Redditor Specialist-Anybody3 wanted to discuss the aspects of life Americans found ordinary that others don't. So they broached the question:
"What things are normal for Americans but weird for non-Americans?"
We Americans have some funny ways to live.
And everybody notices.
Privacy First
toilet creeping GIFGiphy"Large gaps above, below and between the bathroom stalls..."
KimPTM
"Holy Jesus this! So nice to poop in private in Europe. I have no idea why the US does this!"
hhgfryhjkoo
Travel Tips
"If you drive for five hours in the United States, you’re pretty much still in the same place. If you drive for five hours in Europe, everyone’s talking funny and the cheese is different."
KaimeiJay
"In the US, 100 miles is nothing, 100 years is a lot. In Europe, 100 miles is a lot, 100 years is nothing."
"The stone retaining wall for the front of our property (here in Germany) is dated 1846, and it's nothing special. Many of the houses in the old part of our small town are 1300 and older."
insainodwayno
Dates...
"Writing the date format as mm-dd-yyyy instead of dd-mm-yyyy."
silkybow-
"This actually worked to my advantage. I’m a Brit and moved to the US when I was 20. I’m not a big drinker but was still mad I couldn’t get a beer. Then I realized that my DOB on my driving license would be read backwards making it appear I was a few months older and therefore 21. It never got turned down and I used it a lot."
UncleKodeia
"I work 911 dispatch. We have to write it at work as yyyy-mm-dd. Don't know why, but we do."
TheUnconfirmedk1ll
Mental Gymnastics
"Having to mentally add sales taxes on everything you buy. In Europe 9.95 means paying 9.95."
AaronBenne
"I thought we had this problem in Canada but I didn't realize just how much worse it was in the US until I moved here. In Canada, we have a VAT based tax so in Ontario, you just add 13% to the price to find the final price. Annoying, but not complicated."
"In the US, your sales tax changes based on your location increments smaller than a zip code because tax jurisdictions and zip codes were made separately. You have to basically use the exact address to figure out what tax jurisdiction you're actually in. It's practically impossible to know what actual tax you're gonna have to pay unless you've shopped there before or look it up."
BuccellatiExplainsIt
Nonsense
cbs wow GIF by Big BrotherGiphy"The fact that an 18 year old can drive and buy a gun while still being considered too young to drink alcohol."
Monika396
Some "rules" make no sense to many of us.
Years and Years
back to school college GIF by Rodney DangerfieldGiphy"Paying for college for 30 years after you graduated."
pingerlol
"That happens in England now, as well."
"But agree, for most developed countries, the idea of having an educated population is seen as a good thing that benefits everyone and should be affordable."
dannydevon
Attachments
"Attaching medical insurance to employment. One shouldn’t have anything to do with the other."
jimjamjimmerson
"Also, having a co-pay when you are covered, and a limit on what is paid. So, people are discouraged from seeking treatment early and for preventative care and can get financially ruined despite having coverage. It is a disgrace."
NameOfUserOfReddit
"I know, I've always thought that was odd. That is one thing I will never understand, America's healthcare system. How can your job be linked with your healthcare?"
BabySham8
Control
"HOAs like wtf. No other people who don't pay your mortgage telling you how to maintain your home."
throw_away_17381
"I've always thought this was the dumbest s**t. It's usually the fancier neighborhoods too. If I ever strike it rich, I'm buying a plot of land in the middle of nowhere and doing whatever the hell I want with my house. What's the point in having all that money and a house of your own if you decide to move somewhere where your property isn't under your control?"
Notthesharkfromjaws
'Hey, you need surgery'
"Seeing a possible serious medical problem with yourself and going 'ehh.'"
xx_Fiddler_xx
"I straight twisted a testicle. Since I didn't know this was possible, and I grew up on a farm so apparently my pain tolerance is pretty high, I thought it was no big deal."
"11 hours later is when I finally got off work and decided to go to urgent care."
"A total of 16 hours before I went in for surgery. I haven't gotten all the bills yet, but the one I did get has a doctor charging me $500 just to tell me I needed surgery. Not for the ultrasounds, or the surgery itself, or the follow-ups. Just to tell me 'hey, you need surgery.'"
"The worst part is, this is after the bill was run through 2 insurance programs."
StrayAI
Security
the mystery files of shelby woo nicksplat GIFGiphy"My friend attended his cousin's high school graduation in LA a while ago and he had to go through metal detectors and all that, as if he was going through airport security. So I guess metal detectors at school."
yeetgodmcnechass
We Americans are an interesting people.
