If you've ever traveled abroad as an American, the chances are you know how it feels to be detected as one. It’s not that we hide it (in fact, we are prouder than anything else!) but sometimes you just wish you could blend in with the rest of the crowd and feel what it’s like to be treated as a local.
And all it takes is to step foot inside, for example, a “bar” in Italy and order a beer on tap, or worse, a cappuccino after 12, and here you've earned a bunch of eyerolls with a solid “where in America are you from?” But in order to find out what really gives Americans away in an instant, we have to look at what non-Americans have to say about their radars themselves.
So below we collected some of the most interesting responses to “How do you spot an American tourist ‘from a mile away’?” on “AskReddit” and wow, this is kinda weirdly specific.
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Americans are very loud, I swear you have loudhailers hidden in your clothes somewhere.
Over 40, the tourists tend to be more on the very overweight side, but the women still wear yoga pants and the men always have a combination of button up shirts and loose fitting cargo shorts. And both men and women wear baseball caps and Oakley's or sunglasses similar to that style; with white trainers.
Under 40, you're very friendly, in a way that's both endearing and creepy. When we chat I feel like I'm being indoctrinated into a cult.
I’m American and I really cannot stand how loud most people are here. I have a quiet voice and it’s considered some kind of a fault by some. It’s actually really stressful.
The way they dress. For some reason Americans abroad dress like they're doing some hard core exploring in the Amazon...even when they're just visiting a European city.
"Hey oh you're [Irish/Scottish/Italian/etc]! I'm [same] too!"
"Oh really? Whereabouts you from?"
"California. My great great great grandpappy was from here though!"
If you are so proud of your country, why do you still mention the origins of your ancestors?Sounds like a European saying he's a Celtic, a Roman or a Viking... (even if it was cool, tho)
Come now, it's only been a couple hundred years, we're still unpacking some of our boxes 😉
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This is also somewhat true in Australia. Lots of people say they’re Irish, Greek or Italian for example. They’re actually just Australian with e.g. Greek relatives that emigrated. I think in Europe, at least where I’ve lived, we just say where we are actually from/our nationality (passport or citizenship!). If it’s complicated, such as spending half our lives living somewhere else, we may mention it very briefly. But having relatives originally from overseas? I wouldn’t even think to mention it, nevermind identify myself by it. Some people haven’t even stepped foot on e.g. Greek soil and go round telling people they’re Greek. It’s strange to me! I do have grandparents from a different country and I would feel like a complete fraud telling people their nationality was mine.
Greeks usually are very very proud for their nationality! This is why we mention it! As a Greek(see? Couldn't hide it either) I can reassure you that no Greek will hide their Greek identity even though they might not even speak Greek!
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How about Americans try to remember that, when outside the US, when one says "I'm xyz," it will be interpreted as stating you are from the country named. And how about non-Americans try to keep in mind that when Americans say "I'm xyz" they're likely referring to their ancestry, as is customary in the US.
Well, in the case of Ireland, there are 36 million people of Irish descent in America. Many millions of them can and have become Irish citizens because Ireland allows citizenship by descent for anyone who has one grandparent who was born in Ireland. My grandmother came from Norway in the early 20th century. I'm a Norwegian American and I would absolutely tell someone from Norway that my family is from Trondheim. Just like someone who immigrates to any European country doesn't stop being the ethnicity of the place they are from, people in America do continue to identify with the country their ancestors came from.
This is a cultural thing that we do. It maybe weird to others but it's how we roll. Making fun of that is kinda odd of ppl. Why do we do this? It's a lil too much to explain with the space given but it's because everyone came from somewhere else. When they got to the USA they often went to villages, towns, neighborhoods that were associated with thier mother country. That's where terms like Lil Italy, Chinatown, Greek town ect came about. Or whole swaths of states we're almost all German or Swiss ect. They kept thier own cultures, languages, and mother country pride and envolped it into what would become USA culture. Many of us can go back generations and tell you what "they were" . Until maybe 120 years ago it would be uncommon for different neighborhoods/areas to intermarry. A Scottish American will marry another Scottish American in thier Scottish village in Arkansas for ex. Ppl are proud of that. You all may not understand it but it's who we are. If you have any questions pls ask!
