Someone Asked “What’s Offensive In Your Country That Tourists Might Not Know”, 30 People Delivered

Religious people sometimes ask for prayers. Atheists and agnostics generally prefer not to be offered prayers (if the person is far away, "sending hugs" and "healing vibes" might be acceptable). In the US, some people associate "thoughts and prayers" with mass shootings and a desire to keep easy access to firearms (hence a cop-out, especially from politicians and gun lobbyists).

Oh I think it always mean that, no matter what country you’re in. People pray to make themselves feel better. People actually help to make others feel better.

This is why I try to make sure that the person I’m saying it to is religious cause if they’re not then they feel like I don’t care and I want to make sure they know I care about what they’re going through

This also is how it feels for those of us religious ppl who do not use prayers. I have many gods but I feel that praying would be like begging. Instead I just thank them for the good stuff in my life and I tell them all my bad feelings and thoughts when things go to sh1t. Prayer, to me, is real awkward.

This just speaks of religion especially in the USA to me https://rollcall.com/2023/10/26/after-mass-shooting-new-speaker-calls-for-prayer-that-senseless-violence-can-stop/

From politicians, yes. But not every acquaintance is going to be able to drop everything for you, and some people on sites like this are…not very mature about that.

And every time an American politician says it in response to yet another shooting, that's exactly how I take it, too. It's their backhanded insult "yes, little sheeple, you'll keep voting how we want you to as long as we look pious, you're not smart enough to see through the front. Thoughts and prayers."

Entièrement d’accord !

1.2m! That must take so long to brush. My average half-way down my back length hair takes long enough to get rid of tangled

Funny story, when I was 18 in the 80's and big hair was a thing, I had very blonde, big and curly hair that was down to my waist. Got off the plane in Hawaii and almost immediately a group of Japanese tourists came up to me showing me their camera. I thought they wanted me to take a pic of them, so said, 'ok' and went to take the camera. They were able to convey that they didn't want me to take a picture of them, they wanted to take a picture of me *with* them! Felt like some weird celebrity, lol.

I'm white and had dark brunette hair down to my butt when I stated teaching high school. I quickly learned to pin it up in a bun so my students weren't trying to touch it or see if it was fake extensions. I was teaching in Virginia, USA.

We used to live in Hawaii. Our daughter was about 6 months old. Very lively with wild & curly blonde hair & giant blue eyes. We were at one of the big tourist spots when a busload of older Japanese women started letting out. They all made a beeline for us. Okay, here's our baby goddess & give me your cameras. I think that is why the flew to Hawaii. To take pictures with our daughter.

Anyone who grabs me from behinf willl have a very nasty surprise

I was riding a crowded train through rural China with a blonde friend ~2012. We had only been able to get "hard seats" tickets, which was the lowest official ticket category (other than standing / lying on the floor). Her hair got massive attention. we then were genuinely asked by a nice old gentleman why we were riding in such cheap style. We could just sell a lock of the "golden hair" and be rich. Turns out thats the literal translation from mandarin. (Took us quite a while to piece that together with our combined Mandarin skills and no internet / smart phone etc)

Asian here, I won't touch somebody's hair without asking, but it is funny to touch people's hair.

But you know, even if it’s really awkward, embarrassing, and weird, you could at least ask first, instead of just jumping right in and touching a stranger. I mean, you could give a short explanation why and leave it up to the person to say OK or not. They should try trading places with their “targets”. How would they Ike it if a group of red headed people, or black people, rushed up, surrounded them, touched them without their consent, and started taking pictures of the whole thing? Of course, they’d feel violated. Well, their “targets” do too.

Got that in China too, they usually asked my husband if it’s ok, he said all of them told him they have never seen white person before.

So a headbut? We (can) call that 'a Danish skull'.. Don't know why though?

Scots are handy with the dirk, always have been.

Don't you mean a Glasgow smile?

They'll take out their bagpipes and begin playing.

Can ye mother sew? Get 'er ta stich tha!

Is that like the old "Chelsea Smile"?

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why was he speaking in dialect then? Ive been to Scotland twice, have Scottish friends, never had any problems. And English is not my native language. Newcastle on the other hand...

One of my best friends online is Scottish. Even though technically calling a Scot a Brit isn't wrong, we have both agreed that it is

Well it actually is worth something—-when you go to a bank and get it exchanged for the local currency. Like you’re supposed to do when you go to another country. Whether it’s geographically “attached” to your country and they speak the same language, or not (the US - Canada situation), it’s STILL another country.

Oh it definitely happens. I've worked in and managed restaurants and bars in Toronto for nearly a decade now. I've had at least a dozen US tourists try this. I will take their money, but on a one to one basis. Most of the time they've understood and paid with credit or debit instead, but a few of them have gotten pretty offended that I wouldn't accept their US currency at the current rate of exchange. I've had to explain that A) it's not our responsibility as a bar/restaurant to honour or even check foreign exchange rates, and that B) by the time I deposit that money at a BANK, typically at the end of the week, the exchange rate will have changed.

Expecting it to be accepted is rude. But - not a flex - a great many countries want US currency. I've been to countries where shop owners PREFERRED to get US bills from you and would often have signs up they are seeking them. It is not accepted everywhere but if we were just choosing at random I could spend US bills in many more countries than if I was trying to spend say, Brazillian reals or Filipino pesos. that's still not a reason for people to be cocky about it of course.

But you can pay at the exchange rate with USD in many central and SAmerican countries and Mexico. And yes, Americans are idiots.

Yes! I've had Canadian snowbirds get mad at me for not taking discontinued Canadian pennies. Different snowbirds have gotten mad that we didn't take their insurance cards for prescriptions or carry prescription medications that were not approved in the US.

LOL, punch them once for me, have an upvote +1

Guilty secret: I went to see the guards at Buckingham Palace on a scorching hot summer day in the early 80s, stood closish (1.5-2 ft) to a guard for the ‘obligatory’ photo. Being somewhat aware of the rules, I quietly whispered from the side of my mouth, “You must be so hot and uncomfortable.”, got the tiniest of head dips in acknowledgment. In my defense, I was 13. Still have the photo. Gran took it at the exact moment I was distracting him 🤣

As some videos show, some of them get pushed out of their way? 👍

give them an extra smack for me

Sadly what most people do not know is that they can be severely reprimanded if they react. In certain instances even discharged. Which super irritates me when a) people try and b) will post it publicly so even if their CO wanted to sweep it under the rug they are unable to do so.

That's very probably how the guard is also feeling, but they are not allowed to.

I fully support punching them.

Of course not, Multa. Make it a double puncheds - for me, too 😜

Yes, yes it does....but it doesn't mean you're wrong.

I'll bring the bat ;)

Like. I think it is fine if you complain you got mugged. Fun fact though, also happens in every country you would want to visit. It happened because you were a tourist or in a bad part of town, not cuz of the country itself