Please tell me that I did not just see that happen...............

Hey! No fair not telling us where you took your daughter for her special meal.

I remember somebody on this forum once suggesting that people should take stuff from the breakfast buffet for lunch.

I remember being in a hotel in Scotland when a foreign tourist asked for a glass of red wine.
After the waitress had served her she left the bar area for a while and the tourist muttered to her husband.
She finally went up to the bar and put several ice-cubes into her red wine.

How do you know he was American? Take the South Park approach and blame Canada.

It just blows my mind when people have the audacity to do things like that at a hotel provided buffet, or any buffet for that matter. I wonder what they would do if someone actually said something to them. Your story is amazing, dutyfree. Sheesh! Right there in front of everyone?

I once watched a woman come to the breakfast buffet at a hotel and proceed to dump the ENTIRE cut fruit bowl into tupperware containers for her kids for the day. I was flabbergasted.

Please tell me how you knew it was an American or was it the smell?

If you've ever stayed at a Holiday Inn Express, or Fairfield Inn (or similar) in the U.S., this type of behavior seems to be the norm. I haven't asked to see everyone's passports, but I imagine the majority of them are from the U.S. Cruise ship buffets can be equally shocking. Strange since you can eat just anything you want 24 hours a day.

OK. I have a few doozies.

1) I was at the breakfast buffet and a woman came downstairs in her pjs with a terrycloth robe over them, and her hair in curlers. Everyone else was dressed and ready to go, so she was even more out of place.

2) On a ski lift in Andorra: I was seated next to a guy I did not know who told me to look away and I did, thinking he needed to scratch or something. No, he whipped it out and peed into a bottle, then capped it and dropped it into the snow. I reported him to the guard and he just shrugged and actually said something about there being very few toilets on the mountain.

3) On the Barceloneta beach at night a couple was having sex, and there were 3 bums "hinding" around them watching.

4) At a bar in Barcelona: profoundly drunk American man sends a drink over to a girl seated near me. He does the whole "air toast" and she smiles, takes a sip, then sits the drink down and continues talking to her friends. 2 minutes later, the guy stumbles over.

AM: (severely slurred) Speak English?
Girl (turns out she is Swedish): Yes.
AM: Why aren't you drinking?
G: Uh, I am (takes the drink and toasts it feebly)
AM: Not enough for me you aren't. (grabs the drink, downs it, slams it down, and stalks out).

5) My own WTF situation: I was on the balcony of my residence in Malaga with a few other people. I asked one of the boys for a cigarette and he said "sure." I took one drag, and then was talking to a friend. The boy came up and took it away and said "if you aren't going to smoke it, then I will." We all just stared at him and wondered which wolves had raised him.

I was in a pub in London, having a mid-afternoon pint with some friends. When I needed to use the restroom (which was located in the basement), I was shocked to find that (a) of two stalls, one was out of order; and (b) the other stall was occupied by two people who were obviously having sex - and who were obviously aware of my presence. I went back upstairs and tried again twenty minutes later, and they were still at it! I think what really bothers me is that they chose the working toilet stall - why couldn't they have used the stall with the broken toilet?

I was in a fast food restaurant when a man across from me sat down with a tray and a box of fries. He tipped the fries onto the tray and proceeded to pour ketchup over the fries, which he then ate off the tray. ugh.

"Please tell me how you knew it was an American or was it the smell?'

Must have been the smell. Americans usually smell pretty good compared to many other people around the world.

Tracey14, that's funny, although it must have been annoying at the time. At home in Vancouver, I went to a coffeeshop bathroom the other day, and I saw a handwritten sign there that said something like, "No illegal activities like drugs or sex. Thank you." Now I'm curious about what prompted this. The neighborhood is pretty upscale. The coffeeshop seems completely average to me.

Not my story but my frriends. She was in Egypt, touring around the pyramids. She walked down a corridor inside a pyramid that had hyroglyphic frescos all along the walls. The woman in front of her dragged her big fat bag all along the wall, scratching a big line in these, oh what, 3000 year old paintings? Sorry to report she was American, but I won't hold that aginst the rest of you.

The woman in front of her dragged her big fat bag all along the wall, scratching a big line in these, oh what, 3000 year old paintings? Sorry to report she was American,

Kate, they must have been fake. The europeans stole most anything of real value hundreds of years ago.

dutyfree,
I have a doozy--happened in East Africa, culprit was an American (I'm American too)--but rather than adding fuel to the fire, I'll just repeat wilwi's request for the name of the restaurant where you celebrated your daughter's birthday.

And of course I welcome a description of courses!

I was on a plane coming back from Europe. I had noticed a young girl in front of me with a very unhappy, dissatisfied look on her face. She kept ordering drink after drink and talking very animatedly to a good-looking older man sitting next to her. I thought "She's going to get very drunk," but didn't pay further attention to her until later in the flight when my seatmates came back, giggling.

They told me they'd been waiting in line to use the toilet when the door opened and the girl came out. One of them made a move for the door, only to have the door open again and the man come out. Joined the mile-high club, I guess.

I attended an evensong service at St. Paul's Cathedral in honor of the Queen Mother, who had died days before and had yet to be buried.

In the middle of the service this guy (who looked American, to my never-ending shame) stands up and directs his children to walk up the middle aisle to toward the altar, face the back of the church and pose for pictures.

With flash.

The ushers were on him like a duck on a junebug, bless them, pointing out the signs all over the place asking people not to take flash photos.

It probably would have been useless to mention "church service," "common sense," "respect for others" and "this ain't Disney World."

Worktowander, I saw a similar situation in a church where a tourist was taking a picture at a most inappropriate time. Signs were everywhere saying photography was prohibited, but he thought the rules didn't apply to him. I got so mad I stuck my hand in front of the camera just as it flashed. They guy was ushered out, but he got a very nice photo of my palm.

I assumed that he was an American because of the khaki colored zipped cargo pants(I am embarassed to say my husband owns several pairs),his shoes and my radar after flying as a flight attendant for many years gave him away.Wliwl-The weekend in Rome turned out to be one bad experience after another for me-everything from not getting on the flight I was supposed to(nonstop to Rome) to flying another airline to Milan and changing to Rome(took more time and money). Then there were the 8 hours of throwing up on the flight to the diarrhea(sp?) the next day-did I mention that the stomach flu was going around our county? Our beautiful "mother/daughter 21st birthday celebration" weekend ended up
not what I had intended. We ended up hitting some different restaurants in Trastevere which were nice so all was not lost. However, upon leaving on Monday morning my daughter started throwing up on her way back to Catania.Its always something..........

Yeah, unfortunately that "buffet behavior" is not limited to overseas travel. I saw it in Las Vegas. Or is it kinda expected to steal food from their buffets despite the signs not to take food out?

I forgot to add that the hotel we were staying at was not a chain hotel and is used by numerous foreigners in addition to Americans-God love them,they all had their Rick Steves' Rome book out on their breakfast table!!!!

I hate to interrupt this American-bashing fest, but I've seen pretty ghastly behavior on the part of some German tourists (including the breakfast-packing thing), British tourists (it isn't Americans staggering around Prague and Tallinn on stag parties and being sick in the streets), French tourists (barging into lines en masse, etc.), Brazilian tourists (exceedingly rude behavior on the beach in Hawaii), Australian tourists (drunk & disorderly) and basically tourists of all nationalities. Why is it that we can safely generalize from the behavior of the worst-behaved Americans, but not from the worst-behaved of other nationalities?

FYI--the tourist I mentioned in my post above appeared to be Japanese. The signs saying photography is prohibited were "pictograms" so it should have been clear to all nationalities.

Bad behavior can come from any nationality.

"Bad behavior can come from any nationality."

And you can rest assured it will.

Here's my story from my trip to Paris last month:
I stopped for lunch in a nondescript restaurant in the 1st arrondissement where office workers from nearby buildings were lingering over lunch. Two women were chatting animatedly to each other. A gentleman sitting alone at a table behind them appeared to be trying to read. Suddenly he started to yell angrily at the women. From what I could gather he disagreed with the political views they were expressing, he thought someone they'd been criticising was "un héros" etc. AS his tirade continued, the women looked increasingly uncomfortable and finally gathered up their things and left. Apparently they had not finished their meals. To my astonishment, the gentleman got up, still muttering to himself, walked over to their table, picked up a fork and proceeded to finish off what was left on their plates! No one said anything. It was so funny! And he wasn't even American, he was very very French.

Baladeuse-I am still laughing!!!!Stranger than fiction?By the way- This topic was NOT started at Americans(geez-I am one) but rather how weird people can be when you are traveling and watching. Anyone else?

I have seen more Brits than I can count behave attrociously in Brussels in a seemingly endless variety of ways. And when it comes to voice volume, nobody outdoes a drunken Brit having a shoutfest with either his best mate or worst adversary.
As for the breakfast buffet sandwiches, if you've read the best-selling IRISH author's novel Evening Class, the lead character, supposedly the one who knows Italy best, tells her group of novice travelers that they are supposed to make sandwiches from the buffet to take away for lunch.

