Things Foreigners Should Avoid While Visiting The U.S.
Reddit user AlainasBoyfriend asked: 'What should a foreigner avoid while visiting the United States?'
When I was in college, a cousin of mine who lived in London all her life came to visit me. We went out to my favorite restaurant on her first day and I warned her right of the bat not to order too much. She'd never been to New York, but I had been to London, and I knew there was a difference in portion sizes.
Portion sizes in England are usually just enough to satisfy you while potion sizes in America are usually too much to finish in one sitting. I explained this to her, but she waved me off. It was a point of pride for her that in any given group of people, she was always the one who ate the most, and the one who never slipped into a food coma.
Big mistake.
She was surprised to find that the chicken finger appetizer she ordered, which she refused to split when I suggested it, came on top of a mountain of loaded fries. She was struggling to finish it when the entree she ordered came out. She paled when she remembered it came with four sides.
In the end, she had to pack up a lot of the food, which was a totally new concept to her.
Ordering too much thinking you are going to finish it all is just one of the things foreigners should avoid doing when visiting America. There are plenty of other things to avoid or places not to go, and Redditors are eager to share what those things are.
It all started when Redditor AlainasBoyfriend asked:
"What should a foreigner avoid while visiting the United States?"
Rain, Rain
"Don’t be bullheaded when it comes to the weather. If the locals are worried, you should be worried."
– TakeThisification
"Friend was gored to death by a mountain goat. Right through the femoral artery."
– Sharp-Procedure5237
Say Cheese
"If you go to the national parks, don’t attempt to take selfies with the wildlife. A full grown bison will throw you through the air like a crumpled piece of paper."
– Juergen2993
"In Washington DC, avoid taking pictures in front of DC District court thinking it is the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is 6 blocks away."
"Also, the White House is MUCH smaller than you think it is."
– SafetyMan35
"And eat and eat..."
"Ordering a large at a restaurant, or especially a movie theater. I don't care how hungry you think you are, you will not eat/drink it all in one sitting."
– Amazing_Excuse_3860
"Especially stupid if there are free refills on drinks lol."
– sigaven
City Folk, Beware
"If you are visiting a more rural area, like Montana where I live, don't underestimate the rural-ness. You might not be able to get a hotel in a small town and there are plenty ty of places where there aren't any hotels or accommodations. You can take highway and run out of gas because there aren't any gas stations for 70 miles."
"Also, if it is a dirt road, and there are a lot of them in the rural U.S., don't ever assume that you will have cell/GPS reception or that the dirt road goes anywhere besides 50 miles into the mountains where you can get stuck or break down. It's hard to conceptualize for people who live in more populated areas."
"Your best bet is to plan ahead and read reviews. It is absolutely worth it to visit areas where there is wilderness. That is why I live here. That being said, it's dangerous in a different way than visiting a city."
– Violet624
"Damn, as an American city dweller, you made me scared of Montana."
– DasBeatles
Road Trip
"Driving from New York to LA."
– No_Finish_2144
"Unless you're planning to spend 2 weeks visiting places in between. The drive will not take just a few days!"
– VG88
"We had an exchange student from France staying with us (NY). one day, we saw her with a map of the US, said she was going to take a bus to California because she had heard so much about it on television."
"We had to sit down and explain it was going to take a week, each way."
– medicinaltequilla
"Yep. I lived in France for a longtime and took the bus everywhere. on a 10 hr ride there you could easily cross three countries..."
– No_Finish_2144
Six Feet Apart
"I find a lot of foreigners have about 2 1/2 inches of a personal space bubble, while us Americans value our space. Keep at least a 2-3 feet distance when conversing with strangers. I've had an Italian guy come so close I thought he was going to kiss me. Very uncomfortable for someone who isn't used to a lack of personal space."
– MasterPip
Keep Your Mind Wide Open
"Leave all your stereotypes about America home, it's a hugely diverse country and your experience in one part of the US will be very different to your experience in another. Keep an open mind and have fun."
– zerbey
"Well said. I don’t think most first time visitors to the US get just how different one state can be from the next."
– TacohTuesday
Smokey Home
"Don't smoke in public buildings, this is illegal."
"Don't smoke in someone's house, apartment, or condo without asking for permission. This isn't illegal, but it's still extremely rude."
– Max10imus
"This feels like common courtesy anywhere in general. Even in houses where people smoke, I still go outside to smoke. I'm really uncomfortable smoking in other people's houses."
