Ameicans leavning America

According to this site only around 20% of Americans own a passport.

It's a big world out there. Why do so few yanks ever leave the states?

[Edited on Jul 12, 2005 by hoisin]

It's a big country in here. I wonder how many Europeans have travelled further than the equivalent distance of New York to California.

[Edited on Jul 12, 2005 by Keith]

Passports? We don't need no stinkin' passports!

I'd say the main reason is that the only two countries that are in driving distance of any state are Canada and Mexico and neither of them require passports. It's not like we can just hop on the chunnel, end up in France and be on Eurorail to Germany by sundown. We've got to make very expensive and very lengthy travel arrangements to get most anywhere.

I'm not saying people shouldn't still go, but you guys have it way easier over there.

That too.

Why leave when the greatest country in the world is already right under your feet?!?!



(I keed, I keed! My personal reason is that I spent most of my childhood living in Asia and Europe, but I haven't even seen a miniscule portion of my own country. It makes me feel inadequate, and thus I feel I should get around here a little bit more before I venture back out. Except for Mexico, of course, which is closer than most of the rest of the US.)

[Edited on Jul 12, 2005 by _DictionaryGirl_]

It's a big travel expense to get "out there", even in our own rather large country. If you're offering to pay for it, I'd love to.

[Edited on Jul 12, 2005 by MrHateYourself]

id bet that most of that 20% is comprised of retired people and college students.
it would cost me a 1000 U.S.D. to get to paris or london. plus, id need a good two weeks off to make spending that money on airfare worthwhile. its much easier for americans with a family and budgets to drive a few hours to the beach or lake or a favorite metro for a vacation.

Also, most of us only speak english. That's not to say that most of us speak only english and know a little bit of some other language, but most of us can't even fucking communicate in english, much less another language.

Also, foriegners smell.

we have no positive freedom.

the metric system

Cause decimals are so much harder than fractions.

Not to mention Mexico and Canada, which you don't need passports to travel to.

I gots me a Passport. I am going to Germany and Italy in November.
I like it when you call me a yank.

It's not about what's easy and what's hard. It's about what you know and what you don't.

Because I'm deathly afraid of the Euro.

Also, I saw that movie Brokedown Palace once, and if it taught me anything, it was that if you are an American and you go overseas, smelly corrupt foreigners will plant drugs in your knapsack, and put you in a gay prison.


Edited because I can't spell good.

[Edited on Jul 12, 2005 by FridgeMagnet]

Seriously, having lived in a couple different countries, I'd have to say that the possibilities are endless here in the USA, in pretty much whatever aspect you can think of. Be it weather, jobs, etc. You can pretty much make your life/surroundings the way you want it. It's like an All for one deal.

I'm proud to be one of those 20%, but I think it's a combination of things.

• This country is a big place. There's lots to do here.


• We can't just drive across the pond like you UK kids. Airfare is expensive.


• Years and years of being told that we're the best country in the world leads to small-mindedness.


• We're told that the general attitude of, oh, the entire rest of the world, isn't especially pleasant to Americans these days.

That movie also made me never want to leave America. Or leave my house. Or leave my room. Or go anywhere that would ever allow a piece of shit film like that to be released upon an unsuspecting person.

They put the drugs in your butt, didn't they?

CanI also point out that the thread title makes me think we're talking about Ameicans (whatever that is,) adding yeast to America?

This is all true. Oh yes.

I mean, this guy had a good time here...




[Edited on Jul 12, 2005 by hoisin]