10 Random Things Foreigners Need Answers for About the USA

[@jeffcdeleon]

College/University having roommates is definitely a socialization & learning responsibility thing so kids have essentially an initial built-in friend group who are all going through this experience together and learning to both respect and engage other people's property, lifestyles, etc. As students get older, they tend to move off-campus into apartments their junior & senior years tending to cohabitate with people they get along with better and are becoming more independent. Great video, as always, lady! Also, bicynclingelinging needs to become a thing. 🤣

[@DianeJennings]

Omg I couldn’t remember how to say it!?😂

[@thomashiggins9320]

@@Halfwit_The_Brave Sigh. Your username is perfectly accurate, at least. Books get priced according to print-runs, and print-runs get sized according to expected sales. The paper and ink aren't really a huge part of the cost, as compared to setting up the press. It takes as much time (and effort and *money* ) to set up a press for a small print-run as it does for a large one, so the costs of printing don't really change that much. That means a large print-run allows the publisher to profit by volume sales, and that means the price per book (or magazine, or whatever) can be low. However, text books only get sold to college students, and almost always only through university book stores. That makes for really small print runs -- and that means the prices have to be high, just so the publisher can recover costs and make a profit. The profit on text books is not great, because the low print-runs don't really allow for that, so your notion that publishers charge so much, so they can "make as much money as possible" has everything to do with your ignorance of reality, and nothing to do with the real economics of book publishing. As for shared rooms, that's a cost issue, as well. It costs just about the same to build a slightly larger dorm room for two students as it does for a single room, so you can get more student housing for about the same amount of money. Remember, most universities are *non-profit institutions* , so they're not gouging anybody. They're just trying to keep the doors open and educate as many students as they can.

[@nrrork]

Colleges and universities aren't seeking profit? Aww, that's the most adorably naive thing I've ever heard.

[@tommysaroda4446]

@@DianeJennings how are you doing? Can you react to a movie called Home alone one and the second other movie Home Alone 2 Lost in New york? If you heard and seen this movie already, you can either still react to it anyways or not. But if you never seen Home alone one and it's movie sequel Home Alone 2 Lost in New York, then please react to it. I guarantee it is very funny interesting, and so on. If you have questions, feel free to ask and so on. Have a good day Miss Jennings

[@iconamongidols]

@@thomashiggins9320 oh, please. Simp harder for the universities. You're full of shit.

[@rhianirory7310]

I joined the military right after high school and the fact that we could die for our country but we couldn't (legally) drink a beer was a constant complaint. most of the kids where i lived started experimenting with alcohol around 14 or so and some even younger. also, I don't cycle where I live because some drivers either do not see them or see them as targets.

[@martinhopkins6712]

Up through the early 1960’s, I believe the drinking age was 21 pretty everywhere in the U.S. The age was lowered to 18 in many states during the Vietnam war for the reason you mention - people were being drafted into the Army but couldn’t legally drink a beer. But then it was increased again when drunk driving became a bigger problem. Maybe more so in the U.S. then elsewhere because there seem to be more cars and longer distances here. Also a good reason to live on college campus - walking home after a night of drinking.

[@bill.godwin-austen]

A lot of it revolved around what was considered to be the "age of adulthood". For most of the time I was growing up (the 50's and 60's), the official age of adulthood was 21. When you reached that age, you could drink, vote, smoke, and a few other things that slip my mind at the moment. When the voting age was lowered to 18 (which, for me, just happened to be the same year I turned 21), a lot of the other laws relating to adulthood fell to 18 along with it. As was noted in the video, the crusade by M.A.D.D. resulted in the drinking age in most states being returned to 21. For me, it seems logical for a consistent age of adulthood... if you're "adult" for one, you should be "adult" for all.

[@bigscarysteve]

@@martinhopkins6712 You're right, except for the date when the drinking age was lowered. It was 1971, with the passage of the 26th Amendment.

[@bigscarysteve]

When I started a job where I was working with a lot of college students, I heard them all talking about the tradition of doing thirteen shots on their 21st birthdays. "What's that all about?" I asked them. They told me that most kids start experimenting with alcohol at the age of 13 here in my town, so they relive it a little bit when they become legal.

[@Snipergoat1]

Those are base rules. That least they were when implemented. The Federal age is still 18 AFAIK. I was stationed at 32nd st Naval base in SD when they changed the age to 21. It was the base CO call. This was just brilliant because it took the youngest sailors and gave them a reason to cross the border to TJ (Tijuana, MX) So now when the youngest sailors (And consequently most likely to do something stupid when drunk) instead of having shore patrol grab them, smack them in the back of the head and bring them back to their ship to sleep it off, they got to spend some time in a lovely Mexican jail. Fucking jackass call. You know what they say, given time politicians will act like Generals and Generals (Admirals in this case) will act like politicians. Any base CO could change it back but they are generally to risk adverse to ever do so. A base CO would get crucified if a young drunk sailor ran over somebody after drinking on base. Nothing would happen to him if the same thing happened in MX. Expect that sailor is likely to not be returning any time soon. We brought all this up trying to get this changed but as OP has probably noticed getting something done just because it makes sense is usually ignored. (You think getting a stupid rule changed is rough in the civilian world, just imagine having the idiots being guys that you have to salute occasionally.) Due to this and other stupidity done in their name I suggest a group to counter MADD. (Mothers Against Drunk Driving AKA Proto Karens). I propose the name MADAM (Male Alcoholic Drivers Against Mothers)

[@jonathanparks207]

While some prisons can be run by private entities, it is the state that have the prisons and the state who decides who goes to prison.

[@shellym79]

But the people who own the prisons pay the politicians to keep certain acts or drugs etc illegal to keep their prisons full.

[@jonathanparks207]

@@shellym79 I am sorry but do you have any evidence for this bizarre conspiracy theory? Especially considering not all prisons are privately run even in states that have them which not every state does? Add that to the fact that nonviolent drug users make up a small percentage of the prison population.

[@wfly81]

Yes, but it's the prison industry's lobbyists who pressure the states' politicians to encarcerate more people, using their campaign contributions as leverage.

[@jonathanparks207]

@@wfly81 How exactly does that work? Does the state just randomly take people off the street and throw them in prison because the politicians were paid off?

[@amehak1922]

@@jonathanparks207 convicted felons. Though there have been cases of forced confessions and plea deals. The states would have contracts with those private companies to have 97% occupancies so judges and prosecutors have been caught doing unethical things to keep the contract.

[@nickallain]

On-campus housing is almost 2-3x the cost of getting a local apartment, but most universities require you live on campus for 1-2 years since they make a lot of money on it. There's a lot of recreational cycling here but the smart people don't do on roads, they do it on trails. Our roads were not really designed for cyclists and doing it on the road can be pretty dangerous. It's become pretty popular in cities as a commute option, but like you mentioned, it doesn't make sense in most places.

