Differences between UK and USA

[Wack61]

The guns suck. No lie. Would trade that in an instant. I'm a veteran, and I haven't touched a piece since I returned to civilian life...

The thing I am impressed with is how veterans are respected in the US

At sea World in Orlando about 15 years ago before the show started the announcer asked all veterans in the audience to stand, serving, ex veterans and the families of those no longer with us.

Thousands then applauded them, it was quite a moving experience, I don't know how veterans are treated in the US compared to the UK where it appears to be pretty badly, nobody who's served their country should be struggling to stay alive in one of the richest countries in the world.

 

[Tallman]

The thing I am impressed with is how veterans are respected in the US

At sea World in Orlando about 15 years ago before the show started the announcer asked all veterans in the audience to stand, serving, ex veterans and the families of those no longer with us.

Thousands then applauded them, it was quite a moving experience, I don't know how veterans are treated in the US compared to the UK where it appears to be pretty badly, nobody who's served their country should be struggling to stay alive in one of the richest countries in the world.

The US is a country with such contradictions - on the one hand they pride themselves of being the leader of the Free World, on the other hand they imprison the most per capita by some margin and if you run into the wrong judge/jury you can be put away for 15 years for a minor offence in a commercial jail (gaol ) with a vested interest in keeping you there.

Punishments are beyond harsh and then the sueing of course. At one stage Cessna and other small plane manufacturers were forced to stop producing small planes for about 15 years as they could be held liable for accidents no matter how old and decrepit the plane was. This destroyed the industry and many small manufacturers failed.

 

[Felonious Crud]

Also, coffee is only imbibed black and strong, by yours truly. But how many freaking teas does one person need???

NATO standard coffee. Good man.

As for tea, we have two sorts: breakfast and Earl Grey. Any more than that is just silly.

 

[Felonious Crud]

...also, horses for what?!? You eat them...?

They do in France and Belgium.

And cannibalism still goes on in some places, too. But it's still morally repulsive to others.

 

[midlifecrisis]

NATO standard coffee. Good man.

As for tea, we have two sorts: breakfast and Earl Grey. Any more than that is just silly.

NATO standard tea or coffee is with milk and two sugars.
Whoopi Goldberg is coffee/tea without milk or sugar (Black nun)
Julie Andrews is coffee/tea with milk no sugar (White nun).

And how much tea can a man consume? Hmm on a quiet day ... Around 8 pints..(seriously!)

 

[Felonious Crud]

That's a hyperlocal issue. Here, for instance, we have no mass transit...at least not in any meaningful, cohesive manner. We also don't have a ULEZ!

You do have BART. Although I never used it. Cabbies always better for chat.

 

[Felonious Crud]

NATO standard tea or coffee is with milk and two sugars.

It is?? Dammit. I always thought it was straight black.

 

[midlifecrisis]

It is?? Dammit. I always thought it was straight black.

No, NATO has everything.

 

[Phil H]

The thing I am impressed with is how veterans are respected in the US

At sea World in Orlando about 15 years ago before the show started the announcer asked all veterans in the audience to stand, serving, ex veterans and the families of those no longer with us.

Thousands then applauded them, it was quite a moving experience, I don't know how veterans are treated in the US compared to the UK where it appears to be pretty badly, nobody who's served their country should be struggling to stay alive in one of the richest countries in the world.

That wasn't always the case. After the Vietnam war veterans were largely ignored, and often reviled. It took many years of campaigning for them to get recognition for their service and provide support they needed.

It's great to see veterans recognised, and it would be nice to see British veterans given the recognition they deserve - but it is sadly lacking.

 

[Felonious Crud]

That's really not how it works in the UK.

C

Truth, bruv.

 

[GeoffCapes]

Just thought of another. Irony.

 

[Wattie]

Humour.
Exhibit A. The Office.
Ruined.

 

[Felonious Crud]

Eating with only one hand and a fork - cutting it up first and shovelling it in, even in a fine dining restaurant - and I won’t even comment on what you see at McDonalds with drink as much as you want (=can). Not knocking you @DLax69 just some observations from a non-Brit

Like with all things, there's a reason for this. The first migrants, those that set sail on the Mayflower and those that followed and spread throughout the continent, needed to travel light. Having a whole pile of cutlery did not make for light travel, so often a fork was the only sensible option. Hence, a different (from European) approach to eating rapidly and necessarily evolved.

