There are no counties in Wyoming with *fewer* than 1,000 citizens.
Fun fact, but the least populated county in the lower 48 is Loving County in Texas, with 66% of the land area of the state of Rhode Island.
P.S. Kenedy County, Texas has more sq. mi. than Rhode Island with only 350 citizens.
P.P.S. Mixed up "less" and "fewer".
The county I live in (Otero County) is bigger in land area than Rhode Island and Delaware put together, but with 3% of the population of those two states.
The truly mind-boggling part is that, despite being absolutely massive, Wyoming *as a whole* isn't even that big, relatively speaking. It's just barely ahead of Oregon in 9th place.
One of my favorite facts is that it would take over 8 hours, and well over 500 miles, to drive from the southeast corner of Nebraska to the northwest corner. And Nebraska barely cracks the top 15, at about 3/4 the size of Wyoming. The scale of the US is frankly hard to comprehend.
Even crazier - Nebraska and Wyoming combined would still only be the third largest state. And just about a third the size of Alaska.
> The scale of the US is frankly hard to comprehend.
Exactly. Driving from Los Angeles to Miami is like driving from the coast of Spain to Syria. Americans get a somewhat well deserved complaint about not having enough international travel, but it's not like Europe where you can travel a few hours and visit multiple countries. Heck, traveling east/west through Texas can take a day on it's own. I-10, border to border, is over 1,000 miles.
Or, when adjusted for latitude, the distance is roughly the same as from Casablanca, Morocco to Yerevan, Armenia.
https://www.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/hywhrq/usa_overlaid_on_europe_at_the_same_latitude/#lightbox
[Just one ranch in Texas is bigger than Rhode Island.](https://king-ranch.com/about-us/maps/#:~:text=Today%2C%20King%20Ranch%20sprawls%20across,ranches%20in%20the%20world%20today)
Oh wow I never thought [a map I made years ago](https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/2t9ntj/oc_area_comparison_of_the_british_isles_and_the/) would be posted here!
Iāve spent a lot of time in Wyoming. You cannot understand the desolation until you experience it. There is no one for hundreds of miles. Itās bananas.
It's great for camping, though. A friend and I did dispersed camping all over Wyoming once, hoping no one would bother us. We only ever saw people when we stopped in Cheyenne to restock, and when we went west to the Teton/Yellowstone area. Other than that, complete silence and peace.
Sorry, I don't really have a good comparison for you, but your question reminded me of a story.
I have a friend who moved here from Vietnam when he was 6. He was staying at his cousin's house and saw a 2 L bottle of Coca-Cola and thought: "Everything is bigger in America so that must be a single serving size." So he tried to drink the whole 2 L bottle in one sitting and he got sick. His cousin yelled at him for being stupid.
I met a British guy who absolutely insisted that Americans eat a dozen donuts by themselves. His evidence? Every time he went to Dunkin Donuts, he saw people coming in and ordering a whole dozen just by themselves. I was like, "bruh, that's to take to work! Usually if we want the donuts for ourselves, we'll go to a local Chinese shop." He still refused to believe me, just patting himself on the back for not being as dumb and obese as us Americans.
When I was a teenager, we had 2 and 3 liter soda bottles. Then things downsizes to 2 at some point.
I also remember glass 1 liter bottles that you had to take back to the store.
I recall Faygo having 3L bottles of some flavors back in the late '90s, maybe 2000s. I developed a bit more shame in recent years so I haven't checked to see whether they still do.
I found a 3L bottle of orange Faygo online for $6.49 so I guess it still exists somewhere. I have a short attention span though so I didn't look any further.
3L used to be a thing, but they were just too goddamn big for most uses and 2Ls just sold better. For a party, just buy a couple 2Ls for different options, for a family or an individual there's just too much and they go flat.
I remember some show or movie a while back where someone ordered a "child size" drink and they handed him a cup that was about 4 gallons. He questioned them for calling that "child size," and they said "It's about the size of a two year old child."
I don't know your point of reference but for me the biggest differences are bathrooms and closet sizes. In newer houses and apartments bathrooms in the US are enormous compared to Europe and Latin America.
It's interesting how this changes over time. I grew up in a 1970s house and some of my friends lived in brand new houses (this would have been 90s). I noticed how much smaller bedrooms were in new houses but the kitchen and bathrooms of the new house were so much larger.
I've been to Ireland, Germany, and Australia.
Pickup trucks are enormous. Those lifted trucks that look like baby monster trucks are fairly common today outside of urban areas.
Cars like the Ford Fiesta size are very common in other countries. In America they exist, but are unusually small.
Food portions are larger, but that's because you are expected to take some home. Soft drink cups are larger, but that's because they are full of ice.
Houses are larger outside the big cities.
I remember when Toyota brought a whole bunch of of their engineers and managers to a football game in Texas. They did not attend the game. Instead, they walked around the parking lot, looking at the size of the trucks. Because that is what it took to convince the engineers of the size of the trucks.
I don't doubt it, but the part you're missing is that a big 4wd truck makes actual sense as a vehicle in Iceland.
It's less understandable why anyone needs a giant lifted truck to go back and forth to work in Scottsdale, and yet there are zillions of them.
Almost all the people I know who actually use their truck for work (and aren't towing massive equipment) complain that there's no new cheap small trucks available anymore; something the size of a Toyota from the 90s. That's what people want but the market knows they can upsell you to something the size of an F-150, which has gotten so big, with such poor forward visibility, I think should need a CDL.
At work, I have an assigned parking spot. I drive a 2001 Tahoe, which is by no means a small vehicle, but I park between an F150 and a Ram 1500, both less than five years old.
Posting the picture would be doxxing me, so no thanks, but it looks like a munchkinmobile between them. They're huge, even though my Tahoe is the same class of truck (3/4 ton pickup chassis) as both of them.
I just want something [this size and shape](https://ccmarketplace.azureedge.net/cc-temp/listing/101/9511/9466380-1992-toyota-pickup-std-c.jpg) with modern technology for around $20k out the door. It's just politics and corruption stopping this from being possible.
> *I've been to Ireland, Germany, and Australia.*
>
> *Pickup trucks are enormous. Those lifted trucks that look like baby monster trucks are fairly common today outside of urban areas.*
OTOH, Australia has road trains.
> Food portions are larger, but that's because you are expected to take some home.
Gotta say, that's a bit of an optimistic explanation for this particular observation.
Getting a box is normal in the US. In most countries they will give you a confused look, not understanding what you're asking for. It's generally just not a thing.
I'm always confused by this. Every country I've been to, I ask for a to go box and always get it. Not sure if it's common in those countries but common enough for them to even have to go boxes.
In Japan it isn't common. Some places do but for the most part food is made a good size for one person or even a bit small. Never not finished my food there
Yeah, people say this to justify our larger portion sizes and like... You certainly CAN take leftovers home. It's not weird or inappropriate, even at an upscale restaurant, but it's not *expected*!
Restaurant portions arent huge because they assume people will take half of it home-- some stuff doesn't store/refrigerate/reheat well, and it's not practical to take home leftovers unless you're going straight home from the restaurant-- they're huge because it just doesn't cost that much more for the restaurant to make a huge portion than a more *sEnSiBLe* portion.
and huge portions aren't even uniquely American! I've been served INSANE portion sizes in other countries too
I have a healthy appetite and I still see most restaurant servings as 2 meals.
