Dayle

By popular request...may we present...The International Fashion Police Guidebook -- Part II... <BR>the story continues here!

Michele

LOL!!! Thanks Dayle! I look forward to seeing where this one takes us I mad a mental note to keep track in my journal of any fashion 'faux pas' we make or encounter and will share it here when I return.

Wise One

<BR>Tacky American tourists: loud print shirts, big floppy shorts, white athletic shoes, jogging suits, flower patterns, <BR>T-shirts with anything printed on them, baseball caps wore everywhere, big beer bellies and huge hips in tight skimpy frumpy looking clothes that Europeans wouldn't wear to clean out their garage (if they had one).

Bob Brown

OK who sent in the Scottish mercenaries to extract the revenge of the Tacky Tourists? <BR> <BR>Or did you not see the photographs of the rioting Brits and Scots who were arrested and incarcerated by the French police in Marseilles? Or perhaps some of you experienced it. Any comments? <BR> <BR>My general feeling is that no number of flowered shorts and overstuffed figures can rival the news photos and TV footage I have seen of the World Cup soccer riots. So before we keep beating ourselves up as tacky tourists, let us also consider what the "competition" is doing in terms of civil disobedience.

Dayle

Now let's really start a debate. I have known charming Scots, English and Aussies. BUT, I have to hand it to them, when it comes to drinking and brawling -- these nations seem to really have it down. I'm not really criticizing, just making an observation from many I've encountered on my ski trips around the world. Notably, it does seem to be mostly a "guy" thing. (I am female, despite the name my mother gave me!) <BR>

stevie

What's with all of the cracks about big bellies and hips? As long as the're well dressed, who cares about the size (although I'm not a petite, I'm not considered obese either). Has anyone taken a look at some of the worlds most prized paintings and sculptures lately? Please - enough!

Lee

This is fun, sort of. We must not have sufficiently aired-out this subject the first time around. <BR> <BR>The "Tacky Tourist" to me is the one that visits other countries, cities, etc and acts unbecoming of a visitor. Complaining, rude and expecting some sort of preferential treatment, while tossing trash anywhere and completely ignoring local traditions or customs which may be very important to those people. <BR> <BR>The attire is another matter. We Americans believe that the bigger the person, the tighter the clothes should be. While in Paris recently, my wife mentioned something I hadn't really noticed about most of Europe. After about two days, she said that she hadn't noticed anyone overweight. I thought that she must be wrong, but after a another day or so, I had to agree. When we were at the airport leaving, I saw two very heavy ladies talking together ahead of us and said to my wife: "See, there they are!". Well, as we passed by them, we overheard their conversation and guess what? They were American! <BR> <BR>Lastly, I lived in Europe for a while and the Europeans wear some really weird looking clothes, too. They'll mix red and orange, stripes and checks, you name it. Check out the colors of some of the automobiles. Earl Shieb would be jealous! <BR> <BR>Nobody's perfect. We should however, be good visitors wherever we go.

Arizona

Having been endowed (and cultivated) a build that would put Peter Paul Rubens to shame, I toss no hand grenades at my fellow Americans who have been too long at the trough. However, let me describe one young woman I saw Tuesday at JFK Airport. Cherry-painted hair. Doc Martens. Green cordury combat trousers. A naked belly. Black lipstick. Teeth red enough to have come from chewing betel nuts. Wearing enough gold crosses to populate the Vatican. Purple nails. Purple toes. Filthy sandals; no sock, of course. Hometown: Geneva, Switzerland. Now there's a "fashion statement."

Julie

I thought this was a topic of clothing & behavior. What is the obsession with body size (overweight, not underweight)??? <BR>Many overweight people are well-dressed,tactful, educated, and well-mannered. I get the perception from some responses that overweight people are slovenly. Not true amigo. This obsession is, unfortunately, a sign of our era, as Stevie so eloquently wrote, full-figured was once a desirable attribute, and although health comes first, (no matter what ones weight is) let's be less judgmental toward people who don't fit into a cookie-cutter mold!

manon

It's probably because in many people's minds, people who are overweight are so because they lack discipline (to cut back on fatty foods,portion size, and to work out,etc). I know that this is not necessarily the case & that it is wrong to make judgments about people that we don't even know.Our size certainly does not dictate our worth. <BR>But realistically,we can't be surprised Europeans comment disdainfully about the fact that almost a half of all americans are clinically overweight. We need to take a more truthful look at our eating habits and face the reality that we might be doing something wrong. Sure, being overweight used to be in fashion,but so was smoking--and both attribute to unhealthy lifestyles and ultimately to medical problems.

