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pabosher

The Kid in Amurrica (Woah-oah)

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Hey Thumbs,

Between Sept 15th and Dec 11th this year (88 days total), I will be travelling from New York to San Francisco. I have booked the flights, but have literally no idea what I'm going to do, where I'm going to visit, or where I'm going to stay.

So, suggestions! Do you know of a cool secret place? Tell me about it! Do you want to hang out and have lunch at some crazy Man vs Food location? Let's do it!

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New York:

  • 'Top of the Rock' is better than the 'Empire state building' for all your standing on a top of a large building needs. You get a far nicer view of the city and the park
  • No more sleep (haven't done it myself but it's what trendy people do)
  • um that's all i've got really

Open top tour buses are a really good way of seeing the cities. Its what we did in San Francisco recently, getting a bus across the golden gate bridge through Sausalito and up into Muir woods was awesome

 

are you going to Vegas? Are you driving? Are you travelling on a budget?

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I really want to see the giant reflective shape in Chicago.

Also, i can't remember where i heard it, but there is that interactive exploration/mystery mansion that someone on some podcast mentioned that Fullbright love going to (it might have been Tone Control i heard it on?). That sounded awesome.

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I want to help, but I don't know how to. I live in the U.S. But I know very little about the areas in which I've never lived. If you need general advice like which side of the road to drive on then I may be able to offer something.

It's not in your route, but the south-east of the United States is significantly different than the other areas. I've heard the same about the south-west, but I've never been there for more than a change of planes.

Oh, make sure to tip servers at restuarants where they bring you food.

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Ah, time for my patented, 100% guaranteed ways to make Americans like you*:
Absolutely always wear a cowboy hat and call everyone "pard'ner".
Talk incessantly to everyone you meet about how they can improve their political system.
Don't ever tip your servers - they don't actually like it. Be sure to point out at the start of the meal that you will not be tipping, so that they can give you the best service possible because they are glad you won't be tipping them.
And always correct someone if you hear them say "soccer", whether they were talking to you or not!

*Please don't actually do any of these.

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If I was in an American restaurant, and I told the server beforehand I planned on tipping 15/20/whatever's customary% of the bill no matter how badly things went, so they could relax and deal with the needy people, how would that be received?

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Depends on the server, most would appreciate it and provide you the priority that they associate with the amount you disclosed or just do what they do by default. I've worked with people who would be offended by the gesture though.

I hate eating at restuarants where servers come to the table. I like refilling my own drinks and not having to pretend like this isn't an incredibly awkward situation. That said, when we do go out we just typically tip $5 on a $15-$30 bill regardless of service to insure that we are not allowing our involuntary prejudices exacerbate the racist institution called "tipping". Extremes in either direction can change that. If no one ever refills our drinks we tip $3. If the owner tells us about her vast collection of kimchi and how she had to negotiate with the local college and the health-department to be able to make kimchi properly and tells us how to make it at home, we will likely tip more.

I have no idea if this is a socially acceptable policy, but it's how we deal with one of my least favorite parts of eating in restuarants.

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Yeah, it feels gross to me to have to judge whether the server is doing a good job, given all the things that are not related to the server's performance that affects whether or not I have a nice meal. It's the restaurant's job to work that out. I was hoping to do an end-run around the entire practice by saying in advance that they did it, they're getting paid tonight.

 

Anyway, when travelling through America, remember that you have to tip and it succccccccks.

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I go to Wagamama every few weeks and usually pay by card. They always fill in the bill and hand it back to me, so if i have no cash with me i can't leave a tip. I said it to the server one day that i would like to add a tip and she said it was ok and not to worry. I guess Wagamama pay their people pretty alright!

 

In summary, i have no idea what would happen in America Merus.

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Yeah, it feels gross to me to have to judge whether the server is doing a good job, given all the things that are not related to the server's performance that affects whether or not I have a nice meal. It's the restaurant's job to work that out. I was hoping to do an end-run around the entire practice by saying in advance that they did it, they're getting paid tonight.

 

Anyway, when travelling through America, remember that you have to tip and it succccccccks.

I feel sort of bad continuing a derail, but as an American I just go in knowing I'm going to tip 20%. I don't care what the server's performance is like. So it's not like I'm sitting there judging them the whole time.

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I go to Wagamama every few weeks and usually pay by card.

 

I hate Wagamama. They insist on putting wasabi into fucking everything. As if that's what they do in Japan. Even their chocolate cake. The fuck. At least they're not claiming to be authentic any more.

 

continuing the derailment, I usually tip in England, but the restaurants where I live (cambridge) just automatically add a 10% service charge. As if they get a right to get this 10% even if they are doing a shitty job of waiting me. (that is the right word right?) I've had times where we've waited for over half an hour for dessert because she didn't realise we've ordered it. Sure it was with the mains, but that's just bad service. and they charged the 10%! Now I just sound like an angry raving loon over nothing, but it really gets my goat. I'd naturally give a 10% tip regardless. Probably more. To have it forced on me isn't cool.

 

I should point out that waiters in England do get paid a decent wage. They're not living off their tips like in the US.

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Tipping is the worst thing and I hate it.  I usually start at about 15-20% as a baseline and adjust from there based on factors such as how busy is the restaurant.  I think that informing a server before you pay that you plan to tip a certain percent would mostly not change their behavior and if it does they're probably not a very good server to start with.

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I start at 20% and then round up to the next dollar because I'm too lazy to do simple arithmetic.

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Just search yelp for the restaurants with the poorest service and then you know you can go in there and not bother tipping.

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Has something changed because when I lived in Britain waiters wages were absurdly low.

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I really want to see the giant reflective shape in Chicago.

Come see our bean!

 

Tip 20% as a baseline unless something really terrible and rude happens.

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Has something changed because when I lived in Britain waiters wages were absurdly low.

It's sort of the usual Brit practise of copying something from the US without the redeeming qualities, maybe?

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Has anyone here moved from Europe (or the UK specifically) to the US for a job? I'm coming to the end of my contract here and I'm intrigued by someone at the University of California Irvine who might have a position (if I get my research published soon). 

Is it a massive pain in the ass? Are you at a big disadvantage not being a citizen while living/working in the US?

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Has anyone here moved from Europe (or the UK specifically) to the US for a job? I'm coming to the end of my contract here and I'm intrigued by someone at the University of California Irvine who might have a position (if I get my research published soon). 

Is it a massive pain in the ass? Are you at a big disadvantage not being a citizen while living/working in the US?

 

My wife is from New Zealand, if you are properly documented you should be fine

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I'm sorry but is this thread title a reference to that Bad Religion New America song? This bugs me every time someone posts in here.

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I'm sorry but is this thread title a reference to that Bad Religion New America song? This bugs me every time someone posts in here.

 

:campbell:

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