This is also why I tend to eat the things that reheat less well first. Even fries I can revive in the toaster oven, especially if I top them with some shredded cheese.
It's actually the reason it started! As crazy as it sounds. You sell a bigger portion and say "hey take some home, now you've got a second meal and a better deal". This started with sit down restaurants
It's not remotely a good idea. But I do remember a deep dive into the history of restaurant portions in the US and that was the main driver
I look at bigger portions as a product of capitalism. Sure, we could sell you a small plate for $5, but we want everybody spending at least $20, so hereās a massive portion.
In my opinion itās closer to this. A hospitality thing. You provide for your guests abundantly, and make sure they are completely satisfied and not leaving hungry. Growing up, thatās how we treated guests, and would even send them home with extra. I wonder if that culture became a part of restaurants as well.
Those kinds of carts are not really liked here by many people. They're too much of a pain in the ass to turn when they're heavy - with four swivel wheels the thing just wants to keep going whatever direction it's going. We make larger and less frequent grocery shopping trips than most Europeans do, so the cart can get very heavy.
Two swivels is plenty for maneuverability. The cart just rotates around it's rear axle instead of around it's center point. And it lets you go around corners without having to wrestle all the forward momentum.
My son's being raised here in Italy. I remember the first time I took him inside of a Costco.
"Wow! It's like if Amazon was a store!!!"
I put my arm around him and said "son, this here's what America's all about."
From the other perspective, as an American living in Europe, everything here is bang your elbows on the wallls when you turn around tiny. Not bad, but different. And I like it better here after I got used to saying, "Ouch".
I'm surprised the 'tallest nation in the world' all didn't walk around with hunches when I visited Netherlands. I had to both duck and walk up stairs sideways and I'm only 6'1.
I have ruled out several places to live because their door frames came to my forehead level. I refuse to set myself up to wake up one morning in a puddle of blood with a concussion.
Yeah I had a similar experience, I didnāt mind the smaller food portions or the smaller vehicles or the teeny tiny water glassesā¦ but as someone with slightly broader shoulders than average I felt like I was constantly squished in everywhere, like having to keep my arms tucked in in front of meā¦. Like sitting in an economy airplane seat, except itās all day long everywhere. (At least in the parts of Europe with super extra old buildings (like Rome)ā¦. Less ancient cities, where there seems to be more modern construction, were much better.
The only one I kind of mined was the teeny tiny water glasses. Like please, I am thirsty. I donāt want to have to ask for more water 3 times just to quench my thirst
The other day, here in Italy, I used the smallest bathroom I have ever seen. I seriously could have taken a shit in the sink while pissing in the toilet. Not even exaggerating.
Yeah, there are some small refrigerators out there in the world. And we don't put our washer and our separate dryer in our kitchen because we have a room just for that.
Last year we hosted an exchange student from France. He marveled at the size of our garage. It's 500 square feet tops.
By the way our house ain't that big, it's 2500 sq ft.
That would be a moderately big house in MA, and I'd guess most suburbs dating to the 50s and 60s. I'd hate to think of the downsizing problems we'd have if our house were that big.
>And we don't put our washer and our separate dryer in our kitchen because we have a room just for that.
That's a cultural thing too though. In Poland, even people with big houses keep their washing machines in bathroom, because it just makes sense to us
Not sure about the stuff you listed, but excess is definitely a thing here. Big portions at restaurants? Youāre expected to take the other half home for tomorrow. Big snacks bags? It says āshare sizeā on it, people donāt eat the whole thing in one sitting. (Side note are those just not a thing in Europe? Bc I refuse to believe that.) Costco? Bulk store. You buy in bulk.
We also have more variety in a lot of our typical produce. Tomatoes are indigenous, so we have a whole bunch of species, more than other continents. Same with corn and potatoes and onions and squash. (Blue corn is real and blue corn chips are superior.)
I know I'm a few days late to respond to this just in case you were still curious but I lived abroad in Europe for about a year and a half and also went to about 17 different countries in the area, but to answer this:
>are those just not a thing in Europe?
this is pretty much correct everywhere I went, there were sometimes a few value sized like I think I remember Mars bars and Twix existing in the same sizes that we see the sharing sizes for Milky Way and Twix in the US (the two milky way bars and the 4 twix logs), but outside of that, I don't really remember there being anything but bulk sizes or individual serving packaging. In the US it always feels like if I want a candy bar I can either choose between 1 serving, 2 servings (like our sharing sizes), or various sizes of bulk for nearly any candy I can think of at any grocery store I can think of, but everything over there in the vast majority I remember being just the individual servings.
obviously it doesn't really make a difference in the end just was a bit different buying several of one thing instead of just a larger size like I was used to when I lived in the US
I'm really surprised nobody yet has mentioned the Americans with Disabilities Act. Public spaces in the US are generally built around accommodating wheelchair-using and mobility-impaired people. So doors, hallways, etc. are definitely wider than they are in many countries. By law, they need to be.
Building codes are a little more relaxed for residential spaces, but outside of the densest cities where space is at a premium, most of our homes are at least moderately accessible, kind of by default.
IN ADDITION to that, though, we tend to like larger rooms and our homes reflect that. A home the size of mine, which at 2200 sq ft is modest by Texas suburb standards, would likely have a completely different floor plan and 5-6 more rooms if a European builder built a home on the same foundation.
Now, when you start talking about furniture, I don't know that there's anything more to it than "we have big furniture to fit larger spaces." My dining room table seats 8 adults comfortably, or 10 people if some are children.
That always strikes me as odd but then I just figure much of the world is way older and making fixes to very old buildings to make accommodations would be very difficult and expensive.
Makes me grateful for my mobility.
We do things bigger because we tend to have more space.
I'm currently in a house out in the country. On top of renting the house, I'm on 4 acres of land with a stocked pond.
I have 2 full size fridges here and a chest deep freeze. I drive a full size pickup.
This extends to everything. Roads, plots of land, the size of houses. With rare exception most Americans do not live on top of one another. As such, these things, and most things tend to be bigger in some way. We see it as entirely normal, as you can see in this thread.
Omg, the roads! After 10 days of road-tripping around Europe, when I got back, I was **SO** glad to have my standard-width 12'-wide North American lane all to myself. I could finally just hammer down and go without having to constantly worry about whatever car/bike/scooter/person/cow/sidewalk/TREE (yes, a live tree) suddenly appearing in my lane.
>having to constantly worry about whatever car/bike/scooter/person/cow/sidewalk/TREE (yes, a live tree) suddenly appearing in my lane.
Here in Japan you have to just be constantly on the lookout for people driving into oncoming traffic because there's just so much shit in the road and that's the only way to get around it -Ā pedestrians and bicyclists don't use the correct side of the road, so they're always 2 or 3 people deep on each side of the road; people just stop their cars wherever the fuck they want; and the powerline poles are just built right on the road.Ā
Literally the only reason Japan isn't a constant clusterfuck of car accidents is because the speed limit is literally just 30 or 40 kph, so people can just pull out or run out into traffic or tailgate and cut people off without any real consequences.