[@KaiHenningsen]

Our roads weren't designed for cyclists, either. But, psst, listen closely, I'm going to tell you a secret: badly designed roads can (usually) be *_fixed._*

[@Jeff_Lichtman]

Where I live, a big reason that university students live together is money. Housing here is insanely expensive. At the University of California at Berkeley, for example, a studio apartment can cost $2500 to $3000 a month. University-owned student housing is much cheaper. Also, student housing is usually on or near campus, which makes it easier to get to classes and back again. The legal drinking age used to be different from state to state. It was Mothers Against Drunk Driving who campaigned to have the age raised to 21 nationwide. Realistically, most kids experiment with alcohol at ages much younger than that. Some parents even allow their kids to drink at home, with the hope that they'll be able to monitor their kids' consumption, and keep their kids from going out and getting bombed, driving while drunk, etc. One reason that portion sizes in America are so large is money (again). When people are worried about their budgets, it's easy to sell them on getting a lot of food for the money. This is mostly true of budget and chain restaurants. You see it in their advertising, where they either explicitly say you get a ton of food for your dollar, or they imply it by showing pictures of huge portions, lots of sides, etc. The more expensive a restaurant, the less likely they are to serve huge portions. No one goes to Chez Panisse or The French Laundry to get a huge meal. That is, oversized portions are for the budget-conscious. Why do we have so many people in jail? The simple answer is the War on Drugs. IMO, it's a set of failed policies that should be rescinded. We've started down this road with many states legalizing marijuana (thought it's still against federal law). Most prisons in the U.S. are not for-profit. As far as I know, there are no for-profit prisons in California, where I live. The two-party system in the U.S. is a result of our electoral system, in which winning 50.000001% of the vote in a state or district gives you 100% of the representation. This makes it impossible for a minority party to get anywhere, which forces differing interests to join forces. There are other systems (proportional representation, for instance), in which a party that wins 10% of the vote wins 10% of the representation. In some parliamentary systems, if one party doesn't have a clear majority in the legislature, it can form a coalition with other parties to form a government. This happens in Israel pretty frequently. Sadly, a lot of the people who work for our immigration department don't like immigrants, and they see it as their job to discourage people from coming to the U.S. We have some roundabouts in the Bay Area. They're safer than cross-intersections. T-bone style crashes (which is what you get at intersections) are worse than sideswipe crashes (which is what you get at roundabouts). You'd think that stop lights and stop signs would provide adequate protection, but unfortunately, people fail to stop often enough that bad accidents do happen. I think we don't have more roundabouts because our roads are old, and it would take a lot of money to reconfigure all of our intersections (and we have a lot of them). Also, people don't like change.

[@nyneeveanya8861]

I live in the south. The nearest clothing store is 10 miles away. 90 degrees Fahrenheit is to blame hot to cycle to buy a dress. And many southern cities don’t have bike lanes so you have to risk your life against road rangers in a hurry in the cities.

[@terrypebworth6513]

Born/Raised a Texican.22 year Army vet. Enough about me. I like how Diane keeps it simple (analogies). No KZbin hate. I have opinions on much of this but we all need to filter. . What could be better than seeing Chewy at end of every vid? Love your videos Diane & Chewy. Happy New Year.

[@scottadler]

Another reason for living on campus in a dorm is the dining hall. Students invariably complain about the quality of the food, but it's always there, on schedule.

[@JasonMoir]

You can request to have a single room on campus at many universities, or even request certain people as roommates. It makes it easier to transition to college life for many students. 🎓

[@LindaC616]

Depends on how small the campuses. I know of a private Catholic liberal arts school on the East Coast where the spaces are at a premium. They have a two-year residency requirement for the first two years, and students are allowed to choose their roommates at orientation, if they wish. As they get older they have the option of living in a converted Mansion. Many prefer to live downtown because that's where the bars are and they can have more parties, and they don't get gouged on the food

[@donjones4719]

Where I went to college a single dorm room was a scarce commodity, and cost a lot more. The biggest reason I know of is that building 100 rooms for two is cheaper than building 200 rooms for one.

[@DianeJennings]

That makes a lot of sense 😊

[@Trifler500]

Most campuses have rooms specifically for married couples as well. Also there are a ton of students who go to a nearby university, and just continue living with their parents while attending. Out-of-state tuition is insane in comparison to in-state tuition.

[@donjones4719]

@@Trifler500 Back when college was more affordable students would go to a farther away school so they could live their own lives and not put up with their parent's rules and supervision. I could go home drunk or stoned to my room, or with a girl (I wish) and not have to worry about sneaking in. I went to a school an 8+ hour drive away. One brother went to a school about an hour away. We both lived on campus. They were state schools (NY) and cost the same, we chose each because the schools had different areas of academic strengths.

[@jackhogston6119]

Diane will only understand the drinking age in the USA when they have as many drunk teens driving cars in Ireland as we've had here.

[@nilo70]

That’s the thing , most of them don’t/can’t drive .

[@thewiirocks]

North Dakota is a place that you'll find kids driving by the time they're 12 (illegally) and drinking not too much later. (Also illegally) The state is so sparsely populated that no one really cares and the culture has grown up around starting these things when you're younger. Not sure if it's actually illegal, but apparently taking alcohol to go (i.e. drinking and driving) is considered acceptable in many areas. Try ANY of that in a more populated state like Illinois and people are going to jail for a long time.

[@eatdafat7101]

Ha, not these days here in CT. We have no bail revolving doors for car thefts, drunk driving, assault….

[@shawnblackhurst5246]

@@eatdafat7101 YET

[@reesbritton6623]

What’s the difference?!? They can drink earlier in Ireland and can drive at 17… it’s just our stupid, idiotic culture in America that is the difference!

[@davesmith4596]

It's Right Turn on Red, this law came during the gas shortages in the '70's in order to save gas. It prevents sitting at a red light for 2 min. just wasting gas. You must check to make sure there no traffic coming in your direction before you turn. Completely safe and has saved millions of gallons of gas over the 50 yrs.

[@scottdarden3091]

I almost crashed on a roundabout in Australia, as if driving on the wrong side of the road wasn't hard enough! Now you want me to figure out how to go in a circle and try to exit 😂😂😆

[@laurataylor8717]

As a college student I experienced sharing a room with a roommate, living in an on campus apartment where each person had their own bedroom and a shared living space and also an off campus apartment. I enjoyed sharing a room because the living situation felt like a year long slumber party in a way. You become very close with your roommate and, like sharing a room with a sibling, can talk as you are falling asleep. The down sides of course come to the awkwardness at times of coming home after the roommate has gone to bed or date nights... Sharing an on campus apartment was much better as far as those things go, but I never developed the same level of closeness with those roommates. When you are coming out of high school and going into this new phase of life it can be really nice to have a built in close friend (assuming you get a roommate you get along with.) I loved my off campus apartment, but you feel very separate from the college activities that make up a large part of the college experience.

[@laffingist218]

1) American college towns are often just the college, businesses, and settled neighborhoods of houses. The infrastructure isn't often there for large blocks of high-turnover flats, and most students are uncomfortable abruptly living alone. It's much easier that the school just provides and assigns rooms at first. No fuss. Also yes, most kids are from distant places so better to build social networks. 4) not fat = we can't eat twice the food you can just because they sell it to us. like you said, we use doggy bags, we don't eat it all at once.

[@kateealer7]

First, Jail and Prison are two separate things. Also, the majority of Jails/Prisons are NOT privately owned! (My state doesn't have any.) When I was a counselor, this was one of the most annoying suppositions family members would send messages to me about. Gaaaaaa!!!! Get it right!

[@bobdfrommichigan4911]

Within the last 20 years, Michigan has introduced roundabouts and the number is growing.

[@What_Makes_Climate_Tick]

In the US, there are two subcultures, with some overlap, that people not in them confuse: people who bicycle for recreation and exercise, and those who do it for transportation. And both of these groups have differing prevalence depending on where you are. College towns tend to have more of both kinds; the first kind like routes outside of town and often band together, while the latter kind are usually right in town and in bike-friendly locations, there is dedicated infrastructure for them. Many people who don't bike tend to not understand them and even be hostile, since mainstream society is so car-centric. They say that all politics is local, and I live in a place where nearly everyone is in agreement regarding which national party to vote for, but increasing local population is leading to conflict over whether to continue development by building on farmland, or building for increased density and increased bike and bus transportation.

[@davidheiser2225]

The drinking age is critically linked to driving. The difference in the US is that driving is often a necessity because everything is more spread out. In Europe there is more and better public transportation and things are closer together.

[@Otto42]

Roundabouts take up a helluva lot more space. They're fine when used for large intersections. They're kind of pointless for use in smaller intersections. We do have them. They just less common.

[@amehak1922]

Some states have state owned prisons, the guards and staff are state employees, and some have contracts with private companies that own and run the prisons (the guards and staff are company employees) for that state.

[@danielhammond3]

A lot of universities make first year students live on campus so they can charge the students more money to live there. But most students don’t mind living on campus for at least the first year because they view it as part of the “college experience”

[@LindaC616]

Yep

[@TKDragon75]

Don't do it though, it's a trap. If you can get away with living off, do it.

