What as a English man should I look out for on a trip to the USA.
USA is really quite safe, just remember to not be black or a woman
Oh and wear a ballistics vest if you’re going anywhere near a school
Im flyinf to the USA from england
Submitted 1 day ago by MrNesser@lemmy.world to [deleted]
Comments
ignotum@lemmy.world 1 day ago
unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 1 day ago
Also not arabic or queer. Also dont cross streets without a green light or you might get shot by an orbital drone for the royal offense of “jaywalking”
Lemminary@lemmy.world 1 day ago
And don’t try to stand in some place idly outside for more than a minute. They call that “loitering” and it’s the barbaric act of experiencing being alive in public without spending a dime.
Serinus@lemmy.world 1 day ago
I think Italian and Irish are now acceptable. Maybe choose one of those.
bandwidthcrisis@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Don’t try to bring food. I’ve seen people stopped for smuggling meat. You’re probably okay with packaged sweets or chocolate, but you should declare it.
Don’t be fooled into thinking you can get tea if you see it offered. It may be some strange flavour, or very weak, or iced, or all three. And it will be hard to explain that you want milk and sugar with it.
Biscuits are good enough, but chocolate is rough.
And, of course, a “biscuit” will mean a type of savory scone.
If your shop, at most stores they will pack shopping bags for you and are a little shocked and overly grateful if you do it yourself.
Be prepared to tip in many circumstances (but not, oddly enough, for having your groceries packed).
Be prepared to be asked about football, the Beatles, the Queen, maybe even the King.
Don’t be offended is someone attempts to do a British accent at you, it’s meant as a friendly greeting.
If driving:
Four-way stops are like roundabouts without the roundabout. But with stop signs.
Pedestrians are not expected to look out for traffic, but are not allowed to just cross anywhere. So it balances out.
Someone has stolen the clutch pedals from all the cars.
czl@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 day ago
The last one got me. A friend of mine from the US asked if my partner could drive a manual. I was confused at first, “can’t everyone?”
bandwidthcrisis@lemmy.world 1 day ago
On the reality show The Amazing Race, it’s never the rock climbing or skiing or skydiving that holds back the teams. It’s driving the manual rental car from the airport.
I drive manual in the UK but have never tried a left-hand-drive manual car, I’d probably keep hitting the door with my left hand.
immutable@lemm.ee 1 day ago
Quick note on this one
Pedestrians are not expected to look out for traffic, but are not allowed to just cross anywhere. So it balances out.
If you end up driving, pedestrians are not allowed to cross anywhere (although some places like New York have legalized crossing anywhere) but pedestrians always have the right of way. You can’t run people over because they crossed outside a crosswalk.
So if on foot, use crosswalks or you could get a ticket for jaywalking. If in a vehicle, don’t hit pedestrians.
superkret@feddit.org 14 hours ago
So if you cross the street, you’ll be run over, then both you and the driver get a fine.
HenriVolney@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
You can’t run people over because they crossed outside a crosswalk.
Unless they are black and poor and you drive a big truck in a southern city at night. Then, it’s just another unfortunate accident.
FelixCress@lemmy.world 1 day ago
You can’t run people over because they crossed outside a crosswalk.
But you can shoot them, right?
MrNesser@lemmy.world 1 day ago
So glad I’m not driving
bandwidthcrisis@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Well, I hope this thread has also put you off being a pedestrian.
TrickDacy@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Can’t tell if you realize this is a shitpost
bandwidthcrisis@lemmy.world 1 day ago
I noticed! That’s why my reply became a semi-crazed random stream of consciousness.
Dagwood222@lemm.ee 10 hours ago
There really is no such thing as ‘The USA.’
I live in New York City and what’s cool here will get you arrested in other places.
Some towns are fine with you having a rifle on open display. Some towns are fine with you smoking pot on the street.
