This is so weird, hearing someone saying nice things about America. I've gotten so use to hatred and vitriol directed towards us that this video is an amazing breath of fresh air.
When I brother arrived in the U.S., he told me that strangers would say hi to him, which does not happen in China. My first culture shock came when a fellow shopper in a mall called me "honey". Will never forget how Ohioans would jump out of their cars to help push a vehicle stuck in a snow storm. One guy jump-started my car four times because it kept dying. I lost my wallet at a gas station in Indiana and they kept it till I drove back to get it. I have lived in this country for almost 23 years and still have not visited all the national parks yet. I could not agree more: the people and the national parks are my absolute favorites about living in America.
As an American i happy ro have you here & im extremely happy for you that you don't have to live under the CCP. I think the best thing about America is our 1st & 2nd Amendments & that our government says our rights comenfrom God & not Government & that our Government is to protect our rights not curtail them..except durring pandemics, I've come to find out.
Zhen Li , thank you for this comment. I'm so glad you felt welcomed and not so on your own when you came to the US. Your words cheered me up in this difficult time.
@@shaunellis3060 Our rights do not come from God, they come from the people. Our inalienable rights, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are rights all humans deserve. Our codified rights, like free speech, freedom of religion, and the right to bear arms are manifestations of thoseminalienable rights. They don't come from any god. In America an atheist has those same rights as any Christian, or any other religion, including Satanists (who are really atheists). They only disappear if we the people let them. That's why it is important to be vigilant against encroachments on those rights, whether they come from your preferred political ideology or from competing political ideologies (they all profess freedom while saying the others don't, but any group in power for long enough will do almost anything they can get away with to prolong their hold on power)
The litter thing really changed dramatically about 50 years ago in the U.S. This was mostly due to a very successful ad campaign on televisions. For a few states (eg. Missouri), it was a bit later (mid to late 80s). As a kid from Illinois, I remember being shocked every time we went to Missouri. Most undeveloped parts of the world are shockingly bad with litter. If you spend much time in them at all, you'll probably end up littering at some point too. It just doesn't feel like it makes a difference when everyone else does it all the time.
It's abhorrent to me. It shows utter disrespect toward our neighborhood, town, city, State, country and Earth. Litter is something I can not tolerate so I go around, especially the ditches to keep them clear and running, picking up other people's trash anywhere I see it and on days off around my neighborhood and around country highways. 😠 It's extremely good exercise for me, too. All that walking, bending, reaching, squatting, lugging, etc. a full yard-size trash bag around. I hate exercising to be exercising. This is purposeful work with noticeable results for the environment and for my body. ❤
As an American, "It has less litter" is never something I thought I would hear about the USA. About the indoor vs outdoor cat thing: Cats are in invasive species in a lot of areas, the US included. I don't think they're invasive in Europe though, so that would partly explain why people the US keep them inside more.
I keep my cat indoors because cats frequently go missing, lost cat posters are everywhere. I don't want her to get hit by a car or have to fight raccoons, and it also eliminates concerns about fleas and the house getting infested with them. It hasn't anything to do with "invasive species", just her health and safety. I like her and I want her to live is all.
(UK Citizen) When I was 8 me, my 2 sisters and my parents went on this once in a lifetime holiday to florida. And whilst there our car had broken down/overheated; now we had no idea what to do or where we were, and me and my two sisters were also like the car dying in the hot weather; then this sweet old American couple came out and invited us into their home, offering tea, food, a look at the cars engine and a lovely chat. We couldn't believe it! That would never happen in the UK. Such genuine people whome turned a situation that felt dire to a child into one of his favourite highlights of the holiday. A situation that speaks volumes about the average American. Thank you America from the heart! Side note: The tea was pretty awful 😂 but i made sure to tell her it was the best i'd ever drunk. Hopefully that means something coming from an Englishman.
"The tea was pretty awful..." 😂 My brother-in-law is from Taiwan and his family farms tea. When I offered him a cup of tea he immediately refused because it wouldn't be good. I knew it was good tea and the temperature and steeping time for it. Since my sister and I were having some I made him a cup as well. I didn't force it upon him but he drank it and was pleasantly surprise at how good it was. Now I can't go to their house without being sent home with tea for brewing. He is appalled at how much we have to pay for good tea in the US because it is so prevalent in Taiwan.
Lovely story ☺️ 90% of Americans are fantastic but I did think as soon as you said they invited us to there home that it could be a chainsaw massacre situation lol jk but good for you to have met such lovely people x
I would also like to thank you for bringing it up. With everything going on, there is a divide but when it comes down to it, we all love each other and want what’s best for everyone.
My husband and I have travelled the world over, and we are forever amazed at the friendliness of Americans. They would literally give you the shirt off their backs.
As someone working in customer service, the niceness thing isn’t *just* a thing we need to do. I genuinely enjoy when the good feelings are reciprocated and enjoy being temporary friends with a stranger I’ll likely never see again in my life.
Yeah despite hating working food service, my favorite part of the job was being nice to people and having positive interactions. It makes you feel like the world isn't so crazy, and you feel like you're doing something more with your life than just rolling burritos if you're making people smile when they might be having a rough day. I quit food service, did car maintenance instead, with a good amount of my job being interaction with customers. I like cars and I like positive interactions with people, so win-win. No more soggy burritos.
Agreed. I *liked* being able to help people. Even if it was 'wasting' time by taking me away from completing tasks that were actually tracked, I still wanted to help. Still glad to not be working retail anymore.
maybe it's because Americans live so far apart in such wide green spaces that they get lonely and want to bond, even with strangers/customers, because talking to someone in person is a rarity?
Growing up in the deep south, they are a necessity! Currently, I can't open about 8 of my windows because there is no screen and its an OLD house with big widows so they need to be special ordered to replace. Cost too much :(
I've always thought that was why in Britain they have lace curtains, to act like screens for bugs ( wouldn't help much with the cat). I enjoy your humor.
..My wife is from Lithuania, and when we visited there, I was told that I "looked American"... no Budweiser shirts and fanny packs... when pressed as to why they thought so...they all said it was because I was smiling... no one in Europe smiles...or God forbid says hello to anyone else on the street without knowing them.... LOL
@@Ionabrodie69 It's probably true. One common caricature of Americans is a big toothy smile, especially in eastern Europe. Though, when I was in Ukraine, the people I was working with, who were mostly young guys, veterans of the Soviet/Russian Army going to college after serving argued quite a lot about where I looked like I was from. The US curiously was not on the list, though both Russia and Afghanistan were. Afghanistan was higher on the list because I'm tall even for Americans. The "American" betrayal though was that I whistled. That was something that raised superstition/greed. The explanation was that you didn't whistle because you would be whistling away your money or your luck or both. It was clear that if I didn't have any money I would not be able to buy dinner or a beer or coffee or ...
I'm from the UK and I live in the US. My favorite happy surprises about living here share some overlaps with yours: lack of litter, friendliness of random people, good customer service, toleration of difference (like in the UK, everyone used to call me "quirky" and "eccentric" but in the US nobody comments - I feel that they are more tolerant and open minded of difference), better consumer choice, scale of natural beauty - huge, stunning mountains and lakes, can-do attitude, cats being indoors. I will click comment now, and then realize all the things I forgot. I also have a list of what sucks, but let's keep it positive!
@@chopitup9950 This. As a Brit who moved to the US, the Health Care is something that always amazes me that it's so corporate owned and how much they try to say that free health care would bring the system to it's knees despite the fact Canada, the UK and so many other countries have it and it's fine, if not better. If I fall and break my leg back in the UK I know I'm covered and I won't pay a thing. Here if I break my leg, I'm driving myself to the hospital because I know I've already saved myself at least $300 if not more just for not needing an ambulance and that's before the actual consultation fee, treatment fee, medication fees etc. It's insane.
@@Kinvarus1 Although many countries have great tax payer funded health care (not free), many do NOT! America would be one of them. Because big pharma is so corporate they are involved with politicians, as both love money and power. If we allowed tax payer funded healthcare then our federal (and possibly state) taxes would go up and most of it would go into the pockets of politicians and big pharama, leaving very little to doctors, nurses, and equipment. Just look at our schools. The more money that goes into them the dumber kids get and the worse things are for them. Private schools don’t have this problem. Michelle Obama turned school lunches into a tortilla with bologna. The schools that receive the most money from taxes aren’t the best schools. Anything the government touches turns to shit due to corruption. We need to keep business and politics local. And businesses, including healthcare related businesses, need to be more transparent about prices and services. There’s no reason that someone can’t request an mri or X-ray and actually get it. Too many doctors deny patients tests and referrals to specialist but will happily write up antidepressants without a psychiatrist or therapist. I and my family have a rare disorder that has a lot of secondary disorders. It’s a battle to get a specialist and even then some of them accuse us of lying or don’t do enough tests before making a diagnosis and coming up with a treatment plan. And a LOT of them don’t like doing paperwork, which is needed for insurance and medical records.
Back in the 70s there was an environmental push, not littering, recycling were two of the big things we focused on, and overall got adopted. Having been used to it, it's nice to know someone noticed!
The only other countries that are comparable to the USA regarding having less litter are Japan and Singapore. Part of it is the nature of oriental culture. In the case of Singapore, it’s severe penalties for littering.
Right! that commercial of the Native American sitting on his horse and a tear falling down his cheek as he looked over the landscape with trash all over it.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 yes! If you throw trash out of your window while driving (literally happened) don’t expect me to be your friend. I’ll lose all respect for you immediately.
I was all ready dating my partner when he threw a whole fast food meal piece by piece out the window while driving. I told him it was low class and if he ever did it again it was over. I married him. 20 years being litter free!!
If people in the US behaved (in person) the way they do in Twitter, or even sometimes in the comments on RUclips, everyone would either be hiding, looking for someone to kill or dead
I went to the US as a Brit and had a few pleasant surprises myself. One being how friendly people are, just strangers coming up to me and complimenting my clothes or anything, it felt so warming. The amount of stores that are sort of quirky in nature as well, I absolutely adored those and wish we had more of them here in the UK. Gas prices being so cheap compared to Europe is another. Oh and at Target, the checkout dude was putting my items in the grocery bags and I loved that. There's a lot of things that surprised me and I loved my time there.
@@selahgreen9648 I went through a dozen countries in Europe over 2 months. I found the people in each country to be really friendly in their own way. The Brits were quick to make sure that I knew how to get around safely and quickly in their towns(without me asking). They seemed almost worried for me which was... maybe a little unnecessary. The Germans were fantastic at being efficient(which is a cold, but material form of politeness). The Italians weren't efficient(seriously who closes an entire city just because it's a bit warm), but they loved to talk with me and their night life was oddly both genuine and exciting. The French were nice, sometimes even nice in Paris. The people who stood out the most were the Flemish. My friends joked that if any of us were ever alone and sad in Antwerp, we could open a map and be swarmed with friendly conversation. Having said that though, I will admit that my hometown in the USA is much more openly friendly. A good mix of the cultures.
I think the best description ever of American culture is that we are basically the golden retrievers of the world. We are friendly, welcoming, occasionally loud, and not always super bright but we make up for it in cuteness.
The epitome of Southern hospitality was when my friend, her family, and I were in South Carolina to watch the solar eclipse. We were pulled over by the side of this rode outside a state forest to see the eclipse. This sweet old reverend and his wife were hosting a lot of people from their church and neighborhood over for a barbecue to watch the eclipse. As they were driving by, they proceeded to invite everyone that was pulled over on the road over to their house to watch the eclipse and have dinner afterwards. We met so many amazing people and had a great time with complete strangers. Now that's hospitality.
One time when I was a kid, our church was having one of its outdoor pitch-in dinners that it had a couple times a year. Two burly, hairy, grungy bikers pulled in. One of them was having engine trouble, and they were nearly broke and hungry. Not only were they welcomed at the church picnic, my mother invited them home, where they stayed for a week or so while the mechanically talented guys of our church fixed the guy's motorcycle. She pulled out all the stops, too -- huge meals at the dining room table we only ate at for special meals, with the lace tablecloth and the best china and silverware. What's more, she kept in touch with one of the two for years afterward till he stopped writing.
@@ianfab79 Joe barton probably means "pretentious" hospitality. Not very common, but can happen in all countries.There are people who REALLY are hospitable, there are those who PRETEND to be just for the sake/creation of a hospitality sense and others who use it for getting to know people. I would say people are inherently good, they have just been programmed to act in certain ways. Quoting Lawrence, "Look at the Flowers, not the Weeds" - Have a beautiful day. ya'll!
My husband is new to the USA, been here less than a month and he was surprised by: 1. Wal-Mart 2. Pumping our own gas 3. Drink refills at restaurants 4. How big the personal vehicles are (the trucks!) 5. That you buy ice at a gas station 6. The people are nicer than he thought they would be (even though I tried to explain) My husband is from Brazil. Thank you for your channel! It is quite entertaining!
Where do you go to buy ice in Brazil then? Seems like in a country with a warm climate like Brazil, access to the ice supply might be an important thing.
Rio is insanely dangerous, I went to Carnival and never have felt so unsafe as being in downtown Rio. And never been more grossed out by water. The bay was like a sheet of trash. Pollution everywhere. The docks stunk so bad. We were staying on a boat.
The Grand Canyon was a zen experience for me. I drove from flagstaff about 5 in the morning. On my way the road was blocked by two large elks standing in the middle of the road. They were huge majestic creatures, shoulder height to the roof of my car. They inspected me and let me pass. Then onto the park. The gates were up so I drove on in and found my spot. The rising Sun continually revealed more of the majesty of our planet and at every moment I continued to be moved. Easy to say this was the greatest experience of my life.
My one and only Elk hunt was Unit 7E Flagstaff, plenty of them out there within the 12,000+ ft mtn ranges. I live in AZ and never experienced the grand canyon...
