Many people know the US to be so many things. A world power, the land of freedom, the home of entertainment, the birthplace of McDonald’s, and many more. But that’s not all. There are many other things to know about this massive country. Some might be confusing while others might be comprehensible, but these things are important if one wants to have a good time in the country. Without further ado, here are 10 things about the U.S. that are confusing but helpful.
10 Different States, Different Laws
States in the United States have different laws that govern them. One needs to know that just because something is accepted in one state does not mean it will automatically be accepted in another. Gun laws, alcohol laws, and many other laws differ from state to state hence it is important to study these things before heading to a destination of choice.
9 One Cannot Comfortably Address A Person Based On Their Physical Appearance
In the United States nowadays, people walk on eggshells when trying to communicate with others. A person may have the physical attributes of a man but identify as a woman. Such ideologies make it difficult to approach a person and ask for help because one does not know whether to call them “Ma” or “Sir”. Perhaps it's wise to just say hello and ask the question so one does not get aggressively corrected by the other person to address them as “They” or “them.” Pretty confusing!
8 Several Time Zones
The United States is so large and diverse that it is divided into nine different time zones. Say it is 04:22 AM in Hawaii (UTC-10), then it will be, 06:22 AM in Alaska (UTC-8), 07: 22 AM in California (UTC-7), 08:22 AM in Colorado (UTC-6), 09:22 AM in Nebraska (UTC-5), and 10:22 AM in New York (UTC-4). Many of these states even use more than a single time zone but they generally fall into one of these categories. This is just a reminder to check the local time of the destination before arriving to avoid confusion.
7 Feet, Inches, And Miles Instead Of Meters and Kilometers
The majority of the world may use meters and kilometers as their units of measurement for length but not the United States. This is because the United States still uses the imperial system of measurement instead of the more popular metric system of measurement. Few individuals or organizations in the country may use meters and kilometers occasionally but the majority of the country uses feet, inches, and miles for the measurement of length. Regardless of what is being measured, these units of measurement are always used in the United States and one just has to take note of these before visiting. For those used to kilometers when it comes to distance, be aware that a mile is longer than a kilometer. Besides just length, there are many other units of measurement used by the United States that are different from the rest of the world. For instance, The United States uses Fahrenheit instead of Celsius and Pounds instead of Kilograms.
6 A Country Armed To The Teeth
Up till now, it is not yet known why there are so many guns in the United States. Think of a country with 334.7 million people and 393,3 million firearms. Yes, that's the United States with more firearms than humans. This fact just screams the question - why are there so many guns in this country? Although, the Second Amendment gave the citizens the right to own these tools; still it does not answer the concerns many people have about safety in a country where there is likely to be more than one firearm in every single household.
5 America And The United States Mean The Same Thing
The United States is just a country in North America and there’s also South America, but that does not stop the country from adopting “America” as its alternative name. Surprisingly, many parts of the world subscribe to this and now also refer to the United States as “America”. It’s easier to pronounce anyway.
4 The Love For flags
The United States is known for its love for flags. In many parts of the country, the American flag can be seen dancing to the tunes of the wind. Nowadays, it’s not just the American flag as a wide variety of other flags can also be seen hanging all over different parts of the country. By the way, June 14 is national flag day.
3 Toilet Paper Is Preferred For Water
Americans generally use toilet paper to wipe off after using the toilet instead of water like in many parts of the world. For travelers coming from Arabic countries or countries where toilet papers are not common, this may be a difficult thing to get used to. Regardless, it is part of the American culture, so travelers just have to get used to tearing, rubbing, and dumping.
2 Americans Love Baseball
As confusing as baseball can be, it is one of the most loved sports in America. It is not uncommon to get invited to a baseball game by an American friend. Think twice before accepting the invitation because it might turn out to be the most boring couple of hours you’ve experienced.
1 There’s So Much To See And Do, It’s Almost Overwhelming
The United States is endowed with an abundance of things to see and do. For those visiting this vast country, it would be super helpful to create an itinerary and stick to it to avoid confusion about where to go or what to do next. It is more difficult to choose when there are too many options than when there are no options. Maybe read that again.