Advice for British People Visiting America

[@briangrogan2553]

Met Europeans at Yellowstone who thought the Grand Canyon was a day trip away. It's 3 western states away.

[@JasminemPolyanthum]

I like this distinction of western states. The average western state can fit half of the original 13 colonies, not including the California and Texas outliers, which can devour the eastern coast whole if given the opportunity.

[@shells500tutubo]

I have American East Coast friends who have come out to Los Angeles and think they are going to go to San Francisco for lunch, tour the city and get back in the evening. Only if you hire a private jet, lol. And going from Los Angeles to Anchorage, Alaska(3500 miles) is farther than Los Angeles to New York(2800)

[@XianHu]

@@shells500tutuboI presume they're also not used to cities. It can take well over an hour or more just to get to your lunch location in the city you're in, depending on locations, time of day, events, construction, etc, etc.

[@reindeer7752]

@briangrogan2553 - Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon is about a 12 hour drive. I used to drive that far in a day. Now I try to keep it at no more than 8 hrs. I've taken a trip that started in western North Carolina and included stops at Hot Springs, Arkansa, Rte. 66 museum and diners in New Mexico, the steam train from Durango to Silverton, Colorado and relaxing in hot springs in Ouray, native American archeological sites in several states, Arches, Zion and Yellowstone and a the Gateway Arch in Missouri to name most but not all of the highlights. I did all the driving and we were back in NC on the 19th day.

[@jaredwblack]

This sort of misunderstanding can be deadly. This is probably what happened in the case of the "Death Valley Germans". In the '90's a German family looked at a map and thought they could casually drive through Death Valley in a rented minivan, following the dirt roads shown on the map. They got stuck in the mud and were never seen again

[@LugborG]

A tip for visitors: if you do plan to drive, particularly in the more wooded/rural areas of the country, watch for deer, especially in the evening. They may look pretty and docile at first, but given half a chance, they WILL dive in front of your car. They are a menace. On a related note, if you happen to be visiting a rural area in the fall/winter, you will hear gunshots. This is the sound of the local deer population becoming less of a hazard.

[@WGGplant]

Happens in spring too, but usually because of coyotes trying to eat your neighbors goats.

[@nanoflower1]

Look for deer in any place with woods. I live in the suburbs of NE Atlanta and we have wooded areas mixed in amongst all the buildings that contain deer. I remember first seeing one in the area back in the late 80s when I moved here and they are still here now. Saw a few back in 2023 so they will come out on occasion. The real danger is at night as if they are on the side of the road they tend to wait till the last second and suddenly decide to dash in front of your car as though they wanted to die.

[@GrammaNay]

Deer, elk, bears, dogs, cats, possums... the 1st 3 can total out your car.

[@five-toedslothbear4051]

Most definitely had that happen while camping last fall. Was traveling between state parks at night and came over the rise in the road and there were two deer. They ran off the road to the right, and I was stopping anyway, but then they turned around and decided to run in front of my car. One of them made it, and one of them ran into the passenger door of my car, and left a streak of clean where the road grind had been removed, and a bit of fur in the trim. I was absolutely shocked that there was no real damage. Fortunately, a friendly truck driver saw me stopped on the shoulder, and asked if I was OK. He was going to other way, and told me that if he saw a deer carcass, he pull it off the road.

[@GrammaNay]

@five-toedslothbear4051 We have dealt with several suicidal critters. The last time when I was talking with the insurance agent, I was asked, "Who owned the animal hit?" When I asked her what she meant, she replied something about preserves and ranches. So I told her that God owned the deer that hit us. Had to replace half of the driver's side due to the damage done.

[@raedwulf61]

Some German friends were wanting to visit NYC and planned to drive down to Disneyworld for an afternoon of fun. I explained it was a 24-hour drive if one went non-stop. They were dumbfounded.

[@DriverDude100]

I think drive time from NYC to WDW is more like 16-17 hours depending on traffic, but your point is taken-it’s a very long drive. One could probably drive from Paris to Rome in less time.

[@raedwulf61]

According to Google Maps, drive time is 19.5 hours NYC to Miami. But, I know from experience this is probably inaccurate, particularly with traffic and construction. @@DriverDude100

[@ThisIsATireFire]

And Disney World is no longer an "afternoon of fun". Just getting parked, tickets, and through the gates will cost you over $200 and probably an hour. Then there's lightening lane (extra cost) for popular rides, a half hour to hour wait for less popular rides. I don't think you can even get all the way around a park in an afternoon. And there's multiple parks.

[@cwg73160]

How were you so sure it was a 24-hour drive nonstop?

[@gdholmfirth]

New York to Disney? fly.

[@richarddexter7641]

Apparently, it's quite surprising to Brits to have an American simply walk up and talk to them without them first talking to you. My family was visiting Disney World a number of years ago and ran into a British family there on holiday near a set of restrooms. The family was discussing where to go next and trying to figure out how to get there from their current location; as luck would have it, we had just come from there, so I popped into their conversation and provided them with suitable directions. After finishing the conversation, the husband remarked that his friends at home had warned him that Americans would up and out of nowhere start talking to them, and he didn't believe it--only to discover much to his chagrin, that his friends were right. Still to this day, some nearly 20 years ago, the memory amuses me.

[@benbaker2965]

Could it be that we as Americans are simply more helpful? Seriously asking. Not sure why a Brit would be chagrined that you were trying to be helpful.

[@Deborah-so8mv]

That was rude.

[@shells500tutubo]

@@benbaker2965Not just Brits. A lot of Europeans say when they visit America they are surprised a how friendly people are, like just striking up a conversation with sme when you are in line somewhere.

[@fitzofpassion]

I think it’s just our manner, like our facial expressions and willingness to look a stranger in the eyes. I was running around Copenhagen trying to find a pharmacy that would sell us a nebulizer (because even if the plug fits, different countries have different amperages, and WILL fry your sensitive medical equipment). I had two different groups of Eastern European people stop me and ask ME for directions! I must having been looking longingly into people’s faces hoping someone would help me find where I was going, and the other people recognized a kindred spirit, or it’s just that midwestern openess I was exuding. All I’m saying is that people will seek out an American to just start up a conversation with as well, it goes both ways.

[@richarddexter7641]

@@benbaker2965 It was really more that I just approached him out of nowhere and struck up a conversation.

[@heatherpayne1995]

I ran into a Scottish woman when I was on vacation a few weeks ago. I told her I drove my daughter back to college after her spring break. She asked if we had to drive a long time. I told her it was only a five hour drive. She laughed. I wasn't joking.

[@snowangelnc]

A friend of mine in Madrid, Spain knows I'm from North Carolina and asked if Charleston is far from where I live. I told him kind of, but not too bad; about a five hour drive. After seeing his reaction I asked him if that was farther than he was expecting. "Far? In 5 hours I could be in France!"

[@JD-tn5lz]

If they only knew...my nearest grocery store is two hours away one way.

[@bakersmileyface]

@@JD-tn5lz Wtf. How often do you go shopping? Do you keep a fridge in your car or something?

[@nathanberrigan9839]

If you visit the Rockies, water boils at a lower temperature. Keep that in mind when making tea.

[@w.reidripley1968]

The difference is not great, but it is measurable. It doesn't get really dramatic until about nineteen thousand feet above sea level. You can steep the teabag a little longer if you want...

[@nathanberrigan9839]

@@w.reidripley1968 It will boil around 93-95C along the Front Range, low 90s in the ski areas, and down below 90 in Leadville.

[@OSB911]

And you had better bring your own (decent) tea. The majority of tea sold here is garbage. And unless you are in a tea shop/house, DON'T order tea at a restaurant. It is AWFUL.

[@richardthomas5362]

Another tip in Colorado, especially the front range (Ff Collins to Denver) and Colorado Springs - bring a water bottle. You will dry out pretty quickly up here.

[@w.reidripley1968]

@@richardthomas5362 I remember my mom forever lotioning her hands in Fort Collins.

[@thecocktailian2091]

"To the annoyance of cows" in regards to American tipping culture. Gold.

[@ffarmchicken]

I caught that too.!😂

[@SeanEustace-zk3mc]

We’re technologically behind the British a little on that one. Cow tipping is how we get milkshakes.

[@andrewtheworldcitizen]

Well, it's all because of the American brand of Capitalism which is the reason why employers have found a loophole to make sure that their employees don't make much more than minimum wage, by making them count the tips as their hourly pay.... That way, they don't allow their employees to earn minimum wage pay plus their tips.... In fact, many waiters and waitresses make only tips and no hourly pay, so it's extremely important to tip them, or they are serving you for free....

[@andrewtheworldcitizen]

Hello

[@JD-tn5lz]

​@@andrewtheworldcitizennope. WOW! Either you're just stupid or a liar or both. One, I've yet to meet any foodservice worker ANYWHERE in the states that worked for only tips. Not one, and I've visited more restaurants than you could dream of in my gov't job capacity. Not one. Not anywhere. Two. Employers don't want their waiters and waitresses earning good money? WOW. No, you couldn't be more wrong. If your wait staff is making great money (and yes, in some restaurants in CA I've known some to make six figures) that means they are providing great service and that encourages return patronage. Restaurant owners WANT you to please the customers.

