So because I am a British what moved to America, some British traits persist in me.
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@SecureOwl when I was working on a crew painting house exteriors in the Kansas City suburbs (I did not last more than a few days doing this), I was very surprised to learn that we were not supposed to ask customers if we could use their bathrooms
Anyone working in or around my property for more than a few minutes is welcome in to pee or get water. At the very least. I thought it went without saying.
@catmisgivings @SecureOwl I've worked at a couple of places that had that rule. I don't know why, but it must be either some kind of legal issue, or it's just that the wealthy ass-holes in the "gated communities" don't want filthy peasants in their privacy areas.
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So because I am a British what moved to America, some British traits persist in me. For example, if we have a contractor round for any reason, I’m gonna offer them a drink - to include a cup of tea.
We had a guy come over to look at our dryer yesterday because it recently exploded. The look on his face when I offered him a drink. It was like I’d just offered to pay off his mortgage.
“Oh man, yeah please.”
My wife (American), thinks it’s such a strange thing I do.
America, we must normalize this practice. Become responsible for hydrating anyone who sets foot in your home.
In my experience you usually offer, but most people carry their own now.
Maybe regional, maybe class?
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So because I am a British what moved to America, some British traits persist in me. For example, if we have a contractor round for any reason, I’m gonna offer them a drink - to include a cup of tea.
We had a guy come over to look at our dryer yesterday because it recently exploded. The look on his face when I offered him a drink. It was like I’d just offered to pay off his mortgage.
“Oh man, yeah please.”
My wife (American), thinks it’s such a strange thing I do.
America, we must normalize this practice. Become responsible for hydrating anyone who sets foot in your home.
America in general could use more gestures of hospitality.
One of my French friends asked me why we were going nuts over banning soda refills. I had to explain to him that he lives in a country where every single joint run by a Moroccan, from food truck to notary (probably), has a vat of mint tea for everyone to sip while waiting and that free refills on diner coffee and soda were one of the few hospitable gestures Americans could count on. -
@catmisgivings @SecureOwl I've worked at a couple of places that had that rule. I don't know why, but it must be either some kind of legal issue, or it's just that the wealthy ass-holes in the "gated communities" don't want filthy peasants in their privacy areas.
@Ambulocetus @SecureOwl I had assumed the latter quite honestly, but that same set of folks is litigious enough
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@DaveMWilburn @SecureOwl
I came here to say this.More people around here carry their own so I offer less often but it is how I was raised.
@cshlan @DaveMWilburn @SecureOwl
Came to see how many commented about it. Growing up I saw everyone get offered a glass of water.
In the Gulf states of the USA you'd also make sure to offer a glass of sweet tea.
But yes. Times change. Regional differences do show.
I hope more people go out and offer hydration to anyone who steps through the door. It needs to be embedded in all local cultures.
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So because I am a British what moved to America, some British traits persist in me. For example, if we have a contractor round for any reason, I’m gonna offer them a drink - to include a cup of tea.
We had a guy come over to look at our dryer yesterday because it recently exploded. The look on his face when I offered him a drink. It was like I’d just offered to pay off his mortgage.
“Oh man, yeah please.”
My wife (American), thinks it’s such a strange thing I do.
America, we must normalize this practice. Become responsible for hydrating anyone who sets foot in your home.
@SecureOwl @Allkinds I'm american and always have been. I was taught to offer drinks to guests by my grandmother. She was very generous and from the south, so maybe that's why, but it definitely should be the norm.
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So because I am a British what moved to America, some British traits persist in me. For example, if we have a contractor round for any reason, I’m gonna offer them a drink - to include a cup of tea.
We had a guy come over to look at our dryer yesterday because it recently exploded. The look on his face when I offered him a drink. It was like I’d just offered to pay off his mortgage.
“Oh man, yeah please.”
My wife (American), thinks it’s such a strange thing I do.
America, we must normalize this practice. Become responsible for hydrating anyone who sets foot in your home.
@SecureOwl I daresay just about everyone in Yurp does this and just about everyone in Murca doesn't.
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So because I am a British what moved to America, some British traits persist in me. For example, if we have a contractor round for any reason, I’m gonna offer them a drink - to include a cup of tea.
We had a guy come over to look at our dryer yesterday because it recently exploded. The look on his face when I offered him a drink. It was like I’d just offered to pay off his mortgage.
“Oh man, yeah please.”
My wife (American), thinks it’s such a strange thing I do.
America, we must normalize this practice. Become responsible for hydrating anyone who sets foot in your home.
@SecureOwl I offer everyone who comes to my house a drink, especially when it's hot outside. It's just a nice thing to do.
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So because I am a British what moved to America, some British traits persist in me. For example, if we have a contractor round for any reason, I’m gonna offer them a drink - to include a cup of tea.
We had a guy come over to look at our dryer yesterday because it recently exploded. The look on his face when I offered him a drink. It was like I’d just offered to pay off his mortgage.
“Oh man, yeah please.”
My wife (American), thinks it’s such a strange thing I do.
America, we must normalize this practice. Become responsible for hydrating anyone who sets foot in your home.
@SecureOwl hot weather, i always offer tradies and delivery people water - they almost always tell me they are good
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I wonder if this is a regionalism, because as a born-and-raised American from what constitutes (just barely) the South, not offering at least a glass of water is borderline offensive.
