American expat shares things that are ‘worse in Australia than the US’

An American woman has complained about all the things Australia does worse than the US – including chocolate and carparks. 

The 27-year-old quit her job and moved Down Under 12 months ago to visit picturesque destinations around the country in her 2000 model Mitsubishi Pajero. 

While travelling in Australia she make a list of the small things which annoyed her about the country. 

‘Here’s my list of unimportant, inconsequential things that I still think are actually worse in Australia than they are in the US,’ she said on TikTok. 

‘I’m starting off with the worst things to be a little controversial.’

She certainly got the debate she anticipated, with some infuriated by her criticisms. but others agreeing she had a point. 

To begin with, she dislikes the standard flush buttons on toilets and having to touch them in public bathrooms. 

In America, many public toilets are flushed with a lever rather than a button, which she presses with her foot, not her hand. 

‘Y’all here are so nasty for the button flush. Every time I have to use my dirty little toilet fingers to push a button that everybody else [uses] I want to cry and move home,’ she admitted. 

Next, the range of chocolate was also a problem as she is vegan and struggles to find treats that are not made with milk. 

‘The hold that Cadbury has over the Australian chocolate industry is wild,’ she said. 

‘Finding chocolate here that isn’t made with milk is so much harder, like why is all your chocolate made with milk? Even the 85 per cent dark chocolate.’

The fact that a lot of grocery stores in Australia are located within shopping centres also caused a fuss.

‘The amount of frustration that these [shopping centres] have given me is out of control,’ she said. 

‘Why do I have to walk through a door into a public place to then walk through another door into an even more crowded place just to buy some produce? 

‘Why am I walking past shoe stores, bra shops, people getting a coffee? Then have to walk into a grocery store after all of that stimulation.’

The traveller also claimed Australian car parks are often poorly designed and are difficult to exit – something locals agreed with. 

She jokingly said it seems like the councils and architects are ‘committed’ to making car parks ‘the worst’ experience for drivers. 

The video has since exceeded more than 420,000 views and opinions were divided. 

To placate those angered by her observation she said: ‘I’m just having a silly complain on the internet, chill. I still think Australia is better than the US in so many ways.’ 

One person who disagreed with the flush button on toilets said: ‘But don’t you wash your hands after going to the toilet?’

‘We don’t want massive great ginormous concrete parking jungles thank you,’ another wrote. 

A third said: ‘I love having the grocery store in the shopping centre. I can go to the pharmacy or do any other errand then finish with groceries all in one place.’ 

But some agreed with her.  

‘Me covering the little flush button with toilet paper so I don’t have to touch it. I agree with it all,’ one woman said. 

‘American here currently living in Australia at least we don’t have to worry about what the actual price of something is before we get to the cashier. Here if its $5.99 that means it’s $5.99,’ someone else wrote. 

‘The grocery store one I get,’ one more added. 

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