My eldest and I periodically check the international community’s ‘state department’ tourism advice on travel to the United States. Usually just the countries where we speak the language which limits us to mostly English.
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/usa
This is usually a part of the travel plan statement, the world knows Americans, for the most part, speak one language...their own....badly.
The other thing universally known is our health care system is a nightmare
- If you need emergency medical assistance during your trip, dial 911 and ask for an ambulance. You should contact your insurance/medical assistance company promptly if you’re referred to a medical facility for treatment.
- Medical treatment is expensive and there are no special arrangements for British visitors. Make sure you have adequate travel health insurance and accessible funds to cover the cost of any medical treatment abroad and repatriation.
- Some hospitals may ask non-US residents to pay a deposit or ‘good faith’ payment on admittance. You should direct any requests for funds to your travel insurance provider in the first instance; only pay the hospital if you’re advised to do so by your travel insurance company. Your level of medical care won’t be affected while your claim is being processed.
Yes, it’s known around the world that we are a “for profit” medical practice nation. Care is not a word that really applies to medical treatment in the United States, while doctors and nurses might actually care, the accounting department does not, and they’re the ones calling the shots. Welcome to the United States, do not become sick or injured, only the wealthy or strong survive, or, we bill you....forever. There are also warnings concerning mosquitoes You should take suitable steps to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes and ticks. There are occasional outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases, including West Nile virus, eastern equine encephalitis, Dengue fever, Chikungunya virus, and tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease. Some countries, including Germany add that we tend to spread measles, mumps and whooping cough and checking for outbreaks beforehand is advisable, every other nation requires inoculations against common diseases. Every country has its endemic illnesses, the United States is one of the few that will deny you treatment for them without a big cash settlement.
Apparently we are also known as a violent place, guns and terrorists and violence..oh my. Illegal drug trafficking, police with shoot first policy and just the general nature of our nation requires overall caution warnings for women and people of color. That even not being fluent in English some nations warn against travel to the United States because the locals are suspicious and possibly hostile to anyone not speaking English. Even the United Kingdom feels the need to warn would be travelers about ... :
- You should be alert to the dangers of car and street crime.
- Violent crime, including gun crime, rarely involves tourists, but you should take care when travelling in unfamiliar areas. Avoid walking through less travelled areas alone, especially at night. You can find public advisories and information about recent incidents on the websites of local law enforcement authorities.
- Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in the USA. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners. You should monitor media reports and remain vigilant at all times.
Do not bother to even try the old “inner cities” garbage. I live in rural Kentucky and I can tell you, we are a nightmare of white on white crimes. The only reason our rates don’t show up as a high crime area is that we have a sparse population density. Abandoned adolescencts living in abandoned shacks because moms new boyfriend doesn’t want kids. The school food programs were the only meals they got, due process would remove even that. It was made clear to me all I could do would either make their lives worse or get them killed. Mobil meth labs cruising the area dumping toxic waste, poisoning ponds, poisoning livestock and shooting people who get in the way. Sovereign citizens who are just thugs with guns who will murder you to steal your water or your chickens. They also tend to plant weed on other people’s property because they don’t care if you go to prison and have your property confiscated and auctioned off. I’ve had guns pointed at me on my own property by the punks, also the klan so don’t give me inner city. That’s not even counting poachers or hunters that think a deer tag is a license to trespass and shoot anything including people’s livestock, pets and houses.
Also included separately are sections on the dangers of traveling in the United States while being gay which involves some regional warnings and cultural differences among the general population. The over all impressions being that many Americans will react badly if you are not straight so it’s best to be careful to avoid violence. I am beginning to have some rather large doubts about travel in my own country by this point.
It’s also globally known that we have some spectacular weather disasters and that we do little to nothing anymore to aid the affected areas...
JjFlorida, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands were affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017, while some areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama were hit by Hurricane Nate in October 2017. If you’re in an affected area, you should continue to follow the advice of the local authorities. The post-storm environment in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands remains particularly fragile, with continuing power outages and unstable buildings.
Wow....welcome to the United States, hit the ground running, remember to serpentine, don’t trust the natives. It’s so nice that the world knows we don’t even bother to take care of our own unless there’s a buck in it for us. The “richest nation on earth” is a shit hole where we let people die of treatable illnesses or starve. If a natural disaster hits you, you’re on your own and we will leave you to die in the dark without food or water because “bootstraps”. Learn about guns, the laws vary from state to state, you’ll need to know because the locals can be violent and superstitious (they use the polite words some Americans believe....). Law enforcement may not be available or calming, be alert and be sure to watch your own back. Even getting to the United States involves new terrors of “If you have traveled to.... in the last 10 years...” warnings and large fees or procedures that make coming here as a visitor fairly prohibitive if not impossible.
A large part of this is being caused by the current administration, not all of it. For profit are words that should not be anywhere near things like healthcare, infrastructure, retirement or education. The United States used to be a big draw for tourists, we are currently losing billions as the world cringes from the daily horror of the president tweeting or making horrific, racist comments, or defending abusers and rapists. Adding in that natural wonders like the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone, might not be safe to travel to, or even open to the public.
My husband seems to feel that our government should be able to easily write a budget that funds the country for ten years at a time with very few ‘tweaks’. Our politicians do not want economic security, they are too busy holding the economy hostage to get tax payer funded entitlements for the wealthy to bother with keeping the country actually running or anything. When the congress finally augers the economy in, which seems to be inevitable at this point, will we be allowed to recover?