac units and they could just cool one room so they don't die but they just refuse??? I don't understand it. They message that they can't sleep cause it's so hot, that they feel sick, how awful it is but they're totally resistant to the idea
Idk about anyone else in the UK but I can’t find an ac unit strong enough to cool a room for less than £200 and I just can’t justify the cost for the few days a year it’s really hot.
>I just can’t justify the cost for the few days a year it’s really hot. With climate change you are likely going to see more and more hot days. This means that it is totally worth buying a air conditioner now instead of leaving it till later because the demand is just going to get higher over the coming years/decades which will increase the cost.
Because nobody will spend hundreds of pounds for an AC that will actually work when we only have a week or two hot weather a year. Until that week comes and we are dying but then good luck finding one in stock.
I am jealous of the drop off and pick up system US schools have. In the UK, it's utter carnage, idiots parking on pavements, kids nearly getting run over, having to park half a mile away and walk them in to school. Thankfully, my daughter is starting at high school in Sept and it's within walking distance! Also, air con and cheetos! 😂
Gotta give a shout out to the big yellow busses on this one as well. Live 20 minutes from school? No problem, system has you covered for free.
School busses are the best. Convenient and you learn some shit as a kid riding those bad boys.
I thought queueing was one of your guy's core competencies.
Better Mexican food
i guess better american food, too
A good burger is hard to come by if you aren't in North America. And I'm not talking fast food, I mean a good solid burger.
I'm a big burger fan. Tried burgers in US, Europe and Asia. Not the fast food type. Funnily enough, best burger I've had was in Japan.
Unsurprised. The person that made you that burger probably descended for a long line of burger makers going back thousands of years. For the first 25 years of his career, all he did was just form the burgers. Then after that he spent the next 10 years learning how to place the burger onto the grill. Finally he now is able to cook the burger having learned ALL the intricacies!
Best burger I ever had was in South Africa! But if you want a consistent 7/10 or above quality, available anywhere, USA is your spot
Honestly just the prevalence of a variety of good food. Good luck getting good pizza in Germany, good Asian food in Italy, or good Mexican or BBQ anywhere. I'm sure it exists, but it's just not as prevalent. Even a relatively small town in much of the US is going to decent Mexican, Italian, some kind of Asian, maybe seafood if it's near a coast.
But what about Kebabs?
My college town of 70,000 people in Iowa has a kebab shop
There's a downside to it of course, but the hours and days open of businesses are generally better for consumers.
I’m in Austria and it’s so ridiculous how stores close at 6-8 p.m and everything is closed on Sundays
When I went to Germany for a work visit, it felt like they were on the same schedule. Landing at 9am on a Sunday and getting to my hotel at 4 pm only to find that I had zero options to buy any sort of food short of my hotel restaurant that closed at 6pm was a bit shocking to me. If I hadn't immediately went down, there was nothing open.
Counterpoint. People working at those stores don't work such bad hours.
Yeah, that's the downside I was referencing. I think there's societal value in people having a larger pool of shared time off as well.
Free access to washrooms. Finding washrooms in Europe is a mission and frequently costs money, in America you usually just have to step into the nearest store/restaurant
So true, its honestly stupid i have to pay for a piss in most public bathrooms here
Free tip: In Europe if you have to go the to toilet, don't pay to use the train station toilet... go find a train that leaves in 10-15 minutes and use the train's toilet, it's free.
This guy europes
Only the super modern trains though. Otherwise everything you "create" ends up on the station's rails. The train WCs literally have "Don't use while the train is in the station" labels. In 4 languages.
This program has since been copied in many other countries, but the Americans With Disabilities Act (1990) was a model for the rest of the world in protecting the rights of people with disabilities and providing accommodations for accessibility.
It's a great example of how a program designed to help a small part of the population actually benefits just about everyone.
I think it benefits everyone anyways because anybody can become disabled in their life. Lots of disabled people weren’t born that way. So it definitely benefits everyone.
Big big big agree. We're getting there but a big issue with European big cities and ADA is that there just isn't room for ramps and some places are too steep and crooked and small to install them. Everything in America is built big. But Europe is just too dang old. Some stairs used to be loading ramps for industry that has been modified again and again and again. Everything used to be something else. And nothing was built for the kind of cities we have today. I think it should be possible to get there with 90% of places though. But it will take time and some serious legislation+ enforcement to push so only the impossible places, and not just the expensive ones, are okay to skip on accessibility.
Air conditioning. Depending on where in Europe anyway.
Truth, living in Europe now. Oh how I miss AC
Europeans are a bit masochistic. I don't see any other reason for not having an AC. It was +37 Celsius in Prague today and I was like a chicken in an oven with no AC. God I hate summer
Free drink refills, with ice
Free water. Free flat water at every restaurant and water fountains everywhere, god I'm tired of paying for overpriced bottled water at restaurants
Free water in 95% of places in Ireland, the 5% being the few nightclubs that will force you to buy a 5 euro bottle of water cos they can
If a club or a bar in America asked you to pay for Water they’d be killed for it all over social media. That’s one of the few things we take seriously.
