Random questions about America

[Asotcha]

I'm honestly unsure how to answer this question because in a country of 300,000,000+ people, no one is "normal". I would think that some people do wear chino pants and lace up shoes around the house, and some don't. There isn't much of a "national" sense of fashion here. People wear what they want, when they want, really.

This is true, but it made me remember something my mother told me a few months ago. She had been watching a show on one of those shopping networks (i think), and there was a shoe designer talking with one of the hosts. At some point somone asked him what kind of styles he noticed as he travelled, and he said that whenever he saw somone wearing white sneakers overseas, it was usually an American. He said that we're the only people who do it en masse, and he saw the same when he came over to visit us isnt that nifty? it made me notice how often i see it--especially since i got a new white pair of "new balance" for my birthday Hahah


just one of those things ^.^

[OzoAndIndi]

I dunno, hard to know "why" some things are what they are without knowing any different.

2. If you have the LAPD, who does all the policing in all your smaller sallelite cities and townships throughout say, California? Do police just get posted around their home state to different major cities and swap their uniform and badges?

I don't know if things are the same in every state. At least in mine there are State Troopers (in blue) and County Police (in brown/tan). Once is more locally based within their county in the state, the other are more highway patrol and I think tend to handle the more serious issues, plus they're not bound by county. If State Troopers have to get involved, your ass is no doubt in a bit of trouble. They're definelty harder in demeanor than the Country Police.

5. Do people really wear stuff like chino pants and lace up shoes around the house of an evening or on weekends?

lol I dunno.. maybe more "business"/office minded types or something.

6. Why do you have basements? Are these just old houses, or do you not build straight up houses on solid slabs?

Some houses do, some don't. We kinda like basements? A place to store stuff, often laundry is done there. Safer to go to the basement in a bad storm...in that case I don't know how people live without one. If there was a local tornado warning and we didn't have a basement I'd be a bit more freaked out.

7. Why have you taken so many steps to striate your society? Having jackets to define team/club membership in highschools, Prom kings/queens, Unversity Fraternities, Lodges, Country Clubs, Class rings. Seems to many you have taken great pains to create your own institutions of aristocracy. Or is this just a movie thing?

Um.. we like recognition for stuff? It's the U.S., we're like addicted to being "yay" everything and achieving stuff.

[Sky High]

1) as far as I'm aware yes, it takes place in less populated areas a big one for me is my hometown.
2) most if not all cities around here have their own PD, again in more remote areas it can cover the county.
3) depends, here in CA I think they are elected.
4) I can look up and find 10 ATMS within walking distance of me. same goes for card swipes, shit out in wyoming at the god damn rickety ass marinas they can take card.
5) what are chino pants? and lace up shoes? you mean sneakers? not in my house, shoes off. same deal for those pants.
6) I love basements, they really come in handy in hotter months. and not all houses, houses built between 1950-1970 at least the more upscale ones are all one level. and they work as a storage area under the house or for extra rooms.
7) when it comes to sports teams? sure I see a hat or shirt every now and then but it's not over the top. I live in a college part so the frat/sorority stuff is all over the place here but nonexistent past the college. when it comes to clubs? I think that's more out of the movies.
8) I have never met a poor electrician, contractor or plumber, maybe his hired hand Juan, but never a trained working one.

[xindralol]

as for judges: there's states with elected judges, otherwise they're appointed (ie federal judges appointed by the president, state court judges by the governor)
DAs are appointed by the governor as well (as opposed to US attorneys -> federal system)

nowadays, most states (if not all by now) require you to be a member of the state's bar before you become a lawyer (most commonly: 4 years of undergrad, 3 years of law school -> JD degree, MBE/state bar exam)
in the old days (when common law was prevalent) becoming a lawyer would encompass you to 'read a law' - pretty much shadowing a lawyer and learning from him/her (in most cases him) until the local bar thought you ready to become a lawyer.

[ramennoodleking]

Fun fact for you about basements:

In louisiana and many other low lying southern states, we can't have basements. Our water table is like 3 feet below ground, so our basements would be constantly flooded.

As for basements in general, however, I love them when possible. Extra space that doesn't take up real estate or skyline.

[Flutterguy]

1. Depends on state and local jurisdiction. There's no universal way of handling this in the US.

2. Depends on the state and local jurisdiction. Most cities in LA county have their own police force. The LAPD is just very large and may assist neighbors in handling issues bigger than they can or if a crime takes place in multiple jurisdictions. But that's just an LA example. It really depends on what part of the US we're talking about.
3. State issue as well. Some states you vote in all, some, none, etc.

4. I've never heard of a place in the US that doesn't at least have an ATM at the bank. I don't know what a EFTPOS is though. People still write checks, yes, but many of the larger banks process checks digitally now.

5. There are people that wear speedos, a Batman cowl and go roller skating down the boardwalk. I don't see how this is relevant to the US as a whole.

