An American woman unintentionally caused an international incident after she shared her biggest culture shocks while traveling around the UK.
Despite the Americans winning the Revolutionary War centuries ago, there still seems to be some lingering animosity with the UK. As of late, Brits and Americans have come to digital blows on subjects like slang and even what constitutes a chicken sandwich.
The American woman’s culture shocks went viral
American fashion influencer @alwaysdressbest took to Instagram in June with a video that has since garnered over 11k likes and hundreds of somewhat scathing comments.
In the clip, she spoke about the biggest culture shocks she experienced in the UK, though frankly, most British social media users failed to understand her points.
The first culture shock was that most shops closed early, around 5 or 6 pm, which allowed retail workers to spend more time outside of work. After some further investigation, it’s clear that closing times vary depending on location, with retail estates staying open much later.
The influencer continued to explain that “nobody drinks water here”, a claim trashed countless times online already. She further doubled down on the statement as she claimed that only Americans order water in a restaurant.
Next up was the smoking and vaping culture, which the American said was far more prominent in the UK. While she said most Americans would take themself “to a corner” for a nicotine hit, the influencer saw countless Brits walking down the street with smoke pouring from their mouths.
Lastly was the stark difference between what is considered a “long” time in the UK and America. Though Americans would drive for three hours without a break, the influencer claimed, she said that a British bus driver required two breaks during the trip.
The redcoats are coming!
While some of the influencer’s points were confirmed by Brits in the comments, most were “appalled” by her lack of cultural understanding.
One person ranted: “What the hell is she talking about? Shops close later than 6pm. We drink water like normal humans. And they don’t need a mandatory break after 90 minutes. Can’t believe people post this c**p and it’s always from the same nation.”
“Confused by the water thing. I’ve lived in the UK my whole life and I’m very used to seeing people carrying water bottles around,” another person wrote, while a third added, “What complete and utter nonsense.”