My family managed to make a trip to the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Park in a week or two. I really enjoyed all three. The Grand Canyon is the most famous (for good reason), but I found the other parks just as spectacular - maybe even more so because of the lack of expectations. If you've never seen Bryce, it's like a canyon filled with natural sculptural rock formations - during sunset and sunrise they are especially beautiful. And pictures of Zion don't really do justice to the feeling you get when you drive through the tunnel and emerge in a valley surrounded by gigantic cliffs and canyon walls that look like mountains.
Actually, our airwaves were littered with anti-littering campaigns throughout the 60's, 70's and 80's. It took 30 yrs or more and a couple more generations born, to get the message sunk into the population's minds, but it worked. It was constant campaigning about earth, water bodies, and air pollution. So happy that we have come such a long way from the days of littering and pollution. It was so very bad back then, compared to now.😊
@@brenda9140 I feel like even all the way up into the early 90's! I'm 32, and vividly remember anti-littering commercials airing when I was little. I guess change takes awhile.
The reason the US has less litter is because there are WAY MORE public trash cans. In the UK and in most of Europe, there aren't trash cans on all of the paths, in the US, not only does the government put them everywhere, but businesses also make a point of providing them to help keep their exteriors litter-free.
(American here). I'm about as far from a "tree hugger" as one can be, I'm a big Buick driving,pro nuclear power/natural gas guy, but I HATE litter! (I also LOATHE graffiti..) It's ugly AF. I am thankful that, yes, private property owners provide trash cans. I just wish more people would USE THEM. I'm THAT guy who will put a wrapper in my pocket until I find an appropriate place to dump it. LOL.
Michael Lyndon Also there is a much higher general respect towards other people’s property. I mostly noticed that trespassing is taken much more seriously here than in my home country in Europe. But it can also mean we don’t throw stuff onto other people’s property.
Not true. There are almost no public trash cans in Japan, and you must carry your trash with you home, and yet, the country is extremely clean. It's the culture.
As a hoosier, you talking about hoosier hospitality made my day. I remember one day I was riding my bike around my Indiana hometown and asking a feller biking across the country what surprised him most about my state, he said we were all very nice. It pretty much changed my life and how I interact with others.
In the 80's we had Woodsy the Owl who was a marketing icon to teach Americans not to litter. "Give a Hoot, Don't Pollute." We also had Smokey the Bear to teach us not to start forest fires. 😁 P.S. I live in the Rocky Mountains and we do indeed have soccer, football, and baseball fields! They are in valleys and the giant mountains surround them.
A friend of mine from college (25 years ago) was from Britain. He told me the thing that amazed him the most was the idea Americans had that tomorrow would always be better, that if you work hard you can be a huge success, that you can win the lottery and become a movie star and cure diseases, that there is always hope and never give up. I thought this was strange because I thought all people were that way. He told me in America, anyone can go to college, whenever they want, wherever they are. In Britain, you have to qualify to go to college by taking standardized tests at the end of high school, and if you don't make it, you don't go to college. Again, this was 25 years ago so I don't know if things have changed. But in America, he went on, you can drop out of high school and still go back later, get a GED, study for an entrance exam you can take over and over until you eventually pass, and go to college. He said he thought it was in the DNA of Americans, the idea that they can always improve their lives, that they are the masters of their destiny, and so have created a system giving people the chance to become better, to reinvent themselves, to keep improving, to become anything you want. He went on to marry his American college sweetheart, get a Master's degree in chemistry from another American college, divorced her and married another American woman, and is now an American citizen teaching high school chemistry in California. One of my college friends' married a guy from France she met during her graduate studies in AZ. He now works on laser optics for NASA. Another friend married a guy from Ireland she met during her graduate studies in WA, who has a PhD in something I forget. They both have become American citizens. I mention them because they seem to epitomize what Americans see as the "American Dream", starting from square one and achieving great things through hard work, perseverance and dedication. One of my ancestors came over from German by herself in the 1860's and moved to Minnesota. THAT took guts! If hope and perseverance even in the face of adversity is in the DNA of Americans like my friend said, it's because of those that came before us that had the hope and dreams to come here and start a brand new life in a foreign land...like you :-) This is an incredibly vast oversimplification of the American experience and just my views, but my friend's comments have stuck with me and how that DNA of exploring somewhere new, trying something new, going beyond the limits, has been passed down generation after generation. I have no idea what it's like to grow up in another country, but I know growing up here, I always felt the sky was the limit...then again, not even that ;-)
@Red Head Geek - that was perfectly said - I agree with the American attitude of optimism, etc...as a trait coming from our ancestors who left their homelands to make a better life here. My family came mainly from Ireland in the 1800s with my paternal grandmother’s side from England coming around 1750. All poor, many illiterate. The last to immigrate was my 3rd great grandfather in 1871 from Ireland and he arrived alone. All of them were so brave all went on to have good lives and gave their children more than what they had, on and on each generation more successful than the last. I think having ancestors who were brave enough to leave everything they knew to start all over in a new country is something that’s passed along. And for that I’m grateful and proud of my great grandparents who left places like Strokestown and Ardee and Yorkshire to come to New York and then Michigan.
RedHeadGeek I have a distant cousin who dropped out of high school our junior year to get married. She eventually got her GED, went to college and is now an elementary school principal. It’s nice to know that we can change the course of our lives and it’s never too late for a college education.
We also don't like that walls and doors in the stalls don't go all the way to the floor. Ideally they would be completely enclosed with ventilation to the outside to keep the rest of the restroom from stinking.
I'm from Asia. I've been in United States for more than 30 years. I totally agreed with you. United States are indeed are the most comfortable place to live. Whether you are rich, medium class or poor , mostly all home are central air. We are indeed very spoil because everything is all necessity as an American. Paper napkins, toilet paper, take away box even for 2 bite left over, disposal cups are all free. If people complaining that American life are not fair or not to their expectations then I'll say these people don't know what they're talking about. Americans can drive a Mercedes-Benz or BMW even their occupation are just a servers. As long as you got a job, your credits are good, you can drove away a brand new car on the day you shopping for car.There's no Doctor or Esquire to be address. Everyone standard are same in public. After working hours a bussed can sit and hang out with their manager and bosses. I appreciated everything that USA have given me. God is good to me.
Thank you for all the kind things you say about the US, Lawrence. You seem like such a genuinely pleasant person - always seeing the positive in everything. I do hope to get the chance to visit the UK someday so I can share what I love with you too.
I think alot of the credit for things being so clean and litter-free must go to the First Lady, Ladybird Johnson. She initiated a beautification program in 1965 which was very effective, and caught on everywhere. Littering became socially unacceptable. Then the 1970s environmental movement solidified the trend.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) did a survey in the 70’s to determine who the litterbugs were and found it was mostly young men. Hence the “Don’t mess with Texas “ campaign. Still works today.
Lady Bird Johnson was also responsible for the beautiful wild flowers we have along our highways, back when her husband was Governor here in Texas, she enacted the spreading of the seeds, esp our world famous bluebonnets. Still illegal to pick them.
A good friend of mine who is not rich, gave away her stimulus check in extra tips to wait staff after restaurants opened back up. All 12 people that she gave $100 to cried.
I went out to dinner twice during this pandemic and tipped $100 each time, my servers never said anything but I hope they were grateful. I know how difficult life is for them these days.
"All 12 people that she gave $100 to cried." That is sad, I know, I Love people in general. She gave it away is very generous of her, and they cried, which is very sad. I Love this guys place, he's uplifting and not foul mouthed, when people cuss so much I just turn the channel and think they must be Democrats... God Bless You, and Everyone! www.sez33.com
I gave $100 tips to 3 servers/delivery drivers that always take excellent care of us. They were overwhelmed. I was happy I could do something to help them out.
I’m so glad that you’ve encountered friendly Americans - what a lovely theme. My dear Mom never met a stranger and nearly every time she traveled (or even just exited an elevator!) - she’d have made a friendly connection with someone.
I travel internationally a lot. I can't tell you how many times I've been asked, "Do you *HAVE* to say hi to EVERYBODY?" I always reply, "Yes - I'm an American - we talk to everyone!" Love your glasses, btw.
Apparently, according from some American friends who were going abroad to certain places, one of the lessons a lot of Americans need to learn before going abroad is to tone down the smiling at strangers thing lest they come off as weirdos or (for the ladies) prostitutes.
I had a friend come over from America to watch a NBA basketball game with me in London. 2 and a half hours after the game I was still waiting for him outside the venue as he talked to everyone. As British we were too polite to tell him to shut up. The staff were leaving before me. Just strange to talk to everyone. He talked all the way through the game too and spent half of the time putting stuff on Instagram 🙄
What I experience as an American, in day to day life, is so far removed from what I see on the news. It's nice to hear someone comment on it. When I go to work, I am greeted with "good morning" by about 6-7 strangers before I even get to my work station. When I go to the grocery store, people are friendly and nice. I'm short so I often have to ask tall people for help reaching things in the grocery. Everyone I have ever asked has been great.
Yes!! Agreed. I'm in a wheelchair and everyone offers to help me if I make it clear that I'm having trouble with something. Heck, most offer help before I struggle at all. xD I have to TRY to be independent over here. :P
@@handle--729 I have never thought of that before. However, I appreciate you getting things for short people off the shelf. It is interesting to see someone climbing shelves to get something up high. I do it when no one is around to help, but I am sure it would be funny to me, a 51 year old woman climbing shelves to get peanut butter. So thank you anyway.
Same here. Americans do try to be polite and helpful. That's a generalization, yes, but I'm grateful to tall people for helping me get stuff on high shelves, and no one has ever refused. We do have a national congenial streak, for the most part.
@@handle--729 I could see your asking for help if, for example, the item was towards the back of the very bottom shelf . I think most folks should be understanding of that. Sometimes I'll ask a kid to help with that--they're usually delighted to do it.
Window screens - I always find it strange when I watch movies or TV shows that are supposed to be set in America, and none of the windows have screens in them. People just open the window and climb in/out, or throw something out the window. I've never lived anywhere that didn't have screens in the windows. Even so, I regularly get bugs inside during the summer. For some reason, my home seems to be really popular with ladybugs. I don't mind those so much and usually catch & release them. I hate the moths and other bugs that find their way inside though.
We used to climb in and out of our windows, but we left the screens off on purpose so we could. We also live in coastal SoCal, not a lot of bugs to worry about.
It keeps the lighting even and also it just generally looks bad on camera. Another fun one is that cars don’t have often have head rests in the front seat if multiple people are in the back.
Born and raised in Texas, I have spent my adult life in the UK and southeast Asia. I began listening to Lost in the Pond during my 22nd year living in Singapore - fun way to pass the time during the pandemic. Mid 2021 I moved back to Texas (talk about culture shock) but I have found these commentaries very positive and encouraging. (And still love the humour!)
The nicest thing I ever had happen to me was this: When I was between jobs, maybe about 6 years ago, I was working at a temp job for $8/hr, a distribution center of some kind. I was living very paycheck to paycheck and really only bought stuff like groceries and school supplies. I went to the store to buy some stuff for the coming week, and as I checked out, my card was declined. We scanned it 3 or so times and it was still declined, so I went to cal my bank and check my account (the put the transaction on hold so other people could go by). Turned out, I had $3 total, so I guess I was off by a day or something. The lady behind me bought my groceries for me (about $60) saying that she had had to go through the same type of situations. Never had anyone do anything that nice for me before (who weren't family anyway), I still remember that moment very clearly.
I work as a cashier at Lowes. The same exact thing happened last month. A woman was having trouble with her card. The man behind her insisted on paying for it...even though it was $68!
I had someone do that for me once. I was buying things for one of my kids birthdays. Ordinarily I would have put out all back without a problem, but this day it would have been so disappointing. The person in line behind me paid. I try to help like that when I can now. It’s come up a couple times. Feels really good to pay that forward (even though it’s only been a couple bucks each time)
Laurence picked the right area of the country to live in and experience nice people. "Midwest nice" is legendary. He might not have formed the same opinion had he settled in New York City or San Francisco.
I think Americans are friendly because most of our ancestors were “strangers in a strange land” having left family and friends of their homelands. Plus in the early days of America interdependence was necessary for survival.
Meli Garrett speaking of which my ancestors have been in the United States of America since the 1600s and fought for American Independence and against the Confederates.
As an American, I don't really think about our hospitality. I've certainly heard of "southern hospitality", but seeing as I don't live in the south, I haven't really experienced it. We grow up with the idea of "treat others how you want to be treated" being drilled into us and also just common manners like saying please/thank you/excuse me and opening doors for others. The few times someone hasn't opened the door for me, I was absolutely shocked. I can't imagine living somewhere where that isn't the norm.
You, sir, have just helped me appreciate my own country in ways that had never occurred to me (particularly the parts about litter and screens). Thank you!
I have been watching your videos for a while now & I have to say, as an American man myself, it makes me smile to see you, a foreign man who moved here & is able to enjoy his “new life” here. Way to go!
Funny, I grew up in NYC in the 80’s studied Abroad in the late 90’s and told everyone who would listen about how clean Europe was! I was astonished at how the trains in both London and Paris were so clean (in comparison to NYC at that time) I said to a friend “ Paris has mummies ( below the louvre) in their train station and no one steals them” lol I was 19 years old then 🤪
@@moralityisnotsubjective5 And they tend to themselves. No watering, no fertilizing, etc. needed. Really, they're the superior breed of plant to the fragile flowers.
Can confirm. From the Rockies, have plenty of soccer fields(and yes, lung capacity, too). They're good for more than just soccer, it's a large, flat, grassy area that you can have a lot of people gather or run around in for any number of activities.
