You can buy alcohol in any store in town but you will get the long d*ck of the law if you open that puppy up in public
Don’t go to dangerous neighborhoods because you saw them on TV.
Not a foreign visitor, but a naive friend from Colorado came to visit in California and wanted to see the gangs on Crenshaw in South Central L.A. because he’d seen it on some cop show.
Yeah, no, we’re not driving through the ‘hood so you can take pictures of the thugs and poor people. He’s a Latino guy, too, so the last thing I needed was someone thinking he was cruising and looking for a fight.
21 is the Legal Drinking Age. Don’t try to reason convince the bartender that it’s 18 back “home”. It’s not that they’re being difficult just to be difficult. Their jobs and possibly the liquor license of the establishment (which is super extremely incredibly crazily difficult to get in some places) could be revoked over something as small as this.
Back in my MMO days a scottish friend of mine went to Atlanta once and called a black guy ‘boy’. I guess you just call people boy in Scotland?
Yeah but do not call black people boy. Its perceived as racist / talking down to them and its a good way to get in a fight. Especially in the South
Do not cut in line. We are not British, we won’t just shake our heads and mutter under our breath. Americans will absolutely start a fight over line cutting. It will become a whole big thing, people will film it on their phones, and boom! There you are all over [internet], getting beat up because you couldn’t just wait your turn in line for a few minutes
A few from personal accounts of people I know.
Do not think it’s acceptable to bribe someone in authority. It’s not even a joking matter in the U.S. I grew up in a country where it was an unwritten rule that these things could be “negotiated” and there were tell-tale signs to know whether said authority was open to it.
Coworker of mine knows a guy (comes from a European country where this is common place) that was in the U.S and had to be escorted out of a shopping mall because he cat-called a group of girls… who also happened to be underage. Yeah, that’s a no go here. Maybe it will be tolerated at a night club, but in public? You’ll likely face repercussions. It’s just not culturally acceptable. (Note: that’s not to say it doesn’t happen in the U.S – as I know it’s a problem in a lot of major cities).
Don’t complain that taxes aren’t included in the price. I know it’s annoying, but the poor souls who have to work retail didn’t set U.S. tax policy.
If you are driving, don’t forget that you can make a right turn on a red light, and if you get pulled over by a cop, being friendly/respectful can go a looooooong way
NEVER pass an unloading school bus. When those stop signs flap out, you’ve got to wait until those little crotch goblins get off the bus until you even think of moving again. Whether it’s hitting a pedestrian child, getting a nasty ticket, or just the absolute looks of disgust you’ll warrant, it won’t be worth it.
Smell bad. It sounds like a joke, but Americans are really unaccepting of any type of BO. We (probably) won’t actually say anything to you, but we will automatically dislike you.
Don’t talk down to people in service industries. They work for the company and not for you. They are not servants, and they deserve respect and decency
Restaurants and stores will take your cards. I know, it is weird. You lose sight of it. If you do not want that to happen have cash prepared.
Do not try to go across the country in one day like you would in a small country. I hear some people say they want to go from new york and road trip to Miami then San Francisco in one day. That would take a week or two. we are a big country with lots of places.
Don’t get in the water unless it’s explicitly marked that you can:
if it’s a large body of water like a bay or waterway, it’s likely polluted and boats might not see you.
if it’s a small body of water in a park, swimming is likely not allowed for conservation purposes or just by cultural norm
if it’s a reflecting pool at a memorial, it’s disrespectful to those who the memorial is honoring. (People break this one all the time in DC; please don’t be one of those people.)
If you’re driving and get pulled over, DO NOT get out of the car. Roll down your window and wait for the police officer to walk up to your car. Keep your hands visible (resting on the steering wheel).
The word c*nt is lot more offensive in the US (and Canada) than in other English-speaking nations. Don’t use it casually
Disobey park rules regarding nature and wildlife.
If you’re in a national/state/any park, follow the rules: stay on the trail don’t litter Don’t touch any wild/plant life Camp/cook/dump/use the toilet in designated spaces Etc.
The reason for the park is for preservation, and for you to walk, relax, and breathe in it. It is not to be used to take a giant cooler full of cheap beer, drink half of it, leave it and then take pictures of you knocking over a large rock that’s over a million years old.
Also, if you’re one of the 10 people wading in the World War II monument in DC, the other 90 people are reading the signs that say “No Swimming”, and watching with severe disappointment.
We Americans love foreign visitors and we will pepper you with questions, ask about your language, culture, almost really intrusive questions. Some might even try to relate to you on some level because we Americans are taught that the United States is a melting pot and we all have distant relatives in other countries. For the Irish, English, Scottish, and German; do not be shocked or offended if an American says “Oh! I’m insert heritage too!”
