Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Other subjects
Original poster

UK and USA - compare and contrast

141 replies

KateandtheGirls · 07/11/2004 14:11

Turquoise and I were talking a little bit about this earlier this week and we thought it would be interesting to start a thread.

Now I know there are many problems in the USA, and I'm still feeling quite sickened by the way the majority of people in this country voted the other day. But in a lot of ways things are so much more pleasant and civilised here.

For example:

*Halloween. Trick or Treating is a fun activity for the kids. No-one's house gets vandalised if they don't have treats.

*Bonfire Night/July 4 (i.e. the night when there are fireworks). Again, this is done in a fun, civilised manner. There certainly aren't gangs of teenagers roaming around letting off fireworks at all times of the night.

*Houses/cars being broken into. Happens a lot more often in the UK. In fact a lot of people here don't even lock their cars, and some people don't lock their house doors when they're out. There's a level of trust here that you don't get in the UK.

Thoughts? Comments?

OP posts:
zebra · 12/11/2004 18:29

Chandra -- they say that the average commute to work in the UK is longer than anywhere else in Europe. I think the US culture of drive an hour to work today (& back again) is becoming the norm, here, too.

expatkat · 12/11/2004 18:42

Yes, Ameriscott, but how ethical is it to let people die on a queue? Or is it more ethical if lots of people die in a queue? I think I was pretty balanced in what I said. (I said, "It's sad, it's wrong, it's greedy, it's frankly disgusting" regarding the costs & difficulties with health insurance in the US.) It's true enough that one can't compare the two sytems properly in a theoretical way, but you can compare them in more practical ways, eg when making personal decisions about where to have your baby, as Marialuisa's friend did when choosing the UK. Or when I thought to myself, "Phew, I'm glad someone thought I was worthy of a chest x-ray here in the US, since no one did in the UK." But by the same token, I'm sure my American friend, who is uninsured for the usual reasons (pre-existing conditions, no job) might well wish she'd had her several thousand dollar D&C and biopsy in the UK, where it would have been free. I think it's human nature to make those kinds of small comparisons. And I don't think it's so bad to say that neither system is perfect, whether you look at it from the standpoint of money or ethics.

expatkat · 12/11/2004 18:46

Oh, I was responding to your first post, ameriscott. It took ages for me to get back online after writing my response.

Rarrie · 12/11/2004 19:15

Just to note, that many people have said living in America is friendlier than living in the Uk - but then went on to compare the US to London - which is an unfair comparison! In the rural village I used to live in, everyone knew each other's business, were chatty, have local village fairs etc... was very very friendly. Even in the current suburb I now live in, I had a welcome to the area card from my neighbours, we regularly socialise with one set, and are on good talking terms with all the them (despite most of them being almost double my age). I live about 10 mins walk from all of my family, the local newsagent is the source of all gossip, and has known me since I was 3. Paying the paper bill takes half an hour! quite simply, everyone knows everyone else's life - how can people say brits are not friendly? Well, maybe they are to outsiders, but I'd say for those in the community - there is a very strong community spirit, not least down the pub!!

Ameriscot2004 · 12/11/2004 19:34

When we moved into our house in the US, our next door neighbour left a paper plate with a selection of home-baked cookies, beautifully-wrapped in cellophane and finished off with curling ribbon. It had a calling card saying "Welcome to the Neighborhood". That was in December - we didn't see them again until about April when the weather warmed up.

When we moved into our house in the UK, our neighbour knocked on the door, introduced herself and handed us a card. She then invited us to tea the next day, where we spent about an hour getting to know one another.

Both are friendly in their own way

Ameriscot2004 · 12/11/2004 19:39

Expatkat - neither system can deliver 100% healthcare to 100% on the population in a zero timeframe. You have to ration. I didn't say that the US system was unethical - I merely begged the question /which system is more ethical?/ Not everyone is going to arrive at the same point of view - there's no right or wrong answer.

tex111 · 24/11/2004 10:28

Thought I would revive this thread! I was thinking about the differences in pronunciation and vocabulary. DS is 2 and is very mixed at the moment. Says to-may-to and highway instead of motorway but prnounces naughty with an English accent.

