If I ever judged the UK by what I saw on TV when I lived in the US

[Tee2072]

Everyone in the UK would either speak with a Cockney or RP accent.

They would all either live in an over crowded terrace or a huge country estate.

All the schools would be crap.

The populace would spend their entire lives in pubs.

Now, I never believed any of that, being a relatively smart human being.

So am I being unreasonable to wonder how come I'm constantly battling US TV stereotypes here on MN?

It's a thread about many many many threads.

Okay here I go,, lived in the USA and just come off a thread on FB about a friends crap customer service in the USA, something I wish to confirm, I found Customer service rubbish in the US.
Washing machines....don't get me started.. I had 3 first 2 buggered every bit of clothing I had, no idea why but they would get holes in the clothes I enventually sucked it up and brought a front loader...problem solved!
you know when you buy clothes and it says wash separately as colours may run? and you just wash...welll my god! in the USA the colours did run all the time.
American do get sarcasm and irony...they just don't expect it every minute, they do have humour but again they don't need to use it all the time.
I remember sitting in a "pub" with some American girlfriends, and feeling awkward, after a few beers I suddenlty realised, no laughter in the pub, Americans do laugh but they don't do it all the time, I found eating out was always strained as i am used to people laughing around me.

Americans are more class consious than Brits, they really are (shock to me) most American who got to Know us when we lived there would remark we Brits are very Education consious , as in me didn't give a fig about someones status but we did put a lot of credit in education/being quick/clever, i only have 3 GSEs grade C, trained nurse, alot of American's found I though I was equal in my mind to them due to the fact I am quick with the funny retort... I always found that funny they needed to point this out..as in ...we have more money why do you think you are our equal...well because I am??? you only earn more money?
America was more class counious I felt in the UK

I've been meaning to ask for ages about the drink driving thing. Do most Americans drink drive or just the ones in every single tv show and film?

Upthread someone mentioned the ire of non-US persons about the appropriation of America by the USA.

There is another way: Usanians. Google it. It fits. It works.

In the UK people think you are testing them if you ask everyone to bring something.

It's called a 'Jacob's Join' but only in parts of the country, but where it is called that everyone knows to bring a dish. I have no idea where the phrase comes from.

I'm hoping sleepywombat missed some Ks off those house prices, otherwise housing in the US is exceedinglycheap.

Jolly - I found that drink driving to be much more prevalent in the States than the UK. Not so much in NY where they have excellent transport but in LA nearly everyone drank and then got in their cars.

missingmumxox what part of the US? Because I can say the opposite to everything you just said. And I've lived all over the country except the south.

People are a lot more relaxed about drunk driving, I have no idea why. It's just as dangerous and, I think, just as heavily prosecuted.

Sleepy where in Connecticut and Ohio? I've lived in both places and never seen such low house prices.

In the UK I find that people who live in the country are more "relaxed" about drink driving than those who live in towns/cities.

So more drink-driving in the US may simply be a result of where people's houses are relative to the places where they want to drink.

It's also a bit of a generational thing - much ore common 30 years ago - maybe attitudes change at different rates in different places.

I find our self deprecation sometimes baffles. My American friends all try to 'buck me up' if I say something self deprecating seeing it as low confidence whereas my British friends see it as modesty!

Do your British friends do a bit of one-downmanship and say "oh you think you're rubbish. listen to what I did the other day"? :o

Yes Trills we do. We have a daily competition . Getting pretty good at it which is the only time my self deprecation slips!

View from abroad (not US) here is that Uk:

Crap teeth, crap nhs, crap weather, crap lifestyle

Good for work experience, and ideally acquiring a useful passport travelling round Europe and culture

I agree with the crap teeth and weather. Wholeheartedly disagree that nhs crap, relatively speaking. Also think despite weather lifestyle can be good- beautiful countryside, great culture and relatively safe.

Am incensed that UK seen as a convenient way to get a passport, give birth for free etc etc before coming home and slagging it off forever after

I also agree with the crap teeth! You see a lot of crap teeth in America too but in the UK you will get well paid, cosmopolitan professionals with shocking teeth which you don't tend to find there.

England is so green! I hear that a lot even from friends who come from 'green' states. I'd obviously expect it if you lived in the New Mexican desert or High Chaparral.

I kind of see the opposite in the USA in that you get these 'generic' white teeth w/ no individuality. Kind of Rylan teeth. Of course when you step into everyday USA outside of the affluent areas, the teeth are 'normal everyday' teeth.

I am surprised by how run down and desolate whole swathes of American towns and cities can be. But I find dirt roads so evocative-that whole driving down the track in a cloud of dust thing.

The sheer diversity of terrain in the USA is enviable. The whole world seemingly in one country.

I admired the way my American friends rally round anybody who has been bereaved/sick/given birth too. They all talk of a month of hot meals provided by the locals/church/friends and of being cared for and about. Just lovely. This does seem to be a smaller town thing. My friends in NYC don't find pot roasts left at the door!

I have got crap teeth. And they will cost ten grand, braces, implants, bone transplants and jaw realignment to fix. So they will stay crap.

I too have crap teeth years of illness has taken its toll on them I cant afford to have the wide white smile so they will stay how they are,

I find the look-down-on-Americans-ism of the kids' school friends and their parents quite amusing, as when you say "oh, when/where did you live in the US" you get a foot shuffle and admission that their opinions are formed by TV and visits to Disneyworld.

The crap chocolate stereotype is true though, that's why Canada is allowed to stay independent :)

Fantastic American chocolate here....

Nancy66 i agree with the drink driving in LA

no one seems bothered by it. yes public transport there is pretty crap and its a very spread out city, wide roads etc but shocked how my family and friends over there do not give it a second thought

and the nice teeth also nice nails. even not so glamours women nearly always have nice manicured nails and you never see anyone with money who has bad teeth though quite often they look a little denture like

I know we are seen as terribly mean about tipping, and have a reputation for "stiffing" staff. I have explained endlessly to relatives that it is just a different cultural headset, and that 20% is something we pay where service has been amazing but 15% would be about average (and that's up from the 10% which used to be standard). I am advised that 20% is standard - at least in the P.Springs, Sarasota and Boston areas.
Also, the tendency not to tip when we think the service has been less than OK is viewed with surprise.
Over here, its a kindness - over there, its seen as a right. Over here, we pay for added value - over there they tip "high" amounts for the minimal level one expects from an establishment.

That is not a judgemental statement - just one of those cultural differences, but I do know the Brits are poorly regarded for it and it is felt that we should take a "when in Rome ...." approach.
I am not sure we are good at that when it comes to money !!

Manicured nails is because you can get them done for under $10.

LA was built for the car. Most of the US was.

I agree with you about the tipping. I think that people should adopt a when in Rome approach and tip as standard. I tip 20% in the US without thinking about it, here 10 to 15 for good service.

you can get a manicure here for less than £10 in many cities too with all the nail salons about

i know LA was built with the car in mind, much easier to drive over there but that does not make it safer to drink drive just not one seems to worry about being over the limit (not sure what it is)