Dumb American tourists

[Kuroneko]

This flamebait belongs in Politics why?

It could be that this entire forum is flamebait.

[Phil Skayhan]

This flamebait belongs in Politics why?

It could be that this entire forum is flamebait.

Very true.

Now if Ando had constructed an argument that, while visiting a foreign nation, a tourist is a de facto (am I using that term correctly?) representative of their home and their word/actions will reflect on that country accordingly, and then gone on to give examples.

The first example given only showed that the woman was merely ignorant and learned her conceptions were wrong. Heck, she openly admitted it. The second, how "elderly" was he? Was he senile or simply an ornery old Texan (likely the latter)? And note the behavior of his wife. Does she support Ando's position?

Perhaps the thread should have been "Stupid fucking tourists". I'm sure many of us could cite less than stellar behavior of visitors from a multitude of countries. Four men from New Zealand who were banned from almost every bar in my area springs to mind. Good group of guys, just didn't believe they weren't having fun until one of them was passed out on the bar.

[Col. Crackpot]

Ando, i do believe that making a general conclusion from small specific samples is highly illogical, and frankly a fallacy of induction....
I wouldn't make the conclusion that most Aussies run around with hunting knive in crocodile skin hats, or yell "Krikey! Look at those razor sharp teeth" just because i see Paul Hogan or Steve Irwin doing it on TV. So there are SOME idiot tourists. every country has those. don't make asshole statements with theads titles 'stupid fucking americans' unless you want to make yourself look like an ass.

[jegs2]

Sorry to cause offense, but a lady here in the cafe just came out with this:

Her: So how long have you lived in Hobart for?
Me: About 4 years, I moved down here for university.
H: *total shock and disbelief* You have a university here?
M: Yeeessss...
H: Really? *incredulous*
M: Yes.
Another customer: It is the capital city...
H: Really?
AC: Yes.
H: You know I thought that Tasmania was uninhabited, until I arrived in Australia that is. I mean, I saw the nature shows with the Tasmanian Devils, but I thought the whole place was a nature preserve, like the Galapagos Islands...
*everyone else in cafe, including a swedish guy and a few other Tasmanians look on somewhat bemused*
*She gets a look on her face that says: "I've proved myself to be an utter idiot haven't I?"*
*motionless nodding all round*
H: Thankyou, bye...


This is by no means an isolated incident, I get this, or a variant thereof several times a week. And guess what? Its uniformly Americans that do it.

She sounds very uninformed, and a bit full of herself -- not necessarily stupid. If I tried to count uninformed people who think they know something about the Army and try to tell me what they think they know, I'd get no work done. They're grossly uninformed, though not necessarily stupid.

[The Dark]

I know of your cheap rip-off of the capital of the mighty Russian Empire.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Cheap? Well, they have...uh...um...they have...the...uh...Tampa Bay Devil Rays! Yeah, that's it!

I'll show myself out...

Third-largest Holocaust museum in the US is there (only larger ones are NYC and DC). Also has the Salvador Dali museum.


Besides, most international tourists aren't much better when they reach Florida. They expect Florida to all be Disney World and beaches. We're one giant SWAMP, for Pete's sake. When it rains, dachsunds can't go for walks outside. All our birds are either good flyers or taller than I am. Half of them have three-foot long legs. And I've found Brazilian tourists don't understand the concept of waiting in line. The British tourists are amusing because they forget we get more UV radiation. About three days into their vacation, they're "lobsterbacks" whenever they take their shirts off .

[Queeb Salaron]

She sounds very uninformed, and a bit full of herself -- not necessarily stupid. If I tried to count uninformed people who think they know something about the Army and try to tell me what they think they know, I'd get no work done. They're grossly uninformed, though not necessarily stupid.

It almost seems to me as though she was partially making fun of herself. Her embarassment, therefore, is perplexing. It was almost as if she wrote the words "Stupid fucking American" on a post-it note and slapped the fucker to her forehead.

