Europe And The States

[AutieAB]

Too many people here have no clue how to drive with others on the road. I have only seen two cars catch fire from self-serve gas. They both got back into their cars after they started pumping. When the got out and grabbed the hose the static discharge from getting in and out on thier car ignited the fumes. Cell phones don't do it. CD player don't do it. Static discharge will every time. So, as long as the dumbasses stay outside pumping the gas, like their supposed to, there is no problem.

Attitudes towards gas/petrol station behaviour in the USA staggered me beyond belief when I first came out here. People leave the damn pump running and walk away all the time. They shouldn't do it, the warning on the pump tells them they shouldn't do it, so tell me this: why the hell do all the pumps in the US have those little clips for locking the handle up???!!! Bonkers.

I've seen people using cellphones (a big no-no in the UK, at least) and all sorts of other stupid things.

The worst I've seen though, was about 2 weeks ago at a Kroger gas station just down the road from me - a stupid Darwin Award contender who thought it was a smart idea to pump gas while SMOKING A DAMN CIGARETTE! I shit you not, she was smoking while pumping gas. The attendant didn't stop her, either... I mean, come on, is the smell of petrol vapour in the air not a clue?! How she got to her roughly 60 years of age without setting herself on fire or blowing the whole block up, I'll never know.

[Dougie]

I know. I see stupidity everyday. I just try to never contribute to the negligence.

[babyfett]

Attitudes towards gas/petrol station behaviour in the USA staggered me beyond belief when I first came out here. People leave the damn pump running and walk away all the time. They shouldn't do it, the warning on the pump tells them they shouldn't do it, so tell me this: why the hell do all the pumps in the US have those little clips for locking the handle up???!!! Bonkers.

I've seen people using cellphones (a big no-no in the UK, at least) and all sorts of other stupid things.

The worst I've seen though, was about 2 weeks ago at a Kroger gas station just down the road from me - a stupid Darwin Award contender who thought it was a smart idea to pump gas while SMOKING A DAMN CIGARETTE! I shit you not, she was smoking while pumping gas. The attendant didn't stop her, either... I mean, come on, is the smell of petrol vapour in the air not a clue?! How she got to her roughly 60 years of age without setting herself on fire or blowing the whole block up, I'll never know.

Do you live in Cobb County? LOL You described almost everything I see on a daily bases here in northern metro Atlanta.

[AutieAB]

Do you live in Cobb County? LOL

LOL no, Forsyth. I know what you mean though

[AutieAB]

Bumping an old thread but I saw this on FAIL and thought of Atlanta drivers, as mentioned above

[guitar_a_goo_goo_ga]

looks like missouri plates

[DL88]

The Bad:

[*]Employee's rights - there ain't many. In most states, you can be fired for any or (literally) no reason. If your legal presence in the country is tied to your job, that's possibly food for thought.

This is probably the biggest deal I'd say needs to be addressed if you are thinking about moving to the U.S. Many states here are what's called

"No-Fault" states which carries to car insurance as well. In a NF like the state I live in, Florida, you can be fired without your employer needing to give a reason. This is how I was fired from a casino in the area I live in. It was my day off and I happened to be injured in a martial arts sparring tourny (ended up coming 3rd because of it) and I was fired the next day even with Doctor's note that said I had been in the ER, been treated, and was to spend 3 weeks off of my feet. If this was not a NF state, my job would have been safe but being as they didn't need a reason, I got the axe.

Most states are trying to get rid of it and even though it is fairly new here, they are realizing what a mistake putting it in place was. Health insurance isn't bad except in the big cities and NY in general, just pay for it, it's not expensive unless you are a married smoker with 4 kids. Car insurance is cheap too, if you have a good driving record and are over 21. I've been in 1 accident where I was technically at fault (thanks FL NF), 2 speeding tickets, and a moving violation (cop was being a dick). Anyways in FL since you have to have certain coverage, mine is still only 135$ a month and I just got a check for being a safe driver. In November, my insurance goes down to about 50$ a month.

Well good luck with your decision.

Damn I miss Texas..can't wait to get back!

[AutieAB]

This is probably the biggest deal I'd say needs to be addressed if you are thinking about moving to the U.S. Many states here are what's called

"No-Fault" states which carries to car insurance as well. In a NF like the state I live in, Florida, you can be fired without your employer needing to give a reason. This is how I was fired from a casino in the area I live in. It was my day off and I happened to be injured in a martial arts sparring tourny (ended up coming 3rd because of it) and I was fired the next day even with Doctor's note that said I had been in the ER, been treated, and was to spend 3 weeks off of my feet. If this was not a NF state, my job would have been safe but being as they didn't need a reason, I got the axe.

