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Does any other nation on Earth offer these comforts? Note that I am not trying to "boost" the U.S., just see whether any other country is so "cushy" in certain defined areas of life.
1. Hospitals. This one is strange. Health insurance, for the middle and even upper-middle class, is often very expensive, while some of the poor (often disabled) get everything paid for, including private transportation to their appointments, at least where I am, and pay nothing or a very small monthly amount. Here they go to the same hospitals.
Now, when you think of US hospitals, what do you imagine? I was last at one for a stay in September, and regularly go there for infusions of a chemotherapy drug, and I can tell you: free personal cable TV for all (except in the ICU wards), free wireless internet, and a selection of meals from room service. No "wards", just either double occupancy rooms separated by a curtain or even personal rooms.
When I first had to do IV chemotherapy, earlier this summer, I imagined a bleak set of chairs with infusion equipment next to them. Not so. You get YOUR OWN ROOM, usually facing a lake, with your own cable TV, a choice of drinks and snacks, and magazines. I usually have the nurse wrap me up in heated blankets, too, and recline in my chair.
2. Bathrooms: They're everywhere in the US, except in NYC. Some may try to deter you by saying "Employee Bathrooms Only", but then with a flush of a toilet a guy comes out, looks at you, and leaves the door open! Compare that with Spain, where the only "free" bathrooms are at McDonalds, and they're only "free" after having bought the cheapest thing on the menu!
3. Return policies: You can return essentially anything bought new from a store in the US, even if there is nothing wrong with it, in 7 or 14 days, or a month, depending on the store you are at.
4. Selection: The selection of almost anything in the US is astonishing. I suppose that's because we are a large country. The two things that this is most apparent in is breakfast cereal and pop. Between the "healthy" cereals, the "normal" cereals, and the "bag" (cheaper) cereals, I can choose from about 50 cold cereals at any grocery store. In convenience stores, I can choose from a minimum of two dozen refrigerated soft drinks and flavored waters, often both in their diet and original varieties, and that's not even counting the energy drinks. Compare that with Spain, a gorgeous country, but one where I was limited to Coke, Diet Coke, Fanta Naranja, Pepsi, Pepsi Zero, Sprite, and a few local brands, or Mexico, where they do not seem to market diet beverages at all. Even a vending machine on the floor below where my rehabilitation is has eight diet soft drinks, including the amazing Diet Mountain Dew Code Red!
Others that I'll cover in the future will be such things as the average American's abode.
I work in Peru and I've worked in about a dozen countries of the world....nowhere is the customer always first and you have the amount of choices as the USA.
I recently flew from where I work in Peru to my home in Washington state. On the way, my luggage was lost, when it arrived 12 hours later, they brought it to me and gave me a $50 voucher for having to wait. When I flew back, my luggage again missed my flight. However, it took forever for me to figure out who had it and then they refused to deliver to me even after I used every means to get them to including some of my Peruvian staff and our local transportation company. SO last night I hired a cab and got my bag....I was expecting some things to be missing as there was some valuable stuff in there but it was all there.
Anyway, yes for all our problems, the USA is still the best country in the world to live in as far as I'm concerned. The only really negative imo is the super high cost of medical care.
Does any other nation on Earth offer these comforts? Note that I am not trying to "boost" the U.S., just see whether any other country is so "cushy" in certain defined areas of life.
1. Hospitals. This one is strange. Health insurance, for the middle and even upper-middle class, is often very expensive, while some of the poor (often disabled) get everything paid for, including private transportation to their appointments, at least where I am, and pay nothing or a very small monthly amount. Here they go to the same hospitals.
Now, when you think of US hospitals, what do you imagine? I was last at one for a stay in September, and regularly go there for infusions of a chemotherapy drug, and I can tell you: free personal cable TV for all (except in the ICU wards), free wireless internet, and a selection of meals from room service. No "wards", just either double occupancy rooms separated by a curtain or even personal rooms.
When I first had to do IV chemotherapy, earlier this summer, I imagined a bleak set of chairs with infusion equipment next to them. Not so. You get YOUR OWN ROOM, usually facing a lake, with your own cable TV, a choice of drinks and snacks, and magazines. I usually have the nurse wrap me up in heated blankets, too, and recline in my chair.
