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#51
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Report from the US, a nice but somewhat backward country.
"Dick Adams" wrote in message ... Sharx35 wrote: "Dick Adams" wrote: Sharx35 wrote: If they don't like it here in NORTH AMERICA, let them stay the **** AWAY. Alas a true Isolationist. Have you no need for tourist dollars? Where I live, in Alberta, NO...absolutely not. Have you forgotten the tourist dollars from the Calgary Stampede? Winter comes early in western Canada east of the Continental Divide. If you're there in the dead of winter, -40C is not unusual. Per Weather.com, it was -15C in Edmonton today, but it felt like -26C. I'd stay the **** away too. If you're coming to the U.S. on holiday, come to the Promised Land of North Carolina where people treat strangers like kin. Dick As I said in my original e-mail, I've always totally enjoyed my trips stateside. But your comment about "where people treat strangers like kin" alarms me. I don't know if my wife would allow me, uh, "inter kin dalliances". |
#52
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Report from the US, a nice but somewhat backward country.
"Carole Allen" wrote in message ... On Fri, 12 Dec 2008 05:48:49 GMT, "Sharx35" wrote: Well, I have travelled in the U.S., too. After several dozen trips to the U.S., **MY** bad experiences are a fraction of yours. I suspect it might be due to your arrogant Eurocentric, obviously chip on the shoulder attitude to U.S. culture. I am not a U.S. resident nor a U.S. citizen, however I much prefer to travel in the U.S., compared to the continent of Europe snipped Oh please spare us in the US - you come across as such a charmer... Sorry, but I canNOT stand arrogant Euro types who badmouth North America. Talk about people in glass houses throwing stones. |
#53
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Report from the US, a nice but somewhat backward country.
On Sat, 13 Dec 2008 01:58:12 GMT, "Sharx35"
wrote: I have a GREAT sense of humour, Of course you do. I mean, geez mate, how could you face the day after looking in the mirror in the morning if that wasn't true? Cheers, Alan, Australia -- http://loraltravel.blogspot.com Latest: Two Indian Hotels: to Sleep, Perchance... |
#54
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Report from the US, a nice but somewhat backward country.
Frank Slootweg wrote:
It's North America, but if the information is uninteresting, feel free to ignore it. I think the Canucks (sp?) would probably take offense at the "North America" classification! :-) Not at all. "North America" is merely a geographical designation. Their trade and economies are very closely linked in many ways, including their cellphone services. |
#55
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Report from the US, a nice but somewhat backward country.
Sharx35 wrote:
I just happen to BE a Canadian who does NOT take offense at the term "North America". Loyal to the Queen I hope! (God bless her). |
#56
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Report from the US, a nice but somewhat backward country.
John Kulp wrote:
The Dutch should talk. I have never seen so many different types of toilets as I have in The Netherlands. You think you're turning on the light and the toilet flushes. Their toilets are strange. When you take a crap, the turds sit on a sort of shelf, so you can contemplate it for a couple of minutes before flushing. (BTW, Flushing is in Holland too) |
#57
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Report from the US, a nice but somewhat backward country.
