
35 Examples Of People Getting Absolutely Shamed By Servers In Foreign Countries Interview With Author
The obvious needs to be said: other places around the world aren’t like where you grew up! Heck, your neighboring country or even the next town over might be very different in terms of culture, cuisine, and communication. That’s why we travel—to broaden our horizons, learn about how vast the world is, and discover new depths about ourselves as individuals… at least in theory.
Some people, however, use travel as an excuse to continue being exactly who they are, take selfies, behave like they never left home, and order cups of (non)coffee in historical European cities. Quelle horreur!
New York comedian Andy Haynes fired up a roaringly good thread over on Twitter about the experiences people from all over the world had while traveling. And a ton of the stories that social media users shared revolve around the one thing we all love best—food! The culture shock trying to order what they wanted was, well, shocking.
Scroll down for the funniest stories, upvote your fave ones, and be sure to drop by the comments to share your own tantalizing travel tales, dear Pandas! And, be honest, which of you ordered coffee with oat milk on your Eurotrip?
Andy, who's been a comedian for around 18 years, was kind enough to answer Bored Panda's questions about traveling abroad, standing out online with our wit, and his career in stand-up. Read on for our interview with him.
More info: Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | imandyhaynes.com
Image credits: imandyhaynes
Meanwhile, also scroll down for Bored Panda's chat about coffee culture and authentic food in Italy with travel expert, best-selling author, and investor Rick Orford. He revealed to us what to say if you want a latte and what reaction you're bound to get if you order a cappuccino after lunch!
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"I've been to Europe a few times. I actually split my time between London and New York now, but that's less of an adjustment than the Continent," stand-up comedian Andy told Bored Panda.
"In England, I just know that if I want a cold brew or some other caffeinated American indulgence, I have to go to Starbucks, or maybe a hip coffee shop. But everything is pretty much available," he said.
"For instance, Tesco has plant-based milk and meats, etc. In France, or Italy where I am now, it's pretty unlikely that I get something like that, unless I go to a specific restaurant or cafe, so I just kind of give up and go with the flow. That Oat Milk latte was a long shot, and clearly a miss."
Consistency, according to Andy, is the secret to standing out on social media. "I will say that Twitter is my weakest link. I've never had a tweet explode like that, but on other visual mediums, it's just about putting out content on a regular basis and trying to make sure it's of decent to better quality," he said.
"I think social media is all about feeding the beast. I mean most influencers aren't very deep, it's more like look at my body, or money, with a hit song to accompany it. Disclaimer: I'm not very deep either," he quipped.
Andy started doing comedy right out of college, about 18 years ago. It started out as a hobby. But once he got more work, he turned it into a full-time job.
"I love it, and I feel extremely grateful for the life it's given me, but I also don't have the traditional career trajectory. Where most comics get a little momentum and either build their fanbase and go on tour, write for television, or act, I've kind of done a million parts of the job and keep on going," he opened up to Bored Panda.
I can't be sure for the whole Italy, but you can't find almond milk in Italian bars, practically none of them has it (our bar aren't the same as the Usa, it's a place where you can go to get breakfast, they doesn't serve mainly alcohol). All the kinds of milk that aren't cow's are pretty rare in our bars
Reminds me of a joke I love: every time I go to a coffee shop I think about the time last summer when I asked for a latte with oat milk and the poor lad behind the counter somehow managed to say with a straight face "sir am sorry a cannae make a latte withoot milk"
"I mainly perform around the cities I'm in, and then make my money doing consulting work or the random gig that comes up. Ideally, I'd like to be successful enough to keep on jumping between continents and selling tickets to shows," he said.
As for his passion for comedy, Andy noted that it "ebbs and flows."
"It's like a marriage, you've got to be kind and patient, and sometimes you have to remind yourself why you married it in the first place. Don't show this to my wife," he joked.
well, yes. That makes finding a dessert very difficult and I still don't understand how ppl expect every restaurant to have options ready.. my lactose intolerant kid knows he has to take his pills with him or chances will be high he's not getting dessert
I'm confused. There is no chicken in a Caesar Salad. It's romaine lettuce and croutons dressed with lemon juice, olive oil, egg, Worcestershire sauce, anchovies, garlic, Dijon mustard, Parmesan cheese, and black pepper.
I like when people drink coffee with skimmed milk. Like how much of it is there? 0.5 ml?
Travel expert, investor, and best-selling author Rick shared his insights about coffee culture and the best dishes he'd recommend while you're visiting Italy.
