Americans Explain Which Things Europeans Do That Make No Sense To Them
Reddit user a_m42_ asked: 'Americans, what is something that Europeans have/do that makes no sense to you?'
Those who have traveled to Europe or interacted with Europeans may very well know they do things very differently and vice versa.
The differences between our different cultures can include idiosyncratic behavior, preferences, or attitudes.
And while we can very much appreciate these differences, there are certain customs that can be major head-scratchers.
Curious to hear examples of what those can be, Redditor a_m42_ asked:
"Americans, what is something that Europeans have/do that makes no sense to you?"
Getting from point A to B can vastly different.
It's A Driving Thing
"I'm Canadian, but it's always baffled me that some Europeans consider a half hour's worth of driving a long time. That wouldn't even get me out of the area I'd consider local."
– TwoFingersWhiskey
The Size Of A Country Matters
"Lol, I moved from Germany to the Netherlands. The Netherlads are so small that the longest you could actually drive from one point to another is 4 hours, otherwise you would cross a border."
"When I was a child I used to go to my grandparents' house every weekend. They only lived an hour away so the way was short to me."
"My boyfriend is Dutch and he told me be barely ever saw his grandma growing up because she lived so far away and they never visited her because of the long way. She lived 1 1/2 hours away."
– finilain
Concerned Swiss
"My coworkers from Switzerland came out to Denver and I took them over to Glenwood Springs, which is about a 3.5 hour drive and after about half an hour they’re like 'are you okay to drive? Do you want one of us to drive for a bit so you can rest?' I drive two to ten hours to go camping with my husband and two dogs at least two or three weeks a month, so this was just a normal weekend to me, but they were acting like I was some kind of crazy person lol."
– Beautiful_Jacket6358
Things at home aren't always what they seem as they are in the US.
Magic Windows
"It's not that it doesn't 'make sense,' but the first time I saw those windows that can be moved a bunch of different ways, you would have thought I was seeing a rabbit being pulled out of a hat, that's how amazed I looked."
"Tilt and Turn Windows."
https://youtu.be/LT8eBjlcT8s?si=AiDUT2KXLvkD3l8L
– Weird-Traditional
Temperature Control
"I don't know if you know this, but many European windows also have a winter mode. When the handle is 45 degrees up, they open up just a tiny bit (1-2mm), to provide some small amount of air circulation, but not too much to not lose warm air inside."
– Plukh1
Breathing Space
"us Germans are obsessed with ventilation. even in the middle of winter, we'll periodically slam our fancy tilt windows open. problem with the tilting or slight opening is it can lead to condensation with low temps and thus lead to mold. and we are obsessed with preventing mold."
"anyways, make sure the air in your room stays good, it makes all the difference."
– dispo030
Just A Place To Sleep
"In Germany, apartments don't normally come with a kitchen. It's purchased/installed by the Tennant. Sometimes you luck out but not usually."
"Edit.. Because this comment blew up, here is an article talking about it."
https://alisajordanwrites.com/2018/08/06/apartments-dont-come-with-kitchens-in-germany/
– Widegina
The Kitchen Stays
"When we sold our house recently, a german woman viewed it and said "this is lovely kitchen. Will be shame to see it go" i was like go where?"
"She was so excited when i said we werent taking the kitchen anywhere. Me and my husband were so confused.. she thought the house was a real catch because of it and was really shocked when the estate agent said that nobody takes their kitchens with them! Odd."
– Big_Strength7344
We all act a certain way, but these types of behavior can be jarring to Americans.
Now, See Here
"Idk if its all Europeans but Germans have a real big problem with staring like I owe them money. Also paying to use the bathroom in public spaces."
– Neat_Serve730
You Got That Look
"Lol we do stare a lot. When I went to study in the uk one of my professors asked me during a tutorial whether he was saying wrong things because apparently I kept staring at him, I didn’t even notice it haha"
"Edit since apparently it’s causing a bit of confusion: a tutorial is not the same as a lecture, in a tutorial you’re around 15 people in a small room, it’s much more intimate and easier to notice if somebody’s staring at you (which evidently was not just looking at him to show you’re paying attention but much more unnerving)"
– BatmanButDepressed
We Can't Handle The Truth
"I’m from the Midwest and my family is from the Netherlands. So the society that wouldn’t dare offend you in any way and the society that has no problem dropping truth bombs on you. It’s rough."