 

[midlifecrisis]

That wasn't always the case. After the Vietnam war veterans were largely ignored, and often reviled. It took many years of campaigning for them to get recognition for their service and provide support they needed.

It's great to see veterans recognised, and it would be nice to see British veterans given the recognition they deserve - but it is sadly lacking.

Having done the Remembrance Parade just last month, we felt the love. Free train travel to London - just flash your Veterans Railcard or Veterans ID cars (coming soon to old lags). Many of our lads were 'thanked' by members for their service for persons of all ages on their way home. The only persons who gave 'abuse' were fellow veterans...but that's just good old military banter and added to the day.

 

[CatmanV2]

It feels that we're a little more 'concentrated' in our veteran respecting. US air travel, for example, often veterans are often invited to board first.

Shades of Starship Troopers

C

 

[DLax69]

Sadly, the treatment of teachers sounds the same.

Relative to the veteran stuff...my grandfather, an Italian national, fled Italy and came to the US to fight the Fascists. Obviously they were not gonna let him fight in Europe, so the US Army shipped him to the Pacific theater. They were hailed as conquering heroes, forever.

He went back to Italy, had my father, and moved back to the States. My dad enlisted in VietNam, and was pilloried for his service upon getting out in 1970.

I went in twenty years later...and I get a 10 percent discount at Lowes!

 

[Nibby]

And how much tea can a man consume? Hmm on a quiet day ... Around 8 pints..(seriously!)

And why does it want to leave my body in the middle of the night?

 

[Nibby]

Sadly, the treatment of teachers sounds the same.

Relative to the veteran stuff...my grandfather, an Italian national, fled Italy and came to the US to fight the Fascists. Obviously they were not gonna let him fight in Europe, so the US Army shipped him to the Pacific theater. They were hailed as conquering heroes, forever.

He went back to Italy, had my father, and moved back to the States. My dad enlisted in VietNam, and was pilloried for his service upon getting out in 1970.

I went in twenty years later...and I get a 10 percent discount at Lowes!

I'm near the Mildenhall/Lakenheath bases Den, I thought American servicemen get treated well, they get all there rent paid, cheap good quality food and fuel on base and get to retire early with a nice pension.
Just to add further to Wack's comments, at finishing time up on the base half four or half five, the American national anthem is played and everyone stops until it's finished.

 

[MarkMas]

Like with all things, there's a reason for this. The first migrants, those that set sail on the Mayflower and those that followed and spread throughout the continent, needed to travel light. Having a whole pile of cutlery did not make for light travel, so often a fork was the only sensible option. Hence, a different (from European) approach to eating rapidly and necessarily evolved.

I don't know why the Americans eat like this, but this explanation seems to me like inventive and unlikely speculation. And it would be more likely that people travelling light would only have a knife amongst their utensils, not a fork.

A slightly more credible speculation is that forks came late to the colonies, and so were used in the way that spoons had been, rather than as a supporting utensil for the knife.

The history behind the way Americans use forks

Whether it's the way the fork is held, to only eating with the fork, or using the "cut-and-switch" method, the American way of dining is controversial to Europeans.

qz.com

Also I remember an account of the Mayflower by Bill Bryson where he reported that they brought with them an extraordinary number of mostly useless and absurd items, and very little practical equipment.

 

[MarkMas]

The thing I am impressed with is how veterans are respected in the US

At sea World in Orlando about 15 years ago before the show started the announcer asked all veterans in the audience to stand, serving, ex veterans and the families of those no longer with us.

Thousands then applauded them, it was quite a moving experience, I don't know how veterans are treated in the US compared to the UK where it appears to be pretty badly, nobody who's served their country should be struggling to stay alive in one of the richest countries in the world.

I have a sense that the US (and sometimes in the UK) respect for veterans is a little 'performative', and in both the US and the UK, actual support for veterans is not so great.
Larry David is not exactly an etiquette exemplar, but he does sometimes skewer rituals: