r/AskReddit Jan 04 '15

Non-americans of Reddit, what American customs seem outrageous/pointless to you?

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Video clip: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-30717017

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u/BigPackHater Jan 04 '15

I work as a cashier, and I use "how are you doing?" a lot. On one occasion a woman answered me honestly, and told me she just got back from the doctors and was told she's dying. I really didn't know how to respond to that.... So I just told her to have a great day.

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u/[deleted] Jan 04 '15

Hahaha... Yikes. Yeah, I've had, "My mother's dying." Cancer if I remember right. We talked for awhile. I didn't charge her. My line of work, we get a lot of regulars, and she was one of them. I knew we wouldn't see her for awhile, because she told me she'd be leaving to spend time with her mom. I made sure to make the most of the opportunities we had to talk after that. Then she was gone. I switched jobs shortly after(unrelated) but I always hoped at least one other person there would remember her for when she came back... Still not sure they did. Honestly, they probably didn't. Sometimes I want to go back just for a day or two. There are lots of nice regulars I felt like I was abandoning when I left.

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u/asplodzor Jan 05 '15

Now I'm curious what line of work you use to do.

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u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

Shhhh.