6. Not all homes have basements and those that do have them as a place of storage for the most part. They were often called "Cellars" which isn't unique to Americans by a long shot.

7. Forming social groups isn't an attempt at an aristocracy. rofl

8. Most tradesmen live comfortable lives here. They're considered skilled labor for the most part. Unless you're talking about illegal aliens used by independent contractors to keep their overhead low...But that's a different issue. Even non-union tradesmen make a decent living in the US. Unskilled labor is where you'll find the lower class and for obvious reason.

[Citizen T]

I'll outline the general jurisdictions of the various law enforcement agencies within a state. I'll start at the smallest level and expand. I hope it helps a little bit.

All of these vary a bit from state to state and locality to locality but the general outline should be useful.

Private police agencies can be hired to patrol/serve neighborhoods and small communities. Generally these are not true law enforcement officers (LEO) and have little power to arrest other than if they personally observe someone committing a felony which any citizen can do - called a citizen's arrest.

City police departments like the LAPD mentioned by OP are the mainstay of police presence for most people. They have jurisdiction within the proscribed city limits. Outside of the city limits, their law enforcement powers are severely lessened. These police are generally all trained LEOs and the chief of police can either be a political appointment by the mayor or can be a hire by the city council.

Sheriff departments have jurisdiction within the physical limits of their county which can include the various cities within the county. Generally though the sheriffs department do not patrol within cities that have their own police force unless requested to do so to assist the city police department. Sheriffs department will patrol/serve smaller towns/communities that do not have their own police force. True incorporated cities and towns without their police force generally have to contract with the sheriffs department for this coverage though since they have their own tax structures in place. Sheriffs are elected and depending on the state/county may or may not require any law enforcement experience or training. In many states, country sheriffs are the highest level of law enforcement personnel and they overrule all state and in some cases federal agencies.

State police have jurisdiction with their respective states and generally the head of the state police agency is a political appointment chosen by the governor. These LEOs generally patrol large areas of land - often with low population densities. They state police also generally have the highest trained and equipped detectives, technicians, and administrators that are used to assist city and county law enforcement agencies.

All of the above have little or no law enforcement power outside of their jurisdiction beyond that of any other ordinary citizen. This includes any federal land within the state or tribal land owned by any of the various Native American tribes. Even federal law enforcement agencies have their powers severely curtailed within tribal lands for the most part.

Federal law enforcement agencies are varied and their arrest powers are limited generally within their scope of law enforcement rather than by physical jurisdiction (other than tribal lands), but the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the mainstay of law enforcement on any federal land withing the states. A few other federal law enforcement agencies are the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), United States Secret Service (USSS), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has several agencies within it such as Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Also all 3 of the military branches (Marines are technically Navy) have their own law enforcement divisions and all major federal departments have at least a token law enforcement presence.

[Redlokyldoreifanggore]

1. I get that you have Police Departments. For the most part these people are public servants, employees of the state or federal. But what is with Sherrifs and Deputies? From what I pick up, Sherrifs are just voted in? So a baker could technically become a law enforcement officer with no degree or academy training? And then they can handpick other people off the street to become deputies?

Other people have probably explained it better than me, but your credentials are brought up and you do have to campaign. It normally isn't some random person with any profession, but someone who everyone in the county knows or can learn about their prior history in law enforcement / military.

2. If you have the LAPD, who does all the policing in all your smaller sallelite cities and townships throughout say, California? Do police just get posted around their home state to different major cities and swap their uniform and badges?

AFAIK, police hired by a certain authority are given certain authority. If you're hired by a local police station you cover that town and its general area. County sheriff stations cover counties, and state troopers are hired to oversee interstates and the state overall. US marshals and FBI are nation-wide policemen and investigators in comparison.

3. The same goes for your judges and District Attorneys? They get voted in? By who? What kind of oversight is there?

People have probably answered it better than me, so I'm not even going to try and embarrass myself with an answer.

4. I hear that things like EFTPOS and ATMs are still not in widespread use, that people even still use (and accept) personal cheques for day to day purchases? Can you not swipe your card, put your PIN in and pay for a can of coke and a mars bar at the local store?

More and more places are no longer accepting checks because so many people will just bounce. It's certainly more popular amongst older people and for organizations / businesses that need to collect / spend larger sums of money in single payments (i.e. scholarship committees, fraternities/sororities, schools, paychecks, etc.).

5. Do people really wear stuff like chino pants and lace up shoes around the house of an evening or on weekends?

Standard chino pants that any common citizen can wear can be, depending upon how fancy they feel. If you're talking sneakers then yeah, tons of people wear their shoes inside their homes in the US. Most people who own pets, for example, already know how dirty their floor probably is and don't really care as long as your shoes don't leave giant mud stains. If you're referring to a military get-up, then most military men and women, AFAIK, only wear their uniforms for special events if it's necessary.

