In this thread we'll list annoying tourist encounters in the vain hope some of them will read this and not be an ass the next time they're abroad.

I'll start off with the stereotypical american tourists, I don't dislike americans in general but one thing that annoys the shit out of me is that you people are LOUD AS FUCK in public. Seriously when you're sitting in a train or tram or subway or in a restaurant or what ever public place.

Try to not raise your voice all the goddamn time, I've had a lot of encounters with americans in trains (I used to ride one every day to work when I worked in Amsterdam), and Jesus fucking christ. It's like you want the whole train to hear your retarded stories. It's always women too.

Don't be a loud asshole.

I can only imagine how much pain a Dutchman must endure during tourist season :p.

Are you mad when they are polite and courteous but try and speak the local language and end butchering it?

Don't travel in huge groups (I'm looking at you Japan and China!)

seriously though, I 'd have no idea, I just always blend by meself, I don't really pay attention to what to do or not do...

Ask permission, and use your NOGGIN when photographing shit. This ranges from taking "funny" pics in the street in Europe of random people and stuff happening, to photographing holy people, places, funerals and all of that in Asia. You would not believe how some people behave when trying to get a photo....

Don't dish out money when travelling in a "poor" (urggg) country. I fucking hated meeting tourists in places in Cambodia who say stuff like "YEH MATE BUT IT COSTS NOTHING WHO CARES" and pay some fucking ridiculous price for a tuk tuk or a newspaper. Yes, i'm a bit stingy, but that's totally beside the point. It pushes up prices and encourages the hassling and ripping off tourists, because you're to dumb to think over the economic situation of the country. It's not "'mean" to pay less for stuff somewhere than you would back home (but yeh, use common sense and don't screw up peoples' livelihoods for fun....), and in Asian countries which are "poor" (urgggg) bartering is very much common place. You must fucking barter, unless things are priced. It's RUDE not to, in my opinion, partly because bartering is a form of discussion and conversation, enquiring about the product and sharing stories, just as much as getting a good price (or not being ripped off so badly).

On top of this, giving money to beggars should be thought over I reckon, and if giving, then small amounts are best, and personally I would never give money to kids begging. You do bloody see the "begging pimps" rounding the kids up at the end of the day in some places and taking a hefty cut, or else it's the parents using them. Lots of street kids end up buying stuff like glue and things anyway, and it's FUCKING DEPRESSING to see kids huffing solvents and glue cos some American twat has handed over cash because they think that's charitable. Also, giving kids sweets and stuff in poor countries is just shitty, generally.... it means they focus on getting gifts from tourists, which is crap for a variety of reasons, not to mention they have few dentists, so.....

Go to countries with the aim of being surprised. If you are -- fantastic! Do you really need to let EVERYONE else know, though? Like Fza said, Americans are particularly bad, especially middle aged couples. OH MY GAWSSHHHH THAT IS LIKE SO.... QUAINT! *Sigh* Yes, the rest of the world does have history and different architecture and all sorts of shit, hoorah!

Respect holy places and cultural traditions. This goes without saying, really. The fact you disagree with them is irrelevant - suck a dick, and suck it up. You don't go pissing all over the churches in the Vatican and sunbathing topless.... likewise, you don't hang from statues or climb all over shit screaming. Dress kinda appropriately..... and yes, yes, I guess this is something that people find annoying. If it's hot, you mostly wana be in shorts. Sometimes they just aint appropriate though, even on guys, let alone chicks, and let alone short shorts. Sling a shirt on and wear a blouse or something if you're a chick -- God, English people are so bad at this, fat women with sunburnt tits hanging out and short skirts gawking away and basically embarrassing people in their own countries.

Hey i sound like an asshole, but really, so many people just don't think and it really aint hard to at least consider how you may be coming off.

Oh and just cos Fza is Dutch; if you go to Amsterdam and smoke pot, don't order the strongest shit and white out, puking and drooling all over the coffee shop, just to prove how hard you are. Lots of Nederweid sucks. The Dutch know it, and it's too bad some muppets learn the hard way. Strong doesn't mean it's good.

Know where the fuck you're going!! Do the speed limit, if not over it, and while I understand the locals here are total idiots, be above the locals in FL and drive like you have a purpose!

Tourists/old people are lousey drivers!!!

Are you mad when they are polite and courteous but try and speak the local language and end butchering it?

That would be funny because it's impossible for english speakers.

