Amercan Uniqueness to the World

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Amercan Uniqueness to the World

Postby H » Tue Jul 25, 2017 9:56 am

I've been presented with some information, some of which I will only comment on and some of which I further question. I'm sorry for any confusion to any of, especially since much of this is not uniform across the United States.

It's been brought to my attention that non-U.S. customers are seldom concerned about leaving tips for restaurant waitstaff. Since such U.S. employees usually earn much lower hourly wages, their income is augmented by gratuity. This is not uniform, however: some establishments do pay their staff somewhat more and restrict the staff from accepting tips. Also, it has been occasioned that a customer refused to leave a tip because of poor service (Mr. Fawlty might do even worse in the U.S.).

With a reminder that the U.S. is made up of self-governing states, alcoholic beverage sales are not the same in all. For further confusion across their state, individual municipalities must choose to allow the sales in Kansas, Mississippi or Tennessee. Not the only state to restrict the sales on Sundays, New Hampshire bars give a last call before midnight on Saturdays.

It was mentioned that many outside the U.S. aren't used to our smiling at strangers. This can be for various cause other than habit, the smile usually just being a smile; however, it can also be disguising a grimace.

OK, I must also inquire here. It was stated that only the U.S., Liberia and Myanmar use the 'imperial' measurement system rather than metric. Since we were more than inched into it -- and with many miles behind us -- by you Brits, for good measure, do any of you still stand on your feet?

U.S. origin fast food chains have caused the spread of 'free drink refills' (particularly, soft drinks). It was specifically stated that France put a ban on unlimited refills due to obesity rates. My comment here is that carbonation drastically increases the digestive sugar transfer process to the bloodstream. A diet soda may have nothing to transfer by itself -- unless you eat something with it; what and how much you eat with it is what has a greater impact. If you keep stuffing yourself without the drink, your body will still swell without looking so swell.

A U.K. resident wrote on Reddit, "Americans can't have just one thing. It has to come in blueberry, vanilla, diet, low fat, low sodium, big, small, round and GRAPE, everything is grape flavoured. Nothing is grape flavoured in the UK."
I must remind you that one of the first European names for (at least a portion) of North America was Vinland, the land of grapes. On the farm I grew up on we had wild grapes (very small and sour, by the way), concord grapes (fairly large but, to me, somewhat bland) and a sweeter marble-sized purple grape that was only very slightly tart. One of my peeves has been that I could never find diet grape soda in the 2 liter size (not only cheaper but I drink no more than a glassful at a time; with a smaller bottle I'm more apt to empty its entire contents -- into me.

It was stated that it was @ $25,000 for public, in-state colleges and $50,000 for private universities yearly in the U.S. (per 2016). The revelation they gave here is that U.S. citizens pay a high price to become educated fools, whereas in countries like France and Germany it is free.

It was stated that in Australia and New Zealand, opting for a cab's backseat is considered rude. Especially in larger U.S. municipalities, allowing a customer into the front seat gives a possible robber direct access to the controls should the driver be otherwise dispatched.



8-)
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Re: Amercan Uniqueness to the World

Postby ftldave » Tue Jul 25, 2017 10:17 am

H wrote:It was mentioned that many outside the U.S. aren't used to our smiling at strangers. This can be for various cause other than habit, the smile usually just being a smile; however, it can also be disguising a grimace.


Having lived for awhile in the former Soviet Union, I know this is true. Smiling at strangers is considered a sign of mental illness, that you're looney or you're representing insincere, phony American commercialism, i.e. being nice-and-friendly to people you don't know so that they will trust you, making it easier for you to sell something or take advantage. A nod and a hello is considered appropriate when meeting or confronting strangers - not a happy grin.

On the other hand, over there, especially at airports, you will see people saying, "Mother, you have children, go to the front of the line\queue, take your little ones and go ahead of us," a commonplace kindness that never, ever happens in the USA, where so many Americans simply don't like being near other people's children.
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Re: Amercan Uniqueness to the World

Postby H » Tue Jul 25, 2017 12:05 pm

ftldave wrote:
H wrote:...over there, especially at airports, you will see people saying, "Mother, you have children, go to the front of the line\queue, take your little ones and go ahead of us," a commonplace kindness that never, ever happens in the USA, where so many Americans simply don't like being near other people's children.
Since I've allowed others to cut in front of me at a U.S. airport, I must contest your "...never, ever happens in the USA" clause {I must also admit that it's been decades since Ive boarded a commercial flight). In the U.S. this has more to do with the setting as well as individual and, even, personal beliefs. In our local stores it's quite common for someone to tell someone else to go through the checkout ahead of them, especially if they have only a few items in their hand.
As to the "Americans simply don't like being near other people's children" statement, that may have more to do with social paranoia. Our small milk cartons have displayed awareness/contact pictures for missing and abducted children. Such a possibility has been the reason for the past century or more that children have been told not to talk to strangers; it bothered me when a very young girl looked at me then turned to her friend and said, "He's hot!" I wouldn't harm a child for the world but she did not know me and I hope it's never done in earshot of a pedophile. Then we have the recent event when a man who was actually trying to help a 4-yr-old find her parents was accosted by the father who was thinking he was rescuing his daughter from an abductor.



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Re: Amercan Uniqueness to the World

Postby Apex » Wed Jul 26, 2017 6:15 am

I usually tip and try to be generous. Flat tire last year, $20 bill to the AAA guy who came out, even tho I didn't have to. Stuff like that.

