"Why Are There Gaps In The Bathroom Stalls?": Non-Americans Are Pointing Out Things About The US That Make No Sense To Them

To Americans, things similar tipping astatine a vending machine, pledging allegiance to a authorities flag, oregon refrigerating eggs mightiness consciousness perfectly mean — conscionable portion of mundane life. But to radical from extracurricular the US, these quirks scope from oddly charming to flat-out baffling. So, present are immoderate of the weirdest and astir astonishing things astir the US that some Americans and non-Americans from the BuzzFeed Community shared:

1. "Has anyone mentioned kids successful Texas accidental a Pledge of Allegiance to Texas arsenic good arsenic the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States?"

2. "America has the worst PTO, including maternity leave, compared to different countries, and it is decidedly frowned upon if you situation to instrumentality it. So sad."

—tracy110302

3. "I was successful the US for the archetypal clip a mates of weeks ago, and bluish food dressing! It sounds disgusting, but it is amazing! I privation I could person brought immoderate backmost with me!"

—chrissychromesyn

4. "And yet nary 1 commented connected the bathrooms: however Americans person elephantine gaps to spot into the stalls and however your feet are exposed."

5. "Driving 4 blocks to spell to the swimming excavation oregon the gym — I find this wholly and perfectly unbelievable and incomprehensible! You don't privation the workout of 4 blocks of walking, oregon are you acrophobic of being attacked portion walking successful your neighborhood? If we each walked, determination would beryllium less attackers. And we would pollute less. And we would summation the benefits of much workout for astir 5 much minutes."

—saradl

6. "Open transportation of guns. I haven't crossed the borderline since Obama was president, but the archetypal clip I saw immoderate random dude walking on with a gun, I bailed into an alley and was ducking down garbage cans."

—gwenw4aa0ad667

7. "While connected a abrogation to Hawaii, we had to beryllium evacuated retired of the promenade work bays due to the fact that determination was a feline with guns and a bomb. Never again."

—gwenw4aa0ad667

8. "People really similar and bargain pickup trucks arsenic their regular driver, adjacent if their occupation doesn't necessitate them to haul thing astatine all!"

9. "I spent clip successful America astir 20 years ago, and a woman asked maine if I loved myself. I didn't cognize what to accidental due to the fact that successful my location country, that's thing we conscionable don't say. We're not expected to brag astir our self-esteem. Then she became precise aggravated and told maine determination was thing really, truly incorrect astir not saying that we emotion ourselves (because, of course, telling maine determination was thing incorrect with maine could lone beryllium large for my self-esteem). I'm wondering if each American radical are similar her oregon if she was conscionable a precise peculiar person."

—silencesilence

10. "Paper sizes. The remainder of the satellite uses A1, A2, A3, A4, etc. — each modular and truly casual to standard things up and down. Meanwhile, the US uses 8.5 x 11, and different sizes are each antithetic ratios, which means thing anyplace other and makes it incredibly hard to standard anything."

—elliotcowan

11. "Air conditioning! And you'd amended hole for it to beryllium acold successful astir houses due to the fact that those ACs tally each the time."

—daniellecolcher

12. "Garbage disposal. As an American, I thought that was communal and honestly ne'er lived without one. But it's lone wide disposable successful America."

13. "Not having a summertime period off. When my hubby and I recovered retired that France had the full period of August oregon July off, our minds were blown! How does the state function? It's conscionable not successful our mentality, I guess. I'm not saying it doesn't dependable bully — it's conscionable not however we bash things, and I ne'er knew that was a thing."

—daniellecolcher

14. "Circumcision being truthful common. It's legitimately horrifying for astir non-Americans to spot a foreskin-less penis. Especially since it's forced connected newborn infants without consent. People who feverishly support it are astir ever the aforesaid ones who had it inflicted connected them and don't privation to admit however messed up it is. An Irish person told maine she won't hook up with American dudes anymore due to the fact that the accidental of them being mutilated and having a dried-out, unfeeling dick is conscionable excessively high, and it hurts. There's nary payment successful it for anyone."

—kellys493e48ca3

15. "In my (German) family, we devour pancakes for luncheon oregon dinner. But ne'er for breakfast. My favourite are Apfelpfannkuchen with Rübenkraut."

16. "I emotion the imperial measurement system. I swear, if it were immoderate quirky, amusive state similar Iceland oregon Japan that insisted connected utilizing its ain goofy measurement system, radical wouldn't mind. Also, the UK uses chromatic erstwhile they speech astir assemblage weight, and I deliberation it's cute."

—lalaorange

17. "I americium astir confused astir the deficiency of societal security, unemployment money, sick leave, sick pay, maternity permission and pay, enactment unions, workers' rights..."

—heini1

18. "Yeah, those nutrient colorings are known carcinogens. That's wherefore they're banned successful Europe."

19. "Public proscription is not funded oregon prioritized successful the US. People successful agrarian America person nary prime but to thrust everyplace due to the fact that it is astir apt their lone realistic option. I cognize immoderate radical who unrecorded successful agrarian areas wherever the closest state presumption oregon market store is simply a 25-minute drive."

—deadpananne

20. "As an American, the wildest happening astir medicine commercials is erstwhile they don't really accidental what they dainty oregon what they're for. It's wild."

—winterwednesday9

21. "PTO truly depends connected the institution you enactment for. I get 17 days of PTO, and aft 3 years, I volition get more. But my sister gets an unlimited fig of days for PTO. I bash get much national holidays disconnected than she does, though."

—pamelaloves

22. "The governmental signs (and besides merch). Yes, I voted for Biden, but I would ne'er enactment a motion successful my gait oregon deterioration a shot headdress with 'BIDEN 2020' connected it. That's cultish."

23. "I erstwhile worked astatine a institution that had a hardcore enactment civilization with small work-life balance. Most radical ate luncheon astatine their desks. But determination was a immense interruption country with tables, microwaves, fridges, and plentifulness of seating. Every azygous clip I sat determination to devour my lunch, I got comments like, 'Wow, eating successful here? Good for you!' oregon 'Wow, you indispensable beryllium having a dilatory time today!' I did not enactment astatine this institution precise long."

—kellybluepants

24. "Americans (especially teens) person a wont of drinking until drunk due to the fact that it's considered taboo. No different state treats intoxicant the mode we bash successful the US. It's the lone crushed radical maltreatment it arsenic they do. No, I'm not talking astir alcoholism — that's different."

—stacyb4feee17e9

25. And finally, "Handicap accessibility successful America truly depends connected wherever you live. Here successful NYC, it isn't truthful casual to get around, particularly if you're successful a wheelchair. Many stores person steps you request to entree for entry, and though determination are elevators successful the subway, uncovering 1 astatine thoroughfare level — oregon adjacent 1 that doesn't odor similar a urinal — is adjacent impossible. The sidewalks tin beryllium impossibly constrictive and crowded. The buses are champion for wheelchairs, arsenic they tin little down to curb level."

What are your thoughts? Whether you're American oregon not, archer america successful the comments what US norms you find surprising, confusing, oregon conscionable plain weird — oregon stock thing from your ain state that others mightiness not understand!