I visited Aspen with my family ans we stopped in the shopping district. There was a park in the middle of town with a soccer field included I believe. The view was insane. Total LOTR vibes. The grass just drops off to a gorgeous mountain vista. I see why a lot of rich people call Aspen their home.
I do love your content. As a fellow "lived between two different countries" person, I love seeing other perspectives from people who similarly have a lot of experience in one place going to spend a substantial amount of time in another. Every place has it's patches of bad but also its patches of good, and I think these broader perspectives are fantastic to share!
“…we tried pay toilets before…” Never seen a federal Supreme Court (a.k.a. THE Supreme Court) ruling on this. Are there any rulings other than individual states’ decisions?
Well, pay toilets are unintentionally sexist (never thought I'd use that word but it's true in this case). You had to pay to use an individual toilet. So, women always had to pay to pee, while men just used their normal open urinals. The quiet revolt against pay toilets in the ladies' room took several forms: Crawl under the door (yuck). Hold the door open for the next customer. Break the lock on the door (very common). The upshot is, it cost more for upkeep and repairs for the pay toilets and they tended to disappear pretty quickly without issue. The ones that stayed the longest were in government-run areas like the National Parks and Monuments.
Re: the people and friendliness. I was Skyping an Ontarian friend who was surprised that I "invited her to my ranch" "even though we'd never met". I told her "we're Americans; we're inappropriate and overly familiar." Her husband's face said I'd nailed it.
When I was a kid in small-town Missouri in the 90s, a lady who went to my church turned 100. On the week of her birthday, the pastor asked her in front of the congregation what was the greatest invention she ever saw in her lifetime. Without missing a beat, she shouted, “Window screens!” I’ll never forget that.
I really enjoy your videos I've always been fascinated with the British culture but I've lived my whole life in the United States primarily Indiana and to hear someone from another country telling me the differences that they've observed is a real treat thank you for your videos I'm trying very hard to catch up since I just found you
@@monicascheapeasy2805 hey girl, it actually does, but you have to tell it to do so. Where you want a period, comma, etc., just say the word and it will insert it for you. It took a lot of frustration on my part to figure it out. Give it a try 😀
It’s an absolute joy to discover someone from another country who actually likes us. To Laurence, we are generally hospitable. Others see the same actions, and criticize us for being loud and overly friendly. The same actions! 🤷♀️
'Overly friendly'. What a complaint. I'd be tempted to ask them if they'd prefer me being rude and generally an asshole? Too nice is better than too rude. However, they're right about us being loud.
@@Techhunter_Talon Have you ever seen the English drunk on the weekend or on vacation? They are the least liked nationality in Europe. They don't "hold their liquor well" and are vomiting in public and a general nuisance at every establishment.
Laughing Lark but that’s only because they like to blame the U.K. for the USA. Russians are just as obnoxious, their soc or hooligans are brutal and their oligarchs in the south of France get lots of eye rolls. Also it’s Swedes in Paris that puke on the streets.. I’ve seen it.
Most Europeans tend to live in the USA while making a nice living and also simultaneously bitch about it.. I never understood it. If an American lives abroad and complains about anything of their host country they are labelled uncultured. Even if their complaint is a common one that the natives also share.
Techhunter Talon You’re right. They explain the “overly friendly” complaint by saying they feel we’re being fake and shallow. However, it’s just a cultural thing. Personally, I enjoy chatting with strangers. But traveling outside the country, I would try my best to adhere to THEIR norms. I’m not sure about the “loud” generalization, but even that seems relatively petty unless we are being disrespectful to a particular situation...
When I bought this house in 1988 it was a bank repo and had new screens. No central heating or air. Central California. Screens are practically a health code requirement on old houses.
It was so nice to see good stuff about us! It’s been so rough the last several years that I’ve almost forgotten the good things, myself. Thank you! 😁 I remember when we went to Italy in college, our professors told us not to be too friendly to the men because they take that to mean you’re going to sleep with them. I had to have my profesor rescue me a few times because I was being too friendly. 😅
I have been to the USA twice New York and Las Vegas. I thought i would be put off because of the gun laws etc, but i saw none of that and the American people are so friendly and welcoming. the only time that happens with brits is when you meet them abroad. i look forward to the time i can go again as i have so many places i want to go and see. America is a wonderful and beautiful country and vast in comparison to the UK
That one's clever, but thank God Texas stopped using: *"Don't Meth with Texas"* as its Anti-Drug Slogan! Sounds kinda gay "💕😏🍑 *Welcome to Georgia"* is their new advert to attract tourists, and lots of folks do enjoy it, there! ✌️😜*🔫
Yeah, when I got to the South I was shocked at the flagrant and messy and contemputous littering. There's a big anti-environmentalist strain here. The slogan a few years ago was, 'Seriously, y'all still litter?'
Looking into the grand canyon for the first time really does take your breath away, I'll never forget that as a kid. Yosemite Valley is a very close second, just the depth and scale of both is unbelievable.
Of all the things you listed, window screens was one I would never suspect. I went on a trip once to the U.K. when I was 16, and never noticed the lack of window screens ( then again, we never opened any windows to see that.) Actually, what surprised me the most about the U.K. (I went to Stirling and London) was London. I was expecting it to be more like Manhattan- tall skyscrapers, crowds of people shoulder to shoulder on the street, overall dingy look - but was surprised to find that it wasn’t crowded or anything like Manhattan, or really like anywhere else in New York City. It feels more open than Manhattan does due to its architecture, and the blend of older style buildings with the modern buildings gives it a strange but almost timeless feel to it - like it’s a city that extends beyond the ages. What unpleasantly surprised me was the food in terms of how some of the restaurants I went to treated food allergies. When it came to food labels, I don’t remember UK brands having warning labels about allergens, and when I had to ask if a dessert was safe for me (I’m allergic to tree nuts), even with assurances from the chef that it was safe, I still had an allergic reaction. This might not be a UK thing and maybe I just so happened to be in a bad place for allergens, but how does the UK feel about food safety with regards to food allergies?
Well, Europe in general has a more "eat it the way the chef made it" mentality. I noticed when I went that, almost universally, a restaurant would refuse to do anything to alter a dish from how it was standardly prepared. One of our group couldn't eat gluten (else she'd have a severe allergic reaction) and it was very difficult to get straight answers on what was in any given dish. No vendor wanted to talk any more than absolutely necessary to sell a product.
My Grandpa Lester, who recently passed away because of cancer, would always say "Thank God there are people who think differently than me, otherwise the world would be a boring place."
I'm so glad I read the comments. I'm an American living in Canada which has a reputation for "niceness". But I've not yet experienced it as fully as I remember from the states. And I had forgotten that which is why I'm glad I read the comments. Thank you everyone for making me homesick. That's not a bad thing.
I lived in Florida for a while and if someone was being outwardly rude in a store or a restaurant, more often than not, they were Canadian. It’s been my experience than Canadians ,at least the tourists, are extremely arrogant and rude, so much so that I don’t feel like a visit North of the Border would be much fun.
@LitP thank you for the compliments. sometimes I think outsiders really hate us. reading all the pleasant comments about my country is so refreshing. everyone be safe! take care
Before the 1960's, America was a very littery place, too. In the '60's, Lady Bird Johnson started a beautify America campaign. Then the law made hefty fines for littering...and America has been cleaner since then. When I was young, there was one public restroom in a department store that required a dime to enter. I haven't seen one since...and that store has been out of business for decades. I'm from the north south...it's the south, but the northernmost rung of it. Southern hospitality is REAL. The deeper in the south you go, the greater the hospitality becomes...for the most part. Thank you for noticing and commenting on some of the goodness in America. 😊
I live in Alaska and I can really appreciate that remark! At times I think we have islands of population between National, State, and Local parks. Even my town of 45,000 (second most populated) has almost as many parks / playgrounds as churches. LOL.
@Intellectual Ammunition Fairbanks. Just surrounded by them, Denali to the South. Too many to count in the North. Between Homesteads (168 acres each) and National parks we are surrounded. LOL.
"Smile at everyone you see; it may the only smile they see that day." That is a common motto of people I know here in the west, and I guess it explains why we smile and wave at strangers! When Europeans insist that American friendliness is fake, it makes me wonder how depressing their lives (as a society) must be back home - everyone must either ignore each other or be incredibly rude. Haven't they heard of the Golden Rule? When you are raised in a culture whose core values are based on hope of a better tomorrow for everyone, it's (almost) impossible to have a dour outlook. Our friendliness is a direct result of that. However, there are always exceptions to the rule. 😉 I lived in Bolivia, and it was so eye opening for me. There was such an absence of hope. I'd never realized how ingrained in our culture it was because it was all I'd ever known. But there was a repressive attitude of "Things have always been bad/hard, and they will always be this way." Everyone was just hopeless that life could get better. It was incredibly sad, because all of the people I met there were wonderful people. I loved them very much. I can't count the number of times I was asked to sponsor someone's child to come to the US for a chance at a better life. I appreciate my country much more now than I did before, and I understand much better why people will do all kinds of things to get their families here. We aren't perfect by any means, but hope is a beacon.
Friendliness is more than just smiling. Many European countries show politeness and friendliness in other ways. I think what makes people say that American smiles are fake is that you're expected to smile instead of using smiling as a sign of utter enjoyment. What I think is what shows the difference in mentality is that "how are you?" is a greeting rather than a genuine question.
Please don't make the mistake of assuming that just because a culture is different that it is inferior or a miserable place. My friend from Hungary explained to me that people are warm and kind as appropriate, but don't just smile, smile, smile "for no reason" as he put it. If you meet him for the first time, he is polite but not super smiley. Once you get to know him, he is jovial, friendly, always making jokes, eager to help, happy to feed you or lend you whatever you need. It's just something reserved for friends, not (his point of view) squandered on strangers.
The hardest part of wearing a face mask during the pandemic for me has been not being able to see people's smiles. I am from the Midwest where it's common to smile at passing strangers (how sad to think this is "squandering" smiles--the supply is unlimited!) I traveled to Germany a couple of times for work and the biggest culture shock was having strangers avoid eye contact on the street. I found that if I approached a shopkeeper or cashier with a straight face, they usually greeted me in German, but if I approached with a smile they spoke English. Not 100% of the time, but enough to notice the difference. However, once the people there know you they are as warm as anywhere. My boss used to describe it as "Americans are peaches, and Germans are coconuts," meaning that Americans have more superficial friendliness, with a private core at the center, but Germans are harder on the outside but once they allow you past their shell, you're firm friends.
I have worked retail for 25+ years and I was originally a jaded kid when I started, and am now happy to greet people, and have found out over the years that just being friendly makes you feel better and makes any future interaction with anyone more positive. It's more or less, you get back what you put into it. It's not fake, it's more about I want a pleasant day, and the best way to have a good day is to start it out in a positive way with every interaction you have.
While there are occasional exceptions (mainly in seedier areas of large cities), the lack of litter was one of the nicest surprises when I moved to the States.
It’s inconceivable to me that there are people anywhere in the world who do not use window screens. I would never open a window without a screen no matter how much I craved some fresh air.
I lived in Brazil for a year. No screens and no A.C. and near 100 degrees daily. Windows definitely stayed open! And yes, okay, there would be tiny lizards inside and once a Tarantula in the bedroom. But humans adapt.
I spent a few weeks in the UK in my youth and found the people to be, on the whole, very friendly and welcoming. They were very interested in seeing how much alcohol I was able to consume. This was a lot of fun as, being of Irish descent, I represented my country most admirably.
I'm old enough to remember how filthy everything was "back in the day" and the resulting massive anti-littering campaigns of the 70's. Now littering is a modern taboo throughout the US - so much so that I remember being genuinely surprised at many places in Europe. Everyone rightly speaks of the beauty of Paris but few mention the constant reek of urine and the endless scatter of cigarette butts, light litter and an astonishing amount of dog crap - or "dog dirt" as many call it.
I too was amazed at the amount of dog poop on the sidewalks of downtown Brussels. Dog owners don't even try to get the dogs to go somewhere out of the walkway. That was 20 years ago, now we have human poop on the sidewalks of downtown LA. Probably won't be going back to either place.
I remember when I visited Europe for the first time I was also surprised at how in some of the cities like Paris there was a lot of litter. Don't get me wrong, it is bad in large US cities too but in the states if you litter people will either actively call you out for it or they will give you a look and pick up after you. I know when I visit the beach I often walk back to my car with a handful of garbage that's not mine.
Window screens! We went to Normandy last year, stayed in a great apartment, beautiful weather but every time we opened the window flies would come in because there weren’t any screens. The things you take for granted ... 🙂
I never realized screens weren't a thing until I saw new immigrants OPENING the screens. They really didn't know what they were for. My mom explained it them - and then had to explain about the storm windows. Who knew our windows were so complicated?
Actually littering is a problem in some part of the US. I drive on back country roads to work and once in a while I see garbage bags, mattresses, sofa and etc. dumped by the side of the road. But it typically get cleaned up after a few days.
I live in the Southwestern US (Arizona currently, but lived in New Mexico for 23 years) and I can tell you there are soccer fields everywhere! Although professionally it isn't taken as seriously as some other sports, a ton of people play it just as a recreational activity. You can find them in parks, high schools, colleges, and what we call "sports complexes" which tend to also have baseball diamonds and tennis courts.
When I was a kid in Indiana, the local mall used to have pay toilets. However, most of the people would hold the door for the next person, so they wouldn’t have to spend any change. One day they just took out the coin boxes and made them free.
I heard airports in the US back in the 70s had pay toilets. I don’t remember them as we traveled by car till the late 80s the first time I flew in an airplane. Heard it was sex discrimination lawsuit ended it. Women had to pay to go #1 or #2 and guys only had to pay to go #2.
We have a coyote that hangs out in the back of our yard..always licking his chops...at the thought of our cat "making a break for it" through an open window.