This originates from America being a "melting pot" of different cultures. Americans are proud of their ancestry.
There are many countries that are a melting pot/have high rates of immigration/have historical areas that were settled by certain groups or nationalities. It's not a complex idea nor something specific to the USA. I have mixed ancestry from different countries from my grandparents, as do many people I know, but it's rarely mentioned/relevant. It's just the 'newer' countries (such as the USA and Australia) who seem to need another identity outside of their own country. There's a difference between saying something like "My grandparents moved to the US from France" versus "I'm French". Perhaps only in these specific 'new' countries are those concepts the same. I should also point out that these 'new' countries have Indigenous history dating back beyond the newness.
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Well, it's either Americans (aka citizens of USA) says they are Irish, Scottish, Italian, Greek origin. Somehow very few states origin from other European countries. Also when citizens of USA states they are "American" - does it apply to Bolivia, Peru, Honduras - because those are American countries. Of continent named America.
Yes, it's strange you rarely hear people from the US or Australia say "I'm English" despite all of these rules they have about their ancestors isn't it?! I know a couple in Australia, one of them tells everyone she is Greek, the other tells everyone he is Australian. In fact, one set of her grandparents emigrated from Greece and one set of his grandparents emigrated from England. So they both have the same type of relatives originally from overseas (mixed with whatever other ancestry). He's very adamant that he's not English, but that his partner is Greek.
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A lot of it is because we're a younger country, and it is comforting to know our roots go back further. I'm lucky enough to know I'm descended from a Portuguese fisherman who landed in Britain with the Romans.
I always say something along the lines of "American - but my people came over from France in the 1640s..."
No melting pot? What about being American that's is all there is to it.
On this subject where people feel there is a need to identify with ancestry rather than with their current 'melting pot' country, it can be very divisive and quite frankly, racist. An example of this was when I was overseas and there was a British guy there (I'm also originally from the UK). We'd all introduced ourselves along with a bit about ourselves. Someone asked me one day where the British guy was from. I was confused as she already knew, so just repeated that he was British. She asked me a couple more times and I repeated myself, getting more specific as I thought maybe she wanted to know *exactly* where in the UK he was from. Eventually she said "But he isn't really British is he? I know he said he is, but he can't actually be from the UK! What is he really? Something African?". It finally twigged for me that she had been asking because he was not white. I was just totally gob-smacked by this.
It's a cultural difference. Because America is a melting pot of diaspora from many other countries, Americans are especially proud of their cultural heritage. In America, when someone is questioned about their ethnic background, Americans will answer with the country or ethnicity where their parent, grandparents, or great-grandparents came from. It's cultural shorthand. When going abroad, many Americans maintain this shorthand. It's not meant as a sign of disrespect but rather a sign of fondness and connection to their ancestral homeland. The last time I was in Ireland, I was greeted with "Welcome, home!" when I landed.
I guarantee you would do the same if you w were born in somewhere like China and your parents were from a European country. This is a normal sociological trait
By that logic, my being born in England would suggest that I identify as Roman? How far back are we gonna go? Are we all African?
What? That does not make sense. Many Americans have grandparents from those "old countries"...we are not talking 8 generations...but their father's MOTHER. Have you forgotten most of our immigrants JUST came over here in the 1920-1950's? We are a very young country, and if identifying with where your parents or grandparents came from is somehow "weird" to you all, it would seem you are just looking for things to be "weird" or wrong, as usual.
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Ha! I found out through DNA testing that I am 40% Norwegian/Danish. Next time someone asks me my nationality I'm gonna say Viking. LOL
I found through mine that I am actually 6% Nigerian. I wasn't that surprised. Out of 10 children there's only 3 of us that are blond. I knew that I was different. LOL
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So essentially, Americans are proud to be immigrants but are intolerant of other immigrants?
We did not immigrate. Our ancestors immigrated to the continent, not the country. They built the country. Americans love immigrants that is why we have a legal immigration system. What we don’t like is foreign national entering our country illegally.
