This is so weird, hearing someone saying nice things about America. I've gotten so use to hatred and vitriol directed towards us that this video is an amazing breath of fresh air.

When I brother arrived in the U.S., he told me that strangers would say hi to him, which does not happen in China. My first culture shock came when a fellow shopper in a mall called me "honey". Will never forget how Ohioans would jump out of their cars to help push a vehicle stuck in a snow storm. One guy jump-started my car four times because it kept dying. I lost my wallet at a gas station in Indiana and they kept it till I drove back to get it. I have lived in this country for almost 23 years and still have not visited all the national parks yet. I could not agree more: the people and the national parks are my absolute favorites about living in America.

I can confirm that seeing someone actually just toss litter, even just a single paper cup, on the ground is shocking to me

As someone working in customer service, the niceness thing isn’t *just* a thing we need to do. I genuinely enjoy when the good feelings are reciprocated and enjoy being temporary friends with a stranger I’ll likely never see again in my life.

(UK Citizen) When I was 8 me, my 2 sisters and my parents went on this once in a lifetime holiday to florida. And whilst there our car had broken down/overheated; now we had no idea what to do or where we were, and me and my two sisters were also like the car dying in the hot weather; then this sweet old American couple came out and invited us into their home, offering tea, food, a look at the cars engine and a lovely chat. We couldn't believe it! That would never happen in the UK. Such genuine people whome turned a situation that felt dire to a child into one of his favourite highlights of the holiday. A situation that speaks volumes about the average American. Thank you America from the heart! Side note: The tea was pretty awful 😂 but i made sure to tell her it was the best i'd ever drunk. Hopefully that means something coming from an Englishman.

Americans don't like the see through cracks on public toilet stalls either.

My husband and I have travelled the world over, and we are forever amazed at the friendliness of Americans. They would literally give you the shirt off their backs.

As an American, "It has less litter" is never something I thought I would hear about the USA. About the indoor vs outdoor cat thing: Cats are in invasive species in a lot of areas, the US included. I don't think they're invasive in Europe though, so that would partly explain why people the US keep them inside more.

..My wife is from Lithuania, and when we visited there, I was told that I "looked American"... no Budweiser shirts and fanny packs... when pressed as to why they thought so...they all said it was because I was smiling... no one in Europe smiles...or God forbid says hello to anyone else on the street without knowing them.... LOL

I never realized that I was taking my window screens for granted.

I'm from the UK and I live in the US. My favorite happy surprises about living here share some overlaps with yours: lack of litter, friendliness of random people, good customer service, toleration of difference (like in the UK, everyone used to call me "quirky" and "eccentric" but in the US nobody comments - I feel that they are more tolerant and open minded of difference), better consumer choice, scale of natural beauty - huge, stunning mountains and lakes, can-do attitude, cats being indoors. I will click comment now, and then realize all the things I forgot. I also have a list of what sucks, but let's keep it positive!

Back in the 70s there was an environmental push, not littering, recycling were two of the big things we focused on, and overall got adopted. Having been used to it, it's nice to know someone noticed!

I just want to say thank you for noticing the good America has to offer.

literally if i’m on a date with someone and they litter, they’re gone

I went to the US as a Brit and had a few pleasant surprises myself. One being how friendly people are, just strangers coming up to me and complimenting my clothes or anything, it felt so warming. The amount of stores that are sort of quirky in nature as well, I absolutely adored those and wish we had more of them here in the UK. Gas prices being so cheap compared to Europe is another. Oh and at Target, the checkout dude was putting my items in the grocery bags and I loved that. There's a lot of things that surprised me and I loved my time there.

This is one of the most fascinating channels on KZfaq. As an American, I would like to say we are glad to have you!

Twitter is by no means a representation of the real world. People in America generally get along in person. One of the main reasons I hate twitter.

The epitome of Southern hospitality was when my friend, her family, and I were in South Carolina to watch the solar eclipse. We were pulled over by the side of this rode outside a state forest to see the eclipse. This sweet old reverend and his wife were hosting a lot of people from their church and neighborhood over for a barbecue to watch the eclipse. As they were driving by, they proceeded to invite everyone that was pulled over on the road over to their house to watch the eclipse and have dinner afterwards. We met so many amazing people and had a great time with complete strangers. Now that's hospitality.

