Impressions of USA

[BensGrandad]

I have just returned from a fabulous holiday in the USA but was little surprised by a few things since my last visit some 10 yeas ago.

1. For a country that appears to be health conscious there are many, many obese people.
2. The food is generally of a very poor standard and consists of either steak KFC type Chicken and junk food and they have never heard of vegetables other than corn or broccoli
3. The big cars seem to have all but disappeared and replaced with European/Japanese

4. One of the very god things that our pubs and bars should follow if you buy a coke or sprite they continually refill the glass for as long as you are in the bar. At the minimal cost of post-mix syrup our pubs could easily follow suit but we are money grabbing It would certainly help to eradicate drink driving.

What has been highlighted by others while away on holiday good or bad.

 

[Mellotron]

Where the F*CK have you heard they were health conscious? They are very well known the world over for being the FAT capital of the world.

And on point 2, agreed. Went into a 7/11 a few years back looking for fruit or any kind of fresh produce. ALL processed crap, lurid colours everywhere.

 

[Frutos]

there are many, many obese people

In equally shocking news, the Pope is a Catholic.

 

[BensGrandad]

They are forever advertising health and beauty products and teeth whitening etc so assumed that they were health conscious. Most of the diets are from there so I suppose I should have realised.

 

[middletoenail]

It's the 'doggy bag' culture which makes me cringe. I've been on business trips in the US when people have done it, and they think I'm mental for not following suit!

 

[Badger]

They drive EVERYWHERE.

Public transport is basically for poor people.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

A mate of mine has an American girlfriend and she asks for a doggy bag wherever we go- I take a trip to the toilet to stop myself cringing.

 

[Hillian1]

4. One of the very god things that our pubs and bars should follow if you buy a coke or sprite they continually refill the glass for as long as you are in the bar. At the minimal cost of post-mix syrup our pubs could easily follow suit but we are money grabbing It would certainly help to eradicate drink driving.

Great idea, deny publicans their biggest money earner per litre sold. That'll help the already buggered Industry.

 

[Dalos]

Bit of a generalisation. Where did you go ? Have travelled extensively across the U.S and im not going to deny that there are alot of obese people, but there are in the UK now aswell.

 

[smudge]

The thing I don't like about their bars; the bartenders EXPECT a tip, just for pouring a frigging drink & putting it on the bar.
Taxi drivers, barbers, restaurant staff if good service, then yes, tip. Bartender plonking a gassy beer in front of me? Only if gorgeous with large breasts.

 

[BensGrandad]

I must say I didn't like the fact that all prices displayed excluded tax and that everybody expected a 15% tip irrespective of being a waiter or barman or whatever and the level of service offered.

 

[John Bumlick]

1. you... uh... but... WHAT!?!
2. complete bullshit, sorry, but it is. if you go to shitty places, you get shitty food. in fact, one of the 'fashions' in cuisine over here is keeping things local - lots of locally raised beef, lamb and pork and a wide selection of locally grown vegetables (including, but not limited to, broccoli and corn). i dunno what kind of restaurants you visited but if you go to KFC, you get KFC.
3. as you were on vacation, you were probably in a bigger city so this may be true there but big cars and trucks still rule elsewhere. i'm in the middle - i have a big european car.
4. whilst there might be something in your drink driving point, i think there must be a better way than filling people with lots of free, brown, sugar water.

 

[sparkie]

The thing I don't like about their bars; the bartenders EXPECT a tip, just for pouring a frigging drink & putting it on the bar.
Taxi drivers, barbers, restaurant staff if good service, then yes, tip. Bartender plonking a gassy beer in front of me? Only if gorgeous with large breasts.

Yes but its standard for them to give you free drinks back if you stay for a few.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

The thing I don't like about their bars; the bartenders EXPECT a tip, just for pouring a frigging drink & putting it on the bar.
Taxi drivers, barbers, restaurant staff if good service, then yes, tip. Bartender plonking a gassy beer in front of me? Only if gorgeous with large breasts.

That's more to do with their wage structure and pricing.

A lot of Americans rely on tips to bring their wage up to something half decent.

 

[BensGrandad]

Great idea, deny publicans their biggest money earner per litre sold. That'll help the already buggered Industry.

It costs a few coppers per glass but like in our case when I drank coke my brother stayed or rather I stayed with him while he was drinking Guinness at $7 a glass. If a party was in a pub in the uk and one person was on coke the rest would still be buying drinks as normal.

 

[martyn20]

I go with the family to Florida every other year and food is such a big part of it, all you can eat breakie at Sizzler, pulled pork sandwiched, burgers, steaks covered in blue cheese, pizzas, fat coke sold in a dustbin sized carton, I love America

 

[Notters]

Only been to New York, and Canada, but pretty sure they have fantastic restaurants everywhere. You sure you didn't just go to shit places?

 

[Hillian1]

It costs a few coppers per glass but like in our case when I drank coke my brother stayed or rather I stayed with him while he was drinking Guinness at $7 a glass. If a party was in a pub in the uk and one person was on coke the rest would still be buying drinks as normal.

BG, as an ex-publican yourself I find this statement bizarre. Yes it only costs a few coppers (a bit more than that really) to produce one glass but that is the biggest profit maker in any establishment, and you want to take away their cash cow.

 

[Icy Gull]

It's the 20% tip that gets me, just pay your staff decent wages and raise the prices,

The food is absolute shite unless you seek our European restaurants and pay the inflated prices. Although in the south I cannot get enough of baby back ribs, not healthy but about the only American food I like.

I can get a better burger in England than most of the ones I've had in the US

 

[Springal]

The thing I don't like about their bars; the bartenders EXPECT a tip, just for pouring a frigging drink & putting it on the bar.
Taxi drivers, barbers, restaurant staff if good service, then yes, tip. Bartender plonking a gassy beer in front of me? Only if gorgeous with large breasts.

Its just the culture. Bar workers are typically below minimum wage, but keep tips which are used to top up their beer. Not tipping is all well and good, but don't expect them not to say something, or totally ignore you.