Monday, Aug 24, 2020, 4:51 pm

By:James Fraser

Americans(US) are different. They are cool. However, as a non-American, you may find them weird. They speak fast and loud. Yet they are probably the friendliest people on the Earth. If you visit America for the first time, there is an ocean of interesting things that will surprise you. Here are fifteen things about US that rest of the world finds weird.

1.System of Measurement

The whole world uses metric system when comes to measuring or weighing things. Americans, on the other hand, use US customary units, which are derived from old imperial system. Except America, Liberia and Myanmar, every other country on the planet uses measurements like gram, meter, liter etc.

2.Price Tag Without Tax

It is very uncommon in rest of the world to find price tags on products without tax. In almost all countries, a price tag shows price that is inclusive of all taxes. This helps them clearly know what the price of product is before it is taken to check out. However, The story is different in US. Taxes are added to products at the time of checking out. This always confuses non-Americans, as they think they may end up spending more.

3.Tipping

Though tipping is not mandatory in USA, it is considered highly rude if you leave a restaurant without tipping. Americans usually tip between 15 to 30 percent of bill. In many countries around the world, tipping is a personal choice. In countries like Japan, tipping is seen as 'insulting'! International visitors find this tipping culture in US little weird.

4.Prescription Drug Advertisements

You see very less advertising of prescription drugs in other countries. In US, Prescription drug makers advertise their products to influence people asking for them, when they meet their doctors. The situation is different in other countries. It's the doctor who decides what drug to prescribe, not the other way around.

5.American Grammar / Slang Words

English (UK) people or people from countries that use UK grammar find American grammar weird. A cookie in US is actually a biscuit in UK. What Americans call gas is actually petrol for rest of the world. International visitors struggle to get some slang words used by Americans. As an American, if you keep telling 'Oh, really!' to your international friends, they may think that you are questioning them back!

6.Public Toilets Design

International visitors to USA complain of poor privacy in public rest rooms. They think public toilets in America have unusually large gaps between doors and door frames. In most countries, public toilets are completely closed. People from those countries are quite used to that level of privacy.

7.American Football

Sports fans, especially the ones from European countries always find American football weird. You can find numerous high voltage discussions between American football fans and fans of soccer on why American football is not actually football. Global soccer fans call American football 'hand-egg'!

8.Jaywalking

Jaywalking isn't an offence in many countries. Most countries let their citizens walk or cross roads freely, but only exert caution. Many people who come to US don't even know that jaywalking is offence in most urban parts of US. Most people find it very weird to know that you may be arrested if you don't use pedestrian crossings to cross a road.

9.American Bread is Sweet

Most non-Americans complain that all kinds of breads in America taste sweet. In other countries, sandwich bread, brown bread or plain white bread are not sweet. If breads are sweet, they are labeled as sweet. Americans can't tell whether or not their breads taste sweet because they are used to it.

10.Free Soft Drink Refills

The one thing international foodies love the most in US is its free soft drink refills offered in popular fast food restaurant chains. There is no such concept of free refills in many countries. Even in countries like UK, you will be charged for every glass of soda you drink in a restaurant. Most non-American don't quite understand how restaurants can afford free refills of soda.

11.Credit Card Security

Most non-Americans believe American credit cards are less secure. America still uses the age-old signature system which is not at all secure, as signatures can easily be forged and cashiers may not always correctly check them. This system, however, is most convenient. Banks from other countries use a second layer of protection for better security. Most countries use chip/pin enabled credit cards where people need to enter a 4 digit pin (passkey) at check out.

12.Extremely Long Distances Between Cities

United States is third largest country in the world. The distance between US's east coast and west coast is more than 3000 miles. Belgium is just about the size of Maryland. Afghanistan is little smaller than Texas. Most countries in the world are small. When people from small countries visit US, they find it strange to see extremely long distance between cities.

13.Portion Sizes

14.Americans are Loud

Most non-Americans find Americans loud. People from other countries are usually quiet. Asian people, especially Japanese, are extremely silent. While it is a fact that Americans are loud; they are so because of their culture. Americans grow up in a free and democratic environment. They have their rights and feel free to question even authorities when something's wrong. Most Americans are kind of addicted to a young and youthful life. 

15.Suing Anything and Everything

People from other countries find it bizarre to see Americans suing for everything. Americans do have a greater access to public judicial system than many other countries. Filing a lawsuit is extremely difficult and a pricey affair in many countries. However, not all Americans sue businesses, corporations, employers or others. Lawsuits always grab more media attention than they should be, which is the main reason why international community sees America this way.

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