I'm sorry but it does NOT IMO "make the rest of us look bad."

I don't feel the least bit responsible for anyone who doesn't act "right" when they travel and while I appreciate your concerns, feelings, and point of view, I refuse to go on any guilt trips because somebody who lives in the same country that I do acts like a jerk.

Sorry, if this offends you but that's the way I feel.

I sympathise hugely. But it doesn't make me feel bad. I just feel superior

Agree with Dukey. Also, the ugly American thing has been done to death.

Hi C,

>Or when English speaking people get frustrated at people in Italy who don't understand them.

Doesn't it bother you when people who speak other languages do the same thing?

I think that you will eventually find that there are s*******s in all countries, and that some of them travel.

I actually didn't tell anyone that they specifically should feel bad about being a tourist.

I also didn't say anything about Americans but YOU did so maybe you feel that way.

I am not embarrassed by others who act like jerks, but it does bother me if people automatically lump me in with them based on my country of origin. I don't judge all Londoners (who generally were lovely) by the one cab driver who ripped us off, and I don't expect people to lump me in with some dastardly American tourist they met somewhere.

Also, one note about complaining. There is a difference between being a bad tourist and complaining for good reason. If you have a bad toilet in your hotel room, and you complain about it because you don't find it "charming," that's not misbehaving--that's insisting on what you paid for. (For what it's worth, some screaming toilet does NOT sound charming to me. I can only imagine what a jerk I would consider an American hotelier trying to convince a European tourist that his misbehaving toilet is "charming" and part of Americana.) As long as it is done with dignity, IMO, that's perfectly respectable in any culture.

Thank you for your post lukesaunt & I'm sorry if I came across wrong. However- you will note that I did not lump anyone in with a group based on their country of origin. Please re-read my post...I definitely did not name any certain country & assume everyone from that country is offensive. I don't believe that at all.

I loved Rome- I also didn't lump them all in the same group as the taxi driver who ripped us off. Once again- I did not say everyone who is from "blank" country is the same. I said SOME tourists. I genuinely meant people from everywhere. They were tourists from different places that I was describing.

As for the toilet- you are quite right. I do agree with you too, just that my toilet wasn't as bad as something I felt needed to be complained about (although if it was worse I may have). I was just telling that story as one of my personal "memories" But it was probably a bad example as a toilet that makes all sorts of noises in the middle of a night is definitely a cause for compaints.

So for everyone who was offended- I'm sorry I didn't mean it but I was not the one who mentioned a specific country except for the case of the times I mentioned the ones that I visited.

I agree with this - I've come across any number of tourists on my travels that have made me cringe with shame by association.

I don't think it's any specific country that provides more of these tourists than others - I've seen just as many annoying Brits and Canadians (I'm a Canadian) as Americans. What seems to be the common thread among them is, as chopinplayer, their inability to bring their open minds with them when they get on the plane.

My classic example is sitting outside at a little restaurant with a fantastic view of the Coliseum in Rome - the people at the table next to us were complaining VERY loudly that they just don't make pizza very well in Italy, not like "REAL" pizza from back home...

By the way - didn't the French invent rolling the eyes and shrugging?

"So for everyone who was offended- I'm sorry I didn't mean it"

Actually, you did. You started the thread to discuss other people's behavior which you found unacceptable. You had to know, from your tone, that you would offend people. No need to be passive-agressive about it by pretending you had pure intentions when your goal was to provoke and judge.

I agree - and I also agree all nationalities are "guilty".

I think Americans notice Yanks, Canadians notice Canucks, Australians notice Aussies, and so on, more just because the accents are so familiar.

I know when I'm in Paris I cringe when I hear Americans going on about something on the metro - but it is only because my hearing is more attuned to American accents.

Chopin player, To clarify, I didn't mean that you were lumping people in. I just meant, as sort of a side note, that it annoys me that people would associate me with others based on my country of origin, just as it bothers you that you might be lumped with some of these other offensive tourists. I wasn't disagreeing with you; just adding another thought.

Frankly it means little to me how others act with whom I am not traveling or otherwise associated. When one acts badly it is a reflection on themselves, no one else. Any reasonable person would see this. If someone judges or treats others poorly based on experiences they may have had with completely unrelated individuals they deemed to be from a similar background, they themselves are guilty of boorish behavior, IMO.

With respect, you did mention and/or intimate Americans. You said "Don't expect people to be the same as they are in North America". I guess you must be have been talking about those darn Canadiens.

"So for everyone who was offended- I'm sorry I didn't mean it"

Actually, you did. You started the thread to discuss other people's behavior which you found unacceptable. You had to know, from your tone, that you would offend people. No need to be passive-agressive about it by pretending you had pure intentions when your goal was to provoke and judge."


Ok LOL- I'm going to attempt to clarify once again,
I DID mean that I was bothered by annoying, hard to please tourists. I did NOT mean Americans. I never once said Americans, it was posters after me that did.

I'm not American, I'm a Canadian & since Americans were brought up I will go on to say that I found some Americans who I thought were quite charming, I found some British people who were kind of annoying (though I gotta say I LOVE that accent!) I found some Italians were rude & I found some Canadians also annoying.

