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#31
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Report from the US, a nice but somewhat backward country.
"Frank Slootweg" wrote in message b.home.nl... [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?). Now that is interesting. Throughout California, all taxes are included in the per gallon price such that what you pay - strictly for gas - is what is displayed on the pump. So if the pump says the purchase is for $20.50, then you pay $20.50 for gas at the register. Of course if you pick up some odds and ends (snacks, etc.) at the register you will have the sales tax added onto the nominal price of those items. That pump price, by the way, does include federal and state fuel taxes - which are separate from the sales tax. And to make things even more murky, that sales tax is calculated not just on the cost of the fuel, but on those federal and state fuel taxes as well...at least it did back when the sales tax was excluded from the pump price. A label on the pump itself details the various fuel taxes per gallon. And it is always a good idea when driving an unfamiliar car for the first time to check out all the controls - including the one releasing the gas tank lid - before driving off. It is rather dicey to have to find the windshield wiper control while going 70 mph in a sudden downpour at night. Yeah, I normally do that, at least when there's some light, which there (much) wasn't for our first rental. One time, after driving from SFO airport to somewhere in Silicon Valley, I found myself in front of the motel, unable to get the key out of the ignition. Had to push some unkown button, which European cars didn't/don't have. Quite annoying and embarrasing after a light flight from Europe. I didn't check the gas tank lid, but I filled up early and we had the nice lady in the mirror, hadn't we!? Hope you had a good time and saw some things different than from where you are. We had and did. If anything was even remotely 'familiar' it was Joshua Tree NP, Mojave NP and Death Valley NP, and it was only somewhat similar to the things we love in Australia, so we just had a cheaper - and sadly enough much shorter - trip, than our 'normal' trips to/in Australia. Our daughter asked "So the US is your new Australia?". Well it isn't, but it's beautiful as well and comparisons are equally sillay as unfair. I trust you were able to range as far north as Bodie and perhaps as far east as Zion. You next go, try working in Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, Dead Horse Point, Goblin Valley, Mesa Verde, Monument Valley, etc. You won't regret doing so. (Without looking them up,) Most of the places you mention don't ring a bell. To be clear, we visited only California (and a tiny bit (Pahrump) of Nevada) and only a *part* of CA (see above). Do a net search of some of the places I named. Particularly if you like nature, you'll like visiting those places the next trip here. In fact, you can make a two week or so loop from Las Vegas visiting those areas. One example - if you've enjoyed the scenery in those old Westerns (particularly those John Wayne movies like Stagecoach, The Searchers, Fort Apache, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, etc.) you'll like and appreciate Monument Valley. A bit more modern are the beginning scenes of Back to the Future Part III, filmed also in Monument Valley. |
#32
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Report from the US, a nice but somewhat backward country.
Lawrence Akutagawa wrote:
I trust you were able to range as far north as Bodie and perhaps as far east as Zion. You next go, try working in Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, Dead Horse Point, Goblin Valley, Mesa Verde, Monument Valley, etc. You won't regret doing so. (Without looking them up,) Most of the places you mention don't ring a bell. To be clear, we visited only California (and a tiny bit (Pahrump) of Nevada) and only a *part* of CA (see above). "those places" are "just" east of where you were in California. They are past the southern tip of Nevada over in (mostly) Utah. They are the "high desert" that is so iconic of the American west. You know, the big red sandstone formations. Ultra spectacular. Doug McDonald |
#33
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Report from the US, a nice but somewhat backward country.
Frank Slootweg wrote:
Mike O'Sullivan wrote: Frank Slootweg wrote: 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)). So now I'm the proud owner of a beautiful, but totally useless (outside the US), AT&T GoPhone Nokia 2610 phone [1]. It cost me all of US$ 19.99 (without tax, mind you (Don't get me started on the without-tax thingie.)), so I'm not complaining. *And* it includes a charger which is 110-240VAC (not 240VAC-only), so I can use it everywhere for all my Nokia phones (albeit with plug-adapters, which are needed anyway)! I use an unlocked Nokia. and I've never had any trouble in Canada buying a Fido SIM card. Very interesting, but I wasn't and we weren't talking about Canada, was I / were we!? :-) It's North America, but if the information is uninteresting, feel free to ignore it. |
#34
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Report from the US, a nice but somewhat backward country.