I worked in a hotel in Dublin for a year, that mainly dealt with American tours. What you saw was an everyday occurance there. It was just presummed "well we've paid for it"

baladuese, I'll try that next time I want a free meal. LOL!!

Our cruise ship pulled into Civitavecchia and about half the passengers left, homeward bound to Germany via Rome.

Before they left, however, they practically cleaned the ship out of groceries, heaping great armloads of bread, meat, fruit, vegetables from the buffets into what looked like cloth shopping bags.

When I asked a steward why this was allowed to go on, he shrugged, said it was common with German passengers leaving the ship. "It happens every cruise," he said, "and I guess we have come to expect it."

Earlier, when the ship was at sea, we had noticed how Germans would stake out certain parts of the deck near the swimming pool, commandeer all the deck chairs, put towels on them to mark their "territory," and proceed to hog those chairs throughout the day. Lebensraum lives.

Needless to say, we were quite pleased to see them leave, grocery bags and all.

While enjoying the buffet lunch at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas a couple in jean overalls and dirty, stringy hair sat across from me. Their plates were piled high with food. The husband then proceeds to take a drumstick in his left hand and another in his right hand. He would take a bite from the one in the left then one from the right. They went back for seconds and thirds and each time their plates were piled to the ceiling. They ate like a bunch of farm animals. So much of their food landed on their clothes and on their faces, not to mention the sounds they were making.

In various places around the world: the group of Germans talking among themselves in the same time with the guide, louder than enough to cover him completely; the group of Japanese (huge cameras hanging at their necks and all) stepping on my feet (no apologies offered) in their haste to go straight over a very fine, smooth turf toward some nice decorations made in bushes, while a path was only a few meters away; the group of very loud Greeks, split in two at either side of a boat on Thames, shouting at one another for the entire duration of the trip; the group of very loud Spanish covering everyone in their vicinity, including the guide who was explaining something, I don't know what, 'cause I couldn't hear

They are everywhere and of every nationality.

I’ve got to agree with P_M, the WORST nationality has to be the Japanese. I was standing at a memorial to Australian, Canadian and American war dead in London. 3 Japanese couples were there, first off, the women all laid down in turn upon the flower beds, posing for photos, crushing hundred of beautiful tulips. Later one of the men was hanging by one arm from the barrel of the bronze cannon, making monkey sounds while the others snapped photos. Some sort of warden came up and asked them to show a bit of respect. They made elaborate pantomime that they didn’t speak English. When he walked away they stood their laughing and went right back to their fun.

Later that day I was surprised while standing in an outdoor 'loo for men when three Japanese “ladies” walked right in and proceeded to do their business without apology and in full view of everyone.

In Notre Dame I was satisfyingly amused to see a livid Frenchman drive an entire tour group of Japanese from the church after they refused repeatedly to stop taking flash photographs during a service. It wasn’t a matter of misunderstanding the language as their tour “leader” spoke both French and English. They just seemed to have the attitude that the rules simply didn’t apply to them. This little French fellow showed them otherwise.

I wish I could say this was rare but if I compiled all the unbelievable-tourist-shenanigans I’ve seen in Paris, Scotland, England and America I would conservatively guess 85% involved the fine folks of Japan.

Madison- what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas! Now you know why!

Claire

While touring the Sistine Chapel a few years ago I observed two women eating Oreos--right there chomping away--they could be heard every time the monk called for silence. Another curious sight was a young woman at a B&B in Dublin who came down for her breakfast in a nightgown and barefoot. Everyone else, of course, was dressed but this did not bother her a bit.

Sigh... how soon this discussion will turn over to russians?

and then there was a group of French-speaking young skiers in Zermatt who walked into a restaurant for beers, after a day in the mountains... and shower was the last thing on their minds! "can anybody get me some oxygen or loan a gas mask?" I whispered...

Actually I don't know who the worst nationality is, my point was simply that bad behavior is not unique to Americans.

On a plane journey I was asked by the person next to me if I would not be eating my desert. I had already taken a small bite out of the corner and didn't care for it. I said that "no I wasn't planning on eating it"...he reached over and grabbed it and proceeded to finish it...very strange!

Why else would he have asked the question if he did not wish to eat the dessert?

Anyway, a lack of consideration for others is a consequence of stupidity, and stupidity respects no national boundaries. However, the opposite side of the coin is intolerance, and that can be a problem as well.

Why is it that Europeans have never heard of a line, first come first served? Spending an hour waiting in line at the airport for a European trip requires an hour of elbowing groups of Europeans out of the way as they jump the line from all angles, sometimes with all of their friends and family! Now that is a cultural practice that I can do without.

Of course the British wouldn't do a thing like that. Lining up is considered to be a British invention anyway, and certainly not something those 'Europeans' have been able to master yet.

Not a food thing, but a young English-speaking woman, pushed my husband out of her way as we were boarding our plan to return to USA from Paris. Ironically, her seat was next to his! She read or stared into space for the entire 7-hour trip!
They are everywhere! I do put ice cubes in my red wine-it's never cool enough....

dutyfree:
Ugh! Sorry to hear your trip wasn't quite what you had in mind. Oh well, better luck next time!

Speaking of lines, we were in Venice at the Basilica in St. Mark's, and were standing at or near the end of the line to get in. A tour guide leading a group of Japanese tourists approached the line, looked at us, and just pushed their way in front of us. We kind of stared at each other in disbelief, but being from NYC, couldn't just let them get away with it. So, we approached the guide and made clear that this was indeed a line and he would just have to wait his turn behind us. Of course, we have noticed, as others have said, that no one in Europe seems to understand the concept of a line.

I was in Istanbul in a museum. A young Japanese woman was standing next to me. I was admiring the fine stone carving and she reached out and touched it.

I snarled in perfect Japanese "Don't touch!". She gave me a horrified look and literally ran out of there. (I speak fluent Japanese). I hope I sufficiently scared her to so that she didn't get her handoil on other antiquities.

At least in Italy, the concept of a line has never been figured out, LOL. One just has to bend with the wind so to speak when travelling. And bend their elbows to get where they are going or one will never get to the front of the crowd. I learned that a long time ago.

A few years ago my sister, niece and I were in NY and took the harbor cruise. We made sure we were 1st in line so we could secure a good seat towards the back of the boat. I will not name of race of people that pushed and shoved us so much that we were worried for our safety.

They wouldn't stay put. Everytime there was something interesting going on they ran from one side of the boat to the other with regard for no one else. My feet were stomped on more than once and of course no apology. They tried to shove their way into our seats, but I held my ground and didn't move but I have to say they put a damper on my harbor cruise.

I've had two strange experiences while studying in Rome. One was the Italian people on the airplane packing everything belonging to the airlines into their bags. This included plates, silverware and glassware. This was pre-9/11 and we were still allowed "dangerous items".
The other was with a bunch of Italian guys we met while there. They showed us a video of some friends on a yacht. The one guy in the video took a cigarette and stuck it in his manpart. It brings new meaning to the term "smoking gun".
wierd people are everywhere- America doesn't have the market cornered.

How naive can you folks be? viz.:

"How did you know they weren't Canadian, rather than American?"

EVERYONE knows that a Canadian would first ask:

"Excuse me -- Do you mind if I behave in a totally boorish manner?"

Then he would behave in a totally boorish manner.

Then he would say "At least I'm not American, eh."

A Proud and Unregenerate Canadian,
tedgale

Janis, I think that steves poster is PopGear.

We were visiting a zoo and along came a group of Japanese honeymooners. They had a guide who dragged them from place to place and of course everyone got shoved out of their way for the photo's, as there were 8 couples it took quite some time to do this and we tried not to get trampled in the process. We soon learnt to try and beat them to the next interesting sight.

However what made us cringe was the sight of each couple in matching outfits, ie shoes, socks, shorts and orange shirts for one couple the next had a lovely lime green ensemble and so on. It was quite bizarre to see, these honeymoon tours must be huge as we saw several of these groups.

Guess that's love for you!

I laughed at the post by Henneth because it brought back a memory of an experience in Italy.

We had stopped at one of the "Autogrip" highway service stations. If you havent been to one, they are great. They are all along the autostrada in Italy and are similiar to our truckstops and the like. They are better though since they have great coffee, food, gas, etc.

I was trying to figure out how to order a coffee when a large group of British senior citizens disembarked from a tour bus and got in the line for food/coffee. They were all silver haired, neatly dressed in travel gear like pastel colored pant suits and matching purses. All very cute and nice. They patiently waited in line while tourists from other areas barged ahead, went to the top of the line, broke the line, pushed through the line, and caused general disorganization. The ladies were quite distressed and one turned to me and said in her lovely British manner of speaking, "These people don't know how to queue..."

It was very funny at the time.

