Does the rest of the world hate still hate Americans?

Bargaining or negotiating is about having better information. Information about what he other person is willing to sell the item at. It can be hard in a first world country to really know what that apple is worth when you buy it from the grocery store, since there are a ton of middle men that need to take a cut for the sake of convenience - so we are probably at a disadvantage when dealing with a farmer about the price of said apple. Plus there might be currency conversions to think of...

I don't understand what you are saying...

Do you pay sticker price for cars? Do you take part in auctions? Or do you just tell a salesman "This is my final offer, take it or leave it" and not budge from there? I think the point is that you'll never really know if your final offer is higher than what the seller is willing to give up their item for unless you try. Even when there's an asking price for something (like on CL or eBay), I've bought a lot of things by offering a little less (~5%) than the asking price - sometimes for less than I even thought possible. The worst that can happen is they say no and you come back with a different offer.

 

I don't understand that. Can you please explain why?

 

The day is almost upon me for my trip to the UK! Does anyone have any more last minute advice?

1. I have heard that cigarettes are very expensive in the UK. I hear most people buy a 50 gram pouch and roll their own.
2. I know shipping is expensive. I know I want to get a PAL SNES. (I love the look) Is shipping by sea reasonably priced? I don't care if it takes a month or more.
3. Any strange laws/circumstances I should be aware of?
4. Someone told me that wearing shirts with Insignias/Logos is a dead give away that you're an American. Is that accurate? Ones like these.

 

1. For a pack of 20 it's roughly between £8/$12.88 to £10/$16.09 depending on the brand, 50g of rolling tobacco is usually just under £20/$32.17.

2. I'm not too sure, I don't really ship items to be honest, someone else could maybe answer.

3. I'll be going off subject slightly.

• Jaywalking isn't illegal in the UK except on motorways.
• If you are thinking of driving, don't turn at a red light, you may only turn if you see a traffic light with a green arrow, click here for example.
• Minicabs/Private Hire can't be hailed at, you have to pre-book them.
• We love to queue, as expected don't jump the line, people will tut and frown at you.
• If someone says "Alright", just say "Alright" back, or you could be a bit more exciting and say "Alright, you?", their response is usually "Yeah I'm Alright".
• Tipping isn't customary.
• Don't talk loudly in public.
• Don't ask personal questions such as "How much money do you make?".
• I wouldn't bother talking about politics or religion.
• People tend to be formal.
• Our humour consists of sarcasm and self-deprecation.
• People will moan about the weather regardless, just agree with them.
• 2 inches of snow will cause the UK to completely shut down.
• Hold the door for people behind you.
• Shops close early on Sundays.
• Money slang: Pound/Quid, Five Pounds/Fiver, Ten Pounds/Tenner.
• Don't refer the UK as just England, video here for differences.
• For emergencies call 999.
• For non-threatening medical help call 111.
• You won't be charged should you need to go to hospital, unless you go private.
• You won't be charged for any doctor's appointments, unless you go private.
• All medications are a fixed rate of £8.05 per prescription on the NHS.

4. Nope, never heard of that, it'll be your accent that will give you away.

 

Great video, thanks bluexcell.

 

Americans do have a bad reputation, that's true. But I think this mostly comes from American tourists who come from uneducated backgrounds, unsurprisingly, they act ignorant. I met a WHOLE bunch of Americans at the JET Tokyo orientation, and probably because they're all university graduates, I found them to be very pleasant and not at all like the stereotypes. Didn't stop me from hassling them about their accents and mannerisms though! "Man, you Americans sure do like to study broads!"

 

^^ err?!?!
hmm?!
sort of, but not quite all there! :concern:
from the top two, USA isn't unique there, we're just as much to blame nowadays.
from 'don't' down, it's us (UK) that needs to take notes.
as for the 'no football' part, why?
doesn't matter where from.
if approached with a subject, respond with neutrality, could be anybody getting asked?
jerseys? (jumpers) again why not.
i wear 'jerseys' when it's cold, common-sense.
and it's a bit of duality to stand accused of RACISM when a reference to 'jamaicans' are in there.
if i'm honest, the ones i've met have been MUCH more stable then my countrymen met and neighbors. (i know what the reference is, YARDIES! and damn right, they're a FORCE to be reckoned with, keeps the authorities in line! thing is, ones i know have NO connection to crime or drugs)
ride back?
never heard of it in regards to getting end away.
that's why slang is different wherever we are.
hello in one tongue is a call to arms in another.
...
with all due respect, you're totally out of touch regarding ireland, hardly anybody english (or other) remembers...and if they did, they couldn't care because of what the GVT's have done to both nations, bigger fish to fry and that!
i did see a remark by another about 'self depreciation', VERY true. (better slate oneself than get ripped apart limb-by-limb by an unruly mob, for ideas above station, one man can't fight a crowd alone)
what does it mean to be british?
A JUSTIFICATION for...???
...
there was a time fingers would be wagging, but it's the mirror we look at.
USA is by far, NOT as stupid as sold.
idiots exist everywhere, USA doesn't have a monopoly on stupidity, as much as i would like it so...
...
one thing that helps NOT to get singled out, is 'on the lam', keep your head down (but up enough so you don't walk into folks) don't approach unless it's a valid reason, and go about your holiday.
you'll find a lot of UK'ers have their own issues, like trying not to be poor for one...
[edit]
typo.

