Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Things You Should Never Do In The United States

United States flag waving
Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash
Make us preferred on Google

Anyone who has ever been interested in traveling or in studying history understands that each country is unique with its own rules.

For anyone who wants to visit the United States, Reddit has collected some of its favorite tips for what to do, and what not to do, while visiting.


Redditor Aarunascut decided to address this question for the land of the free when they asked:

"What should you never do in the United States?

Don't Borrow Money

"Don’t ever get a payday loan."

"People end up rolling them over every week for like a $25-$50 fee while the juice keeps running. By the time you pay down a simple $500 loan, it comes out to something insane like a 750% interest rate over the course of a year."

- sardoodledom_autism

Times Square Isn't Such a Great Time

"Go to Times Square on New Year's Eve. The experience is so not worth it. Its romanticized for some reason."

- SATATSDOG

Don't Get Out of the Car During Traffic

"Don't get out of the vehicle during a traffic stop. I did not know this. Here in Australia, we are perfectly OK to get out of the vehicle unless the cop says otherwise."

- CptUnderpants-

Don't Get Out of the Car for the Police, Either

"Don't get out of the car after the police ask you to stop."

"My old chemistry professor made that mistake on holiday, and they pulled a gun on him."

- HorizontalAndy

No Sleeping in the Car

"Never leave your sleeping infant or child in a vehicle. This is fairly common in some places across the pond, but it is definitely NOT legal in the US."

- Nyxmyst_

Be Careful Where You're Sightseeing

"Walk onto someone's property without permission, or knowing the owner. It's cool in many places around the world to be able to go wandering through the countryside. It is not cool in the U.S."

"You might end up getting arrested, held at gunpoint, or shot at if you're really unlucky."

- Ai_of_Vanity

Ask Before Taking the Picture

"Don’t take pictures or record videos of strangers’ children. I’ve had to warn many people coming over from Asia about this. Some have ignored me and it has led to screaming and threats."

- newuser60

It's Bigger Than You Think

"Don't underestimate the size of the US. Apparently, some people think it can take only a couple hours to go to locations that are states away."

- LucarnAnderson

Do You Know... the Florida Man?

"Don't go to Florida for the beaches and forget about the wildlife. Black Bears, gators, panthers, hogs, etc."

"You can just ask any random Florida Man to see his pet alligator, we typically keep them handy for such an occasion."

- _Ross-

All Hail Dolly Parton

"At least in Tennessee, you should never say anything unkind about Dolly Parton."

- Abe_Fromans_Day_Off

Learn From History

"Don't be a king and use the Tea Act of 1773 to give special consideration to the British East India Company in the colonies."

- imaque

Don't Cut in Line

"Don't cut in line. I've been in countries (for example: Spain) where lines/queues are more of a vague suggestion of who goes first, this is not true if you cut in line in the US. Cutting in line in the US can literally lead to violence."

- hiro111

More Trouble Than They're Worth

"Do not trespass onto other people’s land and don’t engage in road rage. Both are higher stakes than you probably think…"

- hiddengill

Each Region Is Unique

"Don’t base your entire opinion and generalization of the country just on one part or a particular region. Cultures, values, and people are so different all over the US."

- PoppyPalace

Respect First

"If you're in the South and someone calls you, 'sweetie/sugar/honey/baby,' they likely aren't flirting with you. We call everyone that. Also, 'ma'am' and 'sir' are not meant sarcastically. A lot of us are raised to always say that to people out of respect."

- almc0418

Every country has its own unique set of rules, and the best thing we can do when we visit is to try to follow their general protocols.

These tips may not cover everything in the United States, but it's a start.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Kevin Sobieski and Andy Cohen
Kevin Mazur/SiriusXM/Getty Images

Andy Cohen Clears The Air With Hilarious Response After Fans Think He Was Drunk On Red Carpet

Watch What Happens Live host Andy Cohen and businessman Kevin Sobieski have been open about dating for a while now, but they passed another milestone last weekend by publicly appearing at an event together.

You can see Cohen's "Date Night" post here:

Keep ReadingShow less
Randy Quaid; Anne Hathaway
Bobby Bank/Getty Images; Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Disney

Randy Quaid Dragged After Raging About Anne Hathaway Being Too 'Woke' For 'Days Of Thunder' Sequel

In 1990, Paramount Pictures released the NASCAR centered film Days of Thunder starring Tom Cruise and a relatively unknown actor, Nicole Kidman. The movie set became the place the pair began a relationship that resulted in a 10-year marriage.

Their divorce was finalized in 2001.

Keep ReadingShow less
James Clyburn; Donald Trump
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images; Stefani Reynolds/Pool/Getty Images

Dem Rep. Sparks Debate After Asserting That Impeaching Trump Shouldn't Be 'Priority' If Dems Take Back House

South Carolina Democratic Representative Jim Clyburn has left people torn after recommending that Democrats should not make impeaching President Donald Trump a "priority" if they take back the House of Representatives in November's midterm elections.

Trump is the only president to be impeached twice. The Senate acquitted him after he was accused of soliciting political favors from Ukraine. Trump would later be acquitted on charges that he incited an insurrection against the government after his supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol building in 2021.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Dolly Parton
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images; Theo Wargo/WireImage

Trump Just Shared An AI Photo Of Himself With Dolly Parton—And Fans Are Having None Of It

President Donald Trump sparked backlash from fans of legendary performer Dolly Parton after he shared an AI-generated photo of himself with Parton on social media.

There do not exist any photos of Trump with Parton, who died last week after a brief battle with cancer. Parton's family buried the singer, actress, and philanthropist next to her late husband, Carl Dean, who died in March 2025.

Keep ReadingShow less
Hailey, Justin, and Jack Bieber
@haileybieber/Instagram

Video Of Justin Bieber's 2-Year-Old Son Playing Golf Has Fans Convinced That He's A Child Prodigy

Most parents will agree that a child's first few years of birthdays are monumental. Not only is their child growing up, but with each birthday, their child develops new skills and becomes more and more their own person.

But most parents cannot say that one of their child's skills is a prodigy-level understanding of a sport.

Keep ReadingShow less