Janis - Thanks for the heads up. I read some of his posts. Very mean spirited.

We were staying at a hotel in Triesenburg.

When we went to the breakfast room, a fabulous breakfast buffet was spread - breads, butter, jams, pastries, meats, cheeses, juices, and so forth, all beautifully presented along a lovely curved table.

Two, truly huge, American ladies (dressed in jeans, sweatshirts, huge and brand new white sneakers...and fanny packs...) had actually moved their chairs to the buffet table and were blocking nearly everything. They were grabbing all about and eating AT THE BUFFET TABLE!

The plates were at one end. When we picked up our plates, there was NO WAY to access any of the offerings with these ladies in the way. When I said, "Excuse me, please", they responded by throwing their elbows out to further block any access.

So, we returned to our table to sip a bit of coffee, wondering what to do. Not long after that, someone (hotel staff) spoke to the ladies and offered to return their chairs to their table. They refused!

Fortunately, they had been there for a while already and were nearly done, so finally left about 20 minutes later. As they got up, they grabbed ALL the bunches of grapes, most of the oranges and apples and other fresh whole fruits, lots of pastries and rolls, which they piled into their huge tote bags. One of them was loudly wondering how to best wrap up the butter! (Which she resolved by stuffing the entire dish, covered with a linen napkin, in her tote...). The other grabbed all the flowers!

Once they left, we proceeded with breakfast. (What was left of it...) This worked out nicely for us, as our waiter offered "anything you might possibly desire" from the kitchen.

When we returned later in the day, one of them was at the front desk complaining about no hot water or fresh towels.

Later, in the dining room for dinner, the waiter (who we knew spoke flawless English) pretended not to understand a word they spoke, making it rather impossible for them to order. They kept trying to tell him to just bring the "special of the day" and he pretended not to understand that either.

Later, in the cabaret, they were loudly demanding drinks, and everyone pretended to have no clue as to what they wanted.

The following morning, they were off in a corner of the breakfast room, complaining loudly, but not sitting at the breakfast buffet.

Good grief, the stories of tourist at breakfast buffets makes me glad that I don't really eat breakfast, LOL. I just prefer to go to the nearest cafe and have a few cups of espresso. But maybe I am missing out on all the "fun" watching the glutons. The stories are unbelievable..but that doesn't mean I don't believe them..just that what are people thinking?

No wonder on another thead a poster complained most of the people in Rome were rude, cold etc. If those in the tourist industry have to put up with these kind of antics morning after morning I imagine they would be crabby!

Dutyfree, I am sorry that your trip was shall we say "not the best". It is terrible to get sick while away from home.

My DH and I were in a diner, nothing fancy, but not really shabby either. The couple behind us in a booth decided to lay out their baby on the seat and change a poopy diaper while everyone around them was *trying* to eat. Then they left, and left the stinky poopy diaper on the table. It was so disguisting I lost my appetite, and never, ever went back to that diner.

Another time, on an overnight train somewhere in Europe, a couple that met that night (on the train actually) started going at it as soon as they thought the 6 people in the car were asleep. I am pretty sure that my laughter was a sign that I was NOT asleep.

In Vegas, my DH and I saw this man on a cell phone BERATING his beloved. He kept saying "Where the f* are you? No you aren't, I am in front of the f'ing Mirage right now..." etc. We walk in the doors, and hear her saying "WTF, I am HERE YOU GD B**stard." I mean, really screaming. We tried to tell her that her "beloved" was in FRONT of the hotel outside. DH and I must have laughed for hours on this one, and sadly, even when they found each other, the couple did not crack a smile. I am guessing it was not their honeymoon.

Lastly, this one is sorta serious, but not meant to be political. In England this summer, a former US soldier was giving a speech about the Iraq war and how horrible it was over there. Not anti-war per se, but just mainly factual regarding the situation. An English journalist, in front of a room of about 100 people asked him if he had personally killed anyone. The solider handled it well and said he does not discuss that in public. However, I was so upset that I sought out the journalist and told him that I thought that was less than compassionate, very politely of course.

I posted earlier, but here's another one: we were boarding a rather crowded flight. A young woman had a violin (which was very obviously a violin, as it was a soft violin-shape case), which the airline attendant stowed away for her in one of the overhead compartments. A man who boarded late had one of those "carry-on" suitcases that was so overpacked that he should have been made to check it. He proceeded to attempt to stuff into the same compartment housing the violin, and when it wouldn't fit, pounded at it repeatedly, therefore banging the violin - which was clearly visible. Thankfully an attendant chastised him for trying to damage the young woman's property and made him check it.

Two years ago in Paris, at the Napoleon apartments in the Louvre, I saw a guy hop over the velvet rope and SIT on the round, red, velvet couch. I and the other patrons were quite shocked, but the security guards merely escorted him back beyond the velvet rope.

LaSt year in Paris, at Le Caveau de L'Isle, an American woman, apparantly from the South, was enjoyinG her meal soooo much, it sounded like she was making love...LOUDLY!

My WTF tourist story happended in Florence, but the perp may have been a Florentine; he was definetly Italian.

It was early September, height of the tourist season, in a cafe at the center. There was a very long line to use the toilet, and rather than wait, this Italian man, who was drunk, just decided to go against the wall, right there in the area outside the toilets. With at least a dozen people right beside.

That's a hard one to forget.

But I think the prize here goes to the fat ladies who pulled their chairs up to the buffet table. I used to always have a Christmas Eve buffer, and one year, a friend (the same one who never game my DD a wedding gift, after taking part in a full weekend of wedding festivities) and her mother just pulled their chairs up to the table. I was aghast!

I can't stand it when people put drinks or used dishes on my buffet table; imagine how I felt when these two sat there and chowed down.

This happened years ago on my first trip to Italy but I'll never forget it. Sorry to say it involved two Americans.

Near the Piazza Signoria in Florence was a store that had a life sized, "anatomically correct" suit of armor standing outside the door. I saw a woman kneel in front of it, take a certain piece of the "anatomy" in her hand and hold it up to her open mouth, while her male companion took her picture.

These are great stories-keep them coming!

Not quite so ghastly as some of the stories beforehand but as it happened in the "breakfast" area where so many of these horror stories take place I thought I would just add my bit.

We were having breakfast at the Del Senato in Rome last year and at the next table to us a group of American ladies (very strong accents no doubts there) began to discuss in very loud and graphic detail their thrush/candida problems. It was a very long discussion and as each new person joined the table they joined in with the topic. To say it put my husband off his breakfast was an understatement. Some things are best left unsaid;at least at breakfast.

Being an American I suspect I notice the bad behavior of other Americans more than that of others. Its a sense that they are letting down the side by doing so.

I recall being in a little restaurant in Italy, off the tourist track, or at least as far off as one can be in a major Italian city.

My companions and I were enjoying a leisurely meal. There were no English menus and no English speaking staff but my rudimentary Italian was sufficient to read a menu and order.

Six American tourists entered (maybe we weren't that far off the tourist track) and proceeded to demand English language menus, complain that the staff spoke no English, and then resorted to calling for spaghetti and meatballs, speaking loudly and slowly in the way that people do in the expectation that non-English language speakers will suddenly grasp what they are saying.

I walked over to their table and sorted them out about the situation and then helped them order. I was forced to return several times to deal with their grumbling and complaint's and finally to review the bill at meals end. Mercifully, they ate with the speed of people who have lived their lives subsisting on fast food and were quickly done. Their exit restored calm to the premises.

When my party, eating at a more Italian pace, completed our meal, paid the bill and were about to leave, the waiter gestured for us to remain seated and produced glasses and a bottle.

Pouring drinks for all, himself included, he smiled and said "Italia, America, Friends!"

We stayed and closed the place, conversing as best we could in a mixture of school boy Italian, broken English and gestures. More than a quarter century later we all still recall the moment with great fondness.

The moral of the story is that those who behave badly punish themselves with their own dyspepsia and the anger and dislike of others. Those who try their best to behave well are often rewarded by kindness and friendship.

Not wanting to add to the foreigner bashing as I am a foreigner to the rest of the world- but as a brit is it my national duty to take a shot at the French. While in Cape Town last November my wife and I were waiting for the cable car up to Table Mountain. We were first in the line when a large group of French tourists arrived and as the cable car arrived all rushed the entrance, not even allowing those on to get off. They all positioned themselves by the open window for the best views of the mountain and Cape Town. Imagine my joy when the cable car started to revolve, should have seen their faces. Alias this still didnt not stop them holding on for dear life until put in their place by the car operator.

Jim, that reminds me of the NUMEROUS times I've had to tell tourists off who charge onto Tube trains without letting off the passengers first. A cardinal sin on the Tube, which runs smoothly with vast numbers of people because we all know how to behave, where to stand etc. I would like to point out at this time that American tourists are some of the few that politely stand back and follow the rules

Remember....we are not bashing any particular tourist group-just strange and weird "doings" of tourists that you have seen!

In my years of working with tourists, the group who IMHO have been the most ungrateful, pushy, demanding, thankless, and downright rude: Israelis. How often I have seen them stuff brochures, folders, photos, and travel literature into their pockets only to dump them on the sidwalk just outside our office door. Why? I suppose because this material was free of charge.

Madison they were performers for the evening show and had to keep their strength up

We were at the temple of Delphi, and some idiot american starting climbing up on ancient attractions. The guards did yell at him and he got down. Drunken americans on a train in Italy, loud, obnoxious and throwing up. every one in the train car looked shocked, including us, and I was wishing I wasn`t an American. They kept running to the bathroom, and believe me, no one else went into that bathroom after them.

What I find interesting in this thread is the lack of assertiveness evidenced. I can recall only two incidents above of anyone admonishing the boors. Is everyone afraid of saying, "the rules prevent that" to anyone else? How else are ignorant people going to become educated if we all wait for "the next guy" to say something.

Tomboy - Unfortunately, some of us have had run-ins with those that don't speak our language or if they do they act as though they don't, they just give you that blank stare.

I have an example, but with a good ending. In Florence, an older American woman with her husband and grandaughter, sat beside us in a restaurant. They were obviously very well off. During the course of the meal the "lady" announced in a loud voice that she thought it was pretty rich that the U.S. paid to defend Europe so that all these Europeans could swan around enjoying the good life. Dead silence. Another gentleman at another table stood up and started towards her. I leaned over (with my wife rolling her eyes knowing what was coming) and mentioned that perhaps Europeans did not asked to be "defended". Her husband, with a great deal of grace, said that his wife did not mean to offend and agreed that the US did not defend Europeans so that they could "swan" about. The other gentleman turned around. I was quite impressed with the husband - I am sure he paid for it later.

Probably so, TorontoSteve. You know what they say - no good deed goes unpunished.

Okay, one more… a couple of years ago I flew to England, met with an English pal, and we flew from London to Paris. He was showing me the sights, having been there many times before.
The place we were going to was Funicu Lauire (you can rest reasonably sure that I’ve misspelled that.) We went up a very high hill via tram to a beautiful, “new” church built in 1870.
Outside there was some lady from New Jersey, I’m guessing, eye makeup like Liz Taylor in CLEOPATRA, three or four layers of lipstick some of which was actually on her lips, skin-tight spandex trousers worn high enough to cover her massive belly looking for all the world like a bass drum was concealed in her pants, a cigarette jammed jauntily in the corner of her mouth, going from person to person, braying, “Where’s the main drag? Hey, anybody know where I can find the main drag? Geeze, c’mon, somebody’s gotta know where the main drag is…”
My English friend still relishes telling the story particularly the part where I walked up to her and discreetly said, “Ma’am, from the looks of things I’m guessing that YOU are the “main drag…”
She simply looked at me, puzzling over whether or not I was dangerous, and waddled away, stopping to look back at me at least three times as she slowly---very slowly---faded away on the horizon.

We have one particular European group of travelers who seem to follow us around.

In Oaxaca about thirty of them arrived to eat in the restaurant where we were waiting to order. They were obviously a tour group and had been expected. However, they systematically kept calling the waiters to their tables to make demands so that it was 45 minutes before we could order and two hours after that before our dessert was ordered.

In Alaska we had arrived at the airport and were picked up by a van from the motor home company from which we had rented. As we circled to leave the airport a woman came out of customs frantically waving and signalling us to stop. She was the leader of a tour group who were also renting motor homes, and we were supposed to keep circling, and circling until her group finished with customs and collected their luggage. It didn't work.

In Denali, when we took the shuttle out to Wonder Lake, a large group of them (or their ilk) talked loudly among themselves in their native language, completely drowning out the narration, almost the whole way out. Almost the whole way, I say, because I had finally had enough and stood up and let them have it. Glares, I got, but at least I could hear again.

I haven't been to Germany yet to pay them back. <grin>

We (Americans, sigh) were in the Tower of London, and had just finished the tour. It was time for a "changing of the guard" type moment - I'm not sure precisely anymore, but switching from one group to other on duty.

The Tower Yeoman Warders (highly trained and very serious military people, who give tours while they're also simultaneously in charge of security for the Tower) had politely but firmly herded all of the tourists off to the sides of the main pathway, to make room for the armed-to-the-teeth new guards to march in and relieve their as-well-armed old guards.

An American (sigh again) stepped out into the middle of the paved "road," right in front of the advancing guard. He wanted to "get a good picture" (as he kept telling everyone). We were all appalled, and several of us called out to him and told him he needed to get back with the rest of the us.

The Yeoman Warders came over to move him away, and he tried to "shrug them off," again stating that he just wanted to get some great pictures. As they bodily lifted him to move him from the fast-advancing marching unit (perhaps 25 feet away at that point), he continued to argue with them that he "wasn't hurting anything" and "the best pictures were right there in the middle, watching them come toward me."

About thirty minutes later, we saw him walking on a roped off section of lawn in one area of the Tower. Once again, the Yeoman Warders helped him to "understand" that he wasn't supposed to be there. (He, of course, wanted a specific picture that could only be taken from that patch of lawn.)

Our greatest surprise was that we saw him the second time...why in the world did they let him stay?

Let's just say we weren't real proud of our countrymen at that moment.

Some people....

Gayle

Good point, tomboy, though I must admit that the few times that I have requested better behavior, I have been verbally attacked - and the behavior has continued. This is not a travel example, but I will never forget it: I was at a classical music concert, sitting behind a woman and a little girl. The little girl asked questions during the entire first piece, which the woman answered, therefore encouraging her. Before the second piece began I told the woman that the girl was being disruptive and asked if she could quiet her down (which was obvious, since everyone in our section was in the process of leaving or finding new seats). She was extremely offended. In my experience most boors seem to think that they are entitled to their bad behavior, and that correcting them is boorish.

DH and I were at Neuchschwansein castle waiting in line for the small bus that goes up the hill. We were second in line and the bus comes back and lets passengers off. The line of waiting people was starting to go to the bus when from the back of the line or somewhere this American tour group leader jumped onto the bus step and comandeered the bus. This is for the Garmisch party she kept saying. The people that had waited in line were about to lynch her. The bus driver, I think had a few words with her, but it made no difference.

Use your imagination please... I go the the public restroom near Convent Gardens a couple of years agoa around eight in the morning. A woman,very poorly dressed, was wrapped around the hand dryer with one hand on the top of the dryer and the other down her pants, eyes closed...After several minutes I left and other friends went down. Still in the same position.. It was truly the weirdest, saddest thing I have ever seen. I am assuming she was homeless and on some type of pharmaceutical product. And yes, the dryer was running! Or, maybe she was just one of those crazy, fun loving brits!

Some friends were eating dinner at a nice restaurant in Florence one evening. 2 other American couples who were sitting on opposite sides of the restaurant begin talking across the room to each other. They figured out they went to rival colleges and, as the night goes on, they got louder and louder until pretty soon they were singing their school fight songs at each other.

There was applause as they left the restaurant.

I was at dinner with my mother at Florence's La Giostra when a large group (something like 12) of Italian-Americans came in. They were rambunctiously loud, all dressed up, none over 19, all talking about the most ridiculous things (namely sex, though sometimes moving on to how much money they had, etc). They took up two tables, and because they were not next to each other, kept getting up and moving between the two. They all kept going into the bathroom, which I assume was to do coke, as they all ate very little and got so chattery by the end of the night that I couldn't take it.

Anyways, next to us was a couple from New York. . . very proper and nicely dressed. One of the girls started to address them loudly and asked where they were from. The wife's curt reply was "New York." The girl then said "No way! Me too" and lifted her hand to give a high five. The woman gave her the iciest stare ever and that girl instantly shut up.

However, the raucous continued, and got even louder when the bill came and no one wanted to pay.

Claire

come on-some more stories on a cold Sunday morning..............

My personal favorites are the ones on buffet behavior. Esp. the ones where the people pulled up chairs and ate. I would like to see that, in fact, I would take pictures and post them on this board. (If you could do that.)

My host dad reminded me of this one. . .

Long story short, one Sunday morning I ended up having to meet up with this Icelandic guy to give him a set of carkeys. I waited for him at the station and once he got there and had the keys, invited me to a coffee for the inconvenience.

We were sitting at the table chatting and he said "Want to see a picture of my wife?" He then broke out the digital camera and there was his wife, totally naked, full frontal, on her knees, hands under her hair in a porn pose. I was really hung over, so when he said "my daughter took this one" it didn't register 100%. Then he started to toggle through more images, though, and I gulped my coffee and said "well, gotta go."