2. Bathrooms: They're everywhere in the US, except in NYC. Some may try to deter you by saying "Employee Bathrooms Only", but then with a flush of a toilet a guy comes out, looks at you, and leaves the door open! Compare that with Spain, where the only "free" bathrooms are at McDonalds, and they're only "free" after having bought the cheapest thing on the menu!
3. Return policies: You can return essentially anything bought new from a store in the US, even if there is nothing wrong with it, in 7 or 14 days, or a month, depending on the store you are at.
4. Selection: The selection of almost anything in the US is astonishing. I suppose that's because we are a large country. The two things that this is most apparent in is breakfast cereal and pop. Between the "healthy" cereals, the "normal" cereals, and the "bag" (cheaper) cereals, I can choose from about 50 cold cereals at any grocery store. In convenience stores, I can choose from a minimum of two dozen refrigerated soft drinks and flavored waters, often both in their diet and original varieties, and that's not even counting the energy drinks. Compare that with Spain, a gorgeous country, but one where I was limited to Coke, Diet Coke, Fanta Naranja, Pepsi, Pepsi Zero, Sprite, and a few local brands, or Mexico, where they do not seem to market diet beverages at all. Even a vending machine on the floor below where my rehabilitation is has eight diet soft drinks, including the amazing Diet Mountain Dew Code Red!
Others that I'll cover in the future will be such things as the average American's abode.
Hospitals certainly aren't so luxurious here and I wouldn't be too happy if they were as then our tax money would be getting spent on frivolous things rather than on cutting down waiting times and things like that. That said every time I'm in the hospital I think enviously of American fancy hospitals!
There are some private rooms but in my experience its mostly double or triple rooms with curtains separating the beds. Don't know if there's free wireless internet as I just take my laptop and a 3G internet stick but there's usually a computer somewhere on the ward where you can use the internet but that's only helpful if you can get out of bed. One TV for the room, basic channels. No meal choices, you get what's offered (unless you have special dietary requirements) and that's that. The food isn't too bad though.
There's lots of toilets around but a lot of them you do have to pay a coin or buy something from a cafe but there's also lots of free ones.
Return policies are the same here - 14 days is the standard.
Selection probably isn't so great here. I think there's maybe 30 different kinds of cereal in the average supermarket (I'm not sure, I don't buy that stuff). Big choice in fizzy pops though, with so many different flavours.
Does any other nation on Earth offer these comforts? Note that I am not trying to "boost" the U.S., just see whether any other country is so "cushy" in certain defined areas of life.
1. Hospitals. This one is strange. Health insurance, for the middle and even upper-middle class, is often very expensive, while some of the poor (often disabled) get everything paid for, including private transportation to their appointments, at least where I am, and pay nothing or a very small monthly amount. Here they go to the same hospitals.
Now, when you think of US hospitals, what do you imagine? I was last at one for a stay in September, and regularly go there for infusions of a chemotherapy drug, and I can tell you: free personal cable TV for all (except in the ICU wards), free wireless internet, and a selection of meals from room service. No "wards", just either double occupancy rooms separated by a curtain or even personal rooms.
When I first had to do IV chemotherapy, earlier this summer, I imagined a bleak set of chairs with infusion equipment next to them. Not so. You get YOUR OWN ROOM, usually facing a lake, with your own cable TV, a choice of drinks and snacks, and magazines. I usually have the nurse wrap me up in heated blankets, too, and recline in my chair.
2. Bathrooms: They're everywhere in the US, except in NYC. Some may try to deter you by saying "Employee Bathrooms Only", but then with a flush of a toilet a guy comes out, looks at you, and leaves the door open! Compare that with Spain, where the only "free" bathrooms are at McDonalds, and they're only "free" after having bought the cheapest thing on the menu!
3. Return policies: You can return essentially anything bought new from a store in the US, even if there is nothing wrong with it, in 7 or 14 days, or a month, depending on the store you are at.
4. Selection: The selection of almost anything in the US is astonishing. I suppose that's because we are a large country. The two things that this is most apparent in is breakfast cereal and pop. Between the "healthy" cereals, the "normal" cereals, and the "bag" (cheaper) cereals, I can choose from about 50 cold cereals at any grocery store. In convenience stores, I can choose from a minimum of two dozen refrigerated soft drinks and flavored waters, often both in their diet and original varieties, and that's not even counting the energy drinks. Compare that with Spain, a gorgeous country, but one where I was limited to Coke, Diet Coke, Fanta Naranja, Pepsi, Pepsi Zero, Sprite, and a few local brands, or Mexico, where they do not seem to market diet beverages at all. Even a vending machine on the floor below where my rehabilitation is has eight diet soft drinks, including the amazing Diet Mountain Dew Code Red!