[@kd5you1]

I don't think it is entirely about money, but they do allow first year students to live at home if they live within a reasonable distance away from the university. Students who already live in the same city/town can live at home. When I was in college it wasn't about being a first year student, but rather it was determined by age. IIRC 18 and maybe 19 year olds had to live on campus. Also there were special dormitories for married students living together.

[@LindaC616]

@kd5you1 I think it varies greatly between State School vs private schools. I've spent 24 years working at a private Catholic College. They most definitely have a two-year requirement for living on campus the first two years. Only students who can demonstrate that they have financial need to live at home, such as a job in their town (which is half an hour away), can get an exception. And it is definitely about the money. Students have become aware in the last five to seven years that what they are being charged for the cafeteria (which at that school was all you could eat), was a way of gouging them. This was very much not the case at the state school that I attended as an undergraduate and graduate school. In those schools, the policy was much as you said. And since a friend's daughter is going to our alma mater, it is the same. Covid made her stay at home for the first year and take classes remotely. As a sophomore, she was already in an apartment with a friend

[@HoiiPolloii]

For sure, I agree Daniel! It’s definitely a cash grab. Maybe the institutions claim it’s for safety or other reasons but it’s still possible to build dorms with private rooms. The college typically chooses not to cause more people crammed in = more cash per square foot.

[@jasonmalstrom1043]

I've never seen high schooler or college students have any issue in acquiring alcohol for parties. If anything, the drinking age encourages them to drink more.

[@jimsteele9261]

Back when I went to college... in the Stone Age .... living on campus was required for freshmen, unless you were a local and lived at home. The thing is, the dorm included your board as well as a room. At 16, I wasn't all that confident about my cooking skills, so that was a plus. :-)

[@Trifler500]

As an American, I completely ignore food advertisements myself. Unless it's just informing me of the opening of a new place, but then I ignore it after I've tried it.

[@Dr-Alexander-The-Great]

Happy Friday, Diane. I started sleeping in my fireplace. I sleep like a log now

[@DianeJennings]

😂

[@lawrencedavis9246]

Did you change to Alexander the Grate?

[@LindaC616]

@lawrencedavis9246 oh, well done, you! 👏👏👏

[@joshuastrawser9160]

The US two-party system really just comes down to the fact that the inevitable coalitions happen much, much earlier in the process, leading to a wide range of views within each party.

[@michaelward5302]

The TSA thing with rudeness is because they start out nice when they get the job but after a while from the sheer amount of crazy things they see and have to deal with they get that way. As ridiculous as those shows you see on TV are , sometimes they are showing the situation as it happens. It's crazy to know that this thing wasn't scripted and actually happened. Only in America, right?

[@dannynone2784]

Federal employees: IRS, Social Security, TSA and many other are not the most qualified people. The federal government basically serves as a jobs program for people with few job qualifications.

[@nathanmarsh9503]

Also TSA is a crappy job with low pay.

[@nathanmarsh9503]

I learned to drive in NJ, the state that gave North America "traffic circles". These things are huge and terrifying. Then I spent some time out west where they got their first euro style roundabout and people were utterly baffled by it.

[@NeedQtAsianGf]

The TSA is a make work program for people who would work at the DMV but aren’t competent enough to work the computers. As someone who drives truck, roundabouts are terrible. They aren’t designed for trucks and cars often drive much to fast around them.

[@steveneardley7541]

Washington D.C. has a lot of "circles" which are basically giant roundabouts. And yes, they are terrifying. People are going fast, and you have to use the proper level of aggression to get into the circle. On roommates, I think it was very healthy. In my school they often put people of similar religious backgrounds together. This seemed to work pretty well, because it provided some level of familiarity. There is so much cultural diversity in the U.S. that some level of familiarity with at least one other person can help when you begin college. People started moving into apartments by their junior year.

[@aliceaurelia594]

Lots of people of all ages cycle to & from work in NYC. I don't know about the rest of the country, but it's not unusual here. My niece, who lives in a New York suburb, said her neighbors mocked her for riding her bike to work. Go figure.

[@johnalden5821]

The county I live in (in Maryland) has a ton of traffic circles. It is the county's go-to solution for a lot of rural intersections, even for roads leading up to main highways. They generally work out well, except for the neophytes who freak out and stop in the middle of the circle, or those who will pull into the circle right in front of you when you have the right of way.

[@LotsofWhatever]

Lived here for over 20 years and Dupont Circle still sucks. 😉

[@camouflageartist8897]

The media portrays the United States as a rich, glamourous, dynamic country. That’s not true. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYemaZxqpLh1Z5Y

[@aipo86t]

Bicycling: There are many trails where you can go for recreation. I'm almost 70 and ride the trails, but I have to drive to the trails and am considered eccentric. Using a bicycle for shopping or work is not possible. Besides the roads being terrible, you take your life in your hands and it would take you hours. The Grocery store is a half-hour drive. The good stores are almost 100 miles round trip. Before I retired work was a half-hour drive and the weather is terrible most of the time. So yea, bicycles are for people that do it as a hobby or small children.

[@j.rom-mel]

IMO: You've researched so much of American culture that you can probably be considered an ambassador at this point.

[@DianeJennings]

🏆 😂

[@tommysaroda4446]

@@DianeJennings good afternoon, how r u? Can you react to a video called Naruto. The title is called : Enter Naruto Uzumaki! Naruto Episode 1 Reaction (by youtuber Suzy Lu). This is the only way I can find this episode as the full KZbin video, Naruto is an anime, it's very funny, emotional at times, and this anime has a lot of very good morals and lessons that make you wonder about anything and life. Please react to this video, I want your opinion if you enjoyed it or not, or if you liked watching Naruto or not and so on. If you do end up liking and enjoying Naruto, can you do more anime Naruto Reaction videos? If you want, I can help you suggest what other Naruto episodes to react to and maybe other Anime show later down the road, also if you have any questions, feel free to ask and so on.

[@Mkproduction2]

Prisons private or government DO NOT: 1. Commit the crime. 2. Arrest the Criminal. 3. Convict the Criminal. 4. Sentence the Criminal. Lots of other reasons though...

[@brookebradford8009]

As a veteran, the bit that frustrated me to no end, was that when I was 18, and deemed old enough to choose to go fight and die for my country in a foreign country, I was not old enough to enjoy a glass of wine with dinner at home…

[@PyroNine9]

I can't help seeing the whole thing as silly, especially since I was 18 when the transition happened. Georgia decided for some reason to raise it incrementally. So I turned 18 and could drink, then over the summer, I couldn't . Then I turned 19 and I could drink until the summer when I couldn't again. Repeat for age 20. Quick, finish your beer, it'll be illegal in 5 minutes! Of course, the drinking age didn't necessarily correlate with the age at which we drank...

[@leslieturcotte1008]

US Citizen here. When I was on tour in Ireland, we (45 in group) played "Find the overweight person". We took the coastal route around the whole island. Found exactly 1. Farm lady in the Gaeltract. Amazing! On politics...for years, I have been saying we need better choices. Sorry your situation is the same. Perhaps the TSA rudeness has to do with major airports being in major cities. Rural people are generally more friendly. You are correct with your assessment of biking. I happen to live in Vermont (a corruption of the French Verts Monts, literally Green Mountains). Going anywhere involves biking up a steep hill in one direction. Mass Transit is not really a thing here, so, generally, on your 15th birthday you get your learner's permit & schedule your driver's license test on your 16th b-day. Most parents will arrange for a car to use. Thank You for your wonderful insights & please give Chewy a kiss for me!

[@jimross7648]

A return to bedroom video's how nostalgic, it takes me back to the beginning of Diane Jennings Channel, and we're hearing about thing Europeans find weird about the USA, and to a lesser extent them Canadians. It usually boils down to two main things. They're frigging huge countries so that size effects many things. Media amplifies the weirdest, and most unusual things that happen in the US, and media has greater access to everything than is allowed most other parts of the world. I notice that Chewie found this episode more interesting than most as he didn't yawn.