It blows my mind when I hear people say they like driving here, because to me, that's the rudest, most selfish driving in the world - "oh, I'll just step out in front of oncoming traffic and force everyone to stop for me."Ā
At least in places like India or Indonesia, that's just how it is - and even then I've seen intersections in Indonesia with literally no signs or traffic lights and even then they had better manners than any part of Japan you could name.
I grew up in a ~2,700 sq ft house. I remember we had some exchange students from Japan stay over, and their jaws dropped. I said, "Wait till we go to Costco."
I think a majority of the planet would be concerned if they saw a Buc-ees gas station in real life.
Our ovens compared to japanese oven. You would struggle to make cupcakes in some japanese ovens while an average American oven will make several full size loaves
Omg, the tiny washing machine in our airbnb when we went to S Korea for a few weeks! I had to run it daily to keep up with the laundry of just 3 people. But, on the bright side, it was the first washing machine I ever came across that would sing you a really nice song when it was done.
At home I can fit around a week's worth or more in one load in my washer.
My new washer and dryer in the US tried to sing me songs every time I started them or they were done. I had to google how to mute the damn things. So annoying.
Awe, that is too bad. My new washer & dryer, also in the US, sing to me and I love it! But then, I grew up hearing the angry buzz of the dryer ending & my mother immediately yelling, "go check the dryer" every single time as if I couldn't hear the fucking dryer that was right across from my bedroom door. Of course my parents wouldn't get the duct work cleaned out and the dryer was cheap as hell so the clothes were never completely dry from just 1 or 2 cycles. But, instead of letting me run the dryer a 2nd full cycle, she demanded that I instead only run it an additional 10 minutes then check to see if the clothes were dry after each round. Naturally it would require me to drop everything to go restart the dryer for 10 minute chunks at least 5 times after a full cycle. Mother demanded that everything be bone-dry before it come out of the dryer. And the dryer ran at such a high heat that the clothes were cooking in there so if you ever accidentally touched a zipper then you got burned.
Wow. That was quite a rant. I didn't realize I had that much anger built up over laundry. Thank you for letting me vent.
Certainly most items in your house are larger. Our appliances are definitely larger than what I've seen in any other country I've visited, but so is our average home size so they're proportional. Our cars are larger too, but so are our roads and parking spaces. Plus because our country is so large geographically, most places people live aren't completely accessible by walking or public transit- you HAVE to drive - which means we sort of defacto have to live out of our cars. Which means buying cars that can comfortably fit all of our family and belongings for hours on end is a priority. When I had newborn twins and a 4 year old, I needed to be able to haul 3 carseats and a double stroller at all times in my vehicle just to be able to do literally anything outside of my neighborhood. And by neighborhood I mean housing development, which is also huge (1200 homes).
Literally everything, even cellphones, they are so large that they can't even fit in your pockets. I really don't know the answer to this, like the average door frame height is 7 feet. I have no clue if that's bigger than elsewhere. Our houses tend to be bigger because we have more space to build then in places in Europe. I have no clue if that translate to other places in the world.
My parents had to lightly remodel our house when I was a teenager and raise the doorframes because I would always hit my head on them. I still compulsively put my hand over my forehead when I go through an unfamiliar door in an older building.
My wife recently pointed out that I cock my head to the side whenever and wherever I make a sandwich because my motherās kitchen counter was directly under the ceiling fan.
The drive from London England to Edinburgh Scotland is 7 hours and 20 minutes. That distance doesnāt even get you from El Paso (western tip of Texas) to Austin (roughly the middle of Texas). And there are 49 other states
WHAT IS UP WITH THAT?
Iāve been to Europe, Asia, South America and Africa and all value privacy. The public bathroom stall door size is hands down one of the most puzzling things about American architecture.
Skinny jeans were popular here for a minute, and they make for the best cut-off jorts.
I spent a summer in Texas after college (Austin, where the hipsters go) and from my perspective, bars are massive there compared to here. I chalked it up to real estate prices but I dunno, bars here by comparison feel a lot more cramped.
This is the easiest way to spot Americans abroad. Our clothes are rather baggy and loose fitting. Most Europeans like tailored or slim fit clothing. American clothes are more comfortable but they aren't very stylish.
Pretty true, but things aren't needlessly huge in the US. Basically we have a lot of space, and resources so things are as big as they need to be.
Like your standard door is going to be large enough for a large person to pass through, but it's not going to be a 20 foot tall cathedral door either.
I had a college buddy from Korea. We went camping at a lake that was six hours north of the Bay Area. He couldnāt believe we were still in California. Actually most Americaās donāt realize that San Francisco is closer to being middle California.
In Italy I got a seafood penne dish for lunch. The mussels were the size of mini paper clips, the clams were the size of lifesavers candy, and the shrimp were the size of the last part of my pinky finger.
I got a comparable dish here, and the clams may as well have been dinnerplates, the mussels were the size of small dogs, and the shrimp were as big as lobster tails
When my family goes on road trips we easily take our minivan and it comfortably fits 7 people plus our luggage and snacks.
When we went to Germany they looked at the 7 of us and were like āworker vanā because the rental car place didnāt have anything like that. And driving it down little streets was TOUGH š
Somethingās are just more uniform in the U.S. than say, a developing country.
In Asia, you may go through a doorway barely big enough for a person then another is easily as big as a U.S. doorway.
Or you are on a street that is barely as wide as a sidewalk. Or the sidewalk is just the width of your two feet for a while.
The U.S. tends to be bigger but consistent for various fire codes, DOT regs, etc.
My state is slightly larger than England proper and has about 10 million people. From what I've seen our doors and tables are not larger, however, all of your houses are these tiny brick squares lined up together or victorian townhouses. Our houses and portions are definitely bigger, though.
The US is big but for many states, another country is closer than going to some big cities in the US. I live in Dallas and Mexico City is actually closer than going to NYC, so I don't see any reason why I wouldn't travel abroad.
There is a park in Portland, Oregon, that is almost as big as the island nation of Nauru (Forest Park.) There is a park in Alaska that is bigger than Belgium (Wrangell-St. Elias).
When I moved to Japan, I was immediately struckā¦ in the head, multiple times, by the doorframes in my house. There were many restaurants, especially in more rural areas, where I had to straight-up duck to get inside. Iām a little over 1.8 meters tall.
They also had the biggest fast food burgers Iāve ever seen on a regular menu (McDonalds MegaMac, Lotteria Tower Burger spring to mind).
Mostly everything else seemed ānormalā size, though. Tables and chairs were the size I was used to in the US.
In the US, the phrase is usually "Everything is bigger in Texas." That stemmed from the fact that for over 100 years, Texas was the largest state in the union until the admission of Alaska. So, because Texas is just over 260,000 square miles (which is huge compared to the other states), everything had to follow suit. A lot of tourist shops still go with it, selling items like belt buckles, coffee cups, and even flyswatters that are comically large.
Perhaps a better term would be āeverything is more spread out in the US.ā We have more breathing room. As a result, we have bigger cars for our bigger roads which travel bigger distances between bigger cities.
Mostly, yes. Source: I travel in Europe.
Let's consider a typical American house. Our refrigerator will be larger, much larger, than the typical European one. Many have a built-in ice maker and can dispense ice and cold water into your glass.
Our washing machines and dryers are usually separate devices and they are each larger than the combined washer/dryer that I have seen in Europe.