6. Why do you have basements? Are these just old houses, or do you not build straight up houses on solid slabs?

Basements serve three main functions:
A) Provide storage for various belongings or space to keep preservatives and other objects cool
B) Provide increased amounts of living space
C) Provide shelter from storms (especially tornadoes)

While you may com across some very, very old houses with separate basement / storm shelter / preserve storage areas outside of the house, most of them will have a direct connection to this subterranean chamber from within. You can set up a game room, "man cave", an apartment, more bedrooms/bathrooms, storage closets, a storm shelter, etc. In the Midwest US, where tornadoes are a thing, basements are the go-to place because they rarely have windows and are solid earth / concrete below the normal level that can protect you from getting sucked up and impaled with bits of glass and other debris. There would be substantially more Midwestern deaths if most households didn't have such a subterranean area.

7. Why have you taken so many steps to striate your society? Having jackets to define team/club membership in highschools, Prom kings/queens, Unversity Fraternities, Lodges, Country Clubs, Class rings. Seems to many you have taken great pains to create your own institutions of aristocracy. Or is this just a movie thing?

It's more a manner of symbolism, and with said symbolism comes a sense of pride for what you do, what you've done, what you can do, and what you stand for. Team jackets, fraternity pins, class rings, etc. are all marks of this symbolism. As far as things like the Masons lodges, fraternities / sororities, country clubs, and various other "select groups", it all really, really depends. Some people join for the sake of joining and for thinking they're cool for doing so. Some people join because they want a group of people to get close to and bond with. Some people feel obligated to join or are recruited. My fraternity recruited me, I liked what they stood for, I enjoy being around the people, and it gives me an outlet for which to participate in various clubs and volunteer opportunities on my college campus and in the city surrounding it. Each group has stereotypes attached, positive and negative, and it is the discretion of the people within to either define those stereotypes or do their own thing. Each group has a bit of secrecy, a general structure and hierarchy, and so on and so forth. You should read up on the masons, it's actually rather fascinating.

One thing to note, however, is that it isn't necessarily an aristocracy sort of things for MOST of these groups. For most of them it is an easy way to connect and notice the impact your group may or may not have had on certain people. Would you consider 4-H to be a secret, aristocratic society? Boy/girl scouts? A bowling ball team?

8. Why do your tradies (bricklayers, concreters, builders, plumbers, electricians) always seem to be firmly planted in the lower class? Most tradies around here would earn twice as much as the average retail or white collar worker. Geez, plumbers are rich!

Most trade-level people are normally in the middle class and it varies all throughout. If your plumbing or electrician business takes off, you may live a very comfortable life and have several employees. Some people don't manage to do that and fall to the lower rungs. That is capitalism. Are plumbers and bricklayers in YOUR area living in 1st class mansions and hanging out at the country club?

Unless your "lower class" includes the vast majority of middle-class citizens, I'm not entirely sure where you're coming from. The lower class, in my eyes, are the people who actually have to survive on welfare checks and Salvation Army soup kitchens.

Now, I will agree that the middle class in the US is shrinking and the lower class is getting filled up with some of these "tradesmen" and "laborers", however I highly doubt the vast majority of said people are struggling to get by day-to-day and having to get welfare and Salvation Army donations.

[GennGreymane]

Sheriffs also enforce civil cases. What I mean is (in some states) the Sheriff is incharge or making sure someone pays their "debt" that they owe another as the result of a civil dispute.

[Gothicshark]

Frenegade42

1.
A. But what is with Sherrifs and Deputies?

Police are Hired Businesses run by companies that work for Cities. They get Jurisdiction within Cities or on College Campuses, technically they are budgeted by Cities but are not officially Government Employees. Sheriffs are official county Law Enforcement and Guards for all Official County services.

Most people forget the Police are hired by a Police Department and all Police Departments are Government Linked Businesses, and are not mandated by Law, but are hired by City Government. This includes Police in the United Kingdom, which is where the US gets the model for both Sheriffs and Police.

B. From what I pick up, Sherrifs are just voted in?

The Sheriff is a Government position, as such they are elected officials, deputies are officers managed by the Sheriff.

C. So a baker could technically become a law enforcement officer with no degree or academy training?

In the US we have Law Enforcement Degrees, and Police Academies are post graduate studies. So even Sheriffs and Sheriffs deputies get the degrees and go to the academies, Here in California we have Several Popular Police academies for all Law Enforcement Officers, LAPD and the California Highway Patrol have world class academies. The thing is you can go to the LAPD or the CHP Academe and not join their forces, ie Sheriffs who go to the CHP academe get to wear special Boots.

D. And then they can handpick other people off the street to become deputies?

The Position of Sheriff allows the Sheriff to set guidelines for the requirements of deputies. Most Counties actually have the rules set in law and require a minimum level of education and the academe.

2A. If you have the LAPD, who does all the policing in all your smaller sallelite cities and townships throughout say, California?