– Conditions21
Don't Forget To Tip You Waiter
"Remember that our service staff do not get paid a living wage. They rely on tips to survive. If you can’t afford to tip, don’t eat out."
– kindest_asshole
"Tipping is compulsory here. It's super fucky, and really shouldn't be. But it is. Especially if you plan on sticking to one area and eating in a place more than once, you'd best tip. Don't toy with the people who handle your food out of eye-shot..."
– MothraWillSaveUs
Where To Eat
"Don't go to the big chain type places. Go to the mom and pop little restaurants and coffee shops and specialty shops. You will usually find new cool things you enjoy."
– ElectionProper8172
"Agree but check reviews. Not all small businesses are created equal. Chains are good if you don’t have time to do research. You know what you’re getting (probably)."
– UnihornWhale
American Health Care
"Avoid a hospital visit. Whatever you think it costs, it’s more."
– pug_fugly_moe
"Whatever a European thinks is a cartoonish amount, and then triple it, and that'll cover the ambulance ride there."
– liketreesintheforest
"Right? I remember listening to a Dutch person complain that their Healthcare wasn't actually free despite what Americans said. He went on to explain that he has to pay something like a $20 copay to go to the dentist and some vague circumstance where you might theoretically have to pay close to a hundred dollars at some point. It was cute."
– UnspecificGravity
Get Me A Map!
"Avoid looking lost and unorganized in areas of big cities with high crime rates. Dress functionally, always keep the illusion of knowing where you are and where you're going, pay attention to your surroundings. Bad people will target folks who look lost and unorganized more often than people who appear oriented."
– xtrasmolpp
"That kind of applies to any big city in the world."
– the13bangbang
"If I am legitimately lost, I will walk with purpose until I find somewhere to sit. Once seated, the phone comes out and I try to make it look like I am texting someone and not studying a map. Nothing stands out like a group of people, standing in the middle of the sidewalk, all staring at one person's phone."
– Lothar_Ecklord
I'm not even a foreigner and I follow this rule all the time. Extremely important!
America the great.
Fifty states plus Puerto Rico.
There is definitely a lot to see.
You have to wonder what visitor's lists look like.
What are the most popular places to see?
I know in NYC it's the shopping sales tax.
But let's do a little traveling.
Redditor Cole-On-Cancer wanted to hear what American sites are on the agenda when visiting. So they asked:
"Non-Americans of Reddit, what state would you want to visit the most?"
I don't have a long list of places to see stateside. So entice me...
The Best Of...
Saturday Night Live Finger Guns GIF by HULUGiphy"Alaska."
Odd_Cucumber_3149
"Particularly during the spring/fall, when the days are fairly 'normal' as far as the amount of daylight hours, but summer & winter in Alaska are definitely also an experience."
LaceyOkurrrt
Majestic
"I always wanted to see the Grand Canyon, so I guess Arizona."
Revolutionary_Oil897
"Grand Canyon is simply amazing. Keep in mind the north rim is closed in the winter."
AvonMustang
"I chose Arizona because I wanna see the saguaro's (kind of a cactus nerd here haha) but yeah the Grand Canyon might be worth checking out too lol."
Chromattix
The Beauty of it all...
"Wyoming - I would love to see the beauty of Yellowstone!"
Wtrpl14
"Wyoming is gorgeous, and Yellowstone is probably one of the most amazing and unique places on earth. I highly recommend everyone visit Yellowstone if they ever have the opportunity. The Grand Tetons right outside of Yellowstone are also breathtakingly beautiful. Wyoming is just all around a beautiful state. If you want to experience the American West, Wyoming is probably the best place to go."
Fred_Foreskin
Know the Difference...
"Washington. For the nature. Washington DC, for the museums."
Tropical_Geek1
"I was so excited to see my home state as the first comment! Washington is often forgotten about, which is a shame, because it really is beautiful. And it especially grinds our gears when people assume Washington is referring to DC, so thank you for knowing the difference!"
AnnofAvonlea
On the grill...
happy bbq GIFGiphy"The BBQ states of America. The ones that have their own variation on the cuisine."
Galloping_Scallop
"So, anywhere in Texas, Kansas City, Nashville, the Carolinas, and some random black dude in Mississippi."
Training-Seat-8991
I love me some BBQ. So much to eat. Like a several state buffet.
