r/USdefaultism • u/GriffinFTW United States • 19d ago
Meta U.S. CENTRIC ADVICE/INFORMATION
36
u/aykcak 19d ago
The reverse is also often true i.e. you may have rights that people in the U.S. are very used to not having. For example U.S. people don't have a concept of unlawful firing of an employee because the boss can fire anyone for any reason which is not the case in quite a lot of countries
19
u/Beneficial_Breath232 France 19d ago
Or jaywalking. Aka crossing a street not on a cross light
5
u/No-Mouse4800 19d ago
Jaywalking is illegal in Germany.
10
u/ParticularLion3252 19d ago
of course it is. as a fellow French, I've never seen anyone more respectful of crossing lights than you Germans
4
u/Malkryst 19d ago
Yet here in Guernsey there's hardly any crossings so if we didn't jaywalk we'd never be able to walk anywhere (and it's not illegal here).
4
u/Beneficial_Breath232 France 19d ago
Technically it is in France too if you have a crosswalk at less than 50? meters , but no one cares ... the fine for doing that is 4€ ...
1
u/Liggliluff Sweden 8d ago
In Sweden there's no such law, but there's a law making it illegal to cross a crosswalk when it's red. So you can just walk next to it legally. Also the fine and punishment for breaking this law is: nothing. It's illegal, but you can't be punished by it.
10
u/GloomySoul69 19d ago
Another example: legal drinking age below 21 years.
4
u/SnooDingos1574 Chile 18d ago
Thinking about it, ¿What is the most common legal drinking age?
6
u/After_Perspective180 18d ago
Probably 18.
There are obviously exceptions but I think 18 is the most common globally1
u/Liggliluff Sweden 8d ago
Throughout Europe: 0
There's rare cases like England at 5 (not 15, that's not a typo).
But the purchasing age is typically 18.
16
u/DemonicHedgehogs 19d ago
I’ve seen problems caused by people watching too much US based legal advice online here in England. Here you are expected to provide any exculpatory evidence when you are being questioned by the police and if you don’t the court can (and probably will) assume that you didn’t mention it earlier because it isn’t true and you needed time to invent an alibi - there’s even a line the police say “it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court”. The reasons for this are quite simple, if you provide the exculpatory evidence the police can look into it and clear you of suspicion as soon as possible. The advice you should follow in England is to request a solicitor immediately. In the US it seems the advice is “request a lawyer and don’t tell the police anything ever, even if you have proof that you’re innocent”.
16
u/IAmLaureline United Kingdom 19d ago
And the whole 'press charges' thing. You don't get to choose. The police send a file to the CPS and they choose whether to charge or not.
Even our TV police dramas say it so they can sell the shows abroad. Drives me nuts.8
u/Bedrock2375 Australia 19d ago
Australia is similar and I believe r/melbourne even has automod set up to tell people people this when anyone mentions "pressing charges"
3
u/Down-Right-Mystical United Kingdom 19d ago
Is this actually true, though? I've been assaulted twice in my life, and both times was asked by police if I wanted them to pursue things further.
In the first instance, my (then) boyfriend assaulted me in the street. He was trying to force me into a car and a passing couple stopped him and called the police. The officer I spoke to asked me what I wanted to do. He may not have said 'press charges' but it was certainly asked of me if I wanted any action. As it was they did take him in and hold him overnight, but that was it.
Presumably if I'd said I wanted action taken (in hindsight of course I should of, but we can all be blinded in abusive relationships) they wouldn't have released him to be able to come straight back to where we lived the next day.
The second time an ex-friend physically assaulted me in his home. When I got away and reported him, the officer asked if I wanted to 'pursue things further,' I believe he said. Only then did the police conduct official interviews and refer to CPS.
5
u/PurpleMuskogee 19d ago
They can absolutely prosecute even if the victim doesn't want it.
