or is prejudice against America considered OK by most of mumsnet?

[VajazzHands]

Comments about America on mumsnet, really ridiculous comments (basically that all Americans, are fat, stupid, god botherers bent on taking over the world) seem to be largely ignored and accepted as fact in a way that comments about any other country never would.

Blatant sexism, racism, xenophobia, disablism would never be tolerated on MN in any other circumstance. Why do people let it go about Americans?

'Yes, but you cant get a drink after 1130 not even down Sunset!! '

I wish it were that way here.

People drink too much here. It turns a lot of them into violent arses.

Yes, i know what you mean. Although sometimes you just want to go for a nightcap on the way home. It was seriously quiet in the bar area after midnight, I think the rules must be tighter. Also, it seemed to be quite residential off the main roads.

In my part of America you can drink til 2 a.m. :)

'In my part of America you can drink til 2 a.m.'

Yeah, but if you left that bar at 2AM and kicked off in public - fighting, too loud, swearing - you'd be arrested. You should see them here. Town centres like no-go zones at closing time, blood, vomit, urine and broken glass all over the pavements on weekends, people arguing with the police, etc.

Is there a US equivalent of MN? I somehow doubt it, but do wonder sometimes. I have no experience of parenting young children in the US, really.

Mine, though they are dual nationals,are all Scottish.

Is it because all our bars are generally concentrated in one area of town an, are more spread out in American cities? Mind you, that cant be said of Vegas and Ive never seen any trouble there and, those guys know how to party!

I think it's because most people in the US know very damn well if they act ghetto while drunk, they will be punished and it will not be the softly-softly approach.

Don't get me wrong, people get blotto big time. But brawling the street, do something like puke or pass out in the street and it's likely going to be expensive and painful for you.

In Denver, they have these private 'detox centers'. They're drunk tanks. Publicly intoxicated people get loaded into vans - argue or start getting rough with the cops and you're going to jail instead - and booked into the detox center. They get a fine for PI (public intoxication) plus a bill for a night's stay in the center. I worked with a man who paid $450 for his, including a hot dog and a toothbrush, whoopee. On benefits? The center will apply for the power to take money from those so you still pay.

The other issue is probably firearms. If you are under the understanding that many people carry firearms, even illegally, it's a bit of a disincentive to get in someone's face.

Are they hot on drink driving there? I know its only the tv but whenever I watch Bro and Sisters or Modern Family it always amazes me how much wine they knock back and still pick up their car keys! I know its not real life but Ive always wondered.

It's a very very expensive fine and you can go to prison. My ex's boss got two DUI's in 5 years. The second one, he was under house arrest for 9 months.

He wound up moving to LoDo (lower downtown) a bar area in Denver so he could in the future walk to his watering holes.

Even with the higher rents, it was cheaper than his DUIs.

I take it people are more likely to entertain at home?

But someone has to be the driver because most places outside of cities line NYC lack good public transport and/or readily available taxis. In many bars, there's free soft drinks for the designated driver.

I did most of my drinking in my late 20s/early 30s, but then I lived in the Cap Hill area of Denver, an area packed with bars and trendy restaurants. As all my friends mostly lived there or nearby, it was easy enough to walk/stumble to and from watering holes.

Most people take cabs.

My stupid brother got a DUI last month and it hadn't been quite 10 years since his last one, so he is looking at jail time and a $3000 fine. Good!

And oh yes, those drunk in public fines are none too fabulous to deal with, from what I understand. :)

shame we cant have the same approach over here!

I can say from working in the states that DUI is very common - at least it was in the Phoenix area. People are stupid everywhere, aren't they? And you'll get people who will get released after being arrested, still under influence, and told to stay away from their car, and will get a lift right back to their car and try to drive again. I have actually seen people get 2 DUIs in one night. Stupid stupid stupid! And NOWHERE in the states do you see (unless they're been started in the last 8+ years) things reminding people that if they may still be over the limit in the morning, depending on when they stopped drinking and such. Most people I knew there figured "oh I drank til 2am, but I slept until 5 am, and now I'm fine"... not necessarily! The problem in the states is that while loads are getting DUIs, they are getting off in court with a slap on the wrist and then they're off to do it again, as there are no real consequences.

