“Not Worth The Rabies Shots”: 50 Life-Saving Tips On What Not To Do When Visiting The US

Don't act disrespectful around memorials. I sometimes see tourists treating memorials like tourist attractions, they're not. They aren't made to entertain tourists, they're made to memorialize those lost. Be quiet, don't mess around, certainly don't litter, and generally treat the space like it was to remember someone in your family.

Don't eat meals at Burger King and gas stations for a week, then go home and claim American food is s****y.

Don't antagonize the wildlife. For their sake, and yours. Some wild North American animals (alligators, bison, etc) can straight up end your a*s if you p**s them off. And that selfie with the cute raccoon is not worth the rabies shots.

Don't go to the upper Midwest during winter, unless you are Russian or Nordic, you are not prepared for that degree of cold.
Don't go to the Southwest in summer.
Definitely do not rent a minivan and try you luck cross country in death valley. I'm looking at you Germans.

Don’t apologize for not having perfect English! I love hearing people people speak English when it’s not their first language, and you probably speak it better than a lot of native speakers. A lot of Americans are very friendly and love to help, so we wouldn’t have any problem trying to figure out what you’re talking about even if it’s not perfectly clear.

I speak some French and some Spanish and I guarantee that almost anyone who comes here speaking English as their second or third language is doing way better than I am at either of those languages, so be proud of your English!

Don't f$&k with cats. We love our cats. Even the stray ones.

Do not touch people just because you've never seen that race of people before. Do not rub their skin, don't touch their hair, don't poke them, all of this without permission that is. Definitely don't take pictures of people without their permission or stand next to them to get a picture without asking them. People of a different race aren't zoo animals and shouldn't be treated that way regardless of your lack of exposure to them.

Something that I hear is common in Asia but is a huge no-no here; is commenting on another persons weight or appearance. In most circles this is highly frowned upon in the US.

Also, people in the US like having their own personal space. So when you’re standing in line for something don’t get right up on somebody. Keep enough distance while not too far that people will think you aren’t standing in line.

Don't go off trail when hiking or backpacking. Going off trail contributes to the degradation and erosion of natural spaces. We have a lot of wilderness in the states and we'd like to keep it wild and pristine

Don’t try to bribe a cop or public official.

I would say if you come to the US, you should come here with the understanding that from the age of 4 or 5 we are taught (indoctrinated) nationalism. The American Flag is in the front of every classroom and we say a pledge to it every day. I knew the Pledge before I knew how to spell my name.
That being said, coming here and striking up a conversation with the average American about all the reasons *YOU* think the US is a mistake or failing, ect, ect, is just going to make you look like an a*****e. No matter how informed you believe you are about our politics, you don't actually live here, you don't understand the nuances. A lot of foreigners who try to lecture me about American Politics don't even really grasp how big the US is.

Secondly, stop berating Americans about not traveling outside the US. Again the US is MASSIVE. Every state is not the same, we may all generally speak the same language, but it is not the same dialect. Each state can be VASTLY different from the next state. Every state has their own culture, thair own laws.
Also, we don't get federal mandated holidays. Most of us work paycheck to paycheck and if we miss a day of work due to illness, we miss a day of pay. Our minimum wage hasn't been risen since 2009 and the cost of living has gone up over 23%, so the very idea of traveling out of the country is at best a once in a lifetime opportunity for the majority of us and at worst a pipe dream.

Do not bring up politics. I know you guys hear about our politics a lot, but bringing up politics in social situations can be seen as impolite and/or socially awkward.

Don't f**k around with off-limits areas especially in nature parks and historical places.

And don't take all the crab legs from the buffet tables.

Don't smoke in public buildings; this is illegal. Don't smoke in someone's house, apartment, or condo without asking for permission; this isn't illegal, but it's still extremely rude.

Do not try to barter / haggle with retail stores (or anywhere else for that matter). It comes off as rude unless you're at a garage sale or are buying a lot of items. Doing so at a small store might be ok but definitely don't do so at a place like Walmart and expect prices to be lowered.

Don't try to see multiple geographically distant attractions in a short period of time. Look up travel times. You'd be surprised how many people visit New York City for a week thinking they can swing by Chicago and the Grand Canyon. Or even Boston and Philadelphia. Make sure you do your research. Anything further than 4ish hours by car is a day trip in and of itself.

Even if it is technically possible, I know I wouldn't want to spend an entire vacation bouncing from place to place with no time budgeted to actually *enjoy* those places. Don't make your vacation a "Things to See" checklist. Take time to enjoy the place you're visiting (that good travel advice in general, though).

Don’t scream at or kick/strike/cause any harm to dogs. Dog rabies isn’t a thing here and you won’t get diseases if they come up to you. However, if you kick a dog you’re going to instantly become a horrible villain and it’s going to be next to impossible to redeem yourself. If you’re staying with a host family and you’re afraid of dogs tell them ahead of time so they can prepare accordingly.

That being said in the extremely unlikely situation that you get attacked by a dog that’s escaped its yard then by all means defend yourself. If you have absolutely no dog experience I’d do some research on dog body language and posture so you learn what aggressive behavior looks like and what attention seeking behavior is.

Don’t throw your used toilet paper in the garbage can. Please throw it in the toilet.

I was a custodian at a theme park and the amount of tourists who threw their poopy toilet paper in the trash can in the stall was unreal.

Don’t forget taxes are not included in pricing, and vary state to state.

Never call a black American boy or girl the n-word. Usually does not end well.