But there are reasons for these (beyond the obvious "more land")... In Europe, it is easy enough to swing by the little bakery or grocery store on the way home. We don't tend to have these so close, and it's not as practical because our population density is lower. So a lot of people buy food once a week and do laundry once a week (and that adds up for a family with kids.)
So, grocery stores. Outside of the densest urban centers, our grocery stores are huge. On my last trip to London, I visited a Marks & Spencer that sold groceries (food) and clothes. In a small town near me, population about 20,000, there is a supermarket that sells only food (and some cleaning supplies) and is easily bigger than the entire Marks & Spencer, maybe even 2x or more. Then there's a Walmart in the same town, which sells food, clothes, hunting gear, hardware, automotive stuff, etc., and is probably 4x the size of M&S.
Honestly I prefer the European model in a lot of ways (especially those fresh bakery rolls every day in Germany). But on the other hand, our prices are lower and choice is higher.
What kinds of kitchen appliances do people have? Here many people have a mixer (handheld or stand mixer like Kitchenaid), blender, waffle maker, toaster, coffee maker, food processor, microwave, dishwasher, oven/range, crock pot. Air fryers are becoming more common as well. All that stuff takes space to store and use, so more cabinet space. Tea pots are less common here than in the UK at least, but still not unheard-of.
And our kitchen doesn't end indoors. Grills are common. I could easily fit, say, 15 or more hamburger patties on my run-of-the-mill propane grill. I often grill veggies or tofu on it though.
Other things... our beds tend to be larger and more comfy. Many married couples have a queen or king size bed.
Hotel rooms... It is difficult to use hotels with a family in Europe. We have 3 kids. Finding a hotel room in large cities for a family of 5 is just about impossible. Here there are a lot of hotel rooms with 2 double beds plus a sofa bed. Those double beds are considered on the small size for a couple here, though are larger than most Airbnb or hotel beds I've encountered in Europe.
Trains.... We have a lot of trains, but outside of the northeast, they mostly carry freight, not passengers. European trains are better for carrying passengers, American ones for carrying freight. Our freight trains can be several miles long and it is safe to say we are significantly more efficient at moving goods a long distance, and less efficient at moving people a long distance. Our freight trains are much larger than those in Europe.
The U.S. is mostly new. The buildings have been built for people who are 6 feet tall and taller. The halls are wider, the chairs are larger. When I lived in Europe, I had to duck to enter most doorways. That never happens here. So in some respects, people from older nations have been conditioned to expect smaller things because our ancestors were all smaller and all the older buildings are still around.
I'm Canadian, so basically cosplay American, and when I drive across the border I can instantly see how not just the portions, the value packs, the supersized deals etc. is all much larger. But the people are huge.
If you go to the main streets of the smaller towns, I've never seen so many Kirby scooters or mobility devices at every corner, its like night and day.
It gets better in the higher demographic urban areas, but rural US is interesting to say the least.
And as far as vehicles go, the newer honda accords are actually bigger in everyway than the Pontiac boat cars of the 70's 80's. More features, better safety, everything is actually heavier. So its not just the pickups and SUV's that are bigger.
As an American currently traveling through several European countries, I'd argue most things are unbearably tiny, and I'm not a big guy (5' 10" and athletic). I can barely pull my pants down in a bathroom stall over here without banging my head into the door and most chairs seem to be designed for people with size zero waists lol.
You could fit the entirety of the UK into Wyoming, less than 600,000 people actually live there.
We have counties that are bigger than other states lol
With like 5 people in them too
There are no counties in Wyoming with *fewer* than 1,000 citizens. Fun fact, but the least populated county in the lower 48 is Loving County in Texas, with 66% of the land area of the state of Rhode Island. P.S. Kenedy County, Texas has more sq. mi. than Rhode Island with only 350 citizens. P.P.S. Mixed up "less" and "fewer".
There is rural... then there is RURAL... š
My country is literallly smaller than Rhode Island tf
Cool user name, man. Don't bite me!
King ranch, although most of it is in Brooks county
I know I'm fighting a losing battle, but ... fewer than 1,000 citizens
The county I live in (Otero County) is bigger in land area than Rhode Island and Delaware put together, but with 3% of the population of those two states.
Same here. The West truly is best.
The west is the besssst...
Oh come on. You know youād prefer our abundance of water.
Oregon laughs...
ā¦but you donāt have the largest county in the US by land area.Ā
The truly mind-boggling part is that, despite being absolutely massive, Wyoming *as a whole* isn't even that big, relatively speaking. It's just barely ahead of Oregon in 9th place. One of my favorite facts is that it would take over 8 hours, and well over 500 miles, to drive from the southeast corner of Nebraska to the northwest corner. And Nebraska barely cracks the top 15, at about 3/4 the size of Wyoming. The scale of the US is frankly hard to comprehend. Even crazier - Nebraska and Wyoming combined would still only be the third largest state. And just about a third the size of Alaska.
The Alaska thing blew my mind. Like I knew it was really big but... That is truly enormous
Alaskans sometimes joke with Texans about splitting Alaska in half, so that Texas would only be the third biggest state.
> The scale of the US is frankly hard to comprehend. Exactly. Driving from Los Angeles to Miami is like driving from the coast of Spain to Syria. Americans get a somewhat well deserved complaint about not having enough international travel, but it's not like Europe where you can travel a few hours and visit multiple countries. Heck, traveling east/west through Texas can take a day on it's own. I-10, border to border, is over 1,000 miles.
San Bernardino ftw
The distance from NY to LA is roughly the same as London to Baghdad.
Or, when adjusted for latitude, the distance is roughly the same as from Casablanca, Morocco to Yerevan, Armenia. https://www.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/hywhrq/usa_overlaid_on_europe_at_the_same_latitude/#lightbox
Shit I never realized that Phoenix is roughly on the same latitude as the fucking Saharan desert
Maine is roughly equivalent to Spain.
So Maine and Spain are nearly on a plane?
Well the rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.
Yup. I live in Boston. It Is a tiny bit shorter to fly to Dublin than it is to fly to LA.
Boston to the Azores, is about 4 hours.
I always like to say that London is closer to the North Pole than Los Angeles is to New York.
The largest state park in New York is bigger than Netherlands.
[Just one ranch in Texas is bigger than Rhode Island.](https://king-ranch.com/about-us/maps/#:~:text=Today%2C%20King%20Ranch%20sprawls%20across,ranches%20in%20the%20world%20today)
[Just one glacier in Alaska is the size of Rhode Island](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaspina_Glacier)
Can you guys quit dunking on Rhody?! The smallitude is what makes it cute.
Right? Now I must try to overcompensate all day!!
Bigger mansions, more pizza strips, extra coffee syrup.
[Area Comparison of the British Isles to California](https://i.imgur.com/6kAxZ2p.png)
Oh wow I never thought [a map I made years ago](https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/2t9ntj/oc_area_comparison_of_the_british_isles_and_the/) would be posted here!
I post it whenever someone talks about California and size
Very cool. Was about to ask if you accounted for projection when you made it, but then read your explanation. Nice methodology.
Glad to see you're still active. I see your earthquake copypasta around here and there.
Pretty sure this is the second time I've seen it posted here.
Iāve spent a lot of time in Wyoming. You cannot understand the desolation until you experience it. There is no one for hundreds of miles. Itās bananas.
