It’s not only customs that differ from one part of the world to the other; things people consider mundane often do, too. So it’s no secret that certain habits or items in the US might not be as common in Europe, for example; and vice versa.
That’s what netizens in the ‘No Stupid Questions’ subreddit recently discussed. User ‘meryse' addressed the American members asking what everyday things Europeans have they would consider a luxury in the States. Their answers covered everything, from food, to healthcare, hygiene habits, and even windows; so scroll down to find them on the list below and see how they compare to your own home.
#1
I'm just going to assume "Really good cheese" is a legitimate answer.
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196points
#3
Fresh baked bread for reasonable prices that you can get in walking distance of your home, and aren't full of preservatives.
Also, affordable health care.
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183points
#4
Peace of mind that we won't receive a medical bill that might bankrupt us.
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161points
#5
Decent quality chocolate available in almost any random corner shop.
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158points
#7
Food that doesn’t have a ton of artificial additives and non-food ingredients that makes you sick. I never realized that was what was causing my stomach problems until I went on vacation in Europe and within a day had no problems at all. And it came back a day after I returned. They can make great food, even packaged junk food, with just real food ingredients. Why can’t we?
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147points
#8
Time. Time to eat in a restaurant without being shoved out. Time to sip coffee at a cafe. Time to spend with new children. Time to go on vacation. Seems like an unattainable luxury to this American.
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130points
#9
Maternity leave and healthcare come to mind.
Affordable healthcare and maternity leave equally available to everyone. I know some people have healthcare and some companies offer paid maternity leave, but it's not the standard.
I know someone who works 50+ hours a week,, makes just enough to support his small family (child with special needs) and he can't afford to treat his hepatitis C because of the treatment (12 weeks of pills) costing more than he earns in 18 months. He can't afford to pay for health insurance.. (before a-holes start judging, he was born with it).
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127points
#10
Can't speak for all of Europe, but workers rights. Wtf is "getting fired on the day"? Or quitting, for that matter? You get 3 months here
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123points
#11
No high fructose corn syrup in everything!!!!
Like you don't even need to check the label for it.
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120points
#12
Unlimited sick days. Or just sick days, because it's just not a concept. If your are sick, you are sick and stay at home with full pay until you aren't anymore. Can't get fired for it too.
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107points
#13
Not having to hand over your credit card to a server who then disappears with it. In Europe, the machine comes to you and you just tap it with your card/phone/watch.
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106points
#14
No gaps in bathroom stall doors. Not the bottom gap, that’s fine, they could be lower for sure, but I mean the ones between the door.
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102points
#15
Ability to not require a personal motorised vehicle for literally every single thing in ones life.
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100points
#18
Work-Life balance. Paid time off. The ability to receive healthcare without going bankrupt. The ability to seek higher education if desired without going into life-altering debt. Public transportation. Maternal and paternal rights. Kindness.
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95points
#19
A safety net. It is incredibly stressful to work in America as an American. You bust your a*s for decades and could still lose everything you’ve worked to maintain at the drop of a hat. One slip, one positive test result, one broken bone, one genetic disorder, one sudden chronic pain… that’s it. No more job. No more paycheck. Savings gone in under a year. House (if you could afford one at all) gone. Suddenly you’re homeless.
It doesn’t even take a medical issue. Anything that could get you fired (because employers can fire you for any reason without any waiting period) can ruin your life forever. Maybe you missed some court date and you went to jail for two days. Maybe your kid is sick and you had to stay home. Your car broke down. You went to the hospital. Your loved one died.
Fired. Now you have no healthcare. You dip into your savings (if you have them). You keep dipping until there is nothing left. The only place hiring is a grocery store that offers $7.5 an hour. You can’t even rent a 1bd apartment in your city. You rent outside the city. Now your commute is 1.5 hours. You can’t pick up your kids from school anymore so you have to hire a babysitter. How do you get ahead? How can you get out of this hole?
F**k the American system. It’s s**t. Most people never get a chance at a good life and those that have one could lose it all through no fault of their own.
And we are all too terrified to fight back because our survival is directly tied to employment.
And to make matters worse, capitalism had completely decimated our built in support systems, like family and community, but that’s a bigger conversation.
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91points
#20
Good public transport outside of main cities. Germans in particular love to complain about Deutsche Bahn (and rightfully so) but compared to USA it's just so much more versatile.
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82points