[@fire58372001]

That is so true. So many people don't know how big the USA really is. My friends in laws came in from Germany & wanted to see disneyland. Once we explained that it was a 2-3 day drive, the look on their face was priceless.

[@DamonNomad82]

That's similar to my experience when I went on a trip to Germany with my parents (who are American but worked for a German non-profit organization at the time). When explaining where in the US our home city was (Omaha, Nebraska), we said that it was fairly close to Chicago, only about 800 km west of it. The fact that we were referring to that distance as "fairly close" seemed quite startling to the Germans, as that's comparable to the greatest distance it's possible to travel entirely within Germany, which is one of the larger European nations!

[@sifridbassoon]

I have several online friends in Europe. I used to freak them out by saying that if they drove from London to Istanbul (yes, I know that the English Channel is in the way, but go with me on this...), they would only be half way across the US. @@DamonNomad82

[@wessexdruid7598]

The US is forty times the land area of the UK. With less than five times the population. They are very different places. The lack of understanding goes both ways, unless you physically visit.

[@GMA68]

And the reverse is true. With minimal planning a visitor to the UK can get anywhere in a few hrs or so. The public transport system is great and affordable.

[@L1623VP]

Right! LOL and yet, Europeans complain there is no subway system or other public transport across the entire U.S. Who'd want to be on a subway for three days! They really cannot grasp the size of the U.S.. Even so, they never seem to make the same complaint about Australia, which is also enormous, and doesn't offer a subway route between Sydney and Perth for all the same reasons there isn't one between New York and Los Angeles.

[@ttrev007]

Also note that not only can taxes be different between states but also local governments. Never assume you know what the taxes will be.

[@gregdubya1993]

Chicago is a perfect example. State tax, Cook County tax, Chicago city tax. Three taxes stacked on one another. Then if you go to the suburbs the rate changes.

[@1950Grendel]

My state doesn't have a grocery tax, but my municipality does. Go figure.

[@alexcia4126]

As a Delawarean, we don’t have tax at all, I always forget about paying taxes any time I leave out of state

[@timbuktu8069]

On distance My recommendation is to think of it this way: Get into a car in London and drive to the Ural Mountains. On the way back swing by the pyramids and stop off for lunch at Gibraltar. That should give you some idea of the size of the U.S.

[@simhedgesrex7097]

211 hours (10562). So let's try Seattle to Rhode Island, to Jacksonville to San Diego and back to Seattle. 114 hours (7707 miles). So, not sure it's a good example, if you are discussing the lower 48. Of course, replace Seattle with Anchorage 11477 and 185 hours), and it evens things up (although you end up including a chunk of Canada of course).

[@timbuktu8069]

@@simhedgesrex7097 Well, I WAS just going for a rough example to set the Euros straight. The ones that think they can land in New York and make a day trip to Miami.

[@sifridbassoon]

I just usually say start in Dublin and stop in Istanbul. Which is a really good explanation for why there are no passenger trains west of the Mississippi.

[@timbuktu8069]

@@sifridbassoon If you're in Dublin why would you want to go to Istanbul?

[@SeanEustace-zk3mc]

👍🏼

[@andrewwirch7227]

Even though I am neither a Troll nor an Upper, thanks for correctly pronouncing Mackinac Island correctly! You are truly becoming a Midwesterner.

[@lynnef3297]

Troll or Yooper, not Upper. Mackinac pronunciation.👍

[@andrewwirch7227]

@@lynnef3297Sorry about the improper naming of Yooper. I am only a lowly Cheesehead. If Ohio had won the Toledo War, this whole discussion would have been moot.

[@nedludd7622]

@@andrewwirch7227Few will understand your reference. Next he can try Sault Ste. Marie.

[@maidenminnesota1]

@@andrewwirch7227I live on the other side of you Cheeseheads, and even I know it's Yooper. Never heard of Troll before, except in the context of people that cause problems in comment sections of the interwebz.

[@StevenKeipert]

@@maidenminnesota1 Lower Peninsula folks are called trolls because they live under the bridge. I was born a troll, but I am now a cheesehead.

[@BitsOfBen]

As a British person visiting the USA for the first time last year, going through security they asked me about my job and when I go back to work, how much money I have on myself. Also open a mondo or Chase UK bank account, these banks don’t charge overseas fees when you make transactions-also with a Chase UK bank account, if you use a Chase atm in the states with your Chase card, you won’t be charged for withdrawing money.

[@agibitable]

This is good to know as an American as well; I assume it works the same when we're in the UK with Chase banking in America.

[@BitsOfBen]

@@agibitable Double check that. Although there is a Chase in the UK and USA, I believe they both run completely separate from each other.

[@andrewwillis9759]

@@BitsOfBen I just use a Monzo card for the US and UK . I never take cash out the atm so i just tap anywhere. been using tap and pay even in extremely rural towns.

[@nerfherder4284]

Ironically, in Portland (the weird one) the price on the tag IS actually what you pay because there is no sales tax.

[@Sashazur]

But we have the 5th highest income tax rate of all states (but only 9 states have no income tax at all).

[@tigerburn81]

Is this supposed to be the one upside to living under communism?

[@Deborah-so8mv]

None in Texas or Delaware

[@aprilmeowmeow]

​​@@Deborah-so8mv Texas does indeed have sales tax. Also has the 7th highest property tax rate in the US. I know because I live here, lol. Everything besides groceries gets taxed at a different % depending on your locality. Mine charges almost 9%. It makes big purchases hurt that much more.

[@Deborah-so8mv]

@@aprilmeowmeow April, I definitely know about the high property taxes! I had read we have no state tax. I think what I meant in state income tax. I am not a native, so I could be wrong.

[@AlleluiaElizabeth]

By “my team is making me do this”…. It’s the cat, right? It’s the cat.

[@ronald6138]

DOGS are better people than Cats . there that aught start something .

[@markh.6687]

It's ALWAYS the cat's fault. Cats are Tsundere Nuisances.

[@markh.6687]

@@ronald6138 "Animals are people too!" -- Cpl. Radar O'Reily, MASH

[@GermansLikeBeer]

The only time I ever got formally denied entrance to a country by an immigration officer was when I first arrived in the UK to start my semester studying abroad (I'm American). Apparently he needed my physical letter of acceptance to the University, not just a digital copy, so he read me the whole spiel about how I am "hereby denied admission to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" (or something like that). It was only after I was able to contact the admissions office and they could vouch for me that I was allowed to enter.

[@luannfeld3983]

Wow, the digital copy wasn’t enough?

[@PavewayJDAM]

Could you not ask to print it and hand it to him and say "here is the physical copy?"

[@GermansLikeBeer]

@@luannfeld3983 I think he was probably power tripping honestly. This was during the height of Brexit hysteria before people realized what a bad idea it was so maybe he just wanted to stick it to foreigners.

[@MayYourGodGoWithYou]

@@luannfeld3983 easily faked

[@fubartotale3389]

Visiting all those areas in the U S. In a week is like "Ferris Buelers day off, Chicagoans know he could not possibly have done it all in one day. We laughed and laughed!

[@nanoflower1]

NYC and Niagra Falls might be done in a day if you never stopped to look around. Texas is a full day just driving through the state. The Grand Canyon is a great thing to see but you want to have a least a day to wander around and see the area.

[@andydufresne8034]

Funny thing is that movie was made by a Chicagoan.

[@jayhom5385]

Haha...It's like watching "24". We in LA know there's no way he's driving to those different parts of LA and doing things in that 1 hr.

[@aureaphilos]

I agree it's best to pick one small region and thoroughly enjoy that area on your visit. When I was in college, studying in France, I often saw the same mentality from American students visiting Europe. They'd buy a EurRail pass and try to see all 26 countries in 30 days; if I met them towards the end of their quest, they'd often comment that they mostly remember train stations and laundromats, because they spent so little time in each country.

[@nanoflower1]

@@aureaphilos So which country had the best laundromats? 😆

[@faithcastillo9597]

As a North Carolinian, thanks for the shout-out for Asheville. It's a beautiful, eclectic mountain city, but, it's surrounded by lots of other equally beautiful smaller towns and cities. My husband and I spent a number of years exploring the western mountains, finding places to pan for gold and gemstones, swimming holes, waterfalls, places to raft, places to camp and hike and fish, and places to get a great bottle of wine. We began with the Blue Ridge Parkway and followed it down to Skyline Drive, and then the myriad side roads along the way. Y'all come on down. It's a treat for the soul.

[@marywatkins6798]

Blue Ridge Parkway is beautiful!

[@hollygodfrey6492]

Yes! Western North Carolina is the best!

[@ianscarlett6884]

I have many fond memories at Okie Dokies Smokehouse in Swananoa nc

[@7scientist]

"the Western mountains" lol

[@ThinWhiteAxe]

North Carolinian here, spent many happy hours in the mountains. I fully endorse this whole comment. 😂

[@alanthompson9871]

Don't forget that while many electrical items operate on both 110 and 240 VAC it is best to check for something that says "100 / 240 VAC 50/60 Hz" which should cover you. A friend brought an espresso machine back from Europe and while they corrected the voltage with a transformer, they missed the frequency difference that an AC motor designed for 50Hz will run faster - and likely fail sooner on 60Hz in the US. In some cases it's both voltage and frequency.