John Kulp wrote:
On Fri, 12 Dec 2008 18:14:59 +0100, Frank Slootweg wrote: [...] [Re-added rec.travel.australia+nz because of the references to Oz (and I don't believe in splitting up running discussions, unless there is a very good reason). Of course anyone is free to think/act otherwise.] Lawrence Akutagawa wrote: [...] Just for your edification - in California the sales tax (about 8.25%, depending on where in the state) is already included in the quoted per gallon price of gasoline. A number of years ago it was excluded from the quoted price such that the tax was calculated subsequently as per all other taxable purchases. But no longer. "tax", you pushed yet another one of my buttons (Perhaps that Sharx35 dude was right after all!?). The tax thingie is rather confusing, needlessly complex, and, AFAICT, has no advantages for the customer. In most - but not all - cases, tax was excluded. As you say, the percentage depends on the location and probably also on the type of product/service. If you're buying one or a few products, it's hard to impossible to give the shop attendant the exact amount or to (try to) get as little change as possible back, until the cash register has calculated how much you own. That is a nuisance, only takes addtional time, and I see no advantage (*Is* there any advantage?). In comparison, in Europe/Oz the sales price always includes the tax (well, nearly always for Oz). In our country - The Netherlands - it's even illegal to quote exclusive prices to 'consumers'. At minimal both exclusive and inclusive have to be quoted, and even that is severely frowned upon. Which is exactly why we exclude it here, keeping our taxes much lower than yours by constantly pointing out how much of the total price it is. Well, your *product* (i.e. sales, VAT, whatever) taxes are not that much lower. You are probably thinking about income tax, social securrity, etc.. Anyway, we don't have to be reminded how much the tax is, because they are fixed percentages and - at least in The Netherlands - only two categories, simply put 'essential' products like some foods, etc., and 'luxury' products, nearly everything else.. While a certain poster would probably not believe it, most Europeans are able to remember two numbers! :-) [...] |
#58
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Report from the US, a nice but somewhat backward country.
Mike O'Sullivan wrote:
Frank Slootweg wrote: It's North America, but if the information is uninteresting, feel free to ignore it. I think the Canucks (sp?) would probably take offense at the "North America" classification! :-) Not at all. "North America" is merely a geographical designation. Their trade and economies are very closely linked in many ways, including their cellphone services. Tough crowd, this is! I'm just echoing what Canucks have repeatedly said (mostly in rta+n) and I *did* add a smiley, i.e. it was tongue in cheek. |
#59
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Report from the US, a nice but somewhat backward country.
John Kulp wrote:
On Fri, 12 Dec 2008 13:05:52 +0100, Frank Slootweg wrote: [...] 6. Americans don't quite grasp that SIMs can be put in *other* phones. Having a multi-band phone, I went to buy a pre-paid SIM. No such thing in the US! You can only buy a SIM *and* phone. Duh! I already *have* a (compatible) phone, *three* of them! Completely wrong. Just do a search for "pre-paid SIM in the US" and see what you find. Can you give a *specific* reference? As I said, I *did* search before our trip and didn't find anything suitable. BTW, the guy at the Radio Shack store where I eventually bought the SIM+phone didn't understand what I meant when I said I wanted a SIM for my phone. Here's one: http://www.ustronics.com/USA_SIM_Car...FSAUagodlwubTQ I've not tried to place an order on this particular website, but note that I said in another response that I already looked at T-Mobile on the web: Hmmm! Before going to the US, I looked at AT&T's and T-Mobile USA's websites. I didn't find anything like that on the AT&T site (Don't get me started on AT&T sites.), and the T-Mobile USA site specifically said that you could get SIM-only only via their website (and because that required a US ship-to address, that was no option (not counting the poorer (than AT&T) coverage)). I.e. a web-order which requires a US ship-to address was no option for me, i.e. I had to be able to 1) buy it in a US store or 2) have it sent to my home address in The Netherlands. AFAIK, few if any companies will do c.q. are able to do, the latter, due to regulatory issues, potential illegal/terrorism use, etc.. [...] |
#60
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Report from the US, a nice but somewhat backward country.
[Disclaimer: I can't believe I'm actually reading/writing this stuff! :-)]
Mike O'Sullivan wrote: John Kulp wrote: The Dutch should talk. I have never seen so many different types of toilets as I have in The Netherlands. You think you're turning on the light and the toilet flushes. Their toilets are strange. When you take a crap, the turds sit on a sort of shelf, so you can contemplate it for a couple of minutes before flushing. (BTW, Flushing is in Holland too) Your description doesn't compute. With 'shelf' do you mean a moving, probably metal, plate in the 'output pipe' (don't know the right term for the latter? Or do you mean the bottom of a US-style toilet, but without the few gallons of water, i.e. the 'shelf' is not a seperate component, but just the bottom of the ceramic toilet? If the former, then those kind of toilets are *not* common in The Netherlands, i.e. there might be some in some places, but they would be an exception. As to strange, *we* find having them float around in a few gallons of water both strange and disgusting! |
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