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This article is based on stories from the above video about ten (10) things Americans do that baffle the world. The list of what they do is as follows (counting down): 10. No metric system. 9. Customizing restaurant orders. 8. Vacation time. 7. Can I get a to-go box, please? 6. Tipping. 5. Alcohol laws. 4. Variety of good.s 3. Thumbs up. 2. Being extremely patriotic. 1. Sales tax
While the U.S. is known as the land of the free and the home of the brave, it is also home to some customs that are very confusing to foreigners. Do you know which habits you should leave in the U.S. before heading out on your travels? Let’s check out this list of things Americans do that confuse the rest of the world. It’ll help you avoid some awkward situations abroad. Here are the details of 10 things Americans do that confuse all other countries (counted down):
10. Metric System
The rest of the world is familiar with meters for measurements, kilograms for weights, liters for volume and Celsius for temperature, but not the U.S. Only three countries in the world still use the Imperial system of measurements: Myanmar, Liberia and the U.S. The US did try to convert to the metric system once before and here’s a short history lesson to tell you what happened.
The U.S. Congress passed the metric conversion act of 1975 in 1975. The U.S. metric board was established to coordinate and plan the increased use of the metric system in the United States. The Act however was voluntary and The U.S. metric board tried to implement this system, but the American public largely ignored their efforts. By 1982, plans to convert to the metric system were dead. Though the U.S. might not recognize the metric system as their official measuring system, it is quietly used in the background.
Winners are familiar with 5k races, some wine comes in a 750 milliliter bottle and American cars are manufactured with almost all metric measurements. Advantage to this mix between the Imperial and metric systems is that traveling Americans have a greater knowledge of systems of measurements.
9. Customizing Restaurant Orders
In America it’s customary to request substitutions additions or changes to a menu order. If you don’t want fries with your meal, you can switch it for a side of mashed potatoes or veggies. Some foreign cultures that take great pride in their cuisine might consider it impolite if an American wanted to make substitutions order; different sauce or ask for an item to be left out of a dish.
Some restaurants in the U.S also refuse to make any substitutions or additions unless there are dietary restrictions or food allergies. So if you’re an American planning a trip abroad this might be a good time to brush up on your foreign dining etiquette…..
(Find out the rest of what Americans do in the video above)
Source: Bright Side Channel on Youtube
i saw this video people can’t get a break is mentally and physically unwell. especially lately people often eat fast food. I’m afraid the same thing will eventually happen at Christmas. – Paying waiters, waiters, etc. Fair wages that do not require tipping. It never did and would not make sense to me. -Including tax in the price tag. This always and will upset me, I mean, I understand when buying merchandise online due to different circumstances, taxes etc., but there is no reason physical labels / stickers cannot be printed with the actual total price. -Transition to the metric system. I learned that both the school system and the metric system are much easier to learn – Changing the drinking age to 18 years and above. It really does not make sense that we say it’s okay for them to be responsible and live their lives for their country but they are not responsible enough to drink alcoholic beverages. I like that we can replace food in most restaurants. I understand that in a good / fancy restaurant, food is an art form and should not be changed. But when it comes to fast food, I think that restaurants need to be flexible with customers, of course, I have a number of food allergies. So I might be a little ordinary. I know we (have some strange habits, but at the same time I can’t say anything because I’m a little weird myself.
tipping is seen as a way to supplement the waiter’s poor wage. In most other countries it is seen as a recognition for a special or extraordinary service. Furthermore, it is felt that restaurant owners shouldn’t exploit their employees. If a patron has to pay someone else’s employee, in fact becoming a business partner of the employer, the patron should be entitled to part of the earnings as well