"mcdonaldREMOVE wrote:
Frank Slootweg wrote: 11. Americans don't realize that you don't *have* to 'deep' fry fish. Americans do, however, realize that if you don't want fried fish, you shouldn't seek out resturants that sell only fried fish. My point (which you snipped) was/is that there *are* no other restaurants (in those areas). So apparently many/most Americans *do* want/ tolerate such 'food'. If you are reffering to 395, I certainly remember places to get good fish in both Lone Pine and Bishop. With "in those areas", I was referring to the coastal places I mentioned, specifically Morro Bay (just above San Luis Obispo) and Fisherman's Warf in San Francisco. *Fisherman*'s Warf and mostly crappy (deep fried) fish? A rather strange combination, I would think! Case in point: We had some rather decent (grilled) fish (swordfish, salmon etc. shrimps) in a restaurant at Fisherman's Warf, but when the waitress gave us our menus, she said that today's special was salmon. When we asked if it was fried, she said yes! Sigh! On 395 we stayed in Bridgeport (i.e. before Bishop). We had deep fried stuff there, but it was just a simple, mostly take-away place, so we can't complain about that, and the deep fried fish wasn't that bad. Actually it was the best of the few times we had it. We also stayed in Lone Pine, twice. First time we didn't even look for fish, but had some very nice pizzas (Mind your own bloody business, Alan! :-)). I can't go into details about our second stay because that would reveal too much information in this public forum. (However, you can probably put two and two together, and come up with something quite close or equal to four.) |
#35
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Report from the US, a nice but somewhat backward country.
Mike O'Sullivan wrote:
Frank Slootweg wrote: Mike O'Sullivan wrote: Frank Slootweg wrote: 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)). So now I'm the proud owner of a beautiful, but totally useless (outside the US), AT&T GoPhone Nokia 2610 phone [1]. It cost me all of US$ 19.99 (without tax, mind you (Don't get me started on the without-tax thingie.)), so I'm not complaining. *And* it includes a charger which is 110-240VAC (not 240VAC-only), so I can use it everywhere for all my Nokia phones (albeit with plug-adapters, which are needed anyway)! I use an unlocked Nokia. and I've never had any trouble in Canada buying a Fido SIM card. Very interesting, but I wasn't and we weren't talking about Canada, was I / were we!? :-) 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! :-) But seriously, please feel free to post anything you like or/and to ignore me. After all, this is Usenet, isn't it, so anything goes. I just thought it was funny that you responded to a posting with subject "... US ..." and splattered all over with "US[A]" this, "US[A]" that, but gave a non-US related response. But then again, we Dutch are easily pleased. |
#36
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Report from the US, a nice but somewhat backward country.
It seems to me I heard somewhere that Lawrence Akutagawa wrote in
article : "Frank Slootweg" wrote in message . nb.home.nl... [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?). Now that is interesting. Throughout California, all taxes are included in the per gallon price such that what you pay - strictly for gas - is what is displayed on the pump. So if the pump says the purchase is for $20.50, then you pay $20.50 for gas at the register. Of course if you pick up some odds and ends (snacks, etc.) at the register you will have the sales tax added onto the nominal price of those items. That pump price, by the way, does include federal and state fuel taxes - which are separate from the sales tax. And to make things even more murky, that sales tax is calculated not just on the cost of the fuel, but on those federal and state fuel taxes as well...at least it did back when the sales tax was excluded from the pump price. A label on the pump itself details the various fuel taxes per gallon. And fuel taxes tend to remain high, since the rationale is to dedicate the revenues to construction and maintenance of motorways. In times of falling revenue and climbing costs there is pressure to use some portion of the fuel tax money for other purposes, though it is usually "borrowed" rather than reappropriated. -- Don Kirkman |
#37
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Report from the US, a nice but somewhat backward country.
"Frank Slootweg" wrote in message b.home.nl... Mike O'Sullivan wrote: Frank Slootweg wrote: Mike O'Sullivan wrote: Frank Slootweg wrote: Hmmm! Before going to the US, I looked at AT&T's and T-Mobile USA's websites. I didn't find anything like that on the AT&T site (Don't get me started on AT&T sites.), and the T-Mobile USA site specifically said that you could get SIM-only only via their website (and because that required a US ship-to address, that was no option (not counting the poorer (than AT&T) coverage)). So now I'm the proud owner of a beautiful, but totally useless (outside the US), AT&T GoPhone Nokia 2610 phone [1]. It cost me all of US$ 19.99 (without tax, mind you (Don't get me started on the without-tax thingie.)), so I'm not complaining. *And* it includes a charger which is 110-240VAC (not 240VAC-only), so I can use it everywhere for all my Nokia phones (albeit with plug-adapters, which are needed anyway)! I use an unlocked Nokia. and I've never had any trouble in Canada buying a Fido SIM card. Very interesting, but I wasn't and we weren't talking about Canada, was I / were we!? :-) 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! :-) I just happen to BE a Canadian who does NOT take offense at the term "North America". You surly, thin-skinned, America-phobic European assholes should grow some thicker skins to match your thick skulls. If you don't like "North American" culture, then stay the **** out of this newsgroup or stay in some limp-wristed Euro group. Or, simply, FOAD. Anyone with any brains moved from Europe a LONG time ago. But seriously, please feel free to post anything you like or/and to ignore me. After all, this is Usenet, isn't it, so anything goes. I just thought it was funny that you responded to a posting with subject "... US ..." and splattered all over with "US[A]" this, "US[A]" that, but gave a non-US related response. But then again, we Dutch are easily pleased. |
#38
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Report from the US, a nice but somewhat backward country.