@DaveMWilburn Adding my piece, I grew up in Kentucky and it was common to offer at least water if not coffee or coke.
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@grumpydad apparently not - my wife was always told that people didnt want to potentially have to pee in a customers house lol
@SecureOwl @grumpydad that is so recognizable, and at the same time such an indictment of western values, it hurts even thinking about...
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So because I am a British what moved to America, some British traits persist in me. For example, if we have a contractor round for any reason, I’m gonna offer them a drink - to include a cup of tea.
We had a guy come over to look at our dryer yesterday because it recently exploded. The look on his face when I offered him a drink. It was like I’d just offered to pay off his mortgage.
“Oh man, yeah please.”
My wife (American), thinks it’s such a strange thing I do.
America, we must normalize this practice. Become responsible for hydrating anyone who sets foot in your home.
@SecureOwl I was taught to do this, my husband's family on the opposite side of the US from where I grew up does this, and the only places I've seen in the country where it's not the norm is in an extremely bigoted part of the Deep South where workers have to guesstimate who'll be safe entering who's property and how dangerous it to talk to any member of the household.
I wonder if there are other places in the country where not offering something to drink is basic etiquette.
The offer is usually water or soda pop, whichever the source is for the family (tap, fridge, bottled). In the southern half of the country, offering tea unless you're actively drinking or blending can be kind of rude, for a variety of reasons, but I'm sure a British accent would flip that.
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So because I am a British what moved to America, some British traits persist in me. For example, if we have a contractor round for any reason, I’m gonna offer them a drink - to include a cup of tea.
We had a guy come over to look at our dryer yesterday because it recently exploded. The look on his face when I offered him a drink. It was like I’d just offered to pay off his mortgage.
“Oh man, yeah please.”
My wife (American), thinks it’s such a strange thing I do.
America, we must normalize this practice. Become responsible for hydrating anyone who sets foot in your home.
@SecureOwl
Born in Seattle and raised in Southern California. Offer drinks to workers (most recent was a guy fixing our range). I have several friends in the Bay Area that leave bottled water and snacks for Amazon/FedEx/UPS delivery drivers.
My dad would pick up day laborers at Home Depot when I was a kid for doing yard work (5 acres). My mom would make them lunch and always offered something to drink. -
So because I am a British what moved to America, some British traits persist in me. For example, if we have a contractor round for any reason, I’m gonna offer them a drink - to include a cup of tea.
We had a guy come over to look at our dryer yesterday because it recently exploded. The look on his face when I offered him a drink. It was like I’d just offered to pay off his mortgage.
“Oh man, yeah please.”
My wife (American), thinks it’s such a strange thing I do.
America, we must normalize this practice. Become responsible for hydrating anyone who sets foot in your home.
@SecureOwl@infosec.exchange This is normal outside of Britain too, I've even seen the practice outside of Europe. Its just the USA where people are trained from birth to be egocentric, and thus never offer anything for free to a "stranger". -
So because I am a British what moved to America, some British traits persist in me. For example, if we have a contractor round for any reason, I’m gonna offer them a drink - to include a cup of tea.
We had a guy come over to look at our dryer yesterday because it recently exploded. The look on his face when I offered him a drink. It was like I’d just offered to pay off his mortgage.
“Oh man, yeah please.”
My wife (American), thinks it’s such a strange thing I do.
America, we must normalize this practice. Become responsible for hydrating anyone who sets foot in your home.
@SecureOwl
Here in Canada, I have tried several times to offer contractors something to drink, a soft drink, water, anything... They always decline embarrassedly... Weird... -
I wonder if this is a regionalism, because as a born-and-raised American from what constitutes (just barely) the South, not offering at least a glass of water is borderline offensive.
@DaveMWilburn @SecureOwl agreed. Regional. By the time you get to the FL line, in Georgia we brought out silver trays of bourbon at 4:00 p.m. I do not recommend this at all for getting your house fixed but it is a very good time!
Southerners are impeccably hospitable, right up to the moment they find out you're in any way different from them.
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So because I am a British what moved to America, some British traits persist in me. For example, if we have a contractor round for any reason, I’m gonna offer them a drink - to include a cup of tea.
We had a guy come over to look at our dryer yesterday because it recently exploded. The look on his face when I offered him a drink. It was like I’d just offered to pay off his mortgage.
“Oh man, yeah please.”
My wife (American), thinks it’s such a strange thing I do.
America, we must normalize this practice. Become responsible for hydrating anyone who sets foot in your home.
@SecureOwl If you are English, why do you think "British" is a noun, when it is an adjective?
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So because I am a British what moved to America, some British traits persist in me. For example, if we have a contractor round for any reason, I’m gonna offer them a drink - to include a cup of tea.
We had a guy come over to look at our dryer yesterday because it recently exploded. The look on his face when I offered him a drink. It was like I’d just offered to pay off his mortgage.
“Oh man, yeah please.”
My wife (American), thinks it’s such a strange thing I do.
America, we must normalize this practice. Become responsible for hydrating anyone who sets foot in your home.
@SecureOwl wtf?
America - Don't offer a cup of tea, that's weird.
Also America - let's put a tea break in football so we can show ads.
What a strange country. -
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