🐱Great quotation🖤 Love window & door screens too🖤 w/o them in Los Angeles I'd be covered in welts from mosquito bites. It would also be an open invitations to curious creatures like lizards, skunks, raccoons, opossums & deer. A screen alone is not gonna keep a hungry coyote, mountain lion or bear out if it saw a slumbering snack (meow) on the other side.
I appreciate your comments on your experience in the US. I'm an American; I've visited the UK a few times and mostly only encountered really nice people. The only exceptions I met were in London, but that's true in any big city.
I remember when I was a teenager, The Dayton Mall tried to start charging .25 to use the bathroom. It didn't last long because people would hold the door open for the next person to go in, crawl under the door or jam paper into the lock.
The litter war in the US started in the early 70's. I remember a time when the highways were lined with trash. Mostly not the case anymore. Also, as an American tourist I'm always sensitive as to how we're perceived. In the 8 counties I've visited south of the border, 4 of them I've felt overwhelmed with opportunists. The other 4 I felt welcomed. Been to Ireland twice and had the warmest welcome anywhere we went. Also been to Canada a couple of time but it felt like just another state in the US - which is actually really great.
I live in Louisiana, and we loooove to feed people. Food is like a religion here. Plus, despite our problems, we are a generally friendly folk. And, in bad times, we tend to look after each other. After a hurricane, the unwritten rule is you take care of you and yours then you help your neighbor. It's just how it goes here. I'm not going to say my state doesn't have its problems, but hearing you talk kind of reminded me of why, even though I hate the humidity and heat, I still keep coming home. The US is in a dystopian dumpster fire right now, but there are still things that are good. Thanks for reminding me of that.
I recently visited New Orleans (I'm American but from Chicago) and I met some of the friendliest people ever. Everyone was so nice and quick to help or make suggestions. Can't wait to go back.
Louisiana is sort of like the crazy little brother of the family: yeah he's crazy but you can't help but love him despite or maybe because of his shenanigans! . Florida, however, is more like the crackhead cousin with the prison record that everyone tolerates to be nice but really wish he'd just go away.
California is the eccentric older ex-hippie aunt who means well but is a hot mess in every sense of the word. . Texas is that one middle kid who hates to be ignored and has to go big on everything, including stoking their own ego.
Louisisna has food at GAS STATIONS better than most places' restaurants. And because people there know good food, there are very few mediocre places to eat. They just wont tolerate bad food down there!
I moved to Iowa about 15 years ago. And here, not only do we say hi to everyone but while you are driving in the street people would also wave at you!!! When I first arrived here, I thought my husband just new everyone single person in town. But it turns out that’s just what you do around here. I now do it too!!! ❤️
@@mrs.o.524 I'll be darned. I experienced that when I first lived out in the country and also when in small towns but in small touristy towns it never happened probably because so many of the drivers were outsiders.
I appreciate you sharing good things about America. I feel a lot of my European and Asian friends hardly want to visit because of all the things they hear on the news. It’s nice to see a Brit love on my homeland.
Hi Joani, so many people are negative about the English too. Especially other members of the United Kingdom. They don't realise the same aristocrats who gave them a hard time treated us English peasants badly too. And they still do! :)x it's easy to criticise, not so easy to praise, so don't listen to the haters. xx
"Focus on the flowers, not the weeds." Wise words (but as an avid gardener, you DO need to pull the weeds early on, otherwise they can be a real problem.)
Unless you live in Michigan Where the governor has banned buying seeds and plants.....You have to watch out for the occasional Nazi in America... but mostly we are good...
Americans are friendly people. A pastor from my youth, when wecoming visitors to church on Sunday mornings, used to say: "You are not strangers, just friends we haven't met yet."
but stranger danger is a thing, pedos fucking terrify me as an adult. Like Thank god I am A- a boy, B - an indoor boy, and C- not dumb because HOLY SHIT is there a good reason to teach children how to concealed carry firearms. Like damn.
@@theraccoonasaur3282 You sure about that? We let kids do all sorts of crazy dangerous shit. If we aren't raising our kids to be responsible enough to carry a firearm, that needs to change. I don't mean issue them to the entire class, but parents should absolutely be allowed to entrust a firearm to their children to carry with them.
My grandmother lived to 108 and passed away in 1990. AT her 100th birthday she was asked what was the most important invention of her time. She answered unexpectedly Window Screen Consider she lived most of her life in the country, Horses were common but so were horse flies. Consider that they were a public health boon.
Driving across country a few years ago, I stopped at a motel for the night. The next morning in the motel parking lot I raised the car hood to check the fluids etc. since it's an older car. A few people seemed worried and asked if I needed help with the car. That was so kind of them.
There was a commercial when I was a kid with a Native American actor who turned to the camera with a tear in his eye. I have hiked miles to find garbage cans rather than disappointing that guy.
The Midwest has a reputation of having some of the friendliest people in the country. Most of them also don’t use Twitter. In general, most people in any country are just good people who want to be free to make their own choices.
As a midwesterner, it can almost be a curse. Earlier today me and some guy at walmart started talking about some random thing in line. It took nearly 20 minutes AFTER checking out to successfully extricate ourselves from that conversation since neither of us wanted to be the "bad-guy" that ended it first.
I've lived in a few places around the country. About the only place I lived where people aren't friendly was New Jersey. Right now, I live in what I consider the friendliest area I've lived in. It's also the most diverse area I've lived in. It's about split evenly with black, white and hispanic followed by a fairly good sized Vietnamese population.
Two things: 1. If you lived in San Francisco and didn't explore the western parks, that's the most beautiful part of the country. Come back and see it. 2. Oddly, when I was in Italy (mostly Tuscany, but also Rome) for a month, EVERYONE who had been to the US said they flew to LA and drove to the Grand Canyon. Cities can be copied, you can't copy Yosemite or the Grand Canyon.
Great other parks as well. Bryce Canyon, Zion Canyon, Kings Canyon, Mesa Verde NP, Giant Sequoia NP, Death Valley NP. I have been to all of them plus Grand Canyon NP North and South Rim, and Yosemite. All in 10 days road trip. I still need to visit Yellowstone NP and Teton NP as well as Glacier NP.
As an American who moved to the U.K., I can attest to the litter thing. When I got here I was quite taken aback by how much litter could be found everywhere. I live in a nice neighbourhood and I still find the odd Lucozade bottle or Dariy Milk wrapper in my garden. It’s become part of the scenery, but it definitely made me question what was up.
David Sedaris spends his free time in Britain picking up litter on the roads around his house. The bonus is that he gets his steps in for his fitness tracker. :-)
Quarantine has caused a lot of litter on the sides of roads. It's driving me crazy. We have adopt a highway, but I'm pretty sure we also get prison patrol and I cannot imagine living in a place where litter is the norm.
This is so weird, hearing someone saying nice things about America. I've gotten so use to hatred and vitriol directed towards us that this video is an amazing breath of fresh air.
@Skrying Shame It sucks.
@Skrying Shame so true.
Stop watching the news. Lol
I love how many of us can't seem to stand criticism
Yeah, even if some of them are Russian trolls, we do seem to be the whipping boy nationality of the year this year.
When I brother arrived in the U.S., he told me that strangers would say hi to him, which does not happen in China. My first culture shock came when a fellow shopper in a mall called me "honey". Will never forget how Ohioans would jump out of their cars to help push a vehicle stuck in a snow storm. One guy jump-started my car four times because it kept dying. I lost my wallet at a gas station in Indiana and they kept it till I drove back to get it. I have lived in this country for almost 23 years and still have not visited all the national parks yet. I could not agree more: the people and the national parks are my absolute favorites about living in America.
Glad to have you here! Our national parks are definitely one of our best assets!
As an average American, thank you! I guess I've become blind to what you see. Thank you for helping me open my eyes
As an American i happy ro have you here & im extremely happy for you that you don't have to live under the CCP. I think the best thing about America is our 1st & 2nd Amendments & that our government says our rights comenfrom God & not Government & that our Government is to protect our rights not curtail them..except durring pandemics, I've come to find out.
Zhen Li , thank you for this comment. I'm so glad you felt welcomed and not so on your own when you came to the US. Your words cheered me up in this difficult time.
@@shaunellis3060 Our rights do not come from God, they come from the people. Our inalienable rights, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are rights all humans deserve. Our codified rights, like free speech, freedom of religion, and the right to bear arms are manifestations of thoseminalienable rights. They don't come from any god. In America an atheist has those same rights as any Christian, or any other religion, including Satanists (who are really atheists). They only disappear if we the people let them. That's why it is important to be vigilant against encroachments on those rights, whether they come from your preferred political ideology or from competing political ideologies (they all profess freedom while saying the others don't, but any group in power for long enough will do almost anything they can get away with to prolong their hold on power)
I can confirm that seeing someone actually just toss litter, even just a single paper cup, on the ground is shocking to me
YES! I instantly judge people for that.
It is infuriating and disgusting. Don't Mess with Texas.
The litter thing really changed dramatically about 50 years ago in the U.S. This was mostly due to a very successful ad campaign on televisions.
For a few states (eg. Missouri), it was a bit later (mid to late 80s). As a kid from Illinois, I remember being shocked every time we went to Missouri.
Most undeveloped parts of the world are shockingly bad with litter. If you spend much time in them at all, you'll probably end up littering at some point too. It just doesn't feel like it makes a difference when everyone else does it all the time.
I couldn’t believe Paris. It was filthy! So disappointing.
It's abhorrent to me.
It shows utter disrespect toward our neighborhood, town, city, State, country and Earth.
Litter is something I can not tolerate so I go around, especially the ditches to keep them clear and running, picking up other people's trash anywhere I see it and on days off around my neighborhood and around country highways.
😠
It's extremely good exercise for me, too. All that walking, bending, reaching, squatting, lugging, etc. a full yard-size trash bag around.
I hate exercising to be exercising. This is purposeful work with noticeable results for the environment and for my body.
❤
As an American, "It has less litter" is never something I thought I would hear about the USA.
About the indoor vs outdoor cat thing: Cats are in invasive species in a lot of areas, the US included. I don't think they're invasive in Europe though, so that would partly explain why people the US keep them inside more.
They are in Athens, Greece! They were everywhere when I visited. I don't mind, but a cat hater probably would!
Cats are NOT an invasive species.
Humans that view cats as such however, are an invasive species…
@@JROD082384 you're welcome to look up the definition of invasive species, if you're ever inclined to stop with your nonsense
I keep my cat indoors because cats frequently go missing, lost cat posters are everywhere. I don't want her to get hit by a car or have to fight raccoons, and it also eliminates concerns about fleas and the house getting infested with them. It hasn't anything to do with "invasive species", just her health and safety. I like her and I want her to live is all.
I've been seeing a lot more outdoor cats these days though.
(UK Citizen) When I was 8 me, my 2 sisters and my parents went on this once in a lifetime holiday to florida. And whilst there our car had broken down/overheated; now we had no idea what to do or where we were, and me and my two sisters were also like the car dying in the hot weather; then this sweet old American couple came out and invited us into their home, offering tea, food, a look at the cars engine and a lovely chat. We couldn't believe it! That would never happen in the UK. Such genuine people whome turned a situation that felt dire to a child into one of his favourite highlights of the holiday. A situation that speaks volumes about the average American. Thank you America from the heart!
Side note: The tea was pretty awful 😂 but i made sure to tell her it was the best i'd ever drunk. Hopefully that means something coming from an Englishman.
Thank you for sharing your lovely story.
"The tea was pretty awful..." 😂 My brother-in-law is from Taiwan and his family farms tea. When I offered him a cup of tea he immediately refused because it wouldn't be good. I knew it was good tea and the temperature and steeping time for it. Since my sister and I were having some I made him a cup as well. I didn't force it upon him but he drank it and was pleasantly surprise at how good it was. Now I can't go to their house without being sent home with tea for brewing. He is appalled at how much we have to pay for good tea in the US because it is so prevalent in Taiwan.
Beautiful story 🥰 I suspect the tea was Lipton instant since southern tea is usually excellent, especially when Mahmah makes it
It would mean more if you wouldnt lie on yhat issue
Lovely story ☺️ 90% of Americans are fantastic but I did think as soon as you said they invited us to there home that it could be a chainsaw massacre situation lol jk but good for you to have met such lovely people x
I just want to say thank you for noticing the good America has to offer.
Alex, your comment should have at the very LEAST, 1 million thumbs up!
Agreed I gave it one
I would also like to thank you for bringing it up. With everything going on, there is a divide but when it comes down to it, we all love each other and want what’s best for everyone.
Comment
Maybe the east side because California is dirty
My husband and I have travelled the world over, and we are forever amazed at the friendliness of Americans. They would literally give you the shirt off their backs.
ima be honest with you i probably couldn't live outside of the us for this very reason
This is very true.
I have legitimately done that, the situation was wild though
@@damianmorningstar3150 would love to hear that story 😂
@@damianmorningstar3150 Please, we need the story now. We have all the time in the world to read this story.
As someone working in customer service, the niceness thing isn’t *just* a thing we need to do. I genuinely enjoy when the good feelings are reciprocated and enjoy being temporary friends with a stranger I’ll likely never see again in my life.
Yeah despite hating working food service, my favorite part of the job was being nice to people and having positive interactions. It makes you feel like the world isn't so crazy, and you feel like you're doing something more with your life than just rolling burritos if you're making people smile when they might be having a rough day.
I quit food service, did car maintenance instead, with a good amount of my job being interaction with customers. I like cars and I like positive interactions with people, so win-win. No more soggy burritos.