Don’t f**king use racial slurs. Good lord, I work in the service industry with lots of people from China and they’ll just say the N-word with the hard R (or just s**tty racist stuff in general) and will be confused as to why people get pissed off.
While America’s race relations are strained at best, it’s completely unacceptable to voice your racist opinions in public. If you choose to do it anyway, you will be completely ostracized – and any people who are accepting of it are probably s**tty racists themselves. Yikes.
Don’t take selfies at memorials honoring the dead.
I just about threw up from all the selfie sticks at the world trade center memorial in NY.
Yes we have food from your country. 9 times out of 10 it is not the same and is Americanized. Sometimes it is better. Sometimes it is not. Some random places have an accurate recreation of that dish. Don’t b**ch about how the bangers and mash, pizza, poutine, or something isn’t the same. Try some American dishes. You can, maybe, find ingredients from your homeland in a grocery store and can use those if you are renting a house or one of those apartment hotels.
For the love of god please just go the speed limit, and NEVER stop in the middle of the road no matter where you are
Treat wildlife with respect, you will see it everywhere and it is generally dangerous or can kill you.
Dont try a selfie with a Bear or Buffalo
Do not drink alcohol in a car, even as a passenger, it’s against the law to have an open container of alcohol in a car. Period.
Do not haggle for prices except at pawn shops (second hand shops), car dealerships, flea markets, and internet/phone/cable providers. You will be mocked if you do that anywhere else as it is considered rude.
Don’t carry a large amount of cash on you or carry only big bills. This is so common in japan, a cash based society. A student of mine here in japan told me her husband had his wallet stolen in Boston when he was carrying mostly cash. Major cities and large stores/restaurants are very card friendly. It’s safer and easier.
I spent a bit of time abroad with people foreign to the US
Pointing is VERY rude! My one friend (from Thailand) would always point to people when speaking about them. It was just very uncomfortable and I didn’t realize it was part of the social structure here until she was doing it everywhere lol. Don’t point at complete strangers and talk about them, you may end up starting a fight
The American South, while known probably to some for being racist, is VERY VERY big into politeness and manners.
Generally do things like hold the door open for others, a cashier may ask you “hi how are you” just answer “good, how are you?” Or “I’m okay, how are you” but whatever you answer remember to return the ask. Always say please and thank you. If you make eye contact with a stranger give a smile and a nod. Unless they say hi, then say hi back. I also tend to end conversations with people by saying “have a good one” if meeting somebody (more of a professional thing) when shaking hands, let the person who initiated the handshake introduce themselves first.
Also Americans tend to be very friendly and will strike up conversations with people, don’t be afraid to chat, just don’t bring up politics
Don’t smoke around children.
Definitely do not pester, feed or endanger a wild animal, and don’t harm someone’s animal. Kicking or mistreating a dog/cat around here is grounds for fighting.
Please show respect and courtesy around monuments, parks, and historical sites, be they local, state or federal. Our history might be young, but it’s still our history.
Every gun is loaded. Bubba will not be happy if you blow your hand off, so just don’t touch any unless supervised
Don’t go without tipping, especially at restaurants. Though it’s higher in some states, the national minimum wage of tipped workers is $2.13. It’s not considered an extra on top of their pay, but the source of the majority of their pay.
Don’t expect to get into bars or clubs under 21. In many countries people can still go to these places underage and not drink, but in the U.S. the vast majority of places other than restaurants that serve alcohol will not allow anyone in under 21.
As awesome as we can be, we are the opposite of a homogeneous culture, this means we have people of different races, religions, and ideologies. I know that our own politics can and will dominate the news headlines around the world, but I suggest you tread lightly when discussing politics and religion. This is because tribalism of religious and ideological beliefs run deep and Americans can and will get offended quickly.
Americans are about personal bubbles. If you’re a stranger, keep an arms distance when conversing with an American. If you are familiar with them, keep an elbows distance. And lastly, unless you are extremely familiar with them, do not touch except for a handshake. We’re like the Swedish, but louder.
Hit your child in public.
I’m not condoning physical punishment against kids, I just know from experience that in some cultures that’s a norm. But if you do it here, chances are you will be confronted by an irate bystander
If you’re male, don’t talk to strangers kids, especially daughters.
Don’t dine at a sit down/table service restaurant and not tip just to make a point.
Not the way things are done in your country? Great! Part of the fun of travel is experiencing other cultures. You should embrace the opportunity to experience our primitive way of life first hand.
If someone asks “how are you?” , just say “good” or something similar, we don’t actually give a s**t how you’re doing, we ask because it’s polite
Don’t critisize our culture or politics (to our faces) , even if we agree with you, it will annoy many of us
Don’t be late to everything. 10-15 minutes is the polite amount of late for social engagements, but other things, like school, doctors appointments, reservations (bookings) etc, just be ontime ffs
If you make eye contact, nod or acknowledge the presence of the other person
Don’t try to walk along really busy roads. Not all roads have sidewalks. Not all roads are walkable. People will think you’re in distress and the police may stop you to check if you’re okay.