UpperBroccoli@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 day ago
Remember not to be black.
altima_neo@lemmy.zip 10 hours ago
Or brown
ICastFist@programming.dev 1 day ago
Be sure to tell them their life would’ve been much better today if they remained a colony
nimpnin@sopuli.xyz 1 day ago
Bring a printed copy of your ESTA / visa for immigration. Get some kind of travel insurance that covers health emergencies, and have proof of that printed as well.
papalonian@lemmy.world 16 hours ago
This could vary depending on the situation, but as someone who works in healthcare in the US (pray for me), it doesn’t really matter if you’ve got proof of traveler’s insurance, unless I’m able to bill them directly and get a paid claim for it. In every case I’ve dealt with traveler’s insurance (admittedly not a ton, but these things are usually handled similarly across the industry), I’ve been instructed by the insuring company to bill the patient/ client, and that the client will be submitting a claim.
If it’s something relatively inexpensive like medication, you’ll probably be charged at the pharmacy, pay out of pocket and get reimbursed.
If, God forbid, you need to stay at a hospital, or dare to mention the word “ambulance”, you’ll be given a bill for $1 million, which you’ll forward to the insurance company. They’ll handle paying the hospital, then follow up with you on any kind of copay you’re meant to be left with.
Maggoty@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Don’t forget your gun. America is extremely dangerous but only if you’re unarmed. All the criminals and cops can smell if you have a gun and they’ll be too afraid to do anything to you if you have one.
Also you can’t trust our water, so it’s purely Soda and Budweiser while you’re here. Locals might tell you to eat at local restaurants but their stomachs are habituated. You’ll need to stick to McDonald’s. Luckily there is one on every single corner.
If you get injured you should avoid using an ambulance as they will take you directly to a hospital. In the US that’s just where we go to die. You need to drive yourself to an Urgent Care doctor. If you can’t drive yourself and have to use an ambulance then there is a complimentary memorial wreath that can be sent to your family. Along with the invoice for your death care of course.
Did I miss anything? Oh yeah it’s traditional to make a bomb joke with the customs agent as you come into the country. Especially if you can manage a middle eastern accent. All of us do it. It’s a grand joke.
papalonian@lemmy.world 14 hours ago
Did I miss anything?
Cops are usually chill and laid back, but they get tired of the monotony of their job sometimes and appreciate the use of erratic, unpredictable movement when interacting with them. They also like someone who is proactive, so instead of waiting for them to ask you for your licence and registration, just jump right out of your car as soon as they step out of theirs and pull your wallet out of your pocket as quickly as you can for them. You’ll never have an issue with the cops again after this.
FelixCress@lemmy.world 12 hours ago
🤣🤣🤣
MonkeyBusiness@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
I recommend travel health insurance. It’s affordable and a good piece of mind considering their healthcare can be extremely expensive.
teije9@lemmy.blahaj.zone 15 hours ago
when you stub your toe you get heroin
Strider@lemmy.world 1 day ago
They’re driving on the right side.
FelixCress@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Good reminder, he should teach them how to drive on the left. Lead by example.
Fosheze@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Where in the USA are you going. Saying you’re going to the USA is like saying you’re going to europe. There’s a vast difference between the different states and regions within those states.
MrNesser@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Arozona mate just a short stay
loudWaterEnjoyer@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 day ago
My condolence, I’m not joking.
OneCardboardBox@lemmy.sdf.org 1 day ago
If you’re doing activities outdoors: Always bring an extra bottle of water. That is to say, bring a bottle to drink, and then another for when you get thirstier than expected. This season is relatively cool, but you really don’t want to be caught unprepared. Also: Arizona has a law requiring businesses to serve water for free if you ask. Don’t let anyone bullshit you and ask for money.
Keep an eye on the weather reports, and do not hike down washes, ravines, or narrow canyons if there’s a rain storm anywhere nearby. Heavy rainfall several miles away can turn a sunny, dry ravine into a raging torrent that can kill. If you see a road that’s currently flowing with water, don’t try to cross it, even in a big car. You don’t know how deep it really is, and even just a few cms of fast water is enough to sweep a person off their feet and drown them. It doesn’t take much more to get a car stuck.
If you’re going to Northern Arizona, bring warm clothes. People can be caught unprepared when they leave Phoenix for a day trip and it’s 60⁰F, but when they get to Flagstaff 2h later it’s snowing.