Agreed. I *liked* being able to help people. Even if it was 'wasting' time by taking me away from completing tasks that were actually tracked, I still wanted to help. Still glad to not be working retail anymore.
maybe it's because Americans live so far apart in such wide green spaces that they get lonely and want to bond, even with strangers/customers, because talking to someone in person is a rarity?
I never realized that I was taking my window screens for granted.
Right lol
Growing up in the deep south, they are a necessity! Currently, I can't open about 8 of my windows because there is no screen and its an OLD house with big widows so they need to be special ordered to replace. Cost too much :(
@@adriennestudaway893 If you have the frames, rolls of screening and the tool to pop them in are pretty cheap!
I've always thought that was why in Britain they have lace curtains, to act like screens for bugs ( wouldn't help much with the cat). I enjoy your humor.
It sounds like we need to start selling window screens in the UK. Untouched market.
..My wife is from Lithuania, and when we visited there, I was told that I "looked American"... no Budweiser shirts and fanny packs... when pressed as to why they thought so...they all said it was because I was smiling... no one in Europe smiles...or God forbid says hello to anyone else on the street without knowing them.... LOL
Yeah right of course they did..🙄🤣🤣
@@Ionabrodie69 It's probably true. One common caricature of Americans is a big toothy smile, especially in eastern Europe. Though, when I was in Ukraine, the people I was working with, who were mostly young guys, veterans of the Soviet/Russian Army going to college after serving argued quite a lot about where I looked like I was from. The US curiously was not on the list, though both Russia and Afghanistan were. Afghanistan was higher on the list because I'm tall even for Americans. The "American" betrayal though was that I whistled. That was something that raised superstition/greed. The explanation was that you didn't whistle because you would be whistling away your money or your luck or both. It was clear that if I didn't have any money I would not be able to buy dinner or a beer or coffee or ...
Charles Bronson was lithuanian... he was so serious
😲 WOW, seriously?
When I’m biking , I always make sure to say hello to everyone I pass and tell them that I hope that they have a good day.
I'm from the UK and I live in the US. My favorite happy surprises about living here share some overlaps with yours: lack of litter, friendliness of random people, good customer service, toleration of difference (like in the UK, everyone used to call me "quirky" and "eccentric" but in the US nobody comments - I feel that they are more tolerant and open minded of difference), better consumer choice, scale of natural beauty - huge, stunning mountains and lakes, can-do attitude, cats being indoors. I will click comment now, and then realize all the things I forgot. I also have a list of what sucks, but let's keep it positive!
Please share the bad parts.
As an American, I know a bad one. Health care.
Everywhere has good and bad. Some positivity every now and then is refreshing. ✌🏻🤟🏻
@@chopitup9950 This. As a Brit who moved to the US, the Health Care is something that always amazes me that it's so corporate owned and how much they try to say that free health care would bring the system to it's knees despite the fact Canada, the UK and so many other countries have it and it's fine, if not better. If I fall and break my leg back in the UK I know I'm covered and I won't pay a thing. Here if I break my leg, I'm driving myself to the hospital because I know I've already saved myself at least $300 if not more just for not needing an ambulance and that's before the actual consultation fee, treatment fee, medication fees etc. It's insane.
@@Kinvarus1 Although many countries have great tax payer funded health care (not free), many do NOT!
America would be one of them. Because big pharma is so corporate they are involved with politicians, as both love money and power. If we allowed tax payer funded healthcare then our federal (and possibly state) taxes would go up and most of it would go into the pockets of politicians and big pharama, leaving very little to doctors, nurses, and equipment.
Just look at our schools. The more money that goes into them the dumber kids get and the worse things are for them. Private schools don’t have this problem. Michelle Obama turned school lunches into a tortilla with bologna. The schools that receive the most money from taxes aren’t the best schools.
Anything the government touches turns to shit due to corruption. We need to keep business and politics local. And businesses, including healthcare related businesses, need to be more transparent about prices and services.
There’s no reason that someone can’t request an mri or X-ray and actually get it. Too many doctors deny patients tests and referrals to specialist but will happily write up antidepressants without a psychiatrist or therapist. I and my family have a rare disorder that has a lot of secondary disorders. It’s a battle to get a specialist and even then some of them accuse us of lying or don’t do enough tests before making a diagnosis and coming up with a treatment plan. And a LOT of them don’t like doing paperwork, which is needed for insurance and medical records.
Back in the 70s there was an environmental push, not littering, recycling were two of the big things we focused on, and overall got adopted. Having been used to it, it's nice to know someone noticed!
I dont remember the recycling bit from the 70’s. I do remember the reuse and repurpose ads. But we were hillbillies and already did that. 😂
The only other countries that are comparable to the USA regarding having less litter are Japan and Singapore. Part of it is the nature of oriental culture. In the case of Singapore, it’s severe penalties for littering.
Yeah, there are still "Don't Mess With Texas" signs up around Texas discouraging littering and promoting caring for the environment.
Right! that commercial of the Native American sitting on his horse and a tear falling down his cheek as he looked over the landscape with trash all over it.
@@coxstereightynine9650 I remember that commercial
literally if i’m on a date with someone and they litter, they’re gone
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 yes! If you throw trash out of your window while driving (literally happened) don’t expect me to be your friend. I’ll lose all respect for you immediately.
I was all ready dating my partner when he threw a whole fast food meal piece by piece out the window while driving. I told him it was low class and if he ever did it again it was over. I married him. 20 years being litter free!!
💯 the rudeness.
@@dellahart2463 very cool story :)
Agreed! 😻
Twitter is by no means a representation of the real world. People in America generally get along in person. One of the main reasons I hate twitter.
One of the reasons I'm not on Twitter.
You are absolutely correct, I dropped account a year ago.
If people in the US behaved (in person) the way they do in Twitter, or even sometimes in the comments on RUclips, everyone would either be hiding, looking for someone to kill or dead
Same, I'm never going on Twitter
Yeah twitter is the worst
I went to the US as a Brit and had a few pleasant surprises myself. One being how friendly people are, just strangers coming up to me and complimenting my clothes or anything, it felt so warming. The amount of stores that are sort of quirky in nature as well, I absolutely adored those and wish we had more of them here in the UK. Gas prices being so cheap compared to Europe is another. Oh and at Target, the checkout dude was putting my items in the grocery bags and I loved that. There's a lot of things that surprised me and I loved my time there.
ive heard stories of American going abroad in Europe and hating it seems everyone so cold
Yes we are a pretty chatty country as a whole 😂
In L.A. there is litter EVERYWHERE
@@selahgreen9648 I went through a dozen countries in Europe over 2 months. I found the people in each country to be really friendly in their own way. The Brits were quick to make sure that I knew how to get around safely and quickly in their towns(without me asking). They seemed almost worried for me which was... maybe a little unnecessary. The Germans were fantastic at being efficient(which is a cold, but material form of politeness). The Italians weren't efficient(seriously who closes an entire city just because it's a bit warm), but they loved to talk with me and their night life was oddly both genuine and exciting. The French were nice, sometimes even nice in Paris. The people who stood out the most were the Flemish. My friends joked that if any of us were ever alone and sad in Antwerp, we could open a map and be swarmed with friendly conversation. Having said that though, I will admit that my hometown in the USA is much more openly friendly. A good mix of the cultures.
@@IronpenWorldbuilding La doesn't even represent the rest of California. I hate going there
I think the best description ever of American culture is that we are basically the golden retrievers of the world. We are friendly, welcoming, occasionally loud, and not always super bright but we make up for it in cuteness.
That sounds exactly like my golden retriever
The epitome of Southern hospitality was when my friend, her family, and I were in South Carolina to watch the solar eclipse. We were pulled over by the side of this rode outside a state forest to see the eclipse. This sweet old reverend and his wife were hosting a lot of people from their church and neighborhood over for a barbecue to watch the eclipse. As they were driving by, they proceeded to invite everyone that was pulled over on the road over to their house to watch the eclipse and have dinner afterwards. We met so many amazing people and had a great time with complete strangers. Now that's hospitality.
One time when I was a kid, our church was having one of its outdoor pitch-in dinners that it had a couple times a year. Two burly, hairy, grungy bikers pulled in. One of them was having engine trouble, and they were nearly broke and hungry. Not only were they welcomed at the church picnic, my mother invited them home, where they stayed for a week or so while the mechanically talented guys of our church fixed the guy's motorcycle. She pulled out all the stops, too -- huge meals at the dining room table we only ate at for special meals, with the lace tablecloth and the best china and silverware. What's more, she kept in touch with one of the two for years afterward till he stopped writing.
as a South Carolinian, If you get past some of the bad, you can find real kindness in this state.
As a southerner I can tell you that's all a front
@@joebarton4947 as a southerner, it's a front for what?
@@ianfab79 Joe barton probably means "pretentious" hospitality. Not very common, but can happen in all countries.There are people who REALLY are hospitable, there are those who PRETEND to be just for the sake/creation of a hospitality sense and others who use it for getting to know people. I would say people are inherently good, they have just been programmed to act in certain ways. Quoting Lawrence, "Look at the Flowers, not the Weeds" - Have a beautiful day. ya'll!
My husband is new to the USA, been here less than a month and he was surprised by:
1. Wal-Mart
2. Pumping our own gas
3. Drink refills at restaurants
4. How big the personal vehicles are (the trucks!)
5. That you buy ice at a gas station
6. The people are nicer than he thought they would be (even though I tried to explain)
My husband is from Brazil.
Thank you for your channel! It is quite entertaining!
Order your husband some Mackinac Island fudge from Murdick's. Give him a taste of Michigan.
Where do you go to buy ice in Brazil then? Seems like in a country with a warm climate like Brazil, access to the ice supply might be an important thing.
@@BIGBLOCK5022006 OHIO
@@BIGBLOCK5022006 oh my I'm from Michigan, and I haven't had that since I was a little girl! Dangggggg ittttttt I need it!
Rio is insanely dangerous, I went to Carnival and never have felt so unsafe as being in downtown Rio. And never been more grossed out by water. The bay was like a sheet of trash. Pollution everywhere. The docks stunk so bad. We were staying on a boat.
This is one of the most fascinating channels on RUclips. As an American, I would like to say we are glad to have you!
The Grand Canyon was a zen experience for me. I drove from flagstaff about 5 in the morning. On my way the road was blocked by two large elks standing in the middle of the road. They were huge majestic creatures, shoulder height to the roof of my car. They inspected me and let me pass. Then onto the park. The gates were up so I drove on in and found my spot. The rising Sun continually revealed more of the majesty of our planet and at every moment I continued to be moved. Easy to say this was the greatest experience of my life.
My favorite sight in the US. You gasp when you walk to the rim. I haven’t been many places, but this is the best.
great description...awesome experince
My one and only Elk hunt was Unit 7E Flagstaff, plenty of them out there within the 12,000+ ft mtn ranges. I live in AZ and never experienced the grand canyon...
i stayed atthe El Tovar on south rim in '93...eating breakfast 20 feet from the edge...like a dream
My family managed to make a trip to the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Park in a week or two. I really enjoyed all three. The Grand Canyon is the most famous (for good reason), but I found the other parks just as spectacular - maybe even more so because of the lack of expectations. If you've never seen Bryce, it's like a canyon filled with natural sculptural rock formations - during sunset and sunrise they are especially beautiful. And pictures of Zion don't really do justice to the feeling you get when you drive through the tunnel and emerge in a valley surrounded by gigantic cliffs and canyon walls that look like mountains.
There was a big campaign to end littering in the 1980’s and we stuck with it. It really is one of our better group achievements.
Actually, our airwaves were littered with anti-littering campaigns throughout the 60's, 70's and 80's. It took 30 yrs or more and a couple more generations born, to get the message sunk into the population's minds, but it worked. It was constant campaigning about earth, water bodies, and air pollution. So happy that we have come such a long way from the days of littering and pollution. It was so very bad back then, compared to now.😊
Somehow New Orleans didn't get the memo.
@@audrarouse5564 Neither did the entirety of California.
@@brenda9140 I feel like even all the way up into the early 90's! I'm 32, and vividly remember anti-littering commercials airing when I was little. I guess change takes awhile.
"Give a hoot, don't pollute."
"Don't mess with Texas."
The reason the US has less litter is because there are WAY MORE public trash cans. In the UK and in most of Europe, there aren't trash cans on all of the paths, in the US, not only does the government put them everywhere, but businesses also make a point of providing them to help keep their exteriors litter-free.
Don't forget the hefty fines..for littering and for killing praying mantis'. Lol
(American here). I'm about as far from a "tree hugger" as one can be, I'm a big Buick driving,pro nuclear power/natural gas guy, but I HATE litter! (I also LOATHE graffiti..) It's ugly AF. I am thankful that, yes, private property owners provide trash cans. I just wish more people would USE THEM. I'm THAT guy who will put a wrapper in my pocket until I find an appropriate place to dump it. LOL.
Michael Lyndon Also there is a much higher general respect towards other people’s property. I mostly noticed that trespassing is taken much more seriously here than in my home country in Europe. But it can also mean we don’t throw stuff onto other people’s property.
Not true. There are almost no public trash cans in Japan, and you must carry your trash with you home, and yet, the country is extremely clean.
It's the culture.
Should see Japan, almost no litter whatsoever, and not a single public trash can to be seen.
As a hoosier, you talking about hoosier hospitality made my day. I remember one day I was riding my bike around my Indiana hometown and asking a feller biking across the country what surprised him most about my state, he said we were all very nice. It pretty much changed my life and how I interact with others.
I’m a Hoosier too! As a baby boomer it was a wonderful and wholesome place to grow up (50’s & 60’s). Terre Haute
In the 80's we had Woodsy the Owl who was a marketing icon to teach Americans not to litter. "Give a Hoot, Don't Pollute." We also had Smokey the Bear to teach us not to start forest fires. 😁
P.S. I live in the Rocky Mountains and we do indeed have soccer, football, and baseball fields! They are in valleys and the giant mountains surround them.
the ad with an Indian chief with a tear running down his cheek...so good...