– philophilo
"The (in)famous Dutch straightforwardness or directness. We have been taught to tell it like it is. We will be polite and civil about it, but we have no time for beating around the bush when a problem has to be resolved. That being said, some of my countrymen use it as an excuse to be rude a**hats."
"Just say 'Ken jij het beter dan, pannekoek?' and be done with it."
– SmilingDutchman
I'm not sure if this is a thing but the first time I went to Paris, I found it very odd that my soft drink was served without ice.
This happened at three different establishments where I asked for a Coke and was presented with the soda can and an empty drinking glass.
When I asked for ice from the server, he scoffed, returned with one ice cube on a spoon and proceeded to pour the drink from the can onto the ice and into the glass.
Are you kidding me??
And he left with the spoon and the partially-melted ice cube. I didn't even get to keep that, so I was talking about leaving a lousy tip, to which my friend who was with me said the French don't tip.
It was definitely a culture shock day for me as a very young traveler.
Things That Seem Normal To Europeans But Totally Bizarre To Americans
Reddit user TREE__FR0G asked: 'What is something that is normalized in Europe yet is a completely unknown concept in the US?'
Every country has its own cultures, beliefs, and practices. We know this, and yet, when we hear how a country does something differently than our own, we remain surprised.
Americans, in particular, seem to be endlessly surprised about European practices.
Redditor TREE__FROG asked:
"What is something that is normalized in Europe yet is a completely unknown concept in the US?"
Nudity
"Nudeness."
"No, we don't all walk around naked all day."
"Yes, we have nude beaches. Yes, on most regular lakes where people go swimming, you most likely see their little kids running around nekkid. Yes, most saunas are "nude only". Yes, you see boobs, a**, and p**is on TV (like, if there's a movie and the situation 'demands' it). Yes, we have sex education where they use books with images of naked humans in school."
"It's just a body. And no, nude doesn't mean 'sex!'"
- kant0r
French Fries Without Ketchup
"Mayo with french fries."
"I’m in the US but have cousins in Holland. They introduced me to to this years ago and it’s pretty awesome."
- Robhow
"The irony of Americans putting mayo on everything EXCEPT french fries.
- TheMightyMustachio
Maternity Leave
"Maternity and paternity leave."
- misterbondpt
"I think California has the most progressive parental leave policies in the nation. But it’s not as good as what my friends in Europe have."
- TheOsider
Affordable Healthcare
"Providing healthcare to sick people without bankrupting them."
- EXXPat
Walkable Cities
"Walkable cities."
- TenNinetyThree
"More specifically - not just cities but basically every single town having walkable areas."
"I knew coming to Europe that the cities would be like that, but living here has shown me that it’s everywhere where people live."
"We’re pretty aware of terrible diets leading to obesity in America, but not having the ability to walk anywhere doesn’t get talked about nearly enough as a contributing factor."
- BradDaddyStevens
Refrigerated Eggs
"Not putting eggs in the refrigerator."
- blacksystembbq
"It depends on which country you're talking about. Here in Denmark, all eggs are refrigerated, simply because they'll last longer that way."
- MBAdk
Vacation Days vs. Sick Days
"I’m a project manager in the US, and it baffles me that my European team gets an entire month off in the summer."
"I’m over here saving my vacation days in case I get sick."
- smileysarah267
Metric System
"Using the metric system."
- RosmarinSalbeiTee
"Nah, that's EVERYWHERE except the US."
- ThongsGoOnUrFeet
The Presence of Wildlife
"Not worrying about wild animals when you're going out hiking. In most of Western Europe, at least, needing to carry bear spray or whatever is just not a thing. Our 'wildlife' such as it is is pretty tame and sadly, any wilderness we have isn't really... wilderness on the scale of North America."