If you see a Jumping Cholla: Image
Don’t get too close. Their spines are longer than they look because they get so thin as to be nearly invisible.
Fosheze@lemmy.world 1 day ago
My condolences.
Mostly joking, I dont know a damn thing about Arizona. There should be some beautiful national parks there but other than that it’s pretty empty. Vastly different landscape than the UK though so that should be interesting. Also you’re definitely visiting durring the right time of year.
capital@lemmy.world 21 hours ago
I lived in Tucson for a while. Very good food scene.
Weather is actually pretty nice this time of year.
Nothing really special to be aware of. Stay away from cholla cactus. Lol
FozzyOsbourne@lemm.ee 1 day ago
It’s a single country with a single currency, a single government, a single history, and a single language. Yes there’s a lot of variance within the country, but it’s really nothing compared to visiting Europe.
TrickDacy@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Single currency, true, nothing else you wrote was
papalonian@lemmy.world 15 hours ago
I honestly love it when such profoundly misinformed statements are put forward with absolute authority like this.
a single history
You know that half the country went to war with the other half, right?
a single government
In California, you can order weed through an app and get it delivered to your front door. In Idaho, get pulled over after picking up for the month, you’re a felon.
a single language
Single official language sure. At my work I’m the only native English speaker and a majority of our customers are foreigners who speak little English.
DanglingFury@lemmy.world 1 day ago
I think they meant where, as in are they visiting mountains, desert, rainforest, plains, or certain city or state. There’s a huge range of cultures across the very different regions in the country.
PhobosAnomaly@feddit.uk 1 day ago
Hello fellow Brit.
Everything is bigger. That’s an obvious statement, but the knock on effect is that nobody seems to have a sense of “nearby”. I frequently went out running on the pavement around two or three blocks, and people either looked at me as if I was possessed, or honked their horns like a “run Forrest run!” type thing because there was literally nobody else out putting miles on tarmac.
Retail parks are a cracking example. I was out with a friend who knew the area well, and we wanted to go from one store at one end of the retail park to the other. I was happy to walk to three or four hundred metres, but they were positively horrified at the thought of not taking the car to another parking spot there.
Speaking of driving - know your rules. Four way interactions are a cool inventions.
Roundaboutstraffic circles are fucking wild going in from the right.See those 300, 200, 100yd marker boards on A roads and motorways allowing you to figure out what lane you need to be in to take your slip road? Purely optional in the US. Be ready for people in lane three (or four, or five, or six) to see their exit and cut straight across. Blind spot checking is for nerds communists.
Things have changed lately, but go out with two or three changes of clothes, and that’s it. The clothes in the US are generally much cooler and much cheaper, it’s a good excuse to get new gear. Depending on where you’re going though, it’s hard work getting particular stuff - asking for Under Armour’s heatgear stuff if you go running in winter will get you some real fuckin’ weird looks in Florida, where even the vests are sometimes hotter than a duffle coat.
The border: know your shit - where you’re going, how much you got, who you’re with. The border force agents (whatever their unit is called) are super cool, but they ask super intrusive questions. That Marks and Spencer ham baguette you got in Gatwick/Edinburgh/Manchester? Eat it quick, because it isn’t going through customs.
Not sure how long you’re going for, but get a Post Office multi-currency card, or a credit card that specialises in the US Dollar or low international currency fees. While you’re at it, feel free to wow them with contactless payments. Last time I went to CVS, I had tapped the card before the cashier had finished his spiel about swiping the card, and refused to believe I’d actually paid for a few seconds. It’s like a magic trick with none of the effort.
Tylenol: get shitloads. It’s basically paracetemol wrapped in bubblegum. Outstanding for hangovers.
Enjoy it! The Americans are friendly enough even if the majority of them make some pretty wack political choices, but that’s another discussion. They’re generally sound as fuck, and find the British accent something of a novelty, so feel free to use it as a get out of jail card if you make a social faux pas.
Have fun, let us know how you get on!
