It’s not only customs that differ from one part of the world to the other; things people consider mundane often do, too. So it’s no secret that certain habits or items in the US might not be as common in Europe, for example; and vice versa.
That’s what netizens in the ‘No Stupid Questions’ subreddit recently discussed. User ‘meryse’ addressed the American members asking what everyday things Europeans have they would consider a luxury in the States. Their answers covered everything, from food, to healthcare, hygiene habits, and even windows; so scroll down to find them on the list below and see how they compare to your own home.
#1
I’m just going to assume “Really good cheese” is a legitimate answer.
Image source: November_Riot, Waldemar
#2
4-6 weeks of vacation at time of hire.
#3
Fresh baked bread for reasonable prices that you can get in walking distance of your home, and aren’t full of preservatives.
Also, affordable health care.
Image source: Stu_Prek, Geraud pfeiffer
#4
Peace of mind that we won’t receive a medical bill that might bankrupt us.
Image source: slickshoes_, sandro porfirio
#5
Decent quality chocolate available in almost any random corner shop.
Image source: onetruelord72, Tetiana Bykovets
#6
Schools that are not used as target practice
Image source: workout_mt, Kobe –
#7
Food that doesn’t have a ton of artificial additives and non-food ingredients that makes you sick. I never realized that was what was causing my stomach problems until I went on vacation in Europe and within a day had no problems at all. And it came back a day after I returned. They can make great food, even packaged junk food, with just real food ingredients. Why can’t we?
Image source: LakeCoffee, Wallace Chuck
#8
Time. Time to eat in a restaurant without being shoved out. Time to sip coffee at a cafe. Time to spend with new children. Time to go on vacation. Seems like an unattainable luxury to this American.
Image source: Kindly-Risk2949, Life Of Pix
#9
Maternity leave and healthcare come to mind.
Affordable healthcare and maternity leave equally available to everyone. I know some people have healthcare and some companies offer paid maternity leave, but it’s not the standard.
I know someone who works 50+ hours a week,, makes just enough to support his small family (child with special needs) and he can’t afford to treat his hepatitis C because of the treatment (12 weeks of pills) costing more than he earns in 18 months. He can’t afford to pay for health insurance.. (before a-holes start judging, he was born with it).
Image source: greencoffeemonster, Aditya Romansa
#10
Can’t speak for all of Europe, but workers rights. Wtf is “getting fired on the day”? Or quitting, for that matter? You get 3 months here
Image source: TheKobraSnake, Life Of Pix
#11
No high fructose corn syrup in everything!!!!
Like you don’t even need to check the label for it.
Image source: gatzdon, Aleksandar Pasaric
#12
Unlimited sick days. Or just sick days, because it’s just not a concept. If your are sick, you are sick and stay at home with full pay until you aren’t anymore. Can’t get fired for it too.
Image source: Jackman1337, Polina Tankilevitch
#13
Not having to hand over your credit card to a server who then disappears with it. In Europe, the machine comes to you and you just tap it with your card/phone/watch.
Image source: hallofmontezuma, energepic.com
#14
No gaps in bathroom stall doors. Not the bottom gap, that’s fine, they could be lower for sure, but I mean the ones between the door.
Image source: plan_with_stan, Phoreus
#15
Ability to not require a personal motorised vehicle for literally every single thing in ones life.
Image source: Cakeminator, Emma Harrisova
#16
Those towel warmer racks, and heated bathroom floors.
Image source: peeparty69, nctonz
#17
Solid walls in their house.
Image source: TheRealPedram, Lübna Abdullah
#18
Work-Life balance. Paid time off. The ability to receive healthcare without going bankrupt. The ability to seek higher education if desired without going into life-altering debt. Public transportation. Maternal and paternal rights. Kindness.
Image source: Temporary-Dot4952, Marc Mueller
#19
A safety net. It is incredibly stressful to work in America as an American. You bust your a*s for decades and could still lose everything you’ve worked to maintain at the drop of a hat. One slip, one positive test result, one broken bone, one genetic disorder, one sudden chronic pain… that’s it. No more job. No more paycheck. Savings gone in under a year. House (if you could afford one at all) gone. Suddenly you’re homeless.
It doesn’t even take a medical issue. Anything that could get you fired (because employers can fire you for any reason without any waiting period) can ruin your life forever. Maybe you missed some court date and you went to jail for two days. Maybe your kid is sick and you had to stay home. Your car broke down. You went to the hospital. Your loved one died.
Fired. Now you have no healthcare. You dip into your savings (if you have them). You keep dipping until there is nothing left. The only place hiring is a grocery store that offers $7.5 an hour. You can’t even rent a 1bd apartment in your city. You rent outside the city. Now your commute is 1.5 hours. You can’t pick up your kids from school anymore so you have to hire a babysitter. How do you get ahead? How can you get out of this hole?
F**k the American system. It’s s**t. Most people never get a chance at a good life and those that have one could lose it all through no fault of their own.
And we are all too terrified to fight back because our survival is directly tied to employment.
And to make matters worse, capitalism had completely decimated our built in support systems, like family and community, but that’s a bigger conversation.
Image source: LVII, Laura James
#20
Good public transport outside of main cities. Germans in particular love to complain about Deutsche Bahn (and rightfully so) but compared to USA it’s just so much more versatile.
Image source: OrciEMT, Luca Nardone
#21
This might seem a little weird, but I really liked the windows when I was in Germany. Turn the handle up and it tilted back, turn it to the side and it opened like a door, turn it down and it was locked. I’ve never seen windows like that installed in the US. I’ve googled and they’re available but just not in common use it seems. At least not in the parts of the US I’ve been to.
Image source: Zaphod71952, suinp
#22
A wide range of parties you can vote for
Image source: hundehandler, Marco Oriolesi
#23
Universal healthcare (in most countries). A family member in Italy needed an MRI of the brain. if she waited a few weeks it would be free. She didn’t want to wait so she paid out of pocket: $120. That would be a few thousand dollars in the US.
Practically free higher education. They pay fees, not tuition. Minor costs.
Image source: StuartGotz, RF._.studio
#24
You might enjoy the documentary Where to Invade Next by Michael Moore. It’s about how just as Europe has looked to America, America should look to Europe.
He covers these topics. Summarized with chat gpt.
Education system in Finland.
Workers’ rights and work-life balance in Italy.
Healthcare system in France.
Drug policy in Portugal.
Prison reform in Norway.
Gender equality in Iceland.
School meals in Slovenia.
I would put environmental and consumer protection up there e.g. EU banned ingredients in food and consumer goods.
Image source: Mindless_Wrap1758, Sharefaith
#25
Chocolate that doesn’t taste like splenda infused vomit.
Soft drinks that don’t taste like windex with a drop of food colouring mixed in.
Legitimate castles that aren’t mock ups built by people that missed having a history that goes back further than a middle aged greenland shark
Image source: Quarkly95, Nathana Rebouças
#26
Quieter cities because there are fewer cars. And along the same lines, smaller cars. And, continuing on those lines, obviously, better/more convenient public transportation – even non-major cities.
Image source: jambr380, Roman Kraft
#27
No tipping.
Image source: A11U45, Sam Dan Truong
#28
Can’t believe it’s not more prominent, but the right to privacy, and recently digital privacy.
GDPR was an excellent piece of legislation.
Image source: Gregor_the_headless
#29
A sense of community that isn’t based on the color of some old loser’s tie.
Image source: Bazyli_Kajetan
#30
Tomatoes that are actually red, flavorful and delicious.
Image source: THIR13EN, Marc Mueller
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