Australia and America: 14 Differences That Can Get You in Trouble While Travelling

by Eliza Worner, May 5, 2008

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The USA and Australia are great countries to visit, but beware the unexpected differences between the two cultures. There are many and they could get you in trouble.

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Travelers to foreign countries will always notice how different other cultures are. We often expect some differences, but may still be surprised when we get there and discover just how diverse the world is. Nothing could have prepared me for the first time I stepped off a plane in South-East Asia, but the biggest surprises always come when I travel to the USA, expecting no surprises but receiving many.

As it turns out, no two countries are alike. Some of the greatest culture shock that travelers experience is when they travel to a country and don't expect any differences. People jetting between the USA and Australia are likely to experience some of the greatest culture shock of all.

USA and Australia: The Similarities

The physical geographical size of Australia is almost exactly the same size as mainland USA (without Alaska).

Both Australia and the USA have coast lines on the Pacific Ocean.

Both countries have deserts, mountains, lakes, rivers, beaches, islands and snow. Yes, it does snow in Australia and many Australians are keen skiers.

USA and Australia: The Differences

Iced Coffee

An iced coffee in Australia is a tall glass of cold milky coffee topped with whipped cream and icecream, and served in a sundae glass. It is more like a dessert than a beverage.

An iced coffee in the USA is a tall glass of cold black filter coffee served with ice, much like iced tea.

Milkshakes

An Australian thickshake is an American milkshake. I don't think there is an equivalent of an Australian milkshake in America, and by that same reasoning Americans don't have thickshakes, either.

An Australian milkshake is made by mixing milk, flavour and sometimes a very small scoop of ice cream in a blender. The result is a froth-filled milky beverage, sometimes served with whipped cream on top. An Australian milkshake can easily be consumed through a straw.

An Australian thickshake, and an American milkshake, is mostly ice cream. This “thick shake” is difficult to slurp quickly through a straw. Thickshakes are much colder than a milkshake due to all that ice cream.

The Thong

A thong is an iconic piece of Australian strappy footwear often constructed from rubber and sold cheaply in supermarkets (known as flip flops or jandals in other parts of the world).

An American thong is a strappy piece of underwear worn (preferably) by slender, tanned women with Brazilian bikini waxes (also known as a G-string).

The Word “Fanny”

In the USA, elderly women often use the term “fanny” to refer to their large backsides. It is also commonly used in the phrase “fanny pack” when referring to the small waste-band satchel frequently worn by tourists.

In Australia, however, the word “fanny” should NOT be used in polite conversation. It refers to a woman's private part, more commonly known as a “you know what” or a “what-sa-mi-whozit”.

The tourist satchel is always called a “bum bag” in Australia.

To Root

Rooting in the USA simply means “supporting through good cheer”. One “roots for” their local sports team or for their friend's big job interview.

Rooting in Australia simply means “having sex”. It is a colloquial term that is only slightly more socially acceptable than the “F” word.

How Rooting and Fannies can get you in trouble

As a 13 year-old Australian girl visiting the USA on a cultural exchange back in 1990, I was told by my host mother, a 50-year-old housewife that her “fanny is sore because we were sitting in the stands rooting for our team all day.”

My response to this statement was a wide-eyed “your WHAT is WHAT because you did WHAT?”

Beaches and Oceans

A huge proportion of the population of the USA lives in the middle of the country. There are many Americans who have never seen the ocean.

Australia's tiny population lives almost entirely along the East Coast of Australia, touching the Pacific Ocean. The vast majority of Australians can't believe there are people on Earth who have never seen the ocean.

National Holidays

Australians do not have any reason to celebrate American Thanksgiving. This holiday is NOT recognised in Australia.

Likewise, Americans do not celebrate Australia Day or ANZAC day.

Also, Halloween is not widely celebrated in Australia. Many Australians (wrongly) believe Halloween is a “stupid American thing”. Halloween is actually a pagan holiday from Great Britain, but all the same it has largely been ignored in Australia since 1983 (when I was a child), although it may be currently undergoing a resurgence.

