What is America like??? question from an Australian fella.

Byrnzie

soulsinging wrote:

Byrnzie wrote:

jlew24asu wrote:

"Tipping's for Fags" is an insulting statement to many and speaks volumes of the type of person you are.

And what type of person am I Jlew? Please enlighten me.

The kind of person that thinks "Tipping's for Fags" is an appropriate and intelligent way to respond to a legitimate question.

Rice is for chinks. Offensive, no?

Ah! The Soulsinging & Jlew double-act back together again pecking away at Byrnzie like a couple of mosquitoes.

I wonder how many people on this message board are stupid enough to believe that I meant the comment in question seriously? My estimation is that none are that stupid. I suggest you put your two heads together and try another tactic.

Byrnzie

DN307676 wrote:

Is Alaska really that bad to visit?

Have you ever seen the series 'Northern Exposure'? It's one of my favourite ever t.v shows. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Exposure

Alaska's one of the few places in America that I've not been and that I'd like to visit. Alaska, Seattle, and Austin, Texas. I also wouldn't mind going back to the Grand Canyon sometime.

soulsinging

Byrnzie wrote:

I wonder how many people on this message board are stupid enough to believe that I meant the comment in question seriously? My estimation is that none are that stupid. I suggest you put your two heads together and try another tactic.

Doesn't matter if you meant it seriously or not, it's still inappropriate. Walk into Harlem and start telling nigger jokes. Tell me how they respond when you tell them that you're just joking and they shouldn't take you seriously.

Commy

Byrnzie wrote:

DN307676 wrote:

Is Alaska really that bad to visit?

Have you ever seen the series 'Northern Exposure'? It's one of my favourite ever t.v shows. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Exposure

Alaska's one of the few places in America that I've not been and that I'd like to visit. Alaska, Seattle, and Austin, Texas. I also wouldn't mind going back to the Grand Canyon sometime.

if you do go to alaska i suggest staying out of anckorage, its nothing special. really flat and boring. was only there 2 nights, but the rest of the state that i saw was amazing.

Katmai is the place to go. hard to get to, but its where the national geographic photographers get a lot of their footage of bears feeding on salmon. worth checking out for sure.


you should also check out north idaho. sandpoint specifically.

Byrnzie

soulsinging wrote:

Byrnzie wrote:

I wonder how many people on this message board are stupid enough to believe that I meant the comment in question seriously? My estimation is that none are that stupid. I suggest you put your two heads together and try another tactic.

Doesn't matter if you meant it seriously or not, it's still inappropriate. Walk into Harlem and start telling nigger jokes. Tell me how they respond when you tell them that you're just joking and they shouldn't take you seriously.

Trust me, the day I begin taking lessons in morality and correct behaviour from you two hyenas is the day I'll willingly receive a lobotomy.

soulsinging

Byrnzie wrote:

soulsinging wrote:

Byrnzie wrote:

I wonder how many people on this message board are stupid enough to believe that I meant the comment in question seriously? My estimation is that none are that stupid. I suggest you put your two heads together and try another tactic.

Doesn't matter if you meant it seriously or not, it's still inappropriate. Walk into Harlem and start telling nigger jokes. Tell me how they respond when you tell them that you're just joking and they shouldn't take you seriously.

Trust me, the day I begin taking lessons in morality and correct behaviour from you two hyenas is the day I'll willingly receive a lobotomy.

Fair enough. Let me know how the Harlem experiment goes.

dunkman

they have this thing called sales tax... its the stupidest thing in the world. Mix that with tipping and its a proper joke.

great fucking buffets though.

i noticed that a lot of the folks i met were very very polite as well.

and i really enjoyed driving. unlike here where there are corners, lights everywhere, etc... driving in Florida was amazingly easy and enjoyable.

South of Seattle

dunkman wrote:

they have this thing called sales tax... its the stupidest thing in the world. Mix that with tipping and its a proper joke.

great fucking buffets though.

i noticed that a lot of the folks i met were very very polite as well.

and i really enjoyed driving. unlike here where there are corners, lights everywhere, etc... driving in Florida was amazingly easy and enjoyable.

