Observations of Britain v North America

No desire to click links…..

but since you asked…

Besides driving on the opposite side of the road; calling potato chips crisps, the concept of pubs, His Majesty’s Government with Prime Minister, House of Commons and House of Lords, using the terms toilet, loo and WC for restrooms, history over hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years old, calling soccer football and cigarettes fags.

what's the difference between this thread and this thread

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/unexpected-realizations-in-europe

I was in London last October. I live in Austin TX but was born and raised in Boston. I have also lived in Los Angeles, San Francisco and have traveled some to different cities in the United States.

I can not speak for all of Britain nor for all of North America.

One thing that I seriously loved about London is that museums are free. In the United States, many of the museums cost and are pricey in my opinion. However attractions and sites in London were very expensive to get into.

I loved all the squares and parks in London where you could sit and enjoy and people watch. Everyone that i went in London, there were wonderful places to just sit and people watch and enjoy

There are green spots and squares and parks in the United States but there do not seem to be as many or as convenient. Also in the United States, you might find homeless people sleeping on the benches. There is crime in the parks. You have to watch your surroundings..

Public toilets in the United States are always free but some are not terribly nice and not always easy to find. And they are bathrooms, not toilets.

London has fabulous public transportation. Austin, Tx where I have long lived has mediocre public transportation. Some American cities like San Francisco, Chicago., Boston, etc etc etc have very good public transportation but the stations or buses can be dirty and there is crime. There are homeless and mentally ill people sleeping around the stations. You have to watch out.

There are fast food places everywhere in the United States, for better or worse. If hungry, you can walk in and get something fast but not necessarily healthy although fast food restaurants are improving.

I do not remember seeing many homeless or mentally ill people on the streets of London but in American cities, we have serious problems with the homeless and the mentally ill on the streets.

I had no desire or time to watch the videos.

periscope - the obvious difference between that thread and this is that the other is about differences across Europe rather than the UK.

here are green spots and squares and parks in the United States but there do not seem to be as many or as convenient. Also in the United States, you might find homeless people sleeping on the benches. There is crime in the parks. You have to watch your surroundings..

This, exactly. So many times I've visited a city in the US and on a map a park looked nice, but in reality....

the obvious difference

Hmmm ... I knew that Britain pulled out of Brexit, I did not know they were no longer considered part of the Continent ... hmmm.

I have traveled on many public transportation systems in the United States. None has reminded me to "mind the gap."

what's the difference between this thread and this thread

this thread is about Europe as a whole and this thread is about Britain. The clue is in the name.

I knew that Britain pulled out of Brexit,

Britain - actually the UK - went ahead with brexit, didn't pull out

Hmmm ... I knew that Britain pulled out of Brexit, I did not know they were no longer considered part of the Continent ... hmmm.

Hmmmm... Brexit is short for Britain + exit. As in, the UK exiting from the EU. And AFAIK, Britain has historically been a group of islands. Not connected to the continent for millennia.

The clue is in the name.

Trust me, I'm from the colonies, I know more than anyone needs to know about all that is Britain / UK.

🫣............

Okay, differences.

Americans (not Canadians necessarily) speak better English, drive on the proper side of the road and know how to cook a steak. Otherwise .....

The Brits pronounce Zed and spell words like colour and cheque properly.

The excessive use of unnecessary letters contributes to global warming. Extra ink, paper, data bytes .... it all aðs up.

In Texas we recognized this early on and shortened phrases like "we are going" to "webee go'n"

One thing that I seriously loved about London is that museums are free. In the United States, many of the museums cost and are pricey in my opinion. However attractions and sites in London were very expensive to get into.

Some museums in London are free like the Smithsonian in DC is free. Otherwise museums, especially those operated by private foundations must meet their operation expenses through admissions without government funding whether in the US or UK. Staff, Galleries and collections cost money. Outside London the Mary Rose Museum is £34/$43.

Here at home, when I go to a cafe with counter service I'm very accustomed to bussing my own table. I have never gotten accustomed to someone bussing my table for me. I just feel like a slacker if I leave my trash on the table for someone else to collect.

I am accustomed to spicier food in general at home. I do love Cumberland sausage, but on my last trip I was missing the spicier breakfast sausage I normally have.

It sounds like VAP needs to come to, well, Cumberland for her Cumberland Sausage. Get it from a good local butchers (of which Richard Woodall of Waberthwaite is but one) in a huge swirl. If it is links sausage it simply isn't Cumberland before any other thoughts. A lot of make believe Cumberland sausage is sold out of county. Every real butcher has their own recipe. The whole point is that it was made using the spices from the West Indies which were imported through ports such as Whitehaven.
If its link sausage and spiced and local to the area it's more likely to be Westmorland sausage, although there is a grey area between the two in that Westmorland sausage can be sold in swirls and is likely to be a little less spiced.

FRank II

"I have traveled on many public transportation systems in the United States. None has reminded me to "mind the gap." "

You are going to have to explain what "mind the gap" means

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_the_gap

You are going to have to explain what "mind the gap" means.

It means don't fall into the big gaping hole between the train and the platform when you step on or off.