Christmas occurs in summer in Australia and in winter in the USA.

Attitudes to National Flags

The American flag is worshipped almost as a God. The flag is hailed in the American anthem. School children across the USA pledge daily allegiance to the flag. Tourists to the USA are strongly advised to NOT attempt wearing the US flag as a sarong.

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Comments (57)

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#1 by TC
May 5, 2008

"most Australian businesses will give change if they have it in their till" -- Not in my experience. Most of them want you to buy something first. Sometimes you will see a sign, "Haven't bought anything? Sorry - no change!" or similar.

#2 by Tora3
May 5, 2008

How do Australians treat black Americans?

#3 by Cian
May 5, 2008

Interesting article, but Halloween originated from Ireland, not Great Britain. It comes from Samhain, a pre-Christian festival. It was also celebrated in Scotland, but is believed to originate from Ireland.

#4 by Mil
May 5, 2008

Australians don't really have much exposure to black Americans except in music/sports/movies. So rap/basketball fans would tend to idolise black Americans to some extent. Apart from that, they treat black Americans like any other tourist. Black Americans are so rare here that it's hard to generalise. They might find themselves getting quite a few stares due to the novelty, outside major cities.

#5 by shrek unit
May 5, 2008

i think your poisonous animal tid-bit needs some updating. i seen more red back spiders hanging from power lines and sprawling trees than your article would lead a person to believe. the red back, also known as the black widow, is all over sydney and surrounding suburbs.
you should also add something about the obnoxious cockatoo skreetch...
and anything that comes in between two 'hamburger style buns' is, indeed, a burger - chicken burger, fish burger and not to be confused with chicken sandwich and/or fish sandwich.
fair dinkum!

#6 by Amber
May 5, 2008

Not sure when the last time the author rode an American Greyhound was, but not all Greyhounds are 'rolling trailer parks.' As a college student myself, I've encountered a lot of other college students on the bus. There are also a lot of Amish and Mennonite people who use the bus system.

#7 by MHotel
May 5, 2008

"A Greyhound bus in the USA is a mental asylum on wheels, or at best a trailer park on wheels."

Depends on where you catch it. Bus travel is hitting a resurrgence in the US right now because air travel is getting prohibitively expensive. Bus fare from Boston to New York is about $20US! As such, it's a good option for students or anyone else who values money over time.

Your comment does highlight the existence a general class divide in the American travel system, but I don't think it's fair to say that "American Greyhound passengers are toothless, unwashed, uneducated, incredibly strange and downright scary." It seems this comment stems from a bad experience you had when you were thirteen, and it's not fair to generalize the entire system from that.

#8 by Jeff
May 5, 2008

What do you mean that "fanny" refers to a woman's "private part?" Do you mean, her vagina?

Does that mean both Australians and Americans are afraid to use the word vagina? I know Americans like to use it; something I've always found a bit odd.

#9 by devadas
May 5, 2008

Funny. I met a Brit once who was very proud of her Valley Girl impression. Must be the most extreme and fun accent to impersonate, just like Americans who belt out, "Aaaaloooo gub'ner!"

#10 by Justin
May 5, 2008

"If you go camping in the USA there is, however, a good chance you will attacked by a bear if you fail to hide your food properly at night. Bear warnings should be taken seriously in the USA."

After reading this I realized you're an idiot that has no idea what's going on.

#11 by La
May 5, 2008

Great article! I\'ve been telling a similar \"fanny\" story for years (only this involved a large group of shocked Australian youths at an international dance festival, and a subsequently very confused festival announcer who\'d just invited the room, via a microphone, to \"sit your fannies down so we can get this party started!\"

I will agree that in Los Angeles, clearly a place of which you are familiar, the bus system, including Greyhound, is frightening at best. From Manhattan though, to all along the East Coast, it carries all types to and from all kinds of destinations. Once of the best, normal, stress-free traveling experiences I\'ve ever had was going from Grand Central to Philly via Greyhound. Not one single toothless person on the bus.

Also, if you know where to look, you will find all kinds of wild animals in Los Angeles. I\'ve seen everything from deer and coyotes walking down main roads a mile or two out of downtown Hollywood, to a little lost bear in a tree, to wild cats on the hiking trails, to raccoons poking their noses out of trash cans after sunset at Universal Studios.

And I\'m glad to hear that I won\'t be attacked by a human-eating bug while visiting Australia. That being said, Southern California has the Brown Recluse Spider, an innocuous (looking) but dangerous spider that likes to live in nice, warm, dry homes, and that can cause flesh necrosis/loss of limbs if you\'re unfortunate enough to get bitten by one (which, when it happens sometimes does so while one sleeps, and thus without their knowledge). I would recommend all travelers familiarize themselves to what they look like, and what the symptoms of a bite by one are, before they visit.

#12 by Roosh
May 5, 2008

But do you know where the australian "root" comes from? I tried to dig it out of some australians but they had no idea.

#13 by jack
May 5, 2008

The best advice is, of course, to get to know the *specific* place you are visiting. In theory, bears live in forests all over the U.S., but in practice, there are places where you are much more likely to see them while camping (e.g., Yellowstone) and places where there are very few bears but plenty of wildcats. Elk and moose can be pretty scary, too -- those things are *big*. There's great camping in the desert areas of the western U.S., but invest a little time learning how to identify and handle snakes and scorpions.

Perhaps more importantly, in the western U.S. especially, find out beforehand whether the water is drinkable! That clear mountain stream may be infested with giardia and other nasties.

I understand why the article needs to rely on some generalizations, but keep in mind the part about Australia and the continental U.S. being a similar size along with the fact that the U.S. population is spread across the whole landmass. There is a *lot* of variation here, in social habits and geography and fauna and accents...

The accents part is funny. I try not to do this because British and Australian people always sound so silly when they try it. :) Even famous actors/actresses who've lived for years in the states and worked with dialect coaches have noticeable strangeness in the cadences of their speech, probably because they're concentrating so hard on their vowel sounds. :)

#14 by BizCoach
May 5, 2008

Fanny in Australia (and other British speaking countries) is a much more crude term than vagina. It's like the C word for vagina.

Australian drivers typically stop for pedestrians to cross when there's no traffic light. US drivers don't. But Aussies and Americans drive on opposite sides of the road so you have to look to the other way first when you're crossing the street.

In Australia tuna fish comes without mayonnaise, in the US it's mixed in. Coffee in Australia generally means espresso in the US it means filtered coffee and don't get me started on hamburgers. Aussies top theirs with an egg, pineapple and/or beet rood while Americans put lettuce, tomato and/or pickles.

Speaking of food, servers in Australia are paid a normal wage so tipping is not nearly so high as in the US where servers are paid almost nothing.

#15 by axus
May 5, 2008

How about the differences between tomato sauce? And all the variations...

#16 by Trip
May 5, 2008

"In response to the question how they treat Black Americans?" Like Rock stars, lliterally.

#17 by West Los Angeles
May 5, 2008

Lots of wildlife in west Los Angeles. There are many opossums in my neighborhood, about three miles from the ocean. We also have giant squirrels, about the size of large house cats. I do not need an alarm in the mourning since extremely loud birds start chattering away before my alarm clock goes off.

BizCoach mentioned pedestrians crossing the street. In many parts of Los Angeles County, pedestrians have the right of way. Drivers are ticketed by the police for failing to yield to pedestrians. Most of the rest of the U.S.A., pedestrians cross at their own risk, but on the westside of Los Angeles, drivers beware.

#18 by Scanner
May 5, 2008

To the comment by Justin : actually, your comment (sorry chum) seems pretty ignorant. I've been camping many a time and have heard other campers having issues with bears, I myself as a child while camping with my parents and grandparents had a bear actually dig into PROPERLY sealed foods, and even dig it's fingers into a large juice can and drink it. How it even knew it was something to drink is beyond me. Can't say as I've heard of campers being attacked unless they did something stupid by drawing attention to themselves, but stupidity is often rewarded badly. Anyway, try to refrain before jumping on the "clueless" bandwagon, friend.

#19 by Mike
May 5, 2008

You are wrong about Los Angeles. Totally.

#20 by G2D2
May 5, 2008

From the flag section:
"Where this sudden blind-patriotism has sprung from is anyone's guess, but here's hoping it dies off as quickly as it appeared."

Thanks for your opinion, but the subject of your article is differences and similarities between America and Austrialia, and not your leftist/pinko attitude toward patriotism.

@Jeff:

So would "fanny" refer to vagina (the canal) or vulva (the lips)? I think most people say "vagina" when they really mean vulva (or labia).

#21 by Gordon
May 5, 2008

I went to Australia in 1986 as an exchange student. I went to school proudly wearing my Canadian "Roots" Sweat Shirt. I don't know why my host parents did not say anything. In fact my host Mom had a smirk on her face all the way to school. The school principal (and a much more conservative Rotarian) had a bit of a fit about it. He threw my school uniform at me and told me to change. I showed all my new friends the sweat shirt and was taking orders for weeks!

#22 by sid
May 5, 2008

I think another thing worth mentioning, drive on the left in Australia.

#23 by DOCTOR HAN SOLO
May 5, 2008

AUSSIES CAN HAS SHOT FIRST PLORX

#24 by Frank
May 5, 2008

The toilet swirls in opposite directions.

#25 by Chris
May 5, 2008

If you think that saying "Koala bear" will make us look stupid, you might want to re-examine our most passionate national pastime, football. There is no such thing as an American Footballer, there are Football players. You might think it cute to paint us as sissies for the pads, though a quick check of my sources shows medieval knights wore slightly more protective material. Soft knee and thigh pads, cup, plastic shoulder pads and a helmet.

If your footballers tried to play our game without protection there would be a line for the emergency room stretching halfway to Brisbane (ruling out, of course, instant death from blunt force head trauma). The NFL is so rough the average career is only 3 - 4 years; those lucky enough to play for 10 - 20 years often suffer from severe arthritis, chronic pain, limited mobility, or all of the above. It's a bit sadistic, but hey, we Americans sure love a train wreck.

I could care less about our flag. Don't DARE desecrate my sport! You Aussies are sports fanatics too, right? you understand, I'm sure.

#26 by Jim Frost
May 5, 2008

Regarding bears:

There are definitely areas where you have to be very careful of bears, eg the Rockies in Colorado and in Alaska. But the US is large and bears are uncommon across much of it, especially near populated areas (eg the whole east coast). Further there is a range of aggressiveness across bear species. In New England, for instance, bears are not generally dangerous and are fairly rare anyway. If you leave food out at night it\'s way more likely that you\'ll attract raccoons. There is a strong incidence of rabies amongst raccoons, making them far more dangerous than they might appear. So: Properly seal up your food and trash. And make lots of noise, it lets bears know where you are. They don\'t want to be near you, either.

Moose are actually more dangerous, at least in my opinion. They can be extremely aggressive and are common in many northern areas. They are especially troublesome in that you\'ll be in a world of hurt if you run into one with your car. You won\'t find them near populous areas, though, and in most areas moose would prefer to leave people alone.

In terms of random risks in the US you might be concerned with rattlesnakes, especially in the southwest. Even so I\'ve never run into one, even in areas where they are relatively common. Some areas, especially on the west coast, have had wildcat issues in recent years but attacks are still very rare.

Generally speaking I just go camping and enjoy myself without getting worked up about the wildlife. There\'s not very much that\'s really dangerous.