Should have visited a non-sales tax state.

dunkman

South of Seattle wrote:

dunkman wrote:

they have this thing called sales tax... its the stupidest thing in the world. Mix that with tipping and its a proper joke.

great fucking buffets though.

i noticed that a lot of the folks i met were very very polite as well.

and i really enjoyed driving. unlike here where there are corners, lights everywhere, etc... driving in Florida was amazingly easy and enjoyable.

Should have visited a non-sales tax state.

they have Disneyworld in Utah?

he still stands

Ugh if you're going to the U.S., DO NOT go to Disney World! That place is a total money pit and I hate manufactured entertainment.

my suggestions would include:

take in a proper baseball game at Camden (Baltimore). Cheap tix and Baltimore is real close to...
an old school "east coast" beach... Ocean City Maryland.
A weekend in Washington, DC - stay at the Watergate, go to the Smithsonian, walk the Mall, and party in Georgetown.
A day or two in NYC.
An east coast Pearl Jam show

on the other side of the states...

Grand Canyon for sure...
shrooms in death valley, California
Las Vegas (2 days max)
San Francisco and San Diego (stay out of Hell A)
Camping at the Mogollon Rim north of Phoenix, Arizona - my favorite spot in the world.

dunkman

he still stands wrote:

Ugh if you're going to the U.S., DO NOT go to Disney World!

i took my two little girls... not sure i'd want them doing 'shrooms in death valley' not sure they'd be that impressed by most of what you listed..

when they've grown up i plan to visit places i want to go to... but Disneyworld has to be done if you're a parent... its a silly law that was made up just after the silly sales tax one.

decides2dream

dunkman wrote:

he still stands wrote:

Ugh if you're going to the U.S., DO NOT go to Disney World!

i took my two little girls... not sure i'd want them doing 'shrooms in death valley' not sure they'd be that impressed by most of what you listed..

when they've grown up i plan to visit places i want to go to... but Disneyworld has to be done if you're a parent... its a silly law that was made up just after the silly sales tax one.

agreed!
every child deserves at least one trip to disneyworld and disneyland!


btw - you don't have sales tax? i thought surely you did. i realize, yours is added in the price whereas ours is not. i believe the reason it is not is b/c different states have different sales taxes, or none at all...and even within each state, certain items may be taxed, others not, or taxed at different rates....so they are added at the end so the consumer can see exactly what the cost is from the store, and exactly what percent tax they are paying. here is NY we do have sales tax, and even within the state, different counties have differing levels. also, we have a higher sales tax for certain goods, and lower say for some such as clothes. thus, the transparency of the tax added on your bill so you can see what's what. but sure, i hear ya, if you're accustomed to the price being all-inclusive, it can throw you off. however, most americans are accustomed to it.


visit NH! it's a gorgeous tate, and no sales tax!

dunkman

yeah we have it in the price... so if i go to a restaurant and order the £14.99 steak and a £3.00 pint of beer my meal will cost £17.99. i may even leave a penny tip. i said 'may'.

but in Florida i bought a Yoda t-shirt on my first day.. it was $9.99.. i gave her a $10 note... she asked me for 68 cents or something...
me: "ehhhhh it says $9.99."
"but we have sales tax of 7.5%"
"well just re-sticker all your stock with a price that is 7.5% higher and save the fucking confusion"

and thats when the sales tax added at the checkout penny dropped. it's especially annoying in restaurants.

first i have to think about tipping on a variant scale of 10-15% then i have to think about paying for 4 meals that have still to get their sales tax added, etc.... just tell me the fucking price!!!! if it says £20 here then its £20!!! arrgghhh!

