The things that politicians say and do can greatly influence the way we see one another. And since they're not always true, it's important that we make our own observations and draw our own conclusions. So, let's take a moment to examine transatlantic relationships—or rather, opinions. A viral thread on Reddit shows people from the United States sharing what they don't understand about Europe, which provides interesting insight into their worldview.
(Of course, the Old Continent isn't a monolith—each country has its own traditions and ways of life; what might be normal in Spain could be bizarre in Finland. But this discussion still offers an interesting look at the image Europe has carved for itself.)
Continue scrolling to get a better understanding of their thoughts, and in case you're wondering, we have also covered 30 American norms that stun Europeans. Ultimately, we hope that familiarizing yourself with these differences, no matter which side of the ocean you live on, will help you to understand the other perspective instead of reinforcing stereotypes.
#1
I'm Canadian, not American, close enough.
I dont understand why some countries grind to a complete halt when snow hits the ground. As if it were no different than lava filling the streets
the same could be applied to certain places in America.
Image credits: anon
#2
As an American that lived in the UK for a few years, why the f**k do we get dumped on for not using the metric system? The UK uses so many different forms of measurement then shits on us for not using one of the 500 they use. I get our system isn't perfect but at least it's consistently used across the board here.
Image credits: InsertScreenNameHere
#3
How most of you Europeans seem fluent in English but I can't speak a lick of any other language even after taking 3 years of spanish.
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#4
In some hotel bathrooms I’ve been in, the shower didn’t have a door or curtain or had a half door, and water would get everywhere despite my best efforts. Why?
Image credits: AFather811
#5
How popular smoking cigarettes is. Even with the recent boom in vaping and e-cigs in the US, I would still say that they're not even close. Every outdoor cafe in Europe has at least half of their patrons smoking. My buddy that lives over there says it's just part of their social culture.
Doesn't really bother me either. It's just interesting to me that it's so looked down upon here in the US and so popular in most parts of Europe.
Image credits: White0nRye
#6
How y'all manage to get socialized healthcare and education. Those concepts are fought so hard in the States and I don't know how to convince people that healthcare and education are good things to have for free or even just cheaper.
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#7
F**k, I just moved to Spain and I cannot understand how normal it is to just STARE so blatantly at people. Does anybody know????
The constant touching and cheek kisses are also pretty weird to me because I don’t like to be touched but I was aware of those at least before I moved.
Image credits: octoberchant
#8
Am I allowed to comment if I’m Canadian?
How do so many people fit into London? And there’s so many old buildings still in use, isn’t asbestos a problem? How are there so many different accents in small countries like the UK and Ireland? Pretty much in Canada most people sound the same, there’s a few other accents but there aren’t too many big differences, except for maybe Newfoundlanders, Francophones and people in the country.
Image credits: anon
#9
Whatcha mean you can just go to the doctor? You don't save up for a few years first?
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#10
I was in N. Ireland and all the food places were closed by 9PM ... That's when I get hungry!
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#11
This beans for breakfast thing. I think it's mainly a British thing.
What kind of beans? Are they like American baked beans? What do they taste like?
Image credits: BamaBachFan
#12
No ice in softdrinks.
EDIT: Totally forgot there were no free refills.
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#13
How come yall got universal healthcare but u gotta pay to take a s**t.
Image credits: getoutofmyr00mm0m
#14
What is going on with all the Turkish barber shops I saw in Ireland.
Is there something special about them?
Image credits: AnusEinstein
#15
Something else I just thought of after someone brought popcorn into the office...
Something I noticed about cinemas in Canada/USA , and Europe. *Or London UK at least, sample size here is quite low* is that in North American cinemas, you pay for a ticket, and it's a free for all for seating, you grab the best seat, early bird gets the worm
I went to a Cinema in London years ago with an old gf. and you picked your seat on a screen And you sat at THAT seat. like at a sporting venue, you didnt dare move even if the entire isle was empty *we might have been charged more per seat too, I dont recall*.
Image credits: anon
#16
Is there actually nude beaches? Like we have them here, but not as much as I hear they have over in Europe.
Image credits: xXDank-KatXx76
#17
Two things.
First: Are there any serious "Holy Rollers" in Europe? In America we hear a lot about evangelicals (and they have a tendency to make everything just a little bit worse) but you almost never hear about them in Europe. Like do you guys have a Westboro Baptist Church type group?
