Comments by "Helmuth Schultes" (@helmuthschultes9243) on "American Reacts to Differences Between Australia VS America" video.

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  3. Tipping is a bad US habit. Derived from service staff getting minimal pay, and expected to cover decent wage based on tips. So bad that you are in trouble by not leaving significant percent of bill as tip. Many places around the world forbid tipping, or discourage it. Similar to the next topic, nothing worse than ending embarrassed by knowing cash in hand, deciding based on menu/ displayed offering to consume a given meal, then find the bill forces 10% or often more demanded tip, pushing cost beyond available funds. Or a happend to me in Hawaii, pay for a nice steak dinner, get the bill, and having no smaller cash notes, from memory I put down $50, expecting change to be returned. After waiting nearly 10 minutes, being asked whether I wanted something else, finding that they assumed I was giving over $20 as a tip. Another bad US system is posting prices excluding tax. Since the percentage tax is fixed surely better is to displayactual price to pay at checkout. Nothing worse than looking at cash in hand, then find at checkout, you are short and can not pay afterall. In Australia it is illegal to advertise prices as anthing other than final total price to pay. But there are unusual twists, for example optional extras are stated in the fine print. Airlines often have super saver fares advertised, but state in fine print that baggage and inflight refreshment are extras. In extreme case, fine if no baggae carried but even one small suitcase and the price can double. Contract for example internet service advertised for a price, but fine print having conditions, like time limit, increasing cist after a couple of months, or hours of usage, with lower speeds except certain time spans. Ckasic cost up practiced on many electrical goods is offering extended warrantee, where actually there is little gained over consumer rights under fitment of purpose. That could be for instance a 12 month warrantee, and offer of 2yr extension for say 15% purchase cost to extend. Yet what is covered by the extension is alreafy covered by cunsumer rights, as defects within reasonable product life can not be excluded by the short term warrantee. Say you buy a coffee maker, and at 18 months it dies, but warrantee hsd been 12 months. Under consumer rights it is normal expectation that such appliance last more than a few years. An extended warrantee is extra profit to the store. I have never included extra warrantee and over numerous laptops, phones, tablet, kitchen appliances etc had any need for extension. A refrigerator died 26 months and had to be replaced, though only 12 month cover, as it is expected that a refrigerator operate reliably way over 1yr, infact other than that unit failing all freezers and refrigerator I have ever had all lasted well over 10 yrs, and planty cases now are well over 30 years old
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  7. Light switches seem to vary, but most I am aware of are down is on, but in my home there are variations. Right hand drive is from UK standard, and is common with Japan, India, New Zealand, South Africa. Was once also in Sweden, but many years ago to commonise with Europe switched, as it made ferry connection easier as cross travel was very common. Pedestrian traffic is somewhat in line with left side traffic, but also bit jumbled. In many places around the world I have been the impression was far more jumbled left-right so more kaotic. Just escalator and travelator at airports were fixed. Ozone hole streched from south pole to lower regions of Australia, but it is closing now since world ban on CFC compounds in can propellant and refrigeration systems done many years ago. Interesting is the main cause of CFC damage to the Ozone layer originated in norther hemisphere, but southern world suffered most. Skin protection from excessive sun exposure has always been high priority in Australia, just more extreme due to Ozone hole. Weather reports in summer months include UV exposure expected. Yes skin cancer risks are high, but that is also due to high exposure outdoors in daily life and recreation. A generally fine clear sky, good temperatures, sunny weather. Unlike much of Europe and other places tending to more cloudy days that bright sunny days. UK has a reputation of always raining, there are of course places even more sunny, ie Mediteranean, middle east . Anyhow we thus have much outdoor exposure and activities. Bad habits of not covering up properly are now counteracted by advertising programs, classic phrase "SLIP, SLOP, SLAP" for slip on a shirt slop on sunscreen lotion and slap on a hat. One common cliche about Australians has been the classic nose covered by Zinc cream, classically white but now available in many colours. One Australian aspect not mentioned is pesky flies. In most places around the world while flies exist they do not crowd your face, and depart readily when swiped away. Here the flies insit on homing in on the face, around eyes, nose, lips, ears and are persistent in they tend to lift off when swipped at, but immediately return. They seek to suckup moisture so seek out those spots. Also settle in large numbers of the shirt back mainly shoulders, Anyway that is the origin of what is commonly reffered to as "Australian Salute", a repeated regular swipe of a hand across the face, you may notice this in TV outdoor interviews or scenes with people, a regular swing of a hand across the face for no evident reason. Foreign visitors can become distressed by these pesistent pesky flies, as without such swipe habit they get frustrated.
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