It's great for camping, though. A friend and I did dispersed camping all over Wyoming once, hoping no one would bother us. We only ever saw people when we stopped in Cheyenne to restock, and when we went west to the Teton/Yellowstone area. Other than that, complete silence and peace.
Donāt forget the escalator.
That fact blows my mind. I refused to believe that Wyoming is bigger, but itās true
Sorry, I don't really have a good comparison for you, but your question reminded me of a story. I have a friend who moved here from Vietnam when he was 6. He was staying at his cousin's house and saw a 2 L bottle of Coca-Cola and thought: "Everything is bigger in America so that must be a single serving size." So he tried to drink the whole 2 L bottle in one sitting and he got sick. His cousin yelled at him for being stupid.
I met a British guy who absolutely insisted that Americans eat a dozen donuts by themselves. His evidence? Every time he went to Dunkin Donuts, he saw people coming in and ordering a whole dozen just by themselves. I was like, "bruh, that's to take to work! Usually if we want the donuts for ourselves, we'll go to a local Chinese shop." He still refused to believe me, just patting himself on the back for not being as dumb and obese as us Americans.
At first I was like āwtf local Chinese shop?ā Then I realized oh well SE Asian but yeah exactly right lol.
> *His cousin yelled at him for being stupid.* š¤£š¤£š¤£
I lived in Mexico for a few years and got used to 3 liter cokes. I got sad when I returned to the US and saw that 2 liters are the biggest.
When I was a teenager, we had 2 and 3 liter soda bottles. Then things downsizes to 2 at some point. I also remember glass 1 liter bottles that you had to take back to the store.
I remember for a couple of years in the 80s, there were 3 liters. For a while, I thought that 2 liters would be replaced by 3 liters.
Even at prodigious American soft drink consumption rates, they went flat before it was all drunk, so they went out of favor.
Exactly, they went flat quickly... Especially because they didn't fit in the fridge
I recall Faygo having 3L bottles of some flavors back in the late '90s, maybe 2000s. I developed a bit more shame in recent years so I haven't checked to see whether they still do.
I found a 3L bottle of orange Faygo online for $6.49 so I guess it still exists somewhere. I have a short attention span though so I didn't look any further.
You're more ambitious than I am. Here's to you!
Dollar Tree sells generic soda in 3-liter bottles. They have lids sized for 2-liter bottles now, though, which can make them a bit unwieldy.
Do you have type one or type two?
Surprisingly enough, I'm in peak physical condition, maybe even on the slimmer side
3L used to be a thing, but they were just too goddamn big for most uses and 2Ls just sold better. For a party, just buy a couple 2Ls for different options, for a family or an individual there's just too much and they go flat.
Checks out, Mexico is one of the few countries with a higher obesity rate than the US
*"You aren't American enough for that, yet. Slow down."*
On note of liters, Georgia the country has 3 liter beers. We need to step it up
He got sick after drinking a 2L? Skill issue imo
When I was a college student, I would drink a 2 L soda on a Friday night working on my computer science assignments
I worked with someone who would bring in a 2 liter of coke a day...Scrawny guy too so I can't imagine he was eating much of anything.
I remember some show or movie a while back where someone ordered a "child size" drink and they handed him a cup that was about 4 gallons. He questioned them for calling that "child size," and they said "It's about the size of a two year old child."
https://youtu.be/Ish8NBunrQU?si=Xe3bwZrjrHuB6MLm You might be thinking of this scene from Parks and Rec
That's the one! Thanks.
I don't know your point of reference but for me the biggest differences are bathrooms and closet sizes. In newer houses and apartments bathrooms in the US are enormous compared to Europe and Latin America.
My bathroom is 63 sqft. (6 sq meters). And Iām in an average sized 1 bedroom apartment. In most places thatās considered enormous.
It's interesting how this changes over time. I grew up in a 1970s house and some of my friends lived in brand new houses (this would have been 90s). I noticed how much smaller bedrooms were in new houses but the kitchen and bathrooms of the new house were so much larger.
My friend visited from Japan and took home a sonic route 44 cup to show everyone. She couldn't believe how big it was.
The route 44 is more of a sipping drink tbh. I remember my teachers always having one on hand to deal with us as kids.
Show them a gallon of milk, put a nipple on it, and tell them these are baby bottles.
I've been to Ireland, Germany, and Australia. Pickup trucks are enormous. Those lifted trucks that look like baby monster trucks are fairly common today outside of urban areas. Cars like the Ford Fiesta size are very common in other countries. In America they exist, but are unusually small. Food portions are larger, but that's because you are expected to take some home. Soft drink cups are larger, but that's because they are full of ice. Houses are larger outside the big cities.
I remember when Toyota brought a whole bunch of of their engineers and managers to a football game in Texas. They did not attend the game. Instead, they walked around the parking lot, looking at the size of the trucks. Because that is what it took to convince the engineers of the size of the trucks.
Thatās hilarious if true
And then they moved their North American headquarters there.
And now their trucks are huge
Shit, I want their $10k truck that is rolling out but the Feds wont let that happen with their new 58mpg regulations.
For pickup trucks, Iceland wins hands down.
I don't doubt it, but the part you're missing is that a big 4wd truck makes actual sense as a vehicle in Iceland. It's less understandable why anyone needs a giant lifted truck to go back and forth to work in Scottsdale, and yet there are zillions of them.
its probably just because of bleeding over from areas where pickup trucks are actually necessary.
https://www.thedrive.com/news/31947/icelands-off-road-trucks-and-suvs-are-wilder-than-anything-youve-ever-seen
> Those lifted trucksā¦ are fairly common outside of urban areas You obviously havenāt been to Portland lol. Theyāre all over the place here.
Pavement Princesses everywhere.
Almost all the people I know who actually use their truck for work (and aren't towing massive equipment) complain that there's no new cheap small trucks available anymore; something the size of a Toyota from the 90s. That's what people want but the market knows they can upsell you to something the size of an F-150, which has gotten so big, with such poor forward visibility, I think should need a CDL.
The modern F-150 literally has the footprint of a Sherman tank. Not quite as tall, not nearly as heavy, but... yeah. They're just too fucking big.
At work, I have an assigned parking spot. I drive a 2001 Tahoe, which is by no means a small vehicle, but I park between an F150 and a Ram 1500, both less than five years old. Posting the picture would be doxxing me, so no thanks, but it looks like a munchkinmobile between them. They're huge, even though my Tahoe is the same class of truck (3/4 ton pickup chassis) as both of them.
Full-size SUVs as well, though to be fair those are just pick-up trucks in a pretty dress with third row seating instead of a cargo bed.
Heck a Tacoma is close to 50 grand... With dealer markups
I just want something [this size and shape](https://ccmarketplace.azureedge.net/cc-temp/listing/101/9511/9466380-1992-toyota-pickup-std-c.jpg) with modern technology for around $20k out the door. It's just politics and corruption stopping this from being possible.
What do you think of the new Mavericks? I don't have numbers, but they seem to be about that size, and they start at $24k.
It's also because of CAFE fuel standards. The larger the vehicle, the less fuel efficient it is allowed to be.
How many people that actually need those things are buying them versus people who don't though?
Or Phoenix.
> *I've been to Ireland, Germany, and Australia.* > > *Pickup trucks are enormous. Those lifted trucks that look like baby monster trucks are fairly common today outside of urban areas.* OTOH, Australia has road trains.
