good call on these outfits dude it's the only call you know what I mean welcome to watch Mojo and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 things only Americans do get a ton for this list we're looking at common beliefs and practices in the United States they don't need to be exclusively American just something that Americans are known for if there's something uniquely American that didn't make our list unite in the comments to State your picks number 20 refer to the USA as America [Music] outside of the United States of America referring to the country as America is much less commonplace after all there are two entire continents called America comprising like 35 distinct Nations referring to only one country on one of those continents as America 2 is really confusing for anyone who doesn't live there from this day forward it's going to be only America First America First calling it the U. S USA the United States or just the states is much more common in the rest of the world even so everyone still calls its residents Americans which isn't confusing at all you can't say it but you know it's true number 19 throw gender reveal parties cultures the world over have Traditions to prepare expecting parents and celebrate the expected birth of a child thank you so much for throwing me this baby shower girls I feel so welcome to the neighborhood of course however Americans have really taken the concept and run with it an entire industry has been built around baby showers as well as their modern relatives gender reveal parties emerging in the 2000s the latter have become infamous for sometimes absurd levels of Showmanship some over-the-top reveals have been responsible for injuries and even disasters they remain somewhat controversial with many people including Americans not really getting why they're often made into such big deals I don't know why but I'm not gonna cry oh my gosh why are you gonna cry cause I'm just really happy for you you look like it you look like you're happy number 18 experience huge bathroom stall gaps [Music] laughs oh God every country's restrooms have their own quirks like different sinks and toilet bowls the U. S is known for having a high volume of water in their bowls and large gaps in their bathroom stalls both under the door and between the door and the walls visitors can be taken aback at the lack of privacy some hold that they're designed for easy cleaning or construction others that it allows one to check which stalls are occupied although occupancy indicators on the locks can do that too maybe so you can see if there's someone in there isn't that why we have locks on the doors well well it's broken you can backup system it might also make it more difficult to get up to no good in there whatever the case public bathrooms in the U.
S are built for Speed not Comfort would you just sit down and go to the bathroom already [Music] 17. have pharmacies that sell groceries in most of the world pharmacies sell exactly what their name implies Pharmaceuticals while you will see tangentially related items like grooming products or hygienic things like toothbrushes pharmacies don't usually carry food or toys but in the US that's much more common the country free is all about the all-in-one experience not only will dedicated grocery stores have pharmacies built in but pharmacies will also carry groceries granted the selection isn't always great but if you're desperate for milk and the grocery store is closed or you just don't feel like crossing the street to get there you can get some while most of the world still limits drugstores to drugs and self-care products we have a feeling this one might catch on number 16 vote before they can drink worldwide the age at which a person can legally drink alcohol is most commonly 18. the age usually considered to be adulthood though it is even earlier in some countries the voting age on a global scale is also generally 18.
for similar reasons although of course there are exceptions the Voting Rights Act of 1970 lowered the voting age to 18 for national elections and the 26th amendment made the change to 18 permanent for all elections and 18 is where it has stayed for the past 50 years however the United States requires young adults to wait three years after being able to vote before legally being allowed to drink at 21. this was enacted during the 1980s to prevent alcohol-related driving accidents this law has been an abysmal failure it hasn't reduced or eliminated drinking it has simply driven it underground behind closed doors into the most risky and least manageable of settings while it helped in the short term ultimately it hasn't really stopped teenagers from drinking the result is that many people both inside and outside the U. S question the logic of why an 18 year old American can decide who forms the government but not get buzzed the reality is everyone drinks before they turn 21.
that's why when you go out for your first legal drink you have to react with that faux surprise like you've never heard of alcohol before what is this alcohol taste like what's unusual oh this is true number 15 get free refills one of the biggest differences between American restaurants and the rest of the world are their drink Services most American and many Canadian restaurants and other establishments will offer at least one free refill of a non-alcoholic drink I just where is it going the idea is that because of the low cost of drinks particularly Fountain soft drinks offering a refill won't hurt the establishment's bottom line particularly if drinks are not the primary source of income however the idea has been slow to catch on in the rest of the world and it's nowhere near as consistently offered some countries have raised concern that a practice like this can lead to an increase in obesity number 14 tip service Personnel all right everybody cough up some green for them already come on throw in a book I don't tip you don't tip no I don't believe in it while the concept of tipping wait staff for other people in the service industry is known worldwide few countries have embraced the concept to the degree the U. S has labor movements declare the practice undemocratic and anti-tipping legislation was enacted across several States but restaurants and rail operators like the Pullman company Embrace tipping because it allowed them among other things to hire recently freed slaves without having to pay them many workers particularly in the restaurant industry rely on gratuities to get by in part because laws allow managers to pay sub minimum wages to tipped workers however in various other countries tipping is seen as insulting they're just doing their jobs after all each year Americans spend 40 billion dollars on tips that's more than we spend on foreign aid and more than we spend on gambling and like gambling it's not entirely clear that tipping makes any sense in the first place while some countries workers certainly appreciate it it isn't did like it is in the U. S mostly because employees are paid a high enough Baseline salary that they don't need tips to survive restaurant owners still pay their servers less than minimum wage turning what used to be a bribe into an obligation that makes the end of every meal suck number 13 obsess over the military and I think I speak for the rest of the WWE I certainly speak to myself I would like to say thank you to all our men and women who choose to Don the uniform of the United States military the American Military is probably the best in the world as it should be since it's also one of the best funded militaries in the world in fact the U.