In the 80's we had Woodsy the Owl who was a marketing icon to teach Americans not to litter. "Give a Hoot, Don't Pollute." We also had Smokey the Bear to teach us not to start forest fires. 😁 P.S. I live in the Rocky Mountains and we do indeed have soccer, football, and baseball fields! They are in valleys and the giant mountains surround them.

The Grand Canyon was a zen experience for me. I drove from flagstaff about 5 in the morning. On my way the road was blocked by two large elks standing in the middle of the road. They were huge majestic creatures, shoulder height to the roof of my car. They inspected me and let me pass. Then onto the park. The gates were up so I drove on in and found my spot. The rising Sun continually revealed more of the majesty of our planet and at every moment I continued to be moved. Easy to say this was the greatest experience of my life.

There was a big campaign to end littering in the 1980’s and we stuck with it. It really is one of our better group achievements.

I think alot of the credit for things being so clean and litter-free must go to the First Lady, Ladybird Johnson. She initiated a beautification program in 1965 which was very effective, and caught on everywhere. Littering became socially unacceptable. Then the 1970s environmental movement solidified the trend.

As a hoosier, you talking about hoosier hospitality made my day. I remember one day I was riding my bike around my Indiana hometown and asking a feller biking across the country what surprised him most about my state, he said we were all very nice. It pretty much changed my life and how I interact with others.

Window screens - I always find it strange when I watch movies or TV shows that are supposed to be set in America, and none of the windows have screens in them. People just open the window and climb in/out, or throw something out the window. I've never lived anywhere that didn't have screens in the windows. Even so, I regularly get bugs inside during the summer. For some reason, my home seems to be really popular with ladybugs. I don't mind those so much and usually catch & release them. I hate the moths and other bugs that find their way inside though.

A good friend of mine who is not rich, gave away her stimulus check in extra tips to wait staff after restaurants opened back up. All 12 people that she gave $100 to cried.

Had to laugh out loud at “curiosity isn’t going to kill my cat, but a Prius would” 😂😂😂

Thank you for all the kind things you say about the US, Lawrence. You seem like such a genuinely pleasant person - always seeing the positive in everything. I do hope to get the chance to visit the UK someday so I can share what I love with you too.

I’m so glad that you’ve encountered friendly Americans - what a lovely theme. My dear Mom never met a stranger and nearly every time she traveled (or even just exited an elevator!) - she’d have made a friendly connection with someone.

Will never understand why window screens haven't caught on in other countries.

"I know curiosity wouldn't kill my cat, but a Prius would" best line ever

Born and raised in Texas, I have spent my adult life in the UK and southeast Asia. I began listening to Lost in the Pond during my 22nd year living in Singapore - fun way to pass the time during the pandemic. Mid 2021 I moved back to Texas (talk about culture shock) but I have found these commentaries very positive and encouraging. (And still love the humour!)

Laurence picked the right area of the country to live in and experience nice people. "Midwest nice" is legendary. He might not have formed the same opinion had he settled in New York City or San Francisco.

My husband is new to the USA, been here less than a month and he was surprised by: 1. Wal-Mart 2. Pumping our own gas 3. Drink refills at restaurants 4. How big the personal vehicles are (the trucks!) 5. That you buy ice at a gas station 6. The people are nicer than he thought they would be (even though I tried to explain) My husband is from Brazil. Thank you for your channel! It is quite entertaining!

"If not for the people, America would just be one giant, unregulated, national park." lol. Classic.

Bought some window screens for our patio doors last year here in the UK, what a godsend! Open the back doors and air can come in and NO bugs.

Aren't this country and it's people wonderful?! I feel so blessed to live here! Welcome, Laurence! Enjoy!

I think Americans are friendly because most of our ancestors were “strangers in a strange land” having left family and friends of their homelands. Plus in the early days of America interdependence was necessary for survival.

The reason the US has less litter is because there are WAY MORE public trash cans. In the UK and in most of Europe, there aren't trash cans on all of the paths, in the US, not only does the government put them everywhere, but businesses also make a point of providing them to help keep their exteriors litter-free.

I spent a few weeks in the UK in my youth and found the people to be, on the whole, very friendly and welcoming. They were very interested in seeing how much alcohol I was able to consume. This was a lot of fun as, being of Irish descent, I represented my country most admirably.

