Beware!!!!!

[divad]

I sat in a Borneo jungle once listening to some Canadian girl bash on Americans for about 3 hrs! I hoped and prayed for a python to come along & strangle the life out of her, but it never happened.

Lazy American.

 

[divad]

as an american living abroad i am frequently called upon by my foreign friends and acquaintances to explain or defend american policies. A little bit of humility goes a long way. The reason that america is the target of so much criticism is because it remains the preeminent nation in the world, at least for the time being. Soothe their envy with humility. Especially the canadians, who have to live right next door, and the elder british, who are sensitive to no longer being relevant.

lol..................

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I have never had an issue when traveling. Most of the rudeness I saw was from fellow Americans towards the other guests and native population. Jokes have their place as I am not PC and never have been but to be mean just for the sake of being mean was what I saw many americans being. The Europeans I saw behaving what some may consider rude is not to them. The sidewalk incident- ever walk in an Italian city? I've talked to those who have and they say that it's just how they are. They don't mind physical contact. And if you akin it driving they were three, you were one. Try not moving your kia to allow a semi to go thru. You will lose. Had you been courteous and graciously stepped aside to allow them to pass you may have made some new friends. Instead you chose the way of defiance and attitude of entitlement that gives us all a bad name. I saw that when traveling with my late wife who was in a wheelchair. Everyone moved out of the way and had no problem and many offered to help. Except the Americans. They sucked and I was ashamed of them.

 

[DandyDon]

And there is the confusion over which side of the path is yours. I've seen Brits come up the left side of a stairway.

 

[irishsquid]

...Expecting everybody to speak English, for example, might be considered rude in a Spanish-speaking country...

Kinda like immigrants here not wanting to learn English and expecting us to cater to their native tongue.
Have to agree with the rest of your post. I've travelled pretty much all around the world and have always enjoyed trying to learn and speak the native languages. I've found most people appreciate the effort and I have made many lasting friendships because of it. I'm basically a hick with a southern drawl and butcher every language I've tried, but; because of the effort, I have found many folks from around the world that spoke a little english and we found common ground to work from. A little effort goes a LONG way, IMO.

 

[Scubarus66]

I have never had an issue when traveling. Most of the rudeness I saw was from fellow Americans towards the other guests and native population. Jokes have their place as I am not PC and never have been but to be mean just for the sake of being mean was what I saw many americans being. The Europeans I saw behaving what some may consider rude is not to them. The sidewalk incident- ever walk in an Italian city? I've talked to those who have and they say that it's just how they are. They don't mind physical contact. And if you akin it driving they were three, you were one. Try not moving your kia to allow a semi to go thru. You will lose. Had you been courteous and graciously stepped aside to allow them to pass you may have made some new friends. Instead you chose the way of defiance and attitude of entitlement that gives us all a bad name. I saw that when traveling with my late wife who was in a wheelchair. Everyone moved out of the way and had no problem and many offered to help. Except the Americans. They sucked and I was ashamed of them.

OK, I understand the Kia vs. semi but get real! We are all different, raised different, speak different and act different. However, respect is given when recieved and not something freely handed out to anyone who crosses your path. I can't understand why anyone should have to step to the side for anyone who isn't handicapped and needs the extra room. Why don't EUROPEANS step to the side, hummmmm? In today's society with germs causing hundreds of thousands of deaths every year, how can a health conscious person not worry about contact with a stranger? Don't be ashamed of Americans! You should be proud since we are and were built on people who don't back down! We stand up for ourselves. This was NOT an isolated incident. This went on for the 8 days we were there and I was appalled at other's behavior. I personally found the perfect way to ensure I didn't HAVE to step to the side... I simply stopped in my tracks and let them decide what they wanted to do. Each one of them went around me. Sad, since my wife is 5' and 118 lbs. and many times was "pushed" off the sidewalks. She doesn't exactly take up as much room as 2 or 3 or more people. Why would you think anyone else has more right to pass than you? Have you never heard of common decency or common courtesy? I cannot speak for anyone who would not move out of the way to help your wife pass in her chair, but I can tell you this American gave every respect back to those who deserved it. To top it off, each mealtime, it was a "fight" for food and even a table. In fact, we left our table one of the times to get food and one European couple had our plates cleared and took our seats! Then proceeded to laugh and talk about us for the rest of the meal, since we asked them to give us back our table. Everytime we approached the Front Desk to ask for assistance, we were rudely cut-off by some European who couldn't have cared less that we were there before them and in the middle of a conversation. Don't be ashamed of Americans! Be proud! How do you act? That's what really matters!

