People Are Sharing Things The U.S. Has That Europe Lacks, & I'm Suddenly Feeling Proud To Be A
If you've ever traveled to Europe, it's easy to ooh and aah over all the amazing aspects of European culture (hello: amazing, cheap table wine, budget flights that take you around the country in no time, and incredible architecture dating back to Medieval Times). At the same time, there are some pretty great things about America that Europe lacks. So Redditor u/Dependent-End5909 asked, "What is something Americans have which Europeans don't have?" Here's what people had to say.
1."Good Mexican food. The worst meal of my entire life was at a Mexican place in Slovakia."
"This is incredibly true. I got 'Mexican' food in Italy once. The salsa was essentially ketchup."
2."And barbeque. Delicious smoked barbeque."
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3."There are no Florida Man stories in Europe."
4."Outlets with 120 volts. My friends from the U.K. brought their own electronics over for a six-month stay, I asked to borrow a hair dryer after a night at their place. They had a U.K. to U.S. converter, but it would've been faster to air dry my hair. On the flip side, when I tried using my electronics in the U.K. with an adapter converter, my hairdryer and steamer immediately fried."
5."Ice water. In the U.S., you're given a tall glass of cold water as soon as you are seated at a restaurant. In Europe, expect to order fancy bottled water. I just want to chug some refreshing tap water."
6."Our currency has bill for the the one dollar. I do wonder how Europeans tip strippers with Euro coins."
7."Normal sized appliances. Every European who has seen my moderately-sized refrigerator says 'your refrigerator is the size of my whole flat.'"
8."Sinks with garbage disposals. As a kid in Europe I was always told not to put food down the sink. Meanwhile Americans are like 'if I don't eat it, the drain can have it.'"
9."College sports. In case any Americans are wondering, university sport as a spectator event is literally not a thing in any meaningful sense in the U.K., with the exception of a single rowing race once a year. Uni's have sports teams for sure, but crowds are minimal and TV coverage non-existent."
10."As a European who visited the U.S. 16 years ago, I am still thinking about your amazing sweets selection. Please send Twizzlers to Slovakia!"
11."We don't have air conditioning in northern Europe and many other parts of the country, which is a requirement in most places in America."
12."Bigger food portions. For example, a small or regular-sized meal is considered a large in European countries."
13."Automatic ice dispensers in refrigerators. In fact, it's such an American concept that you only find it on fridges that are labelled 'American style.'"
14."Root beer. It's a popular beverage in the United States, but visitors from Europe frequently comment on how strange it tastes."
15."It's not a physical thing, but America has a sense of optimism you don't often feel in Europe. I've lived in both Europe and North America, and there is something in the air in the U.S. that instils a 'go for it' attitude in people. I found that in the E.U., the idea of doing something risky on your own immediately leads people to think there's no way it will work out."
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16."Ice cream flavor variety. Seriously, my British friends are always amazed when I tell them about how many flavors I get to choose from."
17."Legal right turn on red. IMO it's one of the America's greatest contributions to society."
18."One million choices in the cereal aisle."
19."Wide open space. I love spending time in Europe, but man, it's amazing to come home to the U.S. and have hundreds of thousands of miles of nothing but open country to explore, hike, ride, camp, etc. A lot of this land isn't even included in national or state parks, which are also amazing."
20."The cheap price of gas. I don’t think most Americans understand how cheap gas truly is in the U.S. Just wait until you see the price in Europe."
21."Drive thru everything! Drive thru Starbucks, McDonald's...I’ve even heard the U.S. has drive-thru bands and liquor stores. As someone from Europe, that’s a crazy concept to me."
22."Pancakes with maple syrup. People from Europe are always amazed by how much sugar is in American breakfast. Go to the U.K. and there is none. Go to Amsterdam where pancakes are basically the national specialty, but you'll see they are mostly savory."
23."The Grand Canyon. We don't have that at home, and it's one of the most amazing places I've ever visited."
24."Ranch dressing. Why is it so good? And why don't we have it in Europe??"
25."Diners. One of the best meals you will ever eat is American diner food at 2 a.m."
26."A more ecologically diverse country. Here in the U.S. we have virtually every climate and ecosystem on the gradient."
27."Hot pockets and pizza rolls. God bless America."
28."Middle class folks with 2,500 square feet of new construction homes on four or more acres. You don't see that where I'm from."
29."Massive tubs of cheap peanut butter. It's rare and expensive in most of Europe, sold only in small 4- or 8-ounce containers."