Second: Having grown up in an extremely crime-ridden neighborhood in a major American city I always feel like even the most crime heavy area in Europe is Disneyland compared even the "eh, it's not really *that* bad" parts of most cities over here. I guess that's more of a statement than anything but do Europeans have a legitimate "if I go there it's possible I could get k****d" fear when they think about high crime areas? Or is it more or less exaggerated? Or do you not have any fear of being k****d simply because you go to the wrong neighborhood? And yes, I understand that statistically speaking it's pretty rare to get k****d as the victim of a crime in America but there's a segment of the US population that has a story of say, going to the gas station only to find out it's closed because some dude was shot and k****d while filling his tank. I'm part of that segment. So I'm unusually paranoid where crime is concerned. And I wonder if there's people like that in Europe.
Image credits: PunchBeard
#18
How you're able to have so many awesome pieces of technology and in some cases, regulations. But America somehow feels like they're 5 years behind.
#19
How tf you live without garbage disposals.
Image credits: Shwiftydano
#20
I listen to a LOT of books. Whenever one is written by a British author, there's always tea in the story - always.
I NEED to know what kind of tea this is. I mean, it's not f*****g Lipton, I at least know that. But what kind of tea do you have in the mornings? Do you also like coffee? How much caffeine is in the tea you drink? Would it keep me alive?
See, I'd really like to try some morning tea, but it would need to be really super caffeinated. Or else I may die.
How many kind of morning teas do you have? Are they all caffeinated?
I'm a seasonal tea drinker - I like that Sleepy Time Tea during the winter. Got any other suggestions for me?
Basically, please explain your tea to me. Thanks.
Image credits: ThePlayfulPython
#21
Why none of ya'll will send me Jaffa Cakes.
Seriously. They're so good. Our selection of candy is horrendous compared to yours.
Image credits: UnlikeClockwork
#22
How do you afford to provide health care for everyone? In America, we can't seem to figure out how it's possible to pay for it all.
#23
Paying to use the bathroom. Why don't y'all just let bathrooms be free so you don't have to either pay or p**s in the streets?
Image credits: UrdnotChivay
#24
Was on the Metro for first time.
Got a nasty look a few times.
I didn't realize you are to push the door button !!! Our subway doors are automatic!
#25
Why the queen of England owns every swan in the country.
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#26
Lack of air conditioning.
Image credits: anon
#27
The Balkans.
Then again from what I know even you guys don't understand the Balkans.
I've heard it's kind of like our "Florida Man" in that it's best to just not ask questions and observe from a distance?
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#28
How small everything is. I’ve never been, but my family visited and they hated how small everything was. Showers, rooms, beds, everything was apparently super small.
Here in the states everything is big.
Image credits: Minimalcharges
#29
Why do you come off grouchy, I understand smiling is considered weird in most conditions but still most Europeans I’ve met are on par if not worse than New Yorkers I’ve met.
#30
Why don’t you have drinkable tap water in some places?
Edit: For example, my girlfriend visited Florence and was told not to drink the tap water.
Image credits: Over_Krook
#31
Once in Costa Rica I saw a French guy trying to buy beer in English with American $$. When I tried to help him he pretended not to know English... Why are the French like this?
Image credits: JazzyJake69
#32
Why is it called the Loo?
Also I'm Canadian...
#33
Your washing machines for your clothes are in the kitchen. That’s just odd.
Image credits: anon
#34
Your suburban areas are really, really weird. Especially in Paris.
#35
How supportive they seem to be (from an outsider's perspective) of broad government surveillance. Also, the fact that carrying a personal firearm for self-defense purposes is frequently illegal. I think the Czech Republic is about the only major exception to that. There's a lot about Europe that I like, and I get that it's not completely homogeneous, but those things completely baffle me.
#36
Why is everything so small? Cars, lifts, hotel rooms, refrigerators, grocery stores, etc.
#37
What does the word bloody mean for them is it like a swear.
Image credits: reisypeicey
#38
Why there are so many pickpockets (looking at you Paris subway and Spain especially)!
Image credits: Sunhammer01
#39
Paying for public restrooms. Not talking to strangers. I grew up in Texas. We kinda always talk to people whenever we’re waiting around or something. I’ve heard this gets weird looks across the ocean. Why the hell did I encounter four different dialects while traveling for like 20 minutes? I have to drive to a new state or get on a plane to come across a new accent.
#40
Why do you have to pay sometimes to use public restrooms?
Why is there such an emphasis on making cars fuel efficient by making the small and light, which is less safe, but not by making hybrids?
Why does England usually use the United Kingdom flag instead of the English flag?
