Shard

That's my understanding too.

zzrmark

You lot never heard of a strangle wank?

caretaker

You mean like in a car, or if it's a German...
Auto-erotic asphyxiation, or
Otto-erotic asphyxiation.

Lion in Winter

Sorry, another leftie here.

DaveLovesDee

Ambidextrous here...

Jerseygirl

My dad was the same…you are in good company.

spouse of scouse

What a British journalist loves about the US, and why he's returning to the UK after 7 years. How do other British expats in the US rate his article? Is it a fair portrayal of the US?
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-59395804

scrubbedexpat091

Guns - worst bit of my seven years has been going to all the mass shootings (there is a gun problem no doubt, and I dislike guns for multiple reasons.)

Endless TV ads for prescription drugs promising miracles for first 20 seconds and warning of - in rare cases - catastrophic death in last 20 seconds (These are annoying and accurate statement, but it's helpful living in Canada to know if your watching a US or Canadian channel as we don't have such ads in Canada.)

Endless political ads during election season that just make you want to live on a desert island (True.)

A terrible health system that only works if you have money (I never had money, and when insured generally found the system worked fine, its when you don't have insurance there is a problem, also depends what state, California provides the poor with better healthcare than your typical Canadian receives, but there should be some form of universal sysem even if it's a mix of private and public.)

Hearing people in front of me at the pharmacy saying they can't afford the drugs they've been prescribed (True, but also happens in Canada depending on province and medication, we don't have universal pharmacare)

Seeming lack of interest in what happens in the rest of the world (True, likely due in part to being a large country, with a lot of people, and sort of isolated from most of the world by geography.)

Restaurants (this is a whole subsection)

- Food that is often too salty or too sweet (Suppose this will depend on your personal preference, portions are bigger in the US for sure, I don't find the food there anymore salty or sweet than Canada, so maybe its just normal for me so I don't notice.)

- You feel you have to tip 20% cos staff are so badly paid (True but some states are better than others, California for instance has no serving wage, so servers make the minimum wage of $14/hr + tips and can clear $30-$40/hr in a busy place, but then some states have stupidly low serving rates where this is very true, mixed and state dependent, but tipping culture sucks, and why I generally do not visit businsess or services where tips are expected.)

- Ludicrous hierarchy where you can only talk to waiter/waitress allocated to your table, and not get service from anyone else (Similiar in both US/Canada, servers get very territorial over their section, because of the tip thing.)

- Also why is the person who pours your water never able to take your food order (Mostly true unless it's your server pouring the water, goes back to section territory and the tip thing.)

- Surf and turf - do one, but not the other (It exists, I don't like surf so I never ordered such a meal.)

Being asked my opinion endlessly about Charles and Diana/William and Kate/Harry and Meghan - the royal family is an obsession (Not applicable to me so can't answer.)

scrubbedexpat091

Sunshine (This one will depend on state, some have more sun than others, So. California yep lots of sun, Seattle more clouds, more rain, less sun.)

National parks and the great outdoors (There are lots of national parks, and state parks, no doubt there and a lot of open space.)

Skiing in America - so much better organised (I dont ski, no answer on this)

Fabulous geographical diversity (True, no denying that.)

Weather reports - so much weather here (No opinion)

Paved cycle trails through stunning countryside (No opinion)

College sport - particularly March Madness basketball competition (It's a big deal especially football and basketball.)

Being able to watch all the Premier League football matches you can - even the 3pm kick offs (which you can't in the UK) (No opinion)

The singing of the national anthem (No opinion)

Burgers and fries (they exist, some places are good, some not so good.)

Can do attitudes/innovation ((Sometimes a little too much toxic positivity in US culture.)

Georgetown (I think its a university, or a city, dunno for sure, recognize the name)

Washington museums and memorials ((Top notch facilities that are free)

The device on petrol pump nozzle where it automatically clicks off when tank is full, so you don't need to keep hand on it (not significant I know) (( It's normal in both US/Canada at least on the western side of both countries.)

Epic complexity of Washington politics (No opinion)

Friendliness and kindness (Some places are more friendly and kind than others.)

Work ethic ((Some people like to dedicate their life to work, others are forced to due to low wages.)

Steerpike

Interesting that they focus on such a minor detail as 'person who pours your water never able to take your food order'. I eat in a lot of restaurants and typically, the person who serves the water is likely unable to speak English. It's usually the same person who clears tables. I look at it as a good thing that they are able to give work to someone who would otherwise not be able to find work due to language issues.

BristolUK

I can relate to a lot of that up here in Amercia Lite.

DaveLovesDee

They're called bussers... They do the grunt work so servers can focus on the stuff that brings them tips.

It's not that they don't speak English so much, it's that management and servers don't want them speaking too much to the customers. There's a hierarchy in the restaurant, and bussers are at the bottom.

Shard

I liked that article. And I've always enjoyed Jon Sopel's news reports. Interesting that the polarization in the US has become so great that some families are avoiding Thanksgiving.

kimilseung

Attached is a post from my wife's uncle from a few days ago. I think it is from a person who represents the small town, semi rural casual racism well. He doesnt think he is a racist, this is just his reaction to him feeling threatened because some questions are now being asked. He is scared because people are not staying in their boxes anymore. He posts variations on the "I didnt care about your color, until....", so they are saying that colour is an issue for them, but its the people of colours fault.
What struck me about this image is how close it is to the propaganda from my wifes cousin, which led to him being convicted for threats and intimidation on journalists and people of colour, but this is linked to a different aunt of my wifes. This Uncle will probably say that they didnt notice the font and what it can be linked to, they will probably say, they thought many soldiers had helmets that shape, and it never crossed their mind that it can be linked to specific soldiers. They will say they hadnt even noticed the flag and they dont even know what the Suid-Afrikaanse Republiek is or was, and its nascent apartheid. He posts many memes with very dubious origins which make their way across the right, from extreme to the mere obnoxious. I am not sure what is worse, knowing its direct racism in the image, or being ignorant of it, posting such an image and being too incurious to wonder what the flag can be, what it can signify. Posting it anyway, too lazy of mind to wonder, too lazy to find out. My wife tell of her asking him, when she was still a child, not to say the N word at family get-to-gethers. He doesnt say it anymore, but its clear he still says it in his head, he still thinks it. I dont think he is unusual, I think he is reasonably representative of a sub-group of Americans.
I have in the past been at the Thanksgiving dinner table with him. I can not imagine that happening again.

SultanOfSwing

Jesus, that's pretty damn mask off there. I don't blame you for wanting to keep your distance.