Tipping and calculating your own taxes

Cars. You seem to buy cars like smartphones( actualy probably even worse since buying phone on credit dosent seem to be as common nowadays ) . If you can afford the credit payment for the card dosent mean you can afford the car. In fact why everyone buys stuff on credit cards in the US . It seems insane to me to go to debt for a stupid cofee.

Americans seem very "fighty" compared to people from many other countries. You just have to say something that could be construed as liberal (the American kind) or conservative, too politically correct or incorrect, or mention you ride a bicycle or have an outdoor cat, to set some people off. With some Americans having a conversation is like navigating a minefield, especially those who have very little understanding of the rest of the world and reads everything you say into an American context, language barriers and all.

I love talking politics, and have had pleasant conversations with all kinds of people but I have learned from experience to just not bother with Americans, unless they're the very curious and open kind.

School/mass shootings.

What's up with that "bus shaming"? It would never occur to me to judge people based on whether they use public transport VS own a car!

Everything in this thread so far is normal stuff I could have guessed. Guns, metric, tipping, etc. Most of it has large groups of people in the country that agree, or at least know.

What are some non-obvious things? Culture shock isn't about major political issues. It's about universal things that turn out to not be universal.

For example, US people have a strong culture of how standing in line works. It's basically a moral sin to butt in line unless you have someone holding your place. This is universal in the country. My understanding is that other countries differ. Is that true?

Garbage disposable units.

Worshipping guns.

Sandwich for lunch.

Gas operated dryers.

High school proms being such a big thing.

A garbage disposal in the sink. Practically illegal everywhere. They seem fun to have though

Came up recently... cupholders in cars. You really have to drink in the car while driving?

It's such a strange contradictory place. You pride yourself in freedom of speech but are so puritanical you refer to using the toilet as 'using the restrooms' and 'taking a comfort break'. Everyone knows you're going in there to crimp one off, not to have a comfortable rest in a designated room.

The fraternity and sorority thing at universities is really odd too. I don't really know what they're for aside from providing a dedicated environment for abuse via the deceptively amiable name of 'hazing'.

And referring to all your sports competitions as World Championships when the only teams that play are American. Bit cringey. I mean, you probably would win if there was an actual international basketball or baseball or american football competition, but at least the World Champion thing would actually mean something then.

Random pick from a rather long list: The fact that the president can (and does; a lot..) "pardon" random criminals.