One of these days we're gonna make all US citizens take an intelligence test, and everyone who scores below a certain percentage (say... 85%?) will be exported to Antarctica.

...does any country lay claim to Antarctica?....

[The Dark]

One of these days we're gonna make all US citizens take an intelligence test, and everyone who scores below a certain percentage (say... 85%?) will be exported to Antarctica.

...does any country lay claim to Antarctica?....

No, but they might interfere with the scientists down there...

It's international territory that no nation may settle, IIRC.

[Col. Crackpot]

She sounds very uninformed, and a bit full of herself -- not necessarily stupid. If I tried to count uninformed people who think they know something about the Army and try to tell me what they think they know, I'd get no work done. They're grossly uninformed, though not necessarily stupid.

It almost seems to me as though she was partially making fun of herself. Her embarassment, therefore, is perplexing. It was almost as if she wrote the words "Stupid fucking American" on a post-it note and slapped the fucker to her forehead.

One of these days we're gonna make all US citizens take an intelligence test, and everyone who scores below a certain percentage (say... 85%?) will be exported to Antarctica.

...does any country lay claim to Antarctica?....

hmm, well i supposed we didn't need Georgia, Alabama, West Virginia and Mississippi anyway.

[jegs2]

hmm, well i supposed we didn't need Georgia, Alabama, West Virginia and Mississippi anyway.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr, get a rope, boys.

[Col. Crackpot]

hmm, well i supposed we didn't need Georgia, Alabama, West Virginia and Mississippi anyway.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr, get a rope, boys.

s'matter boy? Ya'all can't take a lil' joke? lol

[Iceberg]

Why do Americans need to learn anything about the internal features of foreign countries, except by choice, considering their own nation is the third largest on Earth and has more internal diversity than the two largest? Even then, she should be complimented - She's traveling, and thus learning by experience. There's no necessity for Americans to travel; every experience and pleasure is contained within our own nation, and there is considerable risk abroad these days. So someone who does travel, and however ignorant at the beginning, learns as they do, ought be commended.

You have a point there... Funny though the stories may be, the arrogance displayed by the "native people" (by that I mean the people who live there, ie Aussies, Brits, French, etc; couldn't think of a better general term offhand) when dealing with tourists...

I bet if you came over here we'd be able to make you look pretty damn stupid about our own geography and locales.

It's easy to feel contempt not just for foreign tourists but American tourists as well when you're a Midwesterner - most people seem to think there's a U-shaped void in the country where the Midwest should be, with two tiny pockets of America - Chicago and the Mall of America (it's funny to watch furriners - and by that I mean non-Minnesotans - struggle to navigate the Twin Cities) in the middle.

You'd be surprised the number of people who don't expect to find a modern metropolis of 2.8 million people (over half of Minnesota's population of 5 million lives in the Twin Cities) in the middle of what they thought was nothing but farmland and wilderness.

[Kelly Antilles]

This flamebait belongs in Politics why?

It could be that this entire forum is flamebait.

Very true.

Now if Ando had constructed an argument that, while visiting a foreign nation, a tourist is a de facto (am I using that term correctly?) representative of their home and their word/actions will reflect on that country accordingly, and then gone on to give examples.

The first example given only showed that the woman was merely ignorant and learned her conceptions were wrong. Heck, she openly admitted it. The second, how "elderly" was he? Was he senile or simply an ornery old Texan (likely the latter)? And note the behavior of his wife. Does she support Ando's position?

Perhaps the thread should have been "Stupid fucking tourists". I'm sure many of us could cite less than stellar behavior of visitors from a multitude of countries. Four men from New Zealand who were banned from almost every bar in my area springs to mind. Good group of guys, just didn't believe they weren't having fun until one of them was passed out on the bar.

Gentlemen, you must remember:

Ando is extremely anti-American. He hates everything about America, or at least it comes out that way.

[Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi]

It could be that this entire forum is flamebait.

Very true.

