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[sevenlayermuddle]

With apologies for being a bit cagey about location in certain recent posts, I've just got back from the USA, taking in Washington DC and more.

Can't deny it, as always, I love the place.  People are much, much friendlier, hotel rooms are bigger, and food in restaurants  - esp if you like steaks- is vastly superior in every way to what i see in UK.  Even the beer (speaking as an ale enthusiast) is surprisingly adequate, albeit served at a temp too cold for my liking.   

Real trouble with booze is all these strange rules... You walk into what looks like a 'pub', only to be intercepted by the meeters and greeters directing you to a table without any chance to look at the beer pumps.  And it seems, you can't buy a drink at the bar and then sit at a table to drink it, as bar leaners pay a different price...  something to do with who gets the tip?

But it's all made up by the friendliness.   This time around I even got an amused smile from a security guard at the airport over the fact my Apple Watch triggered an alarm, long story, and best he never knows I saw him smiling but basically they  took it off me and passed it through again  in a special container that I called a 'potty' in too loud a voice.   

Can't help thinking... throughout   the 1960s, the Americans were working on Apollo space program.  At the same time, U.K. Tech was developing the Austin Allegro, and I'm not sure much has changed.   If only they could get the hang of running a proper pub, I'd take up residence tomorrow, if (unlikely ) they'd have me. 

[renluop]

OTOH we don't keep cons for years om Death Row until we execute them! And we don't such extreme views as some e.g. anti-abortionists, ready to bomb and maim for their beliefs. I wonder how far they are from the jihadists.

But yes they are probably friendly folk.

[broadstairs]

My experience of the USA from visiting on business trips admittedly a while ago now is that there are vast differences between the various locals. Those in general I met who lived and worked in big cities for multinational companies were in the main quite enlightened folk as they had a better understanding of the world outside of the USA. However there are quite large numbers of US citizens who in my view probably subscribe to a flat earth world with nothing worthwhile existing beyond their borders and therefore have some interesting and yes sometimes quite extreme views. It could also be quite frightening if you strayed into the wrong area even in big cities (which I did once - only once - in L.A  ).

Stuart

[sevenlayermuddle]

I agree that it can feel (and probably is) risky to stray into the wrong part of town, but I wonder if the problem is any worse than here in the UK?

My own theory is, we develop a kind of sixth sense for the culture in which we are brought up, meaning we are less likely to make such a mistake at home, but more likely when abroad.   This can lead to a false impression that the foreign towns are inherently more dangerous.

Regarding nutters, fanatics and extremists, when I eavesdrop on any conversations these days on trains, in pubs, whatever, I'm much more alarmed by the views of many modern Brits...

My only real gripe against US culture is a slightly annoying tendency to hark after some very distant and tenuous ancestral link, and then use it to assert that they are part-Scottish/Irish/English or whatever, despite the fact they and their parents/grandparents and beyond were all born and raised in US.  But I guess we should be flattered that they want to do it.

[broadstairs]

I agree that it can feel (and probably is) risky to stray into the wrong part of town, but I wonder if the problem is any worse than here in the UK?

Well up to a point but in the case of L.A. it was a very different feeling, yes here in the UK I might lock the doors when stopped but in L.A. I was genuinely really scared just driving through that part let alone stopping anywhere and fortunately we did not have to stop (well not for long) at traffic lights as you could turn right on red there!

Stuart