"Italy is very different from the US when it comes to food and drinks. And coffee is no different. For example, coffee in Italy is usually served in a small cup—similar to what you'd expect an 'espresso' to be in the States. But in Italy, it's known as a 'Caffè.' Now, if you ask for a latte, you'll probably get a glass of milk because 'Latte" means milk in Italian. You'd be better off asking for a 'Caffè Latte' instead," he said.
"And last, never order a cappuccino after lunch. Many Italian restaurants will frown or downright deny the request."
When it comes to travel, Rick suggests that anyone who's scared of taking the first step ought to see themselves as an explorer, who is ready to learn about other cultures.
"Sit back, relax, enjoy the scenery and the food, and try not to do too much... after all, you're on holiday!" he said.
Authentic food in Italy is regional, Rick told Bored Panda. "This means each region has a food or dish that they are specialized in. Here are a few of my favorite things to eat in the most famous cities:
- Rome: Pasta Carbonara (Nothing beats authentic carbonara!)
- Naples: Pizza (Pizza in Naples is something else. It's out of this world!)
- Florence: Fiorentina (The most delicious T-Bone steak you've ever had.)
- Venice: Cicchetti (The Italian version of tapas.)
- Sicily: Cannoli (Probably one of the best deserts around.)"
Then for dessert (and for those lovers of all things sweet like yours truly) is gelato. Rick said that you can find it "no matter where you are in Italy."
"People eat gelato in Italy year-round, and for a good reason—it's the best!"
In her head: "can I have a vegetarian menu:. In actual French "my grandmother eats monkeys"
Try ordering a steak "well done" in Tuscany (where "bistecca alla Fiorentina" is basically a religion)! I used to work in a restaurant and this one time a pregnant lady ordered it well done and the cook was so furious! She sent it back three times because she found it too rear, in the end it was basically a shoe sole!
surely they must have a brussel sprout or two hidden somewhere
Stand-up comedian Andy’s thread got a jaw-dropping amount of attention online. He got over 203k likes. But the true beauty of his tweet about asking for an oat milk coffee in Paris was how much he inspired other travelers to open up about their own gastronomic and other experiences while abroad.
Andy focuses on doing stand-up professionally. He also has a podcast with his wife, called Find Your Beach.
Us, personally? We live for travel. There is nothing like the thought of having a trip waiting for you in the near future to energize and motivate you. It doesn’t necessarily even have to be a flight to Paris, New York, or Tokyo, either. Sometimes even hopping on a train or driving for a couple of hours is enough to give you a completely different perspective on life.
Life’s an adventure. Or, well, it’s supposed to be. But how many of us live it to the fullest? Or anything even close to resembling that? It takes quite a bit of energy and courage to step out of your comfort zone. Leaving your 9-5 and pile of unwashed dishes for a few days or weeks can be daunting. However, the result is very much worth it, we feel. Travel is good for the soul.
Taking the first step can be incredibly frightening. You don’t know what’s waiting for you on the other side! So it’s no surprise that some people cling to everything and anything that’s familiar: the language, behavior, food, and drinks that they’re used to. However, if you open yourself up to new experiences and go with the local flow, you’ll end up enriching yourself beyond taking a few selfies at popular tourist spots.
By being open to exploring the unfamiliar and unexpected, at the end of your trip you might find that you’ve made a ton of new friends with people whom you would otherwise never would have considered talking to. You’ll have visited places that might not even be in the tourist guides. And you’ll have tasted things that help you develop your palate. It’s fine to set aside your love of latte for a week and live like a local.
The mindset with which you head out on your journey matters a lot. Taking the time to learn a bit of the local language and customs can help improve your entire trip. Besides, the locals will probably be far friendlier when they realize that you’re not just any other tourist.
Uh, no. I got upgraded to business on Air France and I got the vegetarian meal I've ordered when I booked economy, plus the most delicious bread rolls I even eaten, extra dessert, a cocktail and a small bottle of champagne to make up for the economy meal!
Definitely better to drop your principles temporarily than starve.
Previously, Professor Christine Vogt, the Director of the Center for Sustainable Tourism at Arizona State University, told Bored Panda that the more we prepare for the journey in terms of knowledge, the more of a positive impression we’ll leave with the locals.
“More than likely that [the local language and customs] is what draws a person to visit a certain place. The more local knowledge a traveler has, the more a traveler can feel like a local and fit in," she told us some time ago.
