The Official "Your country is weird" Thread

[barneygumble]

Versus "If its 0 degrees, it is freezing. 100 degrees = boiling."? Don't see how 32 and 210 is any easier. (blah blah disclamer blah depends on altitude blah).

And 30 or 75 isn't comfortable. It's damn hot

you know the funny thing celcius actually had his scale around the other way i.e. 0 = boiling and 100 = freezing before it was corrected.

One day the americans will catch up with metric everything just works that way

 

[Nermal]

Australia doesn't have Burger King.

*waits patiently for an Aussie to pipe up and tell me the story behind it*

 

[DeSnousa]

Australia doesn't have Burger King.

*waits patiently for an Aussie to pipe up and tell me the story behind it*

What story, we have no Burger King

 

[mpw]

Australia doesn't have Burger King.

*waits patiently for an Aussie to pipe up and tell me the story behind it*

Jersey used to have one but it went bust.

 

[bousozoku]

Look in the BMV Manual, it says that left on red is ALWAYS Unlawful.
...
TEG

Odd that they've changed it. I wouldn't be surprised that people there were doing the same thing as people here--turning from left from the right hand lanes onto any street, not just one way to another one way going left from the left hand lane.

Of course, the law here is whatever people say it is because the police rarely stop anyone and you don't have to take a test if you've already had your licence somewhere else.

 

[groovebuster]

you know the funny thing celcius actually had his scale around the other way i.e. 0 = boiling and 100 = freezing before it was corrected.

Corrected is maybe not the right word in this case. It was just changed by one of his former students in order to be better usable...

One day the americans will catch up with metric everything just works that way

Are you sure? The superiority complex is anchored so deeply in the american soul, that it will be a very long way to go. I met (american) people who called international standards communistic. Just like Linux or the the UN. A country like the US shouldn't bend to the rest of the world. The US always made their own standards in a lot of fields. Just take the cell-phone frequencies as an example. The whole world was using 900/1800MHz GSM... The US of course had to use 1900MHz.

groovebuster

 

[iMeowbot]

I think I'm confusing myself and everyone else here.

In a roundabout (1), we yield to cars in the roundabout (traffic coming from the left).

I miss that. In the American version, the biggest, heaviest vehicle has the right of way; that's why SUVs are so popular. They added giant "YIELD TO TRAFFIC IN ROTARY" signs but apparently they're only decorative.

At a crossroads with a yield sign (2), we yield to traffic from the left and from the right.

I don't recall seeing any yields at that sort of intersection here, those get stop signs. Yields only seem to appear where a a road is turning right onto another (but they only matter on slower roads; as above, they are merely decorative in roundabouts, as well as at entrances to major highways).

At a crossroads without any signs at all (3), we yield to traffic from the right.

Again, Americans yield to SUVs -- not only are they bigger and heavier, but they're all on the phone and won't notice you.

 

[gekko513]

I miss that. In the American version, the biggest, heaviest vehicle has the right of way; that's why SUVs are so popular. They added giant "YIELD TO TRAFFIC IN ROTARY" signs but apparently they're only decorative.

I don't recall seeing any yields at that sort of intersection here, those get stop signs. Yields only seem to appear where a a road is turning right onto another (but they only matter on slower roads; as above, they are merely decorative in roundabouts, as well as at entrances to major highways).

Again, Americans yield to SUVs -- not only are they bigger and heavier, but they're all on the phone and won't notice you.

No wonder we got confused when driving in the U.S.

 

[Chundles]

What story, we have no Burger King

Yeah we do. Sure, most of them are Hungry Jacks but there are a number of Burger Kings around using the same menu, signs, everything.

I think the hold the guy had on the Burger King name has lapsed or something cause there are definitely Burger Kings about.

 

[barneygumble]

Yeah we do. Sure, most of them are Hungry Jacks but there are a number of Burger Kings around using the same menu, signs, everything.

I think the hold the guy had on the Burger King name has lapsed or something cause there are definitely Burger Kings about.

There were burger kings in Australia but they were all changed to hungry jacks, i think this was caused by a lawsuit becasue a guy had already called his burger shop burger king before the American brand came along, will try to find a link

 

[MOFS]

I think spell check got me there. And i would like to ad that i think of my self as a educated lazy american. Unlike most of my american counterparts, i have traveled out side of my county(shire) more than once in my life time. I have even been over to see the "old world", i enjoyed it very much so. You Brits have some sweet castles, Warwick castle was by far the best castle i went to while there. I had the opportunity to see the Longbow man demonstration and the guy was a VERY good shot with a bow. And very funny. He cracked a few 'stupid american tourist' jokes, but they were all true and funny.

I even went to a Derby County football game. I forget who they played, but it wasn't their best game, they lost 5-0 i think. Oh, and i saw the good old queen her self in her Bently not five feet away from me driving out of Derby Stadium. Our luck we were out of film from taking pictures of her in the nose bleed section ....

Aw nee botha - I was only pulling ya leg!

This brings me to another point... city life outside London in the UK...it does iexist people - but thats just me griping about something thats perpetuated by both the US and British media.

 

[Chundles]

There were burger kings in Australia but they were all changed to hungry jacks, i think this was caused by a lawsuit becasue a guy had already called his burger shop burger king before the American brand came along, will try to find a link

Yeah, but they're back. There are new Burger Kings popping up across the country.

