25 People Respond To The Question: “What’s An American Problem You’re Too European To Understand?”

11.

Why people censor swears that are totally obvious —Mr_magggots

12.

I’m an American but I have a friend who is Italian from Italy. She doesn’t understand how sweet everything is- including pasta sauce and bread. And she doesn’t understand our obsession with bragging about our “heritage”. She says if you are born in American you are American. Not Greek/Italian/German on your moms side, Dutch/English/Scottish on your dads side.

EDIT: wow, I didn’t expect so many responses. Some of you are feeling a little salty with the implication that you shouldn’t feel proud of your heritage. First of all, this was not MY thought, I was repeating something that was said to me by a friend in a response to a question posed by OP. It doesn’t necessarily reflect my opinions. Second of all I specified Italian from Italy vs an Italian-American so you could understand that she is an immigrant, first generation Italian. She came here when she was 28 years old and still considers herself to be Italian. Third of all she was referring, I believe, to people whose relative came from other country way before they were born, and they’ve never been to country, don’t speak the language, don’t have any culture from that country.

And so it goes. —Momof3dragons2012

weird american problems, europeans share weird american problems

13.

While watching Chelsea vs Manchester United yesterday on NBCSN, during halftime there was a Good Rx commercial where the guy is asking a woman if she would like to fill her prescription, he pulled up the phone and showed her that the same pill can cost from $10 to $90 depending on the area. And that Good Rx can help her fill the prescription with the cheapest prices.

Now someone please explain to me how in the ever loving f*ck is it possible for a drug to cost 10x more depending on your location !? Don’t they have constant prices like in the rest of the civilized world !? —TheMexicanJuan

14.

Lobbying, i never understand how every politician on both sides gets away with legalized bribery and everyone just accepts it, i understand the need for specialist interest groups to promote their ideas but to be allowed to visibly finance a politician and rate their friendliness to your cause with no repercussions is insane to me. Its bribery no matter how you dress it up. —mcgowand

weird american problems, europeans share weird american problems

15.

Caring about other people’s food. As a Pole I don’t care how do you like your pierogi, pyzy, kartacze, bigos, etc. But damn me if I ask in the US for a “well done” steak. Or if I order a Hawaiian Pizza.—CrossError404

16.

How strongly Americans feel about the flag. I saw a photographer get torn to pieces online because someone was standing on the tiniest bit of the flag and people went fucking ape shit. In the UK most people probably couldn’t spot if the Union Flag was round the wrong way.

Edit – Just in case you were wondering which way round the Union Flag goes…In the half of the flag nearest the flagpole, the wider diagonal white stripe must be above the red diagonal stripe, as Scotland’s St Andrew’s Cross takes precedence over Ireland’s St. Patrick’s Cross. It is most improper to fly the flag upside down, but nothing people would lose their shit over, it’d just be some knob head like me who’d point it out. —the_heff

17.

Having to remember that cars can turn on a red light. I know this is a thing. I’ve known this for ten years. I still forget and nearly die every time I need to cross a road when I’m in the US.

ETA: I have learned many things in this comment thread, and am formally changing my answer to “traffic laws varying between states”. The red light turn thing still terrifies me though. —xthesummoningdarkx

weird american problems, europeans share weird american problems

18.

30 degrees fahrenheit —NDB05_

19.

The amount of homeless people and the amount of homeless mental patients. —larsvondank

20.

How your credit score system works. I will never understand why using a debit card, so only spending money you actually have, doesn’t have a positive effect on your CS but paying your credit card every month has. —Lenaturnsgreen