My sister, daughter and I were in Florence in the Uffizi and we heard this loud commotion. As we looked up the large staircase this women was coming down the staircase just ranting and raving about how the museum was lying to her and she was mad as he!! and who do they think they are messing with her. Two men were with her and they were really embarrassed. She was very loud and was having one major hissy fit. As she got to the bottom of the stairs, she passed us and the men looked at us and my sister asked one of the men what was wrong and he said they won't let us see David. We looked at each other and started to giggle and my sister politely told the man you are in the wrong museum David is in the Accademia. He looked at the other man and said oh, boy you get to tell her! That, by far was the biggest hissy fit I have ever seen, it even out did most 3 year old's!

Americans aren't alone in having boorish, rude, insensitive people but I was embarrassed for Americans recently who snapped pictures in Museums where th signs read no cameras, please.

These are FUNNY!, and disregarding nationalities they are sometimes embarassing. After reading the original question I was going to add that I too am puzzled at seeing people at the "buffet breakfast included in the room rate" making their lunch of ham and cheese sandwiches, rolls, fruit etc. I just don't get it.
But now this seems mild after all the other funny posts have been written.

The buzz word currently around the world is the word "RUDE"....and this seems to be taking place more and more. Many of the above actions would fall into this catagory.. This seems to stem from the feeling a lot of people have of, "It's all about ME".

There are plenty of courteous, nice, and gracious people in the world.....however the above stories make for good ,entertaining reading!!!

I guess I am in the minority b/c I don't find most of these funny. Yes, some of the situations are amusing (some downright outrageous!), and if that is how it was being discussed, this would be a "fun" thread. But the underlying prejudice I find disturbing. "OMG, by far the worst are the Japanese". "Those Israelis - taking all that stuff, I guess b/c it was free". One doesn't need much understanding of history to see where statements like that led.

I just saw the movie "Crash" last week. It was an amazing, throught-provoking movie. The themes are disturbing and depressing. Maybe I'm more sensitive b/c this movie is so fresh in my mind. (And believe me, no one has referred to me as "politically correct" or lacking a sense of humor). Although I'm sure those accusations will be forthcoming after this post!

And since it's Feb., I'm helping my son do a report on Martin Luther King. If you substituted "black" (or even the "N" word) for "American" or "German" would it be different? Maybe not.

P.S. And gosh, I am just TOTALLY EMBARRASED to be an American b/c THEY ALL read Rick Steves!

Not to be rude, but I do find it is a little odd when people force their ettiquette rules on other people.

Sure, it seems a bit tacky for the guy to openly put the sandwiches in his pocket. But how do we know what his reasons were for doing so? Maybe he was bringing them up to his roommates who were hungry? Maybe he was short on funds and trying to make the food last for a day? Maybe he was making the sandwiches to give to others who had no food?

I admit that there are all social faux pas that we all make from time to time....but something inside of me cringes when I hear or read others discussing what their society or culture deems appropriate or inappropriate.

Sure, it may not have been the most polite, but if I am in a different country on vacation, I really don't care what another vacationer is doing as long as he/she is not harming another person.

Maybe I just have issues with buffets in general and personal feel that it is ok to take away a little food with you. And yes, many of my friends do not agree.

i think americans just really need to get over it. millions of people visit europe from all over the world, each with their own quirky behaviours. no nationality is nearly as self conscious of itself as americans are.

i think that those americans who are constantly "cringing" at other americans' behaviour in europe need to go out and travel more to get a more balanced view of the world. it's really pathetic and all of this cringing really belies a strange view of oneself as a nation.

Walkin - are you saying that all the posts that point out boorish behavior of Americans are all coming from Americans? I never saw it that way, but then I have no idea where most of you live.

Japan: My friend and I walked into a rural izakaya in Toyama, Japan. After a few drinks the master of the pub asked my friend, an American how large his penis was. My friend didn't answer. The master then grabbed my friend's penis and my friend, feeling violated, went ballistic and punched a hole in the wall of the place! We were asked to leave politely since we had been there a couple of times before.

Rome: My sister and I were in a seedy club in Testaccio. We befriended 3 people from Napoli, one of them a girl. They offered to give us a ride home. We got into their car and on a deserted street they stopped and told us they would only drive us to our destination if they could buy my sister's new SONY cybershot for 50 euro. We laughed and they demanded we get the f---- out of their car.

Morocco: On our way to Zagora, our careless driver hit a herd dog. The owner of the dog then came to the vehicle. We tried to apologise and offer some compensation. We were so ashamed and terribly sorry for what he had done. The owner didn't want to hear it and started grabbing rocks and screaming at us. At that point we had to flee for fear of having our heads bashed in.

Perugia: A few years ago I was taking a leisurely walk in one of the back alleys of the the city's centro, when I stumbled upon a gang of punk drug addicts. I thought not much of it until they started screaming and yelling. In the distance I could see one of them in the middle of a bowel movement so I decided to turn the corner to avoid them. Suddenly, one of them cornered me and demanded money. I really had not one penny on me and told him so. He then laughed and spit on my neck.

Bangkok: My girlfriend and I decided to explore the seedy Patpong district that we had heard so much about. We decided to go up a flight of stairs into a cheesy gogo bar. Being the only females in the place, we were quickly surrouned by ten strippers. In the back of the room we could see an American man in a wheelchair being carried up the stairs into a back sex room.

Please tell me I did not just see that last post!

Bad and unexpalinable behavoir is everywhere. Taking extra food for later from the buffet is no biggie as we can tell from some of the later posts. In fact, one buffet that my family frequents kindly provides my mother with a few plastic bags to help herself or they are kind enough to make her a sandwhich for her 4 hour ride home. So instead of it being a sneaky thing, it is out in the open with the permission of the management and it hurts no one.
Get your rental car smashed when its parked or your entire purse stolen (as I did with passports, travelers checks and everything) and then complain. Thank goodness for the American Embassy that took care of us until we got matters straightened out.

The movie Crash is an eye-opener. Do not judge others and it doesn't matter where people where born or what language they speak.

If we want to discuss a horrific tourist story, we can start a discussion on the disappearance of the girl in Aruba last year on her school trip!

I do hope that we are NOT going to start bashing Aruba because a young girl did as young people so often do, made a bad decision.

sorry I accidentally posted before I was ready. As I was going to say, my heart goes out to her parents, especially since I have kids in the same age group. But bad things happen everywhere. Sometimes I think I survived those years by divine intervention. While I do think there was some kind of official evidence coverup, I am tired of hearing people defame Aruba because of one incident. By the way, I am not from Aruba! I wasn't actually all that crazy about it when I was there.

I was in Da Vinci's house in Amboise, France when a busload of Japanese tourists entered the room I was in, which was filled with delicate models of some of Da Vinci's inventions. They proceeded to touch and move all of the inventions, none too gently, and a couple of the women sat down in the antique chairs scattered around the room (even though they had ropes hanging on them to prevent this). There were signs everywhere asking people not to touch the models, but they simply didn't care. Flash photography was also prohibited, but that didn't stop them from taking pictures either. I was absolutely disgusted.

On my way home from Paris, an Indian family also flying back to Boston were in a row across from me. The older of two children began making noise, clanking the ends of the seat belt, slamming the top of where the seat tray lifts up. The woman next to me was reading, trying not to snap. The parents said nothing after five minutes I told that child to be quiet, than a few others started complaining after he refused to stop. I said to the seatmate I'll open the window, if you throw him out and she laughed as did the others behind me and a flight attendent who gave me the wink and had them removed to another section of the plane.
There is not one country that hasn't these nasty travelers so please don't point fingers.

At an Internet Cafe in Florence a month ago, two young American girls were using the computer to message a friend, and the conversation was LOUD and FILLED with four letter words:
Girl 1: What the @#$@? Did you ask her @#$@-ing boyfriend if she would come over for dinner?
Girl 2: Oh @#$@! No @#$@#-ing way. She knows I'll kick her @$#$-ing scrawny @#%## white-@#$@ all over. @#$$!!!
Girl 1: You are so @#%#-ing right...
etc.
I looked over at them a couple of times, and one of them said to me "You got a @%$#%$-ing problem wit me?"
I said "Yes, you are being really loud and using offensive language and I would appreciate it if you be a bit more respectful here. Thank you."
Response:
"I'm gonna kick your @%#$-ing @#$ when we leave. Mind your own @%$#-ing business, you @#$#. @#$#$ you, you @#$#$-ing @#$#$#. You better watch it when you leave, you @#$#." and so on. Did I mention that I am clearly well over 30? Female? Obviously no threat???
Well, Italy being Italy, no one did anything, so I stayed there well after they left, and I had my cell phone firmly clamped to my ear with my finger on the emergency button.
This makes me wonder if confronting such behaviour in a foreign country, without any assistance available in your native language, is really worth the effort.

I think it would have been better to just ignore them and let the management or a native deal with them. We don't know if they were upset about something that was very serious.

We all have our days when we don't always use the best language or the nicest manners.