I live in Los Angeles County, in an area called Marina Del Rey, this is exactly 1 block south of Venice Beach which is Los Angeles City, LAPD patrol Venice California, LA Sheriffs Department patrol MDR and the Beach, and all county owned property. As for California, Each county has a Sheriffs department, Each city, Public Transportation system, School System, and college and university has a Police Force, also the State has a Police Force that does FBI like investigation, also the State has the Highway Patrol which was founded by the California AAA. Which is now the highest regarded law enforcement agency in the state.

B. Do police just get posted around their home state to different major cities and swap their uniform and badges?

No they are hired by a single company ie Department. My ex was a Cop whose Department was closed by the College that hired them, he ended up doing security work in a strip club.

3A. The same goes for your judges and District Attorneys?

The DA in any city, county, state, or federal is either appointed or voted in depending on the size of community, in all these job they have a minimum set requirments which usually involve a Law degree, and prior work as a prosecutor. (the federal prosecutor just has to have a law degree, JFK appointed his younger brother to that Job)

They get voted in? By who? What kind of oversight is there?

DA's have the government that they work for as over-site, also the community if it is an elected position.

4. I hear that things like EFTPOS and ATMs are still not in widespread use, that people even still use (and accept) personal cheques for day to day purchases?
ATM on every street corner in California, not sure about other states, but since I was a kid ATMs where everywhere. I'm 42, ATMs have been widespread since the 1970s. infact I know where to find a few old ones still.

As for checks, only Supermarkets, and the checks are instant clear, so they are like using an ATM only they are a legal document with your signature so if it doesn't clear you can be sued.

Can you not swipe your card, put your PIN in and pay for a can of coke and a mars bar at the local store? Always. Even in a coke machine or a candy machine.

5. Do people really wear stuff like chino pants and lace up shoes around the house of an evening or on weekends?

chino pants: ie Mexican/Hispanic labor pants. My city is called 'Los Angeles' where chino pants come from, my state is California the place chino pants and Levis came from. so yah, me I wear Yoga pants at home. As for shoes, that depends on the person and their home, if you live in the country where your home always has a layer of dust, shoes in home, I live in a Luxery Apartment, I were indoor shoes when it is cold, or fluffy socks.

6. Why do you have basements?
Basements are not a California thing unless they came from the East coast, or Mid West, we do not need underground storage, Heaters, or tornado shelters. Also with Earthquakes it's not a safe design principle.

Are these just old houses, or do you not build straight up houses on solid slabs?

Well listed the reasons for cellars/basements and shelters under a house. California homes are slab foundations because of Earthquakes.

7. Why have you taken so many steps to striate your society?
Human Nature is to create memberships/societies, and cultures. America having so many different cultures mixed together it is inevitable. I mean in one block in Los Angeles you might have a Jewish Deli, a Palestinian Flaffal stand, a Sushi shack, a Chinese Resturant, and a Mexican Resturant.



B. Having jackets to define team/club membership in highschools, Prom kings/queens, Unversity Fraternities, Lodges, Country Clubs, Class rings. Seems to many you have taken great pains to create your own institutions of aristocracy. Or is this just a movie thing?

A very small percentage of the population cares about these things, most don't care about being in the Center of attention.

8. Why do your tradies (bricklayers, concreters, builders, plumbers, electricians) always seem to be firmly planted in the lower class?
Blue Collar work use to be treated with respect, but after 30 years of Right wing politics blue collar is poor, ad lower class.

Most tradies around here would earn twice as much as the average retail or white collar worker. Geez, plumbers are rich!
That was true here until the 1980s.

[Reeve]

the thread on Special Ed students and homecoming sparked a few burning questions about America I have always wondered, hoping some guys can explain a few things;

1. I get that you have Police Departments. For the most part these people are public servants, employees of the state or federal. But what is with Sherrifs and Deputies? From what I pick up, Sherrifs are just voted in? So a baker could technically become a law enforcement officer with no degree or academy training? And then they can handpick other people off the street to become deputies?

2. If you have the LAPD, who does all the policing in all your smaller sallelite cities and townships throughout say, California? Do police just get posted around their home state to different major cities and swap their uniform and badges?

Every state does it differently, but generally you have a local city police force, a highway police force, and county sheriffs. Each force has its own jurisdiction. Where I grew up in CA, it was:

1) Police - Jurisdiction within their specific city
2) Sheriff - Jurisdiction within a whole county
3) California Highway Patrol - Jurisdiction on highways

In Texas, I'm not sure how the jurisdictional boundaries work, but it's:

1) Police
2) Constables
3) Sheriffs
4) Texas State Troopers (these are the guys whose uniform includes a cowboy hat)

3. The same goes for your judges and District Attorneys? They get voted in? By who? What kind of oversight is there?

Yes, they get voted in during state elections by anyone in their jurisdiction. Generally speaking no one can get enough support to get on the ballot in the first place if they don't meet some level of minimum requirements, but I don't know if there's any official requirements. I imagine you have to have passed the bar.

