Jeremy Stein - Journal
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What I miss about England
There are some nice things about England that I didn’t really appreciate until I lost them. Here’s a list I’ve compiled of things I miss from England now that I’m back in the States:
- Speed limit signs – In the UK (and most of Europe), speed limit signs are repeated every 200 yards. In the U.S., I keep finding that I’ve turned onto a road and I have no idea what the limit is. It could be a good 10 miles before a speed limit sign appears and I just have to follow traffic until then.
- 1-day prime shipping – Yup, the UK is smaller, so it’s just 1-day shipping for Prime customers. Basically, if you want anything, you’ll have it tomorrow. I had no idea that 2-days was agonizingly slow until I’d been spoiled by 1-day.
- Walking to church – Your denomination is now Anglican. The church is in the middle of town. Just walk there. It’s a pleasant part of life in the English countryside.
- Decent public transportation – Yes, the German and Swiss trains are more reliable. Your UK train might be 5 minutes late. I miss complaining about that. I don’t know how reliable U.S. trains are, because they don’t go where I want, and that seems to be true for most Americans.
- Yoga pants are not worn as work attire – Seriously, America?
- Sales tax (VAT) is included in the price – You pick up a meal deal for £5 and a newspaper for £1. Can you guess how much it will cost at the till? There’s a learned helplessness in the States where we wait for the cashier to tell us what we owe. It’s like watching a game of the Price is Right.
- Pre-green lights – Do you ever watch the light for the cross traffic to see when it turns red so you can be ready to go? No need in the UK. When it’s almost your turn, the red light and yellow light simultaneously illuminate for a second so you can shift into gear before it turns green. (Yes, you’re driving a manual. Everyone does.)
For balance, there are a few things I missed in the UK and am grateful to have again:
- Honeycrisp apples – I don’t know why they haven’t crossed the pond. They’re the best.
- Decent bagels – I’d even take a West Coast bagel over an English one.
- Mexican food – Hmm, I keep listing food. This is the last one. The Indian food is great, but you’d be hard pressed to find a decent Mexican restaurant in England.
- Turning on a red light – It’s efficient. I’ve seen intersections in Germany that allow it. All countries should get on board here.
- Friendly banter with bystanders – I know that people’s friendliness varies by region, but even in Washington State I can make a joke to a bystander without being a weird American.
- Yellow stripes on road – Pop quiz: you’re on a road divided into three sections with dashed lines. Which ones are going in your direction? In the U.S., it’s immediately obvious: yellow lines divide traffic traveling in opposite directions. In the U.K., all the dividers are white, so you’d better pay close attention to signs.
- Window screens – Would you like to open the window to let in fresh air without inviting bugs as well? Americans have kept the secret of the window screen for over a century. It’s amazing that no spies have brought it back to the Isles.
2 Comments
- Carol replied:
Thank you, Jeremy. Very kind of your to share your thoughts. I would certainly be a weird American in the UK. If I tried to blend in, I would be found leering with curiosity at the locals.The Window screens? Don’t they have the same bugs that we have? Are they trying not to deplete their ore? I do have a nagging question? Did I hear correctly that there are houses that have no heating systems, and the people just bundle up in their houses? I might be able to handle that because I’m bundled up right now!
November 30th, 2019 at 8:05 pm. Permalink.
- Jeremy replied:
The Window screens? Don’t they have the same bugs that we have?
Sure do. Couldn’t figure out why.
It may be similar to the reason their W/Cs have separate cold and hot taps. It’s always been that way and people expect it.
Did I hear correctly that there are houses that have no heating systems and the people just bundle up in their houses?
I didn’t see that! It would take a lot of bundling (thought not as much as Rochester, NY). It’s a bit more temperate surrounded by ocean. It was rare to have A/C (they call it “air con”). I only saw it in the newer office buildings, but never in homes.
December 1st, 2019 at 12:23 pm. Permalink.
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