Another vote for Katherine. What she did was justified (and funny), and didn't even cause the offender a bit of embarrassment, since she was clueless. It defused what must've been some social tension.<BR>I agree with Sylvia too. I wish I'd had the nerve to do the same on several occasions I can think of.<BR>"Duh"'s reaction suggests that he/she has also behaved badly and might someday encounter the same comeuppance.<BR>"Mind your own business" is the last refuge of the habitual jerk.

I think that the ones who agree with Katherine and Sylvia -need lessons in how to behave,mocking people to their faces, sticking their noses into other peoples business..so we can leave it at that, there will always be badly behaved bores wherever you go...feel free to continue your bad behavior...maybe one of you will insult the other and get poked in the nose!LOL that would be poetic justice!

Amazing how much ruder the sneering mind-your-own-business contingent are than the meddling hags. <BR>How long do you continue to mind your own business? What if someone was kicking a dog, smacking a child around, harassing a woman, persecuting a foreigner? Mind your own business or not; a judgement call.

About 10 years ago when I was in London visiting my sister, a co-worker of hers said I understand you were born in New Jersey. Do you know Bonjovi? I'm pretty sure she meant personally.<BR><BR>A few years ago I was in Seattle and ordered a cocktail at a bar. I asked the bartender for a Cape Codder (okay, I live in Massachusetts now). The experienced bartender looked at me like I had 2 heads. It's cranberry juice and vodka.<BR><BR><BR><BR>

The two fellows from Australia with whom we enjoyed a "quad" tour in Costa Rica. It was the rainy season, and we had been off-roading on quads, as well as taking a dip in the muddiest, murkiest pool of water I have ever stuck a body part into in my life, and were soaked to the skin and coated in red clay mud. We stopped at a shop/restaurant/bar a ways from our resort, and I mentioned to the group that if they didn't mind I'd just run up and use the bathroom. My bf reported that while I was thus occupied, one of the Aussie gents turned to the other and said," bathroom? Whyn't she just p** on the seat?" LOL when the bf told me this!!!

Two years ago, in Korea, testing for a belt in tae kwon do, with three young martial arts masters. They had a Korean-English dictionery and I had an English-Korean dictionery. Toward the end of my test, the young master said, Now you show me your Safe Depends. My eyes were as wide as saucers, thinking, I am a little old to be studying martial arts, but come on.....<BR><BR>Turns out, he was saying, please show me your self-defense!

That's dictionary!

I guess you cannot be very truthful on this board. The Thought Nazis are out to get you. Bye Fodors and all you Goddamn Mother Fuckers. Flame away weak ones.

so katherine showed her true colors-imagine what she said to that lady on the plane!

Once when I was younger and traveling in Rome I heard a typical "Ugly American " say while touring the catacombs: "We have gopher holes bigger than this in Texas". How embarassing!

Sylvia you said people should be called on their behavior. If Katherine had called the American woman on her behavior she would have addressed the woman directly, saying something like people have the right to speak any language on an airplane. She might have asked the woman if she spoke French all the time in France etc.<BR><BR>Instead it seems she took the low road by making the woman the object of a joke. <BR><BR>You might say the posters are calling Katherine on her behavior.<BR><BR>

Leslie--the same thing happened to me when I tried ordering a "Cape Codder" in an upscale bar in Toronto. The server made fun of me and said "it's called a vodka and cranberry" in a condescending tone. This is a place that features "crantinis" and virgin mimosas on their menu--so go figure.

Very well said Emily. I hope Katherine learns something positive from this exchange.

Rude? Okay manners police, I'm bored at work and want to tell you about rude me so that you can blast me....self righteous twits that you are.<BR><BR>A friend and I were in a Turkish bath in Budapest last year. It was ladies only night so one could choose to go naked....as we did.<BR><BR>After becoming totally relaxed and half asleep, my friend turned over onto her stomach and very casually made the statement "hold babushka". I turned to see what she was talking about and a naked lady was headed our way with a...well, um....a very untrimmed babushka. I had a spontaneous laughing fit which I know was SOOO rude. Yes, I was ashamed but it did happen. <BR><BR>COME AND GET ME FINGER SHAKERS!!

Back in May of 2000, my friend and I were at a cafe for breakfast on Rue Monge. It was pretty early, and the only ones there were us and and 3 other Americans. While at the cafe, everyone was quiet and seemed to be enjoying their coffee and croissant. The 3 left and my friend and I watched them walk out and stand at the street corner trying to figure out where they were going to go next. The next thing we knew, they were screaming obscenities at each other, loud enough to wake the dead and throwing back packs on the ground. I have no idea what they were fighting about, but after about a minute or so, they seemed to make up, pick their stuff up from the ground and were on their way.

Laura, thanks for the secondhand laugh! <BR>And NO, giggle police, this is NOT the same as laughing at someone with a missing nose!!

Laura,<BR>I’m not out to blast anyone. No one is perfect. Most of Katherine’s supporters have mentioned this. And yet the American woman who made the comment wasn’t perfect either. In that situation, Katherine’s behavior comes to close to what everyone is accusing us of, mainly of imposing our beliefs of propriety on other people. Why is it people who point out what seems to be her sketchy behavior are ‘thought police’ but Katherine’s pointing out of someone’s ignorance, even making fun of it, is considered virtuous? This is why many jumped on her story while letting others pass. <BR><BR><BR>

Trying to get back to funny stories...<BR><BR>We were in Israel 3 years ago... in Jeruselem taking a tour up the Via De La Rosa following the "Stages of the Cross". We wound up of course at the Church of the Holy Seplecure (sp). Our Jewish guide was telling us more information while we were waiting for the crowd going down into the tomb to subside, when one of two sisters (real siblings, not as in Nuns) raised her hand to ask a question. (now we had been watching her all afternoon, she was in her 40's and was just kind of looking around with her mouth agape)... she asked the Israeli guide "now who did you say was buried here?" The guide stared at her (we were in our third hour of the tour) and responded "Jesus Christ!"<BR><BR>We never quite knew if that was an answer, or an exclamation of dis-belief at the question!<BR><BR>Barry

Emily, thanks for your reasonable tone, but I tend to disagee. Katherine's reaction wasn't saintlike and no one said it was, but it was relatively harmless. None of us were there, but it sounds like Katherine did not "try to impose her beliefs" on the clueless California woman. That would probably be futile and met with hostility; no one takes kindly to having their stupidities pointed out. No matter how tactfully an objection was phrased, the woman would've felt patronized and insulted--making for a long, tense plane ride home. <BR>So a fellow American, Katherine, made a flip remark in French, the woman never realized, and the offended French speakers got a laugh and were reminded the California woman may not be a "typical American." <BR>There's plain rudeness, and there's rudeness in reaction to rudeness/meaness/bigotry/arrogance. Maybe the Gods will forgive Katherine.

Beryl,<BR><BR>Thanks for your reasonable reply. Just because we don’t agree on the subject-I inferred a different intent when Katherine said she looked directly at the woman and made the comment- doesn’t mean we have to belittle each for having opposing beliefs. <BR><BR>Yes, you’re correct. This isn’t a horrible international incident, but people brought it up and I was just trying to get people to look at it from a different perspective. <BR><BR>