4. I hear that things like EFTPOS and ATMs are still not in widespread use, that people even still use (and accept) personal cheques for day to day purchases? Can you not swipe your card, put your PIN in and pay for a can of coke and a mars bar at the local store?

They're very much in widespread use. I rarely carry cash and use EFTPOS (which is not what we call it in the US) everywhere. There's rarely some small mom and pop shop in the middle of nowhere that doesn't take cards, and they pretty much just don't get my business. Personal checks are used pretty much only by really old people and for bills like paying rent, in those places that don't already have automatic bill payment.

5. Do people really wear stuff like chino pants and lace up shoes around the house of an evening or on weekends?

I had to google "chino pants." People wear whatever they want to wear around their own homes. It is acceptable to wear shoes in some houses and not acceptable in others. I don't care if shoes are worn in my house, but I usually take them off within a few minutes of arriving at home for comfort's sake.

6. Why do you have basements? Are these just old houses, or do you not build straight up houses on solid slabs?

Most people don't have basements. The majority of homes are built on slabs, or sometimes on blocks if it's an older home or a trailer. Some people have basements for a variety of reasons. The best reason is that they make kickass game rooms. They're awesome for parties because they hold the noise in very well.

7. Why have you taken so many steps to striate your society? Having jackets to define team/club membership in highschools, Prom kings/queens, Unversity Fraternities, Lodges, Country Clubs, Class rings. Seems to many you have taken great pains to create your own institutions of aristocracy. Or is this just a movie thing?

It's hardly an aristocracy. You join clubs and organizations because you enjoy them. You might wear your associations on your sleeve if you feel like it, but it doesn't make someone better or worse to be part of a lodge or a country club or whatever. It's hardly creating our "own institutions of aristocracy." It's more just enjoying social organizations with other people because it's fun to do so.

8. Why do your tradies (bricklayers, concreters, builders, plumbers, electricians) always seem to be firmly planted in the lower class? Most tradies around here would earn twice as much as the average retail or white collar worker. Geez, plumbers are rich!

Anyway, hope you can help someone whose knowledge of American comes only from second hand knowledge and mass media. lol

Thanks!

Our unskilled tradesmen are often Mexican workers who come to the US to find work. Those who are doing semi-skilled work may make a reasonably good wage after working as a general laborer for a while. Those who do skilled labor, like plumbers, electricians, etc. make damn good money. My friend Mike who graduated high school with me back in 2001 is an electrician working in northern California, and he makes more than $100k/year. Skilled tradesmen are generally upper middle class, or sometimes even better. General contractors make boatloads of money.

[Deleted]

Just out curiosity how much does it cost to use your credit/debitcard to buy stuff? (this goes for other countries that isn't America aswell).

And is it possible to use your mobile phone to do small money transfers?

[Grummgug]

8. They aren't, most tradesman are solidly middle class. As the Vietnam generation retires those trade jobs will become better and better paid as well. Most of those jobs require certification that can be difficult to get.

Robots will phase out most trade jobs within 30 years.

[Keristrasza]

Not all American houses have basements. It's actually extremely UNcommon in places like California, which are Earthquake-prone... Basements don't make too much sense there. However, 1,500 miles away from California in a place like Kansas, where things like Tornadoes that can rip homes from their foundations are somewhat common, basements are a bit more prevalent... largely as hidey-holes from said Tornadoes.

This is the very reason I love my basement, while tornado's are uncommon where I live .... the basement is a wonderful place to hide when those sirens go off. ><

[Spraxle]

This is true, but it made me remember something my mother told me a few months ago. She had been watching a show on one of those shopping networks (i think), and there was a shoe designer talking with one of the hosts. At some point somone asked him what kind of styles he noticed as he travelled, and he said that whenever he saw somone wearing white sneakers overseas, it was usually an American. He said that we're the only people who do it en masse, and he saw the same when he came over to visit us isnt that nifty? it made me notice how often i see it--especially since i got a new white pair of "new balance" for my birthday Hahah


just one of those things ^.^

Actually this is a psychology trick. If you tell yourself that's all you're going to see that's all you see. For example if you see an Orange paint job on a car you'll see a lot of them as you're subconsciously trying to find more.

To the basement part of your question (since I don't want to answer the rest of it :P ), where I live basements are the norm. They're great for extra space and in the midwest (where I live) Tornados are a real thing and a basement is the cheapest protection against them. Not saying it's the greatest but it's cheaper then a steel safe room and you get more space.

[vindicatorx]

1. I get that you have Police Departments. For the most part these people are public servants, employees of the state or federal. But what is with Sherrifs and Deputies? From what I pick up, Sherrifs are just voted in? So a baker could technically become a law enforcement officer with no degree or academy training? And then they can handpick other people off the street to become deputies?

