I believe America is one of the most distrusted societies, spending vast amounts of money on surveillance and using clever tricks to deceive people. Let me share my personal experiences.
Two years ago, I attended a conference in Washington, D.C. The trip was fully booked by NYU Abu Dhabi, yet the hotel still required a caution deposit and charged the full rent despite being shown the booking confirmations. It took 10 emails to get my money back.
After the conference, I booked an Airbnb in New Jersey. Upon arrival, the owner informed me that a rat had died the previous day, causing a bad smell. He suggested I could stay if I found it bearable, but he didn’t disclose this issue when I made the booking. I had to relocate to a more expensive place, and again, despite my friend booking it, they charged a caution deposit and rent. It took nearly 20 days and countless emails to get the deposit back.
In the USA, it seems all transactions are purely money-driven. Trust is minimal, surveillance is extensive, and there’s a high risk of being cheated if you don’t carefully read the rules. Even after paying hefty amounts for hotels, you have to pay for internet access. Tipping is ubiquitous because companies pay their lower-class workers poorly, passing the burden onto customers. It feels like corporate exploitation, where you are encouraged to earn more money but discouraged from questioning the system.
I was also struck by the number of homeless people on the streets, which is unusual for a developed country. Another observation was seeing women over 60 working in airports and other places, indicating a lack of social safety nets for the poor. In contrast, on Indigo Airlines, it seemed like many employees were school children, likely because they are less demanding and easier to exploit.
Two weeks ago, I attended a conference at PENN and faced yet another issue with the hotel. The day after my arrival, they informed me about a pipe leakage that resulted in no water supply. They assured me it would be repaired soon, but a day passed without any improvement. The management posted a notice apologizing for the inconvenience, which felt like a standard response with no real solution. They didn’t inform me that I could change hotels and get a refund on the deposit. After some inquiry, I discovered they were relocating guests to another hotel at the same price.
I moved to the new hotel for one night, but it offered a cheaper room. I didn’t complain since it was just for a night. However, they charged me a deposit and the full room rate, even after I provided a letter from the original hotel. When I questioned the desk clerk, he initially lied, and only after persistent questioning did he tell the truth. I complained to the hotel that transferred me, and they demanded documents to raise the issue, even though they could verify the story themselves. It felt like they were trying to make me bear the costs if I failed to provide the necessary documents.
Another instance of deception involved two water bottles placed in my room. I consumed one, assuming it was included in the room rent, and tookI believe America is one of the most distrusted societies, spending vast amounts of money on surveillance and using clever tricks to deceive people. Let me share my personal experiences.
Two years ago, I attended a conference in Washington, D.C. The trip was fully booked by NYU Abu Dhabi, yet the hotel still required a caution deposit and charged the full rent despite being shown the booking confirmations. It took 10 emails to get my money back.
After the conference, I booked an Airbnb in New Jersey. Upon arrival, the owner informed me that a rat had died the previous day, causing a bad smell. He suggested I could stay if I found it bearable, but he didn’t disclose this issue when I made the booking. I had to relocate to a more expensive place, and again, despite my friend booking it, they charged a caution deposit and rent. It took nearly 20 days and countless emails to get the deposit back.
In the USA, it seems all transactions are purely money-driven. Trust is minimal, surveillance is extensive, and there’s a high risk of being cheated if you don’t carefully read the rules. Even after paying hefty amounts for hotels, you have to pay for internet access. Tipping is ubiquitous because companies pay their lower-class workers poorly, passing the burden onto customers. It feels like corporate exploitation, where you are encouraged to earn more money but discouraged from questioning the system.
I was also struck by the number of homeless people on the streets, which is unusual for a developed country. Another observation was seeing women over 60 working in airports and other places, indicating a lack of social safety nets for the poor. In contrast, on Indigo Airlines, it seemed like many employees were school children, likely because they are less demanding and easier to exploit.
Two weeks ago, I attended a conference at PENN and faced yet another issue with the hotel. The day after my arrival, they informed me about a pipe leakage that resulted in no water supply. They assured me it would be repaired soon, but a day passed without any improvement. The management posted a notice apologizing for the inconvenience, which felt like a standard response with no real solution. They didn’t inform me that I could change hotels and get a refund on the deposit. After some inquiry, I discovered they were relocating guests to another hotel at the same price.
I moved to the new hotel for one night, but it offered a cheaper room. I didn’t complain since it was just for a night. However, they charged me a deposit and the full room rate, even after I provided a letter from the original hotel. When I questioned the desk clerk, he initially lied, and only after persistent questioning did he tell the truth. I complained to the hotel that transferred me, and they demanded documents to raise the issue, even though they could verify the story themselves. It felt like they were trying to make me bear the costs if I failed to provide the necessary documents.
Another instance of deception involved two water bottles placed in my room. I consumed one, assuming it was included in the room rent, and took the other to carry with me. They charged $8 for each bottle. When I attempted to return the unopened bottle, the lady insisted I had opened it and refused to take it back. I felt this was a blatant lie and another instance of being cheated.
Whenever I visit the USA, I always feel like there are people waiting to cheat me. I never feel safe, and I find it hard to trust anyone. I wonder what the goal is for their society. While the country is rich in wealth, it seems poorer in other important aspects compared to many other countries I have visited. the other to carry with me. They charged $8 for each bottle. When I attempted to return the unopened bottle, the lady insisted I had opened it and refused to take it back. I felt this was a blatant lie and another instance of being cheated.
Whenever I visit the USA, I always feel like there are people waiting to cheat me. I never feel safe, and I find it hard to trust anyone. I wonder what the goal is for their society. While the country is rich in wealth, it seems poorer in other important aspects compared to many other countries I have visited.
