So, to the meat and potatoes (rice and beans In Puerto Rico)! These observations are purely factual (with a bit of my opinion included) and are not listed in any particular order. Thank you for reading this far! You will surely enjoy the rest. Of course, I must mention that I grouped Europe, a continent made up of 50 countries (depending on your political views), into one entity, but I was careful to select things that I have personally seen and experienced in at least a couple of different. European countries. So that should count for something, right?
1. Smoking
I remember a time in the United States when you would go to a restaurant and they would ask you: “Smoking or not smoking?” Now, everything is non-smoking. Most public places are smoke-free zones. As a non-smoker, I love this. However, moving to Europe may not have been the smartest place for a non-smoker who is bothered by the smell.
Europeans smoke, in public, at home or wherever they want. Of course, there are some places where you will see a no smoking sign, but they are few and far between, especially if you want to go out for the nightlife. And even if you can’t smoke inside, there are, without fail, at least three smokers sitting in front of the door of any non-smoking establishment. Europe seems to be getting the “smoking is bad for you” rhetoric and the scientific evidence to back it up, only slightly later than the United States. However, I am aware that France is aggressively tackling the problem and has achieved decent results.
2. Drive
I can’t say for sure that European drivers are worse than Americans. I can say that certain driving expectations are different and therefore affect the way drivers act. For example, on European roads there are no exits every 12 miles with food and gas options, as in the states. However, the Americans will pass it on the right side, but this is blasphemy in Europe. However, you can turn right on red in the United States, but this is illegal in Europe. And, my personal / least favorite, there are no cops on the road, and any fines you get will come from a camera (sometimes cleverly hidden) on the side of the road that flashes a bright white light of guilt at you and at you. . get to regret speeding, all the way home.
3. Food
Americans are the undisputed champions of food consumption. Food is cheap and accessible. The grocery store in the states is quite similar to a European grocery store, but just add two more aisles of cereal, one aisle full of chips, candy, and soda, three more aisles of healthy food, remove the aisle (s) (s) of wine and beer, and voila. , the stores are identical.
In restaurants, if you order a hearty meal in the states, you hope to take home what you didn’t finish. In Europe, the servings are usually not large enough to leave food left, but if you ask to bring the food home, you may get some confused looks and possibly walk away empty-handed.
4. Calls of the wild
In the United States, if you have to go, it is quite easy to find a toilet at a gas station or in a public place (except New York). In Europe there are several countries that charge you to use the toilets in gas stations and in public places, but there are others that simply do not even have a toilet to offer. If you are used to not going before leaving home in the states, when traveling to Europe, I would not recommend taking that risk.
5. Customer service
We all knew it was coming. Anyone who has been to Europe (or Europeans who have visited the US) knows that most European countries are not known for excellent customer service (* cough, cough * France and Germany * cough, cough * ). Shoot, if you’ve ever seen a movie or heard someone talk about their trip to Europe, you probably knew!
A bad customer service experience in Europe is one of those things that isn’t always as bad as it sounds, but it sure will happen to you at least once; Just like in the USA! But, the differences are the motives and their recourse. In the US, customer service in restaurants is over the top because waiters work for tips. In Europe, they don’t, so kissing your butt is not vital to their livelihood. Also, there is no Better Business Bureau in Europe, so if a bank teller or store owner is rude to you, you just have to hang on and buy no more there.
So what do you think?
If you visited Europe and the US, what differences have you seen? Am I 100% correct or just 99% correct?
Thank you for reading!