Welcome to America, Please Be On Time

[W.G.Ewald]

International - Max Fisher - Welcome to America, Please Be On Time: What Guide Books Tell Foreign Visitors to the U.S. - The Atlantic

The United States is the second greatest tourist draw in the world, with 60-million-plus visitors in 2010 alone (France, number one, attracted almost 80 million). Flipping through a few of the many English-language tourist guides provides a fascinating, if non-scientific and narrow, window into how people from the outside world perceive America, Americans, and the surprises and pitfalls of spending time here.

Of the many pieces of advice proffered, four of the most common are: eat with your fingers (sometimes), arrive on time (always), don't drink and drive (they take it seriously here!), and be careful about talking politics (unless you've got some time to spare). But they say more than that.

 

[trackwhack]

International - Max Fisher - Welcome to America, Please Be On Time: What Guide Books Tell Foreign Visitors to the U.S. - The Atlantic

Be careful about talking politics? Land of the free and home of the brave?

 

[civfanatic]

It's always funny when Americans get invited to Indian parties and functions. Americans always arrive on time when no one is there, the first Indians arrive one or two hours later.

 

[W.G.Ewald]

It's always funny when Americans get invited to Indian parties and functions. Americans always arrive on time when no one is there, the first Indians arrive one or two hours later.

I remember going to dinner at a restaurant in Madrid years ago. Showed up about 8 PM and expected to order an entree and be served at that hour! I had to eat bread for two hours.

 

[thakur_ritesh]

As they say, IST which was supposed to be Indian Standard Time which got converted to Indian Stretchable Time.

What's with 20% tips? Quite a heated discussion post the article, in India a 10-12% tip would be considered generous, also why are they talking about the employer not even paying minimum wage as a fixed salary? How does the restaurant or an eating joint get their licenses in such a case?

Communism for the US!!!

 

[W.G.Ewald]

Be careful about talking politics? Land of the free and home of the brave?

Oh, we Yanks will talk politics. We just don't want to hear your opinion.

 

[W.G.Ewald]

...why are they talking about the employer not even paying minimum wage as a fixed salary? How does the restaurant or an eating joint get their licenses in such a case?

The labor laws for service workers allow it. And you can be sure Uncle Sam gets to withhold taxes as well.

 

[pmaitra]

Indians like to follow the IST, typically understood as 5 hrs and 30 mins ahead of Greenwich, but also alternatively understood as the Indian Stretchable Time.