[@DianeJennings]

😂

[@tommysaroda4446]

@@DianeJennings Hey good afternoon. How r u? Can you react to this movie called Childsplay one, Childsplay 2 and Childsplay 3? it is a scary horror movie, so I'm just letting you know right now, be warned, this movie will make you be like WHAT THE!? So If ya not into reacting to scary horror movies like this or any other horror movie because it's scary, I will understand. If you want me to pick another video for you to react that's not scary, please let me know. If you have questions, feel free to ask.

[@tonybriarstone2285]

The larger food quantity that you get at restaurants is about value. Getting a fair amount for your money. And just because you get a lot of food, does not mean that you have to eat it all before you leave the restaurant. This is why we have “doggie bags”. We take home the leftovers (the amount that we can’t finish). This is critical for encouraging people to eat out at restaurants. This is because most often we will get at least two meals out of that dining experience. This means that a dinner that cost you $14 really only cost you $7 per meal. And you get to enjoy a second dinner at home without paying any more money. This makes going out to eat viable for people who can’t afford $14 for one meal. This way you can go out to dinner and have a great time and not break the bank, because your meal really only cost you $7 for that meal and not $14. It’s a value thing and it’s an incentive thing to make it more affordable to go out to eat. And, of course, who doesn’t enjoy eating leftovers the next day. It’s a win, win situation. DOGGIE BAG - It’s called a “doggie bag” because many times, like at a steak restaurant, you would take the meat scraps, the fat and the gristle back home for your dog. Whether it’s for you or your dog, it’s called a “doggie bag”. Some people have started calling it a “Togo box”. But it’s still also called, a “doggie bag”.

[@MacGuffinExMachina]

We start drinking in high school or middle school. I don't think the drinking age changes anything.

[@pjschmid2251]

In general TSA agent isn’t the greatest of jobs and it tends to attract people that want to be able to exert power over others. When you give a person like that a little bit of power they become jackasses. Pressing their authority over others makes them feel important whereas in the rest of their life they are quite unimportant. I once heard a flight attendant tell me that they said TSA stood for thugs standing around. I always called it the theatrical security agency; they do a lot of dramatic things to make it seem like they’re actually keeping us safer, thereby justifying their existence, when they actually aren’t.

[@jonhenry8268]

Imagine processing 1000s of people everyday, usually standing on your feet the entire time. Then Imagine those 1000s of people weary travelers abused by the airlines who are herding them like cattle or maybe those people have the attitude that TSA are power seeking thugs (people think this of police as well), or that the TSA is just an annoyance. I can't imagine my attitude would be that great after about Tuesday even if they were paying me 6 figures.

[@pjschmid2251]

@@jonhenry8268 why is it that this doesn’t seem to be an issue in other countries? You can try to make excuses for their behavior but it just doesn’t hold up. As for people viewing them as thugs (this goes for the police as well) they created that image for themselves with their behavior and lack of oversight.

[@jonhenry8268]

@pjschmid2251 go to Mexico or any central American or mid eastern country and you'll change your mind. I don't think it's a problem I personally find the people traveling are far more rude than airport staff. BUT, unlike you I'm not making a broad generalization. In my experience with TSA, Airport Staff and police I generally find it's like dealing with any other person.

[@edkeaton]

Happy Friday to you Diane! Anytime that you upload a new video, it's like the sunshine has emerged from the clouds on a dark day. Your videos always cheer me up, especially as of late. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and insights as always. Have a perfect weekend my lovely friend and be well! All my best to both you, Chewie, and Editor Diane as well! ✌️😎♥️

[@DianeJennings]

Thank you! You too!

[@gorndd]

@@DianeJennings 1. TSA and Border Patrol are two different things. Homeland Security handles Immigration, customs, and border control. They are an armed federal police agency. TSA are simply glorified security guards. They are not a police agency. They simply handle security screening at transportation hubs like airports. They have nothing to do with border entry, immigration, or customs. 2. The US has many different political parties. Many early Presidents were members of political parties that no longer exist. Although there are multiple parties (Libertarian, Green, Socialist, Communist, and many more) only two have managed to achieve any sort of significant political power. But there ARE more than two parties. 3. "Private" prisons are only a small percentage (8%) of federal and state jails & prisons in the US. The overwhelming majority (92%) are operated by a federal or state government. County jails are almost 100% County owned & operated.

[@tommysaroda4446]

@@DianeJennings what's up? How's work life and the family? Can you do a reaction video called Rab C Nesbitt series 1 S01E01-Work (by youtuber Travel music Entertainment).

[@phillipeffertz6346]

For cycling, we have a mindset of the roads are for cars only and bikes should be on trails. I personally agree with this.

[@retcutter10]

Biking is very popular in America, but mainly for sports, exercise, and as a hobby. People will put a lot of money into biking and can be very passionate about it. But as far as everyday transportation, we still prefer something with four wheels. As a wise man once said, "Well, excuuuse, me!"

[@phillipeffertz6346]

@@retcutter10 Biking is indeed a pastime I enjoy on trails away from vehicles.

[@LS1007]

Where I grew up you could buy 3.2 % alcohol beer at 18. The bottles had red caps whereas the good stuff had gold caps. You could always get someone who’s 21 to buy the 6% though. Jails aren’t privately run. There are city jails, county jails, and state penitentiaries funded by taxpayers. Roundabouts are becoming more popular and I’ve seen several new ones lately. Thanks for the interesting video. Have a nice weekend and be safe! ❤️U☘️🇮🇪🇺🇸

[@Entiox]

As of 2022 there are 158 private prisons in the United States holding around 8% of the prison population. They make about $7.4 billion a year, before you take into consideration the money they make selling the goods produced by convict labor. Most clothing you see labeled as "made in the USA" are made with prison labor.

[@bigscarysteve]

The majority of jails in America are still run by the government, but in the last 40 years, this privately-run jail thing has taken off. It was considered more economically efficient. The big conflict of interest is when judges are also investors in these private jails.

[@Entiox]

@@bigscarysteve there are also incidents like the two judges in Pennsylvania who shut down the county juvenile detention facility so that 2 private detention facilities could be opened that then paid the judges for every child sentenced to them. The judges were paid $2.8 million over several years and sent about 2,300 kids to these facilities, most of whom should have never been sentenced to detention in the first place.

[@bigscarysteve]

@@Entiox I missed that news story--but color me unsurprised.

[@Snipergoat1]

@@Entiox He said jails, not prisons. Rather important difference. Also inmates get paid for their work. It's a pittance but they have time to kill and it get them a few luxuries. Overall, it's one of the few things we get right about our penal system.

[@martypoll]

I lived in a dorm of 60 guys on campus at the University of Connecticut from 1974-1976. I roomed with a stranger but during those 2 years I met lifelong friends that I still meet up with yearly 40 years later.

[@donjones4719]

I was on the student-run ambulance on campus at a large college in New York State in the mid-70s when the drinking age was 18. I partied a lot and treated people who'd partied too hard. Not in the same evening, lol! Drinking ties into the living-on-campus question. For generations students drank on campus and didn't have to drive anywhere. This helped a lot for that set of 18-21 year olds. Dorms were their own social group, and on a weekend one dorm or another was having a party, with a keg and fruit/vodka punch. There were various other group parties, there was almost always a place to drink - and party with other substances. And we had a pub on campus. My school, SUNY Binghamton, was known as "a party school" and also known for having a lot of pre-med students, most of whom got into medical school. And known for having one of the first student run ambulances. Yes, Diane, an ambulance staffed by and run by 18-21 year olds, with no "adult" supervision. We were called for a lot of passed out students but I recall only 1 or 2 who were in serious danger.

[@bigscarysteve]

I grew up in a college town--one where the local college was a party school. My parents wanted me to stay at home rather than live in a dorm in order to save money. I wanted to avoid living in a dorm because I wanted to avoid the party scene. So for once, my parents and I agreed about something!

[@NotSoFast71]

As far as the cycling question goes, as you mentioned most people commute dozens of miles each way to and from work. There's also the weather. No one wants to ride a bike and get sweaty on the way to work when it's 85 degrees and 99% humidity at 9:00 am in much of the country and it rains quite often in a lot of areas. It's harder to dodge full sized vehicles here compared to the go-carts that most Europeans drive.