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i've always found the funny. their ancestor emigrates to America in the late 1700's but they're still Scottish, but if your father was American you're not because you weren't born there.
Amazed by things which are more than 200 years old, presumably because they don't have many things that old in the USA.
Same in Australia. We once went to a “historic” attraction that people were really fawning over. It was from the 1950s, my mum is older than it 😆
Saying “hi, how are you?” to the barista, servers, retail workers. My country doesn’t quite have that culture so I find it really sweet.
when they cross the street, they expect cars to stop for them. in my country, the cars will run you down without thinking twice.
In the Netherlands pedestrians are legally protected into the extreme. If a driver collides with a pedestrians, the driver is always 100% at fault and liable. But even here pedestrians wait till it's safe to cross the street.
When they introduce themselves they never say they're from America: mostly the state/city they're from.
I remember I was a small kid in Tijuana. They were typically a lot more good looking than the local population. The girls were hot as hell. The Marines that would come around from San Diego looked like superheroes and made these other guys look like sh*t.
We'd get European tourists as well but the American ones looked bigger and kind of stronger. Especially the military guys, like something out of these Marvel comics, at least the ones in their twenties.
All buff, tall, etc.
The military tourists were always very friendly to me and made me want to be like them when I grew up, which is why I'm going to enlist in the USMC a few years after college, haha.
Very friendly, generous people, very funny too.
They complain that the portions at restaurants are too small.
You can hear them in museums when everyone else is extra silent.
In my experience, any combination of the following:
white socks
wearing a sun visor
Talking incredibly loud
Their phone will be on a belt loop
American teenagers are usually better at blending in however, so the trick with these guys is to wait until you're in a restaurant, at which point they'll make their presence known by complaining about the local food.
In terms of positives however, I find most American tourists are incredibly friendly and sociable, they usually have no problem talking to strangers and striking up a pleasant conversation, something we Europeans never do with each other (this is also another "tell", but it's one we should adopt).
The absolute fearlessness of asking anyone on the street about anything
Expecting everyone to speak English and/or not wanting to learn the local language.
They always look cheerful and are constantly smiling and seeming happy. Tourists from other places look more neutral or even unhappy.
How can you travel to another place and not be happy??? I'm with the Americans on this one!
They get over-excited over very ordinary events and say things like “OMG look that grass how green it is!
I find this very endearing to be honest. It's how children react and how we should all react in my opinion :)
I always felt embarrassingly underdressed when traveling in Europe.
On the flip side, as a native Arizonan I can always spot the European/English tourist because they will be bright red.
Many of the things we say loudly, includes many irrelevant details. In Israel, no one gives a f*ck about irrelevant details. “Yes” or “no” answers are of high value in middle eastern culture; but in American culture we like to tell you all about why something is or that our daughter got married last year or our cat has diabetes.
I didn’t know yes/no answers had high value in Middle Eastern culture. Interesting!
They’re looking for a store open at like 11pm. Even if in most European countries stores close at like 7-8 pm
American: "Can you imagine not being able to buy a microwave at 3 AM?" European: "Yes."
Americans think the world impressed by their city. No one cares that you’re from Las Vegas
And why do so many tourists visit Las Vegas or New York or California?
Tipping. Americans will try to tip everyone, even in countries where tipping isn't a thing/is considered a serious insult.
They're always asking for extra ice in their drinks.
I prefer my drinks at room temperature unless they're supposed to be hot.
They ask for ketchup no matter what they're eating.
They have impeccable facial hair. Maybe Americans get a trim before they go on holiday, but I'm always impressed by the tidy beards and mustaches.
dollars. God damn it, people - hit a money exchange before you hit the market. Especially in a country where hard currency was still illegal.
They’re the first to kick off when it’s a hot day and the Grade II listed hotel I work in doesn’t have air-conditioning.
Then they leave a bad review :( believe me, I would LOVE air con but we’re not allowed to change the building.
Why would you leave a 900 year old historical building intact, when you clearly can ruin the façade with air conditioners?
Their college t shirt, sweater or cap
We are morons about diet. Another American moved to where I lived. He preached about high protein diets, b*tched about how he couldn’t find fat free milk or pasteurized egg whites, in a country that specializes in high-fat cuisine.