- palishkoto
Rights to Online Privacy
"Legally enshrined right to online privacy."
- Quegyboe
"Not just privacy but the constitutional right to informational self-determination. This means you have the right to decide what happens to your information including your likeness and who is allowed to have it. Even if you've given it before, you have the right to demand to have the information about you be erased."
"That's why Facebook has huge issues in Germany because German judges don't f**k around when it comes to the right to informational self-determination."
- not_ya_wifey
Access to Alcohol
"More people are day drinking in Europe than I have ever seen in America."
- CamilaHelena
"I mean it’s a whole different culture around alcohol you guys even have a separate verb of 'day drinking' because apparently that’s different than just drinking."
- baddolphin3
"This was going to be my answer. Completely different cultures and outlooks on alcohol. I believe in The States it's viewed as an addiction to alcohol rather than a regular daylight hours thing to see. In addition, the drinking ages we have are lower or far more relaxed depending on the country."
"Same situation with nudity and sex. Not all nudity is sexual inherently. In my country, we are not ashamed of nudity nor immediately correlate it with sex. It's not unusual to see nudity in public parks, in newspapers, on TV, shared public showering nude after swimming nude, advertising. There are too many examples, I can't even think of them all, as it's normal to us... and highly shocking to Americans to the point of outrage."
- That_Babe_Anethesia
Tipping Culture
"Here in Europe, you don't have to tip people for doing their job."
- xxGURIxx
"Yes, because we pay them a living wage by law. Including health care!"
- 077u-5jP6ZO1
Reusable Shopping Bags
"Taking your own shopping bag(s) to the supermarket."
"Totally normalized in all European countries as far as I know. Or buy a (firm) shopping bag at the store if you don't have one with you."
"All those plastic bags in US stores, so small that it can only hold two cans of milk so you see customers with a dozen plastic bags for their groceries... unthinkable in Europe."
- Shrooma11
No Gaps Needed
"Bathroom doors with no gaps."
- P1nk_barbie
"Those are gaining a little bit of traction here in the States and I’m so glad."
- RockNRollTrollDoll_
Taxes Included
"Prices already include taxes."
- Bada**-19
"I’ve lived in Australia most of my life, but I spent a few years living in the US when I was young."
"I vividly remember having saved up for a Wii game I wanted, going down to the electronics store with my 50 dollar note, and trying to buy the game with a '$50' sticker on it, only to get to the counter and find out that it actually secretly cost more than that (and the guy at the checkout was pretty rude about it, too)."
"I had to go home empty-handed because I didn’t know enough about US taxes when I was 12."
- mayanais
Every country is bound to be different, but instead of looking at the ways we're different as bad things, we could instead look at these differences as a source of inspiration. There's always room for improvement!
Even though the United States of America is largely viewed as the best country in the world to live in, many Americans dream of living abroad.
Particularly in Europe.
From their eyes, there are several things about one's way of life that simply seem unquestionably better in Europe, including health insurance, education, and food.
Of course, many of these things are just in their minds and aren't actually true, and they have to have the news broken to them rather gently.
Sometimes, however, the things they've grown to accept about Europe aren't worse than they imagined, but infinitely better.
"Europeans, what is something us Americans aren’t ready to hear?"
In Case You Didn't Know Just How Big "Big Pharma" Actually Was...
"EpiPens cost $69 in the UK compared to the US $600."
"And yes the Pharm companies are making a profit."- DevDudeZX81
Phonetics Ain't Gonna Help You With This One...
"Worcestershire."- TantrumZentrum
"Wash your sister sauce."- dbl1nk22
'I was making dinner at one point and asked my wife to get me the sibling cleaning sauce - once it clicked, she was hysterical laughing."- belsonc
And No, That Doesn't Stand For "Part Time Only"...
"27 days of PTO is absolutely normal."- Whole-Bank9820
Out Of Office Vacation GIF by StickerGiantGiphyAnyone From The UK Can Make That Clear...