Maybe this true story will be more to your 'taste':
My friend had us over for Thanksgiving dinner, and she also invited an Iranian man who was alone in the city but connected with a church mission somehow. Anyway, we are all at the table, passing the dishes around. One of them was an orange jello salad, like a mousse, and the Iranian fellow picked it up, took a scoop then proceeded to spread it on his bread. Everyone kind of darted eyes at each other, as in "what should we say??" when my husband took the orange mousse salad, got a scoop and began spreading it on his bread. His inspiration saved the moment and we all relaxed and enjoyed the rest of the dinner, and her guest was not embarrassed.

Travelnut, that's like the apocryphal story of Queen Victoria and the guest who drank from her fingerbowl. Very nice of your husband, in any event!

After reading these last few posts just to get the gist of the topic, I readily see that "rudeness" is the key word...so may I share something heartwarming, emotional, and a damn-site more beautiful for you.

When group tours were the only way to get into China during the late 70's, my late wife and I and a couple of friends joined one. It was quite well-behaved, and consisted of veteran travelers like ourselves. We had a marvelous 30-day tour of 12 Chinese cities in most major regions, and also included HK (then Brit)and Macao (then Portuguese). I might add that flying Chinese aircraft in those days was an adventure in itself!

While in fairly remote Kunming, we were staying at a rather seedy hotel on the town's Green Lake, and at a sumptuous banguet dinner, we shared the dining room with a Japanese group of 20 tourists, all men!

Several of our group including me were military vets, and one was a Flying Tiger pilot who was actually based near Kunming at the terminus of the Burma Road. The Japanese tourists also had many old timers who we quickly surmised were vets. The Flying Tiger and I decided to go over to the Japanese group and start a conversation with my terribly broken Japanese from my two years in Japan. In no time, we were exchanging toasts as there were at least half dozen who spoke pretty good English..one of whom was also stationed in China and was a combat pilot with several engagements against The Flying Tigers, no less.

The general topics of the toasts which by this time were springing forth from almost everyone in both groups...were P-E-A-C-E, and Health and Friendship for all...not a dry eye in the dining room....the peak moment was when Hal McConnell, our Flying Tiger, embraced the Japanese fighter pilot... as they drank glowing toasts to each other....their group then serenaded us with "Chatanooga Choo Choo" which for some reason they all knew...and with one of our group playing the harmonica very well, we sang a variety of pop songs to them...in fact I sang one favorite the way the Japanese sang it when I was stationed there, and drew huge roars of laughter...(" I rubba you, for sentimentar reasons, I hope-a you do belieber me, I gibba you my heart...etc)"

Truly a highly emotional night to remember...When their bus left after breakfast the next morning, our entire group embraced each of them as they boarded and waved goodbye. Cameras were snapping at a furious pace on both sides...I cherish those photos to this day.

Stu T.

stu t- you warmed me.

What a beautiful story, Stu. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Maybe someone should start a "Please tell me that I did see that happen ..." thread, so as to remind us that sometimes humanity doesn't suck!

Hmmmm.....

Note to self - NEVER travel with rotaka

Great Idea Tracie

Carpe diem! A local custom, like charging $500 a night for a closet sized room!
When in Rome, carpe the diem!!!
Mange bene! Most hotels and restaurants will accommodate "take aways" if you ask tastefully for a package.
(But try to be discreet, not stuff snacks down your pants!)

<<I do hope that we are NOT going to start bashing Aruba because a young girl did as young people so often do, made a bad decision.>>

Well, as my Mom and Dad told me several million times, when you're where you're not supposed to be doing what you're not supposed to be doing...

I remember 2 years back while in Tuscany being surprised at how obnoxious this Canadian girl was. we went to a winery I think called Castellina di meletto and they were not doing public tours as they were only for pre-booked bus tours that day. We were told to wait anyway by this lovely german girl who was organising everything and speaking about 3 languages to various people around her. We sat down and this other couple came in like us and sat at another table. we were offered a glass of wine and some cheese and told if we could understand French an Italian gentleman who works there would be happy to give us a little tour for the four of us. I thought i could handle the translation and the other girl piped up she knew French. She also started the Oh My Gawd how many lanuages do you speak to the German girl who was up to her eyes at that point. She said five and the Canadian girl did not believe her and was going on about how that is so difficult etc. I assume everyone knows better French than me so I let the Canadian Girl lead the translating (She insisted and I had no choice) and the lovely older Italian man spoke so clearly and simply for us. She kept interrupting him and translating everything different that i started to just tell my partner my version and ask the guide some basic questions as it was an interesting old house we were touring owned by the winery family for generations. Once the tour was over and she finally shut up (non stop talk about nothing!) We walked the garden in the back and saw the pool and hotel area attached to the winery. It was a hot day and a very beautiful and fit lady was sunbathing topless and this girl and husband had a good gawp. The girl just blurted out doesn't anyone wear clothing here in Italy at the beach or pool its ridicilous.

She was a very big gal and I won't repeat my other halfs comment to me but I just said to her europeans are not uptight about their bodies or Nudity it's natural everyplace is like this in Europe (OK I know its not but she annoyed me and i wanted to freak her out a bit). It really ruined the whole trip and I was so surprised they just stood there staring at someone trying to relax and sunbathe.

Its the overall rudeness of anyone I cannot handle

One afternoon, I was with my friends, sitting on an upscale terrace at the Old Port in Barcelona. A bit further was a whole group of mostly 30-something-men having a good time. Most of them were in suits, and there was some big fair going on in the Expo, so I think they must have been colleagues. At a certain moment, one of these guys drops his pants, showing his 'crown jewels' to everybody around, and then pushing it all between his legs, so that even the people who were facing his back (like us) could see everything we didn't want to see. I was completely shocked, and we tried to guess which nationality they were.
A bit later we passed their table, and it turned out they were fellow Belgians, though they were from Antwerp, which might explain just a little

Sorry did not mean to say ruined whole trip just the tour! Could care less about her after 1 hour

Stardust:

Perhpas he was from the Brussels Tourism Commission and trying to do an impression of the Mannikin Pis to encourage visitors!

*giggle*

There was an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal last week (in the travel section) entitled "Teaching Americans How to Behave Abroad". Some of the advice included:

* Talk small: (talking about wealth and status can create resentment.
* Slow down: relates to talking, eating, and living fast.
* Listen as much as you talk.
* Political and Religious constraint.
* Familiarize yourself with the local language and geography.

**Warning: here is an editorial comment:

Corporations that do business internationally have a responsibility to see that their agents know how to act in other countries. Perhaps we (US citizens) would be seen as less "Ugly" by others.

Well said!

I know a couple here in the good old USA that brag that they never have to buy breakfasts for the family when they vacation. They just drive to the nearest hotel (they especially like Holiday Inns) and go into the free breakfast room and freeload.

We were on a tour in Norway where a bus took us way up a mountain (can't remember the place and too lazy to look it up). It was 32F in the summer!! No bathrooms!! A woman told everyone to get off the bus, so she could urinate into a plastic bag!! Then, she got off the bus, and just threw the bag, amidst sparse vegetation, rocks etc. I will never get over that sight!! What an idiot!!

What would you have suggested?

I'm rather amazed that all of you actually got off the bus.

She should have left the other people on the bus and squatted down by the side of it or walked a few yards into the undergrowth, what my late mother called "Paying a visit to Mrs. Greenfield"

I was visiting Versailles several years ago when I encountered my "I didn't just see that happen..." story. The weather was beautiful and the gardens lovely... until...

We stood in line to use the toilets. The little girl in line in front of us obviously had to go but her (French) family was tired of waiting for her. There were four adults and each one took a limb (like they were about to draw and quarter her!), lifted her up a good three feet off the ground and pulled down her underwear. Right there, in the dirty of the courtyard, she peed with everyone looking in disbelief.

What happened to little munchkins getting to cut when desperate?

OK, I'll probably get slammed for adding to the "sterotypes", but have you ever been at a hotel where there were a lot of German hikers staying? The breakfast tables get ravaged for their days rations -- just as you describe here.

And by the way, I still vividly recall a TV Rick Steve's episode in Italy where he SUGGESTED that you can make a sandwich for the day from the breakfast buffet, although I don't recall his suggesting you treat the buffet like a local Costco.

In the restaurant of a New York City hotel, I saw a teenager clean her brush while standing in the "made to order omelet line" and throw the hair on the floor.

Health and sanitation rules mandate that once food has left the kitchen it shouldn't be returned. So, eat it up or take it away.Food items that are in secure packages, crackers, cheese and such can be reserved and served again. A superior class buffet will have attendants serving guests. This again is a sanitation practice. It keeps patrons from contaminating menu items.

Rolls for lunch? This story was current in South Beach, Florida 60 years ago.

GSteed: I think those health laws may apply only to the U.S. My friend in Florence told me he never orders wine by the carafe because "restaurants will mix wine together from unused bottles of wine and serve it in carafes".

Alya: Thanks for the LAUGH!