S spends several times more on their military than their nearest competitor China what's more there are more than a few American citizens who have a higher than average fascination with their own military and its culture I thank you as our as your commander-in-chief because you inspire me your willingness to serve to step forward at a time of war and say send me is the reason the United States says strong and free while other countries certainly appreciate their troops you don't say see as many people wearing camouflage as a legitimate fashion statement likewise you don't see movies made elsewhere that glorify the military to the degree that the U. S does do me a favor tell my children I love them very much [Music] all right you alien [ __ ] in the words of my generation [Music] part of the American enthusiasm is certainly rooted in patriotism still it may also be a reaction to an increasingly anti-military sentiment that has popped up over the last several decades [Music] oh well here you go boys these will help you protest it's good to see that you care about peace Boys number 12 use red plastic cups if you've ever seen an American movie where a college party happens chances are you've seen characters drinking from Red Cups [Applause] [Music] these red plastic or Solo cups are everywhere in the U. S the cheap drinking containers are a favorite at parties both for their durability and their ease of use in party games while they're also handy for crafts or gardening they're most famous for their intended purpose however the rest of the world either doesn't have the United States party culture's emphasis on kegs or lacks the same distinctive cups originally manufactured by the Solo Cup company at most you might see them at a novelty American themed party number 11.
wear shoes inside taking off your shoes before you enter a home or at least in the entryway is pretty common etiquette in many countries don't do that why'd you take your shoes off so I don't break your nose and while many Americans do prefer to keep Footwear off their floors it isn't a hard and fast rule like it is in other places often it will depend on whether the person has carpeted floors or hardwood floors with the latter considered easier to clean since it's not considered the norm though asking guests to take off their shoes indoors can come across as rude or fussy and so is often avoided number 10. eat peanut butter as their go-to spread peanuts are grown and eaten in many parts of the world but it's the United States and Canada that do most of the peanut butter eating peanut butter man nowadayser yes I believe I am I certainly enjoy this peanut butter a lot of countries see it as a niche or even unpleasant taste others have a spread that is more culturally ingrained like Nutella the USA cannot get enough of peanut butter though consuming over a billion pounds of it annually January 24th is even National Peanut Butter day it's a cheap source of protein that most American children grow up eating so it's no wonder that it's a comfort food for many of them number nine work too much Americans are Workaholics at least compared to basically every other country in the world the majority of Americans work more than 40 hours a week why do we do this to ourselves well the conventional answer is that this attitude towards work makes the American economy the Envy of the world America is a hectic turbocharged system that builds destroys rebuilds all at warp speed they also tend to lack many of the things the rest of the world takes for granted like paid holidays as well as sick and parental leave research has shown that happier less stressed workers do better at their jobs Iceland even recently tried a four day work week that proved wildly successful there's lots of other benefits before they're working with it's not just the environment you know it's not just the mental health and economy you know good for the economy also environmental benefits too you know evidence looks like when we're commuting less as a result of a four day week that brings down emissions also energy consumption goes down this is this is It's a policy it's a win-win for the environment for workers for employers what's not to like about it several European countries take long breaks for lunch while the American Drve is admirable grind culture becomes problematic when it costs workers their mental health and well-being number eight make small talk with strangers Americans are known for their friendliness towards strangers especially outside of big cities it's not uncommon for Americans to smile at each other in passing but their comfort with new people also extends to Small Talk saying hello or even striking up a conversation out of the blue please ask your flight attendant to receive you in many countries speaking to strangers unprompted can be seen as intrusive or even risky many Americans are masters of the art though often happy to chat with people they've never met about the weather sports or whatever else comes up in conversation it looks like a carrot honey what looks like a carrot hi number seven casually owned guns in many countries gun laws are strict and gun ownership is relatively rare in the U. S gun ownership is protected by the Second Amendment and gun ownership is the highest in the world despite making up four percent of the global population Americans own 46 percent of civilian-held firearms there's a distinct gun culture where gun ownership is celebrated or at least seen as important for personal safety Most states even allow you to open carry but it's a lucky thing I had my pieces your pieces my gun oh anyway I started blasting wow of course the issue is extremely divisive due to the country's High rate of gun deaths either way the idea of having so many guns around is a novel one for many visitors guns lots of gun number six put sales tax on everything sales tax is paid when you buy something and the business you purchased your goods from sends that money to the government there are two types of sales tax general sales tax and excise taxes general sales tax is a tax levied on most Goods you buy excise taxes are