Neopolitan

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.

TinaLee204

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

Dukey

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

hsbhandbags

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.

Neopolitan

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

dutyfree

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.

Celticharper

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.

TinaLee204

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

rudidawg

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.

katya_NY

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.

rudidawg

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.

milliebz

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.

Neopolitan

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

milliebz

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.

Neopolitan

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

milliebz

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

Neopolitan

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.

Neopolitan

Note the fourth picture down:

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

Neil_Oz

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.

kswl

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.