I've lived in the USA for 18 years, originally from England. It's not really anything specific, and it's hard to explain but Americans have a certain attitude and way of holding themselves that's easily noticeable. They just seem more confident and at ease than other nations. You don't notice it at first, but it's easy to spot after you've lived here a while. Last time we were in England we stopped at a convenience store and two young Americans were sitting opposite, they hadn't spoken but we knew immediately.
My wife walked up:
"You here on vacation?"
"Oh.. yeah! Wow, how did you know?"
"Duh. Where are you from?"
Proudly. "We're from the USA"
"Oh, really honey? Where do you think I'm from?!"
Turns out they were from Ohio and the last thing they expected in some quiet British convenience store was to find someone from their home country.
My wife says I've never acquired it either, she can usually spot English people really quickly too.
They’re definitely more confident! I admire this about them (when it’s appropriate, not about arrogance or ignorant confidence). Me and my partner have discussed before: do they all go through some secret special confidence school at the age of 3 or is it genetic?!
Everyone else is freezing outside and then there's that American walking around in shorts as if it's nothing.
That would also be a Canadian on a southern university campus...
They ask things like 'what is that in degrees Fahrenheit?' 'How many miles?' and 'That's two pounds'???
Like Europeans ask "What's that in degrees Celsius" "How many Kilometers?" and "That's 1 KG?" when they're in the US.
In the UK, first-time American tourists look bewildered trying to navigate their rental car in busy roundabouts (traffic circles).
People in the UK are driving on the wrong side of the road, so that's understandable.
All the Americans I saw abroad always traveled as a family and had a MILLION bags, usually the mom would be carrying the largest/most.
Also, we are the only ones who would differentiate between different parts of the country. My European friends never understood why I always asked where in America another American was from. I guess they didn’t understand that people from California can be VERY different from Kentucky or Southern people, so you gotta know in order to judge this new person based on stereotypes.
The way they like to say "oh you call this X? We call that Y in America" or something along those lines
When being a tourist in US, I told my husband there was a queue to get to the toilet... the table next to me (locals) made fun of my choice of words (hahaha , queue, who says that). I speak Dutch, french and English and have a good notion of several other languages... I'm doing the best I can, people....
"Does that come with a side order of French Fries?"
This phrase and that sentence alone are so foreign here even if you faked an accent perfectly it would stand out.
i am Central African.
See, I didn't figure OP didn't know what French fries were. I figured he found it strange that Americans presume every meal comes with a side of fries. (Sorry, but fries at restaurants are kiddie food... familiar, comforting food when other food at a restaurant can be unfamiliar and therefore intimidating to children... but now generations of us Americans have grown up getting fries with dinner at restaurants.)
For some reason, American tourists in Norway always seem to be marveled at how technologically advanced Norway is. Read: how everywhere takes and prefers card, how chuggers that go about with those money jugs also have a sign with an account number you can send money to, how there's a lot of electric cars here, etc etc etc.
Also, they always seem to automatically assume that if you aren't norwegian, you're either a tourist, or, if you're middle eastern, a refugee. It's always a button annoying when you try to help some lost American couple find a stave church and they brush you off just because you have an Australian accent and are apparently a tourist who doesn't know the place like them even though you've lived in that area for ten years.
Footwear. Americans for some reason wear sneakers / running shoes when unnecessary. Also usually loud along with their accent, it's very distinct when heard abroad. Except some Canadians have a very similar accent. And dress, kind of hard to explain this one though. Usually unintentionally stand out when back home they'd blend in perfectly.
Just an American view on identitying other Americans overseas.
staring confusedly at the food you just ordered. Beef Stroganoff in a fancy restaurant doesn’t look like your Hamburger Helper version, and fish soup is traditionally served with the head still attached
If they have kids they say "Good job!" to them a lot
It's positive reinforcement! It encourages them to behave or strive to be better.
In Germany, I never realized how many other Americans wore baseball hats.
The huge American flag they are wearing usually gives it away
Hand-held fans, maybe because air conditioning is very common in the USA.