On Fri, 12 Dec 2008 13:05:52 +0100, Frank Slootweg
wrote: 4. American petrol/gas stations charge what they bloody well like. While American petrol/gas prices are still ridiculously low compared to Oz/Europe, prices vary by upto a *factor* of two within a short distance, sometimes even a few miles or even less. I realize that there's hardly any tax part in the price, so it's mostly 'cost', but the real cost can't vary that much within such a small area. That's what happens when you have free markets that are not monopolized. You get a choice. That the same in Europe/Oz, but the tax component is *so* high that the differences in end-price are relatively (i.e. percentage-wise) small. I.e. with taxes upto 70 odd percent, you will only see a six-seven percent difference max in end-prices. Well, if you like prices all the same, go to Espanola, NM. Every gas station is town has the exact same price. Probably all owned by the same family. 5. Americans don't quite grasp what the 'G' in GSM stands for. They apparently think it means 'the whole world except us', so they use a different, incompatible frequency. Luckily our son has more mobile phones than underpants, so he gave us - no less than three - 'old' multi-band ones. Problem solved, at least we *thought* so. Funny, I have one I bought here that works anywhere in the world. Sorry, but I don't follow! Didn't I say the exact same thing? I.e. my (son's) phone also "works anywhere in the world". The fact that I *can* buy a phone that *doesn't* work anywhere in the world, doesn't mean I *cannot* buy *another type* of phone which *does*. Well, I have used Tmobile for years, have a quad band phone from them and they have a GSM system. I've used it here, in China, in Europe, etc. All with no problem whatsoever. You just buy a local prepaid SIM. 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 7. Americans don't grasp that mobile phones are actually ... ummm ... *phones*. When I wanted/needed to register the pre-paid AT&T GoPhone mobile phone which I had to buy, AT&T insisted on having me use *another* phone to perform the registration procedure. Duh! What about using the bloody mobile phone itself, like is done in every other country!? You just found out why nobody uses ATT here. There are lots of other you know. Yes, but my prime concern is network-coverage. I've been bitten too many times by non-coverage in rural areas or/and no-roaming onto other/ better networks, that I don't go for less-known brands anymore. Before our trip I checked T-Mobile USA's (GSM) coverage in the areas where we wanted to go, and it was worse than AT&T's. So I got a AT&T SIM(/phone). For example in Australia it's Telstra for me, both mobile and 'fixed' (pre-paid phone/calling card). I don't need to call that often/long, so price/rates is of less concern, but *when* I need to call, I want to be *able* to, and not be stuck with "A bloody useless mobile phone" (courtesy John Williamson). Well, if you're far enough out in the boonies, you won't get coverage with anyone. That's the situation where I live in the mountains outside of Denver. 10 minutes a day, I get a signal. No problem. [...] You were just running into New Jersey tourists. Most of us do know how to drive. Except seniors who will signal a turn for about 10 miles. Careful! You're *talking* to one of them there "seniors"! And I'm one too!! [...] Hmmm. Must be why I load up on Swedish coffee everytime I go there. *Don't* get me started on the Swedes! But seriously (why?), I never heard of Swedish coffee. Probably have to try it some time. They have several very good brands, and they subsidize it in Sweden, since the Swedes drink so much, making it nice and cheap as well. You have Gevalia, Zoega and store brands among others. N.B. Of course the Americans also do not have beer, but that fact is so indisputable, I won't have to get into *that* one. Not even close. We have tons of microbreweries that produce beers that are every bit as good as any beer anywhere in the world. And widely availble in any liquor store as well. Try a Sam Adams sometime. The beer-bashing thingie does the trick every time, doesn't it? I rarely drink it myself, just straigthening out an old myth. 11. Americans don't realize that you don't *have* to 'deep' fry fish. Why do they insist on deep frying perfectly good fish, even in places which are directly on the coast, like Morro Bay and (Fisherman's Warf in) San Francisco? If they don't *like* fish, then why not just not order/eat it!? No sense in ruining it for others. Should have gone to Chinatown where they know how to do fish fine. They're Americans too you know. We actually *did* go there, but for some strange reason we couldn't read the signs. I wonder why! But seriously, San Francisco's Chinatown is *huge*, isn't it? It went on for blocks and blocks and blocks! Yup, with great food all around. Next time, try the House of Nanking for very good food and a crazed owner who will usually insist you don't know anything about what you're ordering so he will order for you. Just like a French maitre d'. You won't go wrong if he does. Then, as I do, at the end of the meal ask him for a hot fudge sundae and watch him go berserk. Works every time. [...] 