19 Seriously Weird Things About America That Are Often Overlooked

It’s remarkable how much one’s perspective can open up when you take a step back and assess the picture from the outside looking in. When you’re in the thick of it and just trying to chase the next paycheck, you can quickly forget how strange so much of America truly is. Seriously. Some people and cultural trends in general are just outright going for it. A recent Reddit thread inspired people to share some of the most weird things about America that Americans have no idea is so weird.

1. Real estate agents.

“Putting the real estate agent’s face on the for-sale signs.” – u/toastehmonsta

2. The sheer size of America.

“It’s big. Like, really big. I’m from the UK, and 2 years ago, I did route 66. Even taking the interstate (so not actual route 66, but you get the idea), it took 4 days of 12+ hours driving to do it. It’s goddamn huge.” – u/cairfrey

3. All the food options.

“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

4. The enraged sinks.

“They have those angry sinks that chop things.” – u/mind_extract

5. The media stereotypes.

“The fact that looking at the news you’d think they’re the angriest, most aggressive people in the world but when you are there in person they are, with very few exceptions, very decent and welcoming.” – u/reasonable_messredux

6. Coffee everywhere.

“Coffee all the time. I got a tattoo in Barcelona and was completely embarrassed when I asked the artist if he wanted a coffee from next door. He told me, oh no, I have to keep working. He thought I wanted to go sit with him for a while.” – u/Mattsk87

7. The mega full toilets.

“The toilet is so full of water. I always have to convince myself that I’m not about to dunk my cheeks.” – u/hazz3

8. The credit cards.

“Didn’t realize (at least in NYC) that they still use swipe-n-sign for credit cards. Server took our card, and we followed him to the server station because in Canada they either bring the machine to you or you pay at the desk. This was 2017 and we hadn’t had to sign for a bill in about a decade.” – u/sonotthecooleset

9. The way iced tea is handled.

“Their iced tea isn’t sweet. Discovered that the hard way. You have to specify sweet ice tea.” – u/hubris7

10. All those bumper stickers.

“Plastering all sorts of things about your children, their schools, your politics, etc. on your car in the form of bumper stickers is extremely strange to me. Why would you want strangers driving behind you to know those things.” – u/hotellima6

11. Those monstrous fruits and veggies.

“Coming from India I have observed the size of all the fruits and vegetables is so huge that it doesn’t feel normal. It feels like they have been deliberately enlarged and that kills the natural taste of the vegetables a bit.” – u/concentratedtruth

12. Take your shoes off inside.

“Leaving their shoes on in the house. It’s insane.” – u/Hydraulis

13. Those colossal churches.

“Huge churches like football stadiums with full car parks.” -u/pclufc

14. The insane work culture.

“The work culture is crazy. I worked there and some people just, don’t take time off. They are basically on call all the time, evenings, weekends, whatever.” – u/hastagkeep02

15. The actual cost of advertised goods.

“As a tourist I found it weird and annoying that the advertised cost of goods wasn’t what you actually paid at the counter.” – u/adorablecondition83

16. All the sugar in absolutely everything.

“Sugar. Sugar in everything. Even bread has added sugar. Want some sugar in your coke, no worries, we have slush drinks that triples the amount of sugar.” – u/mysterious_touch_454

17. All those drive-thrus.

“Drive-thru everything. Especially banks.” – u/ElinV_

18. America needs more roundabouts.

“The lack of roundabouts drove me insane. Commute times would be so much more bearable if you cut out the million pointless 4way intersections for a roundabout.” – u/notquiteEnglish01

19. Buying new cars from independent dealers.

“Buying a brand new car from an independent dealer who can charge you above MSRP. In Europe nobody can charge you above the official price, you can get discounts though.” – u/VentsiBeast