 

That's something I'm sure a lot of Americans would have difficulty with. People love to talk loudly in public for some reason. It also seems like the dumber the things they're saying are, the louder they talk. It doesn't seem to matter what the ambient volume level is. This annoys me greatly, and I experience it almost every day - so I'm sure it would annoy someone who's not accustomed to it even more.

 

That couldn't be more true. Here in Southern California, the Spanish speaking individuals seem to be even louder, having conversations over the phone at jet engine volume. Americans are needlessly loud, which I assume comes from talking over each other, drinking, & the fact everyone else is loud to begin with.

It is annoying, but I like that La-Li mentions that the dumber the things they say, the louder they are. I get joy & anger out of that. Mostly anger.

 

Americans as in Tierra Del Fuego or Nunavut?

There are those who find a way to generalize 314 million people spread out over a vast swath of Earth. There are those who apparently grew tired of the former and emigrated from Eurasia, Africa, and Latin America to live here, work here, and buy property here.

At one point I was working two jobs and between them I was working with people from Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan, Laos, China, Korea, Chile, Turkey, Russia, Germany, Australia, Wales, England, Morocco, Tunisia, and South Africa (in addition to people from Canada, the West Coast, New England, the Deep South, rural areas, and the hood)

Some of the people from Laos and Cambodia had come over here as stowaway on a boat when they were very young and they were far more American than I could ever be. Before you hate Americans, or the country, come over here and check it out. You're more than welcome to and in most cases there's something for everyone.

 

eurasia?
an bit of old lingo there. :smile-new:
...
possibly, but given a chance, denmark or germany would be the place i settle in. (maybe even austria or holland? weed is a MUST!)
...
nothing against USA, we just have zero in common. (speaking for myself alone that is)
as they say in limey-land: don't fix what isn't broken, or, once the tiger has been mounted DARE not dismount.
...
as for those who fled, i wish them all the best in that decision, was the best thing to do under whatever circumstances they faced.

 

A bit Off-Topic, but the only thing that I find worse than this is people playing music out loud in public. You know that guy with the headphones around his neck that you can hear everything, or that annoying little %*&$ playing music on his goddamn phone... I can barely contain myself and not grab the phone and smash it on the ground. I find this completely disrespectful, I bet most of then wouldn't like ME enforcing MY kinda music on THEM...

 

Has the thought of asking them to turn it down ever entered your mind before the thought of resorting to destruction of property or doing the same thing they're doing?

 

Oh, I would never really destroy their stuff for real, it's only though that come and go. And yeah, most of the time I politely ask the people to turn it down (unless it's a sketchy situation, like a metro at night). A lot of people in my school program think I hate music because of that; I just hate people enforcing their music on others.

 

People do this on the train where I am, I fear for my safety for some reason...

 

^^ chalk that up to regional/INTERNATIONAL doctrine.
you'll find it's mere programming, reflect on it!
...
can relate to the tunes bit, but it's everywhere and not a lot can be done (blotter said it best) so either:
1, do as suggested, use the smart answer by blotter.
2, get high and all else matters not.
3, get a headset that's quiet externally, so you can block out society WITHOUT pissing them off with the very issue getting to you.
...
if funny you mention safety, i find the opposite.
the folks on tunes are just getting from a-to-b using the path of least resistance...or just plain enjoy music. (muddling by, not wanting to be bothered, like ME with my headset.)
my eyes are on the ones compus-mentus, shifting eyes, NO headset and sober, they're a danger to me, not the 'hoodies in headsets' despite what the conservative propaganda would try to force me to believe. (struck up convos with these folks, laid back in comparison to the usual 9-to-5'er wage slave, that's for sure)

 

Well usually people who play music out loud from their phone in public transport, believe they are the only ones on the train. In a confined space, I worry for my safety since I can't listen out for hazards. Same goes for people who yell out random shit, or people arguing has the same effect on me.