OK, in the UK we have a 5 bedroom house, in the US we had a 4 bedroom house. Take a look at the pictures, I rest my case.In the US it was 28°C at it#s lowest point, in the UK, it is 23°C at it's hottest point (12°C at the coldest), yes. my case is rested there.
In the UK we went out earlier, bought a few drinks, it cost a small fortune ... in the US we went out, bought a few drinks, it was reasonable and we had unlimited refils. Hmm, case rested there.
When in the US the staff in stores always greet customers as they walk in and ask if there is anything they need, in the UK earlier, I went in several stores and was totally ignored whilst they continued their private chats., Case decided there on the grounds of retail customer service.
In the US they wait in stores for customers to enter and seem like they welcome customers ... over here they stand in the doorway having a smoke ... another case lost for the UK on retail.
In the US, the stores have space to walk around (true, they have a lot of fat people, they need it) but, even so, they have the space, the stores are tidy. Here in the UK today it was like wandering around retail warehousing rather than stores, shabby, messy and ill thought out with too much crammed in. Retail, I think we have to presume, failes totally by comparison.
OK, service in restaurants ... over here we have often waited excessive amounts of time for seats even though there is some but sections are closed ... in the States they open areas up and, if customers have to wait, they come over every few minutes, keep them appraised and apologise. They are also very polite in the US, act like customers friends, introduce themselves and mean it when they suggest that nothing is too much trouble, in the UK we can struggle to get them to take our order at times or to give us the bill ... oh dear, not looking good for UK catering either.
In the States I can turn right on a red light using common sense to know if the way is clear, over here I sit at the lights for zero traffic waiting for them to change. In the States there is no 'slow' or 'fast' lane. All highways have open lanes for anyone to drive in or overtake and they work. Driving in the US, I have to admit, is easier.
Fuel, they complain about paying around 40p a litre, I guess that one needs no comment really.
Consistency, on this one the UK is ahead. In the UK there seems no logic behind their approach to sales and payments. In some stores at some times, but not all, we can use a card and they accept it without even a signature, in other stores they not only want a signature but photographic ID as well though, some stores, but not all, will accept another credit card as ID. Some garages accept payment after a sale, many insist on payment before refuelling commences, dead confusing that one. Some highways confuse too by indicating they run east-west when, infact, they run mainly north-south or southwest-northeast.
House prices ... we pay around £150,000 for an average terraced or semi-detached three bedroom house here, the same money would almost certainly by the US house above, no argument there who has it better. (that house has full air conditioning and a pool by the way)
People, hmm ... in the US we may be shot for upsetting someone, over here it is more subtle, we get bricks through our windows and years of emotional stress. Chavs ... no, none in the US - enough said. Genuine? Well, my opinion is still undecided on whether I feel those stateside are totally genuine about anything. Too much 'have a nice day' said as a standard comment, other things too, I cannot put my finger on make me wonder just how cool they really are and how much it is just a front to either make money or to impress.
In the UK, Deej and me are married, in most of the USA we would not be and, in some states, we would still be breaking laws.
When I was there I was quite certain I didn't want to live there but then, I am wondering now if, being so far away I develeped the rose tinted glasses that many Americans have of the UK. Being back nearly a week I am now feeling differently, like, there are just so many things about this country which piss me off.
If I won the lottery tomorrow, what would I do? Where would I live?
Right now, I honestly don't know if it would be the US but, a large part of me says, it won't be the UK either.
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