30."International food. Most mid-size U.S. towns in the middle of nowhere boast better Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Mexican, Indian, and Middle Eastern food than most European capitals."
31."Extracurricular activities at school. Playing a specific sport or being part of a team isn't something schools offer where I'm from in Europe. My cousins live in Texas and the fact that their school has tennis courts and a pool blows my mind. Some schools here have small clubs like theater or choir, but they don't compare to those in the States. U.S. high school theater plays can sometimes look like professional productions. It's insane."
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32."Dipping sauce and condiments. We have so many kinds in the U.S. I went to a burger place in Italy and they didn’t even have ketchup — only olive oil and balsamic everywhere I went. I was really looking forward to going home to some good ol' BBQ, Ranch, honey mustard, and buffalo sauces."
33."Boozy Sunday brunch. The only other country I know that has it is the U.K. Most other European countries basically close down on Sundays. But here in the U.S., Sundays are for unlimited mimosas and football."
34."You can drive anywhere on half the continent without a passport, knowing only one language."
35."Around-the-clock access to food. The majority of the world doesn't have late-night fast food restaurants, let alone 24 hour grocery stores. In America if I need groceries at 3 a.m. in the U.S., they won't be too hard to find."
36.Anything you would add to this list? Share in the comments!
Here’s what we know about OSHA’s investigation of the Amazon warehouse where 6 died
Federal workplace safety officers investigating the Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville where six workers were killed in an EF-3 tornado on Dec. 10, will not be examining the type of construction methods used for the building or whether the structure met building codes, a spokesman said.
Investigators with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, will review whether Amazon had a “proper emergency action plan,” U.S. Department of Labor spokesman Scott Allen said in an interview.
OSHA would “issue citations and propose monetary penalties if violations of workplace safety and or health regulations are found,” according to a news release from the agency on Monday.
During a press conference on Monday, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the building’s construction will be reviewed to ensure it was completed to code. He also said building codes in general should be reviewed in light of the increase in extreme weather events.
“Obviously there is an investigation going on to make sure all the code was followed in the building of the building and to find out exactly what occurred here,” he said.
Jordan Abudayyeh, a spokeswoman for Pritzker, could not be reached for comment on Wednesday or Thursday about which state agency is handling that investigation.
A spokesman for the Illinois Department of Labor said the state agency does not investigate workplace safety issues involving public institutions such as police departments, fire departments and schools. Illinois OSHA does not investigate private businesses.
Edwardsville Police Chief Michael Fillback was asked about the investigation and he referred the Belleville News-Democrat back to OSHA.
Federal OSHA investigation
As far as the federal OSHA investigation of Amazon’s emergency action plan, Allen said the agency will interview company officials. It also will find out if there was a “safety officer” at the worksite and interview that person.
Investigators will work to determine “whether all the OSHA standards were being followed,” Allen said.
OSHA has six months to complete its investigation.
An Amazon spokesperson has said that workers were directed to go to a “shelter in place” location on the north side of the building and that the company will cooperate fully with the OSHA investigation.
The six people killed in the warehouse were employees of companies contracted by Amazon, the spokesperson said.
Allen said he could not yet release any specific information about the Amazon warehouse investigation and that it could be “several months” before the OSHA report is complete.
“They’re not going to address anything specific about this particular investigation until they’ve completed it,” Allen said of the compliance officers investigating the Amazon case.
Allen said the OSHA investigators first went to the warehouse on Saturday. Their duties included making sure that workers clearing the rubble at site were following safety procedures, he said.
Emergency action plan
The OSHA website lays out the specifics of what an emergency action plan should look like:
▪ An emergency action plan must be in writing, kept in the workplace and available to employees for review. However, an employer with 10 or fewer employees may communicate the plan orally to employees.
And the plan must include the following:
▪ Procedures for reporting a fire or other emergency.
▪ Procedures for emergency evacuation, including type of evacuation and exit route assignments.
▪ Procedures to be followed by employees who remain to operate critical plant operations before they evacuate.
▪ Procedures to account for all employees after evacuation.
▪ Procedures to be followed by employees performing rescue or medical duties.
Comments clarified
State Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, released a statement on Tuesday urging OSHA to “conduct a timely and thorough investigation of the facility, including a complete audit of the building codes, building materials and code enforcement in the facility.”
Stuart could not be reached for comment on Thursday about OSHA saying its investigation doesn’t cover building codes and building material. A representative from her office, however, sent an email clarifying her statement.
“We just want to clarify that Katie was only urging OSHA to investigate the above matters,” the email stated. “The important thing is to take a look at
