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Non-Americans Are Sharing The Things They Thought Were Fake About America That Turned Out To Be Completely True

"Surfer dudes actually talk like that."

If you don't live in the USA, you might be curious about what it's actually like there. So Reddit user u/Shelleton8 asked, "What is the craziest rumor you heard about America that turned out to be true?"

Here are some of the best responses that'll make you either say, "That actually happens?" or "Well, obviously." If you have one to add, leave it in the comments!

1. "Surfer dudes actually talk like that."

Surfer in wet suit riding surfboard in ocean

2. "Drink sizes! Whoa.

"When my family visited in 2017, we landed in Texas for a stopover. First thing I saw in the shops part of the terminal was a dude who was drinking from what looked like an actual bucket. Here in New Zealand, our 'large' drinks would be considered an American 'small' or 'medium.'" —u/The_Sly_Sloth

3. "Yellow school buses are actually a thing in America. I honestly thought it was just a cartoon thing, but nope!"

Multiple yellow school buses parked in a lot

4. "Sports bars are actually exactly how they're portrayed on TV."

u/BeYourOwnDog

5. "Dolly Parton has her own theme park in Tennessee.

Dolly Parton standing at the gates of Dollywood.

6. "Schools have a ton of extracurricular activities and clubs, including basketball, football, swimming, cheerleaders, chess, and a lot more."

u/Tanerer

7. "You can buy milk in gallon-sized containers.

Man in the dairy aisle of the supermarket

8. "In many US states, some criminals can't vote, even while on parole."

u/apophis-pegasus

9. "You have a whole aisle in your supermarkets dedicated to just cereal."

Grocery store aisle with multiple shelves stocked with different colorful cereal boxes

10. "There are security guards in the school halls, and some schools even have metal detectors at the entrance like the TSA at airports."

u/Jacilund

11. "You have those angry sinks* that chop shit."

woman washing a dish in a kitchen sink

12. "Red Solo cups are not just a Hollywood prop.

"When I immigrated to the US, my mother-in-law was making dinner and offered me iced tea in a red Solo cup." —u/RavynLearnsBadly

13. "On Halloween, masked people come to your house and knock on your door asking for candy. Mostly it's just packs of kids, but sometimes whole families."

Children dressed up in Halloween costumes grabbing candy from a neighbor holding up a bowl full of treats

14. "The minimal number of paid days off you get from work.

"A friend of mine from Wisconsin was very proud that he got 20 days off per year. If someone in Germany offered me only 20 days, I would laugh at them and leave." —u/_Warsheep_

15. "Americans are nice and will stop to talk to strangers.

Two women warmly embracing each other outside

16. "American kids eat straight sugar.

"Walked onto the playground and saw kids chugging these long, thin sticks. I tried one and realized it was just colored sugar. They called them Pixy Stix." —u/whowantsrice

17. "The honking...I thought it was a movie stereotype, and then I went to New York."

Man grabbing steering wheel with left hand pressing his horn

18. "Your country is huge! I got off the plane and asked the cab guy how far the hotel was and he said about 30 miles. I almost had a heart attack."

Majestic view of an Arizona valley with sunset brightly lighting up a cliff on the right side

19. "Free soft drink refills in restaurants."

u/JeezasKraist

20. "You can get into university just by being good at sports."

College students playing a soccer match with a stadium full of people looking on

21. "Nearly every man is circumcised, regardless of religion."

u/tschoerk

22. "Higher education can cost upward of $50,000 per year."

Aerial view of Stanford University college campus

23. "Americans are very good at making pie.

"I was pretty much all alone during Thanksgiving because everyone else was with their families. One of the resident assistants I'd befriended knocked on my door and brought me all different kinds of pie. Dear lord, I've never tasted anything that delicious. From blueberry to apple to pumpkin. Every. Single. Pie. They were all amazing." —u/DeeKaah

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.