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Comment by nabla9 | Hacker News Reader

First time I visited the US it was Houston, Texas. My host was perplexed because I laughed out loud while we were driving. Experiencing highways and those massive gas stations felt like someone had made a state that mocked America by taking prejudices we have about the American traffic and making them 200% larger in real life. My mind was blown.

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Houston native here. I still guffaw when I see a massively lifted truck (but with a pristine bed, no scratches - so not even a work truck).

Everything's bigger in Texas, including egos.

The best analogy I've heard for explaining Texas to non-Americans is that Americans view Texans the same way the rest of the world views Americans.

I'll accept that.

Somehow I forgot to mention truck nuts. Car culture is something else entirely in Texas.

Truck nuts? https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/driving/wp-content/...

Yeah...

I prefer the xl hex nut version. https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8454/7977898649_342f5462ba.jp...

So you're telling me that these big macho guys from Texas did gender reassignment surgery on their vehicles?

Yup. If you add nuts to your truck and it didn't come out of the factory with them, then your truck is trans.

>Americans view Texans the same way the rest of the world views Americans.

Reversing some of the substrings in that string would also result in a very good analogy.

Like:

Texans view Americans the same way Americans view the rest of the world - derisively, but it is those viewers who should be derided, and often are, by the groups that they deride.

My partner got me this shirt and I love wearing it, not because of any sort of state pride just because I think it's absurdly hilarious.

https://hivemill.com/products/smbc-texas-shirt

thanks for wearing it ironically but it's not helping.

30 years ago I had one that said, “Fuck you, we’re from Texas.”

Every country has a Texas. In Canada it's Alberta. In Germany it's Bavaria.

Texas is the America of America.

For me, this will always be Las Vegas. Walking the strip my first time while at a conference was enlightening. Seeing all the American tropes that I'd seen in foreign media within a square kilometer and with my own eyes left me speechless.

I wish we had free public transit everywhere like they do on the strip.

Public transit isn’t free on the strip except during New Years Eve and possibly some other special occasions.

The monorail from Mandalay Bay to Bellagio is free, but it isn’t public transit.

Not only is it not free, but fares on the strip buses are higher than the fares everywhere else. I think this is a result of subsidies for public transit not going to the tourists.

To be clear, The Strip is nothing like living in Las Vegas. Nothing. Las Vegas, outside The Strip, is basically Phoenix, except there's video poker machines in the grocery stores.

… and the C-stores, and the bars (which are open 24/7).

I've never been to Las Vegas, but I remember my dad saying that there were slot machines in a CVS he went to there once. Growing up in Massachusetts, it took me a bit to get used to pharmacies even having alcohol after moving to New York, so this always amused me.

and all the bars and casinos allow smoking indoors to the detriment of all of their staff and patrons simply because of the gambling lobby.

I loved my most recent trip to the US (it's been almost 10 years...wow) for anything but Vegas.

Something really didn't mesh with me.Too much focus on fakery and "big" I guess. (Especially all that "Roman" and "greek" flair after having just toured the real deal a few weeks earlier)

So we took advantage of the cheap accomodation and visited the stunning places around it.

Las Vegas is definitely something else... It's close enough that I've been in/through there several times over the years. That said, I just don't enjoy it. I used to enjoy a few good meals or a show stopping in on the way through as I like to do road trips. The customer service has sub-floored, the crowds have only grown and it's just far from even pleasant to where the show isn't worth it.

That's just my own take.

America is a melting pot. It’s thousands of cultures at once. Acceptance is America. Texas is part of America. It’s no more American than Washington, Montana, or New York.

Texas is a giant strip mall with football stadiums and megachurches sprinkled throughout.

Texas is a lot more than that, certainly.

Texas can be a lot more than that. There's a lot of culture here, particularly in South Texas. But there's also contention. There's a disdain for that part of Texas. And the washed out, strip mall side of Texas wants very badly to make it seem like they're all there is. The boredom, the normality, the white picket fence, is a plague. It spreads and sucks the color out of everything, like The Wizard of Oz but in reverse.

Very well said.

So, like America?

Florida minus DisneyWorld.

