Living in the United States can be difficult for many foreigners to navigate. Especially Brits, as they change their entire driving style when they move to America. But it’s not just driving on the other side of the road that’s bothering them. On behalf of Brits, Amber – who can be found on TikTok under @_amberinamerica – shared a video ranting about the unbearable amount of “STOP” signs in America. Amber, who is known for her viral videos about the culture shock of being a Brit living in the US, was absolutely hilarious as she explained why she still couldn’t get used to the “STOP” signs while driving.
The woman pointed out that Americans ignore many other important traffic rules but strictly follow the “STOP” signs. When she came across one of these signs, she jokingly called it a “villain.” She then pointed out, “We actually have STOP signs in the UK. Usually they’re at a dangerous intersection or dangerous turn where you have to stop because you can’t see anything. So you have to stop and remember that before you go on.” But in America, she found them everywhere, even on “straight roads with perfect visibility.” Amber was frustrated when the traffic signs were placed at the intersections in all four directions, adding, “No matter which way you’re going, you still have to stop. Even if you don’t turn, you don’t have the right to go on.”
What bothered her “old, polite British brain” was that vehicles proceeded on a first-come, first-served basis at the STOP sign. “So if I come to an intersection to turn left or right and I get there before someone going straight, I get to go first,” she said. While the general rule in Britain is that the person turning right gets to go first, this first-come, first-served rule made her uncomfortable, being the humanitarian that she was. She then hilariously mentioned how Americans ignore rules like keeping your braking distance or using your turn signal, which are actually safety concerns. But she wondered how an American driver eagerly comes to a stop when they see the STOP sign.
Towards the end of the video, Amber humorously asked Americans, “I want to know why. What effect does that STOP sign have on you?” She added that culture shock to one of the things she’s most likely to ignore. People reacted hilariously to Amber’s rant.
“Because if you don’t stop once, there’s a hidden cop car on the other side waiting to pull you over,” commented @marcushall99, to which Amber replied, “I wonder why cops are so ‘petty’ about this rule.” “Ha! In small towns, that’s not even close. Cars always ‘roll’ to a stop when there are no other cars in the intersection,” wrote @user.174659486. “I got pulled over for a ‘rolling’ stop when I was 18. The cop said ‘all 4 tires have to stop.’ My smart self replied ‘if one tire stops, don’t all have to?’ The cop ticketed me so quickly. Now all 4 tires always stop,” @amandamacleod0 joked about her experience.
You can follow Amber (@_amberinamerica) on TikTok for more British-American lifestyle content. You can also follow her on Instagram and subscribe to her YouTube channel.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on February 20, 2024. It has since been updated.