Now if Ando had constructed an argument that, while visiting a foreign nation, a tourist is a de facto (am I using that term correctly?) representative of their home and their word/actions will reflect on that country accordingly, and then gone on to give examples.

The first example given only showed that the woman was merely ignorant and learned her conceptions were wrong. Heck, she openly admitted it. The second, how "elderly" was he? Was he senile or simply an ornery old Texan (likely the latter)? And note the behavior of his wife. Does she support Ando's position?

Perhaps the thread should have been "Stupid fucking tourists". I'm sure many of us could cite less than stellar behavior of visitors from a multitude of countries. Four men from New Zealand who were banned from almost every bar in my area springs to mind. Good group of guys, just didn't believe they weren't having fun until one of them was passed out on the bar.

Gentlemen, you must remember:

Ando is extremely anti-American. He hates everything about America, or at least it comes out that way.

That sentence sounds like flamebait to me.


As for the tourists, I'm not surprised. What they learn about foreign countries comes from cartoons or something, so they put everyone in a certain country into one stereotype.

Hell, they do it with other US states. They think Alaska is all tundra (Although I don't think they'd know what "Tundra" would mean, though), Everyone in Hawaii lives in a grass hut and does the hula dance, and West Virginia is a bunch of inbred rednecks (Okay, there may be some truth to that).

[Colonel Olrik]

I really don't like this thread, nor its title. However, since it hasn't lead to flames or further american bashing, I feel reluctant to HOS it. However, I'll do it or close it if the conversation diverges from tourism towards something less pleasant.

[Kelly Antilles]

That sentence sounds like flamebait to me.

Yet Ando proves it time and time again.

As for the tourists, I'm not surprised. What they learn about foreign countries comes from cartoons or something, so they put everyone in a certain country into one stereotype.

Hell, they do it with other US states. They think Alaska is all tundra (Although I don't think they'd know what "Tundra" would mean, though), Everyone in Hawaii lives in a grass hut and does the hula dance, and West Virginia is a bunch of inbred rednecks (Okay, there may be some truth to that).

It's not just one way. Other countries stereotype anyone from the US as well.

[Death from the Sea]

Come on it goes both ways, people come from around the world to Texas to see the "wild west shootouts", cowboys, and think it is all desert and cactus here. They then wonder where it all is when they arrive and see it is not like that at all.

[Durandal]

This flamebait belongs in Politics why?

Good question. It's only vaguley related. I'm moving it to OT.

[Raoul Duke, Jr.]

Sorry to cause offense, but a lady here in the cafe just came out with this:

Her: So how long have you lived in Hobart for?
Me: About 4 years, I moved down here for university.
H: *total shock and disbelief* You have a university here?
M: Yeeessss...
H: Really? *incredulous*
M: Yes.
Another customer: It is the capital city...
H: Really?
AC: Yes.
H: You know I thought that Tasmania was uninhabited, until I arrived in Australia that is. I mean, I saw the nature shows with the Tasmanian Devils, but I thought the whole place was a nature preserve, like the Galapagos Islands...
*everyone else in cafe, including a swedish guy and a few other Tasmanians look on somewhat bemused*
*She gets a look on her face that says: "I've proved myself to be an utter idiot haven't I?"*
*motionless nodding all round*
H: Thankyou, bye...


This is by no means an isolated incident, I get this, or a variant thereof several times a week. And guess what? Its uniformly Americans that do it.

Errr... Ando? I think "stupid" might be a little harsh -- a little inaccurate, too. She wasn't processing information incorrectly; she just didn't have the information to begin with. I think the term you're looking for is not "idiot" but "ignoramus". Or maybe I'm the idiot...

