Well, I'll respond to annhig's challenge. Here's my, not crazy, but funny-sad, story about a British couple.

I was on my way somewhere by train and saw these two elderly people walking in circles and looking very confused outside the Westbahnhof in Vienna. When I heard them speak English (please, the only English "dialect" I can tell is the Cockney one, so no, don't know where they were from in England), I asked if I could help, seeing their very lost and confused state - and with two heavy suitcases in tow.

They said they thought they had gotten off at the Berlin train station!

When I told them they were in Vienna, they looked even more confused.

To make a long story short, they needed help at the OBB office to get their tickets to Berlin (they couldn't understand the girl's German-accented English), help to go through the doors leading to the train platforms, help to find the exact platform, told to look up at the destination sign - by this time, I was running late to catch my own train, so had to run.

Sure hope they got to Berlin OK - but, if in your travels in Europe, you run across an elderly English couple with two heavy suitcases in tow... :)

ET - i can top that with the japanese tourist who was found wandering around Reading station in some distress - she thought she was in Holland!

it was kind of you to stop to help those two lost souls.

gruezi - I do know what you mean, but honestly, it was an american who started this thread!

and talking about stereotypes, have you seen the "heaven and hell" tea-towels?

"heaven is french lovers, italian cooks, german managers.....hell is german lovers, british cooks and italian managers".

we brits are the butt of many jokes about our cooking, not all of them deserved. In fact, I'm surprised that none of you have come up with any "awful british food" stories! so we all suffer from stereotyping to one extent or another.

As for stereotyping, I think we all hate it when it's unfavorable. I love when I'm told that those from the US are generous and kind. Well, except when it a cab driver or waiter... oh, wait, that's stereo typing.

I do have to say that until the US gets out of everyone's face politically and as world police, we will continue to receive a ration of stereo typing.

People can only judge us by what our gov is doing at the time. i.e. I recently had to listen (understandably) to many Mexicans talking about the latest rulings in Arizona.

Once I explained to people that I had no voice in those rulings things went a little better for me. I won't get into how people elsewhere feel about our not taking care of our citizens health.

Our doings and lifestyle is a big topic.
Just saying.

Many years ago when I was in England with two of my nephews, we saw some pretty bad behavior. We had just landed at Gatwick and made our way to the car rental place. Just as we were about to hit the check-in desk, three very tall young American men pushed ahead of us with their voucher. They very loudly informed the clerk that there was no way they could fit their luggage and themselves into the little car they had been given. Furthermore it was only a two door and the one sitting in back was not going to be climbing overr the folded down seat to get in. The clerk checked their voucher and told them nicely that this was the car they had ordered. They demanded an upgrade, but the clerk told them that none were available. They stood there arguing and getting louder and louder. The clerk finally said, "You have what you ordered and that's that. Now please let me wait on the other customers." The men stomped out.

The clerk called us up and at our voucher for the smallest economy car. "Since you were so polite and patient, I'm going to give you an upgrade. That young man looks as if he'll need some more leg room." (Even at 12, the young man was at the top of his age charts for height.)

We thanked the clerk and went out to pick up our car. I was indeed glad that we had the slightly larger car with four doors and room in the "boot" for all of our luggage. The boys were impressed and I was able to remind them that was why their parents stressed manners. Also reminded them that it doesn't always obviously pay off, but it will in the long run.

Several years later I had their brothers in Scotland. We were in a smallish town and went into a small cafe like place for supper. As we were sitting there, a group of six Americans came in and started moving tables around. The owner came out from behind the counter and asked what they were doing with his tables. The "boss"man said that they wanted to sit together and needed three tables. "Well, laddie, this is my place and I get to say who sits where. Now you only need two tables, and it needs to be the two over there where you won't be blocking the way in." The man was very angry and said, "You're lucky that you are the only game in town or we'd be out of here!"

"Feel free to leave any time you want."

The family sat down and proceded to argue about what they would have for supper.

My boys were sliding down in their seats and hoping that no one would know they were Americans. I told them to sit up, be proud, and show that not all American were obnoxious.

We saw the awful family again the next day and they were carrying on with one of the owners of the boats that ran trips around Loch Ness.

A few days later we ran into a waitress who must have hated Americans. We went into a small place for supper. The waitress slammed the menus down in front of us and went off. She seated several parties after us, and took their orders. Finally after sitting there for half an hour, I asked politely(or at least I thought it was polite) if we could place our order. She stomped over. The older nephew and I ordered fish and chips. The younger didn't see anything that appealed (he had a vwery limited palate at that stage) but said he would like just some chips. The waitress informed us that they didn't serve sides so I said I understood and would pay for a whole meal, just bring him chips. Half an hour later out came three orders of fish and chips. K asked for some ketchup (we saw it sitting on the serving station) and she told us that in her country, they did NOT eat ketchup with chips. I didn't confront her, just dealt with getting the fish off his plate. It was too late however, as he said his chips tasted fishy and without ketchup he couldn't bear to eat them. His brother was at the bottomless pit stage and ate his dinner and the brother's. Fortunately we had a box of groceries in the car so we could make the kid a pb&j sandwich.

irishface - i had [still have a bit] a son like that. your forbearance is to be applauded.

people are funny in their likes and dislikes - why, for example, did the waitress hate americans?

it happened to us on my first visit to Germany with my parents. we went to a little Gasthof that was recommended by my german teacher, but we were treated in a very off-hand way. Even so, being British, we stuck it out and made the best of it for the three nights we were there. it was only when we were leaving that we said who we were, and they were full of apologies, but they thought we were polish! [why take it out in the poles, I ask myself?].

and please don't speak to me about brits abroad who get drunk by midday, fry themselves like lobsters on the beach, then get bladdered in the clubs again at night.

<<As we were sitting there, a group of six Americans came in and started moving tables around. The owner came out from behind the counter and asked what they were doing with his tables. The "boss"man said that they wanted to sit together and needed three tables. "Well, laddie, this is my place and I get to say who sits where. Now you only need two tables, and it needs to be the two over there where you won't be blocking the way in." The man was very angry and said, "You're lucky that you are the only game in town or we'd be out of here!"

"Feel free to leave any time you want.">>

<<...The clerk checked their voucher and told them nicely that this was the car they had ordered. They demanded an upgrade, but the clerk told them that none were available. They stood there arguing and getting louder and louder. The clerk finally said, "You have what you ordered and that's that. Now please let me wait on the other customers." The men stomped out.>>

Cringe at this behavior and LOVE these examples of foreigners having none of it. Wish it happened more here in the US. But the bad behavior often gets these cads "their way". It's like children having tantrums. Makes me crazy...

What is odd is that you do not see that type of extreme behavior here. Last year NYC had 50 million visitors and yes people may walk on the wrong side of the sidewalk and walk six abreast to block the street but NY'ers do that also. The thing I hate the most is that they wait for the light and do not jay walk. Jaywalking is a competitive sport in NYC, so get out of the way.

There are many ways to spot a tourist. They have a goofy look in their eyes when riding the subway instead of being totally bored by the whole thing. And families that dress in shorts and walk around Wall Street is a tip-off. 90% chance blue jeans and white sneakers are tourists.

The truth is I avoid Times Square and the popular tourist restaurants whenever possible and never go to a musical, so maybe they act badly then.

annhig: <i>it was kind of you to stop to help those two lost souls.</i>

No problemo.

We're kind of all kindred souls, all a bit lost wandering this earth of ours until we're called by our Maker - besides which, I have been helped so many times by complete strangers that it's always good to feel I can pay it forward sometimes.

Your story about the lady at the Reading station reminds me of a story I read in the papers a few years ago. A young man bought a plane ticket, got on the plane, and landed in Taiwan. Days later, he found out he was in the wrong country - he had wanted to purchase a plane ticket for Thailand.

And, talking of Japanese tourists reminds me of another train station story. Somewhere in Germany, a Japanese family of four - father mother, and two lovely daughters - came up to me and started with a torrent of Japanese. I shook my head and asked if they spoke German? No. English? no. So, I'm scratching my brain cells to come up with some Japanese words and all that would come up were "oshi" (delicious) and "hai" (yes). So, I'm nodding my head in politeness (not in agreement) and saying "hai, hai". After a few moments of confusion, they finally understood that my then Japanese vocabulary consisted of only two words, so they whipped out their Japanese guide book and pointed at their desired destination. Ah ha! It's been about 40 years since I learnt my Hiragana and Katakana, so with painfully slow pronunciation their destination finally dawned on my dull brain. We go over to the ticketing machine, punch in what they desire, Dad inserts his credit card and voila! Four train tickets! The sun is shining on their faces as they break out in brilliant smiles. There's a lot of "arigato"s and bowing on their part and a lot of "oshi, oshi, hai, hai" on my part as we all dash for our individual trains.