I just read somewhere in the British media that someone did fall between the gap recently. She survived but had life-changing injuries after two trains ran over her. So please take "Mind the Gap" seriously. If you lose your footing, There is enough space between the train and the platform to fall onto the track. She was fairly young, fit, and sober. So it could happen to anyone,

well, that is pretty scary.

I do remember now when getting off of the trains in London, you have to be careful that you don't trip getting off or have something fall down between a small gap between the train and the platform.

I guess same with getting on but I can not recall.

I do not remember anything about a large gap.

But in Boston, there is a recording on the trains warning about thieves and "watch your stuff"

And then there are the really horrible situations when someone pushes someone in front of a train coming in or the crowd surges forward and accidentally pushes someone in front of the incoming train. This only happens a few times a year total but it is really horrible.

Above is in the USA.

I take it that “bussing” means clearing your own table? The word bussing is not known in the UK but if used, would take it to mean using the buses.

One of the videos mentioned crossing the road at what the Brits call a zebra crossing - which does not have light controls. The rule is that in the UK you wait on the pavement (sidewalk) for traffic to stop. You do not have the right to just walk straight onto the zebra crossing and expect the vehicles to slam on the brakes - which could cause a crash. When I come to a zebra crossing, I actually prefer vehicles not to stop if I know that plenty of gaps appear in the traffic flow when I can cross. Causing the vehicles to stop means they have to get going again which increases fuel consumption = pollution. Most people stop to let pedestrians cross. If the pedestrian is already on the crossing, drivers must stop.

I don’t get the north Americans obsession with tipping. You are basically saying your wages are pathetic so I will give you money if you are nice and offer good service - which they should do in any case.

Regarding the gap between train and platform. The platforms in Britain are higher than most countries and almost level with the floor of the train. In East Anglia and south Wales, trains have recently appeared which have level boarding with automatic ‘bridges’ that span the gap.

Never refer to a Brit’s garden as a “yard” as they will be insulted. (A yard is like a builders yard used for storing stuff - certainly not an ornamental garden).

One of the videos mentioned people saying “you alright” when meeting a stranger. This in Brit speak is a kind of greeting and does not mean that they think you are ill. However, if you appear lost, they are indicating that they are friendly and it would be quite appropriate for you to ask them directions. When meeting posher people, they are more likely to say “Good Morning/Afternoon”.

When meeting posher people, they are more likely to say “Good Morning/Afternoon”.

I guess that means I'm posh despite growing up on a council estate!

@Mr Ed……Really……maybe check out your facts British was driving motorized cars before Americans so they are driving on the right side. Who was speaking English first….if history is right which it is the British was, so they are speaking proper English. I don’t think most Americans travel to the UK for steaks, so maybe just stay home and enjoy your steaks.

I much prefer the British sense of humor over that of Americans. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣.

We love touring Britain. England, Wales and Scotland are all scenic and loaded with history.

I will try not to repeat prior comments:
1) Love the British Pubs and the dark British beer, USA doesn't have comparable places.
2) British are very polite, in driving as in other way, while most Americans are as well, I can't stand the pushy aggressive drivers in Boston.
3) Both countries have expensive places, usually the large cities.
4) Traffic is terrible anywhere near London, as it is in major US cities.
5) British countryside is amazing, but we have some great areas as well, especially out west.
6) Crime is more of a negative in major US cities these days, I never felt it was that bad in the UK.
7) Driving on the left for an American takes some getting used to, but if you are carefully and don't speed, you can manage it well.
8) Castles everywhere in Britain, especially in Wales, not so much in the USA.
9) Love American football, sorry Soccer is OK, but too boring.

JC is alluding to it, but class is very much a thing still in Britain. It’s got nothing to do with how much money you have here, it’s cultural. British people are minutely attuned to class differences in speech, dress, home decor, food choices…it goes on and on.

It’s very hard to truly change class as there will always be giveaways that you didn’t grow up this way.

Love the British Pubs and the dark British beer, USA doesn't have
comparable places.

I'm not much of a pub or bar goer, and if I do it's usually a sports bar with a hundred TV's so I can watch a game. That's something I haven't found in the UK or the rest of Europe. Having said that , we found a pub in Winchester in 2022 that had to be the cosiest pub I've ever been to which is something I've never experienced in North America, plus I got to pet about 5 dogs. That's as good as it gets in a pub and puts the UK on top of NA in drinking establishment comparisons.

1) Love the British Pubs and the dark British beer, USA doesn't have comparable places.

Growing up in one of the outer boroughs of NYC and also found in many towns on Long Island, there used to be "bar and grills." These were neighborhood places where the locals would go to have a drink with friends, perhaps a basic meal. They were never in any guidebooks and you rarely saw anyone visiting from other areas.

Most were found on "main streets" where the locals would go to shop. Some were near train stations and got the businessmen stopping in for a drink before heading home.

These were not places to go for microbrews or cosmopolitans. Mostly standard beers, classic cocktails and straight booze.

Like pubs, many are disappearing in lieu of sports bars and restaurant chains offering bars. Mostly people are no longer shopping at local stores but at big chain retail or shopping malls.

If anyone remembers the TV Show "Archie Bunker's Place," Archie used to frequent then bought a bar. They were like that. A neighborhood place.