i know you said americans are used to it... but americans are also used to wearing white socks pulled up to the knee and then sandals on top of the socks!!!! just because they are used to it doesnt make it right!! :twisted:


oh... tell you another thing... needed a cream for my daughters foot... in the UK its on prescription and therefore 'free'... asked for it in the US and the guy wanted her to have an examination as long as we could pay the consultancy fee.... then we'd have to pay for the cream!! We explained how it works here in the UK and he seemed genuinely amazed and surprised that kids in the UK got seen and treated for free...

i then explained we have no guns, the non sales tax thing and no tipping... he asked if i lived in a land called "commonsenseland"

decides2dream

dunkman wrote:

yeah we have it in the price... so if i go to a restaurant and order the £14.99 steak and a £3.00 pint of beer my meal will cost £17.99. i may even leave a penny tip. i said 'may'.

but in Florida i bought a Yoda t-shirt on my first day.. it was $9.99.. i gave her a $10 note... she asked me for 68 cents or something...
me: "ehhhhh it says $9.99."
"but we have sales tax of 7.5%"
"well just re-sticker all your stock with a price that is 7.5% higher and save the fucking confusion"

and thats when the sales tax added at the checkout penny dropped. it's especially annoying in restaurants.

first i have to think about tipping on a variant scale of 10-15% then i have to think about paying for 4 meals that have still to get their sales tax added, etc.... just tell me the fucking price!!!! if it says £20 here then its £20!!! arrgghhh!

i know you said americans are used to it... but americans are also used to wearing white socks pulled up to the knee and then sandals on top of the socks!!!! just because they are used to it doesnt make it right!! :twisted:


oh... tell you another thing... needed a cream for my daughters foot... in the UK its on prescription and therefore 'free'... asked for it in the US and the guy wanted her to have an examination as long as we could pay the consultancy fee.... then we'd have to pay for the cream!! We explained how it works here in the UK and he seemed genuinely amazed and surprised that kids in the UK got seen and treated for free...

i then explained we have no guns, the non sales tax thing and no tipping... he asked if i lived in a land called "commonsenseland"

and see, i thought it was europeans who did that. most american tourists wear sneakers (trainers to you)


that said, as i said....i hear ya. this is simply how it is here. hope your kiddies had a fantastic time in disneyworld! i know when i went there as a kid i LOVED it! also went to disneyland in cali more times than i can count - had friends/relatives near by we visited often - just soooo much FUN when you are a kid!



btw - do you not consult guidebooks for places you plan to visit? normally, such books tip you off to the customs of the place...such as tipping, taxes, etc. just sayin'...;)

dunkman

decides2dream wrote:

and see, i thought it was europeans who did that. most american tourists wear sneakers (trainers to you)


that said, as i said....i hear ya. this is simply how it is here. hope your kiddies had a fantastic time in disneyworld! i know when i went there as a kid i LOVED it! also went to disneyland in cali more times than i can count - had friends/relatives near by we visited often - just soooo much FUN when you are a kid!



btw - do you not consult guidebooks for places you plan to visit? normally, such books tip you off to the customs of the place...such as tipping, taxes, etc. just sayin'...;)

maybe the french do... but they're a law unto themselves. but seriously some of the men/womens fashion crimes of your citizens defied belief... dark grey socks, white sneakers and those fucking awful pleated golf shorts.. and i didnt see a PJ shirt once.

thanks D2D... i really enjoyed myself but it was amazing for the kids... they had an absolute dream holiday and my youngest was crying on her last day cos she didnt want to leave. She apparently wants to move to Florida whilst my eldest wants to move to California.

and no.. i never consult guidebooks or anything unless i was going to some 3rd world cycling holiday or something where i might need to know about not using my right hand to eat or it means i'm about to marry the hosts brothers or something.. but i thought i was visiting a civilised country and whatnot... (i was visiting the Disney parks so didnt think a guidebook was required... if i was touring the southern states i would read up a bit more)
but i did know about the sales tax... Chime had pre-warned me... but it was my first full day and i was tired and the heat was immense... plus my forgetting about it gave me an opportunity to moan about how stupid it is.

great vacation though... loved it.

went to St Augustine... America's oldest city... if you havent been its beautiful. unlike men wearing big socks and shit shorts... yuk!

decides2dream

dunkman wrote:

great vacation though... loved it.