Funny, I grew up in NYC in the 80’s studied Abroad in the late 90’s and told everyone who would listen about how clean Europe was! I was astonished at how the trains in both London and Paris were so clean (in comparison to NYC at that time) I said to a friend “ Paris has mummies ( below the louvre) in their train station and no one steals them” lol I was 19 years old then 🤪

The nicest thing I ever had happen to me was this: When I was between jobs, maybe about 6 years ago, I was working at a temp job for $8/hr, a distribution center of some kind. I was living very paycheck to paycheck and really only bought stuff like groceries and school supplies. I went to the store to buy some stuff for the coming week, and as I checked out, my card was declined. We scanned it 3 or so times and it was still declined, so I went to cal my bank and check my account (the put the transaction on hold so other people could go by). Turned out, I had $3 total, so I guess I was off by a day or something. The lady behind me bought my groceries for me (about $60) saying that she had had to go through the same type of situations. Never had anyone do anything that nice for me before (who weren't family anyway), I still remember that moment very clearly.

“Don’t be a litter bug”, was a campaign ,like 50 yeas ago. It worked.

I do love your content. As a fellow "lived between two different countries" person, I love seeing other perspectives from people who similarly have a lot of experience in one place going to spend a substantial amount of time in another. Every place has it's patches of bad but also its patches of good, and I think these broader perspectives are fantastic to share!

I have been to the USA twice New York and Las Vegas. I thought i would be put off because of the gun laws etc, but i saw none of that and the American people are so friendly and welcoming. the only time that happens with brits is when you meet them abroad. i look forward to the time i can go again as i have so many places i want to go and see. America is a wonderful and beautiful country and vast in comparison to the UK

I'm really surprised window screens haven't caught on elsewhere.

I moved to US 7.5 years back from India and I genuinely love it here.

I have been watching your videos for a while now & I have to say, as an American man myself, it makes me smile to see you, a foreign man who moved here & is able to enjoy his “new life” here. Way to go!

While there are occasional exceptions (mainly in seedier areas of large cities), the lack of litter was one of the nicest surprises when I moved to the States.

“I love window screens cuz they keep my other inhabitant from getting out... not my wife, she uses the door... I’m talking about my cat” 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

A friend of mine from college (25 years ago) was from Britain. He told me the thing that amazed him the most was the idea Americans had that tomorrow would always be better, that if you work hard you can be a huge success, that you can win the lottery and become a movie star and cure diseases, that there is always hope and never give up. I thought this was strange because I thought all people were that way. He told me in America, anyone can go to college, whenever they want, wherever they are. In Britain, you have to qualify to go to college by taking standardized tests at the end of high school, and if you don't make it, you don't go to college. Again, this was 25 years ago so I don't know if things have changed. But in America, he went on, you can drop out of high school and still go back later, get a GED, study for an entrance exam you can take over and over until you eventually pass, and go to college. He said he thought it was in the DNA of Americans, the idea that they can always improve their lives, that they are the masters of their destiny, and so have created a system giving people the chance to become better, to reinvent themselves, to keep improving, to become anything you want. He went on to marry his American college sweetheart, get a Master's degree in chemistry from another American college, divorced her and married another American woman, and is now an American citizen teaching high school chemistry in California. One of my college friends' married a guy from France she met during her graduate studies in AZ. He now works on laser optics for NASA. Another friend married a guy from Ireland she met during her graduate studies in WA, who has a PhD in something I forget. They both have become American citizens. I mention them because they seem to epitomize what Americans see as the "American Dream", starting from square one and achieving great things through hard work, perseverance and dedication. One of my ancestors came over from German by herself in the 1860's and moved to Minnesota. THAT took guts! If hope and perseverance even in the face of adversity is in the DNA of Americans like my friend said, it's because of those that came before us that had the hope and dreams to come here and start a brand new life in a foreign land...like you :-) This is an incredibly vast oversimplification of the American experience and just my views, but my friend's comments have stuck with me and how that DNA of exploring somewhere new, trying something new, going beyond the limits, has been passed down generation after generation. I have no idea what it's like to grow up in another country, but I know growing up here, I always felt the sky was the limit...then again, not even that ;-)

You, sir, have just helped me appreciate my own country in ways that had never occurred to me (particularly the parts about litter and screens). Thank you!