[@col.mustard1233]

One of the differences with drinking ages is that in all but one State you get a drivers license at 16, in Hawaii you can get it at 15, and in most farming communities you can drive at 14 if it is for working on your families farm.

[@raydurz]

CBP is customs, TSA is airport security. And while I can't speak for CBP, I know that with the TSA it can get pretty annoying when people argue with you that their water is not a liquid, or that they took their knife through airport security 40 years ago. EDIT: I know people in the TSA can be jerks, too.

[@donovanfoto3263]

Custom and Border Protection (CBP), IMMIGRATION (INS), and Border Patrol are at the Border. Transit Security Agency is at the airport. Although, technically, CBP and INS are also at the airports. I cleared INS in Dublin, on my recent trip. Ireland is one of the few countries where you can do that. It was great. I deboarded the plane and went straight out the front door.

[@raydurz]

@Donovan Foto I agree about going through US Customs at the Dublin Airport. It was great.

[@DianeJennings]

Yeah the security! They yell at whole lines of people and openly roll their eyes 😮

[@gray7433]

TSA stands for Taking Stuff Away. Not all airports function the same, and if you want a nice time going through security, fly out of a small airport.

[@tommysaroda4446]

@@DianeJennings what's up? Can you react to The Benny Hill Show (by youtuber BLOB 88). It's a very funny comedy skit sketch show. The video's length time is 49:49, which is very long, so if you want to condense and summarize the video to react in a short good enough of time, feel free.

[@mythicsagefire]

Living on College Campuses was started several hundred years ago when universities first came to America and modeled after boarding schools. This was and still remains to be considered one of the first long term ventures away from home, and pairing you with a roommate or two would give you a better chance of success as you would have someone to talk with and not be alone. The other benefit for the university was that it was cheaper to make a dorm style space rather than individual rooms. Also note that no matter how tired you got or how bad the weather was, living on campus would give you better motivation to get to classes. And as a more modern concern, living on campus helps the local housing market not take a heavy hit every semester.

[@hayneshvac2]

Round abouts are becoming quite common over here in the US...still new here in Ohio, and I agree with you Diane...I would rather fight against non moving objects rather than take a chance with moving objects. great video, thank you for the content.

[@antaine1916]

Jail is the municipal-level or county-level facility where you're held pending your initial hearings and/or trial. Prisons are state-level or federal-level facilities where you serve out your sentences. Most prisons (and all jails) are government-run. Some prisons are outsourced to private prison companies in an effort to save taxpayers money.

[@imonlybleeding8021]

When it comes to bicycles, it comes down to two main things: infrastructure and culture. Some areas have good bike paths and/or bike lanes, while some absolutely do not. If you live in a rural area, the distances involved might be too great. Even some urban areas lack the necessary paths/lanes to make biking safe. However, if the place you live has the infrastructure, you’ll typically see people using it, at least in their free time. Also, there are some areas of the country that are just more in to outdoors activity for recreation. An example of these two coming together is Denver, Colorado. Very big biking city. Most people still commute by car, but recreational biking is popular there.

[@HariSeldon913]

Definitely true about the paths. In Chicago I was on a road last week that had a bike path painted right in the middle of the car lane and there was no extra lane. I think someone was tasked with putting a bike lane there, saw no space for one, and just put it right in the middle of traffic so they could say it was done.

[@hedydoyful]

You are right about Denver, Colorado, and just Colorado in general! One of our Colorado stereotypes is that our bicycles cost more than our cars-LOL! People are into cycling here mostly for recreation because of the distances between places. As you say, it's driven by the culture where we choose to use our taxes create more bike lanes and bike paths. Safety: With so many cars on the road, cycling is a dangerous form of daily transportation if you have to commute somewhere. I know many people whose lives have been permanently altered by horrific bike accidents, almost always because car drivers don't attention to bike traffic. I'm fortunate to live in an area of Colorado where there are many bike paths that I can use to get outside into fresh air. Crime: However another reason that people struggle to use bikes more is because of crime. It takes only seconds for a thief with the right tool to cut a lock and disappear with a bicycle. That makes me cautious about using my bike for commuting because I don't like spending 10 minutes locking up my bike so I can run into a store for 5 minutes, then unlocking it. Then of course, where safety and crime collide--- does one feel safe riding a bike at night? If I travel known trails, I might not worry about hitting something on the path as much as someone jumping out at me that I can't see because it's dark. Alternately, driving in the dark on roads shared with cars is very unsafe because we already know drivers don't pay attention in the daylight.

[@WalterGreenIII]

Diane when i was a kid we had MANY restaurant that were not fast food joints. They have long since disappeared, Like "White Coffe Pot Jr." which sort of was like a more casual "Denny's". You walk in and sit down without waiting for a waiter to seat you. The place was sort of a dinner experience, with out regular table, Booths along the front window and side wall across from the booths was a wrap around bar that was "L" shaped. The "L" shaped bar had a counter behind it also "L" shaped. Behind the L shaped bar and counter was the kitchen area, toward the ends of the L and near the corner of the L was a pass trough opening so the waitresses could wait on guests. There was also a large window between the kitchen and counter, and one door. The setup worked well, every booth was well padded, and the was a coat/hat rack mounted on the end on every booth. There where also many "Mom and Pop" restaurants. Mom and Pop refers to the fact that many were owned by families, where the mother and or father or both ran the place often even having their older children contribute. There is a restaurant 20-30 minutes from me in a neighboring town that I frequent. It is one of the rare Mom and Pop restaurants still around, it is call Willy's and they have one "HELL" of a breakfast that can not be duplicated by fats foot joints, and other small restaurants. we need to bring back more of these regular restaurants, they still exist but are much harder to find. I also love Diners, There is a Diner in the Baltimore area called "Double T Diner" they have multiple locations, their menu is about eight pages and the have what seems like a hundred items per page. There are so many item in the menu you may need to ask the waitress because you can not find it yourself... They have Fish like salmon, tilapia, cod, and seafood like crab cakes, shrimp/ They have Poultry like fried chicken, sliced chicken and turkey. They have beef, veal, and steaks including meatloaf and burgers and steak subs. The have pork and ham as well as many varieties of vegetables. Sometimes other things are offered as they have a center page with pocket so they can change the specials for the day. They have many pies, many cakes, baklava, pastries, cookies and ice cream for desert. You can never go wrong at "Double T Diner" as they have almost anything. Honey Bee Diner is amazing for their food, they are in Glen Burnie. Their menu is not as extensive as Double T Diner, but I have never been to any restaurant that has such a large menu, but I like their bread pudding better because the use a thin pudding and whipped cream as their topping and not caramel which I find too sweet. One tradition at the Honey Bee is that all the waitresses seem to collect "Honey Bees"... Honey Bees pins, Honey Bee necklaces, Honey Bee earrings, even the name tags have a Honey Bee on it, but often Honey Bee stickers or other decorations are add to their name tags, head gear, or uniforms. Some of the "regulars" to the restaurant have given the waitresses little gifts (pins necklaces, earrings) with Honey Bees to add to their uniforms. Kind of Kewl!!! Oh "Glen Burnie" is not in Ireland, it is south of Baltimore Maryland. We do have MANY place names in Maryland that are of Irish, Scottish, or even Engilsh origins. Me I do not wear any pants or under garments, you are not supposed to when you wear kilts every day. Pants under a kilt would be WRONG, and pants over a kilt is impossible! So when I go into Pubs, Irish Bars, or Irish restaurants, I get a lot of attention. I have yet to find a Scottish bar or restaurant, maybe their not as popular as people are afraid to try Scottish food because the ideas of Haggis scares them off? Me personally I want to find a restaurant with the name of Celtic House or something similar that serves Celtic foods from all the different Celtic peoples, including Brittonic Celts and Gaelic Celts such as Bretons, Cornish, Welsh, Cumbric, Irish, Manx, Scottish and others

[@bdwon]

Wow! Regular Diane and Editor Diane agree on the desirability of fatty foods!

