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What should you absolutely NOT do when visiting the United States?Bring up politics or religion:Seriously, just don’t… Politics are a very heated topic here, with passionate people on both sides of the political spectrum. Bringing up politics will incite a very powerful response or heated-debate.Religion is also very important to many people here as well. The US welcomes people of all religions, and of no religion, but Christians tend to be treated with more respect or privilege.Compare the US with your home country:The US is not like other developed countries. We do many things differently here, too many to list.Also, we’re all very well aware of the laundry list of problems this country has (no universal healthcare, aging infrastructure, etc). Trust me, we’re working on it.We also find it strange that you’d choose to come here just to complain about our country…Not understand US Customary Measurements:The US uses its own version of the Imperial system, so distances are measured in inches and feet, speed is measured in Miles per Hour, volume is measured in Fluid Ounces and US Gallons, weight is measured in Pounds, etc etc etc.Metric units are used on commercial packaging, but the common American vernacular leans more towards using USCM units than Metric/SI. Saying “It’s a two meters behind the shed” isn’t as comfortable-sounding to us as “it’s a few feet behind the shed”.Criticize Guns or Compare your gun laws to ours:Americans love their guns and will clutch them like a woman clutches their pearl necklace when offended. Guns are a religion here, so bringing up gun control is a seriously no-no, especially if you’re a foreigner.America’s gun laws are very open when compared to most other developed countries, and we’re (mostly) okay with this arrangement.Also, no, we don’t all walk around carrying AR-15s, drive tanks to work, hunt using an RPG, close successful deals by touching pistols, or give our kids grenades to play with…Be openly GRSM (LGBTQA+):Anti-GRSM mentalities are still very prominent in some parts of the U.S., especially in the South. You could also be denied services, employment, adoption rights, or housing in some states because you’re openly GRSM.Forget to Tip:Tipping is very big in the United States. Tipping helps pay the bills of the people who served you. If you’re not sure how much to tip, just add an extra 15% to your bill. It’s extremely rude to leave without tipping.Tipping is an unfortunate fact of life here because many restaurant owners choose to supplement what little pay they give their workers with a constantly-fluctuating amount of extra income from tips.Not know about Sales Tax:In the US, almost every state (with the exceptions of New Hampshire, Alaska, Delaware, Montana, and Oregon) has a Sales or Use Tax.Think that price you see is the price you’ll pay at the till:The price you see for products or services is just the base price. The price you pay will be higher due to added Sales Tax and other applicable fees.The US does not have a national VAT, so the price for a product will vary by state.Get too close to people:We Americans love our personal space. Each American has their own little bubble of personal space. Violating this bubble of space will illicit various reactions, most less-than-good.Despite this, many of us are very nice people who’ll at least acknowledge you with a “hello” or “how are you?”.Also, we use “how are you?” as a form of greeting here, it’s usually not an invitation to initiate conversation.Underestimate the scale of the United States:The US is absolutely massive. You can fit almost the entirety of Europe into the mainland United States.Don’t come here thinking you’ll be able to walk around NYC, hop on a bus down to Florida by lunch, and then head off to Las Vegas to gamble the night away. Just getting to Florida from New York by car will take at least three days, and that flight to Las Vegas from Florida is about five hours.Not have a car:The further west you go, the sparser civilization gets, so having a car is crucial.Public transportation in the US is virtually non-existent outside the major cities (and it’s usually pretty bad in those cities). Don’t come here expecting to see Bullet Trains.Most of our towns are designed to serve people with cars.Choose to only see the typical “Americana” tourist traps:There’s more to the US than Times Square, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Niagara Falls, LA, Disney, or the National Mall.Try to set time aside to explore a typical American town/city. You’ll find a lot of great things (great shops, food, etc).Write off American food as the crap you see at McDonald’s:American food comes in many forms and flavor profiles. Being a Melting Pot nation, we have fusion cuisines all over the place. Also, most stereotypical “American” foods are quite good when bought from a proper