Who has visited the USA?

I haven't been to the USA and it's likely I'll never go now. I've learnt a lot about the ordinary citizens from myLot. Like Australians, Americans are very lucky in many ways.

Just once, in the late 1990s, for a week, spent entirely on Manhattan Island, except for getting to and from the airport. I was struck by the superhuman scale of things, but also by the evident severe poverty which really stood out against the glaring evidence of great riches. Of course I have seen plenty of poverty in less developed countries in Asia and Africa, but nothing like that in any other developed country. Sadly I was also struck by the aggression I met in general interactions on several occasions. But I made some good friends too. From my limited exposure, I would call USA a land of great contrasts, even extremes.

I have visited USA several times since my son lives in New York . I love the open spaces , the national parks . My favorite city is San Francisco ..it is so beautiful and vibrant.

During my free time in Baltimore I spent several hours just wandering around the back streets by myself. It was only years later that I learnt that Baltimore has one of the worst murder rates in the United States!

I have visited the USA once, and only for three days! I attended a conference in Baltimore in 2006 and was struck by a number of things. One that will always live in the memory was the number of aggressive beggars on the streets. We have people in UK cities who mumble "any spare change?" as you walk by, but these people would walk up to you and ask for a specific sum of money for an express purpose! I was also struck by how insular the United States is. The ignorance of the average American about the rest of the world was a revelation to me. American table manners - or the lack of them - were very evident! As were the facts that they have no idea how to serve tea and the bars only had tasteless lager and no decent bitter!

I wont be coming USA as I dont wanna get stripped checked at the airport

@garysibi I was born in the United States till I moved to Israel almost 32 years ago. I have been back only twice since moving to Israel. I had to go back to bring things here and the second time was to make some money but now I just like to be in Israel and not travel outside of this country.