"Europe and the European Union are not the same thing."- BradyvonAshe
Yes, They're Actually Efficient...
"Y’all need some trains."- CabbageMasher
Ironically, Church And State Are ACTUALLY Separated...
"Whats the deal with mega churches?"
"Why do you send them that much money?"- Jandolino
On My Way Church GIF by EMPIREGiphyBipartisanship? The Very Thought!
"Middle grounds exist."
"It doesn’t always have to be pro this anti that."- MySocksAreLost
"It's okay not to have an opinion about everything."- AlwaysCurious93
All Jobs Have Value
"Tipping is stupid."
"Just pay your staff a proper living wage!"- Coin-op77
"Tipping culture is placing the working class against the working class."
"And you lot are falling for it instead of striking."- Comander1SUV
"You should work to live not the opposite."- Realistic_Abrocoma61·
GiphyAt The Very Least, Not In Such Large Quantities
"Sugar does not belong in everything, esp."
"Not bread."- WrestlingWoman
Merely 2 out of 44
"Europe is more than England and Paris."- SloRules
Health And Education Are A Right, Not A Privilege
"It's neither normal nor okay to have to go bankrupt just to go to school or going to the hospital."- Roselily808
student loans burn GIF by Ethan BarnowskyGiphy...Um, Does Anyone Actually Need This?...
"You do not need a 5000-pound truck to haul your laptop and cellphone to the office."- It_is_Fries_No_Patat
Frustratingly, many Americans who will be told these facts by Europeans will look for anything and everything to argue about them.
As the most significant thing most Europeans aren't ready to hear, or at least don't want to hear, about Americans?
Most will look for literally anything to fight about, rather than actually taking a little time to enjoy the view...
The US is represented in the majority of some of the biggest films recognized worldwide–from iconic movies like American Grafitti to The Color Purple, to recent critically-acclaimed films like Minari and Moonlight.
Even classic American sitcoms like Friends are known the world over as the ultimate example of American comedy.
But there are plenty of misconceptions about American culture seen in some of these entertainment offerings that foreign audiences seem to miss, and it's time to set the record straight.
For starters, an apartment in New York City is not at all spacious like the one that was inhabited by Ross, Rachel, Joey, Phoebe, and Chandler. So there's that.
Curious to hear more examples of what our friends across the Atlantic could stand to learn, Redditor Jazzlike_Fondant_518 asked:
"Americans, what’s something Europeans need to hear?"
American Redditors had a thing or two to say about how we roll here in the States.
Pristine Washrooms
"Free, clean, omnipresent public restrooms are indeed possible."
– tech_probs_help
Vouching For The Myth
"As a British person who now lives in the US I would say public toilets is something the US does really well. They are everywhere, accessible and usually very clean. Europe definitely needs to catch up on this."
– alienintheUS
Driving In Circles
"We have roundabouts here. They exist. Stop claiming we don't."
– MundaneConclusion246
Treatment Of Tourists
"You guys weren’t very nice to the Griswold’s when they won that European trip a few years back."
– SassySpicySuper
Preconceived notions can go bye-bye.
Nothing Cool About This
"The flavor of America is not cool ranch."
– IronHarvestX
Maintaining Best Indoor Air Quality
"Invest in hvac and soon cause it won't get cheaper or cooler."
– pallysteve
American Temperament
"A large portion of Americans are rational and moderate people, and what you see on the television isn't indicative of every American you meet."
– accidentalexpat
Toxic Malaise
"America isn't the only country with racial issues."
– NicoTheFileClerk
What The Canucks Say
"I’m a Canadian and I’ve been living in Europe for years. I gotta say that during my time here I’ve never met an American that I didn’t like. The biggest a**holes I’ve met here were, well….. other Canadians. Go figure.🤷♂️"
– Buddy_Holmes
Embracing Diversity
"American news is highly politically polarized."
"Most Americans get along well together, but the news often highlights extremists on either side of the political aisle. We welcome visitor and immigrants from everywhere."
– RickJWagner
Europeans, take note.
Moving On
"It’s past time you take James Corden back."