#27 by Someone
May 5, 2008

Most of this article is very bland, maybe if you have no idea what goes on outside the US or Austrailia this stuff will be news to you. However most people with interest in going to either will most likely known the genneral differences, and will stumble around the more specific nuances of the particular portion of the country they chose to go to.

I agree, you did peg LA wrong, you must not have spent much time there.

Also as someone who has used the Grey Hound system extensively I both agree and disagree with you, again it depends a lot on where you are ocmming from and where you are going. E.G. here in Pittsburgh you are likely to find college kids on the bus, but that has a lot to do with the huge number of college campuses in this county and it\'s surrounding areas. Though when I took the bus from Chipley Florida to Naches (sorry I have spelled this phonetically) well let\'s just say, I had the sinking feeling I was sitting around a group of people who were avoiding the law and transporting meth...

#28 by rob
May 5, 2008

Oh, yeah. Do you guys snatch people off to undisclosed overseas locations for "enhanced" interrogations? Because we are apparently fond of doing that. You might want to watch out for that... and the bears.

#29 by marlen
May 5, 2008

@Tora3

"How do Australians treat black Americans?"

Almost everything the average Australian knows about black Americans is from TV. Therefore if you are a black person planning on visiting Australia please note we will expect you to:

1. Be as funny as Eddie Murphy (Bill Cosby will do at a pinch)
2. Able to slam dunk like Jordan
3. Have an amusing catchphrase like the little kid from Different Strokes
4. Bust out the MC Hammer dance at will

#30 by jack
May 5, 2008

> In Australia tuna fish comes without mayonnaise, in the US it's mixed in

Uh, no. This has to be a case of generalizing from a small sample. I've seen tuna for sale attached to its own little packet of mayonnaise, intended as a sort of quick-lunch kit, and you can buy fresh tuna salad (that is, mixed with mayo and other ingredients) by weight in many delis and such, but the general format for tuna purchase in the U.S. is in a tin can, packed in your choice of oil or water. There's a whole rack of them right next to the sardine tins and kippered herring in every grocery store I've ever been to.

#31 by jhenz
May 6, 2008

I enjoyed reading the article (including some of the comments) -- quite funny! Some of the people here are sooo serious! :D

#32 by Brandon
May 6, 2008

A little thing I noticed in Australia is unlike in the USA is it polite when walking on a sidewalk or in a mall to stick to the Left side. You see in the US we walk on the right side of the sidewalk when we can. I guess it has to do with what side of the road we drive on. Just a little thing but messed me up for a few days. By the way I love Australia and her people.

Also one more thing. Most Americans don't have a clue about the metric system. If you tell one of us that it is 23 degrees outside we will grab a large Jacket and some gloves and a kilometer is the little number below MPH on a speedometer that we don't pay attention too.

#33 by Aaron
May 6, 2008

@Chris: Please, you think American Football is tough? Have you ever watched an Aussie rules Football game? Its harder hitting than American Football and there is no pads - idiot.
American Football is the biggest joke sport in Australia/Europe, see we play real sports like Aussie Rules or Rugby, and we don't need pads. Not like the pussies who play American Football.

And as for baseball, how boring can a sport be? Complete snorefest!
But I do have to ask, why is the American Baseball championship called the WORLD series when no teams from other countries are invited to play?

#34 by vestral
May 6, 2008

re american football - to me a rugby scrum looks the same as the start of any american football play. the difference is rugby players do it without any 'body armour'. Don't agree? then watch little george gregan in any rugby match. Small guy, no protection, kick arse captain.

#35 by vintage-af1
May 6, 2008

awesome article! didn't know that much coz im a citizen of none lol

#36 by Annettenasser
May 6, 2008

Thanks for your very important information, these really helps me coz im planning to travelling in two weeks time so this kind of information makes me more aware of things to consider.

#37 by Rana Sinha
May 6, 2008

Very nice article with a wealth of information. Thanks.