As far as breastfeeding, it's just as mixed and divided between bf and ff in the states as it is here in the UK. If you're seeing mainly one or the other, it's most likely because there are, just as in the UK, little pockets of people that have similarities. I honestly think things such as SAHMs and bf'ing are very similar as they are here. I know I've seen SAHM vs WM arguments there. And again, like anything else, a lot of it is the area you're in. A friend of mine fought long and hard to get permission for women in her workplace (large government job) to express breastmilk in one of the empty offices during their breaks. They wanted them to use the toilets, as they felt the staff break room was in appropriate. And that was within the last 10 years (and I know from ongoing contact with her that they still do not cooperate much in this respect). Again, just like any UK workplace, some are enlightened, some are not.

I love that I do not see teens drinking in parks...ever. In fact I approached two potentially intimidating characters in our local park and asked them to stop smoking as children were near them,.......they were so polite and apologetic and waved from their car as they left! Never in the UK would you get that cordial response.

You're lucky missslc. We used to have to "encourage" teens and general drunks to leave the park areas on a daily basis in our part of AZ. Again, I think this is an area thing - more common in larger cities perhaps as opposed to smaller towns.

I wish someone would come and remove the drunks sat outside my local betting shop, they make me feel sick.

Do you have betting shops in the States?

What's a betting shop?

Not in my part of it, no. :)

Ok, have just googled. :) It is legal in Nevada. I think it happens a lot but it's underground since it's against the law.

Yep, I figured it was something that was legal in Nevada, as that state has legalised gambling. other than that, only the Indian casinos (casinos located on reservations) allow you to gamble or place bets. Other than the state lotteries.

that fascinates me, there part of our culture here. And they are everywhere, even in the posh parts. Do you not gamble on sporting events?

Ps, just because they are everywhere doesnt mean we are all into gambling but lots of us have a flutter on big events

'What's a betting shop? '

They're called 'bookies' here. Or 'the bookies'. Same as you have 'bookies' who operate mostly illegally in the US. Only there, it's usually lone operatives or lone operatives who are part of organised crime. Here, it's large corporations who have a chain of storefront shops where you can bet.

Gambling differs by state in the US, of course.

It is generally legal on Indian reservations, so in many Southwestern states, it's a source of revenue on reservations, as they open a casino which tourists can visit. Reservations can also sell cigarettes with less tax in some cases (this is true in my home state of Texas) so people travel there in hired buses/coaches for day trips to gamble and buy cigarettes.

Similarly, in some states, horse and greyhound racing, with betting, is legal.

Gambling is also legal as soon as you are in international waters, so in coastal towns and cities of states that border on the Gulf of Mexico you'll often find day cruises that offer gambling.

How do I know all this?

My mother is an ace poker player from a family of card sharks who earns money to travel about the globe without denting their pension through very calculated gambling. She also plays and deals on several card leagues, all legal so long as the wagers are not monetary or are for charity in our state, as she truly enjoys playing all manner of cards. She's an ace croupier, a real advantage when it comes to playing for money where it's legal.

She plans two, 4 day trips to Vegas, a city she and my dad first visited on their honeymoon in 1964, each year, with a budget of $2000. She never plays the strip. Always downtown or Henderson. She learned to appreciate single malt whisky, as drinks are comped in most places, but she won't play drunk. This way, she sips the booze and never goes over the edge, so she keeps sharp. She also smokes, which makes her spin out the drink even more. Her trick is to, with luck, win the game, then she calls the next one. She'll call an obscure one, her favs are High or Low Chicago, this throws most at the table off, particularly men (my dad will say, 'I don't like to play her because she calls all these feminine games), and increases her advantage.

Last year, after taxes, she came away with $26,000.

I like the sound of your mum!! Mine is a horse racing woman. She likes a bet and goes to meetings. I would dread if she went on Deal or No Deal because she is the one that would go right to the end!