Complicated answer incoming: Police are given jurisdiction of specific areas of a city usually which are called precincts. There are also State police who monitor multiple counties or cities usually the highways. The Sheriff himself is voted in by the county they reside in. The sheriff appoints deputies. All Sheriff dept personnel stay in the county and usually focus on the areas outside of towns in the rural areas. I worked for the Sheriff's Department in my home county for 3 years as a correctional officer.

2. If you have the LAPD, who does all the policing in all your smaller sallelite cities and townships throughout say, California? Do police just get posted around their home state to different major cities and swap their uniform and badges?

LAPD patrols Los Angeles it is a conglomerated local police force. State police, local police, and again Sheriff's department patrol their designated areas and they have no authority outside of those areas. Each area has it's own badge style, uniform, and headquarters. In order to transfer to another post they have to apply and be accepted.

3. The same goes for your judges and District Attorneys? They get voted in? By who? What kind of oversight is there?

Some judges are appointed some are elected depends on the state and local laws. Once again there are multiple tiers their are local, state, and federal judges and they oversee their area of responsibility. DA's get voted in by the people residing in their area.

4. I hear that things like EFTPOS and ATMs are still not in widespread use, that people even still use (and accept) personal cheques for day to day purchases? Can you not swipe your card, put your PIN in and pay for a can of coke and a mars bar at the local store?

ATM's are everywhere so not sure where you heard this. Places still do accept personal checks mostly only old people still do this. Yes, you can use an ATM in almost every business unless it is in some godforsaken place or the place simply does not want to pay the % fee they have to pay credit card companies for accepting debit cards. I personally don't carry more than $5 on me and that is usually for tipping. Not sure why on earth you would think the US would not have ATM or debit card use that's all most people use.

5. Do people really wear stuff like chino pants and lace up shoes around the house of an evening or on weekends?

I am starting to feel like I have been trolled here. Let's use common sense for a minute here. Do you wear stuff like that at home? If not why would you assume we would?

6. Why do you have basements? Are these just old houses, or do you not build straight up houses on solid slabs?

completely depends on the area the terrain of a lot of the US varies. My parents house has a full basement that looks like the normal part of the house just smaller windows. I don't know why you would ask why we would do that. The only explanation I can give is it's better insulated, the basement is cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.

7. Why have you taken so many steps to striate your society? Having jackets to define team/club membership in highschools, Prom kings/queens, Unversity Fraternities, Lodges, Country Clubs, Class rings. Seems to many you have taken great pains to create your own institutions of aristocracy. Or is this just a movie thing?

Pretty sure I have seen lots of soccer team jerseys and such everywhere else. You do not support local teams, school, clubs, organizations? There is nothing aristocratic about it not sure, where you are getting this from.

8. Why do your tradies (bricklayers, concreters, builders, plumbers, electricians) always seem to be firmly planted in the lower class? Most tradies around here would earn twice as much as the average retail or white collar worker. Geez, plumbers are rich!

Not sure again where you got this assumption tradesmen make way more than they should. $30 an hour + is not lower class, just because they dress humbly on movies does not make them lower class. Most all tradesmen in the US are in the middle class

The Drum Major Institute...places the range for middle class at individuals making between $25,000 and $100,000 a year

to be low class you have to work somewhere like Wal Mart or in fast food or some other unskilled position.

Anyway, hope you can help someone whose knowledge of American comes only from second hand knowledge and mass media. lol

Thanks!

Yeah, no problem although using common sense in some of these areas would have answered they for you. Next time look around where you live and ask yourself do people do that here? Sure maybe the unusual person, but not the majority.

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Just out curiosity how much does it cost to use your credit/debitcard to buy stuff? (this goes for other countries that isn't America aswell).

And is it possible to use your mobile phone to do small money transfers?

Costs me nothing. the place I use it at pays a percent from their earnings, and that varies depending on how much you make a month. Phone is person to person depending on your bank.

[Itisamuh]

the thread on Special Ed students and homecoming sparked a few burning questions about America I have always wondered, hoping some guys can explain a few things;

1. I get that you have Police Departments. For the most part these people are public servants, employees of the state or federal. But what is with Sherrifs and Deputies? From what I pick up, Sherrifs are just voted in? So a baker could technically become a law enforcement officer with no degree or academy training? And then they can handpick other people off the street to become deputies?

2. If you have the LAPD, who does all the policing in all your smaller sallelite cities and townships throughout say, California? Do police just get posted around their home state to different major cities and swap their uniform and badges?

3. The same goes for your judges and District Attorneys? They get voted in? By who? What kind of oversight is there?

4. I hear that things like EFTPOS and ATMs are still not in widespread use, that people even still use (and accept) personal cheques for day to day purchases? Can you not swipe your card, put your PIN in and pay for a can of coke and a mars bar at the local store?