Others that I'll cover in the future will be such things as the average American's abode.
1. Australia has essentially two hospital systems a private one for people who have insurance and a public one for those who do not. Certainly for those in the private system you will expect your own private room complete with WiFi, I am not sure about cable TV that would depend on the hospital. The public system is more luck of the draw, when my wife had a baby last year we went through the public system, she got her own private room (just lucky), and their were three different standard meals to choose from if I remember. Certainly their was a degree of cultural sensitivity in the hospital, so if you required Halal or are a vegetarian you will be catered for.
2. Free public toilets are everywhere in Australia, paying for it is unheard of . I lived and travelled through Europe for 4 years, and certainly the lack of free public bathrooms is one thing that takes getting used to.
3. Return policies are normal, I am not sure about terms, as I do not shop very much.
4. Of course the USA is the worlds biggest economic power and country of 300m + people I would expect the choice is going to be much greater.
1. Australia has essentially two hospital systems a private one for people who have insurance and a public one for those who do not. Certainly for those in the private system you will expect your own private room complete with WiFi, I am not sure about cable TV that would depend on the hospital. The public system is more luck of the draw, when my wife had a baby last year we went through the public system, she got her own private room (just lucky), and their were three different standard meals to choose from if I remember. Certainly their was a degree of cultural sensitivity in the hospital, so if you required Halal or are a vegetarian you will be catered for.
2. Free public toilets are everywhere in Australia, paying for it is unheard of . I lived and travelled through Europe for 4 years, and certainly the lack of free public bathrooms is one thing that takes getting used to.
3. Return policies are normal, I am not sure about terms, as I do not shop very much.
4. Of course the USA is the worlds biggest economic power and country of 300m + people I would expect the choice is going to be much greater.
I'm also in Australia and spent a little time in both a public and private hospital this year. The first was a public hospital - emergency treatment for kidney problems (most private hospitals don't have an ER facility). I was there 3 days in a 3 bed room, separated by curtains (but only two of the beds were in use). There was a reasonable choice of meals, as Daniel said, and cultural food requirements were catered for. There was a personal TV (no cable, but we have about 18 free channels) but it would have cost $10 per day to use. Don't know about WiFi. Shared bathroom with others in the room. Including a 200-mile return trip by ambulance to the hospital and back home, the total cost to me was $0. I could have switched to a private hospital after I was initially stabilised since I do have insurance, but elected not to bother for that short period of time.
A month later I needed additional treatment and chose to go to the private hospital as it is much closer to where I live and I could drive myself there. Two-person room, free TV, more meal choice and somewhat better quality food. I was only in overnight for observation following a procedure - had I been sicker I most likely would have had a room to myself. Nicer bathroom. More space. Cost to me - just the amount charged by the specialist that was over and above what the insurance paid for - a couple of hundred dollars. Cost for the hospital itself - $0.
My top level insurance cover (which includes dental, optical, chiro, osteopath etc etc) costs me $200 a month.
1. You can go the extra mile and pay for stuff like that. Service ranges from pretty basic service ("free") to super luxurious mountain resorts (not that expensive either).
2. Public toilets are everywhere. 0.20€ maintenance fee. Capitalism, baby!
3. Same applies here.
4. Didn't notice any significant differences in terms of selection. You probably won't find your Mountain Dew Baja Blast, but instead you have a range of local products (Almdudler, ...). I guess it's just different? I mean, the average Austrian supermarket has a greater variety of cold cuts than your average deli in America and has a greater variety of beers and wines than your average booze shop in the US. Sure, in return we don't have the latest Reese's Puffs cereal.
Does any other nation on Earth offer these comforts? Note that I am not trying to "boost" the U.S., just see whether any other country is so "cushy" in certain defined areas of life.
1. Hospitals. This one is strange. Health insurance, for the middle and even upper-middle class, is often very expensive, while some of the poor (often disabled) get everything paid for, including private transportation to their appointments, at least where I am, and pay nothing or a very small monthly amount. Here they go to the same hospitals.
