count me in on these

I admit, I really don't understand either

I was reading an article about things foreigners don't understand about Americans.  I assume they meant us in the US.  Residents of Mexico and Canada are also Americans, as are those from Brazil, Peru, and all those other countries in North and South America.
Anyway, the article talked about things that are strange to an outsider.
It mentioned tipping, huge portions of food at dinner, wearing our flag as clothing, and two things that really hit me close to the pocketbook.
Toilets and taxes.
As an older guy with a weak bladder, I tend to use public toilets in Europe a lot.  Especially after sitting on a plane for 7 hours, a few minutes in the can ifs often necessary.
In Europe, most of the bathrooms in public places like airports and train stations have doors that go all the way to the ground and sides that you can't slid a foot under.  The toilet is like a little room, all to yourself.
And generally, they are very clean.  Part of the reason is the clean ones often have an attendant and a small fee, maybe 50 cents or so.  It's worth it.
I cringe when I use a public bathroom in the states.  They never seem clean and there is no privacy, if you know what I mean.
Now you all know I am cheap.  But I don't mind paying half a buck to use a toilet that is clean, smells nice, and looks nice.  It would be worth the price not to hear the occupant in the next stall.  Or smell him.
Some places have public toilets on the street.  You plop in your money and the door opens.  When you hit the button to exit, the interior is hosed down, disinfected, dried and ready for the next person. Very convenient.
Of course you also run into the type of toilet we hit in Switzerland on a bus trip.  Jackie had to go really bad, but when she got into the bathroom, there were no seats....just some footpads where you should stand when you squat.
Needless to say, she figured out a way to hold it.
The other point was involving sales taxes.  I hate the way they are figured.  In most of Europe, you buy a product marked 1.75 and you pay 1.75.  Dinners are 14.95 and you pay 14.95.  Taxes are already figured in the price.
I think Ollie's does that in Sycamore.  Seems like I remember paying the list price for a custard cone this summer.  That makes sense.
How many times have you gotten behind someone in a food line and the price is more than they have out, because of the taxes they did not figure.  Now they have to dig in their pockets or worse, decide on leaving one item behind, because they didn't know the tax.
Buying a washing machine?  Just put the price including tax in the advertising.  That way people can figure out where to buy a product.  They don't have to wonder if they will pay an extra 7, 8, 9 or 10 percent, depending on the sales tax.
We do things here in "Merica  certain ways because we have always done them that way.
Maybe its time to think more like a European.
After all, that is the nationality we all are in the bathroom, isn't it?
"Hey, you're a peein!"