#38 by Carolyn
May 6, 2008

Funny, thanks for the laugh. I'm an Australian, if I read something called 'humour' I expect it to be tongue in cheek at the very least, and not to be taken seriously. Honestly, how can football raise the emotions like that? Carn the Crows!!

#39 by Wolfe
May 8, 2008

Oh I loved the fanny/root comment! Classic!

Wolfe

#40 by Rookie
May 8, 2008

Nice article - well written, informative n funny at times!!
Best wishes,
Rookie

#41 by Rachel
May 8, 2008

Hi Eliza
great idea here. i hardly get more than 4 comments for my articles!

Rachel Faye

#42 by shaun ashcroft
May 8, 2008

Good work Eliza. As a humourous piece, it provided that. As an entry into the Masters textbook on the sociopolitical idiosynchrocies between New World super powers in the wake of the breakup of the Commonwealth it did not quite get there. Thanks heavens! Three cheers for a good laugh.
And another thing, root bear in the USA is a drink whereas in Australia, beer leads the drinker to really want a root.

#43 by Sonja
May 10, 2008

This made me giggle, Australian's are so NOT! patriotic like the Americans...

I'm Australian, I went to New York in 2007. I got mistaken for English 99% of the time. When you order coffee in Australia you say "can I get a coffee" then you're asked what sort? in the USA they promptly go and get perculated coffee, if you want a latte you have to specifically ask for one. If I didn't have enough change for the bus they let me ride for free if I got lost with trains they let me back in for free.

#44 by nobody should wear a thong
Jun 9, 2008

not as underwear. sex wear ok. but i am so sick of seeing women with their whale tales hanging out

#45 by ignite
Jul 25, 2008

Aussies are not patriotic, unless they find out you're a Kiwi XD
And it's not football, it's Rugby, tyvm!

#46 by Stu
Aug 27, 2008

Aaron (no. 33 May 6) - fair go mate. Don't think you speak for all Australians or Europeans when you say that the NFL is a joke. I personally love the NFL and find it much more entertaining than our League or Union games. I mention league and union, because they're much closer by comparison to American Football than Aussie Rules, which even some Australians call "airial ping-pong" (although, don't get me wrong, I do like the game)

There's no need to call someone, who really enjoy's their nations favourite national pastime, an idiot either. Just because you don't agree with their opinion doesn't make you any better than them.

#47 by D366
Sep 13, 2008

Well im a Aussie going to the US in 09, Thanks for all the tidbits. But ill wait to make an oppinion. And nobody is an idiot for stating what they percieve to be true they are just mislead....... I love my country.... but our government has made it hard for us with all this politically correct interpretation. Now we are giving away our own identity because it may offened many of our internation residents.

#48 by V
Sep 17, 2008

I watched NFL for the first time on Monday night and it was awesome! I think people who enjoy a bit of AFL, as I certainly do, would find it entertaining.

As for the comment above, I'd like to think Australians were more racially tolerant than most, but our experience might be a little more limited by our demography. I was in the US last year, and I'd certainly never seen a hispanic person in my life before! Aside from that, because of the high levels of US content on our televisions, I found everything eerily familiar.

#49 by V
Sep 17, 2008

Also, every bird and furry little animal is adorable and straight from Bambi!

#50 by V
Sep 23, 2008

If i make a random coment about sport or bears will everyone go agro agian.

Check out this crazy website about Cultural Differences between US and AUS, theres some crazy generalising going on. Its hillarous.

http://www.convictcreations.com/culture/yankaussie.htm

Just a warning though it\'s not trying to be funny which makes it a bit scary.