5. Do people really wear stuff like chino pants and lace up shoes around the house of an evening or on weekends?

6. Why do you have basements? Are these just old houses, or do you not build straight up houses on solid slabs?

7. Why have you taken so many steps to striate your society? Having jackets to define team/club membership in highschools, Prom kings/queens, Unversity Fraternities, Lodges, Country Clubs, Class rings. Seems to many you have taken great pains to create your own institutions of aristocracy. Or is this just a movie thing?

8. Why do your tradies (bricklayers, concreters, builders, plumbers, electricians) always seem to be firmly planted in the lower class? Most tradies around here would earn twice as much as the average retail or white collar worker. Geez, plumbers are rich!

Anyway, hope you can help someone whose knowledge of American comes only from second hand knowledge and mass media. lol

Thanks!

1. Sheriffs are voted in, yes, but they will typically have a background in police anyway. And while he has the final say over who gets hired, the people applying have to go through the same training process as city police do. Rest assured, they are every bit as qualified. The Sheriff Office are county officials, and for the most part will watch over unincorporated areas in a county, along with assisting city police when requested. When the two overlap, such as a city being the entire county, the Sheriff will usually have more to do with jails and courts than actual street policing.

2. State police get posted anywhere in the state and assist everyone else, but mostly watch highways. City police cover whatever town they are a part of, whether it be big or small. Sheriff departments cover everything in their respective county that has no city police coverage. So if a town exists but its population is too small to bother having a city police department, the Sheriff covers it. And bear in mind, they have full jurisdiction within cities along with the city police, as do state police. The split is for the sake of efficiency.

3. As far as I know, yes they get voted in, from among qualified attorneys. As for the last question, that varies widely by jurisdiction.

4. You can in most cases, but many people prefer to have a more hands on approach with their money, not trusting giving out information digitally. I never understood that myself, but there it is. I always use a debit card rather than checks, and only use checks for bills. To suggest cards are not in widespread use yet though is probably wrong. I never see anyone without them, whether or not they use them exclusively.

5. It happens. Sometimes people are so used to dressing up through the week that they just always do, and then you have the occasional oddball that does even when nothing in their life requires it, just to look fancy. I know to many people, the concept of wearing shoes inside at all is strange, but everyone I know does.

6. Whether or not a house has a basement, there will basically always be a foundation built slightly underground to support it. Digging in a little lower for it simply allows for the basement. As for why, they give extra space, and are nice to have during tornadoes.

7. No idea on this one. I suppose people like the feeling of choosing what they belong to, however artificial it is. I never have been this way myself, so not the best person to answer.

8. Because college here is expensive, scholarships aside, so we have this ridiculous notion that doing book work and earning a degree deserves more money than learning an actual useful skill and doing something important. They can make more than you might think, though. Certainly more than your average retail worker. Middle class would probably be more appropriate than lower class, in most cases.

[Adam Jensen]

4. I hear that things like EFTPOS and ATMs are still not in widespread use, that people even still use (and accept) personal cheques for day to day purchases? Can you not swipe your card, put your PIN in and pay for a can of coke and a mars bar at the local store?

I see ATMs in many gas stations and public places and not a lot of people using checks for daily purchases. I usually see CC/Debit card or cash for such purchases

6. Why do you have basements? Are these just old houses, or do you not build straight up houses on solid slabs?

Storage space, strong foundation when the ground is suitable for a basement (which it isn't always)

8. Why do your tradies (bricklayers, concreters, builders, plumbers, electricians) always seem to be firmly planted in the lower class? Most tradies around here would earn twice as much as the average retail or white collar worker. Geez, plumbers are rich!

Because we're obsessed with this idea that hard, but manual, labor is only worth min wage or a few dollars above.

As to the other questions, not sure how to answer them.

[Rooflesstoofless]

1. I get that you have Police Departments. For the most part these people are public servants, employees of the state or federal. But what is with Sherrifs and Deputies? From what I pick up, Sherrifs are just voted in? So a baker could technically become a law enforcement officer with no degree or academy training? And then they can handpick other people off the street to become deputies?

It varies.

Sheriff's are elected officials and usually considered the highest ranking officer in the county. Sheriff's act mostly as the enforcement arm of the courts (warrant arrests, etc) and some of them have more policing duties depending on where you are. Where I live in California there is no police department and only the county sheriff's so they pretty much do it all. Other cities I've lived in have both a PD and a Sheriff/Deputies.

2. If you have the LAPD, who does all the policing in all your smaller sallelite cities and townships throughout say, California? Do police just get posted around their home state to different major cities and swap their uniform and badges?

Local police departments or the county sheriff department if they are a contract city. Highway patrol and state marshals are the only ones I know of that can technically cover an entire state in their standard duties.

3. The same goes for your judges and District Attorneys? They get voted in? By who? What kind of oversight is there?

Judges are nominated by the governor. In my state there is a commission to review the qualifications, but I'm not sure what other states do...it might be different.