Superior
Reel It In Jay Buhner GIF by Northwest MotorsportGiphy"The boundary waters in Northern Minnesota is one of the most beautiful remote places I've ever been. World class fishing, trout are delicious and plentiful. Plus a chance to see moose. Really enormous wilderness area. Lake Superior is also it's own treat, really feels like an ocean, great sunsets."
seeeeya
Does It really exist?
"Nebraska, to see if it actually exists."
GangstaOctopus
"To really gain perspective on this question, drive the width of Nebraska along highway 80. You will be in Nebraska for hours, driving along the main interstate highway that runs through the state, and aside from Lincoln and Omaha you will not see anything else but flat plains covered in corn. Does Nebraska really exist? I don’t know if I can accurately call that existing. It’s a sort of limbo state or purgatory."
ToBePacific
Eye Popping
"I'm from Texas and my first trip to Lake Michigan was eye popping. It wasn't that it was so beautiful and... just perfect. It was that it was perfect and no one seems to know about it. White sand beaches. Nice waves. Highs in 80s mid summer. No salt or seaweed. No crowds. Cheap rentals. Dune rides. And no one knows."
wiinkme
The Natural Look
"Oregon seems like it has some really beautiful natural areas, and then maybe California because nice hot weather and beaches. Though honestly if i ever go to America i would love to just do a huge road trip tour with some friends. Apparently California is not that good for hot weather and beaches lmao."
whalezark
G'Day
Jimmy Fallon Flirting GIFGiphy"Australian here - When I was in my teens I really wanted to live in a Redneck trailer Park in the deep South just to see if it really was like the movies portrayed. So whichever is the best state for that."
"Otherwise California to see a friend and Seattle, WA cos music. The Missus wants to go to Hawaii for our 10th anniversary and isn't sold on my response of 'its just Port Douglas with volcanoes. Just want to say, all of your replies have made my day! Cheers!"
theycallmeasloth
So many places to see and visit. Get to packing...
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There are over 190 countries around the world today and each one has its own fascinating history. Many people love to travel to far off lands to learn more about these places. But are they always getting the full picture, especially if that country has a sordid past?
Many of us know about the genocide that took place in Rwanda nearly 30 years ago just as we know about the way that Chile's leader, Pinochet, would disappear his opponents. But that's just scratching the surface.
People told us some creepy facts about their countries after Redditor Dantehasabig_ asked the online community,
"What are creepy facts about your country that most foreigners wouldn’t know?"
Portugal
"Portugal basically started the transatlantic slave trade and sold and enslaved millions of African people. There were far more slaves in Portuguese Brazil than there ever were in the USA, but people only talk about the Americans being the slave monsters."
No_Brilliant5576
Portugal was also the first European country to attack Japan. It enslaved so many Japanese people that the Emperor of Japan threatened to declare war against Portugal.
History is wild.
Spain
"When Spain abolished slavery, instead of freeing the slaves they sold them to Morocco. It's disgusting."
UnbearableHuman
The history of human beings being sold for profit is horrifying, as it should be.
Australia
"In Australia, we had a Prime Minister who went swimming and just never came back. To this day no one knows what happened to him."
YUNGBLOOD5897aus
Ah, yes, that would be Harold Holt. He is now remembered more for the circumstances of his death than for his political achievements.
United States
"Nearly 100 workers died during the construction of the Hoover Dam. This has caused some urban legends about people still being entombed in the concrete, which is false, but there were in fact cases where people got buried by concrete and they had to extract the bodies because human bodies would compromise the structural integrity."
DawgCheck2
I love that the reason wasn't humane, but structural.
Mexico
"In my country we have a place where there are many creepy and authentic dolls everywhere you go. Up in the trees, down staring at you. Possibly one you are going to step on…."
MotherofCreepypasta
Yes, this is a definitely a place I have no interest in visiting. I've seen enough movies about creepy dolls to last me a lifetime.
South Korea
"This isn't creepy, but in the most militarized border in the world, the DMZ, wildlife has actually been flourishing there. Untouched and unvisited by people for several decades."
TheDashingPigeon
I'd say the circumstances of life beyond that border (and everything that led up to the creation of that border) is definitely creepy.
Belgium
"On top of subjugating and plundering the Congo, Belgium also sold the chains and shackles to slave traders in West Africa, shipped African people to America as slaves, and returned with butt loads of money back to Ostend. What one would call the original Devil's Triangle."
rjalxldr
In case any of you were wondering, King Leopold II of Belgium was a horrible person.
