40 Things Americans Weren’t Aware Were So Blatantly American Until They Traveled Abroad

In Ireland right now, it’s cruel that we force our grocery store clerks to stand up for their entire shift. They are allowed to sit in Ireland when scanning items, and I don’t see any good reason why we don’t allow that back home.

Ketchup. There's only one bottle of ketchup in France. They pass it around from restaurant to restaurant when an American requests it.

The walk-ability of non-American cities is something out of a utopian dream.

I have dual nationality and live in the USA, but I still travel a lot to Europe.
Why the hell do we pixel women’s nipples on TV? It is a f*****g nipple. We sell arms to kids, and we have violent movies, but we pixel a nipple.

Paying for ambulances and health care…

Sugar. When I visited Japan, even some of their sweetest desserts pale in comparison to how much sugar is in American food.

When I traveled overseas I was surprised at how the public bathroom stalls gave so much more privacy. Like a full door to the floor in most places.

The fact that tax is calculated on top of the price on the tag. I'd assume that every foreigner would think they're getting ripped off at the register because it costs more than the price tag. Every other place I've been, the price is the price. (And coins have numbers on them!).

Tipping. I had a waitress in Okinawa chase me into the parking lot with some change I left on the table.

Went to Europe and tipped 20% and the servers acted extremely grateful. Like, a weird amount. After a while we finally asked a server what was up with that, and they said that in their country they are paid a living wage so tips don’t really mean much for them. They were very happy even with 10%.

A bizarre obsession with the national flag.

It’s not like countries dislike their own flags—you’ll see plenty of them at political events or international sporting events like the World Cup or Olympics—but they don’t typically fly a 6-foot flag from their trucks or hang them up in their churches. I don’t think most of them have a big national anthem ceremony at their domestic sporting events or have the military jets fly over them.

Obesity.

There are obese people everywhere and obesity is unfortunately apparently on the rise in most Western countries at least, but the obesity rate in the US is particularly remarkable, and not in a good way. I've had the good fortune of traveling to Europe three times in the last three years and I've gone to Brazil every year since 2010 to visit my in-laws. Do I see obese people in Europe and in Brazil? Absolutely, but they are often Americans visiting. And it's interesting because I never really seem to notice all the fit people in Europe and Brazil when I arrive there, but I do notice all the obese people when I return to the US. Very striking.

Lived abroad 7 years. We're LOUD. I can hear my countrymen coming up the street going on about how they just had to pay to use the RESTROOM. :D

How ignorant we are, particularly of world history and geography.

Minimum parking laws and garbage public transportation.

Going to Japan and seeing how accessible everything is made me question my whole life. Bikes and trains are just the better option and I'll resent oil executives for the rest of my life for the way they sabotaged the US transportation system.

When I moved to the UK, my flatmates asked how in movies people would stick their hands in the sink drain and it be ripped apart. I told them about sink garbage disposals and they were very weirded out.

Ranch dressing. I guess I was vaguely aware that it was American, but I hadn't realized how much.

If you want to hear a whole pub stop and glare at you, go to Ireland and ask for ranch for your fries.

I remember the Germans all being shocked that to do anything like drinking or smoking you needed to be 21 but to buy a rifle you only need to be 18. Well they were also just shocked you can just go buy a gun in most places here whenever you like pretty much.

Eating so damn fast. It seemed in Europe it’s normal to spend 2 hours at a restaurant, at least every time we sat down it took 2-2.5 hours. In America you’re rushed out of your table as fast as possible so the waiter can make more tips.

Went to Mexico. It was a hot day so we stopped at a bar to grab some cold sodas. They came in glass bottles, so we paid and just left the bar to continue walking. About 5 minutes later, the bartender chased us down and made us pour the soda into paper cups and he took the bottles to return for a deposit.

Realized how much America is a throwaway society.

Pharmaceutical commercials.

It scared me so much when I was in the USA for the first time! Is like those happy people doing happy things while someone described the most terrifying side effects ever!