What's one thing you've seen in other countries that you wish we had here?

[chocolateychurros]

In my home country, we have riders on motorbikes whose job it is to transport things from one place to another.
For example, if you left your charger at your mums, you could just request one of those and they would bring it straight to you.
Mind you in that country taxis are a lot cheaper than they are over here, so even if we had something like this here it would probably be too expensive and not worth it.

Because better run countries which take infrastructure seriously will often have decent roads for motorists as well as good cycling infrastructure and decent public transport.

Here it's one or the other and someone always feels they've lost out. We need proper HS2 here. We need Northern Powerhouse Rail here. We need better roads here. The politicians frame it as a choice because they can't admit that Britain is so poor we cannot afford them all, and then they do half of it on the cheap anyway because we can't even afford one.

I think there's always a balance with what people are prepared to pay and what services they expect.

No. I know I could technically go anywhere. It's just in Ireland I never needed a 'repeat prescription' to be authorised by the GP.

I literally went to the pharmacy when I needed Inhalers. No green prescription slip. No waiting for a GP to authorise it.

I'd walk in, say hi, give my name, he'd hand me salbutamol and I'd walk out 5 mins later. The GP was literally never involved.

US: Getting a government-issued ID card through a similar process as a driver's license. Provisionals are not a solution for those barred from driving and can make things harder and more expensive if you get one for ID years before you can afford/want to drive & passports have their own barriers. Nothing else is universally accepted so we have the strange issue of everywhere having separate acceptable ID lists which is ridiculous.

Fly screens being more standard I agree with too - I guess because we don't have as much of the more dangerous flying insects to worry about they haven't become standard, so it has been awkward.

I find using a handheld camping bidet works well with less to break than a plumbed in version.

Amazing food markets. I think we're the only European country that doesn't have fantastic indoor markets selling an amazing variety of fresh food. Also really good tomatoes.

France: 12 sessions of free pelvic floor physio as standard post-birth care.

I've lived in various countries. Assorted things I miss in no particular country order.

Washing machine in bathroom rather than kitchen.
Top loading washing machine.
Bum gun.
Normal sockets in bathroom (not right next to bath).
Shutters on outside for all the reasons already described.
Well connected, reliable and cheap public transport. Cars not the default.
Beers in the correct glass.
ID cards.
Toilet with mini sink separate to main bathroom.
Lack of obsession with home ownership.
Not having to be elderly to use a wheeled trolley for shopping or days out.
'Bridging day' when a bank holiday falls on a Tuesday or a Thursday to make a 4 day weekend.
All sorts of fabulous food that aren't quite the same even if found here. But when away, I missed proper fish and chips!

Added security too. When I lived in Paris, there was an automatic rolling shutter like a shop over the patio doors, although I imagine the pp means those picturesque (sp?) wooden ones.

@BestImitationOfMyself I soooo miss normal sockets in bathrooms😭
Why can so many countrirs have them but not UK... Honestly tried to get electrician to install one with some bribe😭hard no

Sexist much??

Yes me too!
and washing machines in bathrooms, you’d think it’s logical as most people undress in the bathroom before taking a shower not in the kitchen while preparing dinner….

I have a 5 year old car so I'm not sure if this is now standard but in the US our car had an indicator light on the wing mirror that showed if anyone was overtaking/undertaking/in your blind spot. Brilliant for lane changes on 6 lane highways but I'm sure a boon for the many MNers who seem to be scared of motorways.

Regarding the car dichotomy. All of us support initiatives that reduce car usage and stop climate change. The fact is that many of the solutions are shite and don't work in a small, urban country where the railway and public transport system is complete decline and totally mismanaged. All very sticking plaster and a lot of councillors are brilliant at coming up with some 'car reduction' tactic, making it happen and then working out with what was wrong with it afterwards. The council are all stunned in my London borough that people who live in flats 25 minutes from the nearest tube need parking spaces. Why don't they just get a bike and trailer?

A lot of the things mentioned here are very geographical - we don't produce our own food and haven't for 300 years. Of course countries with agricultural economies that have variation in climate and landscape are going to produce tastier, cheaper, year round seasonal food than a tiny north Atlantic island that hates farmers and imports most of what it eats.

Agree 100% with the litter and grime on the streets. This is 100% a failure of local authorities. Every single nation has litterers but most have paid crew cleaning up after it. London is embarrassing and it wasn't always so grim.

I love that in France they still have cafe culture. That everyone can afford to get a coffee or a pastis everyday.
I've not been able to afford a coffee in a cafe for years.

I've seen these in the uk

It’s not the same as the GP has to sign it off. Not needed in most of Europe

Totally. I hate washing machines in kitchens. It's weird. Laundry and food together. I had mine moved as soon as I was able to

Despatch riders?

I used to be one in London

Municipal bins like in Spain. So much better. Colour coded for recycling etc. You can dump your rubbish whenever you want
And twice a month you can put out big items (literally anything) next to the bins and it's just taken. No fuss and none of this farting about here paying £25 for the collection of a large item, especially as the list of what they won't collect is huge.

Poland has health spas on prescription. You go on a bit of a wait list, but can have up to a couple of weeks funded per person to help your recovery or maintenance for health conditions or just for general wellbeing. It is full board for around 30 quid or less per day.

Australia has lovely public bbqs you can use and a total fireworks ban barring public displays. You can also see any gp you want in any surgery. I used to shop around quite a bit.

Sadly you definitely get them in France and Belgium. And probably most European countries though I think less of them

If you go into arears with child maintenance you get refused some services until it is paid up. eg drivers licence renewal and passport renewal.

Wow.

I order line online from my GP and tick a box for local pharmacy. Within 24 hours I usually have a text from the pharmacy to say it’s ready to collect.

@ExercicenformedeZ is right though. It’s the safest place I’ve been to as a woman. Everything is not black or white you know.

We have these where I live too, but it took me decades to get the courage to use the bread slicer.