[@andyinsdca]

Plug-in clocks are REALLY bad for this!

[@Sashazur]

The main thing to understand is do you need just a plug adapter, or do you need a transformer (which also will have a plug adapter). A plug adapter only enables you to plug in your UK plug into a US outlet (or vice versa), but it doesn’t change the electricity at all. So it should only be used for things that are marked as being able to handle 110-220 (UK) volts, 50-60 hz. Most phone and laptop chargers are of this type. But if the thing you want to plug in isn’t multi voltage, then you will need a transformer, one that changes from 120 (US) to 220 volts, or vice versa. And unless you get a very heavy duty one, you shouldn’t try to use it with anything that draws a lot of power like toasters, hair dryers, irons, blenders, mixers, etc. P.S. Sometimes you’ll see US voltage listed as 110, sometimes 120. Officially it’s 120 and is allowed to vary by 6% up or down.

[@vlmellody51]

Once when my mother was visiting Alaska, she heard some European tourists asking the tour guide if they would have enough time to visit NYC before dinner. 😂 My mom said the looks on their faces when the distance between Anchorage Alaska and NYC was explained to them was hilarious! 😂

[@AnnaAnna-uc2ff]

and everybody laffed

[@TheLordOfNothing]

"No, sir. New York City is not just up the road, and the Grand Canyon is not just a few kilometers away"

[@vlmellody51]

@@AnnaAnna-uc2ff some did, but according to my mother, most people stood there in bemused silence at their ignorance.

[@garryferrington811]

The US is pretty big, although it's small compared to Russia.

[@vlmellody51]

@@garryferrington811 true

[@ascendant95]

Here's some advice from an American.........................if you're nice and don't act arrogant people will LOVE you. I've seen it first hand. Everyone will want to hang out with you and be your friend because of the fancy way you speak English. Facts.

[@jeremynv89523]

Seconded. If you're a Brit, we'll love you, unless you start acting snooty.

[@thirdworldmage4424]

@@jeremynv89523is there a difference in how brits are treated in the south states compared to the more northern states ?

[@jeremynv89523]

@thirdworldmage4424 I never lived up North. I lived in the South and in the West. In both places, people will love the Brits unless they start acting snobby. Brits have a tendency to whinge, which is a national pastime, as I understand it. But whinging, especially at the US, hurts our feelings.

[@thirdworldmage4424]

@@jeremynv89523 haha yeah your definitely right there brits are a lot more pessimistic

[@ascendant95]

@@jeremynv89523 I have no idea what "whinge" is.........................but another tip I have for Brits is not to scowl when people tell you they love your accent. We understand you invented the language. Telling you that you have a "cool" accent is not meant to be disrespectful. Just the opposite. It's a nice compliment.

[@fireyjon]

“America is a very surprising country full of very surprising people”is a 100% true statement that I as an American take as both a compliment and an insult.

[@jayceperlmutter4317]

Yes, this statement made me laugh out loud - yessiree!

[@YaburuRunyaru]

I think I’m stealing that one 🤣

[@sifridbassoon]

My favorite response to remarks like that (as well as the intended smears like "Americans all ...(fill in the blank)) is "Yes, that's tru. There are 330 million Americans and the US and our economy is BIG. This means that at any one point in time, there will be any number of Americans doing (whatever the activity mentioned was).

[@danieloneal7137]

@@sifridbassoonnot to mention cultural differences from region to region and state to state. Something that’s “normal” in the Midwest might be weird in the Northeast or the South.

[@jlangevin65]

I've had TSA ask, "what's in the box," when I was flying out of California. It was avocados and they looked too much like hand granades in the x-ray.

[@michealdrake3421]

When I was 18 my family visited San Francisco to do the tourist thing. My mom likes to bring back a rock from every place she visits to put in her garden, so she grabbed a rock from the beach before we left and put it in her carry on bag. At the TSA checkpoint the saw it on the xray and pulled her bag to search it. They pulled out the rock, which was maybe the size of an ostrich egg as I recall, and asked what it was. Mom: Uh...it's a rock? TSA: Yeah but what's it for? Mom: Nothing, it's just a rock. I'm gonna put it in my garden for decoration. TSA: Mom: TSA: Mom: So...can I take it on the plane? TSA: Uh...I don't know. I need to call my supervisor. So he calls the supervisor, who calls over a third guy, who gets out his phone and calls somebody. The eventual verdict was that no, she could not take the rock on the plane. Since then she always grabs small rocks, around golf ball sized, and she's never had a problem. This one was cool though because it was almost spherical and had this cool jagged line of a different kind of rock running around the middle.

[@stog9821]

If you go to a park in the west, don’t try to pat the buffalo. They get cranky about it. You always hear about them stomping some Australian.

[@randlebrowne2048]

Or seeing if said Australian can fly (usually with a new hole in them from the horns)!

[@w.reidripley1968]

It is considered very gauche to try inducing an Australian to pat that handsomely marked black and white striped not-a-woods-pus5y. Okay: not venomous, mostly not very odd... but frequently sheep.

[@strangelee4400]

Strewth! But how do we get our thumb up its arse without it getting cranky?

[@stog9821]

@@strangelee4400 You might practice first on those nice gentle water buffalo you have running around in Australia.

[@gaborkorthy8355]

LOL my mother had a very thick Hungarian accent when she spoke English. Now the women had a PHD, spoke five languages but people still assumed she was ignorant because of her accent. She often would use that to her advantage like negotiating a deal for a car for example.

[@scot60]

I live in Dallas Texas. To go from Dallas to the border with New Mexico takes 7 hours via interstate. To go from one end to the other takes around 13 hours. Texas is HUGE.

[@delterraadornments5960]

Just took a road trip to Texas. I agree Texas is HUGE. And I’m from CA, a big state. (Loved your state btw❤)

[@donkeysaurusrex7881]

If you’re in Brownsville, you’re closer to Mexico City than Oklahoma. If you’re in Amarillo, you’re closer to Canada than Brownsville. If you’re in El Paso, you’re closer to the Pacific Ocean than Houston. If you’re in Orange, you’re closer to Washington, D.C. than El Paso.

[@RottnRobbie]

Meh ... I live in Toronto, Ontario ( Canada ). Driving from here to the Manitoba border takes a bit over 20 hours. It's 4.5 hours to Quebec in the other direction, but you don't have to go through Toronto, which cuts the time to cross Ontario down to 23 hours. (1320 miles)

[@mosasa1307]

and so is montana, mfer is big ass hell

[@tylerhougland9421]

Texas is big, but ​this is a very big exaggeration.

[@hamilde]

When I traveled to the UK in 1988 for business, the manager of the facility gave me a short hands on course on driving on the left. That was all it took and I did fine except for speed limits. There were signs that were just a black circle. I was told this meant to drive the law of the land. The trouble was, nobody could tell me how fast that was. Now that was a long time ago and I was young and dumb. They may have been yanking my chain. Also, I may not remember everything correctly because now I'm old and dumb.

[@nicolad8822]

“National speed limit” (indicated by a sign with a white circle with a diagonal black band) depends on the type of road. If single carriageway that would 60mph max, on a dual carriageway or motorway that would 70mph. It basically means after any restrictions, such as driving through a village, you know you can now go up to that speed, depending on road conditions obviously. So no they were not yanking your chain!

[@hamilde]

@@nicolad8822 it was funny when I was there because nobody gave me the same answer. Your response is basically what they told me but I got 5 different answers from the folks at the facility on what the actual speed limits were. That's why I figured they were messing with a young dumb engineer😊

[@lorrainemoynehan6791]

@@hamilde I passed my driving test in 88. I can assure you all of those people you spoke to would have failed

[@MayYourGodGoWithYou]

Before visiting another country I always obtain a copy of their version of the Highway Code for that exact reason

[@sifridbassoon]

After I almost got mowed down trying to cross Kensington High Street (I was looking the wrong direction to check for traffic) I would never, never, ever, try to drive in the UK.

[@wallacegrommet9343]

Your sense of humor is always welcome and wonderfully cranky. Do not ever change!

[@LillibitOfHere]

Mackinac Island is AMAZING. Staying on the island is expensive but the ferry only takes about 15-20 minutes. St. Ignace is a little nicer if you’re looking for a quiet area. Mackinaw City is more touristy but still really small and quiet. The water is cold all year if you aren’t basically a moose or a local. We Michigan people are sincerely that nice, no one is messing with you. You can get Cornish pasties in the UP. They are delicious.

[@tereseshaw7650]

If you are British, you must visit Mackinac Island and pay your respects to the many British soldiers buried there. From the War of 1812, when Britain tried to take back the seaways of the Great Lakes. [fyi, they didn't.]

[@tking747]

Thanks for mentioning Mackinac Island!!!!

[@cate9540]

Laurence should mention that your rental car won't be allowed there, so pack lightly since you'll be lugging your bags onto & off of the ferry.

[@kandipiatkowski8589]

Mackinac island is on my bucket list! Solely because of Somewhere in Time!

[@Irish381]

Also check out the Dark Sky Park for stargazing 🔭 and bring your love of craft beer and homemade fudge.

