What as a English man should I look out for on a trip to the USA.
USA is really quite safe, just remember to not be black or a woman
Oh and wear a ballistics vest if you’re going anywhere near a school
Also not arabic or queer. Also dont cross streets without a green light or you might get vaporized by an orbital drone for the royal offense of “jaywalking”
And don’t try to stand in some place idly outside for more than a minute. They call that “loitering” and it’s the barbaric act of experiencing being alive in public without spending a dime.
Bring your own marmite.
Irn-Bru too, funnily enough.
The FDA aren’t a fan of how it (or was) made.
Where in the USA are you going. Saying you’re going to the USA is like saying you’re going to europe. There’s a vast difference between the different states and regions within those states.
If you’re doing activities outdoors: Always bring an extra bottle of water. That is to say, bring a bottle to drink, and then another for when you get thirstier than expected. This season is relatively cool, but you really don’t want to be caught unprepared. Also: Arizona has a law requiring businesses to serve water for free if you ask. Don’t let anyone bullshit you and ask for money.
Keep an eye on the weather reports, and do not hike down washes, ravines, or narrow canyons if there’s a rain storm anywhere nearby. Heavy rainfall several miles away can turn a sunny, dry ravine into a raging torrent that can kill. If you see a road that’s currently flowing with water, don’t try to cross it, even in a big car. You don’t know how deep it really is, and even just a few cms of fast water is enough to sweep a person off their feet and drown them. It doesn’t take much more to get a car stuck.
If you’re going to Northern Arizona, bring warm clothes. People can be caught unprepared when they leave Phoenix for a day trip and it’s 60⁰F, but when they get to Flagstaff 2h later it’s snowing.
If you see a Jumping Cholla:
Don’t get too close. Their spines are longer than they look because they get so thin as to be nearly invisible.
It’s a single country with a single currency, a single government, a single history, and a single language. Yes there’s a lot of variance within the country, but it’s really nothing compared to visiting Europe.
I honestly love it when such profoundly misinformed statements are put forward with absolute authority like this.
a single history
You know that half the country went to war with the other half, right?
a single government
In California, you can order weed through an app and get it delivered to your front door. In Idaho, get pulled over after picking up for the month, you’re a felon.
a single language
Single official language sure. At my work I’m the only native English speaker and a majority of our customers are foreigners who speak little English.
Don’t try to bring food. I’ve seen people stopped for smuggling meat. You’re probably okay with packaged sweets or chocolate, but you should declare it.
Don’t be fooled into thinking you can get tea if you see it offered. It may be some strange flavour, or very weak, or iced, or all three. And it will be hard to explain that you want milk and sugar with it.
Biscuits are good enough, but chocolate is rough.
And, of course, a “biscuit” will mean a type of savory scone.
If your shop, at most stores they will pack shopping bags for you and are a little shocked and overly grateful if you do it yourself.
Be prepared to tip in many circumstances (but not, oddly enough, for having your groceries packed).
Be prepared to be asked about football, the Beatles, the Queen, maybe even the King.
Don’t be offended is someone attempts to do a British accent at you, it’s meant as a friendly greeting.
If driving:
Four-way stops are like roundabouts without the roundabout. But with stop signs.
Pedestrians are not expected to look out for traffic, but are not allowed to just cross anywhere. So it balances out.
Someone has stolen the clutch pedals from all the cars.
The last one got me. A friend of mine from the US asked if my partner could drive a manual. I was confused at first, “can’t everyone?”
On the reality show The Amazing Race, it’s never the rock climbing or skiing or skydiving that holds back the teams. It’s driving the manual rental car from the airport.
I drive manual in the UK but have never tried a left-hand-drive manual car, I’d probably keep hitting the door with my left hand.
Quick note on this one
Pedestrians are not expected to look out for traffic, but are not allowed to just cross anywhere. So it balances out.
If you end up driving, pedestrians are not allowed to cross anywhere (although some places like New York have legalized crossing anywhere) but pedestrians always have the right of way. You can’t run people over because they crossed outside a crosswalk.
So if on foot, use crosswalks or you could get a ticket for jaywalking. If in a vehicle, don’t hit pedestrians.
You can’t run people over because they crossed outside a crosswalk.
But you can shoot them, right?
Four-way stops are like roundabouts without the roundabout. But with stop signs.
The priority is different to a roundabout. A four way stop is ‘person who arrived at their stop line first goes first’. If two arrive at the same time the person on the right has priority.
True. But I’d sum it up as “A roundabout is a group of T-junctions. A 4-way stop is a nightmarish hellscape that relies on people paying attention and being reasonable.” A 4-way stop near a school at drop-off time is basically Mad Max. Kids crossing at each corner holding up the vehicle that should be next, people splitting into two lanes so that they can turn right out-of-turn, buses obscuring the view, people who decided that “surely it’s my turn now”…
In my experience if 2 cars arrive at a 4 way then it’s just pure panic until someone decides to go. Drives me up a wall.
Much more likely to get run over in a crosswalk in the us than in Europe. American drivers don’t stop. The amount of overengineered zebra crossings in the US are crazy.
Part of the problem is that if you get a green light, so can go ahead or turn right, the road to your right has a “walk” sign on at the same time. So pedestrians can start crossing. In the UK a walk-sign equivalent means that “the traffic has stopped so that you can cross”.
If you want to avoid getting shot, you should now wear a red hat, not a red coat.
