Many people have been moving to Texas over the past few years, and some traits may seem odd to non-native Texans.
KXAN Austin posted a poll on their Facebook account and asked their viewers about some things they have noticed about living in the Lone Star State.
One of the first things that non-natives notice is Texas pride. Texas flags hang all over the state and some of the responses acknowledge this.
“I mean, we were technically our own country at one point,” replied one viewer. “We get to fly our flag the same level as the US flag.”
Another aspect of Texas pride comes from the state pledge. Texas is one of just 16 states to have their own pledge and some viewers were surprised by this.
“It still weirds me out that kids say a pledge to the Texas flag,” a viewer said.
The next odd part of Texas that viewers discussed was driving. Texas already contains fast speed limits, such as the 85-mph limit on Texas State Highway 130, but some viewers said that these limits were more of a suggestion.
“Craziest thing I have observed; traffic signs are simply a suggestion,” one viewer said.
Although driving in Texas may be odd for some people, another part of Texas includes the most popular animals.
Texas does not have an official state mammal but there are popular animals in Texas culture. The Texas Longhorn, Nine-banded armadillo, and Mexican free-tailed bat are animals commonly associated with Texas. Some viewers thought it was odd they hadn’t seen any for a long time.
“I lived here for nearly 10 years before I saw a live armadillo,” said one viewer.
Others disagreed and said they loved the wildlife in Texas.
“It’s like living in a National Geographic movie…. All the different wildlife…,” said another viewer.
While some disagreed about wildlife in the state, many viewers agreed about the parking situation. Drivers may notice a large number of pickup trucks, but parking lots do not always account for the large trucks.
“I find it odd that so many ppl have huge trucks, yet so many parking lots have really narrow spots,” a viewer said. “Even my small SUV is too big for most parking spots!”
“My VW Golf doesn’t even fit in the compact car spots. I had to climb out my trunk one day just to get lunch,” agreed another viewer.
Finally, some viewers commented on some odd Texas traditions. One of these odd traditions discussed by a viewer involved tea.
“Sweet tea = tea with sugar. Tea = tea. Why ‘unsweet’???” asked one viewer.
This question was then clarified by another viewer.
“Because sweet is the default so you have to specify unsweet,” the viewer replied.
Another tradition discussed involved how Texans speak. One viewer said that the word “y’all” was very prevalent in Texas conversation and that it took some time to get used to this phrase.