Do you have anything to add? Let us know in the comments below.
Redditor cigarandcreamsoda wanted to discuss house rules. So they asked:
"What is a non-negotiable rule in your house for everyone?"
Rule #1 in my home... you MUST be able to listen to Adele.
That is all.
Clear the Way
GIF by America's Funniest Home VideosGiphy"Don't put stuff on the stairs. Almost died once. Never again!"
kaidomac
"Same with the burners on the stove when not cooking. Too many grown adults were slapping flammable things on it like it was a coffee table."
ki113r116
Shame
"The one rule in my dad’s house is one that he won’t tell you: don’t poop in the upstairs bathroom. The shame of having to ask him for a plunger is just not worth it."
goshpenny
That’s us with the downstairs bathroom. My parents only replaced the one upstairs when they bought the house. The one downstairs is old af and cheap as hell so it’s not gonna flush your logs. My cousin found out the hard way once and flooded the bathroom in the middle of the night."
Kyubey4Ever
Stay Empty
"One side of the kitchen sink stays empty! We have one of those two-basin stainless sinks and it drives me absolutely bonkers when I have to remove and stack dishes just to get water to make coffee in the morning."
Rokhnal
"I grew up with an empty sink and one side of the counter was where dirty dishes got stacked. My wife declared this abnormal and that dirty dishes had to live in the (one-hole) sink."
eljefino
"My roommates are constantly amazed at how little space dirty dishes take up on the counter when they're rinsed and stacked properly."
RokhnalPrivacy
"Knock first! Bathroom, bedroom or study room. Knocking is a slowly forgotten art of respect."
karmawhobiiih
"Totally. We don't lock any inside doors (in case something happens to you and someone needs to get in for help), so we enforce the knock and wait for the ok to enter. We do it when we want to go into my son's room too. He deserves privacy and respect like us as his parents do."
ginan385
Be Gracious
The Loud House Food GIF by NickelodeonGiphy"Help cleaning up the dishes after a meal is graciously appreciated. But, don’t even think about putting my knives or pans in the dishwasher. I will happily hand wash them myself."
PeachPreserves66
Don't be lazy. Clean a DISH!
No Feed
lunch dog cooking GIFGiphy"Don’t feed my dogs, anything. I don’t care how cute they are looking at you."
stickystarz
"fish, fish"
"Don't tap on the aquarium glass."
Kangaroodle
"I had a big aquarium and I actually trained my fish to all congregate at one spot by tapping on an area when it was feeding time and saying 'fish, fish.' Now whenever I need them to be in a particular spot I just tap to wherever I want them to be and because they associate tapping with treats or feeding time, they don't find it scary or stressful. Visitors also love to see me call my fish over by simply tapping and/or saying 'fish, fish.'"
Creative_Recover
Clothes On!
"Minimum pants (underwear) at the dinner table. Remarkably something you have to enforce quite often with small children."
Capable-Dream6768
"My nephews, were they were little, would let you know they were done eating by stripping right there at the table lol. No warnings. That was their way to let us know they were ready for a bath lol."
jdbrizzi91
Pranks
"Don't f**k around with someone when they are asleep. If someone is asleep, they're off limits, no messing with/pranks and no waking up without good reason. It wasn't until talking to my friends who had siblings who would pile things on them, move the bed, wake them up in the middle of the night (just general sibling hijinks) And realized how important the 'leave sleeping family members alone' was in our house growing up."
Yaboijustlikesgoats
Be CLEAN!
Disagree Clean It Up GIF by NOW WE'RE TALKING TV SERIESGiphy"If you pee on the toilet seat clean it up!!!
"I am a single parent with 2 boys, I know I'm not the one peeing on the toilet seat but apparently they don't either."
Southern_Anything_39
Your house, your rules! The end!
What are some rules you grew up with or enforce in your home or apartment today? Let us know in the comments.
Redditor AlexDescendsIntoHell asked all the parents out there would fess up to a few things.
"What is a seemingly harmless parenting mistake that will majorly f**k up a child later in life?"
I don't know where to begin with my parent's mistakes.
Thankfully I'll never procreate.
Lies
Lying Simon Rex GIF by Simon Rex / Dirt NastyGiphy"Telling them that the family members who are mean to them or neglect them, love them."
everybodylovesmemore
Relationships...
"Anytime a child is playing with a child of the opposite gender, and they respond 'Oh who’s your boy/girlfriend?'"