Ireland
"Ireland. We used to have “mother and baby homes” run by nuns where unmarried women were forced to go and work in commercial laundries to pay for their upkeep because having a baby out of wedlock was so unacceptable. This was done with the full support of the state. The last one only closed in 1998."
TheGratedCornholio
Anyone who reads about the Magdalene Laundries is in for some some depressing reading.
Canada
"Indigenous Canadian children were sent to residential schools to be abused and killed. This was approved and funded by the Canadian government and we still don’t know how many kids actually died."
EddTheMetalHead
The details to come out of Canada in the last year are horrifying, but learning about these things and acknowleding them is hopefully the first step to reparations.
Algeria
"Remember the thing Pinochet did to political opponents? You know, throwing them out off helicopters into the ocean? Yeah, we did that too during our war in Algeria. When they noticed that bodies would resurface, they'd attach concrete blocks to the victims' feet."
O-Alexis
Nooope. Talk about horrifying.
Every country out there has some skeletons in its closet, and some of those are more well known than others.
Have some stories of your own? Feel free to tell us more in the comments below!
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As citizens of the U.S., we don't think twice about the overly generous food portions in restaurants or flinch when strangers want to engage with us with small talk when in public.
Food portions are significantly smaller in Japan, and the French typically prefer not wasting their breath in asking people what they think about the weather.
"Non-Americans of reddit, what was the biggest culture shock you experienced when you came to the US?"
People must think we're a gluttonous country.
Food, Glorious Food
"Food advertising EVERYWHERE."
– UnAccomplished_Pea26
"The portion sizes in restaurants are huge too."
– ErfdsSdfre
Endless Refills
"When we first arrived, and I walked up to a soda machine. We never had those, and I think I drank 10-15 refills of coke before my parents started yelling at me. UNLIMITED SODA ARE YOU KIDDING ME WTF."
– Lord_Disagree
Beverage Options
"The different kinds of flavors for beverages. I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of options."
"Just so you guys know,I enjoyed having multiple options, until I came to the US I had no idea I liked Blue Raspberry flavored soda and I found out that I liked to mix different kinds of sodas from the fountain and make a cocktail soda occasionally."
"Also, I like how you guys have a shit ton of flavors for your alcohol. I liked a lot of them but to be honest I didn't enjoy the whipped cream flavored stuff."
– howwouldiknow--
The general friendliness in our country is something to embrace.
Familiarity
"Everyone I met treated me like a long lost friend."
– Red_Ranger75
"Americans are as one Canadian Redditor once said 'collectively crazy, but individually the nicest people you’ll ever meet.'"
– e2a0s1
Taking Initiative
"Yea, I also experienced this. I just loved it! it is not hard to get acquainted with people if they are so willing to take the first step with saying hi!. I am an introvert and a bit shy, so I helps a lot. Also people is kind on average."
– notastupid_question
Road Worker Assistance
"I was walking down the street and there were some road workers doing something a bit ahead. When I got near them, one of them approached me and super kindly asked me to cross to the other side, halted the traffic so I could cross and wished me a nice day as I went along."
"In my country they would've probably heckled at me for not crossing, and I would've told them to go f'k themselves for not signaling things properly as I walked in the middle of the street potentially getting hit by a car."
– madkeepz
There's apparently a size contest happening everyday in the U.S.
Go Big Or Go Home
"Everything being f'king huge. Literally. Road lanes, groceries, soda sizes. Especially distances: where i come from, 3 hours of driving are enough to cross half of the country, in the US it's just a small drive to go to see a relative or something."
– salderosan99
Everything Is Supersized
"The huge packaging units in the supermarket.. Everything just biiig."
–pillemille
Magic Of Costco
"I took a friend from France to Costco once. He just walked around saying 'wow' and touching everything."
"Edit: for those who don’t know, Costco is a magical place that will plan your funeral (sell you a casket), put new tires on your car, give you an eye checkup, sell you 10 pounds of king crab, sell you a Hawaiian vacation package, or a 75 inch flatscreen, or a new bed, or a 100 pack of pens you didn’t know you wanted. They also have the cheapest gas in all the land."
– IF'kTheDrummer
People discuss the in-your-face advertising in our country.
Too Many Commercials
"Commercials were particularly obnoxious."
– Grapezard
Can't Get Away From Them
"Yeah and they’re EVERYWHERE. Like random objects are shouting at me to buy sh*t every waking moment of the day. US TV has at least double the advertising of UK TV I’m sure of it."
"It’s got to have an impact on your sanity being bombarded with so many adverts."
– Heikold
Stop Yelling!
