Dress and Modesty Standards
“People are able to wear different types of clothes as long as they don’t violate rules, but each organization, gathering, party, etc., has different dress codes. For example, when you go for an interview you need to wear a formal suit. Clothes should be neat and you need to change them every day. People don’t judge others by their appearance and shemale dating dress.
Women may dress immodestly (in your opinion and in comparison with women in your country), but it is not a signal or an invitation for men. For example, my aunt went to New York City couple of weeks ago and saw some young and beautiful girls who didn’t wear bras. She asked one police officer about it and he told her it is not illegal in New York.
For students from Islamic countries, it may be weird to see men/women with shorts but after a while it will be normal. Also, Muslim women can wear scarves without any restriction.” (Amir Sodeifi, Iran)
Driving Laws and Etiquette
Honking your horn means a lot in America and can make drivers angry if it seems unnecessary. Limit how often you honk your horn.
It is important to have cash with you when driving to pay for tolls that are required. Credit cards are not acceptable.
In the States, you must STOP at least 10 feet away from a school bus when you see it stopped with its lights on or its sign extended. You must stay at a stop until the lights are off, the sign is retracted, and the bus begins to move.
“People here always wear their seat belts even when they sit in the back seat. I know in most countries, such as China, only the driver and front seat passenger wear their seat belts.
People prefer to drive fast, and they regularly exceed the speed limit by 10 miles per hour. Once, I asked my classmate to practice driving with me, because I had not passed the road test the first time. He asked me to speed up all the time on the way to PennDot. Finally he said, “Calida, you drive like an old person, like my mum! That is the main reason you failed the test. Do not worry, drive like Americans!” Last month, I went to downtown Philadelphia for an interview. I drove uphill, stopped at a crossing, and then I began going across the street. When I was at the top of the hill, I saw a car passing me quickly. At the same time, a voice said to me, “It is all over, because neither of you see each other and you are so close to him.” But, I fortunately survived! You know why? I learned to drive like an American!” (Chao “Calida” Gao, China)
“If you are a driver, make sure your car has all the inspections, registration, and insurance. DO NOT drive without insurance and have all documents with you. Wearing seat belts is mandatory, no matter what seat you are using. Driving in the lanes is mandatory and for changing lanes you must use turn signals. In big cities, people often use the car horn and rarely drive politely. You have to open the lane for emergency vehicles. When the police want you to stop, pull over in a safe zone, leave your seat belt on, open your window, put your hands on the steering wheel, and don’t make any suspicious movement (such as opening the glove box, etc.). Since people may have guns, police stop behind the car.
