Is It Safe?

[Boracay]

A few thoughts about "America".
- When Americans say to tip they mean to tip some obscene amount. Never did find out how much.
- We stayed in Venice. Hostel was well locked and we did not go out at night.
- Only time we were robbed was by a tour company that took our deposit and, surprise, no tour, no refund.
- There are astonishing numbers of homeless in LA and SF.
- Americans hate to pay tax, so the govt. adds a separate amount of tax to each bill just to keep their blood pressure up.
- We took buses all over SF and felt totally safe. In a bus from Venice to Hollywood we did get a bit nervous. Did not feel safe in Hollywood. Got even more nervous on a bus from Malibu back to Venice. Now I know why Charlie Harper never takes the bus.
- Did like Fox City Mall. Buses to and from Venice felt totally safe, go a little nervous switching buses.

[Wotname]

Not sure what I would expect if visiting the land areas of USA but I know that if I was cruising in USA waters I would need to fit gun racks down below, in the companionway and probably the cockpit as well. This I have learnt from CF .

That said, most USA folk I have outside the USA have been charming, intelligent and all round fine folk (except for some - but no worse than any national d*^khead).

[zeehag]

vegas is simply the is=dealization of all lost dreams..lol....and a operfet cross section of th eamerican culture. is exaggerated, yes, but is exactly a perfect cross section of usa culture....and dreams.....

kkk was not an all amaerikun idea--many of the aryans come from great britain and germany, just for starters, and then molded into kkk...you dont remember the hitler era, where aryan was only way. ..is a pure white thing, not indiginous to usa. ...but that is a problem in usa--no one can remember the history of world, even when granted a piece of paper saying they know how to teach...LOL ....
i have seen and endured this many times while raising my son, who is so smart he out did his teachers which really made them cranky and m0re bigotted.. had to keep an eye on them for the sake of all kids not looking pure white......and something about a kid with IQ and aptitude way over the level of his teachers....

as far as tourists are concerned...canadians and americans seem to be only some of the chosen few of the arrogant and pompous windbags--is fun to watch....

[Tingum]

Things that are considered "Safe" are usually boring!

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Richard_W

Really? I am pretty sure the concept was invented in Europe long long time ago and practiced on a grand scale in more recent history.

Currently, the idea is still present on all continents:
List of white nationalist organizations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I didn't say we invented racism. I said we invented the KKK.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by FrankZ

Kathleen knew some foreigners that thought every time a car wrecked in America it exploded. It does in the movies so it must be true. Their theory was we used "gas" and if we would switch to a safer, liquid, fuel we would be spared this.

You can't make stuff like this up.

And they're right! We should use petrol.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Boracay

A few thoughts about "America".
- When Americans say to tip they mean to tip some obscene amount. Never did find out how much.
- We stayed in Venice. Hostel was well locked and we did not go out at night.
- Only time we were robbed was by a tour company that took our deposit and, surprise, no tour, no refund.
- There are astonishing numbers of homeless in LA and SF.
- Americans hate to pay tax, so the govt. adds a separate amount of tax to each bill just to keep their blood pressure up.
- We took buses all over SF and felt totally safe. In a bus from Venice to Hollywood we did get a bit nervous. Did not feel safe in Hollywood. Got even more nervous on a bus from Malibu back to Venice. Now I know why Charlie Harper never takes the bus.
- Did like Fox City Mall. Buses to and from Venice felt totally safe, go a little nervous switching buses.

Both the efficiency and the safety of public transportation can vary greatly across the United States. Something that might help foreigners understand us is our concept of "state's rights," which is a cornerstone of our Constitution. When we separated from Great Britain (pounded them into the mud, but we won't go there -- grin), we were 13 separate colonies with some common interests, much like the EU today. We combined reluctantly, only because the 13 colonies (esp. the very small and/or undeveloped ones) had no hope of making it themselves. Unite, or be picked off, one by one, by those people we had just muddied.

So lots of things that would be run by national government in another country are under the control of state or local government here. Lots of variation, which is exactly what the writers of the Constitution intended.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Tingum

Things that are considered "Safe" are usually boring!

Ha, along those lines a friend and I have half-jokingly talked about setting up an "extreme toursim" business in Guatemala...wanna spend a few days embedded w an urban gang...ride along on offshore drug run...no problem...just sign this liability release first!

This concept could of course be easily expanded to the USA, just need more attornies and a better liability release, want to hang w gangs in LA...wise guys in Jersey...gun obsessed conspiracy theorists in, well everywhere,... no problem...just sign here...

