On getting ripped off as a foreigner...

So I am well overdue for my rant about trying to get a credit card in the US. Interestingly enough, here in the country of the credit cards it is virtually impossible for an 'alien' moving here to get a credit card. You would have thought that all you need is money cause that is usually how this country functions but no, not in this case. You need a credit history and in order to start building that - you need - yes, you wouldn't have guessed - of course a credit card! At the bank they gave me these really helpful instructions: Just keep on applying and eventually (might be years though) you will get one! Now. let's go through this- in Germany I really wouldn't have been bothered as you don't really need a credit card but in this country a lot of things require you to have a credit card (e.g. to buy tickets for the US open, to get a mobile contract etc. etc.) So you really start feeling like a second class citizen, especially when they reject your application for a store credit card (which usually is the easiest one to get as it doesn't include a high limit) you feel slightly humiliated... Oh well, just learned that a trick might be to transfer a German card over here - maybe that will work.
Something else I am really shocked by is the level of service orientation in this country. I mean, this is America and this is what America stands for: customer service and nothing else, right? So how come I was on hold trying to find out why I never received my health insurance card? The friendly voice repeating 'Sorry, all our agents are busy right now but the next available agent will be happy to assist you' really did not help at all!!! And how can the most insanely expensive haircut not qualify you for a free trim like any good hairdresser in Munich does? I was shocked that they still made me pay today - not quite as much as a regular cut but I guess nothing is free here...
Maybe it's time I take a break and go back to Service-Wueste Deutschland for a little while ;-)