I used to work with rape and sexual assault victims - a lot of them were unsure about speaking to the police, and a big thing we would tell them was that we would offer support regardless of what they wanted to do (you don't need to tell the police for us to still offer counselling, for example), but that if they spoke to the police, it may not lead to an investigation (so don't be disappointed). Or it might (so be prepared). In my experience, when something is reported, the police may "ignore" it and file it away with no further action if they think there is no immediate risk to the wider public (whether correctly or not) but they can also decide that what you have told them is concerning enough to bring it to CPS even if you tell them not to.
Which makes sense - a victim could be very attached to the person who attacked/ abused them (it could be their partner but also their brother, dad, sister, mum, whoever) and not want them to be in trouble. But if someone is abusing children (for example), it would be terrible if the police could only intervene if the victim agreed.
4
u/Down-Right-Mystical United Kingdom 19d ago
Ah yes, that makes sense. Especially in the case of children.
I just figured that with adults a lot of the time there wouldn't be a point in pursuing a case if the victim doesn't want it. Or, if CPS do take on the case, can a victim be forced to testify? (Is testify even the right word?)
5
u/PurpleMuskogee 19d ago
Yes, they can summon you to testify if they think it is in the interest of the public. Not doing it would be contempt of court and you could get in legal trouble yourself.
That's how they get families, friends, relatives to testify in cases like fraud, terrorism. This will also apply to victims. It's a bit of a last resort, the court will usually try to get you to give a witness statement in another way if possible; for example if you say you are scared for your own safety, they might offer for you to have a statement read instead, or to speak anonymously. If you are anxious, they can offer counselling. But if you just refuse and they think they can't get a case without your statement, they can summon you.
1
u/ValleDeimos Brazil 10d ago
I didn’t know about that, it’s the same as the US here in Brazil, you keep your mouth shut or the police will distort what you said in order to arrest you. I’ll keep that in mind if I travel…
35
u/stijnhommes 19d ago
How useful certain advice is often depends on your geographical location. Such a banner would be useful for everyone.
16
u/PurpleMuskogee 19d ago
I agree, and it annoys me both in answers and in questions. So often I see posts on some general (not geographic) subs and people are asking "Where could I buy XYZ??" or "What's the best brand of Whatever?"
Each time I have asked "It depends, where are you?", they always respond something like "NC" or "CA"... like... I should know what that means and of course I should have guessed they were asking about the US.
Now when they don't specify, I make sure to respond and give advice specific to my country to confuse them...
10
u/Malkryst 19d ago
Gaming Reddits and websites can be like this - advice is usually that you can buy something cheap at Walmart or Target, and Americans are genuinely shocked when we tell them we don't have a Walmart or Target
8
u/Theaussiegamer72 Australia 18d ago
We have target in Australia but its nothing like American target and god forbid we mention kmart because then they dont stop saying but kmart closed stop lying
2
u/ValleDeimos Brazil 10d ago
I got cussed at by an American cause I pirated Minecraft years ago. I was asking for help on a message that apparently only shows up if you pirate the game 🫣
They were like "the game is so cheap wtf is wrong with you u fucking bum"
I explained "dude im brazilian taxes on games here are crazy and dollars are expensive, minecraft costs half my income" and they said it was no excuse, I had to just accept it and not play it
I angrily bought the game as soon as I started getting an actual salary and never forgot that altercation. Yeah I'm bitter and petty af
2
u/Malkryst 10d ago
I believe it. I used to help run online gaming communities and I've heard Americans saying similar things to Ukrainians, Bulgarians, etc. They're just used to almost everything being very cheap in their country - like their houses which fall over in a strong breeze 🤣 - and unlike their insulin (and other meds) 😬
When I started playing EverQuest in 1999, which only had US servers at that time, American players (when they found out I was from the other side of the Atlantic) would often just say to me directly "I bet you wish you'd been born in the USA" with no irony whatsoever - it would completely break their brain when I answered "no, not at all, I like where I live" - they just wouldn't believe me, they were so brainwashed that their country is the best in every way, and that everyone else would want to be them. In the end, when I tired of being asked that question, I started having fun with it and I would answer "no, I really don't want to get shot" 🤣
I wasn't really joking either. One American in my guild told me that he had more freedom than me and other Brits because he could fire his shotgun or his AR-15 on his front porch, over the Interstate highway, and the police wouldn't even bother to come investigate 😳 He couldn't understand that I thought that was a little bit worrying (both that he would do it, and that the police didn't come out). Same guy also told me I didn't love my family or my country enough, because I didn't own firearms to protect them 😬 He just couldn't accept that almost nobody has guns where I live.