 

[DandyDon]

Ok that does sound like a dreadful week, Scubarus66. Simply referring to the offensive as Europeans is painting with a broad brush tho. Nationalities vary greatly even in generalities. Do you not know where they were from?

there were only 6 couples registered at the Palace resort when we stayed there

12 other people at a resort and you couldn't just avoid them easily...?

 

[annlaur]

Sorry you had a bad vacation.
Maybe the people at your resort were indeed rude. Or maybe they were just acting "normal" according to their culture… Or maybe they started acting "normal" according to their culture and then, being offended by your reaction (considered "normal" by you and rude by them), they decided to give you hell.

From your description, sounds like your fellow vacationers could have been French.
Here in France, and especially in Paris, getting off the sidewalk to pass a group of people is the norm, it's even the polite thing to do. Or we'll wiggle our way through, touching the other person in that kind of situation is natural for us.
I gotta say your germs comment cracked me up : I lived 3 years in the US and go there every other year to visit my friends, and if I had to choose my favorite, most accurate American cliché that would be it : Americans are OBSESSED with germs. (then again, we have social security and as many paid sick days as the doctor says we need, so we can afford to catch a cold).

Also, while having breakfast at a hotel, the French don't leave their table unattended… we know better than to expect a fellow countryman to quietly wait for their turn…
So either we take turns going to the buffet, or we leave a jacket/scarf/book/something in evidence to mark our territory. And we still check on it to make sure our spot hasn't been invaded by the enemy…

As for the rush to grab food/find a seat… I so picture what you mean.
Cutting through a line, jumping first in the metro to grab a seat, finding ways to get ahead or bend the rules to our advantage is the French national sport. We even have a name for it : Système D. The players get a silly thrill from outsmarting others/the system. Not saying it ain't stupid or wrong, but we can't help playing it and we're proud of it.
Of course, when I take BART in San Francisco, I wait quietly in line like everyone else… but I gotta admit that it requires a lot of self-control…

Unfortunately, like any other nationality, we have our ugly fellow countrymen. The ones who act the way they do at home when they are abroad. These people often enjoy staying in AI resorts with their peers, so they don't have to adapt to the local ways.

Whether the people at your resort were ugly French or not, I guess that what you experienced was basically cultural misanderstanding. You were in a European resort, with Europeans acting the way they do among themselves on a daily basis, and you felt disrespected. Your reaction to that probably made them feel offended too, further reducing any likelyhood of understanding.

Reminds me of an anecdote. When I worked as a waitress here in Montmartre, I'd always bring the check to my American customers before they asked for it, since I knew that's the way it works in the US. Oftentimes, the customers would thank me for it and tell me that every other restaurant they went to, they were "ignored by the waiter and had to ask for the check". They didn't know that, in France, bringing a bill to a table before the customer asks for it is akin to saying "Now give me your money and get the hell out of here".

Rudeness, just like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[ZenDiver.3D]

Annlaur- I was on the same track. I would have said French or Russian. The two are very similar in general walking and eating rules. They too, will push you out of the way when walking or inline at a counter. Your table is in grave danger if you leave it alone, and don't even get me started on a buffet behavior set..... They will rush to get that taxi, or seat on a train. And it seems unspeakably rude to those not in the know.

OP- if this was the case, it was not personal. They could have cared less if you were American or whatever... That is the norm and not directed at any one in particular. You just learn to smile and beat the game. Sometimes it is lots of fun to win the game.....

 

[Rhone Man]

...and the elder British, who are sensitive to no longer being relevant.

The Brits are still relevant. As an editorial in The Times once memorably put it: "no one bothers burning Norwegian flags in the Middle East..."