As a woman of a certain age, I find a hand held rechargeable fan necessary at times. I also hug an ice pack occasionally.
Look for the crocs, walking cane, Hawaiian shirt, shorts, wiiide hiker’s hat, and a map.
Asking for the bathroom in a restaurant or public place. Do you need to take a shower? No. What you're really looking for is the toilet.
He's politely letting an entire tour bus full of Chinese jump the line by pushing past him and his entire family.
Touching everything behind "Do not touch" sign.
That's what all tourists have in common. In the Netherlands Chinese tourists are notorious for trampling the tulip fields despite numerous signs telling them to stay out of the fields. One flower grower once said on TV that his fields looked like they had been attacked by a swarm of locusts if a bus with Chinese tourists had stopped at his place. He closed his fields for the public.
He/She/they will usually be the only that takes up the space where 2 people should be.
Easy joke aside, living in Switzerland i've noticed the american trends tend to be more blatant here. Things like popped collars, sunglasses even during the rain, obnoxiously loud talking in bars are usually a dead give away to me. Dont know why, but it seems that the US people living here are just generally stand out more compared to the rest
I mostly find them in the most visited beaches when I go for a vacation inside of my own country and a real easy tell there is that they're the most sun burnt around. Most of them look like a walking tomato.
They're usually tanned, and grinning ear to ear as they marvel loudly about some aspect of our culture. Also very likely to strike up conversation with any passer by, which many of the locals here (rural UK) find intimidating or annoying. Also their accents are super distinct, so if any of them ever talk at a normal volume level (jk that never happens) you can still hear them from a mile away.
They ask for to-go coffee cups. Everyone else in Europe sits and drinks their coffee, but Americans always seem to be in a rush so they take their coffee to go.
What? "Everyone else in Europe"? No no. In Greece we do it all the time
They pronounce things horribly and make zero attempt to say it correctly.
Most tourists aren't interested in the language or the culture of the country. They just go there because of the weather and cheap food and drink. A few of my Dutch friends have been going on holiday to Spain for 20 years. None of them have advanced beyond the point of "Dos cerveza, por favor." "Quanta costa?" and "Gracias." All said with a heavy Dutch accent.
The accent, you can usually hear an American tourist no matter how far they are from you.
They take their shoes off for airport security, even when there is a sign saying not to take shoes off.
In New Zealand, American hikers were the only ones with Nalgene water bottles.
They are little sweet, little shy & little soft spoken. They usually respect everyone around them. They take selfie with old age people. The best part is they apologize too much. Sometimes it feels like they are just scared to come to my country Vietnam.
This sounds like the opposite of American tourists tbh (to clarify, while I'm a kiwi, I have a tonne of USA friends who are nothing like this, and it's a generalization yadda-yadda) but here they tend to be very loud, anything but shy, come across too strong with compliments etc.
I've seen multiple American tourists here in Canada asking their partners "WhErEs tHe sNoW?" I really hope they were joking it was summer at the time.
I live in Toronto, and the most obvious sign of a tourist is turning around, seeing the CN Tower and trying to take a group selfie in front of it. Get off the sidewalk.
The same problem exists in the Netherlands with tourists on the bicycle path. Bicycle paths are painted red. They also have bicycles painted on them. It is not the best place to stand with your entire family for a photo. A crash course in swearing in Dutch will be your reward. And I will get downvotes but Dutch swear with diseases.
Back at it again BP. always ripping on Americans. Please find another group of people to disparage.
It's also total hypocrisy advocating for equality and against discrimination in some posts and then being guilty of it in others. Posts like this suggest that it's okay to discriminate or stereotype certain groups but not others.
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This makes me very nervous to travel to other countries. I would be afraid of insulting someone with my smile or my hello. As an American, I am very polite and happy. I love to ask questions. How am I supposed to learn of the country I wish to visit if I can't comfortably speak to a citizen there? If I wasn't interested in your country, I wouldn't visit it. Just my opinion.... I know every country is different and i respect that.
You are welcome to come over here. This is a stupid thread, that's why I posted nice things. This USA bashing is just stupid. Not all of us are like that.