P.s don\'t think all australian can\'t spell just becuace i can\'t

#51 by V
Sep 23, 2008

I totally stole that other persons name. I'm not V MWHA HAHAHAHHA

#52 by RF
Sep 27, 2008

first of all most of your american "facts" make us sound like sissys
which of course we arent. you dont mess with america
and all youre doing is trashing us.
this is all a bunch of crap

#53 by Dustin
Oct 9, 2008

Having grown up in the US (New Mexico, to be specific) and then marrying and Aussie girl and living down here in Brisbane for the last 6 years, I think I need to translate some things. Firstly, football. Rugby and American Football are different sports. Think of it as Chess and Checkers. Played on a very similar field/board, but that\'s about it. With American Football, the pads were brought in when the death and paralysis rate got too high. Rugby didn\'t go with pads, they went with rules limiting how you can tackle, hit, ect. Also, compare the size of an American Football player to an Aussie rugby player. The Americans are quite larger, (and before the ensuing comments about how fat Americans are come, keep in mind that as of January 08, Australia became \"the fattest nation\", beating out the US....)where as Australians as a rule, aren\'t. I\'m only 6\'1\", 126kg and have been asked if I play rugby here as people would hate to go up against me on the field, and it surprised me, as in the States with my family and friends, I\'m one of the smaller people.... Just an example.

As to the bears while out in the woods. I worked for the US Forest Service before getting married, and was in scouts my entire life. I came across 3 bears in those 23 years..... and all of them ran as the were more scared.... that was also while I was in some VERY remote locations.... normal tourist campers will have no problems.

Also, you will find the service in resturaunts in Australia a lot more lax that in the US. In Australia, the waiters and waitresses get paid the same amount no matter what they do, where as in the US, they are paid a minimum wage, which is very low, and then rely on their tips for most of their money, therefore encouraging them to give better service....

#54 by rdrjo
Oct 13, 2008

I think that too many Australians try to make broad generalizations about the US. Most Australians that spew ant-American rhetoric have never been there. I think tht some Australains are too concerned with what's going on in the US. Believe it or not there are some serious issues here in Australia that need to be resolved.

Most Americans are more concerned with what is going on in their own communities instead of worrying about what is going on in another country thousands of miles away. That doesn't mean Americans don't care about the rest of the world or are dumb. I just think there is a lot going on the US, and you should be more concerned with the issues in your own country. The reson why Australians may be aware of so many things about the US is 75% of the news,tv, and movies are from the US. Some Australians like to believe that they are smarter than Americans, but I think a lot of what Australians know about the US is taken from tv and not from school.I have been surprised at the low education requirements here where I live.
The US is too large and diverse to make accurate and correct statements about it. Going from one state to the next can be like going to a different country.

#55 by rdrjo
Oct 14, 2008

I think in general that customer service in Australia is worse than it is in the US. It isn't just about US workers being polite for tips. It is the same pretty much all throughout the customer service industry. Here in Australia it seems like a lot of people aren't trained in the finer points of customer service like smiling and being as helpful as you possibly can. I can't tell you the number of times I have been told "I don't know " in response to a question, with no further attempt to find the answer. I have greeted a cashier with a hello several times to only get a grunt or in most cases no response at all. My wife who is Australian lived in the states for many years agrees that customer service here in Australia is terrible in comparison to what she experienced in the US. Remember anything I say is only based on what I have seen. I am not trying to jude a whole country.

#56 by Geoff Plumridge
Oct 24, 2008

Rdrjo I agree that the service in Australia can leave a lot to be desired but my experience in the US (I have been for business & pleasure at least a dozen times) is that the whole service with a smile thing is as fake as the cream in the coffee. Watch that smile fade when you don't tip enough. I'd rather speak to a geniune person having a day at work than an over made up woman trying to schmooze dollars out of me just because she is serving me some food. And another thing that whole fake thing seems to apply to the whole country that I've seen. It's a little like a big movie set.. all flash on the surface and then decrepit and fake underneath.

And another thing.. I've found that straight talking Australians having business dealings in the United States have a lot of trouble because no-one seems to really speak their mind. There are layers of political correctness and hypocrisy that need to be scraped off a conversation before the real issues are addressed. And WHAT is it about every American I've met reading me his/her bloody resume and stating his/her business title like I even care? In Australia we aren't impressed with titles just ability. I'd rather deal with Canadians they seem more well.. real.