[@DianeJennings]

Of course!

[@danielchapman6032]

One of the big differences between USA and EU is winter. Lot's of people in my home town bicycle when the weather is above 16°C but once it gets cold...and it does get cold here... they disappear back into their autos. Hey D, you ever experience a Midwest winter? You should. Good for your ratings, (or whatever that is called on social media), recommend Minnesota, the Dakotas, Iowa or Wisconsin.

[@belkyhernandez8281]

Yes, we have for profit prisons which creates a political incentive to put people in prison since the prison owners give cash to candidates. It's legal here even though it's a complete conflict of interest.

[@tiffanyi5645]

I LOVE how you explained to some viewers to tap “Enter” on the keyboard to “like” , someone like my mom would really need those instructions! Lolol

[@johnmollet2637]

Dorms in the USA is all about money. 4 students sharing a live in closet brings in 4 time the amount of money that one student does...

[@LindaC616]

Yes, and they especially make money on the cafeteria charge

[@bryandawkins]

I hope you have a good weekend, I like how Chewie is chilling. As always it is fun to hang out with you

[@DianeJennings]

You too!

[@peterjamesfoote3964]

I started college at 17 as a sophomore but I started kindergarten at 4 and then clep-ed out of my freshman year of college.

[@LindaC616]

Hiya! Ha, I started school at almost 6 (Dec baby), skipped from first into second, graduated at 17, too. No clepping allowed, except math, which I placed out of, but wound up taking because Honors College offerings were so boring. And some credits for placement in my languages

[@peterjamesfoote3964]

@@LindaC616 You just did your jumping a little later than I. What year did you graduate from college? I was ‘80.

[@LindaC616]

@@peterjamesfoote3964 a bit, it seems. College? 4 yrs, 86

[@futball51]

Most students actually stay in state most universities have reduced tuition for students from their state, there’s various reasons for dorms, I think the draw for why we do them is definitely the social aspect like it might not be a different state but the school I went to was 3.5 hour drive from my home and I didn’t know anybody so getting that immediate friendship bond is helpful. Also in some places there still is the cramping issue. My university was in downtown of the city so building additional student housing was hard and they basically have as many people to a room as possibel

[@randalmayeux8880]

Hi Diane, how are you this evening? The bit about bicycles is as you pointed out, the distances are great especially here in Texas. But the main reason is, there is no place ride them safely. Sure, bicycles are allowed to drive the same Lanes as cars but it's suicidal to do so,

[@LindaC616]

I am on the east coast in a small City, and I have the same problem. We're not allowed to write on the sidewalks, but riding on certain streets is taking your life in your own hands. The next town over, which blends into mine, they do not harass people for riding bikes on the sidewalk, because the Main Avenue is on the list of the most ridiculous things to do when it comes to urban planning.

[@larryselkirk426]

There are many places in America that provide extensive bicycle trails/lanes to commute or ride for pleasure. Perhaps you should let your local representatives know you would like to see bike trails and lanes in your town. It's never too late to developer safe places to ride bicycles.

[@LindaC616]

@larryselkirk426 we have a local group that promotes cycling. My city is on an island. The goal is to connect the bike path from the north of the island to points in my city. However, the city in between is retail nightmare. It is on the top 10 list of things that urban planners should never do. No One rides their bike on that main road. Ever. The police hassle people in my city for riding on the sidewalks. In the city next door, which blends into mine, the police don't bother anyone for riding their bike on the sidewalk on that maun road. It truly would be taking your life in your hands. So there's a limit to what they can do here with the space that they have, due to its being an island

[@BillW1]

I ain't riding a bicycle to and from work. It is 30 miles each way, or 48 km. each way. And roundabouts? There are a bunch in Washington, DC. Anyway, have a great weekend Diane, and Chewie.

[@wabash9000]

The best thing about living on campus was the meal service and not needing to cook.

[@LindaC616]

You would think so, but I have seen on the campus I worked on where that students would wait for the bus to pick them up, try them half a block turn the corner and drive another half block to the cafeteria. Because they were too lazy to walk. And so students farther away from the building where the cafeteria was would just skip breakfast, and go to class with nothing, and then fall asleep in their classes because they didn't eat until 1 or 2 p.m.

[@DianeJennings]

My mom cooked too 😝

[@donjones4719]

Yes, I absolutely loved that. No need to shop and cook and clean up. Left more time for partying...er, I mean studying. :D

[@googe2312]

Happy new year sweet stuff 😋💙💙💙

[@stevenvarner9806]

The TSA (security) people in San Diego always seem pretty polite. They were pretty nice in Boston also. However, in New Jersey they always seem really curt and even rude.

[@yankinwaoz]

Re: university dorms. Most kids go to a university in their home state. Out of state tuitions are more expensive. The reason for requiring to live on campus is because it keeps the freshman focused on school. They aren’t mature enough to study, adjust to collage, adjust to leaving home, and resist temptations and distractions. It produces better results.

[@zzkeokizz]

Students in America can go to any school that they can get into. Some students go to a school that’s 6 hours away from their home. One of the reasons of having a roommate is friendship. Both of you are in a new place and each of you have someone to hang around with. As time goes on you’ll add to your friend pool but having a roommate makes college (uni) less lonely. The thing about the drinking age: American teenagers learn to drive between the ages of 15- maybe 17. Some kids have after school/weekend jobs and they drive to their places of employment. We do not have trains or buses in rural America. The US is bigger than any European country because it’s the size of Europe. Since the kids need after school and weekend jobs to begin to help their parents to support themselves, they need a car more than the right to drink alcohol.

[@jessicaely2521]

Actually the continent Europe is a little larger than the US. US is 9.8 million km² where Europe is 10.2 million km²

[@WyattRyeSway]

Some states here allow learners permits at 14 and drivers licenses at 15. North Dakota (permit at 14 to unrestricted license at 16) is 2 years earlier across the board than New Jersey (permit at 16 to unrestricted license at 18).

[@allanlank]

Unlike in the USA, Canadians consider a soldier to be an adult. With parental consent, the Canadian Armed Forces will accept an extraordinary 17 years old, although they do turn away two out of three applicants. Jesse Ventura, while Minnesota Governor, was quote as saying "Sending 18 year olds to Vietnam but not allowing them to drink, is child abuse."

[@jamesloftus6157]

My university required all first year students to live on campus. Our campus wasn't very large, so housing was very compact. The idea was to socialize them into campus life. Also, they school still considered they should act as in Loco parents. (Not sure if I got the Latin correct.) They ended the policy for decades but just brought it back.

[@LindaC616]

The one I worked at had a 2 yr requirement (making that money). Upper classes could live in mansions that have been converted into dorms. But many of the upperclassmen preferred to live downtown, because that's where the Bars were, and they could have parties. The campus used to be a dry campus

[@pat2562]

Loco Parentis---close enough.

[@jamesloftus6157]

@Pat That's what I typed, but didn't notice autocorrect snuck in at the last second.

[@joegoss30]

American universities can be huge and having a roommate (hopefully one you get along with) can help you make it seem a touch more manageable.

[@peterjamesfoote3964]

In loco parentis but close enough!

[@christopherlawyer4214]

Roundabouts are safer and finally starting to catch on. The best feature of roundabouts is that when power/electricity goes out...a roundabout is still functional. When traffic lights lose power that intersection can become a death trap.

[@bill.godwin-austen]

Roundabouts have started to appear in and around the neighborhood where I live. I've found them to be generally good, but a lot of people still haven't quite figured them out and make it a bit iffy for the rest of us. As they become more common, more people will be familiarized and comfortable with them, and it should smooth out traffic as a result.

[@Scott-J]

About the drinking age, remember America is car-centric. 15-16 is when we start driving. Car accidents are already the leading cause of death in teenagers here. Make beer and wine easily available to 16 year-olds and that number will go up. Beer and wine used to be 19, not 18, specifically to (try to) keep it out of the high schools.

