‘What’s an American thing you were surprised to find out is actually real?’ – 24 things seen in US film and TV that Brits didn’t believe were true

13.

‘Guns everywhere. You go into a supermarket and they sell ammo the same way Sainsbury’s sell strawberries here.’
–portinuk

14.

‘My boss has just come back from a trip to the US (his 4th or 5th in the last 12 months or so). He was gobsmacked to find a Cheesecake Factory. He thought it was just a made-up restaurant for The Big Bang Theory. Crap cheesecake, too.’
–affordable_firepower

15.

‘First visit to NYC late nineties. Had pancakes and bacon with maple syrup, not unavailable in the UK these days but back then it was something you only saw in movies and on TV. It was incredible, in fact all the food was just amazing.’
–jamzie76

16.

‘I thought drinking from bottles wrapped in brown paper was to avoid any positive or negative brand associations in a film, or they didn’t pay for branding/endorsement.’
–Ginger_Tea

17.

‘Cops kicking apartment/house doors down in films and TV to get to the bad guy. I assumed it was just for plot progression. The doors are so flimsy in the States it’s actually really easy to do. My friend in Floridas house is in a nice area and it’s still flimsy as hell.’
–Cybermanc

18.

‘The extent they take ‘respect your elders’ to. Like calling your father in law ‘sir’, your friends parents ‘Mr and Mrs x’and addressing any random older woman as ‘ma’am’.’
–Wild_Region_7853

19.

‘I’m an American that now lives in the UK. My colleagues asked if it really was a thing to stand up in school and say the “Pledge Of Allegiance” everyday. They were gobsmacked that not only it was true, but I was able to recite it, despite not having to do it for 45 years.

‘American indoctrination is disturbing, to say the least, and it really helps explain why someone like that orange turd took office.’
–Harikts

20.

‘Hershey Park, a theme park with the Hershey brands chocolate bars and other sweets as walk around mascots. For the longest time I thought it was something made up for an episode of American Dad until I watched a theme park Youtuber do a video in the actual park.’
–PatriciaMorticia

21.

‘I know privatised healthcare is a cliche answer but I genuinely was baffled playing GTA as a kid when money got deducted after leaving hospital, it didn’t occur to me that it’s because people PAY for hospital treatment, I thought it was just an in-game punishment for dying.’
–octobercyclone

22.

‘High schools being more toxic than a max strength prison.’
–cloud1445

23.

‘The waitress really does go around the diner refilling everyone’s coffee.’

24.

‘Hooters: feels like one of those parody products from Grand Theft Auto.’
–Simbooptendo

Source r/AskUK Image Screenshot