What was your biggest surprise about America?

[HighlandLass]

Trying to get across the street before the lights change, not seeing a roundabout anywhere (do they have them?) and the size of vegetables!

 

[LoodlesNoodles]

The use of the word 'ma'am' (but not so much because my old science teacher was american and used to call us girls ma'am. He worked for NASA-coolest science teacher ever! )

The automatic flush in public 'restrooms', it takes me almost the 2 weeks of being there to get used to it, then as soon as we get back home I half expect those to be automatic too.

The fact that I've had a hard time being understood and I don't have a thick accent.

Crossing the roads. I still don't know, are the zebra crossing looking markings on the road in I Drive like our zebra crossings? What do they mean? I have no clue. It's always a 'dash when we can' or get to traffic lights for us.

 

[izzie-wizzie]

Hehe this is fun to read!

I totally agree about PPs with the gap in the public restroom doors - AND how high the water level in the toilet was

How on IDrive - there was someone just standing there with one of those little alligators in his hand to promote mini gator golf, and it would just be like head height really close to you if you walked past - I walked past ONCE the rest of the time i went TOTALLY out of the way to cross the road!

I also agree with all the politeness - CMs and other members of the public - one particular cute moment of my trip was waiting for TOT in front of us were an (american) family, who had a little girl who was all 'princessed' - and as i had a birthday badge she had wished me a happy birthday - but in such an adorable meaningful way - it seriously was lovely, and took my mind off of going on the ride

 

[wideeyes]

when we were at All Stars Music and on the 3rd floor, we were puzzled about where the 3rd floor was.

How long it took to be served in a shop when there was no queue.

The children seem really confident and outgoing.

Walking around the hotel and other guest saying hello, good morning, good evening etc when ever we passed someone, it weirded me out.

The waiter thinking we were strange for thinking syrup on bacon was gross!

 

[wideeyes]

I am rather embarrassed that I have never noticed the gaps on the toilet doors.

 

[izzie-wizzie]

I am rather embarrassed that I have never noticed the gaps on the toilet doors.

Lol i noticed it straight away on our exchange flight stop to florida in Detroit - the bathrooms were really quiet, and the first cubicle i went in i was like "oh this door must be broken" and after i tried like the 5th cubicle i was like - "oh so there all like that here"...

 

[les2425]

the thing i first noticed was the strange advertisment board about 40ft up in the air as you drive down the wide roads and how the lanes of the road just end with no notice, this was back in 1991.

no one said the heat and humidity in mid december.

 

[Jonjo]

My first impressions were how reliant everyone is on their cars. You just can't walk down the road to the nearest shops. Unless your in a big city like New York.

How sweet all the food and drink is. And how the taste of coke changes from one side of the US to the other. In some places they use sugar beat and in other corn surgar you can realy taste the difference.

 

[Ware Bears]

I remember being amazed at how polite everybody is ....... and how very respectful.

 

[UKDEB]

Great thread! After 20 trips, it all seems so "normal" to me and I love, love, love the US, but this thread has reminded me how totally freaked out I was the first time I visited back in 1992.

How old fashioned things looked (e.g. washing machines and at the time of my first visit the cars)

The cars! When we first went it was 1989 and they all looked so square and old looking

The lorries being just like how I seen them in the Convoy film.

Totally agree. The ovens, too. I always imagined the US would be light years ahead of us, but it was like stepping back in time.

I also remember being really shocked at how blacks seemed to be treated as second class citizens in as much as they were employed in all the menial jobs. I felt really uncomfortable at the way they kowtowed to us.

The big gaps between the doors on the "restrooms" I am always paranoid that people can see in!

Also, that toilets were called restrooms!

Toilets. Never got used to them having the water 3/4 of the way up the bowl which amplifies things when you go for a No1 etc.

Don't get me started on the toilet thing! Yes to all this. Everything about it seemed so weird, but I don't think anything of it now.

A strange one, but the GRASS! Oh my word it wasn't/isn't as comfy as ours is!

Again, those huge blades of grass totally spooked me at first, but it doesn't even cross my mind these days.

I had to fly via Phillie, sat in a bar in Phillie a guy bought me a beer and my dinner and then went to get his flight, never even found out his name!

I've lost count of the number of times we've had Americans pay our tab at bars and won't even hear of us returning the compliment. For some reason, they seem to love us Brits.

Hershey bars taste like you've thrown up. Seriously, how exactly do they get that unique taste?

There's a good reason for that vomit factor. I can't remember precisely what it is, but a quick Google search will "throw up" the answer.

when we were at All Stars Music and on the 3rd floor, we were puzzled about where the 3rd floor was.

Yup! These days my brain automatically converts "1st floor" to "Ground floor", but that wasn't always the case.

The children seem really confident and outgoing.