But one thing, if you're in the Netherlands, WE'RE NOT GERMANS. Jesus Christ I had a British tourist ask me for directions once and he tried to speak German to me (I speak German), but he butchered that so badly I had no idea what the fuck he was on about.

After 5 minutes I asked him in english if he'd prefered to speak that. :p

Also, nice post Mellow_Fellow, adepting to cultural traditions is a good one, especially if you're visiting non-western countries. I've lived in Indonesia for 3 years and my father had american colleagues there, if you hear the stories of how absolutely degrading they act towards other cultures. Horrible.

When I was in Cairo I took on a passel of local street urchins to be my servants and tour guides.

I made them call me efendi.

They were great.

I really like tourists. :)

They're always so curious and amazed. It's like dealing with children that have the ability to enjoy and appreciate the local.

It's wonderful to go on vacation and experience all the different things that a new place has to offer.

If they don't speak the language, then they've just learned a few key words. It's just delightful and fun.

People that visit Canada are awesome people.

The only complaint that I've ever faced is Americans complaining that they couldn't bring their gun on vacation.

I really like tourists. :)

People that visit Canada are awesome people.

I agree with you completely there. Tourists in Canada aren't the kind of people who think Europe is some sort of Continental Disneyland or whatever. I'm living in a huge tourist town for the time being, and they're starting to pour in. Little things like meeting French people at the liquor store or pointing an Indian (dot) in the right direction give me pleasure. I can definitely appreciate how much of a different story it is in Europe, though....

The only tourists I ever meet are Germans with Motor homes during their yearly migrations.

Most of us do not speak German.
Don't get all pissy when we ask you if you speak English.
Yelling in German wont magically make us speak it.

This is really a waste of time though since most of them are 40+ .

everybody, in a foreign land, is an ambassador to their own country. I was in japan and helped an Israelite construct a japanese sentence to help her find a souvenir shop. They had never heard or experienced anything about Australia or its people. When we parted ways I knew that these people now had a really good view and opinion of australians because of this one encounter. If your an ass in a foreign country, where there is not many of your kind around, everybody that interacts with you will attribute your traits to your whole country.
On a melbourne tram a couple of weeks ago, 2 americans got on and tried to put coins into the ticket validating machines. as this would probably have fucked them up (the machines), i stopped them and pointed them in the direction of the ticket machine.
Me: "Hey, you have to buy a ticket first and put it in there when you get it"
Americans: *cue volume and angry tones* "Oh! ok! lets go there then!"
After they stood at the ticket machine talking loudly to eachother about how to work it i went and asked them if they wanted help and they got even louder and said "no! well be fine!"
So i went back to my seat thinking "if you cant treat locals with any respect then your not gonna get anywhere so you might as well get the fuck out" and "now i know all Americans are retards." I know they were 2 out of americas hundred and fifty million or whatever it is but it still has the same effect and conjures this image for the whole country.

everybody, in a foreign land, is an ambassador to their own country. I was in japan and helped an Israelite construct a japanese sentence to help her find a souvenir shop. They had never heard or experienced anything about Australia or its people. When we parted ways I knew that these people now had a really good view and opinion of australians because of this one encounter. If your an ass in a foreign country, where there is not many of your kind around, everybody that interacts with you will attribute your traits to your whole country.
On a melbourne tram a couple of weeks ago, 2 americans got on and tried to put coins into the ticket validating machines. as this would probably have fucked them up (the machines), i stopped them and pointed them in the direction of the ticket machine.
Me: "Hey, you have to buy a ticket first and put it in there when you get it"
Americans: *cue volume and angry tones* "Oh! ok! lets go there then!"
After they stood at the ticket machine talking loudly to eachother about how to work it i went and asked them if they wanted help and they got even louder and said "no! well be fine!"
So i went back to my seat thinking "if you cant treat locals with any respect then your not gonna get anywhere so you might as well get the fuck out" and "now i know all Americans are retards." I know they were 2 out of americas hundred and fifty million or whatever it is but it still has the same effect and conjures this image for the whole country.

I agree completely, I'm always ashamed of annoying fellow countriesmen, they fuck up the perception of the locals badly, and then everyone thinks we're cunts.

It's bad enough that half of them probably thinks we're Germans. :( Everyone always thinks we're Germans. They're the european versions of Americans, only less annoying.