"That s**t completely stopped me from even speaking to girls until damn near high school."
GoldenBruhtado
"I just saw this happen in front of my eyes not too long ago. My aunt started teasing my 12 year old cousin because she found out that a girl he was friends with had a little crush on him."
"Welp, that friendship ended right then and there. My cousin was obviously super embarrassed (of course my aunt made the big announcement in front of a bunch of people). I was so mad at my aunt. Like, what the f**k did she expect?"
Listen
"Being over protective as a parent. Or just not listening to your children."
Eveleyn
"To tag onto that... never treating your children as adults."
"My girlfriend is 23 and despite being entirely independent of her family, her mom treats her like a child still."
"As in too-immature to make her own decisions, inferior to her/not equal (she was recently told to 'learn her place'), invalid in feelings, emotions, etc..."
"This invalidates her self worth, her opinions, her views and stances, etc... It’s wildly damaging, and extremely toxic. She can’t hold an adult conversation with her adult daughter, and it’s extremely frustrating."
BeingMrSmite
But why?
"Discouraging them from asking questions. Yes it can be annoying to keep hearing 'but why daddy/mummy?' But I've met far too many adults who admit they stopped asking questions because as a kid their parents would shut them up or be like 'there he/she goes asking questions again.' Inquisitive minds need that fostered."
rccrisp
Comedy Crying GIF by CBC"Your child isn't responsible for your happiness—you are. If your build your entire sense of self-worth around your child 1) there's a good chance your child will grow up to resent the pressure 2) you're setting an example for them to be codependent in their own relationships."
cornofears
Being your own person is so important and so ignored.
Back Off
Stop It GIFGiphy"Not stopping when your child says 'stop.' Whether it's teasing, or tickling, or wresting. Kids who have parents that don't respect their boundaries always seem to end up being the biggest d*cks and bullies because they've learned they don't have to respect other people's feelings."
OfficeChairHero
Absentees
"Never showing up for events. I remember my parents didn’t come to most of my chorus concerts. It really sucked to see my classmate's families cheer them on while my parents were absent. I brought home one of my chorus program papers to show my parents and I found it in the trash the next day... I was sad because I wanted to keep it but seeing it in the trash, I didn’t want it anymore."
"I love my parents and I don’t blame them for not showing up. they are small business owners and it was hard for them to find people who could work for them whenever I had concerts or anything. it still hurt though... :( also the replies to this are very sad, i’m sorry that a lot of you guys went through similar experiences."
"Also my mom is a clean freak, she’ll discard or move any stray papers laying around. she probably didn’t think much of it, she might not have even realized what it was (she can’t read english that well it’s her third language). after i told her she apologized to me, so it’s okay."
"I thought I should add that my little sister and grandma would come to them but my relationship with my grandma isn’t great... it’s just not the same as having your parents there if that makes sense."
mousely
Be Better
"Creating an environment where you tell your kid their feelings aren’t valid just because they aren’t the same as yours or your kid processes their emotions differently than you."
"Angrily telling your kid they are too sensitive/dramatic/theatrical/hormonal/etc is just going to mess your kid up and encourage them to bottle emotions up to avoid upsetting you, and is going to lead to major communication issues."
"Also, constantly pushing an intelligent or self motivated child to work harder and harder and do 'better.' You’re setting your kid up to be a perfectionist, which can be incredibly damaging to his or her mental health in the long run."
dreamer4659
here kitty kitty....
"When I was four my parents adopted a kitten. Of course I had never seen anything quite so delightful before and I could barely keep my hands off the little fur ball."
"So about two or three days passed, I get up in the morning and walk out and ask 'Where is the kitten?' And my parents told me that he died - implying that my roughhousing had killed it. I was terrified to touch an animal for several years." thereafter."
"In fact they had simply given the kitten back to the people they got it from."
thomoz
Learning Curves
Cleaning Chores GIF by SpongeBob SquarePantsGiphy"Not having them do chores."
"My parents pushed me to be academic - so doted on me hand and foot as a kid to make more room for study. When you’re too young and stupid to know any better you think it’s a blessing."
"When I moved out to Uni I didn’t really know how to clean, when to clean, what to clean with, how to wash clothes, how to get them dry etc. The only thing I could do is cook and binge drink."
"That’s no way to bring up a kid, and its a steep learning curve doing all that stuff for the first time in your early 20s. It sounds like a super lame answer, but make sure every kid does their fair share of chores."
Sounds like parents are clearly on learning curves as well.
Do you have anything to add? Let us know in the comments below.