I've had great fun in the United States I love the food and even the beer and the people are really friendly if a little slow sometimes especially when it comes to having an idea what is going on outside their borders. But I always leave feeling some pity for the local inhabitants and sheer relief that I have somewhere better to live.

NB* One benefit of knowing next to nothing about the outside world is not knowing how much better it is to live in the other English speaking countries. They do say that ignorance is bliss...

#57 by rdrjo
Nov 16, 2008

Geoff,

What makes Australia so much better than the USA?

Is it because of any of the following?:

1. Is it because of a weak criminal justice system that seems to find reasons to let criminals go free instead of locking them up? You can go to any Australian news website or read any newspaper and read countless articles about repeat offenders that keep getting light sentences for serious crimes. Even muderers often go free.

2. Is it the need to blame its own obesity crisis on another country? Australia has had an obesity problem for several years, and is now the world\'s fattest country. But it is all America\'s fault.

3. Is it the lack of school-based extracurricular activities that encourage kids to work hard in class and stay in school? If you want your kids to play sports you have to pay for it. These kinds of activities also give kids the chance to go to univeristy for free. You don\'t have that here in Australia. That is why there are so many Australians going to American universities. Kids are encouraged to quit school instead of stay in school. I have heard on numerous occasions of teachers telling kids that they should just quit after year 10 and get an apprenticeship. Most kids that do quit school don\'t go on to get apprenticehsips.

4. Is it the nonchalant attitude towards education? You are allowed to leave school at age 15 or 16. Here where I live you only need 50% to pass. In all US states you are required to get at least 70% to pass. When I graduated from high school which was year 9 through 12 in the US we had to take 4 years of English, 1 year of Foreign Language,3 years of Physical Education,3 years of Science,3 years of Math, and 3 years of Social Studies/History to graduate. These are just the core requirements. That is not to mention all of the electives we had to take as well. There are no such requirements here where I live. They are too worried about computers when most people here don\'t even know basic vocabulary words. Most people that I have met didn\'t graduate from high school. You can see kids of school age walking around in public instead of going to school, and nobody cares. I know at least two parents who think that there is no reason for kids to finish school. One parent says look at me I turned out fine. She is 45 and works at a fish and chips shop.

5. Is it the blind eye turned to statutory rape? You have men with girls that are young enough to be their daughters. 17 year old boys chasing 12 and 13 year old girls. My stepson had a classmate who had a 18 year old boyfriend at 12 years old. Both sets of parents let them live together. Another one his friends\' dad was 40 with a 15 year old girlfriend. He threw her a sweet 16 and she was giving his 13 year old son alcohol. Now he is a policeman.

6. Is it treating women like pieces of meat? You can\'t go into a supermarket without seeing at least a half a dozen magazines that have the word sex on the cover and some half-naked girl on the cover. THe majority of the magazines have nudity in them. Girls as young as twelve can be seen walking around dressed like hookesr-in-training late at night. There was a tv commercial for feminine products that had this young lady walking around with an animated beaver. Its slogan was of coure \"take care of your beaver.\"

7. Is it pornographic magazines such as Penthouse being sold unwrapped amongst the rest of the magazines? I have seen kids as young as 6 looking at those magaznes. Nobody seems to care.

8. Is it the public television that shows nudity, sex, and profanity. Also on the radio.

9. Is it the underage drinking and smoking epidemic? I know parents who provide alcohol for their children. I also know of parents who buy cigarettes for their kids. One guy was a policeman.

10. Is it a government that encourages illegitmate children and teenage pregnancy by giving women thousands of dollars for just giving birth? Is it the 25% of the population that is on welfare?

Having said all of that I am not trying to judge a whole country of 20 million based on the actions of a few. Too bad some people can\'t do the same when it comes to a country of 300 million people.I just get annoyed when Australians always bad-mouth the US and Americans when there are plenty of bad things going on in their own country.

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