I saw this on fb the other day and thought it was worth sharing. I agree with most of what he said, though in Bristol you definitely better lock your bike! Something I'd add to the list is that the cyclists of Bristol wear bright and reflective vests, jackets, and backpacks. The bikers at night also have on average 3 flashing lights! We don't do that in the US much. I've even seen some dogs with flashing light collars so they can be seen in the dark. Kath and Elizabeth love to hear what I think about the British and the differences. They both seem to think that Americans in general work to hard (too many hours and not enough vacation). Elizabeth also seems to think, from talking to her daughter that lives in the US, that we are so competitive in the US in our own workplaces that it blocks true collaboration and people aren't as willing to truly work together. Don't know? I've not necessarily had a job in one of those more competitive fields.
I do love the British people. Always have. They're one of my favorite people to do treks with, or other difficult activities with while traveling. They have a great, self-deprecating sense of humor. They are very cheerful, but often cheerful in a gloomy way if that makes sense. They love to complain, but do it in a funny and humorous way. When you're hiking up some long pass and it's rainy and cold, they somehow make the trip better by their funny complaining as they talk about how, if they were smart, they would have gone to the beach where they'd be sipping cocktails and tanning.
I feel like they're more laid back and cheerful, and less easily angered. The traffic in Bristol is a nightmare. Bikes weave all over, cutting cars off. Other cars cut each other off. But here, all parties are just relaxed about it, and it's no big deal. In the US, most of what I see would definitely warrant a mean honk and the finger and potentially angry yelling out the window. People you meet at their jobs also tend to be quite cheery (there obviously could be a bias b/c they know I'm a visitor b/c of my accent). The few times I've taken the bus, the driver has been most helpful. When I walk into stores, they are all very helpful. I was in a liquor store the other day looking for beer or cider for a dinner party. I was just sort of browsing around overwhelmed by the huge variety of ales and ciders I have never seen and the clerk was super nice and came over and helped me out. I've had to go to the giant Asda (owned by walmart, and basically the exact same as a super walmart) a couple of times. You know how our walmart checkers are. Well, the ones here are so bright and cheery. Quite interesting.
Anyways, thought you might enjoy what this guy had to say...
"An American tourist's Facebook post about the cultural differences between England and America has gone viral and it'll make you proud to be English.
Scott Waters, a 66-year-old from St Augustine, Florida, was visiting England for the fourth time when he decided to list all the differences he encountered during his time over here. The brilliant post has since been liked over 90,000 times.
Granted, it's a bit long-winded, but bear with it, it's worth the read. From every pub having a pet drunk to our tea being f*cking delicious, he's got the country absolutely spot on.
After reading all that, you should be feeling really patriotic. Yeah we like fish and chips a bit too much, yeah our pubs close a bit early mainly because we all drink too much and are sh*tfaced by 10pm, yeah we bitch about the NHS even though we're lucky to have it. But this country's not so bad, is it? Cheers, Scott."