"Local customs can include how a traveler dresses, eats, uses a cell phone, etc. When a traveler is out in a community such as walking in a downtown area or eating in a restaurant, these local customs can come into play,” she explained.
Do you mean Mrs.Bucket? Hyacinth "It's pronounced BU-KAY!" wife of poor, sweet Richard Bucket?
“For example, in Buddhist countries, a woman who has not covered her shoulders or legs may not be allowed into temples or even a restaurant. Learn as many local customs as you can and a few keywords to enhance your experience.”
It is one thing to suggest "no, I believe you will find this wine will complement the meal best" but another thing to be entitled enough to force your choice of alcohol on another. Of course, it could be they had a stock issue, were out white (unlikely I know) and didn't explain. Or he was just rude.
Tell us your funniest food ordering stories while you were traveling abroad, Pandas! Have you ever been in a situation like the people in this thread? Do you enjoy lattes and oat milk in your coffee? What city or country do you hope to visit soon? Share your thoughts, experiences, and future plans in the comments.
Nope, bread is always served for free in French restaurant. Same for water (not the bottled water).
Do these places not have menus or are these people just picking a food they want and expecting the restaurant to accommodate any request? Are these type of stories why people hate American tourists? If so I can see why.
So, people ordered something that was not on the menu, got offended when they didn't get it.
That sums it up pretty nicely.
And made up a snatky comment from a waiter to make their story more interesting.
I used to like BP for the art and animal related content but now it's a lot of "More Reasons Why Americans Are Idiots" and "OMG, this Karen!!".
It was interesting to learn that we seem to be the only ones who drink oats and don't eat meat. Reminds me of people I was up north with asking for grits and sweet tea.
I am German and a vegan; I had some not so nice experiences in France as well. I am always respectful to waiters - believe me, German waiters also do not accept shìt from their customers! Unfortunately, I was not free to choose the restaurants myself since I was with a group, therefore, I always tried to find something on the menu for me to eat without much fuss. I remember one restaurant in particular where the waiter (I think it was the owner himself?) tried to really vehemently force some meat on me. When I told him that, thank you, but no, I am vegan, he made a "gun" with his fingers and mimicked "shooting me" right in my face only inches away from my forehead. Some of the older guests in my travel group (who did not understand the conversation earlier) looked pretty taken aback! And I must admit I did not find that too funny, either. He then brought me a plate with potatoes. Without anything else. Plain, cooked potatoes. Jokes on you, my friend, I LOVE potatoes!
I am so sorry that happened to you. Definitely a case of not enough awareness... (Actually for both sides. Not you but some people think being Vegan or Vegetarian is easy and everyone can do it despite some people having allergies xD when really it depends on the person). I am happy you love potatoes so it worked out. I have a German friend and with that perspective it made me really mad reading what the waiter did to you. Its not ok he did that even in a "playful," way (you need consent for playful teasing too).
Not that it would be ok if i didnt have a German friend..
Thing is, there's plenty of vegetarian French dishes, and plenty of French will cook vegetarian, it's just that there's also plenty of french people that are super uppity about their food, because they view french cuisine as "the best" or some s**t. I found this to be the case in some parts of Italy, too. But if you find the right place with the right people, you'll have a wonderful culinary experience. :)
Potato salad is like crack to me... tell me you have potato salad on your menu and I order it each time.
Absolutely, a good potato salad is heavenly - I could eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and as snack in between!
You're not. Lots of vegetarians and vegans in Europe, and we especially have a high percentage of lactose intolerance in my country so a lot of non-vegans drink oat milk/other non dairy milk.
You get the same thing when it's a foreigner in the United States but hey you be a picky American why don'tcha.
But they are.
So what I've learned here is that France is full of rude people. Asking for a dairy substitute is not being difficult. I can't handle dairy and was devastated to miss out on a lot of coffee choices until oat milk and almond milk became more common. I've never heard a single person here in the US act as elitist and rude as some of the people in these stories were.
that's just France for you, not all of France of course, but some of them are extremely uppity about their cuisine, in that it's the most perfect cuisine and doesn't need/should not/CANNOT possibly be altered in any way, including to cater for those with intolerances. It's honestly quite pathetic.
Really? You must not know many servers or people who work in customer service positions in the US. It’s absolutely brutal because customers are SO OFTEN rude, entitled assh*les.