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Thank goodness, haven’t seen one of these re-hashed articles in nigh on a fortnight. Can I get paid for one of these? Pretty sure I could do it from memory at this point ;)
Most repetitive BP Posts: #1 - Tell us how horrible America is. #2 - Tell us how horrible your workplace is. #3 - Tell us how horrible your family and friends are during (insert holiday or event). #4- Rehashed Reddit topics.
This would honestly only really make sense if each poster said where THEY are from. Something that screams "TOURIST" in one country might be perfectly normal in another.
So... The one thing I've taken away from this, and the many, MANY American-bashing articles on BP is that Eurpopeans hate us. You commenters have made me never want to visit, and that's just sad. I feel unwelcome. And frankly? I don't fall into many of the categories complained about above. But my god, if you hate Americans so much, I hope you NEVER come visit our country. And we will avoid yours? Better? Everyone separate. No mixing. WOO HOO! WHAT A FUN WORLD! Everyone exactly the same. FFS Bored Panda. Stop bashing us.
Don't base your idea of what other people think of your country or people off of the internet. This is just a very picky selection of a lot more comments in a Reddit post.
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Nope. How about we talk about something really non-stereotyping, like how all the French eat is cream and snails? ;-P
Load More Replies... I work in tourism in Boston (USA). I could easily write a counterpoint with all the European stereotypes. Germans, ugh.
Beat me to that one. In my area, you can tell the German tourists b/c nothing is ever good enough. Ever. Even our forests, apparently.
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This is sort of a senseless article. Yes, Americans ARE different. We do things other populations don't do. We also don't do things people in other countries do. It's a wide world. There will be differences. Ok, some Americans are fat over 40. Others talk loud. But not everyone is fat over 40 and not everyone talks loud. French people don't bathe. The English have bad teeth. Russians never smile. We can do this both ways.
As an American who wants to travel in Europe someday… I just want you guys to like me. Go easy please
Most of us are nice, just like you guys in the USA.
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I call BS. I don't think these people have ever meant an American. They just see crappy behavior from their own neighbors and then call them Americans.
So basically don't care about or show interest in history, don't smile or be polite, or enjoy anything ever. Got it.
As an American traveler, none of these stereotypes apply to me with the exception of being amazed over 500+ year old architecture, and asking people who are serving me how they are (which are stupid things to get irritated over). No. I don't wear white socks up my calves (terrible look). No, I don't wear t-shirts with American flags on them. Or sun visors. Or f***y packs. No, I don't expect locals in countries where English is not an official language to speak English to me. No, I don't have loud and obnoxious conversations that everyone can hear, nor do I complain about food or portion sizes. And I would never laugh at local culture that I find different from my own. Part of being a successful traveler involves taking in every cultural difference as your own.
Apart from being somewhat over my ideal weight, I don't match any of these. Looks like I'd go undetected.
My husband and I have been saving for, and planning a trip to visit Austria, Belgium and Germany. I can't guarantee I won't be very excited and happy while I'm there, but I WILL be quiet and not ask for ice! 🙂
I can say all these things about anyone one from any country because there's always that one idiot that makes the whole country look bad. I.e. Trump. I personally have never done ANY of these things. The only time I ever slightly did one of these things was when I was in Japan and couldn't find a store I was looking for. I found a police box and asked for directions (in passable Japanese thank you very much). But that's what police boxes are for! Now did I do something wierd culturally or rude while traveling? Possibly. I'm not from that culture and as hard as I try to know everything about the country I'm visiting, i'm not some walking encyclopedia of cultural knowledge. But I do TRY not to be a giant prat
Always hating on us. Guess they don't want people visiting and spending money there. Honestly, this makes me afraid to travel.
Actually, it IS just you. Unless you are close enough to hear speech patterns and dialects you are probably including a lot of Brits and German. In any event, in any more or less homogeneous environment any local can almost always detect any foreigner because the foreigner will look, sound and walk differently, exhibit interest in things you take for granted and be ignorant of local practices (e.g., in Manhattan, you'll have to jaywalk if you want to get anywhere on time). So, Liucija and Mindaugas, you can stop patting yourselves on the back now, and maybe Bored Panda editors will think twice henceforth think twice before posting threads that are mostly puerile nonsense.