Serinus@lemmy.world 1 day ago
feel free to wow them with contactless payments
This is quite dated. Per Forbes, "Nearly 90% of U.S. consumers now use contactless payments, "
Tip at restaurants where they take your order at the table and bus your table, 15-20% of the total. Absolutely don’t tip at those kiosks at the counter. They’ll beg for a tip because software. You’re absolutely fine to hit skip or custom 0. Don’t normalize that shit.
PhobosAnomaly@feddit.uk 1 day ago
Cheers for the added advice.
It was a bit over 18 months ago I was last in a CBS, but as as already been pointed out, the US is a huge place so there’s bound to be regional differences. Glad contactless payments (or is it tap-to-pay in the US?) has become the norm.
acchariya@lemmy.world 1 day ago
The clothes thing is interesting to me as an American living in Europe. I feel like our clothes are shapeless blobs made in china for fast fashion exclusively, while the clothes in Europe and UK seem to be much better in cut a quality. They are certainly more expensive in UK and western Europe though!
PhobosAnomaly@feddit.uk 1 day ago
Hey thanks for your insight.
Maybe in the UK we’re super used to fast fashion shite like Primark or Asda George. I mean, the designs are cool but the quality rivals that of the Looney Tunes ACME products.
Maybe you’re right though, maybe I’m looking at them through rose tinted specs. I rather like the Old Navy stuff or American Eagle. The material just seems to last a tad longer than the supermarket pish in the UK.
gedaliyah@lemmy.world 1 day ago
I can confirm the suspicion of strangers handing you something. We don’t trust something for nothing.
There are entire YouTube channels about walking up to Americans and trying to give them a $100 bill. Most won’t take it.
PhobosAnomaly@feddit.uk 1 day ago
Nah that’s fair enough, I get it. It’s a reasonably common thing in the UK - either the person who takes it is a local rogue who’ll flog the travelcard for a quid, or it’ll be used by someone away out on the piss for the night.
I just found it odd is all. Like, if you take it and it works, happy days - you’ve saved yourself a bit of cash. If the ticket gate spits it back at you, then oh well, back to plan A.
It’s cool to hear your take on it though, thank you.
HenriVolney@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
Never take the ambulance. They will suck your money and your soul.
lousyd@lemmy.sdf.org 1 day ago
The Queen is still alive and we have her. Just don’t tell anyone, okay?
DragonsInARoom@lemmy.world 1 day ago
My condolences
Churbleyimyam@lemm.ee 1 day ago
Good luck not getting shot mate.
MrNesser@lemmy.world 1 day ago
I’ll try my best
Noodle07@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Just avoid schools
Dorkyd68@lemmy.world 22 hours ago
Buy a gun on day one. Just go to almost any gun show and bam, no paperwork. You’ll need a gun because there is this nationwide gang, they are crazy organized, drive the same cars, all rep the color blue and collectively hate immigrants, not you, the poor ones. Anyway I believe they go police officer or cops, steer clear at all costs, but if you have to, take out your ghetto blaster and pump em full of lead.
You’ll die a hero and recognized for decades to come, or the cops will bury you in a shallow grave somewhere in Mississippi and act like you were kidnapped, no in between, good luck soilder
superkret@feddit.org 1 day ago
If you want to avoid getting shot, you should now wear a red hat, not a red coat.
iii@mander.xyz 1 day ago
Bring your own marmite.
PhobosAnomaly@feddit.uk 1 day ago
Irn-Bru too, funnily enough.
The FDA aren’t a fan of how it (or was) made.
funkless_eck@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
I dont know if it’s a different recipe but you can get Irn Bru in Kroger.
bandwidthcrisis@lemmy.world 1 day ago
You can buy marmite in many stores in my area (LA).
Customs maybe be unhappy at bringing in food.
MrNesser@lemmy.world 1 day ago
What is it with the US and marmite if you all like it so much import it
iii@mander.xyz 1 day ago
Tarrifs :(
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 1 day ago
I’m told the temperature is different here.
Treczoks@lemmy.world 1 hour ago
Don’t take your real phone with you. Just get a cheap burner phone that you can reset after customs went through it.