"As an American who recently drove through the south WHY THE F'K ARE THERE ADVERTISEMENTS ON THE GAS PUMPS AND WHY ARE THEY YELLING!? But really I just want to get my gas and maybe a donut at 7am I don't want to learn about the latest tik tok trend at 100db.
– aliendepict
Side Effects May Include Everything, Including Your Kitchen Sink
"Their commercials concerning health can be downright heartless."
– honeymochie
This is how Americans roll.
On The Road
"Turn right on red. Beautiful."
– klonricket
"Yeah this f'ked me up too! Had some aaaangry people behind me wondering why I wasn’t moving!"
– D_Cakes_
Pearly Whites
"People really care about their teeth like whitening and straightening."
– WhitePhatA**
"I was talking to a friend about hair transplants. I said it would be nice to get since I'm balding but I don't want to pay that much for something cosmetic. She says, 'Have you thought about whitening your teeth?'"
"Well, I hadn't but ever since that comment I think about it all the time! Thanks, friend!"
– CaesarWrap
Different Interpretation
"British here, the first time I visited the US I was 11, I heard a mom scream at her daughter 'get your fanny over here' Fanny means vagina here 😂😂😂"
– After_Cheesecake3393
Rise And Shine
"How early everything starts. School, work. 6am wake ups. That was hard."
– helicoptercici
Despite the currently weird political climate, I do see how we are generally kind people here in the U.S. of A.
So it's mind-boggling to me how certain groups of people have not been treating others with enough kindness and compassion in these recent years.
I'm guessing we just lost our way and we have the capacity to eventually get back to a place where the foreigners' positive opinions about us can be validated.
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Non-Americans Divulge The Truths About The U.S. Most Americans Aren't Ready To Hear
There are plenty of things to be proud of as an American citizen and how dare anyone challenge that notion.
Right?
"Redditors from foreign countries, what's something us Americans aren't ready to hear?"
These are what non-Americans think of our food and food consumption.
How Sweet
"You all eat too much sugar."
– whtsinthename
Overindulgence
"The amount of food you waste is insane."
– Commercial_Quarter_6
"Theoretically, due to our obesity epidemic, it seems like half the food we eat is “wasted” in the sense that we didn’t need to eat it."
– OmegaSexy
Tasteless
"A lot of your favourite food brands make better versions of their products here. America often gets the short end of the stick."
– YodasChick-O-Stick
Not Lovin' It
"The quality of your fast food is absolutely horrible compared to that of Canada’s. I’m referring to the same chains, Burger King, McDonalds etc."
– earthmang2two
The things we do and how we go about our way living in the U.S.A. get closer inspection.
Insufficient Transportation
"Why don’t you have more trains?"
– TheGreenJackdaw
The Thing About Lobbying
"Lobbying is essentially legal bribery."
"It baffles me how every elected official is essentially sponsored by a bunch of companies or "movements" that are essentially comporations in disguise."
"Also, corporations don't care about you. At all."
– II7sevenII
Healthcare
"Staying alive isn't something that should cost more than the person's networth."
– LorckFrak
It's So Taxing
"The way you add tax to everything at the till is mental. Just tell me what it costs on the fricking label!"
– Sufficient_Vanilla18
An American Idol
"Treating your president like someone you worship is bizarre."
– Appropriate_Sun6311
"To be fair A LOT of us Americans think that’s bizarre too."
– babble0n
The Gospel Truth
"The Church in the rest of the world looks at the American evangelical right and cannot understand how you get from 'love one another' to where you guys are at.
– anteel
We probably haven't put much thought into these out-of-sight/out-of-mind scenarios.
Until now.
Too Much Exposure
"American bathroom stalls are exposed as f'k, a grown man could crawl under one of em and the vertical gap has a big enough gap to make full on eye contact with anyone walking by."
– CowDeer
The Non-Global Event
"The world series only happens in the U.S."
– Kommonwealth
Bad Construction
"Building houses out of cardboard is a bad idea!"
– StoicDonkey
I have to say, the concept of tipping in our country is completely bonkers to me.
Doling out some extra cash to incentivize good service only sets expectations, and not always in a good way.
The truth is, if a restaurant server, or housekeeping staff at a hotel, or bellhop attendant are paid decent enough wages from their employers from the start, they would already be hard workers.
Why should it be up to us to ensure we are provided with good service when companies skimp on paying their employees livable wages?
I've traveled around the world enough to know that tipping is an egregious, and faulty system.
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