So many stereotypes and generalizations...all Americans are not the same, as I'm sure all Italians, Chinese, Icelanders are not as well.
True story - myself and a friend were in London for a couple of days last month to see a couple of shows. We're doing the whole touristy thing on a Thursday morning, I'm trying to frame a nice shot of Buckingham Palace, when this American tourist spots the NASA flying jacket I'm wearing and loudly asks what part of the States we're from. He was quite perplexed when we told him we were from Scotland.
Lost my temper a bit with this one. Sorry folks. The depths and amounts of stereotypes of Americans as fat, rude, loud, uncouth and unwanted really pisses me off. I think my next trip will not include Europe. There's a whole world out there.
When you are at war, starving, you can easily spot American boys coming to save your asses. Something for which we will be punished in the future as well.
I'm American and no one can tell. I've been all over the world. Stereotypes exist for a reason, but people miss other Americans that don't meet the expected look and demeanor.
Im icelandic. Our american tourists are always dressed like theyre ready to climb mt. everest. Even while just hanging out in the city. Also, backpacks.
Please try to remember that America is huge, and we have all different types of weather. If someone from the Southern states comes to visit, you betcha they are going to be dressed like they are climbing Mt. Everest. If someone has never been there, they aren't quite sure about how to dress. You're Icelandic, so you know. People coming to visit don't. Please be patient.
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I found this really interesting and insightful! There are a lot of things you wouldn't think about or think to Google before going.
Yes, Americans are different. But, if we are so terrible, why do people want to come live here? Let them live in their wonderful, cheap, clean, friendly countries.
Back at it again BP. always ripping on Americans. Please find another group of people to disparage.
It's also total hypocrisy advocating for equality and against discrimination in some posts and then being guilty of it in others. Posts like this suggest that it's okay to discriminate or stereotype certain groups but not others.
Load More Replies... This makes me very nervous to travel to other countries. I would be afraid of insulting someone with my smile or my hello. As an American, I am very polite and happy. I love to ask questions. How am I supposed to learn of the country I wish to visit if I can't comfortably speak to a citizen there? If I wasn't interested in your country, I wouldn't visit it. Just my opinion.... I know every country is different and i respect that.
You are welcome to come over here. This is a stupid thread, that's why I posted nice things. This USA bashing is just stupid. Not all of us are like that.
Load More Replies... Thank goodness, haven’t seen one of these re-hashed articles in nigh on a fortnight. Can I get paid for one of these? Pretty sure I could do it from memory at this point ;)
Most repetitive BP Posts: #1 - Tell us how horrible America is. #2 - Tell us how horrible your workplace is. #3 - Tell us how horrible your family and friends are during (insert holiday or event). #4- Rehashed Reddit topics.
This would honestly only really make sense if each poster said where THEY are from. Something that screams "TOURIST" in one country might be perfectly normal in another.
So... The one thing I've taken away from this, and the many, MANY American-bashing articles on BP is that Eurpopeans hate us. You commenters have made me never want to visit, and that's just sad. I feel unwelcome. And frankly? I don't fall into many of the categories complained about above. But my god, if you hate Americans so much, I hope you NEVER come visit our country. And we will avoid yours? Better? Everyone separate. No mixing. WOO HOO! WHAT A FUN WORLD! Everyone exactly the same. FFS Bored Panda. Stop bashing us.
Don't base your idea of what other people think of your country or people off of the internet. This is just a very picky selection of a lot more comments in a Reddit post.
Load More Replies... Nope. How about we talk about something really non-stereotyping, like how all the French eat is cream and snails? ;-P
Load More Replies... I work in tourism in Boston (USA). I could easily write a counterpoint with all the European stereotypes. Germans, ugh.
Beat me to that one. In my area, you can tell the German tourists b/c nothing is ever good enough. Ever. Even our forests, apparently.
Load More Replies... This is sort of a senseless article. Yes, Americans ARE different. We do things other populations don't do. We also don't do things people in other countries do. It's a wide world. There will be differences. Ok, some Americans are fat over 40. Others talk loud. But not everyone is fat over 40 and not everyone talks loud. French people don't bathe. The English have bad teeth. Russians never smile. We can do this both ways.