[@SayuriAsahina]

Don't forget the fudge!!

[@amyadams656]

I used to go to Mackinac about 3 times a year. We moved to Florida 5 years ago, and I soooooo miss "my island." Sigh...I need to start planning a trip...

[@adde9506]

You will be asked for tips in places that DO NOT NEED THEM. Tipping is for people who are providing you conditional service. Waiters, bartenders, hair stylists, nail technicians, taxi drivers, people lugging heavy objects... and that's pretty much it. It's also perfectly acceptable to click NO on a register asking you to donate, though rounding up your change in donation is probably a good idea if you are paying cash.

[@Sashazur]

Yes, in the past 5 years or so tipping has crept into places it wasn’t before, mainly when paying for takeaway or fast food or coffee. I feel like it’s a mild form of extortion.

[@Deborah-so8mv]

And they NEED that 15%.

[@richardthomas5362]

Tip is 15%. They have been pushing for 20% because of "inflation" but, as the price of food and beverages to up, so do their tips anyway.

[@MTGeomancer]

@@richardthomas5362 Use to be 10% if you go far enough back. No one seems to mention that these waiters/waitresses are making $40+/hour from tips though, haha. I'd say it's one of the best kept secrets, everyone is under the false impressions that they barely make anything over minimum.

[@missharry5727]

My last 4 visits to the USA have been for birdwatching in Cape May at the southern tip of New Jersey. That generally means flying into Philadelphia. I' ve often found that the guys on passport control are genuinely interested in what I'm there for and I've had more than one friendly chat with a fellow enthusiast.

[@tylera3194]

Not going to lie, that tipping joke about the cow made me throw my head back and laugh. Not easy to do these days. Great job Laurence. :)

[@oldtop4682]

Me too. He just kind of slipped it in there and it made me chuckle. I wonder if he knows about snipes?

[@wessexdruid7598]

Clearly he's aiming this primarily at an American audience, or he'd have mentioned flies.

[@mariacavanaugh1010]

True story - a client in Kansas City KS/MO once told me that a friend was visiting from the Boston area and said they might take a quick drive to Las Vegas. 😂 Knowing geography is important because though Boston MA is in driving distance of Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York...there is no such thing as a day trip from Kansas to Nevada. 😂 States in the Western USA are much larger and therefore driving this particular trip would take a few days. ;-P

[@loganleroy8622]

You can totally make a day trip from KCMO to Vegas. It'll just take you all day to get there. 🤣

[@brettbuck7362]

KC to Vegas - eyeballing it, 1400 miles/17-18 hours. Doable in a very long day, I have done it, but don't plan on doing much the next day!

[@sifridbassoon]

a lot of Americans are also hazy on just how big the country is. I once worked with a woman from NYC. She said she and her husband (also from NYC) were going to drive to LA from Dallas over a three day weekend. She was a bit taken aback when we told her that they would barely get there before they would have to turn around and drive back.

[@TheLordOfNothing]

If you stop every few hours for gas, lodging, and food, etc., you'd be stuck in the Rockies when your weekend ends.

[@ebikeengineer]

I find this is true of most people that have lived their lives in NYC and not really traveled much (and going to the Jersey Shore ot CT casinos is not 'traveling' IMHO)

[@rollingfinn2044]

Yeah I think that's more so a reflection of those that live in large metro areas their entire lives.

[@jlangevin65]

@@TheLordOfNothing Tell me you've never driven from Dallas to LA without saying you've never driven from Dallas to LA. There's no reason you'd pass through the Rockies.

[@TheLordOfNothing]

@@jlangevin65 I misinterpreted the comment and thought the couple in question was trying to go to LA from NYC.

[@christinazeitman]

Also if you visit the beaches of Texas invest in a can of bug repellant. And don’t stay past dark unless you wanna be mosquito fodder.

[@Peweskimooxy]

Never go to Texas, got it!

[@nanoflower1]

That is true of most of the South if you are going to be near water. It rains enough that the mosquitoes breed like crazy and love to feed on anyone passing by. At least with the cities they tend to have mosquito control squads that limit their numbers.

[@CptJistuce]

​@@nanoflower1Tell you what, I'm in Texas and the mosquitos in my neck of the woods don't much care if it's rained. They be like "we found this flower pot with an inch of water in it from morning dew, we're good"

[@nanoflower1]

@@CptJistuce Yeah, I know how that works. We had one of old water troughs for cattle sitting on the other side of a fence around our house. That trough would always catch the rain and then get mosquitoes. Now the little dip that collected water that was down the hill never collected mosquitoes because there were always hundreds of tadpoles in there during the spring.

[@aureaphilos]

A pair of comfortable yet sturdy hiking boots will open up many opportunities at the seacoast, lakeshores, mountains and most rural parks.

[@bethscott4330]

Why do I love this dry British humor so much?

[@sharonh2991]

I was talking to a British guy at a conference a couple years ago and I made a funny off handed comment. He started cracking up and said “oh you’re British” (of course he knew I was American). I was very flattered. 😂

[@Arkelk2010]

Another point on driving, that I found out when going from American style driving to British. It's not so much which side of the road is the problem. (When in doubt, the driver's side is closer to oncoming traffic.) The problem is where in the lane to be. You are used to having all this car over here. Well, suddenly it's now all on the other side, so you have to get used to staring down a different part of the lane.

[@TheUnistat76]

Definitely go to Mackinac Island. Get some fudge, ride a bike, see the Lakes.

[@staceyn2541]

Squirrel, say squirrel!!!! Love it so much. Good news is, even budget hotels have usb charging ports in the outlets, especially on the desk and nightstand. Definitely something to ask about when you book the room. I recommend visiting State Parks. Some places, like St Louis, Missouri, have amazing city parks full of museums and attractions that are free to the public. There's a state park in my area that has a pioneer village, a lovely inn with a pretty good restaurant, outdoor activities, some great caves, and a working corn mill. It's a popular place for school trips. There's a museum dedicated to a local astronaut that has part of a rocket, and a NASA space suit, among other items. I mean, for $7 a car, that's a good time.

[@renebrock4147]

Hey, Stacey. Nice to know someone from this area besides me follows Lawrence. I was also going to recommend the state parks. I will add state and national forests to that. Just expect to have to buy a non-resident fishing license if you want to experience some fine fishing, and those are rather exorbitant here in Indiana.

[@stog9821]

It is funny when you think about it, but many Americans, myself included, pronounce squirrel as a one syllable word - squerl.

[@robinlyon-mccarthy7709]

Now I am wondering how many in our area follow Laurence.

[@kathleenhudson8429]

And Balboa Park in San Diego has hiking trails, several museums of different types, a wonderful Japanese gardens, and the San Diego Zoo. Great place to visit. I always like to go there when I visit San Diego.

[@sallysmith8081]

My English friends from West Yorkshire pronounce squirrel as "squiddle."

[@markmh835]

I think one of the more interesting activities when traveling around the United States and meeting people -- whether you are a foreign visitor or a domestic tourist -- is to learn the ways that Americans can be very regional and different from each other, and how we are all similar typical Americans in other ways. We are such a varied country, and yet also have a "common culture." Our motto: "E Pluribus, Unum" -- Out of Many, One. 😊

[@garryferrington811]

We all carry the same guns.

[@lizlee6290]

@@garryferrington811 🙄Huh?

[@Nunofurdambiznez]

@@garryferrington811 We do?? I'm 63 y.o. and as far as I know, have NEVER carried a gun of any sort...

[@marywatkins6798]

@@Nunofurdambiznez Me neither. I'm 63.

[@strangelee4400]

I thought you changed it to 'In God We Trust'.

[@tomhalla426]

It is also a good idea to avoid chain restaurants for ethnic food. Some storefront or strip mall restaurant will probably have much better food.

[@coreyleander7911]

What?

[@edwardblair4096]

​@@coreyleander7911Stay away from Taco Bell or Panda Express. One problem is that if you are not from the USA, or even from the part of the USA you happen to find yourself in now, you may not recognize the names of the national or regional chain restaurants. Sometimes someone local might get successful and open 2 or three restaurants in a town, but they are still small enough to not be a "chain". But if you are new to an area you might see the name around and assume it is a regional chain when it isn't.

[@Deborah-so8mv]

@@coreyleander7911 go to a local place, preferably a hole in the wall restaurant, to eat non-US food, not Taco Bell or any other chain. As you would in any European country.

[@agibitable]

The more run-down and sketchy it looks, the better the food is. Them's the rules.

[@tomhalla426]

@@agibitable It also helps as far as authenticity if most of the customers are of that ethnicity. A Mexican restaurant with mostly Mexican customers will be different from one with mostly Anglos.

[@marscaleb]

Here's good rule of thumb for tipping: If you ordered your food from the same place you eat, leave a tip. (Cars don't count because you move through the drive-thru.) If you sit down at a table, are handed a menu, and you order there, you should be leaving a tip. If you stand in front of a register and order and then go back to a table, even if they bring you your food, you don't tip there. If you call from your house/hotel and they deliver food to your door, tip the driver. Remember, you're not tipping for the food, you're tipping for the SERVICE.