14. Americans actually stop for pedestrians. This one also takes getting used to, but also is quite nice and safe. Sometimes you're not even trying or wanting to cross the street and you see stopped cars all around, patiently waiting for you to make up your bloody mind. That's because we don't want them denting our nice cars. Great one! One to remember! 15. Americans are mostly nice, friendly people. We mostly met and talked with nice, friendly people. That's of course because we're so bloody nice ourselves. We love foreigners. They're so cute!! You can get us as pets, you know, and we're mostly house-trained. That's what I tell my wife who is Swedish. She has no sense of humor. OTOH, I couldn't find a toilet *anywhere*, and these people kept pointing me to 'restroom's while I wasn't even tired! Stupid idiots! So after getting home after two weeks, I had to have some *serious* leak (mostly due to that beer####Bud of yours)! 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. [...] To put things in perspective, they were even so nice to give us a reference point in a staff-member from hell in a Best Western motel somewhere. To set the tone, she was 'preceded' by two young, clueless, incompetent and inaudible others. She managed to treat us like dirt / non-existing for problems which the *motel* caused. There are another kind? (Ignoring the invisible smiley,) Yes, our experience was mostly positive or at least neutral. If you treat them nice/friendly and with respect, most people will return the favor, and that goes both ways (service person -- customer). [...] Very true. |
#39
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Report from the US, a nice but somewhat backward country.
On Fri, 12 Dec 2008 05:48:49 GMT, "Sharx35"
wrote: If anyone has any doubts, we *loved* our trip and would do something similar again in a flash, so you Seppos aren't all that bad! 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 where the common attitude is that "WE are the centre of the cultural universe and the rest of the world are wannabes or boors". :Hell will freeze over before I travel to the continent of decay, Europe. With your sense of humor, they will miss you like they do the bubonic plague. |
#40
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Report from the US, a nice but somewhat backward country.
"Frank Slootweg" wrote in message b.home.nl... [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. And it is always a good idea when driving an unfamiliar car for the first time to check out all the controls - including the one releasing the gas tank lid - before driving off. It is rather dicey to have to find the windshield wiper control while going 70 mph in a sudden downpour at night. Yeah, I normally do that, at least when there's some light, which there (much) wasn't for our first rental. One time, after driving from SFO airport to somewhere in Silicon Valley, I found myself in front of the motel, unable to get the key out of the ignition. Had to push some unkown button, which European cars didn't/don't have. Quite annoying and embarrasing after a light flight from Europe. I didn't check the gas tank lid, but I filled up early and we had the nice lady in the mirror, hadn't we!? Hope you had a good time and saw some things different than from where you are. We had and did. If anything was even remotely 'familiar' it was Joshua Tree NP, Mojave NP and Death Valley NP, and it was only somewhat similar to the things we love in Australia, so we just had a cheaper - and sadly enough much shorter - trip, than our 'normal' trips to/in Australia. Our daughter asked "So the US is your new Australia?". Well it isn't, but it's beautiful as well and comparisons are equally sillay as unfair. I trust you were able to range as far north as Bodie and perhaps as far east as Zion. You next go, try working in Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, Dead Horse Point, Goblin Valley, Mesa Verde, Monument Valley, etc. You won't regret doing so. (Without looking them up,) Most of the places you mention don't ring a bell. To be clear, we visited only California (and a tiny bit (Pahrump) of Nevada) and only a *part* of CA (see above). If you don't like the way we do things in North America, STAY THE **** AWAY. Many of us here have NO PLANS to spend one bloody cent in ****ing Europe. |
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