As an American, I don't really think about our hospitality. I've certainly heard of "southern hospitality", but seeing as I don't live in the south, I haven't really experienced it. We grow up with the idea of "treat others how you want to be treated" being drilled into us and also just common manners like saying please/thank you/excuse me and opening doors for others. The few times someone hasn't opened the door for me, I was absolutely shocked. I can't imagine living somewhere where that isn't the norm.

I travel internationally a lot. I can't tell you how many times I've been asked, "Do you *HAVE* to say hi to EVERYBODY?" I always reply, "Yes - I'm an American - we talk to everyone!" Love your glasses, btw.

I’m in the Rockies and yes we have soccer fields aplenty.

Of all the things you listed, window screens was one I would never suspect. I went on a trip once to the U.K. when I was 16, and never noticed the lack of window screens ( then again, we never opened any windows to see that.) Actually, what surprised me the most about the U.K. (I went to Stirling and London) was London. I was expecting it to be more like Manhattan- tall skyscrapers, crowds of people shoulder to shoulder on the street, overall dingy look - but was surprised to find that it wasn’t crowded or anything like Manhattan, or really like anywhere else in New York City. It feels more open than Manhattan does due to its architecture, and the blend of older style buildings with the modern buildings gives it a strange but almost timeless feel to it - like it’s a city that extends beyond the ages. What unpleasantly surprised me was the food in terms of how some of the restaurants I went to treated food allergies. When it came to food labels, I don’t remember UK brands having warning labels about allergens, and when I had to ask if a dessert was safe for me (I’m allergic to tree nuts), even with assurances from the chef that it was safe, I still had an allergic reaction. This might not be a UK thing and maybe I just so happened to be in a bad place for allergens, but how does the UK feel about food safety with regards to food allergies?

The litter war in the US started in the early 70's. I remember a time when the highways were lined with trash. Mostly not the case anymore. Also, as an American tourist I'm always sensitive as to how we're perceived. In the 8 counties I've visited south of the border, 4 of them I've felt overwhelmed with opportunists. The other 4 I felt welcomed. Been to Ireland twice and had the warmest welcome anywhere we went. Also been to Canada a couple of time but it felt like just another state in the US - which is actually really great.

What I experience as an American, in day to day life, is so far removed from what I see on the news. It's nice to hear someone comment on it. When I go to work, I am greeted with "good morning" by about 6-7 strangers before I even get to my work station. When I go to the grocery store, people are friendly and nice. I'm short so I often have to ask tall people for help reaching things in the grocery. Everyone I have ever asked has been great.

When I was a kid in Indiana, the local mall used to have pay toilets. However, most of the people would hold the door for the next person, so they wouldn’t have to spend any change. One day they just took out the coin boxes and made them free.

I'm from Asia. I've been in United States for more than 30 years. I totally agreed with you. United States are indeed are the most comfortable place to live. Whether you are rich, medium class or poor , mostly all home are central air. We are indeed very spoil because everything is all necessity as an American. Paper napkins, toilet paper, take away box even for 2 bite left over, disposal cups are all free. If people complaining that American life are not fair or not to their expectations then I'll say these people don't know what they're talking about. Americans can drive a Mercedes-Benz or BMW even their occupation are just a servers. As long as you got a job, your credits are good, you can drove away a brand new car on the day you shopping for car.There's no Doctor or Esquire to be address. Everyone standard are same in public. After working hours a bussed can sit and hang out with their manager and bosses. I appreciated everything that USA have given me. God is good to me.

It was so nice to see good stuff about us! It’s been so rough the last several years that I’ve almost forgotten the good things, myself. Thank you! 😁 I remember when we went to Italy in college, our professors told us not to be too friendly to the men because they take that to mean you’re going to sleep with them. I had to have my profesor rescue me a few times because I was being too friendly. 😅

"Focus on the flowers, not the weeds." That's a keeper!

Re: the people and friendliness. I was Skyping an Ontarian friend who was surprised that I "invited her to my ranch" "even though we'd never met". I told her "we're Americans; we're inappropriate and overly familiar." Her husband's face said I'd nailed it.