[@mikeycam]

That last line explains it best. That is why there is a range. Better service, you pay more. Keep in mind that in the US, tips aren't just extra money for a server. It's considered part of their wage. They actually get paid less than minimum wage and they have to report their tips for income tax.

[@kidcoyoteanarchy]

Most restaurants show recommended gratuity on the receipt. Or they use those touch pad registers that ask you to tip before service.

[@jameskipp66]

You should explain to your Brit audience the reasons why there's a disparity between the listed price and the price you ultimately pay, on some of the goods you purchase. It's because countries that utilize a VAT, those taxes are collected by and go directly to the national government, as into the UK coffers. Where as in the US sales taxes are set by the states, ans their local municipalities. Some states [usually more conservative ones] believe in lower taxation, where as states like NY, CA. Massachusetts [Taxachusettes] have never seen a tax they didn't like. Like wise, the states do not pay sales taxes collected within their borders to the federal government. Sales taxes are a type of tax imposed and collected by state and local governments, not the federal government. The federal government does not have a national sales tax or collect sales taxes directly from consumers or businesses. Sales taxes are solely the domain of state and local jurisdictions, which have the authority to impose and administer these taxes within their respective territories. Each state, and in some cases, local governments (cities, counties, etc.), determine their own rates, and add on extra sales taxes. The sales tax revenue collected stays within the state or local jurisdiction where the tax was levied and paid. Some key points about sales taxes and the federal government: 1. States are not required to share or remit any portion of their sales tax revenue to the federal government. 2. The federal government's main revenue sources are income taxes, payroll taxes, corporate taxes, excise taxes, and other fees/duties, but not sales taxes. 3. While the federal government does not collect sales taxes, it does impose excise taxes on certain goods and services, such as gasoline, tobacco, and airline tickets. 4. There have been proposals in the past to introduce a national sales tax or value-added tax (VAT) at the federal level, but these have not been implemented. In summary, sales taxes are a state and local revenue source, and the federal government does not receive or collect any portion of the sales taxes paid by consumers within each state. Sales taxes can run from 0% in some states such as New Hampshire, Montana, Delaware, Oregon, to 1.76% in Alaska all the way up to Tennessee with combined sales taxes depending on location, which can mean which city, town or county you're in to a whopping 9.55% NYC is at 8.875% Here's the catch ... it may be a bit confusing for you when you pay at tge register only to find there's a sales tax associated. The mean sales tax in all states combines is approximately 7% Whereas in the UK the VAT is 20% ... so even our highest sales tax, is still less by over half of what's paid in the UK. So, do the math, would you rather have a little bit of head scratching and pay half, or know exactly what you're paying and double the tax? Also, 30 states exempt groceries [consumable food items] from being taxed, while others tax them at a lower rate Does that clear up the sales tax conundrum?

[@richardthomas5362]

Actually, hiding the taxes in the price of the goods might be easier for the consumer but it makes raising taxes even easier - the consumers don't really know what they are actually paying. There would be "peasants with pitchforks in the streets" if people found out how much of the price of gasoline is taxes.

[@rebfj86]

I think the issue is more that if the store knows what the price includong tax is they should just display it on the shelf. The price displayed is the price you pay in other countries. Just makes it simpler when shopping. Same with the crazy tipping culture, why not just include the service charge with the food price up front? Seems overly complicated.

[@dimplesd8931]

I’m African American. When I’m in the UK I always tell black British guys if they’re looking to meet girls, go to the South or Midwest. Then just start talking. We’re not use to black Brits and you will be a hit. I also tell them the same basic manners rules apply; be nice, respectful, and if you see one girl you like with other girlfriends, talk to them all. PS thanks for the Asheville NC shoutout. Heading g there next week for good food, beer and a nature walk. M

[@erichollar5503]

I traveled to France and encountered a mom and her child (who were of African descent) on the subway. They were speaking beautiful French. I was fascinated and in awe.

[@GMA68]

The first time I went to London I went to Burger King and the young man behind the counter had a cockney accent. For a few seconds I stared. I am from the south and it never occurred to me that British Blacks would have British accents!!! Dumb I know! My friend was with me (she’s British) she laughed her fool head off realizing what confused me. ☺️

[@wessexdruid7598]

@@GMA68 He wasn't 'African American' either...

[@GMA68]

@@wessexdruid7598 I am aware. Not sure what your point is? Have a great Easter

[@wessexdruid7598]

@@GMA68 It is sadly all too common for Americans to correct Brits (and Irish) when refering to Black people to tell them 'no, they're African American', when they're not American at all. I KNOW you didn't do that but thought it worth pointing out more generally. Enjoy your holiday too!

[@NurseEmilie]

If you have an outlet with just 2 holes, that will be a very old house or apartment.

[@elultimo102]

UK power, besides being over 200 volts, is at 50 cps, vs US at 60. IDK if converters are set up for that difference.

[@4thechivostreamsarchive586]

​@@elultimo102I think you mean Hz, not cps

[@nanoflower1]

@@elultimo102 They are. When I had to do some international traveling back in the 90s I bought a converter that handles all of the common plugs and it handled the conversion so my laptop still worked fine.

[@LiqdPT]

​@@4thechivostreamsarchive586 cps = cycles per second = Hz

[@JPMadden]

I live in a 1950s suburban house that still has 2-prong outlets.

[@seameology]

There are SO many beautiful places that don't get international attention. Gor instance, everyone thinks the only thing in New York state is NYC. Wrong. There's the Adirondacks, Letchworth state park and the Thousand Islands. Look these up on the internet. You won't believe what's here. Also, there are 50 states, each with it's own beauty.

[@donhoverson6348]

Some more than others. Some A LOT more than others.

[@cindyrissal3628]

"Things that vibrate..." You silly boy...🤣🤣🤣

[@lo1bo2]

Haha, I have a bed shaker to wake me up, and the product packaging definitely avoids the word "vibrator".

[@crazycatdragon]

As someone who has worked at a fast food restaurant I’ll tell you that, no, we don’t expect anyone to tip but it is really nice because we too are struggling. I worked for two years at one only to find out months after I quit that there was a $5 difference between what I started out making and what everyone else hired after me was making and at the time that I quit I made $2 less than someone hired months after me!!!!!!!!! And also housekeeping in hotels also appreciate tips as we make even less than I did in fast food.

[@hugh-johnfleming289]

I would simply impress upon any guest or traveler, here in the US, that there is more to us than Hollywood and New York City... So much more and so many wonderful and welcoming folks.

[@jaredtrp]

To bolster your last point, there's this misconception, which isn't totally unfounded (no shortage of bigots anywhere you go), that Americans are anti-immigrant or anti-tourist. Most Americans, I'd say 90%+ of us, are pretty nice people and we especially love it when someone from another country comes to visit or live here. We, like probably most humans, find people from other countries interesting.

[@gwine9087]

90%, how do you rationalize MAGAs?

[@jaredtrp]

@@gwine9087 I googled and roughly 48% of conservative voters are MAGA, and roughly 20% of them aren't even white. Add to that the fact that conservatives make up roughly half the voting population, and even further consider the fact that most people don't vote. The vast majority of people are pretty chill and don't fucking care, which usually is a good thing. My wife's stepfather is 1st generation American Latino, and a staunch Trump supporter. He knows and likes people from all walks of life. Does it make sense? No, but humans are weird animals.

[@gwine9087]

@@genripper-b8q Not sure where you came up with that brain fart.

[@Audifan8595]

​@@gwine9087 by understanding that the vast majority of American conservatives have no issue with legitimate immigration 🤭

[@gwine9087]

@@Audifan8595 MAGAs MAGAs MAGAs

[@MelocheMeriah]

I'm so glad you mentioned that Double Tree in Westminster, CO. It's still there, and they still expect a tip when you buy a beer.

[@kevinbarry71]

Sales tax is certainly a thing in most states, but it is not 16%. That is just absurd

[@waaarghh9209]

It is for weed.

[@kevinbarry71]

@@waaarghh9209 i'll take your word for it

[@AnnaAnna-uc2ff]

definitely not for health care

[@randlebrowne2048]

8.25% here in Texas (and we have higher sales tax than most states).

[@erakfishfishfish]

@@randlebrowne2048city, county, and state sales tax combined is 10.25% for me (SoCal).

[@Jody-kt9ev]

I live in Texas. Texas does not have sales taxes on most (but not all) food items that you buy from a grocery store. Exceptions are pet foods and sodas. Non food items such as laundry soap, etc. have sales tax. As to the accent, I was visiting Scotland many years ago. I went in a store and the clerk said "You are not from here". I thought that would be pretty obvious with my Oklahoma/Texas accent.

[@mq1712]

Speaking as an American, I'd just as soon the sales tax was included with the price of the item. I suppose there are laws that imply that a 'tax' can't be part of a 'price' but it's still sort of a pain. VAT = Revolution in the US, not a joke.

[@HFVidShotz]

When I worked at a fast food joint, near the airport, we had some visitors from England. They asked what root beer was, I had no explanation, just suggested they give it a try. They did and immediately were like "it tastes like mouthwash" cracked me up.😂

[@EinsteinsHair]

I saw an Australian KZbinr trying root beer a few years ago. OMG! It has an iodine taste like medical bandages!