I never pinpointed a certain group of people...other posters after me did. I never said a person from one country means all other people from that country can now be labelled the same.

"With respect, you did mention and/or intimate Americans. You said "Don't expect people to be the same as they are in North America". I guess you must be have been talking about those darn Canadiens."

For the record- I'm Canadian & yes I was meaning them. I was also meaning British people when I said "English speaking people" I was also meaning Americans when I said above "I found some Americans to be quite charming." I mean anyone who is intolerable of other people's cultures, & then going to visit them without appreciating the differences. Since I'm North American I was thinking of myself & using my experiences as a comparison. I shouldn't "expect things to be the same as they are in North America" & I don't think other people from here should either.

Ah, you're Canadian. That explains it all. The passive-aggressiveness now makes perfect sense

In my experience and opinion, as unfortunate as it is, what you do while in another country absolutely is a reflection on that country. It SHOULDN'T be that way, but most of the time it is. That is not to say that while traveling one should constantly think about what one is doing or saying, but it's just a simple fact. First impressions, like it or not, do exist, and I have been embarassed by people from my country behaving badly in other countries. But those same people, more than likely, behave badly in their native countries as well, and just like the idiotic drivers on the highway, you just have to sigh, shake your head, and try to make a better impression than they did....IMO of course.

"Ah, you're Canadian. That explains it all. The passive-aggressiveness now makes perfect sense"

LOL- & you with your snarky & witty comments are from where?

heathrow is the closest airport to my house and i'm also 'unimpressed' with it....as are most other britons.

personally i don't care if a tourist 'disses' our airports or our toilets (i do the same). we can take it. you don't need to tiptoe around and act like everything is so precious. just be yourself. really, we can deal with it.

"personally i don't care if a tourist 'disses' our airports or our toilets (i do the same). we can take it. you don't need to tiptoe around and act like everything is so precious. just be yourself. really, we can deal with it."

Good for you- soooo you don't like the fact that I LOVED my trip to Europe? You think I'm faking it? No- I'm not faking it. I love being in places different from what I'm used to.

No, I didn't enjoy the lines at Heathrow...did I say I did? I certainly didn't like the lady behind me who was making an annoying experience even more annoying by her loud comments. Sorry but there are some 500 other people here who are in the same position as you so suck it up lady! THATS what I was thinking. I wasn't standing there thinking "oh I love Heathrow...I wish I could stand in line forever"

If you knew me- you would know that I'm the last person to tiptoe around anyone. LOL- I loved my experiences in Europe & I just didn't let the annoying things get in the way of my enjoyment. SOrry if that offends you

My DH and I were on the Westminster Abbey tour, when a fellow American (and I use the term loosely) actually lit a cigarette! The verger who was conducting the tour politely asked him to go outside and dispose of the offending item in an ashcan, but the jerk just looked the man in the face, dropped the butt on the floor and ground it out with his shoe. The verger pulled a tissue from his pocket, picked the butt up and disposed of it without a word. I spoke to the verger once the tour was finished and told him not to judge us all (Americans) by the actions of one idiot. I love his response: "Don't worry, ma'am, idiocy is universal. It crosses all national barriers." God bless that man.

"Don't worry, ma'am, idiocy is universal. It crosses all national barriers."


So true, so true.

I actually feel much better about being an American, now that I've seen how the rest of the world behaves.

As I keep telling my kids, judge everyone as an individual not a nationality, just like you would like others to judge you.

Peace.

gruezi

Preaching to the choir here.

...don't act like you are in a 3rd world country if you aren't in one because one should act differently in a third world country?

I never noticed that comment before Michael, but I laughed when I saw you highlight it just now.

The poster came back to explain to people who "didn't get" it how things should work. Except if you're going to use an example, you too should "get it". For what limited experience I have in traveling to 3rd world countries, the average expectation and habit of politeness has been well in excess of what I've seen in Europe. Please, let's try not to use unfounded stereotypes to make points when combating ignorance, ok?

"Whoever one is, and wherever one is, one is always in the wrong if one is rude."

My husband and I have traveled the world, and on many an occasion, particularly in Europe, we have seen the best behavior coming from Americans. On the very long, hot line to the Acropolis, one woman began screaming complaints (in French), and a man (speaking a language I did not recognize) stepped out of line to pee on the fence right where we were standing! The Americans, many of whom were New Yorkers, were polite and patient. We found this in most places we have been. People are people all over the world. Some are rude and some are well behaved. It's time to stop the "ugly American" prejudice once and for all!

badsneakers wrote: "It's time to stop the "ugly American" prejudice once and for all!"

I agree, but you won't achieve it by suggesting that Americans are better-behaved than people of other nationalities.

The large majority of visitors are well-behaved. Some are not. Some of those who are not happen to be American. Others happen to be French, German, Israeli, Japanese, Spanish, even Irish (I'm recalling some of my more recent annoying experiences).

If I am put upon by bad behaviour, I don't make a judgement of a whole nation. I make a judgement of the individuals who behave badly.

Padraig, I totally agree with you. Thank you for adding to my comments. As I wrote, people are people all over the world. Some are well behaved and some are not.