In many ways, America is Canada's future. Reasons: - America is typically seen as older than Canada
- America is way bigger than Canada
- America's culture is of a higher intensity than Canada's
Things that I've seen in American but don't really see in Canada (yet!): - at a food court restaurant in San Francisco, I ordered a burger and fries. Instead of a receipt with my number on it, they gave me essentially a beeper. But it had lights and it vibrated and had a speaker so it sort of talked to me. It "went off" when my meal was ready. It meant I could go somewhere away from the restaurant (more valuable minutes to consume in the mall?) and be summoned to pick up my meal
- panhandlers are at least somewhat innovative
- one came up to me with a soda cup, expecting money, and just said, confidently, "Thanks man!"
- another, on Fisherman's Wharf, had part of a tree and pretended to scare the tourists from behind it. African-American, he said, to some laughter, "I'm your worst nightmare: a black man behind a bush!" Is this guy famous? He must do that every day, like the guy in Vancouver who says "can you buy a beer a bum?"
- signs, everywhere, many there so as to disclaim legal responsibility. Signs are prevalent in Canada too, but nothing like Canada.
- maximum occupancy on the front of businesses (California law?)
- sign above the doors saying that they must be unlocked during business hours (also California law?)
- Chinese along with Spanish and English on the automated "the front seats are for seniors" announcements
- why Vancouver doesn't have Chinese on its official signs and in announcements I don't know. French is the law, so that won't change, but Chinese is practical for the region.
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