[@barbarawitt9989]

I can't stand root beer and I'm American. Yuck.

[@AdamYJ]

That’s because companies used to flavor medicines with sassafras root, the same thing that gave original recipe root beer its flavor (in fact, most sodas started as medicinal tonics). But while the U.S. stopped using the flavor for medicine and only for soda, the U.K. kept using it for medicinal things like mouthwash. Those strong associations exist with other things too. I’ve heard of Japanese tourists being disappointed to find out that green ice cream (mint chip) is not melon flavor but “toothpaste” flavor.

[@LoveClassicMusic0205]

@@barbarawitt9989 The only root beer that's any good is A&W. All the rest are too bitter for me.

[@ptorq]

@@AdamYJ Sassafras root contains safrole, which is no longer permitted in commercially-produced foods and drugs. A few root beer makers (e.g. Hansen's) still use sassafras extract with the safrole removed, but most of them have moved to using artificial sassafras flavoring, which often includes wintergreen and yeah, that gives them a distinct toothpaste flavor. Once you notice it it's hard to STOP noticing it. Dad's in particular tastes like straight up mouthwash to me; I much prefer A&W or IBC that omit the wintergreen (or at least keep the level low) and the vanilla high.

[@Hemond1]

Met an irish bicyclist at a stoplight at 9PM one night. Being an avid cyclist I struck up a conversation at the light. After a bit of chat, I invited him to stay at my place that night. His story was he had just landed in Boston that morning and was heading to LA by bicycle. Being a long distance cyclist myself, I knew his trip was quite doable, many people do this each year. (I've considered it too) But, what this Irishmen didn't comprehend was the distance. 3000 miles. He figured 2 weeks. At 100 miles per day, a reasonable pace, that is a month.

[@gwillis01]

The final price of an object in a store is always a mystery. The sales tax is always added on at the very last second after the cashier hits the final total button.

[@buckeyegirl16]

FYI, tipping extends beyond restaurants...you're expected to tip Uber/taxi drivers, hotel staff, haircuts, mani/pedi service, massages, movers, to name some. Find a tipping etiquette website b4 coming to the States to learn who to tip and how much 😊

[@Sashazur]

Within the past few years in the US there have been a lot more requests for tips on pay machines at takeaway, fast food and coffee shops. People who work in those places don’t get paid much, but they also aren’t providing service at any level comparable to other things you would normally tip for. Don’t feel obligated to tip in such situations.

[@midnightstudio3742]

Can confirm, Asheville is a great destination for vacations!

[@fred6059]

My Scottish boyfriend cant believe how far away everything is. We went to a mall in the next state over and couldn't believe the distance. He thought it was just around the block. Lol

[@mq1712]

I wonder about that. Americans are terrible at geography, but you really get the impression that Europeans never look at a map either. 5000km coast to coast is not an advertising slogan. I admit, when in Europe I've loved telling the locals that my state is half again the size of their country (that's for the larger ones. Places like Belgium would be a suburb).

[@mosasa1307]

@@mq1712 dude montana is fucking massive as hell, i drove from minneapolis to seattle and god damn montana is a biggen

[@bozo6049]

You've made a Michigander very happy talking about Mackinac island. Thanks Lawrence!

[@richardthomas5362]

Not a Michigander but have visited Mackinac Island many years ago. If anyone tells you that the pronunciation is weird tell them it is Indian. That ends that part of the conversation.

[@mr.pavone9719]

I was in the Catskills in NY one weekend with the family to do some hiking. A man walks up to us with a bottle of wine and asks, in his British accent, if we have a corkscrew. I knew I had one somewhere in the car, attached to a swiss army knife. While I was digging around we chatted a bit and he said "I don't want to put you out" when it took a little longer to find the corkscrew than I anticipated. I told him it was no problem. I found the tool, opened his wine and he joked with me "Seems a bit inappropriate, me drinking wine in a US national park." I broke the news to him that he was not actually in a national park but rather a NY state park run by the NYSDEC. He seemed a little let down by the news but at the same time amazed by the fact that each state has its own park system in addition to the national park system. So, citizens of the UK, if you visit NY State, LEAVE THE CITY. Avoid it like the plague. NYC is as overrated as London. The rest of NYS is incredibly beautiful. Especially the state parks.

[@barbaravyse660]

I’m originally from NYC, but I have cousins upstate which is absolutely beautiful. I’ve been as far as Niagara and Lake Placid.

[@nicolad8822]

I liked NYC. And London is not overrated btw if you avoid the real tourist traps. Sure I like the countryside too but it’s not a holiday destination if you have limited time.

[@DUCKDUCKGOISMUCHBETTER]

Thank you for valuable words of wisdom about New York City. It is indeed a pestilential place...surrounded by other pestilential places (New Jersey/Jersey City and Connecticut), and connected to an otherwise beautiful state. And thereby connected, via several intermediary blue states, to the United States of America. Which begins at West Virginia, and continues west and south from there. The United States of America continues west until it reaches the border(s) of The People's Republic(s) of Commieforeignia, Oregon and Washington. With a few interruptions in the middle, such as Illinois. 😂

[@AdamYJ]

The Adirondacks are nice too (which is considered a “State Park” but also a “National Monument” for some reason). I also really like Peebles Island State Park, but that’s because it’s local to me.

[@kathrynwitte3398]

There’s always Donald J Trump State Park which is an abandoned derelict DUMP.

[@BeaglzRok1]

Normal Portland mentioned! Strange how the one in Oregon is specifically named after the one in Maine, but the one that didn't burn down twice is considered the weird one.

[@dianapovero7319]

Exactly!

[@windsorhnd]

They probably didnt feed inmates lobster back in the day either.😂

[@ClipsNSnips]

Also, no sales tax in Oregon 😉👍

[@elultimo102]

There was a sign in Oregon to "Keep Portland Weird." It would seem the locals are doing a terrific job of it.

[@americanminotaur2518]

@@jameshill2450Your lobster privileges have now been revoked.🦞

[@MarkSmith-js2pu]

There’s a British man who comes to my Arizona hardware store frequently. I really appreciate helping him. Always has a short funny story worth a belly laugh. Delightful!

[@doomsdayaddams2894]

Asheville! All of western NC is stunning.

[@minimusmax]

Asheville is a fucking shithole now, but the surrounding mountains are amazing.

[@legoplus1136]

The whole of NC in general is in terms of nature beautiful

[@alden1132]

Watching from Asheville, NC! It's a beautiful place, and there's a lot of stuff to do and see. The Parkway alone is reason enough to visit, late-Spring thru late fall (autumn). The food scene is great and the beer is world-class! We've won Beer City, USA multiple times. The Grove Park Inn is a beautiful, historic place, and worth a visit even if you don't stay there. The Biltmore Estate is the largest private estate in the US, the very pinnacle of Gilded Age decadence, and an undeniably beautiful place. There's lots more, but I'm in danger of ranting, already. So, c'mon by, mates!

[@diwi1942]

I'm 35 miles south. Biltmore is great, but pricey.

[@LindaC616]

And there are bears! Bears galore!

[@LindaC616]

And there are bears! Bears galore!

[@TheLordOfNothing]

I live in Georgia. I grew up in the mountains. Tourists always expect southern cities like Atlanta and Asheville and Charlotte and Dallas to be full of southern culture...no. Because of the sun belt phenomenon you gotta go out in the middle of nowhere to find any real culture, not ⌘C ⌘V New York, California, and Chicago.

[@denisemusicnut]

I was in Asheville last spring, and it was beautiful then, too! Unfortunately, it was just an overnight travel stop, so I didn’t have a chance to explore. I hope to return soon!

[@gwillis01]

The reason that you need to remove your shoes and have them x rayed and examined is because of the infamous shoe bomber. Several years ago there was a poverty stricken young Muslim man who agreed to be a suicide bomber who would destroy an American plane in mid flight by igniting [ explosives hidden in the soles] of his shoes. The only reason the plan did not work is that he stepped in a big wet puddle without meaning to while walking to his assigned departure gate. The explosive in his shoes got excessively wet and would not ignite.

[@johnkemker7784]

"Much to the annoyance of cows." Had me on the floor laughing!

[@onesunnyday5699]

We have some roundabouts, putting in more all the time, but don't expect most people to know how to use them. They don't even fill the blinker fluid reservoir 😬🙄😒

[@micheledeetlefs6041]

If they want roundabouts, send them to Middle Tennessee. We've become obsessed with the damn things.

[@slitheen3]

I kind of love roundabouts, they're so much fun and satisfying to smoorhly go around at night with no other traffic 😅 though I understand why so many people don't know how to use them. They've only recently started becoming common in my city in the last 10 or so years, so a lot of people never learned how they work, or completely forgot. I wish there was like, drivers ed for adults to update them on new driving infrastructure and best practice, refresh uncommon signs, hand signals, etc cuz... I've seen a lot of people who need it.

[@kenbrown2808]

you're out of date. BMW cars no longer require blinker fluid. now blinkers require a monthly subscription fee.

[@INOD-2]

They have many roundabouts in the UK, but they drive around them CLOCKWISE (coming from the left lane) instead of counter-clockwise (the Brits would say "anti-clockwise") like in the US. It was very discombobulating the first time I visited the UK to go around the opposite direction!