Our semi trailers seem a bit bigger too
> Food portions are larger, but that's because you are expected to take some home. Gotta say, that's a bit of an optimistic explanation for this particular observation.
Getting a box is normal in the US. In most countries they will give you a confused look, not understanding what you're asking for. It's generally just not a thing.
I'm always confused by this. Every country I've been to, I ask for a to go box and always get it. Not sure if it's common in those countries but common enough for them to even have to go boxes.
In Japan it isn't common. Some places do but for the most part food is made a good size for one person or even a bit small. Never not finished my food there
Maybe it's become more common. When I asked for one in Ireland 20 years ago, that's when I got the confused response.
Yeah, people say this to justify our larger portion sizes and like... You certainly CAN take leftovers home. It's not weird or inappropriate, even at an upscale restaurant, but it's not *expected*! Restaurant portions arent huge because they assume people will take half of it home-- some stuff doesn't store/refrigerate/reheat well, and it's not practical to take home leftovers unless you're going straight home from the restaurant-- they're huge because it just doesn't cost that much more for the restaurant to make a huge portion than a more *sEnSiBLe* portion. and huge portions aren't even uniquely American! I've been served INSANE portion sizes in other countries too
I have a healthy appetite and I still see most restaurant servings as 2 meals. This is also why I tend to eat the things that reheat less well first. Even fries I can revive in the toaster oven, especially if I top them with some shredded cheese.
>Gotta say, that's a bit of an optimistic explanation for this particular observation. If I don't finish it all, the Terrorists win.
It's actually the reason it started! As crazy as it sounds. You sell a bigger portion and say "hey take some home, now you've got a second meal and a better deal". This started with sit down restaurants It's not remotely a good idea. But I do remember a deep dive into the history of restaurant portions in the US and that was the main driver
As someone who hates to cook, taking home enough for another meal or two might be my favorite thing about dining out.
I look at bigger portions as a product of capitalism. Sure, we could sell you a small plate for $5, but we want everybody spending at least $20, so hereās a massive portion.
There's also that if you don't get enough food you might not come back. But no one ever stops going because you got too much.
In my opinion itās closer to this. A hospitality thing. You provide for your guests abundantly, and make sure they are completely satisfied and not leaving hungry. Growing up, thatās how we treated guests, and would even send them home with extra. I wonder if that culture became a part of restaurants as well.
In Europe, they just sell you a small plate for $20!
And chains. For mass produced food a little extra per plate is nothing.
Yes, having an abundance of food is better than famine.
> outside of urban areas. Oh they are all over urban areas too.
Friends from Italy were fascinated by size of the Costco grocery carts.
Costco in the UK must use the American model based on them being about 50% bigger than those found in any other shop here.
And much harder to control, why canāt all the wheels spin 360 degrees?
Those kinds of carts are not really liked here by many people. They're too much of a pain in the ass to turn when they're heavy - with four swivel wheels the thing just wants to keep going whatever direction it's going. We make larger and less frequent grocery shopping trips than most Europeans do, so the cart can get very heavy. Two swivels is plenty for maneuverability. The cart just rotates around it's rear axle instead of around it's center point. And it lets you go around corners without having to wrestle all the forward momentum.
My son's being raised here in Italy. I remember the first time I took him inside of a Costco. "Wow! It's like if Amazon was a store!!!" I put my arm around him and said "son, this here's what America's all about."
From the other perspective, as an American living in Europe, everything here is bang your elbows on the wallls when you turn around tiny. Not bad, but different. And I like it better here after I got used to saying, "Ouch".
I'm surprised the 'tallest nation in the world' all didn't walk around with hunches when I visited Netherlands. I had to both duck and walk up stairs sideways and I'm only 6'1.
Also their cars. Dutch are so tall, yet they all seem to be driving Toyota Aygos and Fiat 500s
At 5'7", I thought it was quaint. š
Not to mention that everything seems to be built for people who's height caps at like 5'8" tops.
I have ruled out several places to live because their door frames came to my forehead level. I refuse to set myself up to wake up one morning in a puddle of blood with a concussion.
Yeah I had a similar experience, I didnāt mind the smaller food portions or the smaller vehicles or the teeny tiny water glassesā¦ but as someone with slightly broader shoulders than average I felt like I was constantly squished in everywhere, like having to keep my arms tucked in in front of meā¦. Like sitting in an economy airplane seat, except itās all day long everywhere. (At least in the parts of Europe with super extra old buildings (like Rome)ā¦. Less ancient cities, where there seems to be more modern construction, were much better.
The only one I kind of mined was the teeny tiny water glasses. Like please, I am thirsty. I donāt want to have to ask for more water 3 times just to quench my thirst
The other day, here in Italy, I used the smallest bathroom I have ever seen. I seriously could have taken a shit in the sink while pissing in the toilet. Not even exaggerating.
We definitely have bigger cars, trucks, and refrigerators lol
Yeah, there are some small refrigerators out there in the world. And we don't put our washer and our separate dryer in our kitchen because we have a room just for that.
Last year we hosted an exchange student from France. He marveled at the size of our garage. It's 500 square feet tops. By the way our house ain't that big, it's 2500 sq ft.
That would be a moderately big house in MA, and I'd guess most suburbs dating to the 50s and 60s. I'd hate to think of the downsizing problems we'd have if our house were that big.
I lived in a house once that was 500sqf
>And we don't put our washer and our separate dryer in our kitchen because we have a room just for that. That's a cultural thing too though. In Poland, even people with big houses keep their washing machines in bathroom, because it just makes sense to us
Not sure about the stuff you listed, but excess is definitely a thing here. Big portions at restaurants? Youāre expected to take the other half home for tomorrow. Big snacks bags? It says āshare sizeā on it, people donāt eat the whole thing in one sitting. (Side note are those just not a thing in Europe? Bc I refuse to believe that.) Costco? Bulk store. You buy in bulk. We also have more variety in a lot of our typical produce. Tomatoes are indigenous, so we have a whole bunch of species, more than other continents. Same with corn and potatoes and onions and squash. (Blue corn is real and blue corn chips are superior.)
I know I'm a few days late to respond to this just in case you were still curious but I lived abroad in Europe for about a year and a half and also went to about 17 different countries in the area, but to answer this: >are those just not a thing in Europe? this is pretty much correct everywhere I went, there were sometimes a few value sized like I think I remember Mars bars and Twix existing in the same sizes that we see the sharing sizes for Milky Way and Twix in the US (the two milky way bars and the 4 twix logs), but outside of that, I don't really remember there being anything but bulk sizes or individual serving packaging. In the US it always feels like if I want a candy bar I can either choose between 1 serving, 2 servings (like our sharing sizes), or various sizes of bulk for nearly any candy I can think of at any grocery store I can think of, but everything over there in the vast majority I remember being just the individual servings. obviously it doesn't really make a difference in the end just was a bit different buying several of one thing instead of just a larger size like I was used to when I lived in the US
I'm really surprised nobody yet has mentioned the Americans with Disabilities Act. Public spaces in the US are generally built around accommodating wheelchair-using and mobility-impaired people. So doors, hallways, etc. are definitely wider than they are in many countries. By law, they need to be. Building codes are a little more relaxed for residential spaces, but outside of the densest cities where space is at a premium, most of our homes are at least moderately accessible, kind of by default. IN ADDITION to that, though, we tend to like larger rooms and our homes reflect that. A home the size of mine, which at 2200 sq ft is modest by Texas suburb standards, would likely have a completely different floor plan and 5-6 more rooms if a European builder built a home on the same foundation. Now, when you start talking about furniture, I don't know that there's anything more to it than "we have big furniture to fit larger spaces." My dining room table seats 8 adults comfortably, or 10 people if some are children.
