"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."

You say "tourist" like it's a bad thing.

But seriously, who the blankety-blank blank cares if they are tourists or what they wear? Since this is a travel forum, I imagine the majority of us are tourists too. Most people dress for comfort when they are on vacation. So do locals who live in the city. Shorts, sneakers, and <gasp> even Crocs!

<<"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.

Those are activities for the average Joe. Tourism meaning looking at the homes of the rich who own the yachts and could care less less about the tourists.
__________

People always ask how can tell when someone is tourist. Here I print the reasons and people react as if that wasn't the trith. And 67% of people who go to Broadways shows are visitors and 18% are from the burbs. It is one of the great economic engines of NYC. But for vast majority of NY'ers it is not an important activity.

I've just returned from several weeks in Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, where I travelled in the company of a group made up largely of Americans. They were well informed and respectful (with one exception which I will get to), including a former F4 pilot on his first return since the war. Our guide, a gentle and humourous Vietnamese, did not mince words when he spoke of obnoxious tourists. Heading the list for aggressiveness and obnoxious behaviour he said, were Koreans, followed closely by Russians. At one stop he advised us to get early to the buffet at our 5-star hotel before the Koreans arrived and cleaned it off! After seeing groups of Korean tourists rampaging around Angkor Wat, I was inclined to believe him.

I did witness one "ugly American" incident which was so over the top that I could hardly believe my ears. One woman, within my hearing proclaimed (and I paraphrase), "Y'know, the Vietnamese should be grateful to America. I know the war was sad and all that, but we spent billions here and left them tons of infrastructure. Without us, Vietnam would still be in the dark ages. Now they're becoming a good capitalist country." I was dumbfounded and speechless.

I did see another ugly tourist situation, this time at the infamous S-21 Khmer Rouge torture and detention centre in Phnom Penh. This was indeed a place of unspeakable horrors, and very chilling, but that didn't stop a group of middle-aged Aussies from knocking back their tinnies and laughing and shouting with each other, seemingly oblivious of their surroundings!

I do think Americans get a bad rap when abroad--the Ugly American stereotype is overused, but as I found out recently, there certainly are some out there!

I think we're all agreed every country has its quota of people who shouldn't be allowed out without a licence.

Just to add to comments above. When I worked in a university with a lot of international students, it did strike me at one point that an awful lot of the grumpiest and most, shall we say, entitlement-minded were Quebecois. But I had a lovely time when I visited there. Maybe it was just the people, or the times.

And who can forget the British couple who found an amazingly cheap online fare to Sydney, and found out why when they landed in Sydney, Ontario (and apparently they had a great time there, too).

Poppasquash? Sounds like my nephew's children's favourite game.

An Aussie sterotype.... I had a water taxi tell me how long the trip would be in terms of how many beers we would be able to drink along the way.

Tie your kangaroo down mate and throw another shrimp on the barbie!

"People always ask how can tell when someone is tourist" Really? I've missed that somehow.

"But for vast majority of NY'ers it is not an important activity." Neither is sorting out who's a tourist and who isn't.


"I do think Americans get a bad rap when abroad--the Ugly American stereotype is overused, but as I found out recently, there certainly are some out there!" And some stay home. I wonder why we don't call them Ugly Americans when they are at home?

Cringing about the Aussie in the water taxi! Ouch!

November_moon, no harm done.

<i>and throw another shrimp on the barbie!</i>

Unfortunately, they don't sell shrimp here.

My daughter did get a Barbie for Christmas. I'm not allowed to throw prawns on it. Soils the ball gowns.

------------------------------------------------

Top 5 most abusive (which to me is way worse than clueless or whiny) tourists I've seen were all speaking French. Screaming at taxi drivers, waiters and sundry from Thailand to Morocco, in between looking bored and put out at having to be in some beautiful place on holidays. Perhaps the next contenders will be from someplace else entirely and I'm sure not indicative of most Francophones.

and throw another shrimp on the barbie

I used to say to my Aussie friends,"Throw another Ken on the Barbie." The Americans thought it was funny the Aussies had no idea what I was talking about.

Aussies would have heard of Barbie and Ken. But they would probably have no familiarity with the original expression. So they wouldn't understand why you were saying that to them.

(Aussies don't say "shrimp". They say "prawn". No Aussie I've ever met says "barbie" for a barbeque. It's just an expression someone, probably a US ad agency, made up for Americans and American tv marketing.

Kind of how Fosters isn't really Australian for beer. I don't think I've ever even seen it for sale in a liquor store here.

PalenQ---totally off topic here, but would like to learn as I go. Did I violate some Fodors etiquette above when I referenced our living in the same part of the world? Also, there's a new thread about traveling across the UP--- perhaps you have advice? And do you ever go to GTGs? I'm thinking of attending the one this fall. I'm a Boston fan. Anybody who's done it ---come over to that discussion and tell us newbies what to expect.

<Throw another Ken on the Barbie.">

I never heard that expression either and I live in the US..

<Throw another Ken on the Barbie.">

It's a joke.

Daughter worked as hostess at a Chatauqua (dining) during college. Entry was from the front steps, and there was usually a line (outdoor porch dining). During their stay, several times a group of French folks came up the back exit stairway and sat themselves down at the empty (just cleaned and uncleaned) tables, even overcrowding and stealing chairs from other tables, and rearranging to suit. After the first time they knew better, but did it repeatedly anyway (for two meals/day for 2 days). AND (the really annoying part) they lingered, in the European manner, disregarding the non-subtle checks placed on the tables.

oops; not US tourists. sorry.

When I was growing up I saw many drunken Americans of both sexes wading in the various fountains of Rome.

However, others than their drinking problems we always perceived Americans as happy go lucky fellows that always had a smile on their faces.

"However, others than their drinking problems we always perceived Americans as happy go lucky fellows that always had a smile on their faces."

That sounds about right And of course others get on our cases for being so smiley, but we are taught from a young age to smile at people and be friendly. We can't help it, honestly.

I always loved that November_moon..

I love when a stranger suddenly smile at me especially on the rare occasions that I really needed it.

It makes your day a little brighter, the magic of a smile..

Can't always spot a tourist but I can always spot a fool.

You must have a house filled with mirrors.