Non-Americans share the strangest things about the U.S. that Americans don’t realize are weird

Americans can initiate a conversation with a random stranger and those traveling to the United States often find it weird.

By

Neha B.

Oct 7, 2024

By Neha B.

October 7, 2024

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Photo credit: Cover Image Source: Left: Getty Images | Photo by Erik Isakson Right: Getty Images | Smith Collection/Gado / Contributor – Array

The stereotypical image of America often includes burgers, fries, coffee, and skyscrapers, but there’s much more to the U.S. than that. America’s unique culture stands out globally, with its entertainment and sports consumed more widely than that of any other country.

Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Michael Lee

When a Reddit user, u/rickyjones75, posted in the r/AskReddit group, asking the non-Americans who have been to the US about “the weirdest thing about America that Americans don’t realize is weird,” over 24000 people jumped in to respond. Here are ten of the most weird things about Americans, as per the responses:

1. Comfortable having friendly conversations with random people

Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Thomas Barwick

“I was freaked out when random people asked me how I was.” – u/achillebro “I know there are some quiet Americans, but I was just down in a Publix and some woman’s suddenly talking to me about how she met her husband. I’m a fairly quiet dude – New Zealand’s a fairly reserved place, so just being able to stream your consciousness out like that is just something truly remarkable.” – u/muter “I met a few lovely Americans when traveling through the Eastern Seaboard and my cynic British side was struck by how open and excited you are to meet new people.” u/Franzlefroggo

2. Endless food choices

Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Brook Pifer

“The options when ordering food, I thought it was a TV joke! I feel naughty asking to swap chips for mash but you guys can request pretty much anything!” – u/Bizzle_B. “My friend from the Netherlands described his visit to the US as the ‘land of endless choices’ which is how Americans like it.” – u/RedSolez

3. Coffee is an “all-time go-to thing”

via GIPHY

“Coffee in the states is a “to go” thing while in the rest of the world it’s a “sit and relax” thing.” – u/vivalaroja2010 “The American approach, from my experience, is that we drink coffee slowly while we work. We wait for the buzz to come on, for a cumulative effect. When I’m writing, I love watching my fingers change speed as the caf kicks in. They stop plodding and start pulling more words from my mind, like taffy in the twister. Those three cups of my day are the comfort in the storm.” – u/pseydtonne

4. Everything is “So Big!”

Representative Image Source: Getty Images | kolderal

“I found everything is BIG in US!” – u/leochimaera “Americans can’t understand how old Europe is, but Europeans can’t understand how big America is.” – u/khaoselement “BIG everything, from food to trucks.” – u/tiny_gingerrr

5. Love for British culture

Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Malte Mueller

“As a Brit how amazingly, and genuinely, friendly you are. How enamoured you are with British culture and people.” – u/bungle_bogs “We effing love British accents here for some reason.” – u/battlehardenedsnorlax “My boyfriend is Scottish. When people hear his accent here in the states they just go crazy.” – u/willgrahamsass

6. Pharmacy Advertisements

Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Alexey_ds

“Wild and extreme pharmacy ads with scenes of people being happy and lively while the narrator states that suicidal ideations may be a side effect of the drug being advertised.” – u/missmermaidgoat “Prescription drug ads on TV that casually say “side effects may include death.” – u/lattice-shadow

7. ‘Dramatic’ American news

Representative Image Source: Getty Images | SimonKR

“I can’t watch American news. Too dramatic all the time.” –u/sevans1223 “How aggressive your news is delivered to you, how the smallest of headlines can be delivered like it’s a nationwide red alert and you should look over your shoulder at every waking moment.” – u/sheerduckinghubris “Your news channels display FAR TOO MUCH info on the screen.” – u/raioc2436

8. The Tipping Culture

Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Reza Esthakhrian

“Tipping is super weird. Pay your staff properly, and set your prices accordingly” – u/revolutionobvious251 “Tipping. I hate it and it sucks. The employer and the company should make sure you can live of your salary.” – u/nubrender

9. Flags everywhere

Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Bill Chizek

“Flags. Flags everywhere. There was one on a pole above a coffee shop doorway but the American flag was so large it draped low enough to bop me in the eye as I exited. I’m 5’4”. In the Walmart “school supplies” section, there were so many American flags of different sizes and materials. And that was like…in May. I can’t imagine what the Fourth of July is like.” – u/charlottelucasOP

10. Nobody uses a sidewalk

Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Alexander Spatari

“How nobody uses the sidewalk. Like, I was told not to bother walking to a place because XYZ is too far away for walking, turns out it’s like 500m down the road. Why bother using the car for that? Oh, now i remember, because the sidewalk just stops in the middle of nowhere. Funny how that works.” – u/j3dimind “The scarcity of walkable streets.” – u/laqueaaria

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Not only that, but Coleman had stage five kidney failure. He needed a new kidney as soon as possible. Geer leapt to volunteer.

“Ever since he got diagnosed with it, I was like‚ ’If I’m a match, it’s meant to be because I’m going to give you my kidney,’” said Geer.

“(Maddie) was just itching to help me in any kind of way. It ended up being the most miraculous way,” Coleman told 12 News.

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Geer took the necessary tests and found she was a perfect donor match for her husband. They underwent the transplant to rounds of cheers from friends, family, and hospital workers. After the transplant, Coleman immediately felt the change.

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“No one is invincible, and I learned the hard way,” he said.

It’s important to be mindful and alert about any changes in your body. The signs for kidney disease can be pretty mundane. Symptoms include swelling in the ankles and feet, frequent urination, and trouble sleeping among others. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s probably best to check with your doctor. It may be scary, but it’s best address any issue you may experience for the best chance of an optimal outcome.

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