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US tourist shocked by Aussie public transport habit
Only in Australia?
American tourist Brooke Laven is sharing the things that she loves about Australia on her TikTok account and the differences are eye-opening.
Having lived in Sydney for six months, one thing she noticed is that Aussies take the time to greet their bus drivers and thank them as they get off.
"I've been riding public transport around the world for years, and hearing everyone say, 'Thank you' to the bus drivers every day is uniquely Australian, I love it," she wrote in her TikTok video which has been watched almost half a million times.
Aussies were stunned she hadn't seen it elsewhere. "Wait but these are basic manners? You're telling me in other countries, you don't say 'thank you' to the person who drove you safely to your location?" one viewer asked.
US tourist shares her observations about Aussie culture
"The great thing here in Oz is that, 'Thank you' to a bus driver, teaches you respect and dissolves any class system because the driver is a human too!" another added.
"The high schoolers on my bus, always say morning boss or thanks boss," a bus driver added to the conversation with Brooke replying: "Hahaha I love this!"
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In a follow-up to the popular video, Brooke explained that other cultures are just more timid than Australian cultures but she concluded by saying that: "This should be a norm in every place around the world."
The Minnesota-born graphic designer, who has also lived and worked in South Korea and Chile, enjoys sharing the differences she has noticed in Australia, particularly from the US.
Another thing that she noticed and shared with her followers is that Australians and New Zealanders tend to drop the 'my' when referring to their parents. So rather than say my mum or my dad, they just say "mum or dad". She found this is almost as if Aussies are referring to their parents as if they're everyone's parents."It feels like it's our dad now," she said with a smile.
Brooke often shares posts about the things she loves in Australia including Aussie slang, the way we finish singing Happy Birthday and our university fee system.
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