I agree completely, I'm always ashamed of annoying fellow countriesmen, they fuck up the perception of the locals badly, and then everyone thinks we're cunts.

It's bad enough that half of them probably thinks we're Germans. :( Everyone always thinks we're Germans. They're the european versions of Americans, only less annoying.

ugh better that they think that you're German then French...

I wish i wasn't American, that way I could be cool like you guys and pull stereotypes out of my ass.

Uhh...

I hate it when French people come to my country without putting on deodorant. Man, don't you guys know that you smell fucking BAD!?!?!







i'll never be cool

I hate it when French people come to my country without putting on deodorant. Man, don't you guys know that you smell fucking BAD!?!?!



Wow, what a generalization. I can say fairly sure that you maybe met one or two French people who didn't have deo on and you just generelize it for entire France.
If you'd actually been to france then you'd notice that the French are probably among the more hygenic people.

Try to compare the number of French you've met without deoderant to the number of Americans you've met not wearing deoderant. Now also take into account that most of the French you've already met probably are travellers and don't always have imediate access to deoderant/don't see the point to deoderant as most travellers who don't want to look like a playboy where ever they go.

^He was trolling / attempting to sarcastically use a stereotype, or something of that sort.

For the record, every French person I've met had an at least acceptable odour ;). Except for that angry drunk dude who drove us into Paris from the airport, he smelled like merde and vin :(.

^He's a moron...

Fixed.

Some French can be too self conscious to bother speaking English when abroad, which is a bit of a Catch22, cos it means they never practise enough for it to be familiar.

Ok, screw that, it's really not just the "French", it's a ton of nationalities, but I guess I do see it with 'em a fair bit, but then of course, the English are much worse.... as we're incredibly poor linguists, normally. It's kinda sweet when the oldies try their "bon-jurrr je veuzzz dew.... panggg??" stuff, heck, at least they're trying, but in places like Spain, and parts of France, normally "got any vaggggs luv??"/"can you do a fry uppp??" (said more loudy and patronisingly, in the hope of "clarity") are more common place.

If you're in someone else's country, it's pretty cool to make an effort with simple phrases, it wont kill ya! :D

It's kinda sweet when the oldies try their "bon-jurrr je veuzzz dew.... panggg??

haha, this made me lol. I can just imagine an American saying it like that!!!! hahaha...:p

It's not our fault us North Americans aren't polyglots like you Europeans. We were more or less told growing up that as long as we know English, we'll be fine. At least we try! :(.

So, question -- for a non-fluent speaker of a language, would you rather the tourist attempt to converse in your native tongue or just abandon the pursuit altogether (until said tourist becomes semi-fluent)?

It was kind of mixed for me, Italians usually appreciated an attempt, but some of them were dicks about it, mocking my accent and what not (this only really happened once, and this was in Florence, were they reeaally don't take kindly to turistas). The French were surprisingly cool about my (at the time) atrocious French, only one Parisian scoffed at me when I tried to order two packs of Marlboro reds (dude just glared and threw the packs at me...). It seems Spaniards are the most relaxed and encouraging when you attempt to speak their language.

It's not our fault us North Americans aren't polyglots like you Europeans. We were more or less told growing up that as long as we know English, we'll be fine. At least we try! :(.

So, question -- for a non-fluent speaker of a language, would you rather the tourist attempt to converse in your native tongue or just abandon the pursuit altogether (until said tourist becomes semi-fluent)?

It was kind of mixed for me, Italians usually appreciated an attempt, but some of them were dicks about it, mocking my accent and what not (this only really happened once, and this was in Florence, were they reeaally don't take kindly to turistas). The French were surprisingly cool about my (at the time) atrocious French, only one Parisian scoffed at me when I tried to order two packs of Marlboro reds (dude just glared and threw the packs at me...). It seems Spaniards are the most relaxed and encouraging when you attempt to speak their language.

Depends on the country and the individual, I'd be amused because it would be atrocious in 99% of the time but I'd appreciate it you'd atleast try. A few words are nice enough, just learn to say "thank you" in the language. You have to keep in mind that not everyone speaks english, although a lot do these days you could still run into someone who doesn't. Especially in less developed countries.

For me it depends, if I'm in a hurry and some tourists starts stuterring a question in bad dutch I'd probably straight away ask you to do it in english. But if I have plenty of time I'd let you struggle for a while. :p

I always help people tho, I have noticed that common courtesy is slowly dissapearing.