I Just Got Back From The USA — Here’s What Shocked Me

Culture shock is an understatement

I’ve lived in the United Kingdom for many years. And although I’ve visited dozens of countries, there’s one place that always gives me culture shock: The United States.

The scenery is breathtaking, and the people (for the most part) are lovely. But whenever I spend time in the U.S., I experience culture shock in a way that makes my jaw drop to the floor.

Here’s why:

Public Transport Is A Nightmare

During a trip to North Carolina, I tried to get from one side of Charlotte to the other. Nothing crazy. But public transport wasn’t even an option to get from A to B. And since I didn’t own a car, I had to pay $35 for an Uber.

It didn’t matter if I was in New Jersey, Texas, or California. 99% of the time, public transport in the United States was expensive, unreliable, and had an extremely sporadic schedule. But then again, that’s understandable when the entire country is built for cars.

That’s a big contrast to the United Kingdom (and other European countries). Here, public transport is quick, affordable, and runs on a frequent schedule. Even in rural areas, buses and trains help people to reach nearby places of interest. And right now, many one-way fares are capped at £2 ($2.40 USD).

The Education System Is Broken

My American friends love to tout their country as being the best in the world. And while I’m all for patriotism & national pride, it’s important to keep a few things in mind.

According to the Barbara Bush Foundation, 54 percent of American adults aged 16 to 74, or roughly 130 million individuals, are illiterate. That means they read at or below a sixth-grade level. Yet, the country spends approximately $14,891 per public school student each year.

How is that possible? If I had to guess, there’s probably a bit of corruption and greed involved.

I visited New Orleans and accidentally learned about the horrifying extent of America’s broken education system. While having lunch with friends, they mentioned that many local children struggle to read, write, and learn other basic skills.

Look, I don’t pretend to have any solutions because I’m just visiting the country on vacation. However, I feel compelled to point out a problem with the education system & wonder why it’s not being treated as a matter of national urgency. After all, low literacy levels among U.S. adults could be costing the economy $2.2 trillion a year, per Forbes.

Nobody Can Explain Expensive Healthcare Bills

Unfortunately, the American healthcare system has become a laughing stock in Europe. My jaw dropped when I heard about Americans being charged $40 to hold their newborn baby. And don’t get me started on the fact that it can sometimes cost thousands of dollars to visit the Emergency Room for a broken arm. Pardon my French… but WTF?

The Emergency Room (ER) is free for everyone in the United Kingdom. Even if you’re here on vacation, we don’t charge foreigners for a medically-necessary visit to the ER.

Yes, we fund our healthcare system via taxes (and it’s not perfect by any means). But around Europe, many countries treat healthcare as a human right — and don’t charge patients thousands of dollars to receive treatment.

If you disagree & think the American healthcare system is better, more power to you. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. But personally, I’d rather not worry about medical bills when I visit the hospital. The only thing that appears on my credit card statement is a $3 charge from the vending machine whenever I buy snacks or a drink.

It’s as simple as that.

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