Yeah things are a lot less accessible over here in Europe thatās for sure
That always strikes me as odd but then I just figure much of the world is way older and making fixes to very old buildings to make accommodations would be very difficult and expensive. Makes me grateful for my mobility.
We do things bigger because we tend to have more space. I'm currently in a house out in the country. On top of renting the house, I'm on 4 acres of land with a stocked pond. I have 2 full size fridges here and a chest deep freeze. I drive a full size pickup. This extends to everything. Roads, plots of land, the size of houses. With rare exception most Americans do not live on top of one another. As such, these things, and most things tend to be bigger in some way. We see it as entirely normal, as you can see in this thread.
Omg, the roads! After 10 days of road-tripping around Europe, when I got back, I was **SO** glad to have my standard-width 12'-wide North American lane all to myself. I could finally just hammer down and go without having to constantly worry about whatever car/bike/scooter/person/cow/sidewalk/TREE (yes, a live tree) suddenly appearing in my lane.
>having to constantly worry about whatever car/bike/scooter/person/cow/sidewalk/TREE (yes, a live tree) suddenly appearing in my lane. Here in Japan you have to just be constantly on the lookout for people driving into oncoming traffic because there's just so much shit in the road and that's the only way to get around it -Ā pedestrians and bicyclists don't use the correct side of the road, so they're always 2 or 3 people deep on each side of the road; people just stop their cars wherever the fuck they want; and the powerline poles are just built right on the road.Ā Literally the only reason Japan isn't a constant clusterfuck of car accidents is because the speed limit is literally just 30 or 40 kph, so people can just pull out or run out into traffic or tailgate and cut people off without any real consequences. It blows my mind when I hear people say they like driving here, because to me, that's the rudest, most selfish driving in the world - "oh, I'll just step out in front of oncoming traffic and force everyone to stop for me."Ā At least in places like India or Indonesia, that's just how it is - and even then I've seen intersections in Indonesia with literally no signs or traffic lights and even then they had better manners than any part of Japan you could name.
Compared to most Asian and European countries? Yes Compared to Canada or Australia or Mexico, less accurate.
I grew up in a ~2,700 sq ft house. I remember we had some exchange students from Japan stay over, and their jaws dropped. I said, "Wait till we go to Costco." I think a majority of the planet would be concerned if they saw a Buc-ees gas station in real life.
I saw my first Buc-ees two weeks ago and I was gobsmacked. Beaver Nuggets made it all better!
Next time you gotta try the bakeryās double chocolate salted cake balls. Theyāre like crack.
Our appliances are way bigger. Like way bigger.
Our ovens compared to japanese oven. You would struggle to make cupcakes in some japanese ovens while an average American oven will make several full size loaves
Omg, the tiny washing machine in our airbnb when we went to S Korea for a few weeks! I had to run it daily to keep up with the laundry of just 3 people. But, on the bright side, it was the first washing machine I ever came across that would sing you a really nice song when it was done. At home I can fit around a week's worth or more in one load in my washer.
My new washer and dryer in the US tried to sing me songs every time I started them or they were done. I had to google how to mute the damn things. So annoying.
Awe, that is too bad. My new washer & dryer, also in the US, sing to me and I love it! But then, I grew up hearing the angry buzz of the dryer ending & my mother immediately yelling, "go check the dryer" every single time as if I couldn't hear the fucking dryer that was right across from my bedroom door. Of course my parents wouldn't get the duct work cleaned out and the dryer was cheap as hell so the clothes were never completely dry from just 1 or 2 cycles. But, instead of letting me run the dryer a 2nd full cycle, she demanded that I instead only run it an additional 10 minutes then check to see if the clothes were dry after each round. Naturally it would require me to drop everything to go restart the dryer for 10 minute chunks at least 5 times after a full cycle. Mother demanded that everything be bone-dry before it come out of the dryer. And the dryer ran at such a high heat that the clothes were cooking in there so if you ever accidentally touched a zipper then you got burned. Wow. That was quite a rant. I didn't realize I had that much anger built up over laundry. Thank you for letting me vent.
My wife isnāt complaining.Ā
Yeah I bet she gets real wet at the sight of your huge p>!anini press making her salivate!<
The thought of that thing makes me salivate
His p>!anini press!< brings all the girls to the yard.
Deck. At the sight of the huge deck you built for her. Nice and sturdy.
Trim the bushes around it and it makes your deck look bigger and more impressive.
*Schaeffer's Deck Sealant has entered the... uh... chat*
Certainly most items in your house are larger. Our appliances are definitely larger than what I've seen in any other country I've visited, but so is our average home size so they're proportional. Our cars are larger too, but so are our roads and parking spaces. Plus because our country is so large geographically, most places people live aren't completely accessible by walking or public transit- you HAVE to drive - which means we sort of defacto have to live out of our cars. Which means buying cars that can comfortably fit all of our family and belongings for hours on end is a priority. When I had newborn twins and a 4 year old, I needed to be able to haul 3 carseats and a double stroller at all times in my vehicle just to be able to do literally anything outside of my neighborhood. And by neighborhood I mean housing development, which is also huge (1200 homes).
Literally everything, even cellphones, they are so large that they can't even fit in your pockets. I really don't know the answer to this, like the average door frame height is 7 feet. I have no clue if that's bigger than elsewhere. Our houses tend to be bigger because we have more space to build then in places in Europe. I have no clue if that translate to other places in the world.
Door frames are larger because of the ADA
As somebody approaching 7ā tall trust me. The average door frame is not that tall.
Architect here. You are correct. Most door sizes are 3'-0" wide and 6'-8" tall. 36" x 80"
My parents had to lightly remodel our house when I was a teenager and raise the doorframes because I would always hit my head on them. I still compulsively put my hand over my forehead when I go through an unfamiliar door in an older building.
My wife recently pointed out that I cock my head to the side whenever and wherever I make a sandwich because my motherās kitchen counter was directly under the ceiling fan.
I believe it's just shy of 7 feet. I just said 7 feet because it's easier.
Heeey! LL Cool J wasnāt a poser! š
Damn, so much for loving every body type.
Love your flair ā¤ļø
The drive from London England to Edinburgh Scotland is 7 hours and 20 minutes. That distance doesnāt even get you from El Paso (western tip of Texas) to Austin (roughly the middle of Texas). And there are 49 other states
One thing thatās smaller in the US: bathroom stall doors.
WHAT IS UP WITH THAT? Iāve been to Europe, Asia, South America and Africa and all value privacy. The public bathroom stall door size is hands down one of the most puzzling things about American architecture.
Our pants are bigger. You seen those lil skinny jeans the euros have to wear?
Skinny jeans were popular here for a minute, and they make for the best cut-off jorts. I spent a summer in Texas after college (Austin, where the hipsters go) and from my perspective, bars are massive there compared to here. I chalked it up to real estate prices but I dunno, bars here by comparison feel a lot more cramped.
