From the first person. 7 things that annoy me in the US

Фото: Depositphotos

Each country has its own way of life, its own traditions and laws, which may seem strange and even stupid to us, immigrants. These things may not be liked, irritated, or cause bewilderment, but they are all a significant part of the life of the country in which we want to live. In this case, in the USA. When moving to America, I was sure that everything here, without exception, was very modern, but I was wrong. I present my hit parade of things that annoy me in the USA. I’m sure I’ll never be able to get used to some of them.

1. Prices without taxes

When shopping in America for the first time, I literally began to drool. I saw one price on the price tag, but at the checkout I had to pay another - somewhat higher. Is the store lying?

In no case. By law, sales tax is added to the cost of each product, which is different in each state. The city or county tax is added to the state's total sales tax. I do not understand why you can not immediately post the cost of the goods, including tax?

Over time, you get used to it and in your mind you calculate the final purchase price. By the way, the lowest taxes in Delaware and Montana are 0%, and the highest in California are 9,75%.

2. Bad, slow, expensive internet

Enough expensive Internet does not justify its value one iota. The speed sometimes falls so much that I use the mobile Internet on my smartphone, without connecting it to the wi-fi network, because any sites open faster. I used to think that this is a provider problem and repeatedly called with complaints, but after talking with other “victims” I realized that the slow Internet in the USA is a global problem. And all because The cable services market is monopolized by leaps and bounds.

The worst situation with the Internet is only among residents of the city of Green Bank in West Virginia - they are generally forbidden to use the Internet and mobile phones. That is the law.

The American Internet cannot boast an adequate price and high speed. Photo: depositphotos.com

3. Not your home

In the US, you are not the owner of their homes. Neither rented nor purchased. Each apartment is located in a house (condominium or cooperative), in which the tenants' association, which has its own code of rules, manages all business. It is this association that decides how long guests can stay with you, whether you can get a dog or change windows, put a washing machine in an apartment, etc. I think this is very unfair.

In America, 55 + houses are very common. God forbid you to buy an apartment in such a house, even though they are quite cheap, because according to the rules of such a condominium, one person over 55 must live in an apartment all the time. And no children.

Buying a property in the US does not guarantee that you can do whatever you want in your house. Photo: depositphotos.com

4. Everything is done for cars

If in the countries of the former CIS the car is still considered a luxury, not a means of transportation, then in the USA it is simply impossible to get anywhere without a personal car. Even if you need to go to the nearest bread store, you will most likely go there by car. Just because all the nearest supermarkets, at least a kilometer or two from the condominium. Public transport as such is absent. Buses run so rarely that I do not take them into account. In large cities like New York, the situation is completely different - there is a subway there, and it’s expensive to use a car because of high parking prices.

And the footpaths ... did you see them? This is a narrow strip of asphalt, which will be followed by one person of medium build. Since I do not drive a car and often walk with a pram, for me it is a big problem.

5. Credit history

If you want to be able to lease a good car, you need an excellent credit history. If you want to take a home mortgage - you need a credit history. And wherever you go, you need a good credit history. Or rather - a high credit rating (credit score).

In order to build a credit history, you need to take credit cards at banks and chain stores, use them correctly and deposit money into your account on time. That is, in the United States you are obliged to live on credit. At the end of each month, I frantically recall what amount, on which card, and up to which date I should deposit. This life concept is hard to get used to.

In order to be a full member of society, you need to have a good credit history. Photo: depositphotos.com

6. Dear garden

If you have children or are planning to have children in the US, you will most likely be sending your child to kindergarten. Because in America you need to work together, and the child will need to integrate into society and learn English. In Florida, the cost of a kindergarten starts from $500 for an English-speaking one and up to 1300 per month for a Russian one. The cost of the Russian version is equal to the cost of college tuition, for a moment. Nannies from $15 an hour are also not a budget replacement, as you understand.

Since I want to work and study, soon we will have to enroll our baby in kindergarten, and our expenses will increase even more.

Many mothers prefer to be on maternity leave for as long as possible in order to save on kindergarten costs. Photo: depositphotos.com

7. Bad Food

I really love to eat, and, unfortunately, I rate the quality of the products on offer in the supermarket and in local restaurants for three. Here I absolutely do not want to experiment with new institutions. Because, most likely, I will remain dissatisfied, and I will feel sorry for the money spent. Choosing a restaurant or cafe, I very thoroughly approach the question - I interrogate my friends and read all the reviews. I do not like that, basically, all the dishes are prepared from semi-finished products and blanks, and as a result you get a large portion of "plastic" food. In short, lovers of food should know the place.

See also:

Personal experience. How I moved to the USA

From the first person. 6 tips for economical shopping in the US

Personal experience. How we arrived in the United States on a student visa

How much is a month living in california

Personal experience: Russian woman on the work of children's doctors in the United States

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