Everyone knows that Americans and Canadians share a lot culturally. As such, the things that stand out are usually everyday habits, rather than big differences, but these are still important enough to be recognized.
None of these differences is an issue of right or wrong. Rather, they’re patterns that Canadians notice more quickly after spending some time in the United States.
Here are thirteen American habits that frustrate many Canadians, and why they find them so irritating. Have you ever noticed any of these when you’ve been in the States?
Fahrenheit and miles
The United States is one of the few countries that relies on measurements like Fahrenheit & miles. You’ll hear Americans using these measurements casually in daily conversations. However, it annoys many Canadians because they’re not used to these measurement systems, so they have to mentally convert each of them.
Working out weather forecasts & driving distances becomes a lot more challenging. Sure, locals might casually reference these numbers, but they seem rather unintuitive to most Canadians.
Huge pickups
Full-size pickup trucks are some of the best-selling vehicles in America, and that affects how traffic and parking lots function across the entire country. It’s a bit too much for many Canadians. They often feel a little intimidated by seeing all those oversized vehicles blocking sightlines and taking up extra space.
But that’s not all. All these huge vehicles make tight parking situations even more stressful, so lots of Canadians would rather not deal with it at all.
Taking your card at restaurants
Sure, it’s normal for servers to take customers’ credit cards away at many American sit-down restaurants, but it’s not normal for Canadians.
In fact, we’re used to tapping or entering our PIN at the table, meaning Canadians get a little uneasy seeing servers take their cards to process payments.
They’d rather not allow their card to leave their sight.
Talking openly about work productivity
Conversations about work don’t stop when the workday ends for many Americans. Instead, they’ll openly talk about productivity, deadlines, hours and output during dinners or casual hangouts with their loved ones. It’s because work is part of the U.S. identity.
But many Canadians don’t feel the same way, and they soon feel drained by conversations that become more like recaps of a meeting. These aren’t fun.
Shoes staying on when guests come over
There aren’t many people south of the border who expect their guests to take off their shoes when visiting, and that makes things awkward for Canadians.
Data shows that Canadians tend to go shoes-off. As a result, they’re frustrated by the fact that quite a lot of Americans fail to follow the same rules as they do about shoes at someone else’s house.
Using paper towels constantly
The majority of American homes use paper towels for every single mess. It doesn’t matter that they have a cloth nearby, as most Americans will use paper towels to clean everything up. Data shows that they spend more per person on paper towels than Canadians.
Canadians don’t like that. Not only is it bad for the environment, but it’s also quite wasteful, and Canadians can’t understand why anyone would bother using paper towels all the time.
Using disposable plates and cutlery at home
Another similar habit is the overuse of disposable plates and cups, as well as cutlery. Americans will use these things even on regular weekdays. However, Canadians dislike this habit, and they get irritated after they see so much trash piling up after a normal meal.
The reusable dishes are right there, and they’re perfectly usable. Yet many Americans, for some reason, keep relying on disposable items for practically every single meal.
Talking loudly in shared public spaces
American public spaces tend to be at a higher speaking volume than Canadian ones, especially restaurants & cafes. Even transit isn’t safe. In fact, linguistic studies have found that American conversational levels, on average, are louder than those from other countries.
Canadians recognize that immediately. Sometimes, they get annoyed about the fact that one animated conversation can take over the entire space as it’s simply that loud.
Making small talk with strangers
One of the main reasons Americans seem to be louder than Canadians is the fact that they’re constantly talking. They’ll fill every moment of silence with casual conversations. Whether they’re in grocery lines or in waiting rooms, they’re happy to keep talking, and that bugs Canadians.
They feel rather exhausted. Every pause invites a comment and it’s not something they’re used to, since the majority of Canadians tend to allow shared spaces to stay quiet.
Standing extremely close while talking
Personal space is virtually non-existent in American conversations. According to research, they’re comfortable with standing closer than what a lot of Canadians expect, and it’s something the latter group notices all the time.
Canadians would rather Americans step back a bit. They tend to feel uncomfortable about the situation.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
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