Americans lose their minds over 'free' service in Australia

Two American travellers have been left stunned after discovering a common Australian service that comes at no cost - free air for their tyres. Jesse and Cami, a couple from the US who are currently exploring Australia in their converted Toyota Troopy, were shocked to find that petrol stations across the country offer air and water completely free of charge. 'So here in Australia, they have free air for your tyres and free water,' Cami marvelled in a now-viral Instagram video.

The pair had stopped at a 7-Eleven when they made the unexpected discovery. 'In America, if you want to put air in your tyres, you have to pay for it,' she continued. 'It's $2.50 for air!'. The revelation quickly sparked debate among social media users, with many Australians just as bewildered by the idea of paying for air as the Americans were by getting it for free. 'Charging anything for air is crazy,' one person wrote.

Jesse and Cami are a couple from the US who are currently exploring Australia in their converted Toyota Troopy. Two American travellers have been left stunned after discovering a common Australian service that comes at no cost - free air for their tyres. While another warned: 'Don't give Australia ideas!'. However, others argued that paid air services in the US aren't just about selling air, but maintaining the infrastructure required to deliver it.

'You're not paying for air, you're paying to use the air compressor, hose, tyre attachment, power and maintenance to get atmospheric air into the compressor and into your tyres,' one commenter explained. International users also weighed in, pointing out that Australia isn't alone in offering the service for free. 'Not sure about all of South East Asia, but in Malaysia it's free too… why is America charging for air?' one asked.

Another added, 'Same in New Zealand, free air and free water at every service station.'. In the US, the cost of using air pumps can vary between petrol stations, with some still offering free air while others charge a small fee. But for many Aussies, the idea of having to fork out cash just to top up their tyres remains completely foreign. A few said that paid air services in the US aren't just about selling air, but maintaining the infrastructure required to deliver it.

But that's not the only culture shock Americans experience when they travel Down Under. Tara, who relocated from Texas to the Central Coast in NSW in 2020 to live with her Aussie husband, said she had always thought women used the term 'doll' as a sweet endearment. It wasn't until the 34-year-old Googled 'terms of endearment in Australia' that she discovered women were actually referring to each other as 'darl', not 'doll'.

'I was making a post about how much I loved Australian women using the word "doll". So I randomly googled terms of endearment... The top term one was 'darl' and I was like... Wait a minute,' she said. 'The accents are confusing sometimes.'. The scientist, who works in a medical laboratory, shared an amusing video on social media after making the discovery. 'I just found something out about Australia and I feel so stupid,' she said.

'So I've been living in Australia for the past four years now and the entire time that I've been living here, I thought all the women were calling each other "doll". American expat Tara has detailed her confusion after realising she may have been wrong about a common Aussie slang all these years. 'Come to find out it's "darl" but it sounds like "doll". They've been calling each other "darl" like short for "darling".

'It's so cute like I swear I loved it when women would call me this but the entire time I have thought they've been calling me "doll".'. Despite her confusion, thousands of people weighed in, with many Aussies saying they often switch between using the terms 'doll' and 'darl' so she's not wrong. 'Aussie here and it's probably a mixture of both depending on the age of the person saying it. I use both but most often "darl". My grandma uses "doll",' one said.

'If it’s a tiny human I’ll call her "doll" but the big humans get "darl" mostly in the sense of, "oh you’re a darl". Aussies love to shorten everything,' another shared. 'Some say "doll", some say "darl". especially in northern states you'll hear "darl" as "dahl" - those vowels get flattened,' one added. While one woman explained that 'darl' was now an outdated term in Australia. 'Australian here, no one says "darl" except the very occasional old lady. It might actually be "doll", way more common,' one said.

The 34-year-old has been living in Australia for more than four years after moving from Texas. Tara replied to the Aussies' responses about switching between both terms, joking: 'Omg, I feel like I wouldn’t be able to hear the difference.'. She added: 'So hard for my American ears to distinguish but I’ll be listening more closely the next time. 'I learn something new everyday.'. Many US expats living in Australia agreed with Tara.