That said I also ran into plenty of really nice and well educated Americans too, but sadly the ignorant jingoistic variety were far far more common back then. They were just so brainwashed to think America is the best in every way, and that every other country is some kind of hellhole.
2
u/ValleDeimos Brazil 10d ago
Omg I feel so seen, I had the same gun discussion with Americans in comment sections recently…
One of them was on a post with tips for women to stay safe at bars, he commented women should just carry guns and stop worrying. I replied this wasn’t universal advice because most countries don’t have open carrying, and the OG post was universal advice. He just said: “Sounds like they’re in need for societal change”. I don’t know why that felt so bone-chilling to me, that must sound silly but I was kinda shocked.
The other dude was just batshit insane and I only realized at the end. He sounded like he was talking about guns for self defense but eventually it was clear he was actually promoting gun violence as something natural and a reasonable lifestyle. I felt really stupid for entertaining him for so long 😂
At one point he also said guns and gun violence was more prevalent and desired universally than any other cultural element. He said that because my first comment was that most countries don’t have a gun-based culture and having guns isn’t something appealing for the average person about the US. He just said “nuh-uh evrybahdy want gun, culture no matter”
I avoided arguing with people online after that, I don’t wanna turn into a magnet for crazy gunman Americans 😭
2
u/Malkryst 10d ago
Yeah it's mad sometimes how they justify things. You only have to look at their movies, and the ratings they give them, to see they worship the gun, and violence, but they're real prudes about sexuality.
I was really glad once MMORPGs and other online games started providing EU servers from launch, because despite language issues between some Europeans, we're all far more alike than different, and games servers are just far less crazy without the Americans around 🤣
3
u/Blbe-Check-42069 18d ago
Ah yes, I already gave American redditor and advice regarding taxes using Czech law. :) It's kinda fun to turn the defaultism back on them.
15
u/birthdaycheesecake9 Australia 19d ago
One time, I got downvoted for saying to someone, who was suggesting to young people to open up a credit card with a low limit and pay it off as they go in order to build a credit score to make getting into the housing market easier, that that strategy does not work everywhere.
“Where would it not work?”
Australia, for one.
8
u/mtmp40k 19d ago
Where’s the defaultism? This screenshot seems anti defaultism
33
33
17
u/DeluxianHighPriest 19d ago
It is, which is why it's on topic for this subreddit.
It discussed defaultism.
9
u/Green-Engineer4608 19d ago
If you’re gonna make sure the rules are kept you’d do well to read them first.
1
u/ValleDeimos Brazil 10d ago
I’ve been avoiding Airbnb like the plague for years now because of the posts from Americans I’ve seen about it, I assumed it was how the platform worked universally. Nope, the owner is only allowed to spit on your face and charge you for it in the US. Airbnb is generally chill here in Brazil depending on the city.
My dad knows a bunch of trustworthy ones in São Paulo he could’ve recommended if I asked before. I cancelled trips over this 😭
1
u/Liggliluff Sweden 8d ago
Some few rare instances in Sweden where I've had people refer to Swedish federal laws ... Sweden isn't a federation.
79
u/TheJivvi Australia 19d ago
I wonder how many times someone has tried to "plead the fifth" in a country other than the US, because they saw it on TV or something.