Geez, these stories are making me absolutely cringe. If I saw this happening at breakfast, I'd definitely have to say something, couldn't keep my mouth shut and as for the waiting in lines, if someone was pushing in ahead of me, I'd certainly have something to say about that too.
I love Fodors - best site I've come across for travel info - glad I found it before going on my first European trip this Christmas.

All these stories are so funny...Mine was tragic...

We were in Rome enjoying the Trastevere walking along the Tiber river. Across the street was a parked car with a couple in it. All of a sudden we realized that a young Italian man in the carwas violenly beating and chocking his girlfriend.It became really frightening because seemed like it was going on for such a long time. We wanted to do something but before we could, we saw some city employees approaching. All of a sudden the car speed away....

We still wonder if she is alive to this day.It left a bad taste for Rome for me .It brought Rome's violent past to reality for me!

Not just in Rome hypatia. In the small city I used to live in I saw the same thing ahead of me on a residential street. When the car ahead of me stopped for the red light the male driver started choking his female passenger. This was before cellphones. I was horrified! I honked my horn several times. The car turned onto a major street that led one to the freeway. To this day I do not know what happened to that woman.

Forgot to say I also saw a man beating a woman just off the freeway but was not too surpriseed as it was Utah...

I know a couple here in the good old USA that brag that they never have to buy breakfasts for the family when they vacation. They just drive to the nearest hotel (they especially like Holiday Inns) and go into the free breakfast room and freeload.


Thanks - super tip!

And NEVER get between a Japanese tour group and the miso soup on the breakfast buffet table!!!!

Our newspaper had a story today by a syndicated travel writer.

He was on a tour of eastern European capitals and complained that there were no bananas on the breafast buffet.

He was told that it was common practice for hotels to hide the unpeeled fruits when large bus groups were staying there because it all gets stolen for their lunches.

(Hey, is that a banana in your pocket.....?)

The lunch-from-the-breakfast buffet thing MUST have been in a book somewhere. While staying in NC for a week at a Homewood Suites Hotel, I saw multiple, different families packing meals.

The most annoying thing was the guy who commandeered the waffle maker and proceeded to make a pile of waffles... heaven knows what he did with a big ol' pile of waffles!

On the flip side, during our visit to Ireland last year, one of the B&B owners absolutely insisted that we take a piece of fruit with us for our ride each day. So sweet!

wow - hearing these expert, urbane and impeccably-mannered travel veterans trade racial slurs that are thinly disguised as critiques of others' travel faux-paux is sad and disheartening - just stay home - npo one will miss you.........

Racial slurs? What on earth are you talking about?

?????

When someone registers a new screen name for the purpose of throwing insults -- like suggesting posters are making racial slurs -- I'm very suspicious as to which regular poster needed to hide behind that new screen name. Check all that posters posts and see if there is a hint.

Unfortunately (or fortunately?) xj-blah-blah-blah has only posted twice thus far.

I did not sense anything racial about this thread...

There's nothing overly racially insulting about this post---according to most of you it seems that all nationalities are equally tacky.

Rather, this is a classic post in the vein of, "Aren't we the most cultured, well-mannered travelers, and to prove it let me tell you about those Other People Who Obviously Don't Travel Much and Really Shouldn't Be Let Out of their Own Little Area of the World."

Posts like this make me sad. And Neo, don't you have anything better to do than "investigate" posters by checking their back comments? That is utterly CREEPY.

Do you find that even more creepy than a poster registering two names here, pretending to be two people, and then having conversations with himself while attacking innocent posters and accusing other people of doing the thing he's doing?

Sorry, I find that far creepier.

Well, I'm probably the person that someone in Canada can't believe they just saw. We were in a large shopping center in Victoria and there was a small boy standing just outside a shop doing that "fank rant" - you all know the sound - hysterical screaming and not a tear in sight... "ah ah ah ah" at the tope of his lungs... while his mother went DEEP into the store and pretended she didn't know who he belonged to. Blame it on jet lag, blame in on my splitting head after listening to this from all OVER the entire area as we approached... but when I got next to him I leaned down, looked him right in the eye and shouted "STOP" ... well, he did... and everyone in the vicinity broke into applause. He also ran into the store to find his mother... who got glared at once she was identified as the parent of this little screamer.

And, no, I don't hate children - I have 2 of my own and I'm usually VERY tolerant... but I think I snapped that day. So, yes, I am an ugly American (hanging my head in shame).

So to any Canadians walking around saying "I can't believe that American woman shouted at a stranger's child"... that was me.

TinaLee

That's because Mom was inside shoplifting and didn't want her kid to call attention to it.

Here's my contribution:
My husband and I got married on the beach in Cuba. The hotel set up a little area circled in flowers, but we quickly became a tourist attraction, with beachgoers moving closer and closer. By the time the ceremony was over, some of them had even moved in front of our families! (Clearly recognizable by the fact that they were wearing tuxedos on the beach!) We have sone lovely photos of me in my gown, my husband in his tuxedo, and an obese, sunburned German man in a speedo.

wedding on the beach in Cuba: $2,500.
photographer for the wedding: $1200
picture of a German nude in a speedo: Priceless.

I am the one who started this post back in February and I apologize to all if you thought that I was racist;holier than thou on traveling,etc. The thread was started merely as a humorous one as I believe in this crazy world of ours with many different languages,beliefs,etc. that the two common threads that connect all of us is love and lots of humor.Even if you don't speak the same language or understand each other's cultural ties-laughing together/rolling your eyes at something weird joins us all to the same page.I travel everyweek overseas for work and have NEVER claimed that I am free of travel faux paus.I have embarassed my family and co-workers worldwide so please understand that I just thought that we all needed some humor these days.

Author: MissPrism
what my late mother called "Paying a visit to Mrs. Greenfield"

Oh! MissPrism, I love that one!!
I'm certainly going to use that on my next visit to France, where following the Tour de France, I visited "Mrs Greenfield" on a regular basis.

Dutyfree, I don't think you should feel bad for starting this thread. I think quite a bit of it has been given with tongue firmly in cheek, and some have been quite amusing. I can really see myself with my jaw hanging down or rolling my eyes at some of these "sights"... your own included.

TinaLee

We've had "to go" food from the hotel many times, for various reasons:

1) Husband goes down and gets me something to eat while I get ready in the morning;
2) We are in a hurry and need to eat on the road;
3) Instead of filling up a hotel coffee cup, we fill up our own travel mugs;
4) Gasthouses in Europe have actually asked us if we would like to take food with us.

Before labeling someone rude or a glutton, remember that there are legitimate reasons for taking food to go.

rudidawg: I hope that you can see the difference between bringing breakfast back to your room, and loading up food to feed the entire family (who just ate their fair share at breakfast) for a day.

The idea is the breakfast is provided, not a full day's food.

katya_NY,,

I do see that. I wasn't talking about watching people eat and then pack a lunch. My point was that fact is not always known.

This thread is all in fun. I saw a guy the other day at Schitterbahn in San Antonio pee before getting in his car with his family in the broad daylight. My husband would not let me honk the horn.

I don't get your point, milliebz. You wanted hime to wait to pee till he got in the car with his family?

Neo. He peed in the parking lot next to his car in full view of everyone including his family in broad daylight. I would have expected him to pee in a toilet inside the park like most civilized people.

gee, I hope you realized I was trying to be funny.

Neo,
Sorry I should have gotten the humour. I thought maybe I didn't give an accurate desciption. That is actually funny.

But by the way, men peeing in public (so long as they don't fully expose themselves) has never been a big thing in Europe including Paris. I remember those open air urinals they used to have in Paris where a man could stand and pee while freely talking with passersby. And even in London now they have those multi person urinals where a guy stands right there in public and pees into the thing -- although only his full back is exposed.

Note the fourth picture down:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/gall/0,,517220,00.html

Walking into a shopping centre toilet last week I heard a young man in one of the stalls carrying on a loud and extended conversation on his mobile phone. OK, this is not a traveller's tale, but for some reason it struck me as unusually crass behaviour. I could mention the habit of many Chinese people of taking lengthy calls in the middle of a theatrical performance, but I wouldn't want to be accused of racism.

too late, Neil!

When you attribute an annoying habit of the few people you've seen do it to an ethnic group that numbers in the billions . . . what would you call it? I could say conversely that the Chinese people I know and have seen at the theater have been impeccably well-mannered and wouldn't dream of taking cell phone calls during a performance of any kind.

I could further suggest that the posting and enjoyment of stories about people misbehaving (urinating in public, storing breakfast buffet sandwiches in their tacky cargo pants, among other things), makes some posters sound like the very "type" of person they're ridiculing.

If reading such stories bothers you, why do you continue to read this thread as it gets added to? Sounds like some of us enjoy it more than others. You said pretty much the same thing back a dozen posts or so, yet you continue to follow the posts. Why?

