These ‘very American’ tendencies make you stick out like a sore thumb abroad, expats reveal

Trending 2 weeks ago

It’s their state and they’ll do what they want to.

Sometimes each it takes is going extracurricular of nan US to quickly recognize really Americans really person their ain circumstantial measurement of doing things.

Some habits we see “normal” astir apt origin galore non-Americans to scratch their heads.

A caller Reddit thread asked, “What’s thing you didn’t recognize was ‘very American’ until you near nan US?” Nearly 7,000 group answered successful nan remark section, chatting astir everything from talking loudly to America’s obsession pinch crystal successful drinks.

Here are immoderate of nan eye-opening but hilarious comments from nan thread.

Driving a car everywhere

Relying connected a car is simply a very normal point successful nan US. Prostock-studio – stock.adobe.com

“Here successful nan US, extracurricular of large cities, it’s beautiful overmuch required to thrust a car. When I lived overseas for a fewer years, I was capable to past wholly off public transport, nan occasional taxi, and stepping connected my ain 2 feet,” 1 expat wrote.

Another personification agreed and wrote, “Yeah, my partner is from Massachusetts and I (British) saw location was a market shop little than a mile distant and figured I could locomotion there, arsenic I usually would astatine home. I could not locomotion there.”

Loving crystal successful beverages

Americans emotion their ice. alter_photo – stock.adobe.com

“Worked successful China, nary crystal and room temp water. I was truthful excited erstwhile my translator turned to maine while we were ordering nutrient and said he wanted to cognize if I wanted ice. I said ‘They person ice? YES!’ She laughed, nan feline down nan antagonistic laughed and past she said ‘No, they do not person ice,'” a disappointed remark read.

Eating quickly

You don’t recognize really accelerated you eat until you spell elsewhere. Drazen – stock.adobe.com

“I was conscionable successful England and moreover successful comparatively casual restaurants nan waiter is only checking up connected you 2-3 times successful an hr origin they presume you’re gonna return your clip and bask your meal. I walked into a edifice an hr earlier adjacent and they specifically told me, ‘We adjacent successful 1 hour, are you judge you will person capable time?’ And my only thought was that I could eat it arsenic accelerated arsenic they could make it…” personification wrote.

“Speed eating was trained into america from a young age. Lunch astatine nationalist schools was each astir churn. Get nan kids successful nan cafeteria and get them extracurricular for mid-day recess arsenic soon arsenic imaginable because we person 3 much rotations of kids that request to eat,” different American wrote.

Talking to anyone and everyone

Not everyone wants to talk, according to immoderate expats. (JLco) Julia Amaral – stock.adobe.com

“Americans tin commencement conversations pinch random strangers and consciousness wholly normal to stock their stories,” a remark read.

“I was moving unit successful Stockholm for a while and 1 of my coworkers told maine she was amazed by really galore customers wanted to chit-chat pinch me, because ‘We don’t do that, generally,'” chimed successful personification else.

Talking loudly

Be observant not to talk excessively loudly, aliases you’ll really instrumentality retired for illustration a sore thumb. Xavier Lorenzo – stock.adobe.com

“My chap Americans talk SO LOUD ALL THE TIME,” personification pointed out.

“It’s crazy, I was successful Utrecht nan different day. There’s astir apt 150 group drinking outside, enjoying nan sun and chatting and you tin still easy spot nan Americans from a region — truthful loud,” admitted personification else.

Tipping astatine restaurants

Tipping is simply a large point successful America — but not elsewhere. SASITHORN – stock.adobe.com

“As a kid I figured that was normal everyplace successful nan world. As I sewage older I realized group sometimes look astatine you weird and it tin moreover beryllium considered insulting successful immoderate situations,” a remark read.

“It’s not nan norm successful a batch of countries because servers location really get paid a decent wage. I can’t for nan life of maine fig retired why servers are exempt from earning minimum costs complete here, truthful they dangle connected tips to make a living, which is crazy messed up if you asked me…” wrote personification else.