What are some things you hate about European culture?

[Anonymous]

As an American who works from home, I decided to try living in Europe for a couple of months to see if I want to get a visa and establish residency. Admittedly, I was highly interested in the beauty of Eastern European women, but I found my stay there rather unenjoyable.

Here are some things I hated about being an American Europe:

1) They ask me if I own a gun all the time - Americans have guns, get over it. Don't you have a better question than that? You're just showing me that you don't understand natural rights and American history. Read a book. I don't need a lecture about how guns are dangerous or how capitalism doesn't care about human rights. I already know this -- I'm a fucking American.
2) Paper straws - We get it. You care about the environment. But, no one should be subjected to drinking a Coca-Cola from a paper straw that disintegrates in your mouth.
3) The tops of the drink bottles - When you twist the top off a bottle of water or Coke, the damn top should come off. Don't just leave it dangling there to hit me in the face when I take a drink.
4) Cigarettes - Why do I need pictures of actors pretending to be cancer victims on a pack of cigarettes? You're just creating a self-fulfilling prophecy for people who smoke, which is just about everybody in Europe. Stupid. And you don't have my brand -- "American Spirit," made from organic perique tobacco. Ok, just admit you don't know sh*t about tobacco.
5) No clothes dryer - no place I stayed had a clothes dryer. Are you not capable of 240 V? Or does this go back to the whole paper straws thing?
6) Walking, a lot - God forbid you should forget something at the grocery store. More than likely, you're going to walk another 4 km to go and get it.
7) Dirty, old buildings - They were beautiful at first, then I got really tired of dirty old buildings from centuries ago. Tear them down. I promise, you'll feel better about your life when you have a fresh coat of paint.

What in God's name?

[purplepoppy]

Plastic straws are actually illegal here, as are plastic forks.

The bottle top thing is new and i agree its annoying even when your filling a glass

Very old buildings are usually well maintained it's the 70s monstrosities that need tearing down. In the wetter parts buildings need regular painting with proper paint but all too often they just get a lick of the cheap stuff once every ten years.

As for walking, if it's going to take me more than an hour there and back or it's raining I'm taking the car.

Surprised you never saw a clothes drier, I don't know anyone who hasn't got one.


Near me, There's a 100m tunnel about 3m wide you have to walk through to get from one village to the next. It's unlit bar a few dim red lights so you don't bump your head. At night it's even darker. I've had to convince a few Americans It's safe to walk through without a gun. You could drive but it's only a half hour walk in total.

[Anonymous]

The undeserved feeling of moral superiority they have over America. Take nato, they cry about trump talking about ending it but are unwilling to reach into their pockets. How about macron acting tough in regards to putin and Ukraine yet they still getting their oil/gas from Russia. Or talking shit about the US and UK's immigration policies yet their citizens want less immigration and refugees are fleeing france and Germany for Britain risking the rough seas of the English Channel in winter in rubber dingies because they are treated so bad.

[KostasKouvalis]

How formal they are

How they're so judgmental about what you wear

The whole concept of paying for things like condiments, cameras and toilet and charging higher rates for tourists

They're accommodations/living quarters. They're so cramped.

How apartments are more popular than hotels, and if you want an American style hotel it costs more than an apartment

Their coldness and lack of empathy. I'll admit, this can be a good thing, because it means they mind they're own business, but it's also bad if you need help with something of there is some kind of an emergency

Open assholeness. Like the previous one, this can be good and bad. Good in the sense that at least they aren't fake, but bad in the sense that it gets to the point where it becomes a lack of basic manners and provokes a person to respond with anger.

Corruption. How police just let people scam tourists.

[KostasKouvalis]

Oh, and also cooking meat "well done" being illegal

[Asker]

Damn, this is right on point.

[DryGermanGuy]

Admit it, you were in only one country instead of fifty+? American Spirit is usually sold here, I have colleagues who smoke it. The bottle cap thing is new, I think it's a solution in search of a problem, but oh well. In many parts of Europe you want to have a bike to go shopping. Clothes driers are normal in washing saloons, at home I don't have one either. Most people use a rack or line on the balcony.

[RageBabe]

Europe is not a monolith. I'm from the United Kingdom, an island adjacent to Europe. What I dislike about many European countries is how they try to dictate to the UK what to do with illegal immigrants. For example, when the Rwanda asylum plan was being discussed and they attempted to intervene, I didn't appreciate that because the UK has every right to safeguard its borders. Stay out of my country's business, EU.

[AviatorTom]

I'm not sure if the UK is still considered part of Europe (since Brexit) but why can't everyone decide to drive on the same side of the road? Sweden changed decades ago. Why can't the UK?

Oh, I know I'm gonna get flak for this one. 😐

[KostasKouvalis]

I agree, especially with how many issues it causes with tourists. But at this point, I think it would be more messy to switch, since everyone is so used to it and they'd have to redesign all the cars. But driving from Gibraltar to Spain and vice vera must be really interesting, when traffic suddenly switched.

But ACTUALLY, it used to be ALL traffic including foot traffic EVERYWHERE flowed "the British way", and it was actually Napoleon who introduced driving on the otherside

[purplepoppy]

The UK is still part of Europe but since Brexit we no longer have a say in how its run. It would cost a colossal amount to change all the road lay outs not to mention the public back lash would clobber any party that suggested it.

[Asker]

@purplepoppy I kind of like it, as long as I'm a passenger. It makes you feel like you've climbed 'Through the Looking-Glass'

[goaded]

@douglas1179 Really? I feel like I'm about to hit the side of the road!

[Syntosi]

... Not going to lie there mate, that sounds like a skill issue. Also, considering the current abysmal build quality of modern American homes, they are not going to survive a century.. or probably even a half. I guess in a way its good that Florida is like Gods etchosketch since that neatly circumvents the issue nicely. Dont need to worry about your house catching on fire or collapsing in 50 years if a Hurricane destroys it in 15.

[DrPepper12]

Typical American.

[Horn_Hog]

Is that bottle made of bioplastic and not PFAS drenched paper?

[MK1997]

The weed culture

[noohair]

I loved this... AAA+++

[OddBeMe]

Ice and AC.