I fail to see how posting stories about rude behavior when traveling makes the poster sound like the "type" he is describing. If you post that you were falsely arrested by a policeman who was spitting tobacco juice at you -- does that mean you are prejudiced against all policemen, or that you are the same type of person as that policeman? What kind of logic is that?

Posting and reading stories of what is offensive may even make some people realize that what they have been doing could be noticed and could be bothersome to other people.

By the way I once mentioned that I was practically assaulted by a huge group of Japanese tourists taking hundreds of pictures in my face at tea at the Ritz in London. I was labeled a racist for that comment. Huh? Anyone who doesn't realize that groups of Japanese tourists take a lot of pictures has never seen a group of them while traveling. It isn't a biased or racist remark. It's simply a fact of what happened.

Sorry Neo, but your analogies just don't hold water. When you enjoy sharing stories that show others in a bad or humiliating light you're saying something about yourself. Gee, it doesn't surprise me that you've never heard that. Or can't imagine that it applies to you.

Like most people, after checking the new posts, I click on my own name and look at things members on the other side of the globe have posted in the night. I am just too much of a damned liberal to read something that purports to describe billions of people and not comment on it.

Telling the funny stories of what we have seen on our travels is not insulting to other people, we are all laughing at ourselves at the same time. You have to be really without a sense of humor if you can't see how funny some of these tales are.

That's not being a liberal that's being a nitpicker.

Amen!!!

No one would say I'm not a liberal. But what in the world that has to do with what you're talking about beats me.

I would think that if a thread offended me as much as this one seems to you, kswl, when I clicked on my previous posts I would ignore seeing what other "offensive" things had been added during the night, unless I was simply itching to read them so I could post some more comments about how terrible every one else is. It would be very easy to just ignore a thread that you know is offensive to your sense of "values". I suggest you try it instead of trying to reform the world.

True story:

I went to Europe a few years back on a tour. I met these 2 American girls, so we decided to all go out to a traditional British pub in London. I was having a great time and I was talking to various people...I met a French girl, a couple of Italians and some Aussie's (but no Londoners..go figure).

Anyway, the American girls were kind of off on their own even after numerous attempts to get them to join in the conversation with me and the Aussie guys and other people I met.

Then one of the girls came up to me and said "this is lame, we are going to TGI Friday's" I knew what TGIF was, but there are none where I live (which is Ottawa), so i didn't know what the appeal was.

I was flabbergasted...I said why would you go there when you could easily do that at home.

They shrugged and left the pub and apparently had a terrific time at TGI Fridays. The burgers are supposed to be top knotch, or so they told me.

Unfortunately after they left a cool local band started playing and dedicated a song to me, and started to play some Neil Young (only Candian band they knew I guess). Plus the band bought me and my new friends I met at the pub a round of drinks. Good times.

Too bad they missed it, but I am sure those burgers at TGI Fridays were amazing!

Americans don't hold the exclusive rights for rude, boorish and insensitive behaviour as anyone who has been around British late night binge drinking can testify to. in London on weekends in summer, people are vomiting on the streets in the west end, gross.

But to add fuel to the fire my worse 3 "don't tell me I did not see this happen in order:

1. Cairo museum in the special room where they keep the ancient mummies of the dead Egyptian kings, two Egyptian women gossiping about their families at high volume in spite of the signs that this room is a tomb and should be respected as such

2. Budapest, the Cathedral on Buda hill, the most sacred place in Hungary, and national shrine, German tourists wandering around inside with open beer bottles swigging away

3. London tube, Leicester square, one of the busy pedestrian connection tunnels at rush hour everyone slowed down and made a diversion, someone just did a fresh dump in the middle of the tunnel, absolutely the grossest incident I have ever seen.

But what in the world that has to do with what you're talking about beats me.

yes, I guess it does.

So let me see if I got this right:

It is simply horrible for anyone to come here and post stories about boorish or rude behavior they have seen when traveling. Talking about such behavior makes them just as bad as the person who did it.

It is perfectly fine for someone to come here and complain about how others post and what they say. Even calling them racists is fine. Doing so does not make that poster as bad as they are.

OK, I think I got it now. Carry on.

Good try. I see you're up to your old tricks, Patrick.

We’ve all seen people make a plate at a buffet and bring it to the room for someone who wasn’t feeling well or preferred to stay in their room. Or wanted to enjoy a hot mug of coffee upstairs while getting ready. That is completely different than any story that has been described here. Making sandwiches and stuffing them down your pants is STEALING. And it isn’t up to the guests to decide what the hotel should or shouldn’t do with the leftover food. OR what time the buffet closes. I cannot believe that people would defend stealing a days worth of food from the buffet. And to say that you don’t know someone’s circumstance and that they might be trying to save money – of course they’re trying to save money! I would have loved to save money on lunch today but there are laws about that kind of thing.

One of the worst things I’ve seen was in Ireland in Glendalough. A woman walking through, strolling across ancient tombstones while screaming on her cell phone. I’m sure she really enjoyed her day and got a feel for the place.

Guess he got that from Rick Steves! (See current post about Steves - several mention him 'stealing' from breakfast buffet!

It's official!

So says the Mirror...
BRITS are the rudest, worst behaved and least adventurous holidaymakers in the world - and Germans the best.

Tourist offices placed us bottom of 24 countries, according to a survey.

In contrast those sunbed bandits from Germany ranked highest for behaviour and their attempts to speak the local language. Dermot Halpin, boss of online travel service Expedia which conducted the survey, said: "Much as it pains me to say it, the Germans deserve the best sunbeds.

"British holidaymakers are some of the most widely travelled in the world. But that doesn't mean we're good at it." Expedia questioned tourist offices in 17 popular destinations worldwide. Britons were worst for rudeness, followed by Russians and Canadians.

They were also worst for their behaviour, learning the language and enthusiasm to try local delicacies.

Next on the bottom of the list were the Israelis, Irish and Indians. At the top, the Germans were followed by Americans, Japanese, Italians and French.

Americans were the most polite and Italians the most adventurous eaters.

Last night at a local restaurant I was kept thoroughly entertained by the woman behind me. Although the place features about 10 salads, none of them were what she wanted. She carefully described all the ingredients she wanted in her "special" salad. When the waiter finally said, "oh that's the _____salad except with blue cheese instead of mozzerella, she became nearly hysterical. No, she wanted the salad she described -- with the dressing on the side, which she insisted is nothing like the _______salad, despite the fact that has all the exact same ingredients except for the type of cheese. The waiter smiled and got the salad she thought she had personally concocted. OK. When the salad came she spent the next 15 minutes, saying this wasn't the dressing she usually gets. She wanted their dressing that is sort of tangy and thick. The waiter kept describing the four salad dressings they have and have always had since they opened. But she wouldn't hear of it. He finally brought her samples of all four. No, there's another one that she always gets and she went off again insisting that's the one she wanted. Finally she gave up and said, "well, this will have to do. The waiter I usually have would know but he's not here tonight." Everything was an issue. When the manager stopped by to ask how everything was, she was off again, and I listened to the entire salad dressing story again. And although she asked for tomatoes in her salad, she didn't like the ones they put in there. She wanted the cherry tomatoes, something the waiter says he doesn't remember them ever having.

The point of all this? Guess what nationality she was. No, not American, but I'm not telling. The real point is that she WASN'T American.

She should probably be grateful that the waiter didn't tell her that when her "usual" waiter found out she was coming he called in sick!

Darn. I forgot one of the most important parts of the story. The reason I was so aware of this entire episode is because this woman was SOOOOO LOUD! And that's the part that many of you would really pause at -- because many of you think that only Americans are loud.

Neil's post gave me a giggle as so many times when I have been in various Womens Restroom here in N California I have been shocked (yes shocked!) at women in their cubicle having a conversation on their cell phone. One time an acquaitance I was with did that. Never went shopping with her again, lol.

Man A enters a public restroom and sits down in his stall. Suddenly he hears a voice next to him.

Man B: Hi. How you doing?

Man A: Uh, well, I'm doing OK I guess.

Man B: Isn't it a fantastic day?

Man A: Yea, sure is.

Man B: You know I'm just having the best time. We should get together and talk about it, maybe have a drink.

Man A: Well, I'm kind of busy. Got to get back to the office.

Man B: Sorry, Fred. I'll have to call you back. Some jerk in the stall next to me keeps talking out loud.

OH Neo, LOL

Every time my parents talk about the time I took them to Niagara Falls they start laughing about the small Japanese lady that somehow pushed my Mother out of the way until she positioned herself closer to the boat's edge. She is in every picture on my father's lap.

Two lessons learned from this type of experiences; 1) I "fly" the other way as fast as I can whenever I see Japanese tourists approaching, 2) I only do breakfast buffets very early when not crowded. Otherwise, thanks, but no thanks.

So, if my train leaves at 6:45 A.M., and they don't start serving breakfast until 7:00, is it OK for me to ask the waiter for a bagel or muffin to take on the train with me?