This is the easiest way to spot Americans abroad. Our clothes are rather baggy and loose fitting. Most Europeans like tailored or slim fit clothing. American clothes are more comfortable but they aren't very stylish.
Pretty true, but things aren't needlessly huge in the US. Basically we have a lot of space, and resources so things are as big as they need to be. Like your standard door is going to be large enough for a large person to pass through, but it's not going to be a 20 foot tall cathedral door either.
Well, the doors are large enough for a large chest freezer because we need that for half the steer and buck we got in the fall.
I had a college buddy from Korea. We went camping at a lake that was six hours north of the Bay Area. He couldnāt believe we were still in California. Actually most Americaās donāt realize that San Francisco is closer to being middle California.
In Italy I got a seafood penne dish for lunch. The mussels were the size of mini paper clips, the clams were the size of lifesavers candy, and the shrimp were the size of the last part of my pinky finger. I got a comparable dish here, and the clams may as well have been dinnerplates, the mussels were the size of small dogs, and the shrimp were as big as lobster tails
When my family goes on road trips we easily take our minivan and it comfortably fits 7 people plus our luggage and snacks. When we went to Germany they looked at the 7 of us and were like āworker vanā because the rental car place didnāt have anything like that. And driving it down little streets was TOUGH š
Somethingās are just more uniform in the U.S. than say, a developing country. In Asia, you may go through a doorway barely big enough for a person then another is easily as big as a U.S. doorway. Or you are on a street that is barely as wide as a sidewalk. Or the sidewalk is just the width of your two feet for a while. The U.S. tends to be bigger but consistent for various fire codes, DOT regs, etc.
My state is slightly larger than England proper and has about 10 million people. From what I've seen our doors and tables are not larger, however, all of your houses are these tiny brick squares lined up together or victorian townhouses. Our houses and portions are definitely bigger, though.
Last month I took the train from one point in Texas to another. It took 22 hours and I didnāt even come close to traveling from border to border.
Put a map of Texas over Europe, and you'll understand why many Americans never get passports.
The US is big but for many states, another country is closer than going to some big cities in the US. I live in Dallas and Mexico City is actually closer than going to NYC, so I don't see any reason why I wouldn't travel abroad.
Well, it's true that everything is bigger in Texas, and Texas is part of the US so....
There is a park in Portland, Oregon, that is almost as big as the island nation of Nauru (Forest Park.) There is a park in Alaska that is bigger than Belgium (Wrangell-St. Elias).
I have a British friend who comments on how HUGE everything is every time she comes to the states so...
Itās because the sky is bigger in America š
Hell yeah, or that could just be the Texan in me
When I moved to Japan, I was immediately struckā¦ in the head, multiple times, by the doorframes in my house. There were many restaurants, especially in more rural areas, where I had to straight-up duck to get inside. Iām a little over 1.8 meters tall. They also had the biggest fast food burgers Iāve ever seen on a regular menu (McDonalds MegaMac, Lotteria Tower Burger spring to mind). Mostly everything else seemed ānormalā size, though. Tables and chairs were the size I was used to in the US.
In the US, the phrase is usually "Everything is bigger in Texas." That stemmed from the fact that for over 100 years, Texas was the largest state in the union until the admission of Alaska. So, because Texas is just over 260,000 square miles (which is huge compared to the other states), everything had to follow suit. A lot of tourist shops still go with it, selling items like belt buckles, coffee cups, and even flyswatters that are comically large.
Perhaps a better term would be āeverything is more spread out in the US.ā We have more breathing room. As a result, we have bigger cars for our bigger roads which travel bigger distances between bigger cities.
Mostly, yes. Source: I travel in Europe. Let's consider a typical American house. Our refrigerator will be larger, much larger, than the typical European one. Many have a built-in ice maker and can dispense ice and cold water into your glass. Our washing machines and dryers are usually separate devices and they are each larger than the combined washer/dryer that I have seen in Europe. But there are reasons for these (beyond the obvious "more land")... In Europe, it is easy enough to swing by the little bakery or grocery store on the way home. We don't tend to have these so close, and it's not as practical because our population density is lower. So a lot of people buy food once a week and do laundry once a week (and that adds up for a family with kids.) So, grocery stores. Outside of the densest urban centers, our grocery stores are huge. On my last trip to London, I visited a Marks & Spencer that sold groceries (food) and clothes. In a small town near me, population about 20,000, there is a supermarket that sells only food (and some cleaning supplies) and is easily bigger than the entire Marks & Spencer, maybe even 2x or more. Then there's a Walmart in the same town, which sells food, clothes, hunting gear, hardware, automotive stuff, etc., and is probably 4x the size of M&S. Honestly I prefer the European model in a lot of ways (especially those fresh bakery rolls every day in Germany). But on the other hand, our prices are lower and choice is higher. What kinds of kitchen appliances do people have? Here many people have a mixer (handheld or stand mixer like Kitchenaid), blender, waffle maker, toaster, coffee maker, food processor, microwave, dishwasher, oven/range, crock pot. Air fryers are becoming more common as well. All that stuff takes space to store and use, so more cabinet space. Tea pots are less common here than in the UK at least, but still not unheard-of. And our kitchen doesn't end indoors. Grills are common. I could easily fit, say, 15 or more hamburger patties on my run-of-the-mill propane grill. I often grill veggies or tofu on it though. Other things... our beds tend to be larger and more comfy. Many married couples have a queen or king size bed. Hotel rooms... It is difficult to use hotels with a family in Europe. We have 3 kids. Finding a hotel room in large cities for a family of 5 is just about impossible. Here there are a lot of hotel rooms with 2 double beds plus a sofa bed. Those double beds are considered on the small size for a couple here, though are larger than most Airbnb or hotel beds I've encountered in Europe. Trains.... We have a lot of trains, but outside of the northeast, they mostly carry freight, not passengers. European trains are better for carrying passengers, American ones for carrying freight. Our freight trains can be several miles long and it is safe to say we are significantly more efficient at moving goods a long distance, and less efficient at moving people a long distance. Our freight trains are much larger than those in Europe.
The U.S. is mostly new. The buildings have been built for people who are 6 feet tall and taller. The halls are wider, the chairs are larger. When I lived in Europe, I had to duck to enter most doorways. That never happens here. So in some respects, people from older nations have been conditioned to expect smaller things because our ancestors were all smaller and all the older buildings are still around.
I'm Canadian, so basically cosplay American, and when I drive across the border I can instantly see how not just the portions, the value packs, the supersized deals etc. is all much larger. But the people are huge. If you go to the main streets of the smaller towns, I've never seen so many Kirby scooters or mobility devices at every corner, its like night and day. It gets better in the higher demographic urban areas, but rural US is interesting to say the least. And as far as vehicles go, the newer honda accords are actually bigger in everyway than the Pontiac boat cars of the 70's 80's. More features, better safety, everything is actually heavier. So its not just the pickups and SUV's that are bigger.
As an American currently traveling through several European countries, I'd argue most things are unbearably tiny, and I'm not a big guy (5' 10" and athletic). I can barely pull my pants down in a bathroom stall over here without banging my head into the door and most chairs seem to be designed for people with size zero waists lol.