[Col. Crackpot]

Sorry to cause offense, but a lady here in the cafe just came out with this:

Her: So how long have you lived in Hobart for?
Me: About 4 years, I moved down here for university.
H: *total shock and disbelief* You have a university here?
M: Yeeessss...
H: Really? *incredulous*
M: Yes.
Another customer: It is the capital city...
H: Really?
AC: Yes.
H: You know I thought that Tasmania was uninhabited, until I arrived in Australia that is. I mean, I saw the nature shows with the Tasmanian Devils, but I thought the whole place was a nature preserve, like the Galapagos Islands...
*everyone else in cafe, including a swedish guy and a few other Tasmanians look on somewhat bemused*
*She gets a look on her face that says: "I've proved myself to be an utter idiot haven't I?"*
*motionless nodding all round*
H: Thankyou, bye...


This is by no means an isolated incident, I get this, or a variant thereof several times a week. And guess what? Its uniformly Americans that do it.

Errr... Ando? I think "stupid" might be a little harsh -- a little inaccurate, too. She wasn't processing information incorrectly; she just didn't have the information to begin with. I think the term you're looking for is not "idiot" but "ignoramus". Or maybe I'm the idiot...

or maybe, just maybe, this is all a bunch of rhetorical bullshit made up by ando so he can attack what he doesn't understand.

[Raoul Duke, Jr.]

Yeah, I considered that too; but still, sometimes it's fun to poke the rabid dog just to watch it foam at the mouth.

[RogueIce]

That sentence sounds like flamebait to me.

As if making a thread titled "Stupid fucking Americans..." isn't?

[phongn]

It's easy to feel contempt not just for foreign tourists but American tourists as well when you're a Midwesterner - most people seem to think there's a U-shaped void in the country where the Midwest should be, with two tiny pockets of America - Chicago and the Mall of America (it's funny to watch furriners - and by that I mean non-Minnesotans - struggle to navigate the Twin Cities) in the middle.

You'd be surprised the number of people who don't expect to find a modern metropolis of 2.8 million people (over half of Minnesota's population of 5 million lives in the Twin Cities) in the middle of what they thought was nothing but farmland and wilderness.

Bah. Greater Twin Cities is an exception! The Midwest is nothing but corn, grain, snow & iron everywhere else!

[phongn]

I know of your cheap rip-off of the capital of the mighty Russian Empire.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Cheap? Well, they have...uh...um...they have...the...uh...Tampa Bay Devil Rays! Yeah, that's it!

I'll show myself out...

Third-largest Holocaust museum in the US is there (only larger ones are NYC and DC). Also has the Salvador Dali museum.

The Dali Museum is nice, though I've only been there once. And yeah, St. Petersburg doesn't have much (they also have Sunken Gardens, but that's not well known outside the TB Area).

Besides, most international tourists aren't much better when they reach Florida. They expect Florida to all be Disney World and beaches. We're one giant SWAMP, for Pete's sake. When it rains, dachsunds can't go for walks outside. All our birds are either good flyers or taller than I am. Half of them have three-foot long legs. And I've found Brazilian tourists don't understand the concept of waiting in line. The British tourists are amusing because they forget we get more UV radiation. About three days into their vacation, they're "lobsterbacks" whenever they take their shirts off .

LOL

Silly tourists. And yes, the rain sucks: maximum speed on I275 yesterday was limited to 50 MPH because of the sheer amount of rain.

[phongn]

Good thing that most tourists in St. Petersburg were so dumbofunded by the difference between what they expected to see (wooden izbas and bears parading on the streets) and what they saw in reality, that they were incapable of speaking.

My condolences to you, Ando. Working for the tourism industry is hell.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Wait a minute, St Petersburg is right across the Bay from me, and I've never seen any of that!!

(j/k - I think phogn (sp? - dammit all) is from around Tampa Bay, so he'd probably get it. And anyone else who's been to/knows about the Tampa Bay area in Florida, USA)

I know of your cheap rip-off of the capital of the mighty Russian Empire.

Bah. St. Petersburg is no rip-off, except for the name! (Both cities celebrate one of their centennials this year, too, can't remember which one).

[Zoink]

While I don't know much about Tasmania, other than what the Crocodile Hunter has told me... I *would* read up on the place before visiting. Seems like common sense.