It reminded me of the time when we were living in the US and DH asked his office manager if she could get him a few rubbers with his stationery order! She replied with a very red face that they didn't supply them.

When we moved to England I was desperate to assimilate and did my best to use English vocab. Unfortunately DH saw an opportunity for some fun. He had told me that the letter 'z' was pronounced 'zed' in the UK but he also told me that 'w' was pronounced 'wubble u'. I spent four months saying 'wubble u' before someone at work finally asked me why I said it that way!

Ameriscot2004 · 24/11/2004 10:45

this webpage has lots of tempting jokes to play on Americans

DaddyCool · 24/11/2004 11:43

I wish I hadn't seen this thread. I think it's difficult to compare both countries as they both have their ups and downs. Saying that, I believe the UK 'takes care' of it's citizens far more than the US. It's part of the culture ie:

  1. Health Care (I see a heated discussion below)
  2. Tuition support (it's very cheap to send your kids to university in the UK and Canada)
  3. Gun Culture (why in God's name does anyone need a gun?)
  4. Employment (has anyone mentioned this) rights are for the employee in the UK not the employer. It's the opposite in the US. As my American colleagues would say 'they own our ass'.

These are the big ones and in my opinion impact our lives in the UK greatly and give us a very high standard of living.

DaddyCool · 24/11/2004 11:49

Just an add on. The original post angered me a little because I don't see how an American can criticize the UK when the US is lacking these extremely important aspects that the UK enjoys.

NotQuiteCockney · 24/11/2004 11:50

On one of my first visits to the UK as an adult, I complimented our host at dinner on his lovely traditional suspenders ... whoops. Apparently they're called braces?

JJ · 24/11/2004 11:59

DaddyCool, KateandtheGirls is a Brit living in the US in sunny Florida.

DaddyCool · 24/11/2004 12:05

oh crap! . But I guess my point still stands with the tuition, employment, gun law, healthcare issues.

Maybe I wasn't completely fair. KateandtheGirls probably didn't want to start a heated debate on social benefits, just wanted to discuss some of the nice aspects of the US.

JoolsToo · 24/11/2004 12:06

I think its quite simple - UK is brill - America is not

only joking everyone!

lets face it good and bad in ALL countries.

Wouldn't want to live there tho! (the message that comes across to me is that everything is superficial and false - although people I know who have visited think its a wonderful place so perhaps its a skewed view!)

DaddyCool · 24/11/2004 12:07

ok, here's a good one then. When I first arrived in the UK, I called directory inquiries. They said "what name" and I got all confused and said my own.

DaddyCool · 24/11/2004 12:10

JoolsToo - Try Canada or Australia. They are a pleasant cross between the two.

JanH · 24/11/2004 12:32

tex, pmsl at wubble-u!

JoolsToo · 24/11/2004 12:34

dc - really fancy Canada - love the mountains and lakes - could I stand the journey tho? I'm not a happy flyer!

DaddyCool · 24/11/2004 12:47

JoolsToo - yeah, if you want mountains you have to fly some distance 9 to 11 hours. I come from the Toronto area (very flat, nice but not quite that stunning scenery you get in the west) about 71/2-8 hours flight.

JoolsToo · 24/11/2004 12:57

OMG

would have to take plenty of tranquilisers
and what about the bears?

DaddyCool · 24/11/2004 13:03

s%$tloads of them. No grizzlies where I come from but plenty of black bears. They are usually more scared of you than you of them but they have been known to kill on occasion.

Here's another DaddyCool factoid though... One of the most vicous animals in North America is the Moose. Moose are bastards and will simply kill you for the fun of it. They hate everything but themselves.

Lonelymum · 24/11/2004 13:05

Daddy Cool - what would directory enquiries say in Canada then?
TBH, I think I have nearly said my name when asked that before and I have never lived outside the UK!

hana · 24/11/2004 13:06

jules too - only 7 hours to Halifax, stunning scenery there too and v v cheap!

DaddyCool · 24/11/2004 13:08

Can't remember lonelymum but I'm sure it would be very sweet and syrupy like..

"welcome to directory enquires, how may I help you" and finish off with "Have a nice day now"

hana · 24/11/2004 13:10

nonono you'd get the french version and then the english version of that!