This could also have gone on the "things people think having kids entitles them to" thread, but I can't be bothered to search for it.

I was asked to fax a document to an insurance company today (the use of a fax in 2018 is another whole post). I do not have faxing capability at home, so took the 25 page document first to a FedEx store. They wanted $2.50 a sheet, or $62.50 all in. I politely declined and said I would look at Plan B. Next went to the UPS store and was quoted pretty much the same. On to Staples that wanted $2.99 a sheet!

I got home, and sent an e-mail to the insurance company with a .pdf attachment of the file in hope some nice person there sees the light, but I'm not holding my breath.

The most annoying thing is, I'm pretty sure a) they already had this document, and b) the update to their website seems to have reverted all my information back to old information.

It's a tough life.

When did the expression ‘take away’ become ‘take out’ everyone says it now even my Brother and Dad, even though we used to say take away years ago in the family home.

People get infected with Americam language, do they feel like they are in New York or something? It’s a ******* take away...

It goes both ways. I heard a man described as "crackers" the other day. I live in Chicago. I've also heard "on holiday" and "in hospital" by natives.

Crap... it's taken me 36 years to learn to say "Take Out" over here, now you are telling me it's changing over there?

Wanker is catching on also...

Something I have noticed the last 5 years with great dismay.

Its been 10 years since people stopped saying ‘can I have’ everyone says ‘can I get’ .... I want to ram their head into the counter if Im standing in the queue behind them and whisper in their ear ‘it’s can I have’ .... something simple like that.

What do they say if you go to hospital?

I salute you for keeping it real for 36 years.

Personally I think I now say "The" hospital, be it in it or going to it.

Is that English or American? I'm really confused these days.

In the hospital. Always the "the".

Why is it 'can I have'?

Precisely. It should be "May I have".

I suspect " can I get" implies that you will leap over the counter and make yourself a coffee etc...

‘Mac and cheese’ as well. Fvck off

More to the point the company will almost certainly have an automatic process that converts the fax to pdf.

What happen to could I have or even please could I have.

Just as 'can I' in general implies that you're asking someone if a task is possible.

Unless you're addressing the Queen or something, most restaurant or retail interactions are largely informal, and as long as you get the message across and politely enough, it surely doesn't matter.

All this stuff has more to do with an irrational fear of 'Americanisms' than anything else. Not sure why. Perhaps 'kids' saying 'can I have' in 1974 were being berated similarly.

I do in relation to running, but that's it. Easy conversion is multiply by 5 & divide by 8

Or divide KM by 10 and times by 6 :)

Fuel consumption is the one I struggle with, converting mpg to l/100km.