What are some culture shocks you have seen or experienced when going to other parts of the US?

Question

I noticed in the northern US, many restaurants charge for refills. That's just one example.

EricSummer · Accepted Answer

I'm Swiss and in the U. S. I have only ever been to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, though I was there several times.

One thing that struck me as odd were the sizes of drinks and especially of ice-cream portions. At an ice-cream shop I also saw some of the fattest people I had ever seen.

I liked that you could buy corn cobs directly from the field with payment based on trust.

I went to see a baseball game and did not understand the first thing about what was going on. Still, it was great to have barbecue and beer in the parking space, what they call tailgating.

Finally, I met a few people who git married at 19 as "true love waits", but there are limits to hiw long young people can wait. I hope they did not regret this commitment so early in life.

NamerOfStars · Accepted Answer

As a truck driver native to Chicago, I was utterly astonished to learn just how lousy a job the South did at maintaining its roads; passing through Oklahoma, I saw a sign saying "Road Work next 52 miles" and thought it was a joke. It wasn't. I guess if it never freezes over, there's no pressure to actually FINISH construction.

Also: up north, places with public bathrooms usually have the men's on the right on the women's on the left. It's not universal, and sometimes the way the building is laid out make it impossible, but that's usually how it goes. Here in Florida, it's the other way around- but weirdly, it's not the local places, which most often have the men's on the right; it's the nation-wide places that put it on the left. I have no idea why.

MysticAngel5000 · Accepted Answer

More places are starting to charge for water. I stopped at a Burger King a couple summers ago for just a water because it was really hot and I needed to quench the thrist ASAP. They charged me $.50. I was super shocked. And yes, charging for refills is definitely a thing a lot of places as well. I've noticed most places around here are indeed still offering free ones, but I do know of some that do charge now. It also seems the price goes up but the quantity stays the same or decreases.

When I was on vacation last, I stopped at a lovely little Laundromat to do my laundry. I noticed they had their machines set up to accept credit/debit cards. I had never seen that. I've still never seen that anywhere else, but it was pretty cool.

comekitty · Accepted Answer

I live in illinois and drink refills are free here. 🙂

I was surprised that pizza places in other states use cheeses other than mozzarella.
Also, differences in verbage. One state calls drinking fountains bubbles. That was different.

Where I grew up, most people call the living room the front room. I make a conscious effort to just say living room these days. 🙂

Googlemyahoo · Answer

Visited Myrtle Beach from Canada as a kid. Made friends with a local & at his house the Dad said alarmed Canada is where communists are. Then asked if I had to buy new clothes because we just wore parkas.

Two years ago in Maine, I met a couple from Georgia. They asked if it was hard to get into the USA. I was confused asked what they meant. They acted like it was something secretive. I said pull up to the border show my passport? What’d you think I had to scale a fence?

The stunned looks on their faces told me they believed that.

MysticDevice · Answer

Not really a shock but just something interesting.

Liquer and beer sales are vastly different between Wisconsin and North Dakota. Which are only separated by one state. Wisco will sell to anyone with and ID no matter who's in your group. Usually, but some places will card everyone. As long as the person paying is 21.

ND, I was at a walmart getting beer with my uncles and cousins, who were underage, and the liquer department wasn't even in the main building. We had to go outside and back in through a separate entrance. And they wouldn't sell to any of us because my cousins were inside. We kicked the cousins out without hesitation of course lol.

I just found it interesting how vastly different the littlest things can be just between state lines. Liquer departments at Wisco retailers are bigger than some entire liquer stores elswhere

KostasKouvalis · Answer

They DO? That's really interesting.

I live in the West and over here we don't have toll freeways like they do in the south and east coast.

And when I visited Hawaii, it was the first time I experienced being charged higher rates for not being a local.

Alaska just felt very exotic.

The Indian reservations are always interesting to visit as well, because they operate autonomously a lot of them have strict rules for tourists and charge high rates, and the culture itself feels completely different. Especially if you visit the old pueblos of New Mexico, you feel like you're in a third world, Latin American country. It amazes me that places like this exist in the US.

The rest is basically just seeing how different the people are, as soon as you cross stats or even county lines.

jennifer_bloom · Answer

When I took a road trip to America years ago, I was surprised that Tim Hortons coffee sizes were twice as big in America as they were in Canada. Now I think they are similar, or exactly the same. I was also surprised how the black living spaces were so separated from other areas in the city cause where I live, all the races and religions mix together.

Pink2000 · Answer

I remember when I was a little girl my parents and I were driving outta town. I can’t remember where we were going but it was night time and we were in the country. I remember looking out the window and seeing a whole pig roasting on the side of the road.

NaultD · Answer

Went to Australia as a kid and they call candy "lollies." So a kid asks do you want a lollies snake? My first thought was a lollipop snake? It turns out it's basically gummy worm. It was the same brand to with the black label super sour lolli snakes.

drummerdude25 · Answer

When I moved back to my Midwestern hometown after living in a southern, more tropical climate… People in general seem way more caught up in their feelings here and depressed. Like man, it ain’t that serious… go get some sun and relax lol.

I really just want to get out of here again and never come back. It’s just… not for me anymore.

SeriouslyFunny00 · Answer

I haven't been there but was shocked with the sizes of food serving in US. An XL in Asia is small in America. I'm not bashing though, just speechless.

annabananna · Answer

When I moved to Mississippi from Louisiana peoples mannerism were so different and it was only a state away. I’m gonna stop there because I didn’t love my time in Mississippi.

Siri137 · Answer

Well... yes. If you're going to get more of something, then you should PAY for it! How is that a "culture shock"?

spartan55 · Answer

I hate places that charge for refills... and I won't return to them later.

Telekinetic-Potato · Answer

I used to make fun of the owner at this place I worked at for charging for refills. The charge was like buying a whole other drink too 😂

LiamJHayden · Answer

Not even far, but living where I do and going to DTLA (Downtown Los Angeles) and seeing the sheer number of homeless on the streets.

exitseven · Answer

I used to go to Oklahoma a lot 30 years ago. To them football is a religion. My girlfriend actually played for the local semi pro team.

Dargil · Answer

Moving into the Southeast. These people love Liberty, G0d and Country.

GoodGuyBreakingBad · Answer

I live in Western Pennsylvania, I haven't noticed if there are free refills with drinks

Snakeyes7 · Answer

Mostly accents and different food preferences.

What are some culture shocks you have seen or experienced when going to other parts of the US?

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What are some culture shocks you have seen or experienced when going to other parts of the US?

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