The United States attracts many visitors. For example, in 2019, over 79 million international tourists came to the country, making it the number-three most popular choice, behind only France and Spain.
But whether we're talking about natural parks or busy cities, there are some "unwritten rules" that everyone should know. And that includes travelers, not just locals. So it pays to do your homework.
For our first assignment, let's go through the comments under a post on the subreddit r/AskAnAmerican, where a now-deleted user asked people to share these customs.
#21
Don't sit around for hours in a restaurant after eating. The wait staff get fussy
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123points
#23
Americans are about personal bubbles. If you're a stranger, keep an arms distance when conversing with an American. If you are familiar with them, keep an elbows distance. And lastly, unless you are extremely familiar with them, do not touch except for a handshake. We're like the Swedish, but louder.
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117points
#24
Don’t try to make it cross country in a day. Especially during extreme weather
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113points
#25
You can buy alcohol in any store in town but you will get the long d*ck of the law if you open that puppy up in public
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107points
#26
If you are driving, don't forget that you can make a right turn on a red light, and if you get pulled over by a cop, being friendly/respectful can go a looooooong way
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102points
#27
Restaurants and stores will take your cards. I know, it is weird. You lose sight of it. If you do not want that to happen have cash prepared.
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101points
#28
We Americans love foreign visitors and we will pepper you with questions, ask about your language, culture, almost really intrusive questions. Some might even try to relate to you on some level because we Americans are taught that the United States is a melting pot and we all have distant relatives in other countries. For the Irish, English, Scottish, and German; do not be shocked or offended if an American says "Oh! I'm insert heritage too!"
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99points
#29
For the love of god please just go the speed limit, and NEVER stop in the middle of the road no matter where you are
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93points
#30
A few from personal accounts of people I know.
Do not think it's acceptable to bribe someone in authority. It's not even a joking matter in the U.S. I grew up in a country where it was an unwritten rule that these things could be "negotiated" and there were tell-tale signs to know whether said authority was open to it.
Coworker of mine knows a guy (comes from a European country where this is common place) that was in the U.S and had to be escorted out of a shopping mall because he cat-called a group of girls... who also happened to be underage. Yeah, that's a no go here. Maybe it will be tolerated at a night club, but in public? You'll likely face repercussions. It's just not culturally acceptable. (Note: that's not to say it doesn't happen in the U.S - as I know it's a problem in a lot of major cities).
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87points