Cultural Differences Between the UK and the USA

I was born in England and spent most of my life here, then moved to the USA for 15 years and returned back home to the UK 6 months ago. I have visited many other countries around the world both on vacation as well as for work, but it's the cultural differences between the UK and the USA that fascinate me.

Most people think that the biggest difference between the UK and the USA is that in England in the USA you drive on the right side of the road, and here in England we drive on the left. NO it's the LEFT side not the WRONG side! But the differences go way beyond this as you will see. There are a myriad of cultural and social differences that only really become apparent when you spend a significant time in the other country.

There is an awful lot that I don't like in the USA, I have to admit that. Let's face it, I didn't grow up there, so things are not what I am used to, and that is normal for anyone to find. However there are also a lot of things I do like there, and a lot of things that I don't like about England too. In a perfect world I would take a blend of ideas from multiple cultures to get the best of everything. I think most people can identify with that.

I know a lot of people who visit England often return and either say that English folks are so friendly, or in some cases just rude. The same happens when we visit places like New York, where people are often thought to be too loud or just rude, but I for one know this isn't the case, like everything, it depends on your personal perspective.

I have learned that paradise doesn't exist, since nowhere is perfect. Take that dream of a tropical paradise for example. It sounds perfect doesn't it! Golden sands, the sound of the ocean, little tiki bars and restaurants, swaying palms. On the other hand you have maybe a high cost of living, limited entertainment, limited shops, theaters, museums or any of those things that you take for granted in the big city. Hurricanes! Did I mention those? Frequent power outages... just to name a few things that you might miss. Have you ever wondered how many people who live in places like Jamaica and The Bahamas actually go to the beach? Relatively few actually. Like most people, you don't visit places that are on your doorstep.

However I am digressing instead of writing about the original topic, which was differences between the UK and the USA. I'm good at getting sidetracked and am my own worst enemy when it comes to that.

There are many odd differences between these two countries, that I have actually pondered whether someone said "we have to be different to England, so let's make everything work differently to them". Read on and you too might wonder, but I also wonder which came first, the American or the British version...

We all know that electricity in the UK runs on 240 volts, and in Europe and most of the rest of the world on 220 volts. The USA and it's neighbors runs on 110 volts. Why is that? It seems that 220 volts is more stable, but I have no idea why it should be different in the USA.

Now driving on the other side of the road I can understand, and it historically goes back to horse drawn transport centuries ago, but other things I have no idea about.

Take the old rotary phones, which I grew up with. In the USA the dial and numbers went the opposite way around to in the UK. Fortunately I didn't have to use one, because it would make calling really hard. It was bad enough in the UK, especially when the phone was placed on a polished table and slipped while dialing a high digit, causing you to mis-dial and you had to start again.

Many locks on doors turn the opposite way in the USA compared to the UK. What's the logic there? And light switches go the other way. In the UK you flip the switch down to turn a light on and up for off. In the USA it's the opposite. Taps often turn the opposite way too, which really confused me, and why do you have to call a tap a faucet?

One thing that you will never change my mind about is chocolate. To my dying day I would declare that Cadbury's is the best chocolate in the world and not Hersheys! However since Cadbury's has just been acquired by Kraft, the quality might just go downhill, but I hope not.

But take something like health insurance. In the UK it's free! If you go to see the doctor, or need a triple bypass - it's free! In the USA you could end up spending a small fortune if you got sick, and you have to pay high premiums on health insurance. It's also almost impossible to afford if you lose your job or your work doesn't provide health benefits. However, if you get sick in the UK and your treatment isn't urgent, you could end up on a waiting list for a year. The quality of treatment is often better in the USA, but it comes at a price. Good if you can afford it. I can't say which is better though, but not having a lot of money, at least I know I can afford treatment here.

The thing that really hit me hard was when I got my first job in the USA. I had been living in the USA for 5 years before I got my first job, having been employed by a software house in London since I relocated. I had a horrible shock when I was told by Human Resources that the working week was 40 hours (but they expected more like 60), and that there was no vacation time the first year ("you what?"), 5 days the next year, and then 10 days off - but wait - you get 3 weeks off after 5 years service! I was shocked! In Europe by law companies have to give you a minimum of 23 days off a year, and many companies in the UK expect you to take a 2 week chunk of that during the summer, rather than have constant long weekends throughout the year. Many places also have a 35 or 36.5 hour working week. My heart sank as you can imagine when I heard that. But I have gradually got adjusted, except when I hear from friends in England who have been on an exotic trip for 2 weeks, and then are planning another week somewhere in the fall, whereas I have to figure out how to make the most of my 10 days, allowing for trying to take time off over Christmas, which leaves maybe 4 days for the rest of the year. I just started my current job late last October, and qualified for 5 days off before the end of the year, which was great.

Easter always hit me hard too, since in the UK everyone gets both Good Friday and Easter Monday off, making it a 4-day weekend. This falls in the middle of the 2 week Spring Break for the schools, so it's great for parents. I couldn't believe that a country that is far more religious than the UK would not have time off for Easter, at least in many companies. Then Christmas of course, where in the UK we have Boxing Day, the day after Christmas Day. It's hard to think about going to work the day after Christmas, but so far I haven't had to and hope I never have to. I could probably write a book about my dislike of the working conditions in the USA as compared to Europe.

One thing that I really did like about living in the USA was going to the bank or the post office. Here in the UK both usually have a small opening for the teller with glass and bars, and you have to talk to them through a crackly microphone, so neither of you can understand each other, and the service is usually without a smile. In the USA you could often strike up a chat with the staff at the banks and post offices, and service was more often than not with a smile. It was a much more pleasant experience.

Almost every company in the USA has an 800 number so that you can call them without incurring any costs. Here in the UK very few companies have this, and many in fact have a premium rate number for you to call, which isn't that much less than calling an adult dating service (so I believe!). So for example, if you want to call about your electricity bill, or to call your insurance company or bank, you have to pay an extortionate rate. I really do not like this, and the American way is so much better.

Banking is another area where there are a lot of differences. In the UK we have had free banking for 20 or more years, with the bank sending you a new checkbook automatically when the old one is close to being used up. We also now have "chip and pin" on our credit cards to reduce fraud, and have to enter a pin number when using a credit card. In the USA I always had to pay for my checkbooks, and in the early days there I had to pay for my bank accounts too. Thankfully this seems to be changing.

Filling up with Gas/Petrol was a better experience in the USA, since many pumps have a lever that you can set on, so you don't have to hold the handle while filling up, and can clean your windows etc while you are waiting. I have never seen a pump like this in the UK, and it's very frustrating having to stand in the cold and the rain to fill up.

On the subject of Gas, I find it a lot easier over here putting Petrol in my car and using Gas to cook with. And when someone blows off they pass wind. In the USA the word "Gas" is used for all three, so if someone asks about the Gas Bill, is that the cost of heating the house, filling up the car, or a fine for creating a stink?

There are so many things that I can think of. If you know of any differences that I haven't listed, or have any theories, please leave a comment.