[Madcatter]

My GF is from Colombia, the thing she always points out is how we Americans are always in a hurry and trying to find even faster ways to do simple things. She says we never slow down and relax. The other thing is how we always have to buy bigger and better things, have to have the latest everything. It drives her crazy at her work place to see them get rid of two year old computers just because it is not the latest thing. But she will be the first to tell you that for the most part she has found us to be friendly, and nice. And yes she asked me where all of the car chases, and explosions were. Thank you Hollywood.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Madcatter

My GF is from Colombia, the thing she always points out is how we Americans are always in a hurry and trying to find even faster ways to do simple things. She says we never slow down and relax. The other thing is how we always have to buy bigger and better things, have to have the latest everything. It drives her crazy at her work place to see them get rid of two year old computers just because it is not the latest thing. But she will be the first to tell you that for the most part she has found us to be friendly, and nice. And yes she asked me where all of the car chases, and explosions were. Thank you Hollywood.

But in fairness, depending on the nature of your business, there may be very good reason for replacing a 2-year-old computer. I don't like the "gotta have all the new gadgets" mentality just to have the newest gadget, but sometimes there's a point.

When my niece was in college, there was a sign up in the school's computer lab: "If it's running, it's obsolete." Whether or not your computer is obsolete depends on what its purpose is in your life/business.

It's easy to make assumptions about why something is done, and then judge it.

[Madcatter]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

But in fairness, depending on the nature of your business, there may be very good reason for replacing a 2-year-old computer. I don't like the "gotta have all the new gadgets" mentality just to have the newest gadget, but sometimes there's a point.

When my niece was in college, there was a sign up in the school's computer lab: "If it's running, it's obsolete." Whether or not your computer is obsolete depends on what its purpose is in your life/business.

It's easy to make assumptions about why something is done, and then judge it.

Her boss is a tech guy so what you said is true, but the nice thing is that she has gotten him to donate the used computers to schools. To her if it works and does the job well keep using it. It amazes me when I go and visit her family at how handy they are at repairing things. I guess part of it comes from her living in a poor household. If it works or can be fixed why toss it out is their motto. She just thinks that sometimes we are a bit wasteful. She finds the concept of keeping up with the Joneses to be strange and alien. Except when it comes to clothes and shoes, I live in a house with five very frugal women, my four daughters and Serena, and the only thing they will splurge on are clothes haha

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Madcatter

Her boss is a tech guy so what you said is true, but the nice thing is that she has gotten him to donate the used computers to schools. To her if it works and does the job well keep using it. It amazes me when I go and visit her family at how handy they are at repairing things. I guess part of it comes from her living in a poor household. If it works or can be fixed why toss it out is their motto. She just thinks that sometimes we are a bit wasteful. She finds the concept of keeping up with the Joneses to be strange and alien. Except when it comes to clothes and shoes, I live in a house with five very frugal women, my four daughters and Serena, and the only thing they will splurge on are clothes haha

That's a wonderful solution.

The gaps between the haves and have nots in education is rapidly widening after years of narrowing (I was in education) -- because of lack of day-to-day familiarity with computers. The kids who have that technology at home (not just at school) have a HUGE advantage over the other students, even in very early grades.

[David M]

Much of the perception of countries we have never visited comes from the media and movies made in that country. Both Hollywood and the press have a vested interested in highlighting the negative which sells the news and sells movies. Given that, I think most peoples perceptions of places they have never visited is more negative than what is the truth.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by David M

Much of the perception of countries we have never been to comes from the media and movies made in that country. Both have a vested interested in highlighting the negative which sells the news and sells movies. Given that, I think most' peoples perceptions are more negative than what is the truth.

I don't think it's quite as simple as "negative sells." Conflict sells. In Writing 101 they'll tell you that every scene must have conflict. Do they love each other very, very much? Doesn't matter. A scene where they all get along is boring.

Movies are the same thing. Conflict (and that means negative, and sometimes one negative against another) is what drives a story line.

To convicts chained together and trying to escape, working together cooperatively, forming a warm bond from the beginning? Just weird. Why are we supposed to like them?

Two convicts chained together and trying to escape. One Black and resentful of whites, one white and extremely biased against Blacks, but they *still* have to work together, or they'll get caught. Makes for a dramatic, exciting and interesting story, and when they finally work it out -- we like them.

But it makes the country look very racist.

[David M]

I understand your point, but still, negative news does sell the news. It gets more eyeballs watching advertising which is the whole goal.