A friend of mine from college (25 years ago) was from Britain. He told me the thing that amazed him the most was the idea Americans had that tomorrow would always be better, that if you work hard you can be a huge success, that you can win the lottery and become a movie star and cure diseases, that there is always hope and never give up. I thought this was strange because I thought all people were that way. He told me in America, anyone can go to college, whenever they want, wherever they are. In Britain, you have to qualify to go to college by taking standardized tests at the end of high school, and if you don't make it, you don't go to college. Again, this was 25 years ago so I don't know if things have changed. But in America, he went on, you can drop out of high school and still go back later, get a GED, study for an entrance exam you can take over and over until you eventually pass, and go to college. He said he thought it was in the DNA of Americans, the idea that they can always improve their lives, that they are the masters of their destiny, and so have created a system giving people the chance to become better, to reinvent themselves, to keep improving, to become anything you want. He went on to marry his American college sweetheart, get a Master's degree in chemistry from another American college, divorced her and married another American woman, and is now an American citizen teaching high school chemistry in California.
One of my college friends' married a guy from France she met during her graduate studies in AZ. He now works on laser optics for NASA. Another friend married a guy from Ireland she met during her graduate studies in WA, who has a PhD in something I forget. They both have become American citizens. I mention them because they seem to epitomize what Americans see as the "American Dream", starting from square one and achieving great things through hard work, perseverance and dedication.
One of my ancestors came over from German by herself in the 1860's and moved to Minnesota. THAT took guts! If hope and perseverance even in the face of adversity is in the DNA of Americans like my friend said, it's because of those that came before us that had the hope and dreams to come here and start a brand new life in a foreign land...like you :-) This is an incredibly vast oversimplification of the American experience and just my views, but my friend's comments have stuck with me and how that DNA of exploring somewhere new, trying something new, going beyond the limits, has been passed down generation after generation. I have no idea what it's like to grow up in another country, but I know growing up here, I always felt the sky was the limit...then again, not even that ;-)
"Focus on the flowers not the weeds." Nice!
You seemed more yourself tonight. Thank you. Good one.
@Red Head Geek - that was perfectly said - I agree with the American attitude of optimism, etc...as a trait coming from our ancestors who left their homelands to make a better life here. My family came mainly from Ireland in the 1800s with my paternal grandmother’s side from England coming around 1750. All poor, many illiterate. The last to immigrate was my 3rd great grandfather in 1871 from Ireland and he arrived alone. All of them were so brave all went on to have good lives and gave their children more than what they had, on and on each generation more successful than the last. I think having ancestors who were brave enough to leave everything they knew to start all over in a new country is something that’s passed along. And for that I’m grateful and proud of my great grandparents who left places like Strokestown and Ardee and Yorkshire to come to New York and then Michigan.
RedHeadGeek that story was wonderful, thanks 😊
RedHeadGeek I have a distant cousin who dropped out of high school our junior year to get married. She eventually got her GED, went to college and is now an elementary school principal. It’s nice to know that we can change the course of our lives and it’s never too late for a college education.
Hey! I'm from MN. Where did she go in MN? My great grandmother came over from Germany.
Americans don't like the see through cracks on public toilet stalls either.
Creepers might...
Those gaps are intentional, they cut down on use, thus cleaning and maintainence cost.
We also don't like that walls and doors in the stalls don't go all the way to the floor. Ideally they would be completely enclosed with ventilation to the outside to keep the rest of the restroom from stinking.
Dayle Arceneaux I saw something on RUclips recently about those gaps but can’t remember what it was 🤷♀️
Easy Rider I just posted about the gap and it said something about the fact doors don’t go all the way down, can’t remember what it was
I'm from Asia. I've been in United States for more than 30 years. I totally agreed with you. United States are indeed are the most comfortable place to live. Whether you are rich, medium class or poor , mostly all home are central air. We are indeed very spoil because everything is all necessity as an American. Paper napkins, toilet paper, take away box even for 2 bite left over, disposal cups are all free. If people complaining that American life are not fair or not to their expectations then I'll say these people don't know what they're talking about. Americans can drive a Mercedes-Benz or BMW even their occupation are just a servers. As long as you got a job, your credits are good, you can drove away a brand new car on the day you shopping for car.There's no Doctor or Esquire to be address. Everyone standard are same in public. After working hours a bussed can sit and hang out with their manager and bosses. I appreciated everything that USA have given me. God is good to me.
Thank you for all the kind things you say about the US, Lawrence. You seem like such a genuinely pleasant person - always seeing the positive in everything. I do hope to get the chance to visit the UK someday so I can share what I love with you too.
I think alot of the credit for things being so clean and litter-free must go to the First Lady, Ladybird Johnson. She initiated a beautification program in 1965 which was very effective, and caught on everywhere. Littering became socially unacceptable. Then the 1970s environmental movement solidified the trend.
I grew up with The Crying Indian PSAs and am disgusted by anyone who litters.
@@hippychikforever Yes, I remember that PSA! It was a very successful campaign.
It became really successful when states started issuing fines for littering.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) did a survey in the 70’s to determine who the litterbugs were and found it was mostly young men. Hence the “Don’t mess with Texas “ campaign. Still works today.
Lady Bird Johnson was also responsible for the beautiful wild flowers we have along our highways, back when her husband was Governor here in Texas, she enacted the spreading of the seeds, esp our world famous bluebonnets. Still illegal to pick them.
A good friend of mine who is not rich, gave away her stimulus check in extra tips to wait staff after restaurants opened back up. All 12 people that she gave $100 to cried.
I love this! If we get another, I’d like to do this too.
🥰🥰🥰🥰
I went out to dinner twice during this pandemic and tipped $100 each time, my servers never said anything but I hope they were grateful. I know how difficult life is for them these days.
"All 12 people that she gave $100 to cried." That is sad, I know, I Love people in general. She gave it away is very generous of her, and they cried, which is very sad. I Love this guys place, he's uplifting and not foul mouthed, when people cuss so much I just turn the channel and think they must be Democrats... God Bless You, and Everyone! www.sez33.com
I gave $100 tips to 3 servers/delivery drivers that always take excellent care of us. They were overwhelmed. I was happy I could do something to help them out.
I’m so glad that you’ve encountered friendly Americans - what a lovely theme. My dear Mom never met a stranger and nearly every time she traveled (or even just exited an elevator!) - she’d have made a friendly connection with someone.
Bought some window screens for our patio doors last year here in the UK, what a godsend! Open the back doors and air can come in and NO bugs.
I travel internationally a lot. I can't tell you how many times I've been asked, "Do you *HAVE* to say hi to EVERYBODY?" I always reply, "Yes - I'm an American - we talk to everyone!" Love your glasses, btw.
Apparently, according from some American friends who were going abroad to certain places, one of the lessons a lot of Americans need to learn before going abroad is to tone down the smiling at strangers thing lest they come off as weirdos or (for the ladies) prostitutes.
@@bemusedbandersnatch2069 people always looked weirdly at me in germany when i just said hi like I'm about to kidnap them
I've traveled quite a bit as well, and while I respect other's culture and way of life one thing I NEVER apologized for was saying "Hi" to strangers.
I had a friend come over from America to watch a NBA basketball game with me in London. 2 and a half hours after the game I was still waiting for him outside the venue as he talked to everyone. As British we were too polite to tell him to shut up. The staff were leaving before me. Just strange to talk to everyone. He talked all the way through the game too and spent half of the time putting stuff on Instagram 🙄
@@dianethompson209 Damn friendly Social Americans! :-)
What I experience as an American, in day to day life, is so far removed from what I see on the news. It's nice to hear someone comment on it. When I go to work, I am greeted with "good morning" by about 6-7 strangers before I even get to my work station. When I go to the grocery store, people are friendly and nice. I'm short so I often have to ask tall people for help reaching things in the grocery. Everyone I have ever asked has been great.
Yes!! Agreed. I'm in a wheelchair and everyone offers to help me if I make it clear that I'm having trouble with something. Heck, most offer help before I struggle at all. xD
I have to TRY to be independent over here. :P
I'm short and I ask people all the time to get stuff down off shelves for me. Always nice. Always accommodating. Even during COVID.
@@handle--729 I have never thought of that before. However, I appreciate you getting things for short people off the shelf. It is interesting to see someone climbing shelves to get something up high. I do it when no one is around to help, but I am sure it would be funny to me, a 51 year old woman climbing shelves to get peanut butter. So thank you anyway.
Same here. Americans do try to be polite and helpful. That's a generalization, yes, but I'm grateful to tall people for helping me get stuff on high shelves, and no one has ever refused. We do have a national congenial streak, for the most part.
@@handle--729 I could see your asking for help if, for example, the item was towards the back of the very bottom shelf . I think most folks should be understanding of that. Sometimes I'll ask a kid to help with that--they're usually delighted to do it.
Window screens - I always find it strange when I watch movies or TV shows that are supposed to be set in America, and none of the windows have screens in them. People just open the window and climb in/out, or throw something out the window. I've never lived anywhere that didn't have screens in the windows. Even so, I regularly get bugs inside during the summer. For some reason, my home seems to be really popular with ladybugs. I don't mind those so much and usually catch & release them. I hate the moths and other bugs that find their way inside though.
We used to climb in and out of our windows, but we left the screens off on purpose so we could. We also live in coastal SoCal, not a lot of bugs to worry about.
It keeps the lighting even and also it just generally looks bad on camera. Another fun one is that cars don’t have often have head rests in the front seat if multiple people are in the back.
Born and raised in Texas, I have spent my adult life in the UK and southeast Asia. I began listening to Lost in the Pond during my 22nd year living in Singapore - fun way to pass the time during the pandemic. Mid 2021 I moved back to Texas (talk about culture shock) but I have found these commentaries very positive and encouraging. (And still love the humour!)
The nicest thing I ever had happen to me was this:
When I was between jobs, maybe about 6 years ago, I was working at a temp job for $8/hr, a distribution center of some kind. I was living very paycheck to paycheck and really only bought stuff like groceries and school supplies. I went to the store to buy some stuff for the coming week, and as I checked out, my card was declined. We scanned it 3 or so times and it was still declined, so I went to cal my bank and check my account (the put the transaction on hold so other people could go by). Turned out, I had $3 total, so I guess I was off by a day or something. The lady behind me bought my groceries for me (about $60) saying that she had had to go through the same type of situations.
Never had anyone do anything that nice for me before (who weren't family anyway), I still remember that moment very clearly.
Paying it forward 🙂
Awesome!
I work as a cashier at Lowes. The same exact thing happened last month. A woman was having trouble with her card. The man behind her insisted on paying for it...even though it was $68!
@@margietucker1719 That was really nice of him. I had stepped away to call my bank and she paid mine while I was gone, I was very surprised.
I had someone do that for me once. I was buying things for one of my kids birthdays. Ordinarily I would have put out all back without a problem, but this day it would have been so disappointing. The person in line behind me paid. I try to help like that when I can now. It’s come up a couple times. Feels really good to pay that forward (even though it’s only been a couple bucks each time)
I moved to US 7.5 years back from India and I genuinely love it here.
So glad you love it! I've always wanted to see India.
Glad to have you here with us!
@@Soveliss1986 thank you 😊
Welcome!
Hello, welcome !
Aren't this country and it's people wonderful?! I feel so blessed to live here! Welcome, Laurence! Enjoy!
Laurence picked the right area of the country to live in and experience nice people. "Midwest nice" is legendary. He might not have formed the same opinion had he settled in New York City or San Francisco.
...to the contrary, as a NYer, you are just as likely to be treated well by strangers on any NYC street as in any midwest city...
Will never understand why window screens haven't caught on in other countries.
Lot less bugs in Europe
seems it would be common sense to me.
I had absolutely no idea that other countries didn't use screens
@@samuelharnden9641 the freaking flys in the UK in summer drove me nuts. Hated lack of screens then.
Their big in Canada!
I think Americans are friendly because most of our ancestors were “strangers in a strange land” having left family and friends of their homelands. Plus in the early days of America interdependence was necessary for survival.
Meli Garrett speaking of which my ancestors have been in the United States of America since the 1600s and fought for American Independence and against the Confederates.
@@sethfrisbie9840 Picked the wrong side in the English Civil War as well I see
@@nicholasparker2086 American Civil War* ...
@@soybasedjeremy3653 no, English civil war, as in the revolution
Good observation!
As an American, I don't really think about our hospitality. I've certainly heard of "southern hospitality", but seeing as I don't live in the south, I haven't really experienced it. We grow up with the idea of "treat others how you want to be treated" being drilled into us and also just common manners like saying please/thank you/excuse me and opening doors for others. The few times someone hasn't opened the door for me, I was absolutely shocked. I can't imagine living somewhere where that isn't the norm.
You, sir, have just helped me appreciate my own country in ways that had never occurred to me (particularly the parts about litter and screens). Thank you!
"I know curiosity wouldn't kill my cat, but a Prius would" best line ever
So would a coyote and a rabid racoon is no good.
I saw a sticker on a Prius that said “Cool Prius!” -Nobody
I think a large cat, like a Maine Coon, would probably give as good as it gets.
There was a time that a Prius was a curiosity, so curiosity would have killed your cat.
The US definitely needs better walking and cycling infrastructure.
Had to laugh out loud at “curiosity isn’t going to kill my cat, but a Prius would” 😂😂😂
I have 2 cats that are deaf and are strictly indoor furry roommates. They would never hear it coming and I live next to a bus stop. lol
Yes very funny, I spotted that line as well.
I love his dead-pan humour... a nice change from the RUclipsrs who scream at the camera and put a hand over the camera lens to indicate scene change.