I really enjoy your videos I've always been fascinated with the British culture but I've lived my whole life in the United States primarily Indiana and to hear someone from another country telling me the differences that they've observed is a real treat thank you for your videos I'm trying very hard to catch up since I just found you

We tried pay toilets before; the Supreme Court knocked them out of business.

I'm old enough to remember how filthy everything was "back in the day" and the resulting massive anti-littering campaigns of the 70's. Now littering is a modern taboo throughout the US - so much so that I remember being genuinely surprised at many places in Europe. Everyone rightly speaks of the beauty of Paris but few mention the constant reek of urine and the endless scatter of cigarette butts, light litter and an astonishing amount of dog crap - or "dog dirt" as many call it.

Curiosity wont kill the cat, but a Prius will. Best phrase I've ever heard in my life!

Looking into the grand canyon for the first time really does take your breath away, I'll never forget that as a kid. Yosemite Valley is a very close second, just the depth and scale of both is unbelievable.

Hospitality is vital in a country where you can travel 50 miles without seeing a town! :-) Also, I think a lot of the hospitality came over from Europe with our ancestors, and didn't get frowned out of their descendants! (My in-laws are Brits.)

My Grandpa Lester, who recently passed away because of cancer, would always say "Thank God there are people who think differently than me, otherwise the world would be a boring place."

When my oldest was a teenager, he threw something out the window. I stopped the car right there and made him get out and pick it up. Then he did it again. So I did it again. Don't mess with mom! I loved Woodsy Owl. Give a hoot, don't pollute.

The fact that we have window screens surprised me. I didn’t know that Britain doesn’t have them. Love your video’s!

Actually littering is a problem in some part of the US. I drive on back country roads to work and once in a while I see garbage bags, mattresses, sofa and etc. dumped by the side of the road. But it typically get cleaned up after a few days.

"Focus on the flowers, not the weeds." Wise words (but as an avid gardener, you DO need to pull the weeds early on, otherwise they can be a real problem.)

My grandmother lived to 108 and passed away in 1990. AT her 100th birthday she was asked what was the most important invention of her time. She answered unexpectedly Window Screen Consider she lived most of her life in the country, Horses were common but so were horse flies. Consider that they were a public health boon.

I'm used to hearing people who have never visited my home town say that New Yorkers are obnoxious. Sooo not true. I have the same experience as you, Lawrence. I fell in the street recently: within 5 seconds there were people around me, some directing traffic, some helping me to sit, running into a nearby business to get paper towels to stop the bleeding (I fell on my face), keeping me company until my niece arrived to go with me to the ER, even offering to go with me. I find this everywhere. People are happy to help, to give directions, to make suggestions, etc.

@LitP thank you for the compliments. sometimes I think outsiders really hate us. reading all the pleasant comments about my country is so refreshing. everyone be safe! take care

I'm so glad I read the comments. I'm an American living in Canada which has a reputation for "niceness". But I've not yet experienced it as fully as I remember from the states. And I had forgotten that which is why I'm glad I read the comments. Thank you everyone for making me homesick. That's not a bad thing.

I only lived in the US for a year and it was the happiest time of my life. I had a blast!

I live in the Southwestern US (Arizona currently, but lived in New Mexico for 23 years) and I can tell you there are soccer fields everywhere! Although professionally it isn't taken as seriously as some other sports, a ton of people play it just as a recreational activity. You can find them in parks, high schools, colleges, and what we call "sports complexes" which tend to also have baseball diamonds and tennis courts.

Before the 1960's, America was a very littery place, too. In the '60's, Lady Bird Johnson started a beautify America campaign. Then the law made hefty fines for littering...and America has been cleaner since then. When I was young, there was one public restroom in a department store that required a dime to enter. I haven't seen one since...and that store has been out of business for decades. I'm from the north south...it's the south, but the northernmost rung of it. Southern hospitality is REAL. The deeper in the south you go, the greater the hospitality becomes...for the most part. Thank you for noticing and commenting on some of the goodness in America. 😊

I appreciate you sharing good things about America. I feel a lot of my European and Asian friends hardly want to visit because of all the things they hear on the news. It’s nice to see a Brit love on my homeland.

The term "Don't mess with Texas" started as a anti littering campaign.

I really appreciate the lovely things you say about America and Americans! So glad you moved here!!

