things that weird me out

[deird1]

There are ads for ambulance-chasing lawyers EVERYWHERE.

You guys flip lightswitches UP to turn them on, instead of down.

When Canadians say "this is closed for winter", what they really mean is "this will not be open until summer".

Cars only have numberplates on the back, instead of front and back.

"Sausage" means anything made of sausage meat, rather than actual sausages.

Turning right on red is something I knew about in advance, but it is still an utterly crazy concept that freaks me out whenever I do it.

Squirrels can be BLACK! I had no idea.

Comments

[thenewbuzwuzz]

Wow! And what are actual sausages called?

[deird1]

The hotel breakfasts keep having signs for "pork sausage" or similar. This is either a patty of pork mince, or a sausage shaped object (without sausage casing). If it's actually in sausage casing... so far they're all called hotdogs.

[thenewbuzwuzz]

Amazing! Language is a many-splendored thing :')

[lyr]

Nah, they're still sausages when they're in casings. It's just that the mix of minced meat and spices that you could put in a sausage casing is still called sausage.

And Texas has plates front and back. We do turn right on red unless there's a sign saying we can't, though.

[deird1]

Interesting! Thanks!

[snickfic]

The numberplates thing and the right turns on red both depend on the state, actually! America! \o/

The sausage thing has confused me my entire life. Recipes typically don't specify either, and I'm like, does this mean something that's already cooked? Something that's not already cooked??? I feel like there is a code that would at least help me understand recipes, but uh I have not figured it out yet.

[deird1]

Like asking Australians to define “chips” or “tea”. Meaning entirely dependent on context!

[out_there]

You're bravery than me for driving over there! Every time we took a sharp right turn or a wide left turn it freaked me out. I had to just sit in the backseat of taxis/buses and try to ignore it. If I could see the road as we turned, it felt so wrong.

Cars only have numberplates on the back, instead of front and back.

That's interesting. Hoe have you found the turn signals/indicators? We were there years ago, and I had trouble spotting the indicators on cars before they changed lanes. I don't know of I was just overwhelmed by different traffic or if the lights were less used or if I was expecting them in a different spot.

[deird1]

Honestly, I spent the first day’s drive feeling like a P-plater. No instinct for where the car should be, no understanding as to what signs meant what, constantly freaking out about EVERYTHING.

Much easier now that I’m on day three.

[out_there]

Much easier now that I’m on day three.

That's very good to hear.

Honestly, I spent the first day’s drive feeling like a P-plater.

I am not a natural driver. It took me three goes to get my license, so I feel like this is the universe reassuring me that overseas driving would be a bad idea for me.

[lizbee]

"Sausage" means anything made of sausage meat, rather than actual sausages.

Nomenclature aside, I wish we could buy the sorts of highly spiced sausage meat you can get in the US. Making it myself is never the same.

Turning right on red is something I knew about in advance, but it is still an utterly crazy concept that freaks me out whenever I do it.

Like ... when you get a green arrow or a "turn left any time with care" sign? But you have to assume????

[deird1]

Yep! Lights are all red, and you just move into the intersection. Utterly terrifying.

[beroli]

You're in the rightmost lane and you merge into the cars going from your left to your right, as you would if you were changing lanes.

I would guess that it's functionally identical to a "turn left any time with care" sign, except that it's the default here and we instead have "no right turn on red" signs at intersections where it's not allowed.

(You can never turn left on red here. I can't speak for everyone's driving lessons but my teacher drilled it in really hard: NEVER turn left on red.)