There are many differences between the U.S. and the rest of the world, which gets pointed out by a lot of comedians traveling to France for the first time. But we don’t always know what the rest of the world thinks is super weird about Americans. A fish doesn’t know it’s wet, ya dig?
Well, Redditor u/IBringTheGinger is exposing all our incomprehensible foibles in an r/AskReddit thread titled, “What’s an American problem you’re too European to understand?”
Seen through the eyes of other people, there sure are a lot of weird problems over here that lots of other governments and cultures seem to have figured out. If only we were capable of listening to other opinions! The answers aren’t all coming from the same place. Different countries have more or less in common with the U.S. or their own problems that we wouldn’t get at all, so don’t take the replies as a standard summary of “Europe.”
Most of them do have good healthcare though.
1.
You have $4.50 in your pocket. The fancy drink is advertised at $3.99. Do you have enough money to buy it? Dunno! —2059FF
2.
Here is one i cant understand: Strong violence on tv : No one bats an eye… Nipple slip : Everybody loses their minds. —Boundish91
3.
Registering to vote. As a Canadian, you’re automatically enrolled when you turn 18 and get a notice where your polling station will be for every election. —wbajl
4.
Tipping. Just pay your staff! Tips should be a bonus not a base. —gomedia91
5.
Australian here: The TV ads for prescription medication always gets me. Like really specific medication too, not just a new over the counter pain killer.
I think it’s good to research medication if you have a condition to be informed about your options. But it’s so bizarre to see ads for it in between property brothers episodes and ads for Taco Bell.—somwillson
6.
Expensive required textbooks that you HAVE to buy to take a university class —Serialdan
7.
American here: When I was studying in the UK I had to send some financial documents back to the US. The only way these documents were considered valid was if the original was mailed in, or if I faxed a copy. When I asked the printing office if they could fax it for me they looked at me like I was an alien and said the school hadn’t owned a fax machines for like a decade. Then they asked me if I still use a VCR. —meatdrawer25
8.
Privatized prison system
Edit: I want to clarify that I am an American. Former military member (army infantry) did some time in Germany and got knowledge on how there system works. It feels like the United States creates laws out of thin air so you can continuously break a law and have a constant chance of seeing a jail see for the slightest thing every day. When you add in police aggression into the mix you pretty much flip a coin whenever you get pulled over (depending on how good the cop is. Honest police will give respect and in return receive and have cooperation, police on power trips….well we all have seen some form of how bad that can go. Being from New Orleans, Louisiana (which houses the most inmates in the union) you feel not only a constant threat to protect yourself from criminals but also from the law. With lawmen not In check it almost feels like they want you to end up in jail for a broken tail light (New Orleans prisons are no fucking joke) it’s a real problem everywhere from big city, to small town USA and I believe is fueled by a privatized prison system. —hairbear1390
9.
People not using all of their annual leave… ‘vacation’ days. And you have so few. I get 9 weeks and I still feel deprived. —hot-mamma-jamma
10.
I don’t know if this is considered a problem for Americans but it sure as hell was a problem/inconvenience for me while I was there. Unreasonably high water level in the toilets like, holy shit my balls were almost touching the water. F—K THAT —activator