Title: 15 American Habits That Are Offensive in Other Countries | Best Life
Headings: 15 American Habits That Are Offensive in Other Countries
15 American Habits That Are Offensive in Other Countries
1
Wearing shoes indoors
2
Bull horns
3
Eating with your left hand
4
Tipping
5
Putting out the palm of your hand
6
Keeping your hands in your pockets
7
Taking the back seat in a taxi
8
Not finishing your food
9
Thumbs up
10
Blowing your nose in public
11
Crossing your fingers
12
Running late
13
Beckoning with your hand
14
Laughing with your mouth open
15
Sipping your alcohol

Content: 6
Keeping your hands in your pockets
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While keeping your hands in your pockets may seem like an easy way to avoid inadvertently offending others, in some countries, doing so may get you in trouble. If you're traveling in Japan or Korea, specifically, keeping your hands in your pockets is often seen as a sign of arrogance. In September 2018, Monty Python star Michael Palin found this out the hard way when he was forced to reshoot scenes from his documentary, Michael Palin in North Korea, because he had his hands in his pockets while standing near North Korean monuments, a gesture deemed disrespectful by locals. And for more ways to avoid offending others, check out these 40 Things You Should Never Say to Your Boss. 7
Taking the back seat in a taxi
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In the United States, the front passenger seat of a taxi is typically regarded as the driver's domain, a safe place to store their possessions far from passengers' prying eyes. If you're in Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, or parts of Ireland, however, you'll want to grab the front set for yourself, as sitting in the back, unless explicitly asked to do so, is considered rude. 8
Not finishing your food
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Parents in the United States may be famous for encouraging their children to become members of the clean plate club, but overseas, there's an even stronger cultural imperative to finish one's meal. In India and Japan, for instance, not eating everything on your plate is not only considered wasteful, but an indication that you didn't enjoy what was served. And if you want to keep your health intact on your travels, steer clear of these 20 Foods Doctors Always Avoid While Traveling. 9
Thumbs up
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There are few hand gestures in the United States less likely to cause offense than the thumbs up, overwhelmingly understood to be a way of telling others that you're happy or that things have been done to your satisfaction.