Raeona

Please! It's not what we wear, but how we sound!!! <BR>Every American, before embarking on an overseas venture should practice, for five minutes, every morning, for at least a week before heading to the airport: GO WITH THE FLOW, GO WITH THE FLOW, GO WITH THE FLOW..... <BR> <BR>In three weeks of travel in France and England, we encountered nothing but pleasantness...but we observed and overheard American tourists we'd've been happy to smack.....and no wonder what they go home saying to their neighbors about.."the French"...or "the English"...etc. <BR> <BR>Remember to smile and say "thank you," folks, and you'll have a great time!

francesca

As a US citizen who has immigrated to France and <BR>lived in Paris for 9 years, here are the things that I see everyday that give a very bad impression of Americans (and make me and my US friends cringe): <BR> <BR>-sweat clothes and sneakers worn outside the gym <BR>-loud bubble gum chewing/cracking noises <BR>-LOUD and obnoxious voices. Americans often take up a lot of space with their voices, and often everyone in the subway car, bar or restaurant is treated to their comments whether they want to hear them or not. <BR>-shorts and tshirts and sneakers in chateaux, museums and churches <BR>-asking directions in English of strangers, without first saying "Parlez-vous anglais?" or at least "Do you speak English?" . <BR>-gravitating towards fast food, such as McDonald's and pizza places, given the wonderful restaurants (in all price ranges) in France. <BR>-and, yes, very overweight people wearing surprisingly brief clothes. <BR> <BR>These sorts of things give all Americans a bad name and make me wonder whether some people shouldn't follow a cultural sensitivity workshop before being given a passport. <BR> <BR>I am sure that other nationalities are equally sensitive about the behavior of their countrymen/women. <BR> <BR>BTW, I also cringe with shame for my adopted country when I overhear rude French tourists in the US. They can be downright impossible. <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

ray seva

Brava, Francesca! These are the exact observations I made when visiting France/Italy last month...and it's the same comments that I posted which then started a really, really long "thread." (many comments suggesting I was Anti-american or communist.) <BR> Glad to know someone else out there (American) feels the same way.

Tom Townsend

You are 100 % correct. The idea is not to particularly pick on our corpulant Americans. But, to simply make a point. Most , (and this is not stereotyping , this is fact) of the overweight population of Americans, got that way from their diets. If you continuosly input more calories than you body can burn , you will store it as fat ! Plain simple laws of physiology and human anatomy. <BR>The actual numer of overweight Americans that are that way due to medical conditions is extremly small. <BR>If you doubt what I say is true. Then watch what these rotund people eat !! You don't gain fat by eating a little extra. It happens over time of eating a lota and working it off nota! <BR>So either push yourself away from the table a little more often, or buy some larger clothes. <BR>Fat in spandex is a disgusting site. <BR> <BR> <BR>

Debbie

OUCH! Lighten up, Tom. This is supposed to be a fun forum, not an attack on "rotund people," and not a sermon on eating habits. <BR>Doesn't anyone have a story to share that does not include large people in brief clothing? Surely there were other things to see on trips abroad. <BR>