Recently I was driving through a mid-upper neighborhood near mine. Saw two young boys about 10 years old on hover boards, I carefully pulled up behind them, stopped beside them, and asked them what those things were called. A very short, friendly conversation, that's all. They were polite and friendly.. But all the while I was aware that here I am, a 68 year old guy, in the middle of the road, talking to two young boys, and watching out my rear view mirror in case a cop were to show up, even tho I knew that the cops didn't patrol that neighborhood much.

And I never smile at little kids in the food store or malls, but only because the times, they have a-changed, ya gotta be careful everywhere.
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Re: Amercan Uniqueness to the World

Postby B52bob » Wed Jul 26, 2017 9:23 am

A request from Americans everywhere to our German friends...no speedos to be worn at any time.
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Re: Amercan Uniqueness to the World

Postby Fozzer » Wed Jul 26, 2017 9:58 am

H wrote:OK, I must also inquire here. It was stated that only the U.S., Liberia and Myanmar use the 'imperial' measurement system rather than metric. Since we were more than inched into it -- and with many miles behind us -- by you Brits, for good measure, do any of you still stand on your feet?


I must admit, having being schooled in; "Imperial" during the 1930's and 1940's, it is embedded in my brain. I have never got used to the Metric System of measurement since it overcame our old and trusted Imperial System in 1965...(Queen Victoria must have turned in her grave!).

All the time I am out shopping I have to mentally convert everything back into Imperial, to gain some idea of size, weight, length, height, distance, quantity, etc....
...even the temperature must be in Fahrenheit!

Our Australia and New Zealand cousins abandoned us years ago in favour of Metric.... :x ....!

Its only in the USA that I feel completely at home nowadays!

...they still have Miles, Inches, Feet, and Gallons!....and Fahrenheit!... :dance: ....!

Our Good Queen Victoria was quite happy with Imperial...so why cant the rest of the World enjoy it!... :roll: ...!

My only problem is with Engine sizes: We use Cubic Centimetres* (cc), whilst the USA use Cubic Inches (ci)...(I have to have a little conversion chart by me when looking at Harley Davidson Vee-Twin Engines!)... :D ...!

Paul....Measuring the Marigolds...in Feet and Inches!... ;) .... :lol: ....!

* Note:
Metres; Measurement of distance.
Meters; Things for measuring stuff!
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Re: Amercan Uniqueness to the World

Postby yancovitch » Wed Jul 26, 2017 11:17 am

yea...that metric - imperial thing is a pain.....not to mention going to store and comparing the cost of similar items.....ounces ..grams...fluid ounces etc.etc.
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Re: Amercan Uniqueness to the World

Postby Fozzer » Wed Jul 26, 2017 11:46 am

yancovitch wrote:yea...that metric - imperial thing is a pain.....not to mention going to store and comparing the cost of similar items.....ounces ..grams...fluid ounces etc.etc.


Never fear, Yan.... :D ...!

..at least our Milk and Beer still come in Imperial Pints!....

Paul...A pint of Milk and Beer, with cheese and onion flavoured Potato Crisps, please... ;) ...!
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Re: Amercan Uniqueness to the World

Postby H » Thu Jul 27, 2017 9:09 pm

Fozzer wrote:My only problem is with Engine sizes: We use Cubic Centimetres* (cc), whilst the USA use Cubic Inches (ci)...(I have to have a little conversion chart by me when looking at Harley Davidson Vee-Twin Engines!)...
I have to do conversions, too, Foz: we are now being given engine sizes in liters (when I was young we never dreamed we'd have cars with liquid engines or would fit in bottles) so I have to convert liters to cubic inches to know what we're looking at.

Fozzer wrote:* Note: Metres; Measurement of distance.
Over here, that's only for French class or when we go international, particularly to France... and they're usually measured here by a measuring stick, tape measure or gauge (not so often called a meter).


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Re: Amercan Uniqueness to the World

Postby Fozzer » Fri Jul 28, 2017 2:09 am

H wrote:
Fozzer wrote:My only problem is with Engine sizes: We use Cubic Centimetres* (cc), whilst the USA use Cubic Inches (ci)...(I have to have a little conversion chart by me when looking at Harley Davidson Vee-Twin Engines!)...
I have to do conversions, too, Foz: we are now being given engine sizes in liters (when I was young we never dreamed we'd have cars with liquid engines or would fit in bottles) so I have to convert liters to cubic inches to know what we're looking at.

Fozzer wrote:* Note: Metres; Measurement of distance.
Over here, that's only for French class or when we go international, particularly to France... and they're usually measured here by a measuring stick, tape measure or gauge (not so often called a meter).


8-)


* Note:
Metres; Measurement of distance.
Meters; Things for measuring stuff!

Tire; A form of sleepiness following a busy day at work.
Tyre; A rubber doughnut surrounding a motor car wheel.

Assuming that American engine sizes were always based on Imperial capacities (Cubic Inches), I'm still trying to figure out what the Brits referred to regarding engine sizes, in olden times; early 1900's!
I'm assuming that it was always quoted in Cubic Centimetres (cc), influenced by early French, German, and Italian engine manufacturers at the time?

Imperial v Metric. The argument continues!.... :lol: ...!

Paul.....Rods, Poles, Perches, Chains and Furlongs.... :) ...!

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