Most Americans & Canadians live their lives day-to-day rather similarly. As a result, the things that stand out tend to be the small conveniences that people barely think about.
Some American services are so common that they feel like a default for people over there, yet Canadians can’t rely on them in the same way.
It really doesn’t matter how much the demand might exist in Canada. Here are eleven things that Americans take for granted that Canadians can’t. Which of these missing conveniences frustrates you the most?
Free drink refills at fast-food restaurants
Americans tend to expect that they’ll receive unlimited fountain drink refills, especially when they go to fast-food places. They’ll top up their cups multiple times without thinking about it because it’s usually free. But Canadians can’t do the same thing.
Refills in most Canadian restaurants are limited or restricted, perhaps even unavailable, depending on the chain. Canadians can’t take for granted that they’ll get a refill completely for free.
Free air pumps at gas stations
Another complimentary service that Canadians can’t count on is air in their tires. Americans often assume air for tires is free at gas stations because, most of the time, it is. Topping up their tire pressure is a relatively simple task because of that.
However, many air pumps require payment in Canada, and some smaller stations don’t offer air pumps at all. Free air is far less dependable in Canada than in the United States.
Widespread 24-hour pharmacies
It doesn’t matter what time of day it is in America because you’re able to get some medication or have your prescription filled at any hour. That includes late at night. Round-the-clock pharmacies are completely normalized in the United States, so many Americans don’t bother to check the time when they’re going to visit one.
But 24-hour pharmacy access is much rarer in Canada. You’ll only find such pharmacies in a few major urban centers, and that means overnight prescription pickups are practically impossible for quite a few communities.
Extremely low-cost mobile data plans
Mobile data plans in Canada are some of the most expensive in the world, and that’s mostly due to the lack of competition. It’s not the same way in the United States.
Many American budget carriers have cheap mobile plans that include large or unlimited data, meaning that people over there treat low-cost data as the standard.
They don’t have to worry about the cost of streaming or scrolling like some people do in Canada.
Drive-through services beyond food
Drive-through services in America are available for practically everything under the sun. They often rely on not having to get out of their vehicles to visit the bank or even the pharmacy, and Americans treat it as a normal convenience.
You’ll struggle to find that in Canada. We only really have drive-throughs for fast-food & coffee shops, with far fewer industries offering customers a full car-based service.
Generous store return policies
There’s no need to worry when returning an item to a major American retailer because the majority of return policies are quite generous. It could be weeks after you’ve made a purchase, yet many Americans take for granted that they’ll be able to return their purchases.
Canadian store return rules are often far stricter. They usually have shorter time limits & they’re more strict about customers providing proof of purchase, making refunds a little less of a guarantee.
Very large suburban homes at moderate prices
Over in America, people expect to find a spacious & affordable home in the suburbs. They often think that they’ll find a large home with multiple bathrooms & garages, as well as a sizable yard, for the right price. They might simply need to find the right place.
But Canadians don’t have the same luxury because similar home sizes at comparable prices are much harder to find, especially near major cities. Bigger properties tend to be far more expensive in Canada than in the United States. It doesn’t matter how hard you look.
Nationwide ultra-low-cost domestic flights
Many Canadians are surprised to see how cheap it can be to fly long-distance in America. Dense route networks & strong competition among budget airlines make it a far more affordable option than in Canada. Last-minute deals don’t hurt, either.
In fact, prices are sometimes so cheap that quite a few Americans assume they’ll be able to fly whenever they’re traveling long distances. Yet domestic flights are more expensive up north. The route options are fewer as well, and ultra-low-cost airlines for domestic flights aren’t as common.
Cheap, widely available bulk food portions
You can visit almost any American supermarket or warehouse store and pick up oversized, bulk food packs. These are usually priced in a way that makes them seem like a bargain. They’re so normalized there that Americans expect that they’ll be able to find them wherever they shop.
Bulk options do exist in Canada, too. But they’re nowhere near the same scale that they are in America, especially in terms of the price-to-quantity ratio. Mega-sized packs tend to be harder to find than in the United States, so Canadians can’t assume they’ll find them at the store.
Large indoor malls in mid-sized towns
Large indoor malls are a normal feature in many mid-sized American towns. These include food courts & entertainment facilities, alongside dozens of stores, and that makes hanging out at the mall a normal part of community life. It’s not the same in Canada.
The malls in smaller Canadian towns are usually fewer & smaller. The only place you can really get the large mall experience is in major metro areas.
Free parking
Many Americans assume that parking is something you’ll only have to pay for in very busy downtown areas. They run their errands, knowing that there’ll be free lots or easy street parking nearby. Canadians don’t have that luxury.
Not only is paid parking more common here, but we also have to deal with higher hourly rates. Parking fees are a regular cost that we can expect.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
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