Yes, that was certainly the biggest concern for me. Employee's rights are considered sacrosanct in most European countries. Once you've made the decision to hire somebody, you can't fire them simply because you don't like them or any other stupid petty reason and you certainly can't fire someone because they're sick. That's not to say you can't fire people who deserve it, but you at least have to be able to justify why. No such protection in the vast majority of 'at will' US states.

Health insurance isn't bad except in the big cities and NY in general, just pay for it, it's not expensive unless you are a married smoker with 4 kids.

Forget the smoker part, it's expensive for families period. I have two stepkids and the health insurance for the family is our second biggest outgoing each month, behind only the mortgage. It costs us about $450/month and that's HMO and under a shared contribution arrangement - which means my wife's employer is paying a large amount in as well. All this means that that the health insurance company are sucking in well over $15,000 a year for our family of four ALONE. Compare that to the UK system which (1) is pro-rata so if you earn less, you pay less and (2) is not required to be paid in order to be treated. If you're not working, you're treated free because it's presumed that you'll resume paying in when you start working again.

Car insurance is cheap too, if you have a good driving record and are over 21

Now that I'll agree with. I learned to drive when I moved to the US, having never needed to in Britain and even when I was on an LP (at 25yrs), our combined premium for me and my wife with one average family car was only $42/month. The premium actually came DOWN when I went on it because my wife was considered less of a risk once she was married . It would have been vastly more than that in Britain or most other European countries.

[DL88]

Forget the smoker part, it's expensive for families period. I have two stepkids and the health insurance for the family is our second biggest outgoing each month, behind only the mortgage. It costs us about $450/month and that's HMO and under a shared contribution arrangement - which means my wife's employer is paying a large amount in as well. All this means that that the health insurance company are sucking in well over $15,000 a year for our family of four ALONE. Compare that to the UK system which (1) is pro-rata so if you earn less, you pay less and (2) is not required to be paid in order to be treated. If you're not working, you're treated free because it's presumed that you'll resume paying in when you start working again.

Exactly, family of four. There are also many factors to consider in this, the biggest of which is does your insurance include dental? That is the killer. Even professional instrumentalists pay hand insurance which can be quite expensive especially for pianists. The point I'm making is most people in the U.S. who don't have health insurance, don't have it by choice, in which I'm included. I'm healthy, no pre-existing, and single so health insurance would be cheap for me at least. Dental would cost a shit load.

Unfortunitly, the answer for the U.S. is not a government run healthcare system like which is in place in Europe. Want to know how that works here with our limited government? Hey Vets how's the VA benefits working out for you? Also all other people who are on Tricare (like I used to be), how's that working out? Terrible. We also already have medicare/medicade and other stuff like that for people so it isn't like we are completely without eighter. If it is life threatening, doctors are forced to treat you otherwise they can lose their licence.

Universal healthcare is not the answer, try paying 60-70% tax on what you make and then add in waiting in a long ass line to meet a doctor you have no choice about that is barely qualified who will perscribe you generic crap, and won't remember your name. If you are older than 50, good luck getting any surgery, that's going to the younger people. Read Logan's Run much?

I do agree with you though, If you make less, you should be required to pay less. There is no reason a person making 12,000 a year should be required to pay the same as someone making 30,000 a year. That is a huge number difference. We do need to fix the way healthcare is run, but there are many other problems we need to fix along with that at the same time such as immigration, social security, and welfare but those are topics for a different thread.

[loopy]

Universal healthcare is not the answer, try paying 60-70% tax on what you make and then add in waiting in a long ass line to meet a doctor you have no choice about that is barely qualified who will perscribe you generic crap, and won't remember your name. If you are older than 50, good luck getting any surgery, that's going to the younger people. Read Logan's Run much?

Don't take everything the republicans say as truth....

[DL88]

Don't take everything the republicans say as truth....

It isn't an issue of republican or democrat to me anymore to be honest; however, these are things the current President as said would be/need to be in place.

[Andy]

New Zealand is one of the few places in the world where one can legally make their own "moonshine" (whiskey,rum,vodka,etc.) without having to pay a tax on it.

In good ole Germoney you are allowed too if you do not exceed a certain volumina in liters. I don't know the amount yet but know there is a limit

[Alice-chan]

Flyover states are flown over.

And yes, Ohio does suck.

not necessarily. Just the parts that are not Cedar Point.

[Vic]

I lived in Germany for two years, Alaska for four, and a few other states as well. I've spent some time in a lot of different states, and I've been to Mexico, and Canada.

I loved visiting NY city, Hawaii, Florida, and just too many places to list here, and I have to say that I've found each of them to to be great even though they all have their differences.

If I could live the way that I could choose it would have to be living in Alaska during the summer, and Hawaii in the winter. Also being free to visit other places as I pleased would be great (so if you want to see me live like that send me lots and lots of money, hee hee).

I'm glad that I live in the US though, and wouldn't change that for the world.

Peace,

Vic