Are Americans afraid to travel?It sure looks like it.
Nov 16th, 2001, 03:58 PM
#6
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Why do we Americans have to do EVERYTHING for Europeans. It is not our job to travel the world. Let the world miss our white running shoes, t shirts and shorts for awhile. Maybe they will appreciate us more in the future. <BR>This Thanksgiving I am thankful I am American.
Nov 16th, 2001, 04:36 PM
#7
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I travel to reward myself and to celebrate. Lately, I can't think of a thing to reward myself or celebrate about. And, quite suddenly I don't have the money to travel. Those fearless Europeans will have to survive without my bucks. It's got absolutely nothing to do with fear.
Nov 16th, 2001, 06:13 PM
#11
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I posted this response in another thread, but it bears repeating here.<BR><BR>I think Americans are NOT being cowardly, but sensible in being cautious in travel. I commend those who travel but I also respect those who don't. There are many, many security bugs that still need to be worked out in airport securtiy - numerous interview of pilots and air stewards have revealed that they are deeply concerned about security.<BR><BR>The Atlanta airport shut down for hours today due to some lunatic.<BR><BR>I have a hard time believing that this is the way most Europeans feel. My over seas friends have e-mailed me stating they would be nervous about travel too given our circumstances. And many Europeans are not traveling to the US. Are they cowards?<BR><BR>I have a sneaking feeling that this is yet another post from the disguntaled travel agent who was posting for everyone to travel. Anyone who does not respect American's wish not to travel when they don't feel comfortable don't need American dollars when we do feel comfortable to travel. I agree with xxx, maybe this will create a new appreciation for the American tourist.
Nov 16th, 2001, 07:10 PM
#12
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I'm not going to Europe anytime soon because I'm tired of getting stale bread at every restaurant I visit. <BR><BR>I stood in line at bakery and ordered a pastry...mine came out of a bag under the counter while the "local" before me recieved a pastry fresh off the tray. You guessed it, hard as rock.<BR><BR>Ordering bottled water is a joke. Take a look at the cap next time and don't be surprised if it's a different brand than the bottle itself.<BR><BR>Let's admit it...you can get better food in the US and plenty of variety.<BR><BR>And forget about having any sort of handicap in Europe. If you're in a wheel chair you're not about to see any sights unless you can somehow make the chair fly up stairs, let alone go off a curb, or fit it in a tiny phone-boothed size elevator.<BR><BR>It's also soooo convenient that there are so many public restrooms in Europe. Don't you think it's reasonable to install a few more?? Perhaps a few drinking fountains?? No cowards I know will venture out for the day not knowing if they'll ever see a bathroom for the next 10 hours.<BR><BR>And don't tell me I'm a spoiled American. I don't want any special treatment when I travel...just equal treatment. <BR><BR>Europe is nothing special. They're the only people I know who can be condescending towards you and make you believe it's you're lucky day.<BR><BR>I'll be helping the global economy by visiting Mexico, the Carribean, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South America...and lots of fascinating places right here at home...where I can eat fresh bread and pastries, wash it down with plentiful water and find a place to relieve myself on every corner.
Nov 16th, 2001, 07:32 PM
#13
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Home,USA looks so good and feels oh so safe, right about now.Europeans are somewhat used to the type of goings on which we are having now ,in NY ,we are not.Also in our travels over there,we notice about 8 of 10 of them would love to come here,for good,.
Nov 16th, 2001, 10:44 PM
#14
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I hope hadenough isn't representative of many of my fellow Americans. I've never had stale bread in Britain, France or Italy, never been served differently from a bakery.<BR>It may be true that America is more wheel chair friendly, but I wonder how much this exists outside of big cites? I know that in Britain there is tremendous emphasis on disability access -- it's the law that public buildings have it, buses are being made (probably later than the US) with wheelchair access, etc.<BR><BR>As for public restrooms, there is simply a different attitude in Europe. There you can pop into bars, pubs, etc and use the toilets and no one minds. Because of this there are a lot more toilets available than if you have to use public restrooms, which can be few and far between in many parts of the US.<BR><BR>And can I point out that a carless traveller in the US is going to have much greater problems than one in Europe, where there are many, many bus routes and trains in comparison with the US. My parents and brother live in a town in Indiana that has a decent college but can only be reached by car and is at least an hour away from any train station, let alone a bus route.<BR><BR>Doug (who does think the attitude that he's seen expressed "I'll never fly again" is more common in the US, and wishes major car crashes got as much publicity as plane crashes so people had some perspective on the comparative risks)
Nov 16th, 2001, 11:53 PM
#15
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There we go again. Some Americans express their superiority complex again: "Also in our travels over there,we notice about 8 of 10 of them would love<BR>to come here,for good,." Yeah, right. That is why the US government decided to abolish visas for most Europeans 10 years ago. You know why? Because 99.9% of N/W/S/Central European visitors to the USA go home after their holidays. I am sick and tired listening to Americans who think life is so much better in the USA, where 20% of the population doesn't have healthcare. I also never seen so much extreme poverty in a rich country anywhere else. <BR>And think about this, which I read somewhere on the WWW: "49 Americans exposed to anthrax: U.S. considers invalidating Cipro patent to reduce costs. 36 million people with AIDS: U.S. sues governments which invalidate drug patents not to save money but so their people can live. <BR>With policies like these, is it any wonder why Osama bin Laden has so much <BR>support?"
Nov 17th, 2001, 05:36 AM
#16
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Nobody is thinking Americans are cowards not to fly. I would be scared stiff if I had to take a domestic flight in USA. Abroad is a different thing. And if Europeans don´t come to USA, the reason could be that USA certainly doesn´t feel a safe place to be. I feel a lot safer in Europe. Besides, it takes something bigger than tourism to wreck the global economy.<BR><BR>And the ever so holy (and wrong) belief that Europeans would actually want to live in the USA is totally ridiculous. Now why on earth we would want to do that???!!!
Nov 17th, 2001, 06:22 AM
#18
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My reaction is that if you fly in the USA you put your safety in the hands of irrational amateurs who panic at the slightest incidence and shut down whole airports. Yesterday at Hartsfield in Atlanta, the WHOLE airport was shut down because some lunatic acted strangely.<BR>He ran down the up escalator.<BR>Result: 10,000 people were evacuated from the airport and it was shut for 3 hours. They "nut" was not armed and clad only in shorts and a shirt. There was no indication of any weapon. Yet the simple act of running down the up escalator was enough of a threat to shut the whole airport!!<BR><BR>I flew back from Germany on Sept 20.<BR>I knew that security was more visible when I saw German border patrol troops standing around with asssault rifles and I was frisked going through the security gate. But I did not start to worry until I got to Philadelphia and saw that it was business as usual at the security gates. And in Charlotte my wife had her finger nail clippers taken. That airport was just about empty at 10 AM!!<BR>I was not as afraid of Osama bin Laden and friends coming after me, as I was afraid of what the airport security people would do if some unfortunate showed up in a turban and THEY thought Osama's boys were on the loose again. <BR>The security system that allows 4 airplanes to be stolen on one day with no difficulty is not going to be fixed by panic attacks that cause the authorities to empty whole airports because some nut runs down the up escalator!!