 

[nbs2]

If roundabouts confuse you, at least be grateful you don't live in Swindon...

It's Connecticut Ave going into DC!

And I really wonder where Gary is coming off questioning roundabouts...Maybe someone should ask him about Church Circle or the State House.

 

[decksnap]

To whoever was playing the grammar cop, we have a town called Newcastle near me that literally spells it both ways- Newcastle and New Castle.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

I will agree, that with few exceptions, US and Canadian Beer Suck, but so do many European Beers, and Fosters in the US and Canada, because it is brewed to our standards. Hell, for the most part, beer sucks in total.

I disagree; The mass-market beer in the US tends to be p*sswater light fizzy lager, which is crap. However, there are literally hundreds of microbrews that make excellent stouts and porters, as well as amber ale and anything else you can think of. Great Lakes Brewery in my home town of Cleveland makes an Imperial Stout (Edmund Fitzgerald) that I'd put up against any Euro-brew.

Anyway, there are plenty of foreign mass-market beers (Heineken, Corona, Fosters, Tsing-Tao) that are just as nasty as Bud or Miller in their own way.

But yeah, many Americans tend to drink garbage beer. Colt 45 anyone?

 

[iGav]

so .. it looks like i'm have to tune in for austria

You sir. are not alone, I will as well... Austrian girls are absolutely filthy in bed. Seriously. Even I was shocked.

The only limiting factor for constant even flow is drivers common sense and courtesy....oh I see.

hahahahahahahahahahahaha.

 

[freeny]

you know the funny thing celcius actually had his scale around the other way i.e. 0 = boiling and 100 = freezing before it was corrected.

One day the americans will catch up with metric everything just works that way

dont count on it. Its been tried in the 70s and 80s without even a budge. of course its easy to just say we/Americans are stubborn and self centered. but the reality of such a change would cost billions. its a BIG country. we are not self centered, just cheap. one thing i do agree on is the celcius/fahrenheit issue. celcius makes more sense.

 

[cantthinkofone]

Australia doesn't have Burger King.

*waits patiently for an Aussie to pipe up and tell me the story behind it*

You guys dont know what your missing....

you know the funny thing celcius actually had his scale around the other way i.e. 0 = boiling and 100 = freezing before it was corrected.

One day the americans will catch up with metric everything just works that way

NEVER!!!!

I hate metric. Im working on getting a 1981 Suzuki TS125 dirtbike running, and it really made me mad when i had to go dig thru our tool draws and find the metic ratchet set . One would think that if your going to sell a motorcycle or car in the US,you wouldn't make it with metric nuts and bolts. I've been called stupid and told that it was made in japan, and they use metric but....

 

[dubbz]

I hate metric....

See, if you had used Metric in the US you'd never have problems such as this

 

[Applespider]

My biggest problem with metric v imperial is that in the UK we still seem to use a mixture of both.

The UK use metric measurements for buying/selling stuff but our roads etc are still in miles. We buy petrol by the litre but then quote our fuel consumption in miles to the gallon. Most people can quote their height in feet and inches and their weights in pounds without having a clue of what they are in cms or kgs.

I learned 'metric' at school but since at that point much of the 'real UK world' was still selling stuff in imperial measures etc (until a few years ago), when I started shopping for myself, I had to relearn everything. I still have recipes in one or other and measuring cups in the wrong things.

 

[cantthinkofone]

See, if you had used Metric in the US you'd never have problems such as this

*rocking back and forth* Hear no evil, see no evil,do no evil.........

 

[Chundles]

You guys dont know what your missing....




NEVER!!!!

I hate metric. Im working on getting a 1981 Suzuki TS125 dirtbike running, and it really made me mad when i had to go dig thru our tool draws and find the metic ratchet set . One would think that if your going to sell a motorcycle or car in the US,you wouldn't make it with metric nuts and bolts. I've been called stupid and told that it was made in japan, and they use metric but....

Erm, we have Burger King, most of them are called Hungry Jacks though.

No, I would think they would make it with metric nuts and bolts just so they can sell them to everyone else in the world. Sure, you guys have the biggest single economy but the rest of the world is much larger in population and economies of scale would outweigh the costs of setting up two different production lines.

 

[840quadra]

you know what's weird... how in some cities, in some states in the U.S. you can legally turn right when the lights are at red.

now that's weird.

In my state you have to stop first, and THANK GOD for this law. If I had to wait for all of the 1950's - 1970's timer only lights before I could make a right turn I would never be on time!

See, if you had used Metric in the US you'd never have problems such as this

Agreed, I love owning European cars. No digging for my 3/8ths 13/16ths 5/8ths or 1/2 wrenches. I know exactly how big a 10mm 17mm and 15mm gap is, and it is much easier to deal with!

Oh and go European bikes (KTM Rocks!!)

Go Metric!!

 

[cantthinkofone]

i was just joking. I know thats why they did it, i was just being stupid I dont know if they still do or not, do they? Do Japan motorcycle companies use metric only?

 

[bousozoku]

i was just joking. I know thats why they did it, i was just being stupid I dont know if they still do or not, do they? Do Japan motorcycle companies use metric only?

Yes, and they all have those funny names, too. The size of the engines are shown in metric and the tyres. Well, they do comply in one way--they use U.S.A.-only light bulbs.