– xTHEKILLINGJOKEx
It's A Big Problem
"Europe is getting fat too."
– Advi0001
Kernel Of Truth
"Putting corn on pizza doesn't make it 'American pizza'. It just makes it disgusting."
– Best-User-Name-Ever
Cinematic Trope
"A good looking guy smoking a cigarette is not a movie."
– 0utcast9851
More Ground To Cover
"You can’t expect to visit NYC, the Grand Canyon, Disney World, and Washington DC in a 2 week trip."
"I’d like to add that other than Brazil, English and Spanish are the dominant languages. So you could travel 3000 miles or more and still be in a dominant English or Spanish speaking area."
– BeRealzzz
Kindness During A Heatwave
"Putting ice in drinks and giving people free tap water are about to make a lot more sense as Europe gets warmer. Don’t be a d*ck about it, please."
– sikhster
Despite everything in the news happening in the States creating division and leaving people feeling dejected, a good majority of US citizens are not jerks.
There are loads of kind, considerate, empathetic, and well-behaved people living here.
Europeans often don't get to hear this since much of the media focuses on iniquitous behavior.
Humanity is still intact here.
At least that's what I still believe.
Nobody likes the truth.
We pretend we do.
The truth tends to lead to hurt feelings.
But we need to hear it.
RedditorSkinny_Cacitas wanted to get into some truths, though it may fall on deaf ears for many. Theyasked:
"What's something Europeans aren't ready to hear?"
I personally enjoyed Europe so this will be interesting to hear.
Expansion
rude GIFGiphy"Y’all are getting pretty damn fat too."
"Edit: it seems people really aren’t ready to hear this since they keep countering with “bUt aMeRicUH!!” We know there’s land whales here, that ain’t a secret."
Windebieste_Ultima
A Dutch thing...
"The Dutch toilet is weird, it's externally awkward seeing my own pile of poo just chilling on the integrated poop shelf."
3pointstonibbadore
"I wasn't aware that this is just a Dutch thing. However, it's not just to admire your work. It's also an easier way to check if something's wrong with your poop. When it's drowning in yellow-brownish water it's much more difficult to see if there's worms, it turned out to be green or sentient."
Ferreur
'world police'
"A lot of European politicians (especially Western Europe) use the US as a tool for international diplomacy that would be unpopular political domestically. They'll openly condemn US foreign policy when talking domestically, but a lot of that policy is stuff they explicitly support in meetings like the G7. Europe intentionally has the US act as 'world police' so they can paint themselves as comparatively peaceful, all while reaping direct and immediate benefit to US military action."
ArthurBonesly
Bad Occupants
"The problem with France is French people."
earic23
French people might agree with you. Parisians hate suburban banlieusards, the rich banlieusards (Vincennes) hate the poor banlieusards, folks from Bordeaux think they represent the true France, the Bretons would rather have their own culture, Corsica hates everyone, French overseas departments and territories (Départements d'outre-mer, Territoires d'outre-mer) distrust each other and so on."
Hodaka
Gone
United Kingdom Eating GIF by Declan McKennaGiphy"Tesco have pulled Heinz beans from its shelves."
Fellattio_Nelson
I love all beans. So I don't get why that's an issue. Oh well...
the equivalent
Travel Click GIF by Shay MitchellGiphy"When you come to America and complain about how we do things here… you’re the equivalent of the American tourist you hate that complains about stuff in Europe."
majestiq
Oh NO!
"Americans do not put hot dogs on pizza."
Potential_System_229
"I’m not saying it would taste bad, I personally would not eat it. Even though I do eat hot dogs. But in some European countries they think that hotdogs on pizza is a normal thing like ever pizza place has such an item on their menu. It’s just like the Japanese that think Americans eat KFC fried chicken as the center piece on Christmas."