Don’t use politics as a conversation starter. That’s something we only really discuss with family in person. I was surprised how often US and World politics came up as an opening conversation while traveling in Europe last year.
Be nice to the animals. We tend to place a really high value on animal life here. If you get to know someone who treats their pet like a human child, don’t mind it. And certainly don’t purposely try to hurt it. If you get caught abusing an animal–even just a stray dog/cat on the street–you’ll certainly face repercussions, whether it be a fine or jail time. You’ll also see a lot of roadkill, but don’t try to hit an animal on the road on purpose. There’s lots of roadkill because we have a lot of opossums and armadillos and they’re fairly stupid, so they get on the road and get run over a lot. Most of the time it’s an accident.
Respect personal space. I’ve had foreign friends visit and when they talk to you they tend to stand extremely close and it makes me cringe every time. Same goes for standing in lines – make sure to leave a couple feet in between you and the person in front of you.
If you go to Texas or anywhere else in the south, you’re expected to shake hands when introducing yourself. When I say shake hands, I mean no limp d*ck, clammy noodle. No one wants to feel that s**t. Wipe your hand on your pants, then try to break the other dude’s hand before he can break yours
Chew with your mouth open.
We don’t do that here and you shouldn’t either unless you are literally a farm animal.
Don’t get too far away from any major highway, don’t let your tank of gas go under half. Most people traveling here haven’t been to a country this big and this empty before. Easy to assume there will be roadside services and get stuck.
Don’t casually touch (slap on the back, tap on the shoulder, hug, etc) someone unless you know them very well. We’re very protective of our personal space, and we dont touch each other in a friendly manner like most European cultures unless they’re very good friends or loved ones.
Don’t urinate in public areas, even if you think you are doing so discreetly
DO NOT try and bribe the police. I know in some countrys it is common, but here you will be arrested. They also wear bodycams most of the time, so there will be evidence if you do.
Don’t stare at people. We just glance. People will think you are on drugs or mentally ill.
Fireworks are illegal in most parts of California. There are “safe” fireworks that are sold in some areas during the week of Fourth of July, but do not take them to other parts of the state and assume they are ok to use, and do not bring fireworks from other states and use them here.
Don’t: make eye contact with any homeless people panhandling for cash. They will hound you.
There’s 330 million of us. Saying something like “I heard Americans like/dislike,” is almost always going to be met with a grain of salt/resentment
Do not worry about getting shot. That is, unless you are dealing drugs or breaking into someone’s house
Bribing people, Like I realize in some parts of the world it’s perfectly acceptable to grease the wheels a little bit to get thungs done. but it’s a no-go here.
Don’t depend on public transit it’s s**tty in a majority of places
Don’t wear a speedo at the beach. We don’t need to see that.
Get the app waze for driving here helps with traffic. And if you come to Texas drive aggressive haha.
Don’t diss a man’s car. Don’t bring up politics or religion. Tip. Don’t assume that people from the south are stupid. Assume that people have guns, don’t argue or look for fights.
Try to smoke cigarettes where everyone else is. Lighting up within a building is a no-go
Some of my foreign coworkers didn’t understand how dangerous it is driving on snow. Depending on the climate where you’re from and how common driving is, you may have never experienced it… you have to drive slower if there’s any snow, and depending on the consistency you may have to drive quite a bit slower. Tip one is to watch how other people are driving in it and mimic the more conservative drivers you see. Also, if you’re ever driving somewhere that you aren’t sure of the conditions, pick a safe spot to try stopping as fast as you can and see how quickly your vehicle actually slows down (don’t do this if someone is following you closely because you could cause a wreck).
Otherwise, and idk if this is the case in other countries as much as here, so you may know this already: people are generally more aggressive and less deferential in more urban areas. Even just living in a more rural part of the country most of my younger life, it was a culture shock moving to a large city. People even drive more aggressively, but it tends to be the overall mindset too. People have mentioned cutting in line being a major no-no, but that sort of depends where you’re at actually. You might get away with it with no more than a silently pissed midwestern lady behind you if you do it in less urbanized areas… or if you try that s**t in Jersey or NYC, you’ll get your a** handed to you. Basically, just don’t make the mistake of going to a medium to large city and being overly polite or deferential. People will take advantage… you need to be a hard target, and don’t feel bad about it because the nicer people that live places like that understand the need to be guarded and a bit defensive in those areas.
Don’t call all of us yanks… southerners will depending on the person be bemused or enraged.
Don’t call football hand egg.
If you’re going shopping, don’t wear polo shirts. People will automatically assume you’re a store worker, and they can be very rude about it.
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