Now, when you think of US hospitals, what do you imagine? I was last at one for a stay in September, and regularly go there for infusions of a chemotherapy drug, and I can tell you: free personal cable TV for all (except in the ICU wards), free wireless internet, and a selection of meals from room service. No "wards", just either double occupancy rooms separated by a curtain or even personal rooms.
When I first had to do IV chemotherapy, earlier this summer, I imagined a bleak set of chairs with infusion equipment next to them. Not so. You get YOUR OWN ROOM, usually facing a lake, with your own cable TV, a choice of drinks and snacks, and magazines. I usually have the nurse wrap me up in heated blankets, too, and recline in my chair.
2. Bathrooms: They're everywhere in the US, except in NYC. Some may try to deter you by saying "Employee Bathrooms Only", but then with a flush of a toilet a guy comes out, looks at you, and leaves the door open! Compare that with Spain, where the only "free" bathrooms are at McDonalds, and they're only "free" after having bought the cheapest thing on the menu!
3. Return policies: You can return essentially anything bought new from a store in the US, even if there is nothing wrong with it, in 7 or 14 days, or a month, depending on the store you are at.
4. Selection: The selection of almost anything in the US is astonishing. I suppose that's because we are a large country. The two things that this is most apparent in is breakfast cereal and pop. Between the "healthy" cereals, the "normal" cereals, and the "bag" (cheaper) cereals, I can choose from about 50 cold cereals at any grocery store. In convenience stores, I can choose from a minimum of two dozen refrigerated soft drinks and flavored waters, often both in their diet and original varieties, and that's not even counting the energy drinks. Compare that with Spain, a gorgeous country, but one where I was limited to Coke, Diet Coke, Fanta Naranja, Pepsi, Pepsi Zero, Sprite, and a few local brands, or Mexico, where they do not seem to market diet beverages at all. Even a vending machine on the floor below where my rehabilitation is has eight diet soft drinks, including the amazing Diet Mountain Dew Code Red!
Others that I'll cover in the future will be such things as the average American's abode.
NYC has plenty of public bathrooms. It's called the subway.
All those layers of grime are a mix of exhaust fume, dead skin cells and human excretia that have stratified over decades.
Any extensive experience of mine has been limited to three countries: Portugal, Spain (Catalonia only) and southern Cyprus.
Hospitals: In most EU countries there are both national health system hospitals and private hospitals. The first are very inexpensive, but in my experience double rooms or wards are the standard. The level of health care varies, but my experiences with heart procedures were excellent. Private facilities run a gamut, largely from the good (all private rooms) to the superb in Barcelona (luxurious beyond anything I every got in the U.S.) Their level of service depends upon the size of the area they serve.
Bathrooms: In all three countries there is a general lack of toilet facilities where you can just walk in off the street to use a toilet. That said, I can think of a few public toilet facilities for shoppers, etc. in every place I have lived...but very few. There were always free toilet facilities in Portugal and Cyprus for restaurant customers, Barcelona too. Small stores, no.
Refunds: The refund and return policies where I live are defined by law, and there is the dreaded complaint book which a customer can make an entry into. These complaints are followed up.
Selection: Barcelona, where I have only stayed for repeated multiple weeks over the years is a huge city (medical reasons), you can get anything you want. As for supermarket shopping there, I have no idea. Where I live now and in Cyprus selections in stores are dependent on the size of the service area the store caters too. There is a hipermercado around the corner from me, and I have never left whining in disappointment and want. I rarely drink soft drinks, but the store has a long aisle of them in various sizes and brands, so I doubt that any but the most cosseted Yank suffers from lack of choice. I do not eat breakfast cereal, nor do many of the locals, but there is a reasonable selection. Candy is in very short supply. Though American, I am very cynical - as is obvious - about the idea of a selection of thirty soft drinks being superior to a choice of ten...I saw this when I lived in the U.S., and still do, not as a sign of abundance but of mindless childish gluttony.
I lived in smaller cities to tiny/semi-rural places in Cyprus and Portugal; thus, stores were smaller and selection of brands, etc. less abundant. A city, such as Lisbon, would offer more in all categories.
NYC has plenty of public bathrooms. It's called the subway.
All those layers of grime are a mix of exhaust fume, dead skin cells and human excretia that have stratified over decades.
There are some public bathrooms in NYC. One can always go to a public library, large dept. store, some city parks or if one is dressed decently into a lobby of a large hotel (which can be done in any large city).
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