Differences between the US and the Uk as seen by me!

Alright, having lived in the UK for almost a year and working in a UK business, I have firsthand experienced the cultural differences. Yes, yes, we both speak English but that doesn't mean we always understand each other! Here are some differences I have come up with in case you feel like visiting one day!

Honking- Nope, doesn't happen here. If you're angry, flash your lights and say angry things to yourself. You only honk if you're about to die in an accident or you really need some help.

Driving- Well obviously there's the other side of the road stuff but they are also much politer drivers! If you're waiting to turn onto a busy road, I guarantee somebody will always stop to let you out. That's pretty awesome because some mornings, I have to wait for somebody to let me run across my house's busy street, have somebody let me open my car door (parked on street) and wait for somebody to allow me to pull into the street. It always happens! And quickly. This is probably one of my favorite things about English people. Also, please note that roundabouts are awesome and I dread seeing streetlights or stop signs again.

Crosswalks- Basically, they stop for people at crosswalks. If there's somebody waiting to cross, even on a really busy street, somebody will stop again. And if you don't stop while going the other way, you feel like a terrible person. I'm still in the American habit of "shoot I need to speed up before that pregnant lady reaches the edge of the street." Also, there are a billion types of crosswalks like the pelican crossing, puffin crossing and zebra crossing. I won't even pretend to know what they all mean!

Smaller- Everything is smaller here. The roads are skinnier, the cars are small, parking spaces tiny and rooms are smaller. This does make the roads just a bit scary to me. There's no room for not paying attention and drifting at all. Shoulders don't exist really. As for the cars, they're all hatchback basically. Trucks are quite rare. And parking..I've never been good at parking! But because I live here, I am getting much better! The spots are probably 2/3s the size of spots in the US. Rooms are smaller in houses because everything's older. Open plan wasn't popular back when many places were built.

Parking- I'm pretty sure every Brit is a professional parker. If you go into any car park (parking lot haha) then you will see nearly everyone backed into their spot. Not just pulling through but legit backed in. It's no secret that I'm not the best parker but these guys are just showing off. Also, parking tends to be a free for all. There are certain lines on the side of the road which show if you can park or not and if they're not there, then you can park where ever. Parking in the middle of the road turning a two lane road into a one lane is commonplace, same with parking on sidewalks.

Obstacle course- This is what I call the roads here. Like I said, they park wherever for the most part so you really have to pay attention. People do this on blind corners too so you have to basically just go around them and hope nobody comes! It's really fun when they're parked like that on both sides of the road. Another part of the obstacle course comes when you see a sign that reads this: "cars in middle of road." You see that and think "what?!" It means that the curve for people driving on the other side of the road is too tight for them to make.

Different words- I'm not always positive we speak the same language! Working in a UK office, I can't tell you the number of times I've said something and have only received blank stares in return. Like the word "restroom." That doesn't exist here! You need to call it the loo or toilet to be polite. Or there's bankers' draft instead of cashier's check. I'm the official translator in my office for the Americans that come in and vice versa.

Spelling- Many words are spelled similarly but have an extra "u" thrown in to mess with you. There's cheques instead of checks or centre for center. There are such small differences that sometimes you think you're a crazy person. I remember one day at work, I sat and stared at the word "mould" trying to figure out why it looked weird but spellchecked correctly. They added that darn "u."

Old stuff- It's no secret that the UK is an old country but it's unreal to experience in person. I live in a house that was built in 1844 and that's new here! You'll walk around somewhere and see signs that this building has been there since the 17th century. It's just crazy! You really realize just how baby the United States really is.

Talking to strangers- In the US, you're considered rude if you don't look people you walk by the eye and smile or say hi. If you try that in the UK, people will hurry away thinking you're a crazy person. Even in shops, you don't typically get greeted by the staff and that's totally normal.

Saying "hello"- When I walk into my office, the first think I always here is "are you alright?" The first time I heard this, I literally had no idea how to respond! It's the UK version of "how are you" not "are you about to die?"

Eating out- Man, do I miss the doggy bag. I feel so wasteful here since I never finish my entire meal but it's not a cultural thing to be able to bring it home. Also, you don't get free refills on drinks so you have to remember to ration your drinks. That's pretty sad. On that note, I miss ice! Brits don't do ice like Americans do and the drinks typically come to you lukewarm. The servers aren't in your face like the American version. They don't rely on tips so can let you eat in peace.

Measurements- The UK seems to be between the metric system, the US system their own unique brand. They use pounds for weight but up to a certain point, they use "stone" for a measurement too. That is about 14 pounds so they'll say like 10 stone and 10 pounds. Then they use miles per hours not kilometer but they definitely use Celsius. What a mix!

The humor- I love British humor! They have that dry sarcastic thing going on and that's what I use too. In the States, people don't always get my humor but that's not a problem here! There are so many shows that they have in both countries but are so much funnier here because of the commentary.

Guns/Personal defense- The English do not understand the American fascination with guns. It's extremely hard to get a gun here and rightfully so. Gun ownership just isn't an issue here. Now something I don't understand is some of the defense laws. If somebody comes into your property to steal something and they get hurt while at your property, they can sue you! That's just messed up. I like that I have the right to protect myself if needed in the United States but everybody is more protected here, even the criminals.


Those are just a few of the differences I came up with off the top of my head. These two countries speak the same language but the cultural differences are many. I love living here and learning new things about another cultures. If I didn't live here, I wouldn't ever be able to experience all these differences myself. Living in England is a wonderful experience.