ușa does not = USA

Unfortunately there is a lot of anti-american sentiment in some countries (not completely unwarranted.) This is not the case here in romania (fortunately for me.) In fact, it seems that most romanians really like the US. However, when I first came to visit here in May of 2005, I did not know romanians opinions about the US or about any subject in general for that matter. Well, one time when travelling to the train station in a taxi with my friend Bogdan, I noticed a sign in the taxi in BOLD CAPITAL LETTERS, it read –

NU TRÂNTIȚI UȘA

Well I assumed the worst, thinking that maybe the driver did not want to transport americans. So I sat quietly in the back and didn’t speak. Later I asked my friend about this and laughter resounded. He siad that he had wondered why I was quiet I think this is the first word in romanian outside of basic greetings that I learned and certainly it is one that I will never forget.

a trânti (uşa) = to slam a door (esc verb)

SUA = USA