> Everything's bigger in Texas, including egos.

Crucially, Texans are highly aware of "everything is bigger in Texas" trope and take pride in it. My favorite example is that everyone knows that Texas State Capitol is taller than United States Capitol (92.24m vs 88m)... But nobody will ever tell you that Texas State Capitol is only 6th tallest state capitol.

Source: lived in Austin for 2 years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_State_Capitol#

Fun to ride on with motorcycle

Until the wind blows you over the side.

https://www.kxan.com/news/motorcyclist-killed-after-falling-...

She was nice. Worked at a local Taco Deli.

Yes I remember that accident. I live and ride in that area. I wonder what happened.

Texan here. My experience has been quite different.

I lived in Austin for 7 years and I had no idea about this fact.

Whenever the whole "everything is bigger in Texas" comes up, everyone smiles and rolls their eyes. I now live in Houston and its the same. People here think its kind of a joke. Though Texans definitely do take pride in Texas. I just don't think they take themselves as seriously as your comment suggests.

Authentic Texan-ness is manifested by the slogan that used to be painted on the side of Goode Company BBQ:

“You might give some serious thought to thanking your lucky stars you’re in Texas.”

And Kinky Friedman.

> My favorite example is that everyone knows that Texas State Capitol is taller than United States Capitol (92.24m vs 88m)... But nobody will ever tell you that Texas State Capitol is only 6th tallest state capitol.

I guessed Nebraska, but was wrong. It’s Louisiana. Both finished in 1932, oddly.

The Texas State Capitol wasn’t the tallest state capitol finished in 1888 - that would have been Illinois - but it certainly was the largest. Indiana also finished their capitol in 1888, but was the shortest of the three. Weird how they seem to bunch up, as if there is some sort of “let’s build a capitol!” movement that takes hold from time to time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGg5rfBfWT4

middle of the great depression... fwiw.

i believe around the same time the empire state building was constructed as well.

Everything except that shriveled little thing that drove the buying decision.

State vehicle: pavement princess

What if Alaska were split in half, and Texas would become the third-largest state by area?

We call them gender affirming care. Or emotional support vehicles.

I grew up in Appalachia and moved to Texas as an adult. Very similar experience, ride-laugh and all. This place is both amazing and ridiculous.

> ...and those massive gas stations...

Buc-ee's is the Trader Joe's of Texas, find all kinds of weird things that are actually good, or at least novel. Also, cleanest public restrooms you'll probably ever experience. Decent breakfast tacos too

"I'm from Texas, what country are you from?"

From european drivers perspective, what surprised me the most (aside from peculiar traffic rules - some actually good) was concrete highways instead of black asphalt. I was especially careful during rain, it "looked" slippery; Later I was told it does actually have some asphalt in it.

6-year Texan who grew up in New England here. Yes, those roads do get more slippery than regular ones. Unfortunately, many Texans drive worse in light rain than most New Englanders drive in the snow... and don't even get me started on how Texans drive in the snow, lol.

Texas doesn't have winters.

Just snowpocalyses.

Texas highways will get very hot in summer, and with cheap asphalt it will last max. 5 years. Proper concrete will last 20 years.

Also asphalt is more slippery than concrete. It will spill out oil.

Only poor cities will do asphalt, and they are in constant reconstruction.

...that's kind of almost all backwards.

As someone who has lived pretty much all of my life in the desert I look with considerable caution towards high speed asphalt.

The road concrete is roughened, you have good traction even in less than ideal weather. And concrete lasts an awful lot longer under heavy traffic. Smooth concrete would be like you are worried about, but the high speed roads aren't smooth concrete.

Asphalt is a hydrocarbon product and can sweat. But worse is the oil from cars. Drip, drip, drip--since it's on a hydrocarbon base it loosely bonds with it and simply accumulates. When the rain does come along the roads will be very slippery until there has been enough rain and cars to wash them clean. Until then, hydroplane accidents galore. Be especially careful around gas stations.

> massive gas stations

I presume you are referring to [Buccee’s](https://buc-ees.com/about/world-record-holder/)

It's like American pastiche

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