[@paulherman5822]

Yet the drinking age in Michigan, across the board, was 18 until 1984. Not different between beer/wine and liquor. No difference in Ohio or Indiana between alcohols then, either. (I know because that's when I turned 18. 😁)

[@Scott-J]

@@paulherman5822My Dad in Wisconsin did beer and wine at 19, until the early 80's. The same federal highway funding change in your states to the 21 limit, I assume.

[@paulherman5822]

@@Scott-J I think so. Been a few years.😁 Just remember being frustrated about it. 21 hit just a short time before I turned 18.

[@cynsi7604]

Here in NC the age was 18 for beer & wine and 21 for hard liquor. Then the age changed ‘83 or ‘84 to 21 for everything. I graduated HS in ‘81 so I was already at drinking age. But kinda started at 17 (older BF was 20/21, went out New Years Eve in ‘80/‘81 and got sooo sick off red wine. 🍷🤮 Couldn’t touch wine again until 13 yrs later. And until this day IF I decide to have a glass it has to be very VERY DRY WHITE! 😂 sorry, TMI.) But my bestie at the time was 6 mths younger so “technically” we waited until she turned 21 on her b-day night to “drink legally”. Of course this was at dance clubs & dive bars we went to to hear “local-ly” rock bands play. Man, I miss those days! 🍻✌🏻 (NOT the hangovers just the decade of the 80s!)

[@es330td]

As an American who went through university living off campus and now a parent of two college students I can say without any hesitation the reason you live on campus is to reduce the time you have to spend on “life.” You are a couple minutes walk from class, food is made for you, no dishes to wash. An on campus student has a significant reduction in the time they must spend on non-school activity.

[@tomhalla426]

Private prisons are rare.

[@ptournas]

Not that rare. They hold 8% of America's prison population and operate in 26 states. They number over 500.

[@jimmiegiboney2473]

1.4K Thumbs Up + Mine! 👍. Thanks! 🎬🎉🎊✌️🙏 Notes: Because of the quarantine, so many television series got cancelled or placed on a long term hiatus. So I subscribed to more, "You Tube", channels and in so doing, I got behind on viewing yours and the others that I was already subscribed too. So, it is very nice to see and hear you again! 🥰. Plus, Chewy! 🐩

[@GadjetGriller]

I turned legal twice!! Almost 3 times. When I turned 18 that was the legal age but half way through that year they raised it to 19So when I turned 19 I turned legal again. Right after I tuned 21 they raised it to 21 so almost 3 times lol.

[@LindaC616]

That might have been my case, as well. Except that we never tried to drink. Most of my friends did not drink, and we only used our licenses to get into clubs if we wanted to go dancing, which was once in a blue moon. Then they changed the rule, so that when I did turn 21 my senior year of college my best friend couldn't go with me because she wasn't 21 yet and everybody else was busy with finals. In the meantime, they had changed the rules so that you could not even go in if you were under 21 and we did not know it

[@mikeet69]

I know many of my classmates had the same experience. Unfortunately for me I missed the age raise by 1 month each time so technically I was not legal for 3 more years. Technically. ;-)

[@JosephRNalbone]

Just curious, we’re you in Florida? I was legal for 6 months, they raised it to 19 (without a grandfather clause) and I was illegal for 6 months. When they raised it to 21, they included a clause and didn’t remove the rights from those 19 and older. So what did I do those 6 months, you ask? I went back to drinking at the places I drank at when I was 17!

[@mikeet69]

@@JosephRNalbone No I was in Texas with no grandfathering either time. I think that was part of the arm twisting the federal government did to the states thanks to MADD. I myself was a founding member of DAMM. Drunks Against Mad Mothers! ;-)

[@DianeJennings]

😂

[@colingladstone1911]

Editor Diane is so great can't get enough of editor Diane

[@randalmayeux8880]

I'm back (see below) as I was about to say, bicycles are almost invisible in traffic, especially to the drunks and people texting while driving. You're not allowed to drive on the sidewalk, and while some places have designated bicycle lanes the people in cars largely ignore them. Also the risk of having your bike stolen is pretty high. Give Chewie a hug for me, love you and goodbye for now!

[@NatckGogg]

RE: roundabouts The short answer is they're expensive to put where an intersection already exists. It would have been better if we had started with roundabouts, but we didn't, so now they come with a hefty price tag to get. We have a crumbling infrastructure that the repair of takes up a lot of roads money. However, a lot of intersections in my Midwest city are - instead of being expensively repaired - are being torn out and replaced with roundabouts. So we ARE getting them, but it's a slow and expressive process.

[@dongleason9878]

There are plenty of "roundabouts" in the US. I have 2 within 3 miles of me, but we call them rotaries.

[@LindaC616]

@@dongleason9878 sounds like Rhode Island! I think they might be more successful in the midwest, because people are used to sharing the road there more than here. The only thing that's better here on the east coast is that in Rhode Island, people are kinder to you if you are making a left turn. In the midwest, it is understood that there is a left turn lane, and if you choose to turn left, you deserve to suffer

[@chicken2jail]

Hi Diane! Your channel seems to resemble America: Through hard work from you, Chewie & Editor Diane, you've made an American Dream Channel! Without the Pew Pews and Triple Baconators of course. Have a great weekend!

[@DianeJennings]

Oh wow! What a nice thing to say in such a smart funny way! Thank you 😂

[@cheryljohnson7546]

Lol I love your rules! But I love yours and the try channel videos! Thank You very Much!

[@grobble8954]

TSA people are "rude" as they have to deal with all the people you say 'are the nicest' daily. They deal with often stupid things & people thinking rules do not apply to them & they argue/ throw fits over rule enforcement. Them doing that daily puts some of them in a poor mood.

[@gregmcmahon957]

I really enjoy this video. Happy Friday. Have a very good weekend.

[@DianeJennings]

Thank you! You too!

[@mythicsagefire]

I think the stigma of biking being goofy or nerdy in the USA is dependent on where you live. Biking in L.A., CA might be difficult because it’s so crowded. However biking in Colorado is encouraged everywhere (cities, towns, mountains, etc) as we are an outdoor state and put biking lanes everywhere. I think there are a few other states and cities that have this same open-minded attitude that we never judge: good for you!

[@HariSeldon913]

Doesn't help that the helmets look terrible. I'd rather get hit on the head than wear one of those.

[@bcase5328]

US roadways are anti-bicycle, anti-pedestrian. Drivers don't bike laws, and some think/treat bicyclists like they aren't permitted on the road. In a car verse bicycle conflict, the bicycle loses even when lawful.

[@bryanstoke3381]

This country about 100 years ago, decided generally speaking by the automotive industry to build more roads, which means more cars than it specifically designed for cars, not bikes, not buses or trains, or even subways & cities and towns tend to be about 20 miles apart from each other, about as much horses with travel back in the day. We are a automotive culture. ❤

[@larryselkirk426]

Fortunately many cities and towns have decided to modify streets and add bicycle lanes as well as adding bicycle trails.

[@beckysimeone4882]

To go to jail in the USA you must either be convicted by a jury of your peers or, if it is an option, convicted by a judge. Once convicted by either type of court, the judge decides if you go to a state or federal prison. Some jails are private entities, but they only get inmates through our court systems and still must follow state and federal laws. None of these institutions are big money makers. There are varying degrees of how harsh the prison/jail is, which usually depends on what kind of prisoners they contain (ie: murderers vs white collar crimes).

[@andrewbeattieRAB]

EXCELLENT VIDEO You know more than most Americans about their own country. Great content. 100% Charm.

[@Dogsday198]

The large sizes are only part of the problem. Many foreigners that move here say that they have a very similar diet to what they had in their native country but they still gain weight. Most likely the preservatives, hormones, and other stuff (illegal in most countries) that is in our food supply contributes as well.