[@kenbrown2808]

@@INOD-2the thing that threw me off was left turns. I felt like we were going into the wrong lane every time.

[@toolittletoolate3917]

One of my favorite memories of teaching English in Japan is the expressions on my students’ faces when I told them how big the USA was.

[@MarechalVI]

By the way, if you buy converters for stuff in the USA, DO NOT use them for heat-related items like hair dryers or curling irons. American sockets are 120v, whereas British sockets are 240v, which will mess with the heating element. Probably more important for Americans visiting Britain, my mom lived in London and tried to use a curling iron with a converter and it melted, but probably also true for Brits visiting America.

[@AoiKaze2000]

US Travel Hack: Hork up $80 (or so) for TSA precheck. It's saved so much time and has so little BS compared to the usual one that it's worth the extra.

[@erakfishfishfish]

It’s worth every penny

[@jrmcdonald7510]

Extra likes for using the word "hork"!

[@wallacegrommet9343]

The new Global Entry app can get you through US Customs in a minute, while hundreds of your fellow passengers line up and wait

[@wallacegrommet9343]

That a variant of “fork over”?

[@Sashazur]

From the US TSA website: “TSA PreCheck® and Global Entry are both Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Trusted Traveler Programs. TSA PreCheck® provides expedited security screening benefits for flights departing from U.S. Airports. Global Entry provides expedited U.S. customs screening for international air travelers when entering the United States. Global Entry members also receive TSA PreCheck® benefits as part of their membership.” I have Global Entry and it along with TSA Precheck really does speed things up, on average.

[@joanreynolds955]

Also be advised that the American beer will be served ice cold, not lukewarm.

[@AnnaAnna-uc2ff]

and it's about 3% ABV

[@joanreynolds955]

@@AnnaAnna-uc2ff You’ve obviously never had a microwbrew in Portland. I don’t doubt you’re very proud of your ignorance, but, honestly, you’re just making an ass-clown of yourself.

[@shelaughs185]

​@@AnnaAnna-uc2ffonly light beer. The stuff in my fridge is at least 8-12% ABV

[@dennisp.2147]

@@AnnaAnna-uc2ffYou obviously haven't had an American beer since the 80's. Readily available craft beers in the US can reach up to 13% for certain IPA's Stouts and Barleywines.

[@stog9821]

@@dennisp.2147 True. Some of the best beers in the world, though there are now a lot of craft breweries and plenty of trial and error as they try to differentiate themselves. The errors happen. We do tend to like our beer cold. Like the Aussies do.

[@shelaughs185]

Last time I went to the UK, the passport officer asked him if I was there for business or pleasure. I told him "No." Got a raised eyebrow at that so I explained that my sister had an emergency surgery while on a business trip and was in the hospital in Reading. It was true and he was flustered, bless his heart. I suppose he could have said "Why are you here?" Which is less welcoming, and I probably would have said something sassy back. "I don't know, where am I?" comes to mind, but I kinda wanted to get where I was going. Little did I know...

[@shrodingerschat2258]

TSA agent:"Why are you here?" Me:"You know, that's a really good question; why are any of us here? I've often pondered that. Just what is our purpose in life? Do we all have a destiny, or are we just wandering..." TSA agent: "Ok sir, thank you. Enjoy your stay. NEXT!"

[@rckoala8838]

"Business or pleasure?" "Family, so neither." (But I hope Sis is fully recovered.)

[@shelaughs185]

@@rckoala8838 The UK hospital ham-fisted the emergency proceedure. It took about 5 more surgeries to correct it once she got home to the US. She's ok now, thanks. I will say that it was a crash course in socialized medicine. Even the building was dark, smelly and really depressing. Her ward was 2 bays with about 16 beds each, and 3 bathrooms between them. Hard pass, thanks.

[@wessexdruid7598]

The point is that, if for business, working requires additional visas. Just as in the USA and everywhere else.

[@user-zp4ge3yp2o]

​@@shelaughs185 but if you can't afford better, it's better than nothing. Private healthcare is available in the UK for those that can afford it.

[@mpea1043]

Be mindful of the weather and winter hours. For example, the Grand Canyon closes.

[@johncooper4637]

Well, they have plenty of snow with the south rim being at 7,000 feet.

[@shaunperron7080]

Since you had the visual of the electrical outlet, I should point out for the portion of the English crowd that plans to visit; While most people from NA associate the "mickey mouse" face with electrical outlets, it is actually a common misconception that this is the correct orientation. Code dictates that the ground (the wider centered opening) should be upwards, especially when the receptacle is below counter height. This is so if something were to fall and strike the plug or cable and consequently cut into the sheathing, the wire it makes initial contact with and/or exposes is the ground wire, thus being less likely to cause electric shock, fire, etc.. However, the code is only strictly enforced in hospitals and nursing homes, and other such settings. It doesn't help that most older electronics manufacturers jumped on that bandwagon and sold power packs and converters so that the heavy part hung down with hot on the right and neutral on the left, which only perpetuated it further. Therefore, most American people are blissfully unaware that their outlets are almost all upside down.

[@Roccondil]

Code actually doesn't specify orientation for the outlets, which is why there's still a lot of arguing about orientation. If the code does state that, I can't find it, so please state the specific section wherein this specification is made!

[@shaunperron7080]

@Roccondil I got my information from a master electrician with over 40 years in the field. The explanation I gave is almost verbatim what his response was when I asked him about it after noticing the seemingly "inverted" outlets in nursing homes and hospitals that I worked in. The gist of it is that ground up (or neutral up, in the case of sideways installation) is the correct way to install them for the reasons I listed, but it's only enforced in those environments for reasons unknown other than safety is more focused on there, for obvious reasons. I have no idea where in the code it's supposed to be located because I didn't ask him, I just trust the judgment of someone who made a lifelong career in the field, and, quite frankly, it makes perfect sense from a logical standpoint. If I ever engage another master electrician in conversation, perhaps I'll ask them about it and compare answers.

[@rtyria]

My dad (school electrician) got tired of explaining this to people and so instead would tell them that he got tired of seeing the little man scream at him. Not too many people would bother him after that.

[@brettbuck7362]

Not in the code, and a silly issue at the best of times.

[@mq1712]

@@brettbuck7362 I know a few electricians. There are arguments for both orientations according to them. As is, the club comes loose and Mickey's mouth is on the bottom it's still grounded and hopefully the upper prongs aren't connected anymore anyway. Vice versa, not grounded if it comes loose. My answer: Ground Fault Interrupter Circuit on each outlet. I think that's been code in my area (DC) for a few decades now.

[@cbpd89]

If you're from a humid and rainy place like the UK and visiting western states (especially southwestern) you will NEED: Hat, sunglasses, chapstick, lotion, sunscreen, and water water water!! It is dry. You will get thirsty much faster and your skin and lips will dry out. Cloudy days are rarer so sunburns are more common. Especially in the mountains you will sunburn more easily. The thinner atmosphere means more UV rays reach you. If It's hot--anything from 28-40C--you will want so much water. Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and carry at least a litre of water if you're going to be out in the heat.

[@mq1712]

The extremes of weather in the US (hot/cold) are greater than just about any place in Europe. I had French/German/Italian roomies in college and grad school who were completely prostrated when the temps in 85. Admittedly, it was humid. What really knocked them down was the natives (Yanks) telling them "it really isn't hot today". Contrast with 5-20 below (Farhenheit, of course) in the winter.

[@stephennewton2223]

Delaware has no sales tax. Of course, we are small and easy to miss.

[@jeffhampton2767]

Pennsylvania has no sales tax in the food stores

[@brendamartini2165]

Minnesota has no sales tax on clothing or groceries. These are considered necessities and thus exempt.

[@letitiajeavons6333]

​@@jeffhampton2767except if it's carbonated. Carbonated drinks have sales tax. 100% fruit juice has no sales tax.

[@letitiajeavons6333]

Why do you think Philadelphians go shopping in Delaware so much?

[@stephennewton2223]

@@letitiajeavons6333 Of course.

[@charlespeterwatson9051]

You got to do tourism commercials for British Airways.

[@pahtar7189]

If you're in a state where there's a sales tax, you should be tipping 15-20% of the pre-tax total, not the final bill.

[@michaelsmith6457]

The state of Oregon does not have a sales tax but we do have a 10 cent deposit for drinks so that means you can turn in all your empty bottles and cans and get your 10 cents back for each container if you turn in 100 containers that's $10 it's that simple

[@globalheart]

Wishing we still did that in ohio!! ..we used to, long ago. Seems obvious 😢

[@LindaC616]

We did that in Michigan when I was a kid. I live on the East Coast now where it is not done. I remember that my sister, in law financed the second honeymoon with yard sales and bottle deposits. They went to hawaii

[@windsorhnd]

In Maine you get 5 cents.

[@thestraydog]

​@@LindaC616I loved going to farmer Jacks as a kid and helping my mother with the recycling kiosks, now I live in Ohio, and the recycling is done by the city, and you dont get paid for it!