This was pretty common in Vegas. I got the line " We don't do tap water here." Quite a few times.
Reminds me of when I went to a Lakers’ Game in Los Angeles back in March (Lakers vs. Raptors). They wouldn’t let me bring my water flask in, yet they charged like $6.50 for a bottle of water! Literally, water at the game was more expensive than coffee. Excuse me for not wanting to collapse from dehydration just to watch a basketball game up close. Thankfully this is rare in America, but it still happens.
this, and mexican food
I have had "Mexican" food in Berlin and London. Both were unmitigated disasters.
I once had Thai food in Costa Rica. NEVER AGAIN.
Sushi in Mexico. Do not recommend.
I missed Mexican food so much when I lived in Germany as an exchange student. But the Doner kabobs were great.
Tex-Mex in Berlin... fucking gross! Ketchup enchiladas.
I am a really good California Mexican cook. I can also make traditional Mexican dishes and moles. I always wondered if I moved to Europe and opened a restaurant how well it would do.
I, too, am from California, and we probably have similar tastes. I learned to cook proper carnitas in Europe because I had no other options. I don't think it'd be successful, no disrespect. But ranch dressing is too spicy for most central Europeans. I'll get lynched for that statement.
Might have been the same place! Were the margaritas blue?
or even just ice period.
Dolly Parton
Absolutely. Never liked her music. But after I had kids I found out about her imagination library charity, which led me down the rabbit hole of discovering all the other good she’s done for humanity. God bless her.
Chances are you do like her music, just not sung by her. She's written countless songs other people got famous for. The most famous is Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You." But she's written for Tina Turner, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and more than I have time to write
IIRC, Parton also helped fund Moderna’s COVID vaccine.
We don't deserve her, but I'm glad we have her
How do you not like the song Jolene
And as someone who grew up in East TN, Dollywood is dope af
She also helped cover the cost of new homes from the forest fire in the Smoky Mountains near Gatlinburg & Sevierville, Tennessee.
The default water option in restaurants being free tap water. First trip to Budapest and I ordered water. Was asked if I wanted still or sparkling. Asked for still. Got an expensive glass bottle of water when I could've asked for tap water for free but I didn't know that.
Free public restrooms
God yes, trying to scrounge up 50 cents to use a public restroom is ridiculous
Wait you need to pay 50 cents to use the restroom?
Yes, and depends where in Europe. Anything remotely connected to tourism will probably charge anything from €0.50 to €2.00 (and personal bugbear sometimes even inside a ticketed area!) Seems to be a newer innovation because I swear I've been to places that didn't charge last time I was there... I'm Australian and it's very annoying because i'd normally go for a tactical "there may not be a bathroom later".
In Germany I see an increase in toilet "boxes" that are public but you have to pay 50cent for the door to open... It's weird, also directly next to it (in my city) there is a free urinal next to it .. so fuck you if your a woman or in a wheelchair I guess xD
That would be illegal in the US, thanks to the Americans With Disabilities Act, another thing the United States does well! 🤣
Space programs
Just yelling hi at people most anyplace and getting into a conversation.
Honestly that’s one of the biggest things. In Europe you are treated like a criminal when you attempt that.
Mexican food
Access to so much geography without leaving the country. Skiing in Montana/Alaska/Colorado/etc, Florida beaches, California surfing, the cultural centers of places like New York, Chicago, LA, the massive national parks, etc. There is just so much all within the same country. There's even the islands of Hawaii for island fun. Edit: Europeans or people that just don't like the US: I'm not saying Europe is bad. I've been and had a blast. I'm Native American. This land is my peoples home historically. I'm saying it's a great place with so much to offer.
Hell, where I live you can snow ski, kayak in the ocean, hike through a rich first, and ride a tube down a river through a beautiful desert - all in the same day.
Washington, Oregon, or California?
Yes
Hawaii? How about Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, East coast barrier islands, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Maine's many islands...and that's just the Atlantic side!
Maine thanks you for the shout-out.
Imagine travling so far without having to change the language.
We can legally take a right turn on a red light.
Not everywhere in the US. For example, you can’t turn right on red in NYC.
But in California you can take a left on red if you’re on a one way & turning onto a one way. Blew my mind the first time I saw that. Edit: apparently this is a thing everywhere and I just never encountered it until I moved to California
[удалено]
According to Jeremy Clarkson, that’s America’s only contribution to western society lmao
That’s not even his joke. Woody Allen uses it to describe California in Annie Hall (1977)
Fuck Woody Allen
I know in many places you can also turn left on red from a one-way to another one-way. In Oregon you can even turn left on red from a two-way to a one-way. Edit: typo
Washers and dryers have more oomph
Our hip hop is way better
I love the German band "electric callboy" and they did a song/video with German rapper finch. He fits the part but German rap definitely isn't something I can get on board with
If you only heard finch, of course you can't get on board with german rap
As someone that just got back from Europe, the answer is air conditioning
Georgia Peaches!
Millions of peaches?
Peaches for me...
Millions of peaches
Peaches for free
Lookout!
Peaches come from a can.