Haha made my day!
🇺🇸 🌿
I have been watching your videos for a while now & I have to say, as an American man myself, it makes me smile to see you, a foreign man who moved here & is able to enjoy his “new life” here. Way to go!
Funny, I grew up in NYC in the 80’s studied Abroad in the late 90’s and told everyone who would listen about how clean Europe was! I was astonished at how the trains in both London and Paris were so clean (in comparison to NYC at that time) I said to a friend “ Paris has mummies ( below the louvre) in their train station and no one steals them” lol I was 19 years old then 🤪
it was cleaner in Germany until govenment financial woes...never been the same since
Times have changed! Even New York is pretty clean.
"Focus on the flowers, not the weeds." That's a keeper!
A weed is just a plant that's in the wrong place.
Many weeds are edible. That's a huge plus in a food shortage if you know which ones they are.
@@moralityisnotsubjective5 And they tend to themselves. No watering, no fertilizing, etc. needed. Really, they're the superior breed of plant to the fragile flowers.
Dread Cthulhu My family will pick and eat dandelion greens. They are really good.
I was tempted to say, focus on the flowers, and pull the weeds.
I’m in the Rockies and yes we have soccer fields aplenty.
And probably massive lung capacity then too. You'd dominate the low country folk.
Can confirm. From the Rockies, have plenty of soccer fields(and yes, lung capacity, too). They're good for more than just soccer, it's a large, flat, grassy area that you can have a lot of people gather or run around in for any number of activities.
Ah fellow Rockies people
I visited Aspen with my family ans we stopped in the shopping district. There was a park in the middle of town with a soccer field included I believe. The view was insane. Total LOTR vibes. The grass just drops off to a gorgeous mountain vista. I see why a lot of rich people call Aspen their home.
Where do people think the term "soccer moms" came from?
I do love your content. As a fellow "lived between two different countries" person, I love seeing other perspectives from people who similarly have a lot of experience in one place going to spend a substantial amount of time in another. Every place has it's patches of bad but also its patches of good, and I think these broader perspectives are fantastic to share!
We tried pay toilets before; the Supreme Court knocked them out of business.
“…we tried pay toilets before…” Never seen a federal Supreme Court (a.k.a. THE Supreme Court) ruling on this. Are there any rulings other than individual states’ decisions?
Sadly many places in the US just don't have them at all.
That’s taking the piss
Well, pay toilets are unintentionally sexist (never thought I'd use that word but it's true in this case). You had to pay to use an individual toilet. So, women always had to pay to pee, while men just used their normal open urinals.
The quiet revolt against pay toilets in the ladies' room took several forms:
Crawl under the door (yuck).
Hold the door open for the next customer.
Break the lock on the door (very common).
The upshot is, it cost more for upkeep and repairs for the pay toilets and they tended to disappear pretty quickly without issue. The ones that stayed the longest were in government-run areas like the National Parks and Monuments.
You shouldn't have to pay for basic needs! Now if we could just get the healthcare straightened out too!
Re: the people and friendliness. I was Skyping an Ontarian friend who was surprised that I "invited her to my ranch" "even though we'd never met". I told her "we're Americans; we're inappropriate and overly familiar." Her husband's face said I'd nailed it.
That is one of the best and funniest comebacks ever
That’s hilarious! 😂
Just say "Out there, no-one will hear your screams." :D
I have invited Canadians to my Texas ranch, too!
When I was a kid in small-town Missouri in the 90s, a lady who went to my church turned 100. On the week of her birthday, the pastor asked her in front of the congregation what was the greatest invention she ever saw in her lifetime. Without missing a beat, she shouted, “Window screens!” I’ll never forget that.
lol
Lol omg too cute ♥
Not sliced bread? :)
Omg she sounded awesome. 😂
Adorable
I really enjoy your videos I've always been fascinated with the British culture but I've lived my whole life in the United States primarily Indiana and to hear someone from another country telling me the differences that they've observed is a real treat thank you for your videos I'm trying very hard to catch up since I just found you
No need to rush, and a period or two will really help.
@@snakedoktor6020 speech-to-text does not insert punctuation.
@@monicascheapeasy2805 hey girl, it actually does, but you have to tell it to do so. Where you want a period, comma, etc., just say the word and it will insert it for you. It took a lot of frustration on my part to figure it out.
Give it a try 😀
I really appreciate the lovely things you say about America and Americans! So glad you moved here!!
It’s an absolute joy to discover someone from another country who actually likes us. To Laurence, we are generally hospitable. Others see the same actions, and criticize us for being loud and overly friendly. The same actions! 🤷♀️
'Overly friendly'. What a complaint. I'd be tempted to ask them if they'd prefer me being rude and generally an asshole? Too nice is better than too rude. However, they're right about us being loud.
@@Techhunter_Talon Have you ever seen the English drunk on the weekend or on vacation? They are the least liked nationality in Europe. They don't "hold their liquor well" and are vomiting in public and a general nuisance at every establishment.
Laughing Lark but that’s only because they like to blame the U.K. for the USA. Russians are just as obnoxious, their soc or hooligans are brutal and their oligarchs in the south of France get lots of eye rolls. Also it’s Swedes in Paris that puke on the streets.. I’ve seen it.
Most Europeans tend to live in the USA while making a nice living and also simultaneously bitch about it.. I never understood it. If an American lives abroad and complains about anything of their host country they are labelled uncultured. Even if their complaint is a common one that the natives also share.
Techhunter Talon You’re right. They explain the “overly friendly” complaint by saying they feel we’re being fake and shallow. However, it’s just a cultural thing. Personally, I enjoy chatting with strangers. But traveling outside the country, I would try my best to adhere to THEIR norms. I’m not sure about the “loud” generalization, but even that seems relatively petty unless we are being disrespectful to a particular situation...
I'm really surprised window screens haven't caught on elsewhere.
When I bought this house in 1988 it was a bank repo and had new screens. No central heating or air. Central California. Screens are practically a health code requirement on old houses.
@@garywheeler7039 Window screens are a requirement for Section 8.
They have caught on elsewhere, but here in Australia, *for good reason*, we call them "flyscreens", because life would be unbearable without them!
@@redleader7988 Window screens are a requirement for a section 8? No wonder Klinger never got out of the Korean War!
Naples, Italy has flies in the summer, but no window screens.
It was so nice to see good stuff about us! It’s been so rough the last several years that I’ve almost forgotten the good things, myself. Thank you! 😁
I remember when we went to Italy in college, our professors told us not to be too friendly to the men because they take that to mean you’re going to sleep with them. I had to have my profesor rescue me a few times because I was being too friendly. 😅
I have been to the USA twice New York and Las Vegas. I thought i would be put off because of the gun laws etc, but i saw none of that and the American people are so friendly and welcoming. the only time that happens with brits is when you meet them abroad. i look forward to the time i can go again as i have so many places i want to go and see. America is a wonderful and beautiful country and vast in comparison to the UK
I only lived in the US for a year and it was the happiest time of my life. I had a blast!
Come back! (Once everything is over) we’d love to have you!
Welcome sweetheart.
Where did you live while over here?
@@phredphlintstone6455 Tarrytown, New York.
Thank you! I'm glad you came. Please come again!
The term "Don't mess with Texas" started as a anti littering campaign.
That one's clever, but thank
God Texas stopped using:
*"Don't Meth with Texas"*
as its Anti-Drug Slogan!
Sounds kinda gay "💕😏🍑
*Welcome to Georgia"* is
their new advert to attract
tourists, and lots of folks
do enjoy it, there! ✌️😜*🔫
timreno72 but alas... there is too much litter here still ☹️
timreno72 Saying someone is “Texas” in Europe means they’re crazy or badass or both. 😂
@@Carma123 well we do kinda roll that way sometimes. LOL
Yeah, when I got to the South I was shocked at the flagrant and messy and contemputous littering. There's a big anti-environmentalist strain here. The slogan a few years ago was, 'Seriously, y'all still litter?'
Looking into the grand canyon for the first time really does take your breath away, I'll never forget that as a kid. Yosemite Valley is a very close second, just the depth and scale of both is unbelievable.
I'm from Brooklyn so my comment from the rim was "Nice pothole! " It is all in the perspective.
Of all the things you listed, window screens was one I would never suspect. I went on a trip once to the U.K. when I was 16, and never noticed the lack of window screens ( then again, we never opened any windows to see that.)
Actually, what surprised me the most about the U.K. (I went to Stirling and London) was London. I was expecting it to be more like Manhattan- tall skyscrapers, crowds of people shoulder to shoulder on the street, overall dingy look - but was surprised to find that it wasn’t crowded or anything like Manhattan, or really like anywhere else in New York City. It feels more open than Manhattan does due to its architecture, and the blend of older style buildings with the modern buildings gives it a strange but almost timeless feel to it - like it’s a city that extends beyond the ages.
What unpleasantly surprised me was the food in terms of how some of the restaurants I went to treated food allergies. When it came to food labels, I don’t remember UK brands having warning labels about allergens, and when I had to ask if a dessert was safe for me (I’m allergic to tree nuts), even with assurances from the chef that it was safe, I still had an allergic reaction. This might not be a UK thing and maybe I just so happened to be in a bad place for allergens, but how does the UK feel about food safety with regards to food allergies?
Well, Europe in general has a more "eat it the way the chef made it" mentality. I noticed when I went that, almost universally, a restaurant would refuse to do anything to alter a dish from how it was standardly prepared. One of our group couldn't eat gluten (else she'd have a severe allergic reaction) and it was very difficult to get straight answers on what was in any given dish. No vendor wanted to talk any more than absolutely necessary to sell a product.
My Grandpa Lester, who recently passed away because of cancer, would always say "Thank God there are people who think differently than me, otherwise the world would be a boring place."
Condolences. My grandma died recently. It's tough.
I'm so glad I read the comments. I'm an American living in Canada which has a reputation for "niceness". But I've not yet experienced it as fully as I remember from the states. And I had forgotten that which is why I'm glad I read the comments. Thank you everyone for making me homesick. That's not a bad thing.
I lived in Florida for a while and if someone was being outwardly rude in a store or a restaurant, more often than not, they were Canadian.
It’s been my experience than Canadians ,at least the tourists, are extremely arrogant and rude, so much so that I don’t feel like a visit North of the Border would be much fun.
@LitP thank you for the compliments. sometimes I think outsiders really hate us. reading all the pleasant comments about my country is so refreshing. everyone be safe! take care
Before the 1960's, America was a very littery place, too. In the '60's, Lady Bird Johnson started a beautify America campaign. Then the law made hefty fines for littering...and America has been cleaner since then.
When I was young, there was one public restroom in a department store that required a dime to enter. I haven't seen one since...and that store has been out of business for decades.
I'm from the north south...it's the south, but the northernmost rung of it. Southern hospitality is REAL. The deeper in the south you go, the greater the hospitality becomes...for the most part.
Thank you for noticing and commenting on some of the goodness in America.
😊
"If not for the people, America would just be one giant, unregulated, national park." lol. Classic.
I live in Alaska and I can really appreciate that remark! At times I think we have islands of population between National, State, and Local parks. Even my town of 45,000 (second most populated) has almost as many parks / playgrounds as churches. LOL.
@Intellectual Ammunition Fairbanks. Just surrounded by them, Denali to the South. Too many to count in the North. Between Homesteads (168 acres each) and National parks we are surrounded. LOL.
"Smile at everyone you see; it may the only smile they see that day." That is a common motto of people I know here in the west, and I guess it explains why we smile and wave at strangers! When Europeans insist that American friendliness is fake, it makes me wonder how depressing their lives (as a society) must be back home - everyone must either ignore each other or be incredibly rude. Haven't they heard of the Golden Rule? When you are raised in a culture whose core values are based on hope of a better tomorrow for everyone, it's (almost) impossible to have a dour outlook. Our friendliness is a direct result of that. However, there are always exceptions to the rule. 😉
I lived in Bolivia, and it was so eye opening for me. There was such an absence of hope. I'd never realized how ingrained in our culture it was because it was all I'd ever known. But there was a repressive attitude of "Things have always been bad/hard, and they will always be this way." Everyone was just hopeless that life could get better. It was incredibly sad, because all of the people I met there were wonderful people. I loved them very much. I can't count the number of times I was asked to sponsor someone's child to come to the US for a chance at a better life. I appreciate my country much more now than I did before, and I understand much better why people will do all kinds of things to get their families here. We aren't perfect by any means, but hope is a beacon.
Friendliness is more than just smiling. Many European countries show politeness and friendliness in other ways. I think what makes people say that American smiles are fake is that you're expected to smile instead of using smiling as a sign of utter enjoyment. What I think is what shows the difference in mentality is that "how are you?" is a greeting rather than a genuine question.
Please don't make the mistake of assuming that just because a culture is different that it is inferior or a miserable place. My friend from Hungary explained to me that people are warm and kind as appropriate, but don't just smile, smile, smile "for no reason" as he put it. If you meet him for the first time, he is polite but not super smiley. Once you get to know him, he is jovial, friendly, always making jokes, eager to help, happy to feed you or lend you whatever you need. It's just something reserved for friends, not (his point of view) squandered on strangers.
The hardest part of wearing a face mask during the pandemic for me has been not being able to see people's smiles. I am from the Midwest where it's common to smile at passing strangers (how sad to think this is "squandering" smiles--the supply is unlimited!) I traveled to Germany a couple of times for work and the biggest culture shock was having strangers avoid eye contact on the street. I found that if I approached a shopkeeper or cashier with a straight face, they usually greeted me in German, but if I approached with a smile they spoke English. Not 100% of the time, but enough to notice the difference. However, once the people there know you they are as warm as anywhere. My boss used to describe it as "Americans are peaches, and Germans are coconuts," meaning that Americans have more superficial friendliness, with a private core at the center, but Germans are harder on the outside but once they allow you past their shell, you're firm friends.