Another shocker for me back in the early 90s. Despite everything I'd seen in films, I just couldn't get over it. Like mini adults! The directness of Americans in general also took me aback. The way they'd say "I'll get a...", rather than "Please may I have a...", for example. At the time it seemed so blunt, but now it seems totally natural.

My trip to Orlando back in 1992 was my first long-haul experience. By the time we arrived at the car rental depot, we'd been up 24 hours and I was tired and emotional. The roads, and in particular the lights hanging from overhead gantries, were so alien I burst into tears and just wanted to go home. Seems so bizarre now.

 

[bavaria]

Another shocker for me back in the early 90s. Despite everything I'd seen in films, I just couldn't get over it. Like mini adults! The directness of Americans in general also took me aback. The way they'd say "I'll get a...", rather than "Please may I have a...", for example. At the time it seemed so blunt, but now it seems totally natural.

I still have not become used to that; I also struggled and still struggle with the lack of a formal 'thou' as we have in German and French.

'Gimme a .....' or 'I'll take....' still sounds harsh to my ears.

Front load washers! I remember when they came to America and it was such a big discussion on this website when we had had them for years!

 

[Liberty Belle]

How nice to hear that you all found us friendly and polite! The rest is interesting, as well. I'd no idea about most of it.

And, about there gap in bathroom doors...there's a thread on the other community board about that right now. Fun read: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2401037

 

[sdemore]

I agree with most of what has already been mentioned but

I love being called Ma'am, it is just so nice.

Being able to drive in any lane on the freeway scares the bejeezus out of me and i'm not the one driving

But for me the number one thing is that astounds me, every single time is the patrotism. I love how much the americans love their country and their culture and each other. I love their history (part our history) and how it's never forgotten and is in fact celebrated.

The other thing I love is how much and how well they look after their veterans and serving members of the forces. That salute at Seaworld always makes me shed a tear

I absolutely hate being called Ma'am. It makes me feel old! The funny thing is - I am old (kind of).

 

[Sarah84]

I am rather embarrassed that I have never noticed the gaps on the toilet doors.

I'm surprised you've never noticed them, they aren't exactly missable i remeber being so freaked out when I first went to the US landed at the airport went to the the bathroom and was horrified someone might see me on the toilet

Most of the ones I would have said have been mentioned like how wide the roads are, the size of the portions and I wouldn't really say a HUGE surprise as I've experianced polite people in other countries before (not saying all us Brits are rude) but i did love how friendly almost every single American I have come across on my 3 visits to the US have been. Whether it have been in a supermarket, in a restuarant, hotel they just all seem so friendly

 

[iwrbnd]

I'm so glad you all thought we were polite! Whenever I hear people refer to us as "rude Americans" it makes me sad! I live in the midwest and I find most people very nice and helpful!

Oh, and we had neighbors for the past 3 years from the UK and they are wonderful! I love learning about life across the pond! Someday I would love to visit there!

By the way, this has been a fun thread to read! (I've never noticed the gap in bathrooms before but now that you mention it, they are big!)

 

[Dimplenose]

I also remember being really shocked at how blacks seemed to be treated as second class citizens in as much as they were employed in all the menial jobs.

Having grown up watching Starskey and Hutch, where their boss is black, I had always had an image of the USA being a country of equal opportunity where racism doesn't exist. I was shocked and disappointed to find that it's just the same as the rest of the world.

 

[strawberry blonde]

We first went for our honeymoon 20 yrs ago. As our hotel was only 15mins away from Disney, we never took our driving licences as we thought ' what's a 15 min walk?' WRONG!!! 15 mins driving on the highway!!
Once we saw the 'Welcome to Disney' sign, we thought we were there but no, more highway.

The first time we took the kids they were 4 and 7. You should have seen the look on the younger one's face when the toilet flushed on it's own especially as he was still on it

 

[wideeyes]

I'm surprised you've never noticed them, they aren't exactly missable

I don't exactly pay more attention on things,

 

[wideeyes]

Having grown up watching Starskey and Hutch, where their boss is black, I had always had an image of the USA being a country of equal opportunity where racism doesn't exist. I was shocked and disappointed to find that it's just the same as the rest of the world.

I knew someone from Georgia about 5 years ago at college and he said is grandmother refused to step foot in a shop if there was a black person in there shopping, she couldn't believe they would be allowed in the same shop as her. Some of the things he used to tell was shocking that people exist with that attitude.

He also refused to drive over here because the roads were to narrow and round a bouts freaked him out.

OT - he used to work on Jungle cruise about 10 years earlier and used to recite the whole script from memory.

I also spoke to an American at WDW (DVC driver) who said our train services and public was amazing He had seen more of the UK than I had.

 

[RabFlmom]

Trying to get across the street before the lights change, not seeing a roundabout anywhere (do they have them?) and the size of vegetables!

Actually we do. They confuse some drivers though. People are always in the wrong lane and cut in front of you to make their turn off it, so often a site for accidents here on the coast. They seem to work in parking lots of some of the student apartments over by the university in Orlando though.