I sure hope I sent them to the right town - but if, in your travels around Europe, you run into a lovely Japanese family... :)

My guess is that many people in NYC love tourist dollars. Who cares what they look like as long as they bring their dough.

If NYC doesn't want those Musical loving heathens send them up to RI. We'll take um.

<<"people are funny in their likes and dislikes - why, for example, did the waitress hate americans?">>
Who can figure out what makes people tick. Some of the worst treatment of foreigners was years ago when traveling through France with some English friends. Some of the French we encountered discussed the war like it was the day before.

This was almost, btw, almost as bad as seeing how a few Irish were treated when I worked in an English pub. This was around the time of Irish bombings.

That said, I'd be happy if the only flaw that foreigners/NYers could come up with for American visitors was bad shoes.

irishface, maybe that crabby waitress had just had those obnoxious people in the day before you(or some like them) and you got the brunt of her annoyance.

And Adu, I think that extreme behaviour is seen at home maybe you've just never noticed it.

I have certainly witnessed my share of jerky behaviour here in my country from some of my fellow Canadians. Some people just have an incredible sense of entitlement and have no idea how to behave in public.

I was working in a lovely boutique in Vancouver when I was young and a woman who was very wealthy and very well known around town (and not always in a good way, she was a known gold digger who got her start that way) came in and started ordering everyone around, she ended it all by snapping her fingers right under my colleague's nose, literally an inch from touching skin, and screaming at her, with spit flying. There was no need for this, we'd all been waiting on her every need. Anyway, she left and we were all pretty de-moralized.
I had a big laugh several months later when a friend who owned a hair salon told me she had been in to have her hair coloured and was ordering his staff around, snapping her fingers and yelling at everyone, generally behaving like the bitch that she is and he then told her she could not treat his staff like that, he did not care that she was his long time client, she was to leave immediately. Well, she had her hair in foils, halfway coloured and she said I can't leave like this! Oh yes, you can, says he, and escorted her to the door. I would have paid money to see that!

Yes, I have come across many obnoxious American tourists, but - to date - the most obnoxious ones I ever came across were German.

Cybor writes:
My guess is that many people in NYC love tourist dollars. Who cares what they look like as long as they bring their dough.
___________
You know nothing about NY'ers and it is obvious you did not read my posting because I was not complaining about tourists.

And if there was something in RI to see, you would have tourists.

I laugh, I cringe, I laugh, I cring. In the back of my head I hear my mother's voice saying, Play nice, Kids.

<<"You know nothing about NY'ers and it is obvious you did not read my posting because I was not complaining about tourists.">>

You're right. All NYers aren't created equal. The ones I know are secure enough to not care about other peoples foot wear or taste in musicals.

<<"And if there was something in RI to see, you would have tourists.">>
Alas, others may think differently. My comment, btw, was tongue and cheek. RI's biggest industry is yachting and tourism.

cathies - Sorry for the mispelling of Australia (did I get it right that time? I think so). I have mild dyslexia, so I end up misspelling all sorts of things. It is literally the bane of my existence. I had to look at your spelling and my spelling a few times before I could even see the difference.

Our boat was built in Bristol, RI, Cybor. Poppasquash Point I believe--we've visited it once. What an absolutely beautiful little town. Love RI, and need another summer trip to Newport or maybe for the boat show. I dream of staying at Castle Hill next visit, in one of those little cottages perched on a rocky cliff. Are boat shoes OK? ;) Love your state!

Boats shoes without socks.
Poppasquash - Gorgeous place - we kayak around there. Big doings up there recently about unearthing Anthony Quinn's remains.

I know someone who stays in those cottages every year. Killer location.

No socks a given. :D. What a place to kayak. Different strokes, etc....

annettafly - so funny, "play nicely" is exactly what went through my head! Well, this is Fodor's...

cybor - I am a RI lover... we have a place on BI and it is where I go to re-charge my soul. Hope to spend retirement there part of the year. And I think there are more than enough tourists;)