taxes levied only on certain items most countries in active value added tax or VAT on goods or services purchased within their borders these taxes are collected from every person in the supply chain from the Distributors to the consumers the United States is one of the few to use sales tax which not only vary wildly from state to state but are only enacted after a purchase has been made the state treasury depends on sales taxes to pay for Road repairs education and medical care for children seniors and the poor they're also not listed in the initial price which can leave foreign visitors and many Americans scratching their head as to why they're being charged more than the price on the product better or worse you decide it's certainly more confusing what's the advice then if you're going to buy a big ticket item where is the cheapest sales tax well you know you can go online and look at all the sales tax rates for different cities and and if you look at one dealership or one you know Best Buy or something like that you can find the different zip codes and look at the sales textures and just see how much that a little take off and then take your family out for a nice night there you go number five recite a pledge of allegiance I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America many parts of the United States school children and adults in some settings are expected to recite the Pledge of Allegiance but back then in 1892 when it was written by Francis Bellamy Bellamy was a Baptist Minister and in in conjunction with a magazine called the youth's companion he wrote this at that time 23 word pledge of allegiance this is an expression that they will be loyal to the USA and is usually performed daily while looking at the nation's flag which you will find hanging Everywhere by the way this isn't something other countries do they might salute or respect their flag and country but to make school children recite an oath to the country The Pledge has been the subject of plenty of controversy within the U.
S too particularly since it mentions God while some schools no longer require it it remains a widespread practice bottom line is we all look different sound different but we are all on the same team number four watch ads for prescription drugs aside from news Zealand the United States is the only country in the world that advertises prescription drugs directly to Consumers every day Americans are bombarded with ads for prescription medications featuring generic pleasing imagery and a list of side effects longer than a flagpole side effects may include upper respiratory infection stuff your runny nose and sore throat and headache many people Americans included are baffled by the practice as doctors and not patients are meant to decide what drugs to prescribe proponents claim that advertising increases competition and lowers drug costs meanwhile prescription drugs are typically far more expensive in the United States as the U. S doesn't regulate or negotiate drug prices number three put months before days most of humanity marks calendar dates as being Day first then month then year it's the date yeah [Music] assuming the first two numbers are some big old space State then you've got year month day it's the other way around like it is in America oh or else the opposite as year month then day the reasoning is that you can go from the shortest value to the longest or vice versa yet the United States and parts of Canada issue both these formats by putting the month first then day then year the US has been using this format basically since its founding although it has used the day first format interchangeably too the exact reason why is debatable but as far as practicality goes it can be useful when filling out forms to know which month it is before which day or year number two go bankrupt from Healthcare medical costs are the cause of over 60 percent of all bankruptcies in the United States in 2017 one-third of the money raised on GoFundMe went towards medical campaigns and the site raises 650 million dollars a year for more than 250 000 medical campaigns Americans experience a variety of unexpected charges while getting much needed care from Surprise bills to being charged for riding in an ambulance according to one study 71 percent of all ambulance providers do not take the patient's insurance that same study found that 79 of patients who took an ambulance could get a surprise bill with an average total around 450 dollars in some parts of the Civilized world even seeing a medical bill can be an uncommon occurrence Healthcare worldwide tends to be much more regulated than it is in the U. S it's either funded through taxes in a single-payer system or else through individual insurers who are more strictly monitored other countries they don't have this problem instead of every private insurance company negotiating with every health care provider there's just this big list country the central government they go and they say if you want to sell to us to all of our people then here is what you can charge for a checkup here is what you can charge for an MRI or a prescription for Lipitor bottom line while there can sometimes be extra charges for most of the world medical debt is basically unheard of except in horror stories about the US can't get a credit card I can't buy a house I don't see me ever being able to do it before we continue be sure to subscribe to our Channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos you have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them if you're on your phone make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications number one use the imperial measurement system can you explain to me yes how the country that consent men and hopefully women to the Moon Yeah in gallons and inches and when the entire world is metric I do not understand this there are three countries in the world that don't use the metric system Myanmar Liberia and the United States objectively metric is the less arbitrary measurement system since everything goes by tens even Britain and commonwealth countries have converted the point is the U.