:thumbup:
excellent, that's all that matters.
it's been years and years since i've last visited florida. it gets a bad rap and is the butt of many jokes but it truly IS a beautiful state. the florida keys are breath-taking! and yes, disney world, well, tis it's own fantastic world!

one of the last pictures of my dad is a picture of him, my mom and pluto between them, and pluto has one of his paws on my dad's bald head , and my dad just has a great big smile on his face. too sweet and funny. taken in disneyland, but still....other side of the country, sure, but close enough.

now i have to try and dig up that picture.

Heatherj43

DN307676 wrote:

Really want to visit America but have so many questions because it is such a huge country with so many states which all have there own charm.
It would be impossible to visit every state and considering the currency change from Australian dollars to U.S dollars i have to be selective about which states to visit.
Places like New York,California,Las Vegas are a shoe in but would love to see Washington,New Orleans,Miami, the list goes on!!!!!!!!!!
Dont want to do the clique thing,would love to see the cool,unknown towns of the U.S.

I have some questions and would love your thoughts.

questions are,
Would it be better to refer to America as the U.S.A?
Should i tip 10% for everything that i buy?
Are people in New York really as rude as French people?
Is a dime bag really a dime and what is a dime?
Is Alaska really that bad to visit?

Stupid question i know but would love to hear your thoughts.

Im only asking because a fan of Pearl Jam is a fan of mine.......?
Aghh you know what i mean !!

Dan.

Call it either US or America.
No, only tip in some situations and then not 10 0/0. Like eating out is 15 to 20 percent. tip cab drivers, hair salon people, anyone who does persoanl services like that, and then some of them don't get tipped. kinda watch what other do.Yes, New Yorkers are rude. I think they just are busy.
A dime bag use to be a baggy and when the pot laid flat across it it was 2 fingers deep and cost $10.( a dime). Now, it isn't as much pot, and cost more than a dime.
I would go to Alaska. Its really nice. There are cruises offered that I would love to go on if I could afford it.

Pepe Silvia

you don't have to tip people at stores, just people who serve you or do some service for you. i tip more than 10%, though. i think 15-20% is a good range unless they i think they deserve more

a dime bag has different weights depending on the person selling it and the quality, basically a dime bag is a bag you paid $10 for (a dime is 10 cents, so a nickel bag would be 5, though those are the only ones where the coin is equal to the price, like a quarter bag costs more than $25 unless it's pretty low quality) a dub bag is a bag that cost $20

catefrances

dunkman wrote:

he still stands wrote:

Ugh if you're going to the U.S., DO NOT go to Disney World!

i took my two little girls... not sure i'd want them doing 'shrooms in death valley' not sure they'd be that impressed by most of what you listed..

when they've grown up i plan to visit places i want to go to... but Disneyworld has to be done if you're a parent... its a silly law that was made up just after the silly sales tax one.

oh come on dunk. kids tripping is almost as fun as getting your pets high.

Smellyman

dunkman wrote:

decides2dream wrote:

and see, i thought it was europeans who did that. most american tourists wear sneakers (trainers to you)


that said, as i said....i hear ya. this is simply how it is here. hope your kiddies had a fantastic time in disneyworld! i know when i went there as a kid i LOVED it! also went to disneyland in cali more times than i can count - had friends/relatives near by we visited often - just soooo much FUN when you are a kid!



btw - do you not consult guidebooks for places you plan to visit? normally, such books tip you off to the customs of the place...such as tipping, taxes, etc. just sayin'...;)

and no.. i never consult guidebooks or anything unless i was going to some 3rd world cycling holiday or something where i might need to know about not using my right hand to eat or it means i'm about to marry the hosts brothers or something.. but i thought i was visiting a civilised country and whatnot... !

Crikey, then you shouldn't be upset about things you do not understand. Its a good idea to read up information on ANY country you visit. If you do that maybe we won't have to hear you whine so much.