Potential_System_229
Free for All
"Nobody should pay to use the restroom. Cleanliness is part of the bathroom attendants job, if you want a clean bathroom, raise the wages of the bathroom attendant, don’t pass along the charge to the customers. I also find it ironic that the same people against tipping find no problem with this issue."
carissadraws
Neighborhoods
"Us lazy and fat Americans don’t drive everywhere because we are fat and lazy, but because we literally don’t have a choice, there’s no infrastructure for it, even the sidewalks have random dead ends, too close to the street, or you have to wait 5 minutes for the walking signal to turn green/white."
"And even if we could walk safely and swiftly, suburbia is just neighborhoods with no end in sight and it takes hours to get to a store by foot."
"Edit: this also applies to America-lite (Canada) I’m not exactly sure about Mexico and the rest of NA but this is definitely a problem."
Potatoislandthefirst
Hurry Up
Speed Racer Vroom GIF by Prime Video CanadaGiphy"In an unlimited speed zone (fast lane), Germans get super mad when you're driving at 230 km/hr and your gauge goes to 300."
Opening-Percentage-3
Same as US
"They are just as racist and prejudice as people in the US."
SwoleWalrus
"It's so weird, when the Black Lives Matter protests happened I was living in Slovakia, and most Slovaks I talked to were appalled at US race relations, and were in full solidarity with the protests."
"But when the subject turned to the Roma many of the same people would turn around and say things like 'Oh they're different, they're actually just born lazy/criminals/etc. and that's why they live in poverty.' It was surreal hearing people who were ostensibly anti-racist use the literal exact same talking points that racists in the US do."
SuperSquashMann
Where to go?!
"Y’all getting scammed paying to poop."
grumpylemons
"In the UK you rarely pay to use a toilet. People normally try to not close the door fully if there’s no one about or hold it open for the next person so they don’t have to pay."
Aloonatron
"Y'alls countries have a poop fee what?"
robot2004EV3
The Air
"Both air conditioners and fans exist and can be used to effectively cool your home."
bluesteelsmith
"Depends where you went. I live in the Netherlands and by the time i am even starting to consider getting an air conditioner the temperature drops again."
HelloImFrank01
"Air conditioners are not a thing in the UK - they are not commonly sold, there is no maintenance commonly available, there is nowhere to install them in our homes that doesn't take up a window."
"Even if you found somewhere to sell and landlords won't let you fit them, and rented properties don't come with them 99.9% of the time Don't tell me they exist when they practically don't over here. I can't speak for other countries but the UK? They're not a thing."
Iz-zY1994
Fun & Food
Scared Scooby Doo GIF by Boomerang OfficialGiphy"Americans have better roller coasters and Mexican food."
ColumbiaWahoo
Yuck
"Nescafe is gross."
ca77ywumpus
"I mean, most Europeans would absolutely agree haha."
gizzie123
"I never seen anyone I know drink this."
Deathiarel22
The Show
"If you visit NYC with empty luggage you will save a great deal of money shopping in Long Island or NJ. The 'deals' in the city aren't great. Also Walmart is just a store, do not expect a show."
who_said_I_am_an_emu
"I always take my European visitors for a trip to Walmart in a preferably lesser part of town. It sure is a show. Never disappoints."
olearygreen
Structures
"America doesn't do much better than y'all, but comparatively most of Europe is an accessibility nightmare for disabled folks."
HuaHuzi6666
"True. Public buildings got a lot better in the last years. Especially in bigger cities. It probably comes back to the average age of buildings in Europe vs the US. We have a crap ton of very old buildings/public buildings that were never build/designed for accessibility, elevators, etc."
"The town I live in was first mentioned in the 11th century, with the current town hall being there for a couple hundred of years. No one thought about wheelchair access when the US was still British. It got a ramp a couple of years ago for the back entrance, but still has stairs as the only means to reach the second floor."
fuhquan
Origins
Read Sewing Bee GIF by The Great British Sewing BeeGiphy"Most of the world’s problems started in Europe, including America."
imnotwallaceshawn
"Yeah, you are absolutely right about that. We Europeans f**ked up a LOT in history and still do today. Hopefully a bit less but I'm not sure if I can judge that."
Fatie_co
Well that's an earful. Hopefully nobody is offended.