That's the impression that these posts give. And Parisians do have a reputation. When I last went to Paris with my parents, Parisians were just lovely to us everwhere: whenever we asked for directions, ordered food, at the hotel, museums, public transports. I mean everywhere. We did try to speak in French all the time, which helps, we felt. There was this place where the waiters were so nice, that my Mom made a joke and when the waiter caught on... he actually gave my Mom a hug! It said something like "oh good your husband it's not looking".
You're the type of tourist everyone dislikes. Don't blame them.
I can't comment on the milk/coffee thing as I don't partake on either, but I have come across some very rude/entitled/snobby tourists from the US, mostly boomers though. I thank my lucky stars I no longer work in hospitality.
So, people ordered something that was not on the menu, got offended when they didn't get it.
That sums it up pretty nicely.
And made up a snatky comment from a waiter to make their story more interesting.
I used to like BP for the art and animal related content but now it's a lot of "More Reasons Why Americans Are Idiots" and "OMG, this Karen!!".
It was interesting to learn that we seem to be the only ones who drink oats and don't eat meat. Reminds me of people I was up north with asking for grits and sweet tea.
I am German and a vegan; I had some not so nice experiences in France as well. I am always respectful to waiters - believe me, German waiters also do not accept shìt from their customers! Unfortunately, I was not free to choose the restaurants myself since I was with a group, therefore, I always tried to find something on the menu for me to eat without much fuss. I remember one restaurant in particular where the waiter (I think it was the owner himself?) tried to really vehemently force some meat on me. When I told him that, thank you, but no, I am vegan, he made a "gun" with his fingers and mimicked "shooting me" right in my face only inches away from my forehead. Some of the older guests in my travel group (who did not understand the conversation earlier) looked pretty taken aback! And I must admit I did not find that too funny, either. He then brought me a plate with potatoes. Without anything else. Plain, cooked potatoes. Jokes on you, my friend, I LOVE potatoes!
I am so sorry that happened to you. Definitely a case of not enough awareness... (Actually for both sides. Not you but some people think being Vegan or Vegetarian is easy and everyone can do it despite some people having allergies xD when really it depends on the person). I am happy you love potatoes so it worked out. I have a German friend and with that perspective it made me really mad reading what the waiter did to you. Its not ok he did that even in a "playful," way (you need consent for playful teasing too).
Not that it would be ok if i didnt have a German friend..
Thing is, there's plenty of vegetarian French dishes, and plenty of French will cook vegetarian, it's just that there's also plenty of french people that are super uppity about their food, because they view french cuisine as "the best" or some s**t. I found this to be the case in some parts of Italy, too. But if you find the right place with the right people, you'll have a wonderful culinary experience. :)
Potato salad is like crack to me... tell me you have potato salad on your menu and I order it each time.
Absolutely, a good potato salad is heavenly - I could eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and as snack in between!
You're not. Lots of vegetarians and vegans in Europe, and we especially have a high percentage of lactose intolerance in my country so a lot of non-vegans drink oat milk/other non dairy milk.
You get the same thing when it's a foreigner in the United States but hey you be a picky American why don'tcha.
But they are.
So what I've learned here is that France is full of rude people. Asking for a dairy substitute is not being difficult. I can't handle dairy and was devastated to miss out on a lot of coffee choices until oat milk and almond milk became more common. I've never heard a single person here in the US act as elitist and rude as some of the people in these stories were.
that's just France for you, not all of France of course, but some of them are extremely uppity about their cuisine, in that it's the most perfect cuisine and doesn't need/should not/CANNOT possibly be altered in any way, including to cater for those with intolerances. It's honestly quite pathetic.
Really? You must not know many servers or people who work in customer service positions in the US. It’s absolutely brutal because customers are SO OFTEN rude, entitled assh*les.
That's the impression that these posts give. And Parisians do have a reputation. When I last went to Paris with my parents, Parisians were just lovely to us everwhere: whenever we asked for directions, ordered food, at the hotel, museums, public transports. I mean everywhere. We did try to speak in French all the time, which helps, we felt. There was this place where the waiters were so nice, that my Mom made a joke and when the waiter caught on... he actually gave my Mom a hug! It said something like "oh good your husband it's not looking".
You're the type of tourist everyone dislikes. Don't blame them.
I can't comment on the milk/coffee thing as I don't partake on either, but I have come across some very rude/entitled/snobby tourists from the US, mostly boomers though. I thank my lucky stars I no longer work in hospitality.