restaurant. Fast food usually gets dominated when compared to what’s on offer at actual sit-down restaurants and diners.Also, food trucks are extremely popular in many American cities, they offer all kinds of food for good prices, and the food they sell is usually tailored as an on-the-go meal.Believe American stereotypes:We’re not all fat, sloppy, stupid, inbred, or ignorant. Americans come in many shapes and sizes, many colors, from many backgrounds, from all economic and educational levels, etc.Every nation has its bad apples, ours and yours are no exception. Giving into stereotypes only serves to spread them further.Smoke in Public:Don’t smoke in public. You’ll get a bunch of nasty looks from passersby. Also, smoking isn’t allowed in most public places and buildings.Smoking around children is a very big taboo.If you smoke in public and throw your spent cigarette butt on the ground, don’t be surprised if somebody asks you to pick it up and put it in the trash, or you get fined for littering.These rules usually also apply for vaping too.Being drunk in public:If you’re drunk in public, don’t be surprised if you get charged with public intoxication and end up spending the night sobering up in the local police station’s drunk tank.Also, drunk driving is a serious taboo here. If you’re getting smashed at a bar and drove in, don’t be surprised if sober people offer to drive you home or the bartender calls a cab/Uber for you. We really hate drunk drivers here.Drugs:Don’t bother with hardcore drugs.Marijuana is legal for recreational usage in some states, but you have to be at least 21 years old to buy/consume it.Cutting in line:Unlike our English friends, we won’t hesitate to scold you for violating the queue. Stay in line, or get out if it’s too long.Be afraid of the Police:US police has a reputation of being aggressive and trigger-happy. This is not entirely true for most police officers.But still, always be calm and collected when dealing with police. Have your paperwork handy and answer their questions respectfully. Most officers are just trying to do their jobs and are well-aware of their profession’s reputation.Basically: Don’t give the police a reason to be afraid of you, or see you as a threat.Not have Health Insurance:The US does not have a national healthcare system. Most Americans have to rely on private insurance to cover medical needs. Even if we did have a public system, it most likely wouldn’t cover tourists. So have a health insurance plan set up before visiting, even if you don’t use it.Healthcare in the US is disgustingly expensive, so you don’t want to get sick or injured and not have insurance.Interact with children:Parents in the US are extremely paranoid about their children’s safety (which isn’t entirely a bad thing). Many parents here think that every adult who crosses their child’s path is either a pedophile or child abductor. Avoid interacting with children unless their parents have given the go-ahead.Leave your children unattended:This is considered taboo in most of the US, and is considered child abuse. If you have kids with you, keep them by your side.This mainly applies to very young children. Teenagers and young adults usually aren’t an issue, as long as they’re behaving while away from your supervision.Talk smack about us in your native tongue:Remember, we’re a melting pot nation, so there’s a chance that some of us will understand you and call you out for being rude.If you don’t like something, voice your displeasure in English, because at least then someone can try to help you.Complain about American beer:We know. Our beer is piss water when compared to a proper European brew. Our low-quality beer is cheap and bountiful, plus it has a high alcohol concentration, making getting sloshed a lot easier.However, microbrews tend to be much better than the corporate swill being sold in most stores. You just have to know where to look and you may stumble upon a very good beer from a small craft brewery.Carry large sums of physical money:Getting mugged is a real possibility here. Credit cards can be frozen and deactivated if stolen, cash can’t. You can carry a small sum of money with you (less than $100 is usually pretty normal) for the off-chance that you go to a place that doesn’t accept plastic.Most Americans use credit and debit cards nowadays anyways, so most places accept them.Also, as other answers have pointed out, avoid letting friends/family back home send you money through the mail. Mail can, and sometimes is, stolen specifically because it has money in it. Have your loved ones wire you money directly through a place like Western Union.Have thin skin:We’re friendly, and that usually involves making playful jabs at people. So don’t be offended if an American you’re chummy with calls you a “motherf***ker” or “son of a bitch”. I assure, unless that person is angry, they’re not calling you that to offend you.