dumbest things you've heard tourists say - Page 4 - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**MeTurk** · 11-02-2007, 12:08 PM

Never heard of the Italians being hated other than women hating being hit on constantly while in Italy. Come to think of it I can't think of many times I met an Italian on tour.

**Sijuki** · 11-02-2007, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LiveFreeorDie

My Sweet 16 is the absolute bottom rung of entertainment. It's sole purpose should be to identify these self-absorbed disgusting excuses for human beings so the entire family can be deported to a Siberian gulag. The kids are horrible, and the parents are even more horrible for raising such spoiled, evil pond scum. They absolutely disgust me.

It's times like this I am so glad I don't watch TV... I have no clue what this show is. YAY!

**Sabrosa** · 11-02-2007, 11:47 PM

Dang...these are good. I'm diggin' this thread. I can't think of any of my own right now, although I know there have been plenty!!

Guess I have a few comments, though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MeTurk

I don't think Europeans hate Americans, we tend to look down our noses at Americans thinking we're far more cultured and in tune with the world at large.

I would say that's a fair statement with a lot of non American travelers (not just the Europeans.) I've met my fair share of Aussies and Kiwis who "tend" to do the same. But, that's okay, we still love you guys anyway!

So.....you've used a curious word...this word "cultured." It has so many meanings. Here are just a few from dictionary.com:

1. the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc.

2. enlightened; refined; polished; cultivated

4. a high degree of taste and refinement; formed by aesthetic and intellectual training

5. development or improvement of the mind by education or training

Quote:

Originally Posted by MeTurk

You'd hate to be on a plane full of Irish people. Flights to Spain and Portugal from the airports in the west of Ireland are always all Irish and it can be a bit chaotic as they usually all know each other someway or another. When the plane lands everyone starts cheering and roaring, pulling drink out of the overhead compartment. hen as soon as they get off the plane they light up cigarettes there's so many doing it the security just give up. Then off they go to the nearest Irish pub for fish and chips and a nice pint of Guinness while they watch the hurling back home.

I'm curious...Is this the kind of "cultured" you're talking about??

Sounds like "a high degree of refinement" to me, Meturk!!

p.s. I kinda feel bad for giving shit when I haven't been on the board for so long...but, whatever...gotta jump in here somewhere. Ha.

Columbia · 11-03-2007, 12:57 AM

I think it is impossible not to be "cultured" unless you have never had any human contact. Everyone is cultured because by associating with people you learn their culture. It may be that North American culture is more OBLIVIOUS to other cultures, but we are no more or less cultured than any other society.
Hope this makes sense...I'm drunk.

Cheers!
-Kelly

**c0urt** · 11-03-2007, 05:04 AM

i walked into the bar last night, jersey, arm warmers, and my bike slung over my shoulder.

"are you a cyclist?"

"no ma'am this is a blender."

and i kept going

**aliz** · 11-03-2007, 05:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sabrosa

p.s. I kinda feel bad for giving shit when I haven't been on the board for so long...but, whatever...gotta jump in here somewhere. Ha.

what are you talking about? you've been here for freakin ages. giving each other shit (playfully of course) is what keeps this happy family together

**pinknic38** · 11-03-2007, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by c0urt

i walked into the bar last night, jersey, arm warmers, and my bike slung over my shoulder.

"are you a cyclist?"

"no ma'am this is a blender."

and i kept going

"heeeeeeeeeeeeeere's your sign!" (for anyone who has heard of bill engvall, the comedian anyway)

which reminds me of the one jeff foxworthy did on the first Blue Collar comedy tour:

mover: is that ya'lls piano?
jeff: no that's our coffee table, it just has buck teeth

**Sabrosa** · 11-03-2007, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aliz

what are you talking about? you've been here for freakin ages. giving each other shit (playfully of course) is what keeps this happy family together

Well...I dunno...I'm a worrier, especially when I start teasing someone I don't know all THAT well. I just couldn't refuse that one! But...it's all in good fun.

**MeTurk** · 11-03-2007, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sabrosa

I'm curious...Is this the kind of "cultured" you're talking about??

Sounds like "a high degree of refinement" to me, Meturk!!

The Irish are the worst for it, ironically. It's that heightened sense of self importance you get from drink.

**Maineartist** · 11-08-2007, 08:43 AM

..."The food is bad in Italy."

or something along these lines from an American in a hotel.

**LostFarmboy** · 11-08-2007, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maineartist

..."The food is bad in Italy."

or something along these lines from an American in a hotel.

Well, I actually don't think this one is that bad. The food was ok in Italy, but it wasn't nearly as good as I was hoping it would be. Germany had the best food in Europe for me.

