USA, Canada /
General differences between Poland and the USA? [184]
Just a few differences off the top of my head:
Polish (and possibly European) banking systems, especially online banking systems, are more modern and imo better than the U.S. ones. The primary way of transferring funds between banks/accounts is via "przelew" (an EFT), as opposed to writing checks in the U.S. In Poland, "przelewy" are free or dirt cheap at most of the banks. You log in, type in the destination bank account number, set the amount and click "send" - that's about it. On the flip side, nowadays checks are mostly unheard of.
Services of a Notary Public are expensive. In the U.S. you can get documents notarized for a small fee, but mostly for free if you have an account with a bank that offers such services. In Poland, you have to set an appointment with a Notary Public in his office (it's a regulated profession, with limits, etc.) and pay up your a$$ for any tiny thing.
Forget about free refills on your drinks. My estimate - based on my own experience - is that only around 0.5% of all businesses offer free refills with your drink purchase. Also, the sizes of drinks are noticeably smaller. If you are a fan of ice cubes in your drinks, prepare for some serious embitterment.
An unnecessary amount of traffic signs on the road. While in the U.S. the number of signs is kept to a minimum, in EU you might be overwhelmed at first when driving. However, EU knows how to place their STOP signs, as they are being placed reasonably on the roads, while in the U.S. every other intersection has a STOP sign instead of a yield sign. My personal pet peeve.
We use metric system
Air Conditioning is a highly optional amenity. Apartment blocks are now still being built without them, or even a predesignated spot for installation. In the U.S., most of the time, it's unheard of not to have an AC unit.
In the U.S. the Police pull you over by driving behind you with their lights on and siren blaring. In Poland, you can expect the Police to be represented by two police officers hidden on the side of the road, in a nearby bush, clocking your speed. They pull you over by waving a "lizak" (a lollipop).
These are just the very few I could think of right now.
