Things I didn't know before I moved to the US.

alb_d posted on 2018-01-31

Students use pencil a lot.
People like to write notes and stick it everywhere. In fact, there are a lot more explicit instructions and notes to be read everywhere. for eg: "caution: uneven floor"; on airbridge or "caution: vehicle makes wide turns" on buses.
Americans hold their pen/pencil differently while writing.
At restaurants, most often you wait to be seated. You don't just find an empty table.
Even while walking people prefer to walk on the right.
Communal showers are a common thing.
America goes nuts over pumpkin every Halloween. I always thought pumpkins were only used for lanterns and other decorations. Halloween season even brings pumpkin snickers with it.
chai = masala tea.
bhangra is a thing.
snail mail carry spam too.
Lot of the courier services do not need a signature from the addressee. Amazon would happily drop off a $1000 iPhone outside your door without any signature.
Food Takeout is called "To Go".
Electrical sockets do not generally have switches. If they do, ON is UP.
They use letter paper size instead of standard A4.
Planes have a planeside valet who takes your bag and places it in the airline cargo at the airbridge and then unloads it and hands you before leaving the airbridge.
Airports are open access. Anyone can enter. Till the TSA checkpoint there is no frisking or access control.
The only time you get frisked or go through a metal detector or get your bags xrayed is at the airport. Apart from that there is no frisking at malls, theatres etc
Americans are not very used to 24 hour clock. I realized this when I wrote 15:00-15:45 on a meeting room booking form. The receptionist was like "I am not very comfortable with military timing, this is 3pm right".
attached bathrooms are not as common as in India.
you can walk into T-mobile(or any other cell phone provider) pay cash and walk out with a sim card without filling a single form.
mm-hmmm is the most common way to acknowledge people in conversation.
Universities have their own full fledged police with uniform, vehicles, guns and equipment.
Different colors of the same product cost different on Amazon.
Pet dogs are very docile.
Apartment numbers come after the street names in addresses. State names are abbreviated in addresses.
Prescriptions are sent directly to the pharmacy by the doctor.
Checking account is the default one used. Savings account is used to set aside excess money from the Checking account.
Bikes here do not have stands. There is also no concept of repairing a puncture. If there is a flat you just replace the whole tube.
There is an incinerator under the sinks in kitchen to grind the garbage before disposal.
Prepone is not a word.
Jury trials where normal citizens act as judges.
USPS does this thing where it puts your package in a larger mailbox, locks it and then places the key inside your apt mailbox. You open your mailbox, get the key, use it open the larger rotating time sharing mailbox.
American addreses are concise. State/City/Street/Apt. Compared to my address in India. State/City/Node/Sector/Plot/Apt
You can rent self storage. Basically warehouses to keep your stuff that you don't have place for at home. 🤦
You can deposit cheques by just taking a photo of it in the app. No need to go to bank.
When you give your car for service, they give you a loaner car.
Car recalls are not uncommon.
You can take your car puncture into a tire shop and they will fix the puncture entirely for free. You don't need to be a member or anything.
Planes that fly advertisement banners.
Carbon monoxide and fire alarm sensors in every apartment.
Utility poles made of wood. https://photos.app.goo.gl/h1T2pxDeWBzLTFhB9