**afterlife3** · 11-09-2007, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MeTurk

You'd hate to be on a plane full of Irish people. Flights to Spain and Portugal from the airports in the west of Ireland are always all Irish and it can be a bit chaotic as they usually all know each other someway or another. When the plane lands everyone starts cheering and roaring, pulling drink out of the overhead compartment. hen as soon as they get off the plane they light up cigarettes there's so many doing it the security just give up.

Then off they go to the nearest Irish pub for fish and chips and a nice pint of Guinness while they watch the hurling back home.

Don't know why they bothered.

Haha!!!! This made my day. I have been on a flight with a bunch of Irish from Madrid.

lucky · 06-10-2008, 06:05 PM

I watched a (presumably) N. American hostel guest in Barcelona, make a big stink about his breakfast omlete not being what he ordered.

I saw him order an omlete.....he obviously either forgot he wasn't in Kansas anymore, or never heard of a Spanish omlete before. "what the hell is this? Some kind of PIE?!"

Idiot.

**Somnambulation** · 06-10-2008, 06:47 PM

Yeah, I cant think of anything specific, but I hate it when I hear my fellow Americans complaining loudly about this or that. Its true, Americans really are a loud race of people

**aliz** · 06-10-2008, 07:21 PM

when we were in NY my mum and I were very amused whenever we ate out because you could always hear everyone's conversations word for word - we're used to keeping the volume at a level so that only the people at your table could hear! mum kept chiming in on peoples conversations and they would look at her like 'why are you talking to us?'... I had to keep reminding her that even though it sounds like they want everyone to hear, they actually don't. that wasn't so much a negative thing (although sometimes it can be) it was just really interesting how everyone's volume is just set at a higher level! but when I hear the Australian accent around in England, I'm embarrassed by how loud it is! I guess its all comparable.

**Elizabeth** · 06-10-2008, 07:31 PM

i was at a subway in Budapest and these four north american guys were sitting at a table talking very loudly and every other word out of their mouth was "fuck"

most can't distinguish between a native speaker and a non native speaker so how are they supposed to know which nationality is speaking. any rude person speaking english is probably perceived as american because we have a rep

I don't think Americans speak loudly, except when talking on a mobile! Maybe its because I'm speaking loudly too!

Rathma · 06-10-2008, 08:49 PM

When I was in Switzerland in my hostel I told some girl I was from Toronto. She said "Whereabouts is that in Canada?" Ok, hmmm. She must be from far away right? Nope, she lived in a town right outside New York.

**raoulduke** · 06-10-2008, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canadian Bacon

American Girl under Effiel Tower: "You know why these French people hate us? Because they want to BE us. And because they can't BE us, they HATE us."

If that were the case, why don't Americans hate Australians?

I was in Dubai and I sat down next to this bloke and said G'day. He said hi in a shithouse Aussie accent and I picked him as an American right away and told him he wasn't fooling anyone. My mate arrived and said "How hot is it in here?" (A typically Australian theoretical question to which the answer is "Pretty fucking hot") He said (still with fake accent) "ugh i don't know, about 100 degrees" We both left without saying another word.

**worldwidemike** · 06-16-2008, 08:04 AM

Man...the bullets are flying for us Americans! Honestly, every set of travelers have their own idiosyncrasies that others could find very annoying. I have heard people, in my years of travel, complain about:

- English travelers
- Irish travelers
- German travelers
- Canadian travelers
- Japanese travelers
- Indian travelers
- Italian travelers
- Dutch travelers

And if you don't believe me, I'll be more than happy to tell you WHAT activities or behavior they were complaining about, if you want to know. The point is, if people have a stereotype of the typical American traveler, well, just about every other nationality has one, as well. So, really, this carping about Americans is just about as valid as complaining about...hmm...Icelandic travelers!

worldwidemike

**expatben** · 06-16-2008, 08:33 AM

So I went to eat when I found something cringe inducing-heres the story. I was eating a schnitzel baguette from this vendor and here comes this patronizing tourist from a certain country. He gets the poor vendor who doubtless had better things to do to read and translate something. To return the favor he decides to help his new German chum by explaining in an ever so patronizing way that no one can understand Germans when they say "leaving" because APPARENTLY when they say it, it sounds too much like the word "living." He then went on to demonstrate saying "I am leaving for Alexanderplatz" and pointing in the opposite direction because it seems the big old TV Tower was no indication. He did not let the vendors instance that Alexanderplatz was "this way" put him off after all he was all about the principal not the point.
He then rambled on before leaving but not without saying "now I am leaving" before going off.