Neal Sanders

A few months ago, my wife and I made our first-ever trip as part of a tour group. While twelve of our 14 members attempted to be attuned to the culture in which we were traveling (Egypt), there were two participants for whom the phrase "tacky tourists" was invented. <BR> <BR>They were a sixty-ish couple from Dallas, wearing matching "USA" windbreakers everywhere they went. Whenever they wanted to communicate with an Egyptian, they spoke louder; assuming, apparently, that yelling would allow even the most ignorant arab to comprehend good old American. We would hear them from the other end of the bazaar: "HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT FOR THIS BRACELET?" We cringed. <BR> <BR>Our tour group arranged for us to dine one evening with an Egyptian family. Our terrible Texans used the opportunity to launch into an impassioned diatribe on the desirability of carrying concealed weapons (they both "packed" while at home). I can only imagine what sort of impression this left on our Egyptian host family. We cringed some more. <BR> <BR>The Texans complained loudly and often about food. Everything was too spicy, everything was unfamiliar. Couldn't anybody in this country cook a hamburger? Don't you people have ketchup? We always dined as far away from them as possible. We cheered when they came down with G-I distress mid-way through the trip. They complained about that, too, of course. <BR> <BR>And, of course, everything was better back in Dallas. The Texans informed our museum guide that the mummies back in Dallas were much better preserved; the artifacts much more colorful. There's apparently even a pyramid somewhere in Texas, because the Step Pyramid compared unfavorably to the one back home. And everything was much cleaner back in Dallas. Not a single restroom met their standard, and we would be forced to listen to their descrptions to one another of the horrors that lay behind the lavatory doors. <BR> <BR>After two weeks with these clowns, we were ready to heave them off of the bus. They went on to Jordan from Egypt, and we scanned the newspapers hopefully each day, looking for news of two Texans being taken hostage. No such luck. <BR> <BR>The rest of us really tried. But these two Tacky Tourists gave Americans a bad name. You may ask, did we ever tell them to shut up? Yes, repeatedly. It did no good. <BR> <BR>P.S.: Welcome back, Al. I for one have missed your Sedonian thunderbolts.

ilisa

I recently went to Spain with my husband and his soccer team for a tournament. There was one couple on the trip who should never, ever leave the United States again. They both automatically assumed everyone spoke English and wouldn't attempt even the most basic Spanish. The woman wore two watches on her wrist the entire time, one for US time and one for Spanish time. She refused to leave the town that we were staying in to see the surrounding sights, including Barcelona. Forget about eating paella, that was way to weird for her. And if I had to hear one more time from them about how much better the food was in the U.S, or how much friendlier the people were at home (something I doubt very much) I was going to scream. I often wonder why people spend the money to travel, and then won't attempt to appreciate or enjoy their surroundings. <BR>

Monica

What horrible stories from Neal and Ilisa! I never understand why people travel to a foreign country and expect it to be exactly like America. I tell first time travelers to have an open mind, to try new foods, meet new people, respect their cultures and religions and their travels will be enriched. A can't imaging going to Spain without trying Paella or Tapas; escargot in France; the various pastas in Italy, etc! Many Americans (and other foreigners) are loud and obnoxious and those people I get away from quickly. To travel to a foreign county is to experience NEW things! Those Texans and the couple that went to Spain, along with others like them, should stay home!

s.fowler

Thanks for the laughs! [Or was I crying?] I'm assuming we've gone beyond fashion here, although my first comment is in that vein. I think what we object to [other than the clothes that SCREAM tacky_tourist] is clothes that draw attention to a person's physical characteristics. Now I know that's a brrrrrrrooooooooaaaad statement. The fact is, though, that loose clothes are *much* more comfortable when traveling. And in the hot days of summer, they are cooler too! Of course those that "have" are free to display their wares.. it's their sunburn afterall But as a short, substantial middle-aged woman I have found loose to be the way of comfort, both physical and psychological. Now onto the topic. Again a comment. Americans are not the only tacky tourists. There are specimens from almost any culture. On my last trip there were at least two other nationalities that were winning in the tacky sweepstakes. And *yes* we HOPE that those who act as though they haven't left home STAY home and tell their friends to also I'll never forget the tourists at the hotel front desk in Budapest complaining about the subway system. All that validating!!! They were explaining to the desk clerk what a bad system this was etc... The clerk and I were pals... partly because I spoke basic tourist hungarian... and we exchanged rather telling glances... Oh well. FYI the Budapest subway system is one of the easiest and most useful in Europe once you buy your pass or ticket and learn how to validate the later.

Debra

It does seem to me as an Aussie, that travelling Americans are very loud and draw attention to themselves. For example the other day these two Americans were in a little shop and talking as if they were shouting at a football match. It's tough that some re-enforce a stereotype but I've noticed this when I've travelled to many other countries. And yes in America an Aussie voice is VERY noticable wherever I've been in U.S.A.(which by the way, I think has some of the most beautiful scenery in the world). Just please try to tone things down when you travel and not be so ethnocentric.