I have worked retail for 25+ years and I was originally a jaded kid when I started, and am now happy to greet people, and have found out over the years that just being friendly makes you feel better and makes any future interaction with anyone more positive. It's more or less, you get back what you put into it. It's not fake, it's more about I want a pleasant day, and the best way to have a good day is to start it out in a positive way with every interaction you have.
Ann-Marie, what an awesome comment.
While there are occasional exceptions (mainly in seedier areas of large cities), the lack of litter was one of the nicest surprises when I moved to the States.
I absolutely LOVE that you enjoy our national parks! if there's one thing that I will always love about my country its the wilderness.
As an american I just want to say thank you. It's always nice to see someone pointing out some of great this this land has to offer.
It’s inconceivable to me that there are people anywhere in the world who do not use window screens. I would never open a window without a screen no matter how much I craved some fresh air.
I lived in Brazil for a year. No screens and no A.C. and near 100 degrees daily. Windows definitely stayed open! And yes, okay, there would be tiny lizards inside and once a Tarantula in the bedroom. But humans adapt.
No screens in Poland. You have to vacuum the bugs if you forget to close your windows at evening. Or sleep with them😂😂😂😂
@@babycakes8434 🙀
Screens don’t smell so fresh.
I had the thought. I grew up on a farm, I can't imagine how many flies we would have had in the house without screens.
I spent a few weeks in the UK in my youth and found the people to be, on the whole, very friendly and welcoming. They were very interested in seeing how much alcohol I was able to consume. This was a lot of fun as, being of Irish descent, I represented my country most admirably.
The fact that we have window screens surprised me. I didn’t know that Britain doesn’t have them.
Love your video’s!
I'm old enough to remember how filthy everything was "back in the day" and the resulting massive anti-littering campaigns of the 70's. Now littering is a modern taboo throughout the US - so much so that I remember being genuinely surprised at many places in Europe. Everyone rightly speaks of the beauty of Paris but few mention the constant reek of urine and the endless scatter of cigarette butts, light litter and an astonishing amount of dog crap - or "dog dirt" as many call it.
I too was amazed at the amount of dog poop on the sidewalks of downtown Brussels. Dog owners don't even try to get the dogs to go somewhere out of the walkway. That was 20 years ago, now we have human poop on the sidewalks of downtown LA. Probably won't be going back to either place.
I remember when I visited Europe for the first time I was also surprised at how in some of the cities like Paris there was a lot of litter. Don't get me wrong, it is bad in large US cities too but in the states if you litter people will either actively call you out for it or they will give you a look and pick up after you. I know when I visit the beach I often walk back to my car with a handful of garbage that's not mine.
I am ashamed of San Francisco, my home town. The litter. The reek. Is that why they call it the Paris of the West?
@@StevenBanks123 Yes, other than that there's no real comparison to be made, they're very different places!
Also, police can fine people for littering (at least in some places, and only if the cop really wants to)
Window screens! We went to Normandy last year, stayed in a great apartment, beautiful weather but every time we opened the window flies would come in because there weren’t any screens. The things you take for granted ... 🙂
I never realized screens weren't a thing until I saw new immigrants OPENING the screens. They really didn't know what they were for. My mom explained it them - and then had to explain about the storm windows. Who knew our windows were so complicated?
No window screens just seems completely substandard to me. With Europe getting hotter summers I bet that's going to be changing soon.
Jeandiata Smith I’m cracking up 😂
inkydoug or getting ac
If flies were getting in that's enough reason to get screens. Nasty disease spreading critters.
Actually littering is a problem in some part of the US. I drive on back country roads to work and once in a while I see garbage bags, mattresses, sofa and etc. dumped by the side of the road. But it typically get cleaned up after a few days.
I live in the Southwestern US (Arizona currently, but lived in New Mexico for 23 years) and I can tell you there are soccer fields everywhere! Although professionally it isn't taken as seriously as some other sports, a ton of people play it just as a recreational activity. You can find them in parks, high schools, colleges, and what we call "sports complexes" which tend to also have baseball diamonds and tennis courts.
When I was a kid in Indiana, the local mall used to have pay toilets. However, most of the people would hold the door for the next person, so they wouldn’t have to spend any change. One day they just took out the coin boxes and made them free.
I heard airports in the US back in the 70s had pay toilets. I don’t remember them as we traveled by car till the late 80s the first time I flew in an airplane.
Heard it was sex discrimination lawsuit ended it. Women had to pay to go #1 or #2 and guys only had to pay to go #2.
Curiosity wont kill the cat, but a Prius will. Best phrase I've ever heard in my life!
You mean like #MEK, or the car?
Should be on a shirt.
We have a coyote that hangs out in the back of our yard..always licking his chops...at the thought of our cat "making a break for it" through an open window.
Gotta love the Brits and their humor.
🐱Great quotation🖤 Love window & door screens too🖤 w/o them in Los Angeles I'd be covered in welts from mosquito bites. It would also be an open invitations to curious creatures like lizards, skunks, raccoons, opossums & deer. A screen alone is not gonna keep a hungry coyote, mountain lion or bear out if it saw a slumbering snack (meow) on the other side.
As a Hoosier, loving this channel. It’s nice to hear an outsiders view of our culture.
I appreciate your comments on your experience in the US. I'm an American; I've visited the UK a few times and mostly only encountered really nice people. The only exceptions I met were in London, but that's true in any big city.
I remember when I was a teenager, The Dayton Mall tried to start charging .25 to use the bathroom. It didn't last long because people would hold the door open for the next person to go in, crawl under the door or jam paper into the lock.
I remember that too
Yup. For sure sounds like Dayton. Lol.
“I love window screens cuz they keep my other inhabitant from getting out... not my wife, she uses the door... I’m talking about my cat”
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
That was quite funny 😂🤣😂😁
The litter war in the US started in the early 70's. I remember a time when the highways were lined with trash. Mostly not the case anymore. Also, as an American tourist I'm always sensitive as to how we're perceived. In the 8 counties I've visited south of the border, 4 of them I've felt overwhelmed with opportunists. The other 4 I felt welcomed. Been to Ireland twice and had the warmest welcome anywhere we went. Also been to Canada a couple of time but it felt like just another state in the US - which is actually really great.
Canada is our little brother, we tease them endlessly but we'll stand up to anyone who tries to bully them because they're family.
@@TheRedVipre Were so similar, you cant tell the difference lol. An American in Canada is basically hidden in plain sight.
I played soccer in high school in Hawaii in the 70s! Co-Ed team! I took a beating 😂
I live in Louisiana, and we loooove to feed people. Food is like a religion here. Plus, despite our problems, we are a generally friendly folk. And, in bad times, we tend to look after each other. After a hurricane, the unwritten rule is you take care of you and yours then you help your neighbor. It's just how it goes here. I'm not going to say my state doesn't have its problems, but hearing you talk kind of reminded me of why, even though I hate the humidity and heat, I still keep coming home. The US is in a dystopian dumpster fire right now, but there are still things that are good. Thanks for reminding me of that.
I recently visited New Orleans (I'm American but from Chicago) and I met some of the friendliest people ever. Everyone was so nice and quick to help or make suggestions. Can't wait to go back.
I'm from Louisiana too... food is religion. Everyone is also trying to give you something cold to drink...haha.
Louisiana is sort of like the crazy little brother of the family: yeah he's crazy but you can't help but love him despite or maybe because of his shenanigans!
.
Florida, however, is more like the crackhead cousin with the prison record that everyone tolerates to be nice but really wish he'd just go away.
California is the eccentric older ex-hippie aunt who means well but is a hot mess in every sense of the word.
.
Texas is that one middle kid who hates to be ignored and has to go big on everything, including stoking their own ego.
Louisisna has food at GAS STATIONS better than most places' restaurants. And because people there know good food, there are very few mediocre places to eat. They just wont tolerate bad food down there!
I moved to Iowa about 15 years ago. And here, not only do we say hi to everyone but while you are driving in the street people would also wave at you!!! When I first arrived here, I thought my husband just new everyone single person in town. But it turns out that’s just what you do around here. I now do it too!!! ❤️
I think of the waving when you pass another vehicle as a rural thing. Are you rural or in a town?
@@elizabethf794 I’m in a city. They do that here all over the place. I love it!
@@mrs.o.524 I'll be darned. I experienced that when I first lived out in the country and also when in small towns but in small touristy towns it never happened probably because so many of the drivers were outsiders.
Welcome to Iowa! I've lived here my whole life but I truly think it's the best state to live in and has the friendliest people!
Much the same in Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska.
I appreciate you sharing good things about America. I feel a lot of my European and Asian friends hardly want to visit because of all the things they hear on the news. It’s nice to see a Brit love on my homeland.
It's so nice to hear people talk about positive things from America! I know we're not perfect by far but I feel like everything focuses on the flaws.
I know people are getting so negative recently!!
Hi Joani, so many people are negative about the English too. Especially other members of the United Kingdom. They don't realise the same aristocrats who gave them a hard time treated us English peasants badly too. And they still do! :)x it's easy to criticise, not so easy to praise, so don't listen to the haters. xx
"Focus on the flowers, not the weeds." Wise words (but as an avid gardener, you DO need to pull the weeds early on, otherwise they can be a real problem.)
Unless you live in Michigan Where the governor has banned buying seeds and plants.....You have to watch out for the occasional Nazi in America... but mostly we are good...
Mark Renzella @ priceless 😂😂😂😂😂
@@markrenzella2825 ruclips.net/video/lyKa4z14IQQ/видео.html
Somebody pull Nancy Pelosi.
Save the milkweeds, though. Please!
Americans are friendly people. A pastor from my youth, when wecoming visitors to church on Sunday mornings, used to say: "You are not strangers, just friends we haven't met yet."
but stranger danger is a thing, pedos fucking terrify me as an adult. Like Thank god I am A- a boy, B - an indoor boy, and C- not dumb because HOLY SHIT is there a good reason to teach children how to concealed carry firearms. Like damn.
@@DSiren it’s definitely not a good idea to actually give kids concealed carry firearms
@@theraccoonasaur3282 You sure about that? We let kids do all sorts of crazy dangerous shit. If we aren't raising our kids to be responsible enough to carry a firearm, that needs to change. I don't mean issue them to the entire class, but parents should absolutely be allowed to entrust a firearm to their children to carry with them.
We’re either nice or having a bad trip on crack. No In-between.
@@DSiren Training, training, training.
My grandmother lived to 108 and passed away in 1990. AT her 100th birthday she was asked what was the most important invention of her time. She answered unexpectedly Window Screen Consider she lived most of her life in the country, Horses were common but so were horse flies. Consider that they were a public health boon.
Driving across country a few years ago, I stopped at a motel for the night. The next morning in the motel parking lot I raised the car hood to check the fluids etc. since it's an older car. A few people seemed worried and asked if I needed help with the car. That was so kind of them.
Americans seem nice people from what I’ve seen. In England most people wouldn’t stop and help and would walk saying unlucky mate being sarcastic
“Don’t be a litter bug”, was a campaign ,like 50 yeas ago. It worked.
Yes, that was a campaign, and there were signs on roads saying "Don't Litter" and $ fines if you did and were caught.
Keep a America beautiful
When I was living in Oklahoma as a kid they had the "Don't Lay That Trash On Oklahoma" campaign.
There was a commercial when I was a kid with a Native American actor who turned to the camera with a tear in his eye. I have hiked miles to find garbage cans rather than disappointing that guy.
Yup!! In Texas it's Dont Mess With Texas!!
The Midwest has a reputation of having some of the friendliest people in the country. Most of them also don’t use Twitter.
In general, most people in any country are just good people who want to be free to make their own choices.
As a midwesterner, it can almost be a curse. Earlier today me and some guy at walmart started talking about some random thing in line. It took nearly 20 minutes AFTER checking out to successfully extricate ourselves from that conversation since neither of us wanted to be the "bad-guy" that ended it first.
I live in the South now after growing up in the Midwest, and Midwesterners ARE friendlier. The food's better in the Midwest, too. :D
Except don’t ask for the freedom of having an abortion.
There's probably a connection there lol
I've lived in a few places around the country. About the only place I lived where people aren't friendly was New Jersey. Right now, I live in what I consider the friendliest area I've lived in. It's also the most diverse area I've lived in. It's about split evenly with black, white and hispanic followed by a fairly good sized Vietnamese population.
Two things:
1. If you lived in San Francisco and didn't explore the western parks, that's the most beautiful part of the country. Come back and see it.
2. Oddly, when I was in Italy (mostly Tuscany, but also Rome) for a month, EVERYONE who had been to the US said they flew to LA and drove to the Grand Canyon.
Cities can be copied, you can't copy Yosemite or the Grand Canyon.
Great other parks as well. Bryce Canyon, Zion Canyon, Kings Canyon, Mesa Verde NP, Giant Sequoia NP, Death Valley NP. I have been to all of them plus Grand Canyon NP North and South Rim, and Yosemite. All in 10 days road trip. I still need to visit Yellowstone NP and Teton NP as well as Glacier NP.
As an American who moved to the U.K., I can attest to the litter thing. When I got here I was quite taken aback by how much litter could be found everywhere. I live in a nice neighbourhood and I still find the odd Lucozade bottle or Dariy Milk wrapper in my garden. It’s become part of the scenery, but it definitely made me question what was up.
David Sedaris spends his free time in Britain picking up litter on the roads around his house. The bonus is that he gets his steps in for his fitness tracker. :-)
That’s so sad
Quarantine has caused a lot of litter on the sides of roads. It's driving me crazy. We have adopt a highway, but I'm pretty sure we also get prison patrol and I cannot imagine living in a place where litter is the norm.