4. I hear that things like EFTPOS and ATMs are still not in widespread use, that people even still use (and accept) personal cheques for day to day purchases? Can you not swipe your card, put your PIN in and pay for a can of coke and a mars bar at the local store?

There are still a few mom and pop liquor stores that are cash only...but its extremely rare. Debit/credit cards are pretty much in use everywhere. ATM machines are extremely common as well. Very rarely do people write checks...unless they are paying their utilities or something (and even that gets done online more and more). About the only people I see writing checks these days are a few people well into their golden years.

5. Do people really wear stuff like chino pants and lace up shoes around the house of an evening or on weekends?

Yes...but it depends a lot on where you are, what you are doing, who you are with, your age, etc. I don't see too many guys under the age of 21 with chinos. Accepted styles can vary...a lot.

6. Why do you have basements? Are these just old houses, or do you not build straight up houses on solid slabs?

They are rare where I live now, but when I lived in the mid-West they were pretty common. Tornados being one reason to have them...another reason is the insulation it provides. My basement would stay cool and comfortable in the summer so I'd sleep down there. During the winter I'd sleep in my bedroom which had a fireplace.

7. Why have you taken so many steps to striate your society? Having jackets to define team/club membership in highschools, Prom kings/queens, Unversity Fraternities, Lodges, Country Clubs, Class rings. Seems to many you have taken great pains to create your own institutions of aristocracy. Or is this just a movie thing?

I'm not sure about the high school stuff. Mine didn't have prom king/queen. The high school club stuff was mainly to put you ahead on your applications to college.

The good fraternities in colleges are a great place for networking for future jobs...alumni of say, an engineering fraternity can give the inside scoop and even a letter of recommendation to current member. Not all of them work like that though...some of them are pretty much Animal House.

The community level stuff is mainly for like minded people to get together and do whatever it is they are interested in. I belong to a fishing club and its a great way to get in on some awesome fishing trips for super cheap and to learn new things that I can apply when fishing. I also belong to a reef aquarium club and members trade coral fragments, tank bred fish, etc so the costs of building, maintaining, and growing a reef aquarium is pennies on the dollar compared to paying full retail for the same stuff. Having a certain level of organization is always helpful in those cases.

Country clubs are a different animal. A lot of them are a particular area, usually with bigger houses than the surrounding areas, and living in that area can grant you additional benefits (usually at an extra cost) like access to a local golf course or something. I lived in one for a while...and if you were a resident you could have access to a lake privately owned by the country club for an additional cost.

8. Why do your tradies (bricklayers, concreters, builders, plumbers, electricians) always seem to be firmly planted in the lower class? Most tradies around here would earn twice as much as the average retail or white collar worker.

They aren't. Every tile fitter, plumber, and electrician I know makes really good money (dependent on the economy not bottoming out on them where they live/work). General construction is another story as the contractors make good money, but in my area they are more often than not using illegal immigrants as labor to save on the costs. General construction jobs were a good living when I was fresh out of high school in the 90's...now they pay half as much as they did back then. Specialized construction is still good money for the most part.

[Nygma7]

So a baker could technically become a law enforcement officer with no degree or academy training?

Technically, yes. Though this shouldn't surprise you, as we have elected professional wrestlers and Austrian body-builders-turned-actors as state governors. Ronald Regan was also an actor; he was elected governor of California then became President of the United States. Our current president was a college professor before he became a state senator.

4. I hear that things like EFTPOS and ATMs are still not in widespread use, that people even still use (and accept) personal cheques for day to day purchases? Can you not swipe your card, put your PIN in and pay for a can of coke and a mars bar at the local store?

Can't tell if you're serious or trolling, but they're everywhere. Though I rarely use ATMs - if I need cash I just get it at the grocery store when paying with a debit card.

6. Why do you have basements? Are these just old houses, or do you not build straight up houses on solid slabs?

I'll assume you're not trolling, but merely don't fully realize that the US is a massive, continent-spanning country with probably the most diverse geography in the world. Houses are built not only according to people's whims, but the dictates of practicality. Building in the arctic tundra? Basement good. Building in Louisiana bayou? Basement bad. Earthquake-prone California? No. Tornado-prone Kansas? Yes.

In Buffalo, New York, houses are designed with heavy snowfall in mind. In Miami, Florida, not so much.

As others have mentioned, a basement is often considered a plus where it makes sense.

7. Why have you taken so many steps to striate your society? Having jackets to define team/club membership in highschools, Prom kings/queens, Unversity Fraternities, Lodges, Country Clubs, Class rings. Seems to many you have taken great pains to create your own institutions of aristocracy. Or is this just a movie thing?

This isn't an example of striation. Or caste, as someone mentioned. It's more clique behavior. People like to belong, and take pride in their associations, whether it's their college football team, pro team, the fact that they were an eagle scout, on the cheerleading squad, that they were Harvard class of '69, or whatever.

Prom king/queen is a different thing entirely. No idea how that custom came about. It's just a popularity contest.