I absolutely LOVE that you enjoy our national parks! if there's one thing that I will always love about my country its the wilderness.

“Can you imagine soccer fields up in the mountains?” 😂 yeah so people who live in the Rockies live in cities built in valleys. We have just as many soccer fields as everyone else. In fact, though professional soccer isn’t big in America, it is a really common sport for kids to play.

It’s an absolute joy to discover someone from another country who actually likes us. To Laurence, we are generally hospitable. Others see the same actions, and criticize us for being loud and overly friendly. The same actions! 🤷‍♀️

Watching 13 months later... The optimism we all had 4 weeks into the pandemic was precious. I don't so much want to get on an airplane as much as I want a hair cut

As a Hoosier, loving this channel. It’s nice to hear an outsiders view of our culture.

It's so nice to hear people talk about positive things from America! I know we're not perfect by far but I feel like everything focuses on the flaws.

"Smile at everyone you see; it may the only smile they see that day." That is a common motto of people I know here in the west, and I guess it explains why we smile and wave at strangers! When Europeans insist that American friendliness is fake, it makes me wonder how depressing their lives (as a society) must be back home - everyone must either ignore each other or be incredibly rude. Haven't they heard of the Golden Rule? When you are raised in a culture whose core values are based on hope of a better tomorrow for everyone, it's (almost) impossible to have a dour outlook. Our friendliness is a direct result of that. However, there are always exceptions to the rule. 😉 I lived in Bolivia, and it was so eye opening for me. There was such an absence of hope. I'd never realized how ingrained in our culture it was because it was all I'd ever known. But there was a repressive attitude of "Things have always been bad/hard, and they will always be this way." Everyone was just hopeless that life could get better. It was incredibly sad, because all of the people I met there were wonderful people. I loved them very much. I can't count the number of times I was asked to sponsor someone's child to come to the US for a chance at a better life. I appreciate my country much more now than I did before, and I understand much better why people will do all kinds of things to get their families here. We aren't perfect by any means, but hope is a beacon.

We went through an intense campaign against littering in the 50s and 60s: lots of PSAs, animal mascots, Native American "mascots" to preserve nature and garbage cans everywhere, plus "clean-up" duties for school classrooms from KG to 12th grade. Fines for littering for pedestrians, cars and alleys was consistent. By the late 70s and 80s, garbage had disappeared. Stink- eyes are common if you leave garbage, which of course, makes you pick it up.

This may be a late comment but worth mentioning about "the people and friendliness" - the average "friendliness" of strangers can vary wildly within the US. I grew up in Pennsylvania and was blown away at the kindness of strangers in Oregon & Washington. South USA can sometimes be even nicer (i.e. they'll call anyone "honey" & "darling") or sometimes bring out the most polite assholes you'll ever meet. I'm sure there's even more variation...

The Midwest has a reputation of having some of the friendliest people in the country. Most of them also don’t use Twitter. In general, most people in any country are just good people who want to be free to make their own choices.

I remember when I was a teenager, The Dayton Mall tried to start charging .25 to use the bathroom. It didn't last long because people would hold the door open for the next person to go in, crawl under the door or jam paper into the lock.

I appreciate your comments on your experience in the US. I'm an American; I've visited the UK a few times and mostly only encountered really nice people. The only exceptions I met were in London, but that's true in any big city.

Thank you for mentioning the fly screens! I am from Australia currently living in the UK, and Australian/Canadian/American houses are very similar. I was shocked about how many bugs come inside in the UK due to lack of fly screen, and the stress I feel because Im scared of spiders AND I flew my cat here, and Im constantly terrified he will get out when my English partner insists on opening the window to "air out the house" as there are no air conditioners here. It sucks lol.

Thank Woodsy Owl for the lack of litter - Give a hoot, don’t pollute! Never be d dirty bird.

It’s inconceivable to me that there are people anywhere in the world who do not use window screens. I would never open a window without a screen no matter how much I craved some fresh air.

When I was younger in and went to Britain I was sitting in a store while my mom shopped and I remembered being surprised that people seemed to think it was weird when I tried to strike up a conversation.

You are teaching me more about Britain, things that I did not know. Being a midwestern USA all my life, of course we are friendly! Is there another way? We are here for each other!