[@larryselkirk426]

As an American I shared a room in a dormitory on campus (A long time ago) and it was a good experience. For one thing, it forces you to learn how to get along with strangers. You learn a great deal about people from places that may be far from your home. The dorms also allowed study groups to meet in the evening without the need to travel across town. Your study group members were often seconds away if you needed help with an assignment. Living on campus was convenient in that it saved travel time. You just walk to class (or, on a large campus, ride your bicycle). Students often ate in campus cafeterias after purchasing a semester ticket so you didn't run out of food money at the end of the semester. On many campuses students with related majors may live in the same building so you have a support group in your building even if they are not part of your regular study group. I often tell young people I know that they should spend at least their first year at university living in an on campus dorm.

[@yasminesacristan5855]

Jails and prisons are different. Where you go depends on the type of crime. You can have local jails as well as state and federal prisons.

[@Graybeard_]

Growing up my parents had foreign university students from all over the world stay with us. As a teacher, I had many foreign students in my classes. As a traveler (Canada, Mexico, UK, Turkey, Ukraine) I got to visit many people in their home country. I would say the biggest and most frequent misconception foreigners have about Americans is just how hugely diverse a country we are. If you spend time in Seattle WA and then fly to Louisiana, and then fly to Texas and then onto Guam, you will feel like you visited four different countries in terms of culture, food, lifestyle and weather/environment.

[@dognerd7280]

Shared college dorms: Dorms tend to be a requirement for freshman year and I think is largely what you said about easing us into adulthood and encouraging socialization, but I also think it’s largely (possibly) an attempt to minimize entitlement and socioeconomic advantages. Also, fewer rooms, means fewer walls, means cheaper building costs. Different schools/dorms also have different bathroom builds as well that likely affect costs. That is, some have communal bathrooms (1/floor, alternating genders), some have suites (two shared rooms attached by a bathroom), and rarely single shared rooms with a dedicated en suite bathroom). Personally I experienced both of the non-communal versions. I also did on campus for 3 years, only moving off campus my senior year to live with my now husband. This is total conjecture on my part, but my theory is that especially in the east, where the universities tend to be older (granted, by US standards) and in earlier times, fewer folks went to college, so probably sharing rooms wasn’t really a thing until probably after WWII when enrollments increased and rather than building more dorms immediately, they just started having people share. I had my own room my whole childhood, and it really wasn’t that big a deal to share for me. But then my roommate dropped out after one semester and I was never given a new one. Either way was okay with me.

[@JamesLarson47]

The United States does not have the public transport infrastructure that Europe has, thus it would be required for students living off campus to have their own vehicles... this would require more on campus parking, costing both the student and the University more money. Many schools require Freshmen and Sophomore college students to live on campus without a vehicle and sometimes this qualifies for all undergraduate students. Also, it's too expensive to live off campus unless you have a ton of housemates and colleges typically will add the cost of living on campus into the financial aid for the student, allowing the student to defer the cost of living during school to later years when they're starting their careers and making money.... this is ideological view of the situation at least.

[@mdp4440]

Roundabouts-- I live in the southern USA. A couple of years ago we took a trip to Ireland and rented a car in Dublin. I was the designated driver. I drove all over the country, down to Cork, out to Dingle, up to Westport and back eastward. I have never seen so many roundabouts in my life!! Sometimes it seems like there was one every 500 meters. Crazy crazy

[@ascaye]

I was reaching for the thumbs-up button before you even begin speaking. Because I already know those video will be awesome

[@TR4200]

13:32 You still have to stop at red lights before turning left. One can only turn left at red lights, if they come to a complete stop and make sure the road and turn is clear.

[@bill.godwin-austen]

To be clear... I'm assuming "Left on red" applies to the UK, Australia, and other places where you drive on the left. In the USA, it's "Right on red", and yes, you are supposed to come to a complete stop at the red, and only proceed when you have checked that traffic is clear and your turn won't impede anyone. The only situation I'm aware of in the USA where "Left on red" is allowed is if you're on a one-way street (in the left lane) and are turning onto a one-way street with traffic moving towards your left. Then, it's the same rules as right on red.

[@TR4200]

@@bill.godwin-austen In the United States you can turn left on Red if it’s a one way street going left. Yes, you are correct. Right on Red is the normal situation.

[@azurepulse1870]

I mean, dorms aren't really two or more people sharing one room. They share a common area and maybe a kitchen, but the room where they sleep and spend most of their time in has a lockable door on it for privacy and stuff. But yeah, living on campus is very convenient for those of us who hate waking up early. Saves on commute cost it's part of the experience to meet and make friends with the people who live on your floor on in the building in general. Some places require it for the first year or two to try to help new students get used to campus life and stay focused in a safe, policed environment.

[@higgme1ster]

I never even imagined that having roommates in collage would be questioned by Europeans. My brother and my future wife went to a collage in our hometown, yet still moved into the dormitories on campus just to get the full college experience. My wife's dormitory was built in 1925 as a castle, and her room was in one of the turrets where she shared the room with two other girls. Both my brother and my wife drove their cars home whenever they needed, but didn't do it that often. Living at home and commuting to school prevents a student from making friends with others and from participating in extra curricular activities in off-hours. In the United States, college and university are experiences more than just schooling.

[@donjones4719]

Yes, very much so. Also, it's nice they had cars but living on campus meant you didn't need one. At my school most of what you needed was on campus, including dining halls, of course. No time spent shopping or cooking and cleaning up. That meant more time for partying - oops, I meant studying. :D It also meant partying could be done without the need to drive home. Staggering to my dorm room was pretty safe.

[@gemoftheocean]

If you've been to COLLEGE you should be able to spell it right before you go, much less graduate. You spelled it wrong twice.

[@johnhrussell4885]

I'm from a university town but it's a "commuter" school: The great majority of students are adults with jobs and families. Probably 90% in student housing--apartment-style dormitories--are scholarship athletes from other states and countries.

[@CaptainFrost32]

My experience with college housing: I grew up in a family household in a small town. Local elementary [K-5th], bused to another town for middle [6th-8th] and high [9th -12th] schools. I had never lived separately from my family. Older brother joined the Army, older sister got married. I never even learned to drive until after my freshman year of college. When I applied to.colleges, I chose the local university across the street from my high school due to finances and logistics. First year students were required to live on campus in residence halls if they were not hometown students with family. You could make arrangements later to rent apartments or join Greek houses after your freshman year. Financial aid would cover tuition and a dining hall meal plan, maybe. You had all the living expenses, if you did not have grants or scholarships, meaning part-time jobs. I was on campus for three semesters on the first floor of an 8-story residence hall. I had to walk or bike to any place. Our residence hall had student government representation and building council meetings. Each floor had a representative, and elected the board. We took minutes, had debates and votes, and had alloted funds for functions that benefitted the entire building. We even had part-time jobs like front desk or mailroom duties. We were before the cell phone age, so everyone had a room phone account. (My advantage was how many of my relatives and friends were local calls.) We had coin-operated laundry and vending machines, and study areas on every floor of the building. We had sand volleyball courts, rec rooms with big screen tv, ping pong, and two pool tables. Our hall was next to the campus ski slope, closest to the football stadium and parkng lot, and the student union. We had an international student body, and many of us were away from home for the first time in our lives. If you were dedicated to your studies, you had classes, lab work, library research hours,and no one to govern your schedule. There were room swaps when personalities differed or when someone found an off-campus roommate. Most rooms had two sets of furniture : Dresser, bed, desk, closet space. The bathroom and showers were one per wing per gender. Resident advisors did room inspections for damages and health code. You could buy the mini-fridge for small drink storage, and there was a kitchenette in the basement where you could cook meals. I had two roommates in college, as the neighbors across the hall decided to swap me for the other football player. I went from a window view of the dumpster and the parking lot to seeing volleyball tournaments and the woods.

[@martypoll]

As an American I loved roundabouts when I first encountered them in England. I now live in Thailand and they have them here too. Thailand has very long durations for their red lights, typically 120 seconds vs 25 seconds for green lights. The roundabouts are way more efficient than an intersection with stop lights. They are also quite interesting with the multitude of motorbikes on the road here.

[@thomasatwell7427]

As for the bike issue most of us work in a different town . My job is 35 minutes away from my house. It would be like a hour and a half to peddle it.