[@globalheart]

@LindaC616 yes! My brother and i would scrounge through all the paths and shrubs in the parks, to gather up monies to spend on our parents at Christmastime!! Well, those nickels definitely went a lot further back then! 3cents on a regular bottle, a nickel for the large ones. We'd make enough each forage that we could easily take just 1 penny and get 2 pieces of candy before taking our secret loot home :)

[@jladdyost]

Very picky point: We don't say "eleven dollars fifty-seven". I haven't heard an American say that ever. We say either, "eleven fifty-seven" or "eleven dollars and fifty-seven cents".

[@sm5574]

I wouldn't say the accent is perceived as sounding smart so much as sophisticated.

[@ginnyjollykidd]

Erudite.

[@alansmithee8831]

@sm. Outside of my own county, my accent is thought of in UK as showing I am thick, like a hillbilly, which can be turned to an advantage. There are more Yorkshire folk than Scottish, so it is not just some local thing. My pal and I toured US many years back and our Yorkshire dialect was often mistaken for Irish by proud Irish-Americans who were upset to learn we were English. We tried not to disappoint them too much by saying that my friend's forenames James Stewart were celtic at least.

[@SeanShimamoto]

I actually think it sounds pretentious and off putting, well most of the British accents…’cause I do like cockney and Geordie accents.

[@SeanShimamoto]

@@alansmithee8831I’m not a fan of most southern British accents…but I do like Yorkshire and Geordie accents. I think you lot sound a lot more down to earth and welcoming…but that’s just me humble opinion. 😁

[@alansmithee8831]

@@SeanShimamoto You can hear it in the way "Treat folk reyt" is said, I reckon. You seem the sort who might like Ripping Yarns episode "Eric Olthwaite" and episode "Golden Gordon" that follows on?

[@fredericklockard3854]

Add - please don’t say everything is brilliant. Brits in Florida are always saying brilliant. The food was brilliant. The roller coaster was brilliant. The wave pool was brilliant. 😂

[@TulsaTaurus]

FYI - servers in most places in the US are only paid $2.13 per hour, far below the federal minimum wage, and this is LEGAL! This is at Dennys and IHOP as well as the fancy restaurant, so these people rely on those tips to pay their rent and bills.

[@thehapagirl92]

🚦 **GOOD TIP** All U.S. states allow right turns on red lights when it’s safe to do so (meaning no cars are coming and the “walking” sign isn’t green for pedestrians to walk), except where signs specifically prohibit it. New York City, New York (not all of the state of New York) has additional restrictions, generally prohibiting right turns on red unless a sign explicitly permits it. Alaska, although it allows right turns on red, has specific conditions under which it can be done.

[@LimeyRedneck]

I loved visiting Asheville! 🤠💚

[@jasonlescalleet5611]

That’s a place I want to go sometime. Biltmore is probably not super impressive by European standards, but in a country with no kings or dukes or what-not, it stands out.

[@diamondlou1]

Speaking of weird.... 🙄

[@oldtop4682]

Biltmore is the largest home in the US - and still family owned and operated. It also has a direct connection to Britain in the ownership, not just the Vanderbilts. It isn't cheap to tour the house, and they have a couple of different tours you can do. I highly recommend the technical tour (behind the scenes) if you can deal with lots of walking and stairs. Asheville is also great for craft beers, and some darn good ones! The area is quite beautiful. It's a bit weird (think a small Portland, OR or Austin), but well worth a visit.

[@RonSparks2112]

If you are in Asheville you should take a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

[@LimeyRedneck]

@@RonSparks2112 A dream of mine for many years and it is stunning! 💚

[@rz-zd2dd]

When visiting the U.S., tourists need to be sure they understand the dangers nature can pose here unlike in some other countries. Severe weather events in any season can end up being deadly if one is clueless and unprepared.

[@micheledeetlefs6041]

Even in locations where you will have trains available, cars may often be a better choice. Amtrak is currently recruiting Nashville to join so they can link Nashville to Atlanta. I can drive from Nashville to Atlanta in less than 4 hours. But the planned train line is supposed to take six to eight because of all the stops they're going to make. I'm not entirely certain if I was only here for a couple of weeks that I wouldn't just prefer to drive rather than waste a day going to Atlanta and back from Nashville. Also don't say plan things regionally, because regions in America can be much larger than the British perceive. As noted above, I live in Nashville, and I have lost track of how many tourists from Britain have flown into Nashville on the direct flight, and honestly think they can get up at 6:00 a.m. drive down to Orlando, and be at Disney world in time for lunch. It's actually a 10-hour drive. So plan on staying in one city, maybe hitting the surrounding counties to that city, But that's about it.

[@lizlee6290]

That's why I roll my eyes when people claim the US backward for not having nationwide, coast-to-coast public transportation "like Europe." Uh, apples to aardvarks? Even Americans, who should know better, say that.

[@micheledeetlefs6041]

@@lizlee6290 Agreed. Europeans would be better served to think of us in the same way they think of the continent of Europe. We're also about the same size. Scotland is completely different from Poland. And Oregon is completely different from Texas.

[@strawberrydialectics]

he did say "micro" region!

[@simhedgesrex7097]

@@lizlee6290Europe is as big as America.

[@letitiajeavons6333]

At least confine yourself to one state. Unless that state is Delaware or Rhode Island. If you visit Rhode Island, you can include Connecticut or Boston, Mass. Or if you visit Delaware, you can include Philadelphia, PA or Maryland.

[@jdb47games]

5:39 True, the meat price would include VAT, but that rate is zero percent, so it is not a good example. Go to the confectionery or booze aisle to find an example where 20% VAT would be included in the price.

[@johnrudy9404]

John for NJ here. I live in one of the smallest US states. Driving it's length takes 3.5 hrs. Width, 1 hr. Be prepared for 4-5 hr drives(if in a relatively straight line)across other, slightly larger states. California,Texas and most of the west can take 6-12 hrs(at 60+/-mph). Alaska may take as much as 24 hours. The other this is that passports are not needed state to state, so, it's just the distance really. Yes, the US is THAT BIG.

[@MoreBollocks-ui2zs]

While working for a British company in the US we had many brits come across and utterly fail to grasp the scale of the country. Comments like the one about how the UK is better to get around, while not really true, continues to further this misunderstanding. The UK is roughly the size of Michigan but with nearly 7 times the population. There are many US states larger than the entire UK yet even the largest US state by area and population is barely over half the population of the UK.

[@oh2sail]

I lived in England for a short while and sometimes in public I pull out my (ok-ish) English accent and people treat me so much better!

[@davidshein6886]

Did not notice this video until it had been up for over a month, so someone has probably already pointed out that there are some states that do NOT have a sales tax. I live in one of them, and your example particularly captured my attention because it mentioned Portland, Maine. Had you made that purchase in the other Portland (Oregon), you wouldn't have paid sales tax. :)

[@barrysteven5964]

Erm, the plug thing. We nearly all go to mainland Europe for our holidays so are fully aware of what plug adapters are and you can even get them in our local Morrisons.

[@kathyastrom1315]

Thanks for clarifying the “What’s in the box?” quote. I have heard that so many times, but since I’ve never seen Seven, I had no idea where it came from.

[@rtyria]

Whenever I hear it I'm reminded of an old cookie commercial, "What's in the box, cookie man?"

[@Faze-2]

“ Portland, not the weird one, but the one in Maine” is the most accurate description of how Americans feel about the two Portland

[@pegspun]

So funny!!! I absolutely love your humor….Thank you for sharing!!

[@phronsiekeys]

Not to mention sales tax differs by state and even local town/city! And some states don't charge it at all. My state doesn't charge it for food and clothing under $175. Where a relative lives they pay 7% (!!!!) on food! So yes, it's confusing and annoying even for us Americans.

[@sunrae5406]

This guy is so good that I actually listen while he reads through his ads.

[@TanyaQueen182]

I love watching these, then watching the British reactors react to your videos. So I usually watch them all a few times. Your content is never boring. Love it!

[@TanyaQueen182]

I live in Jacksonville Florida which is next to St. Augustine. St. Augustine is an AWESOME place to visit with so much to do and beautiful beaches. Definitely recommend to foreigners.

[@Absaalookemensch]

Toe-mah-toe vs toe-may-toe. It's the same with potato and rudabaga. And visiting Texas is like visiting Europe. It's 2.8 times larger than the U.K. El Paso to Texarkana, west to east borders, is a 12 hour drive.

[@kenbrown2808]

termayder.

[@lo1bo2]

A quick check shows a distance of 820 miles. Nice! One quick stop for gas/bathroom, and mild speeding should shorten the time a bit.

[@Absaalookemensch]

@@lo1bo2Just 5 over cuts an hour off the trip and saves you in speeding tickets.

[@alansmithee8831]

​@@Absaalookemensch. I stayed in Texas for a month years back. A few years later I used to have to drive from Yorkshire to Hastings to visit my employer at the time's southern site. Other employees saw it as crazy setting off at 4am to arrive before 10am, or 9 if I could put my foot down (you would struggle with traffic round London and speed cameras nowadays). They were gobsmacked at distances in US. If only King Harold could have done the trip in that time in 1066, history might be so different?

[@Absaalookemensch]

@@alansmithee8831We drove from coast to coast a few times in our lives. It's 5 days if you drive about 8 hours a day.