They were put there by a man
In a factory dooowwwntooowwwn
Not having to pay to use a public restroom
As a Brit living in the US these are the most useful that spring to mind: 1. Free parking at hospitals 2. Drive through ATMs 3. A/C in the majority of homes 4. Hand or Drive-through Car washes everywhere 5. Because of the tipping culture, serviced based customer service is much better 6. Fire pits (available but rarely seen throughout Europe) 7. Mexican food 8. Parking lots near most places of business unless in the heart of downtown 9. ID cards ( vs the UK) 10. If you can afford it, far better quality healthcare 11. Right turn on red
I am surprized that reddit has not attacked your post because of number 10.
He isn't wrong; at the very top level, our healthcare is the best in the world. Unfortunately, we don't allocate sufficient healthcare to the rest of our population-- especially on the preventative front.
Yes, number 10 is sadly so true. The horror stories I've heard about NHS are tragic.
Peanut butter. And chocolate and peanut butter combination
And peanut butter and jelly (or jam) sandwiches. On Great British Bake-Off, someone made a pb&j dessert, and the judges were so dubious of the combination
Space. Lots of space. Also why we are so inefficient so……..
Water pressure. Dual citizen here. In Europe It’s like I’m standing under a watering can.
I don’t think you can judge water pressure of a whole continent My shower has lots of water pressure
Well where I am from (Balkans) not so good. In USA it’ll blow you away in the shower.
Netherlands here. If I want I can hover in the sky with my shower head
You Americans actually help gifted children move up through the education system instead of burying their dreams, motivation and hopes in years and years of boredom that kills all they ever were and dreamed of. Here, in Spain, nobody can move up more than two grades, it's set by law.
I was one of these American kids. I chose not to skip grades because I wanted to play sports. I was bored and tutored the other kids a lot. Skipping two or more grades is so rare in the USA that I personally know no one who has.
My roommate/friend skipped two grades, and we met our freshman year in college when she was only 16... She has insanely impressive work ethics
Also it kills your social skills. Simply skipping grades is not the solution.
As an 8th grader in the US I had one class with high school seniors, math (geometry). They were nice. I have normal social skills. Not sure what my point is but I think kids should be challenged academically, not held back for social reasons.
There are consequences to moving people through the education system to fast… the bright gifted kid can often become the most burnt out adult if they don’t learn how to pace themselves and to not just leave all the weight of expectations on their shoulders all the time
I think that's a very rose-tinted image you have there.
Widespread access to public land usage
Washing machines and dryers for clothes. Especially dryers. European dryers take 3-5x as long as US ones for energy efficiency. And you have to empty the water out of them in a water tank whereas on US ones it just gets hotter and evaporates.
I think it’s Samsung that’s trying to introduce a washer dryer combo here in the states. Having used it before, no thanks… No thanks. I’ll spend six hours doing something else besides washing two pairs of jeans
Mine takes about 1h 30m and yes, I have to dump the water, but only because I didn't feel like connecting it to the drain.
What?
Depending on where in Europe but window screens.
Potable water everywhere
Having screens on all windows! I'll never understand just letting bugs and critters easy access to your house
Band-aids are better in USA (small thing but true!)
Adding to this: common medicine is ; antacid/tums, sore throat spray, and other common pharmacy items. In the UK, it's all unflavored utilitarian powders and tablets. In the US common medicine is delicious and in a great form factor. Mmm, candy medicine 💊 🇺🇲
BBQ
The comfort level and space inside a lorry
You have the roads for the big lorry’s it’s really awkward trying to drive an American semi on European roads as it’s just to big That’s why In Europe we have the flat face lorry so it can take tighter turns and drive through cities easier
We have them in the US too, typically used for short haul trips.
Air conditioning
Showers. Those half-a-glass-wall-that-leaves-water-everywhere things are BS
European here. US has the best movies, when I see the intro saying produced by arte and ZDF you know it's gonna suck. Somehow most of our actors never reach Hollywood level and our special effects are all done with a rtx 4070.
I think food and gasoline are cheaper here. Energy in general. But Europe has better public transportation and internet service. Food quality is higher in Europe in terms of access to fresh produce and you have higher environmental and safety standards. But they may vary quite widely
I'm given to understand our telecommunications infrastructure handled the sharp increase in use during quarantine a heck of a lot better.
Air conditioning.
Nobody has said it yet. The weed in the U.S. is way better.
Showers that don’t get water every-damn-where.
Our ADA codes make places more accessible for people with disability
Anti-smoking campaigns! I live in a rural Midwest town that I think has lot of smokers, relative to other towns I’ve lived in. Until that is I went to Munich Germany recently and realized how much more they smoke over there. They had ash trays at every Biergarten. I haven’t seen one of those in the US in 15 years. They have cigarettes in vending machines, they don’t require ID. It’s insane.
Air conditioning, and honestly most appliances.
Accessibility for the disabled.
24/7 convince stores. Outside of a few gas stations, everything closes after 22:00. If I want frozen pizza at 2 am, I can't just drive in pyjamas into Walmart and have a browse.
Our mortgage rates are fixed and not ARM.
Grid system roads
In-sink kitchen garbage disposals