Taffyles

LOL ...well yes, at some of the expensive restaurants in town you usually get a starter or salad fork along with the piano player..still have to use the same knife though, but they will give you an extra knife if you ask for one. Trouble is we can't afford too many $200+ meals per month. Maybe they give you more cutlery in NC?

NC Penguin

Naa. I have to ask for a knife in some places I eat at!

While on the subject of dining, why can't more American restaurants have pepper mills? I don't even mean on the table either.

There's a really good Italian pizza (note emphasis on Italian) restaurant in my "city" (the highest compliment came from my mother in-law after she dined there. "It's really good food for N. Carolina!" Er, you get the point). There were no pepper mills on the table but I spied a phallically long (must have been 20" tall) pepper mill resting on a wood partition. Had to ask for the pepper mill to be brought over and the waiter went about grinding...

I should just carry my own. Forget carrying pepper spray, I'll be carrying a pepper mill (Peugeot make a great one for this very purpose)





NC Penguin

Taffyles

Gave up on pepper mills years ago but I do carry my own malt vinegar just in case I have chips somewhere

ghallett

OK.....You guys have just about persuaded me that I should stay in England. I'm about to call my girl and tell her either we live here after we get married or carry on seing each other 4 times a year.
Some things I was quite prepared for.....crap TV showing commercials in between the opening credits and the programme actually starting, getting used to people saying "what?" after everything I say (I am just going to HAVE to teach people to say "pardon?") and all the other things mentioned, but I am astonished about what you're saying about the banks: you mean you really have to PAY for a cheque book?????

AdobePinon

NO, YOU DON'T! If the bank wants to charge you for such, then walk out the door and go elsewhere. General: Big banks crap. (Want to know how crap? Wells Fargo actually has a credit card where they fine you for paying it off each month!) Small banks and credit unions mixed bag. Some good, some bad - shop around. Your money is federally insured (unless you have gads more cash than you're entitled to) with any real bank or credit union so you shouldn't feel worried about trying them. A big plus with a credit union is that they typically allow free access to each others ATMs across the country. As for banks getting taken over - well, it happens in the UK too, doesn't it. Plus the big US banks keep 'merging' too - fact of life. I bank at a local bank and a credit union and pay no fees at either one. (The credit union does have a minimum balance, but the bank does not.)

Bob

Would agree with those...have to use larger bank chains as local banks are shite over here, as you end up having to pay to use atm's etc which is annoying...

And not quite sure why the cheque book is used so much over here, don't like the lack of space for notes and the lack of stubs on the side...I don't fancy paying a ton extra for 'em as there only used on the bills...tight I know *l*

One thing I really can't stand is the shite quality of road markings, and that they don't reflect light very well at all, makes driving at night a bit of a pain, and the complete lack of cat-eyes on the roads, or any roadside lights on the highways, could be a maine thing though.

Bob

Another peeve, no cut scenes before tv shows go to commercial...just really weird watching ER with some guy dying and mid sentence it cuts to a turkey stuffing commercial *l*

NC Penguin

I get an earful 'cos I don't fill in the "check ledger" that comes with checks in the US. I'm accustomed to using a little notebook for that purpose (back in the UK).

At least you have road markings! Round where I live, there's barely any street lights so lack of road marking such as road signs, street signs makes nighttime driving challenging.

My county's too stingy to pay for street lights to make driving just that little bit safer...





NC Penguin

Bob

There aren't any street lights around, unless your in the "cities" *l*
As for markings, there so faded and shite, even new ones are knackered after a couple weeks...and i don't get why road signs aren't lit, or at least reflective, especially important ones....though sharpe bends would be another peeve, there are signs on some bends that aren't sharpe, then then on the bad ones, not a sign to be seen *l*

NC Penguin

But I live in the City of Durham and I'm paying taxes to them too!! The soft verges too catch drivers out too and you see cars that have slid or driven off the road...

Bob

See that a lot too....but mostly because people don't know how to drive *l*
but it is bad on the highways when there is a huge ditch between the lanes and no barriers and lights...always fun that

Lothianlad

In 1999 I went with a school party to Romania to see an eclipse of the sun. It as exactly the same there with crappy street lights and signs and hairy roads. Exciting though...like going way back in time it's so poor. Beautiful countryside there which made up for it all.

Cheers

Taffyles

I use online banking to pay all bills and debit card for purchases as much as poss to avoid using checks- a box of check books lasts me for ages now.
ghallett- a box of 10 check books from my bank cost me about $56..but you can buy them cheaper from printing companies. when we first came here, we not only had to buy the checks, we had to pay for each one we used too...don't have to do that anymore thank goodness.
I'd really check out small banks if you intend to use, I know people who have lost a lot of money banking with them and IME they are more expensive than national banks. That's in Florida, I don't know about other States.
Adobe- I asked around today about check books, couldn't find anyone who gets them free I get my HSBC (Jersey and UK) cheque books free though

rincewind

Buying alcohol and being made to feel like an alcoholic

Every time I go to the local store and buy beer, it feels like everyone is looking at you as if do this everyday. Or maybe I'm just paranoid

When you buy beer in the UK, people mostly think you're having a party or something but here it's like you're a wife beatin' beer swillin' red neck.

And brown paper bags too from the liquor store. Like you have to hide it.

Still, my local liquor store has a drive-thru window, so it's pretty cool.

Celtic_Angel

[QUOTE=rincewind]Buying alcohol and being made to feel like an alcoholic

I know what you mean!!!

in this state you can't buy anything but wine and beer at the grocery store and before noon on a Sunday not even that

what's the point? they trying to make me feel like a raving alchoholic if i go to the liquor store? i've been known to go in with my 3 yr old unfortunately followed by the big drunken tramp and witnessed by the old baptist lady entering the close by christian store.....i'm serious!! makes me feel like a lush....oh....er i guess they succeeded then.....doesn't stop me though