As an American who wants to travel in Europe someday… I just want you guys to like me. Go easy please
Most of us are nice, just like you guys in the USA.
Load More Replies... I call BS. I don't think these people have ever meant an American. They just see crappy behavior from their own neighbors and then call them Americans.
So basically don't care about or show interest in history, don't smile or be polite, or enjoy anything ever. Got it.
As an American traveler, none of these stereotypes apply to me with the exception of being amazed over 500+ year old architecture, and asking people who are serving me how they are (which are stupid things to get irritated over). No. I don't wear white socks up my calves (terrible look). No, I don't wear t-shirts with American flags on them. Or sun visors. Or f***y packs. No, I don't expect locals in countries where English is not an official language to speak English to me. No, I don't have loud and obnoxious conversations that everyone can hear, nor do I complain about food or portion sizes. And I would never laugh at local culture that I find different from my own. Part of being a successful traveler involves taking in every cultural difference as your own.
Apart from being somewhat over my ideal weight, I don't match any of these. Looks like I'd go undetected.
My husband and I have been saving for, and planning a trip to visit Austria, Belgium and Germany. I can't guarantee I won't be very excited and happy while I'm there, but I WILL be quiet and not ask for ice! 🙂
I can say all these things about anyone one from any country because there's always that one idiot that makes the whole country look bad. I.e. Trump. I personally have never done ANY of these things. The only time I ever slightly did one of these things was when I was in Japan and couldn't find a store I was looking for. I found a police box and asked for directions (in passable Japanese thank you very much). But that's what police boxes are for! Now did I do something wierd culturally or rude while traveling? Possibly. I'm not from that culture and as hard as I try to know everything about the country I'm visiting, i'm not some walking encyclopedia of cultural knowledge. But I do TRY not to be a giant prat
Always hating on us. Guess they don't want people visiting and spending money there. Honestly, this makes me afraid to travel.
Actually, it IS just you. Unless you are close enough to hear speech patterns and dialects you are probably including a lot of Brits and German. In any event, in any more or less homogeneous environment any local can almost always detect any foreigner because the foreigner will look, sound and walk differently, exhibit interest in things you take for granted and be ignorant of local practices (e.g., in Manhattan, you'll have to jaywalk if you want to get anywhere on time). So, Liucija and Mindaugas, you can stop patting yourselves on the back now, and maybe Bored Panda editors will think twice henceforth think twice before posting threads that are mostly puerile nonsense.
So many stereotypes and generalizations...all Americans are not the same, as I'm sure all Italians, Chinese, Icelanders are not as well.
True story - myself and a friend were in London for a couple of days last month to see a couple of shows. We're doing the whole touristy thing on a Thursday morning, I'm trying to frame a nice shot of Buckingham Palace, when this American tourist spots the NASA flying jacket I'm wearing and loudly asks what part of the States we're from. He was quite perplexed when we told him we were from Scotland.
Lost my temper a bit with this one. Sorry folks. The depths and amounts of stereotypes of Americans as fat, rude, loud, uncouth and unwanted really pisses me off. I think my next trip will not include Europe. There's a whole world out there.
When you are at war, starving, you can easily spot American boys coming to save your asses. Something for which we will be punished in the future as well.
I'm American and no one can tell. I've been all over the world. Stereotypes exist for a reason, but people miss other Americans that don't meet the expected look and demeanor.
Im icelandic. Our american tourists are always dressed like theyre ready to climb mt. everest. Even while just hanging out in the city. Also, backpacks.
Please try to remember that America is huge, and we have all different types of weather. If someone from the Southern states comes to visit, you betcha they are going to be dressed like they are climbing Mt. Everest. If someone has never been there, they aren't quite sure about how to dress. You're Icelandic, so you know. People coming to visit don't. Please be patient.
Load More Replies... I found this really interesting and insightful! There are a lot of things you wouldn't think about or think to Google before going.
Yes, Americans are different. But, if we are so terrible, why do people want to come live here? Let them live in their wonderful, cheap, clean, friendly countries.
