What do American tourists do that offend people in Britain?

[DaveC]

I love How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory, and to an extent, Two and a Half Men, and because I find them edegier than currnet similar British stcoms.

I do like the much sharper US stuff like Arrested Development too

[mystmoon]

Ooh! Ooh! Misfits is good too! If only for the line "What if there's loads of people like us all over town?" "No, that kind of thing only happens in America."

Yeh, one of the reasons my list is so short is because there's a lot of American shows that I like as well, like Big Bang Theory and Glee. I like the shinyness and the humour in them.

[deldaisy]

Australians do NOT hate Steve Irwin!!!! We loved him. He was exactly in real life like he was on TV. Very enthusiastic. He hated that he got treated differently in the states though. Here he was very hands on.... the kids would serve in the gift shop, etc.

I don't think Texas is all horses, etc. either. I think alot of other nationalities travel alot more than Americans do. And if you DO travel from Australia.... its such a long way from anywhere you tend to stay away for a really LOOOOONG trip and get in as many countries as you can. And as far a TV goes, we tend to get a more diverse range of programmes from America than YOU get from Australia or Britian.

I have seen some obnoxious Yanks overseas (loved the ones who thought they should have relocated some of the tourist attractions in Rome for the tourist flow to be better!)

But sadly I have seen alot of obnoxious Aussies too..... those who suddenly develop a REALLY broad accent and use "slang words" that come out of an old Barry McKenzie movie... UGH. But once you leave London it gets better and they calm down mostly.

I tend to judge people as they come..... no matter what the nationality. And its not fair to judge a whole country by one bad tourist. (God knows WE have our fair share).

[Tonyblack]

Agreed! There's a real danger of stereotyping a whole nation from a few individuals. Judge as you find, not by stereotype.

[raisindot]

I love How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory, and to an extent, Two and a Half Men, and because I find them edegier than currnet similar British stcoms.

Wow...talk about your cultural divide. Here those shows are considered to be rather pedestrian and middle of the road compared to, as you said, edgier shows like Arrested Development and (when at their best) 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, The Office and some of the more 'adult' comedy shows like Californication, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Weeds.

[raisindot]

I can't think of a one of them (British people) who wasn't charming, funny, and cultured.

Gosh! J-I*b.
I never knew you cared so much. [/quote]

You're right. There's always an exception.

J-I-B

[DaveC]

I love How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory, and to an extent, Two and a Half Men, and because I find them edegier than currnet similar British stcoms.

Wow...talk about your cultural divide. Here those shows are considered to be rather pedestrian and middle of the road compared to, as you said, edgier shows like Arrested Development and (when at their best) 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, The Office and some of the more 'adult' comedy shows like Californication, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Weeds.

Over here, sitcoms are either bland, like My Family or Green Green Grass or really edgy like Psychoville or Being Human both mixed with horror.

[Bouncy Castle]

A friend of mine has a son working in Korea, teaching English to five and six year olds (or thereabouts).

He tells tales of the Americans working over there as incredibly rude.

They slag off the country, the people (treating the Koreans they work with as third class citizens - "why is he/she sitting with us?" when they all go out for a meal, the culture, and he often finds himself wondering why the took a job outside the US in the first place.

He loves the place to bits, and has just taken a new job at a university.

[raisindot]

A friend of mine has a son working in Korea, teaching English to five and six year olds (or thereabouts).

He tells tales of the Americans working over there as incredibly rude.

They slag off the country, the people (treating the Koreans they work with as third class citizens - "why is he/she sitting with us?" when they all go out for a meal, the culture, and he often finds himself wondering why the took a job outside the US in the first place.

Many Americans working abroad, particularly those working in lower-paid jobs in nations whose natives have different color skin and very different cultural traditions, unfortunately often make the poorest impressions.

They often take these jobs because they can't get work in the U.S. (like the Blackwater mercenaries who are far too violent and psychotic even to find jobs in Texas) or are paid huge amounts (like the US oil workers in the mideast), or simply want 'adventure.'

They probably all wished they could work in the UK or Europe, but instead get sent to a culture that is entirely alien to them and, because of the language and cultural barriers, plus their own general unhappiness with the current lot in life, tend to stick with their own and look down upon the natives.

Regrettable.

[mystmoon]

I love How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory, and to an extent, Two and a Half Men, and because I find them edegier than currnet similar British stcoms.

Wow...talk about your cultural divide. Here those shows are considered to be rather pedestrian and middle of the road compared to, as you said, edgier shows like Arrested Development and (when at their best) 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, The Office and some of the more 'adult' comedy shows like Californication, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Weeds.

Over here, sitcoms are either bland, like My Family or Green Green Grass or really edgy like Psychoville or Being Human both mixed with horror.

B-but Being Human is awesome! It's like-got werewolves and vampires and ghosts and stuff!

[DaveC]

I love How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory, and to an extent, Two and a Half Men, and because I find them edegier than currnet similar British stcoms.

Wow...talk about your cultural divide. Here those shows are considered to be rather pedestrian and middle of the road compared to, as you said, edgier shows like Arrested Development and (when at their best) 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, The Office and some of the more 'adult' comedy shows like Californication, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Weeds.

Over here, sitcoms are either bland, like My Family or Green Green Grass or really edgy like Psychoville or Being Human both mixed with horror.

B-but Being Human is awesome! It's like-got werewolves and vampires and ghosts and stuff!

Sorry Myst! I meant to say I love Being Human and Psychoville! The darker the better for my comedy.

[deldaisy]

Maybe this should be retitled.... What do tourists do in other countries that annoy the locals ? I am sure we are all guilty... not just Americans.

[mystmoon]

Ooh, are we really doing this? ok, Japanese tourists annoy me because they stop IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET to take pictures when you're walking behind them. Tour groups in general annoyed me in York, becuse they used to come down the narrow streets as like a wave of people who you couldn't get past, I mean, I know the Shambles are a tourist spot and yu want pictures, BUT I NEED TO GET TO WORK

[Bouncy Castle]

For starters, they start threads about American tourists in the Non-Discworld section!

[deldaisy]

YORK?????!!!!!! Okay Lets ask what do the locals do to TOURISTS in YORK Myst shall we?????

I accidently left my valuable Pentax camera in a cab once when I was visiting York... when I realised, everything was shut so first thing next morning I asked at the cab company if someone had handed it in... Well the LOVELY cab driver from the day before had taken it home with him for safe keeping overnight and returned it to me.

When I got home to Australia and got my films developed, in the York set where three of four photos of the cab driver STARK NAKED in his bedsit. And he wasn't a studly cab driver... he was a very naked UNstudly hairy man. Ohhhhh!!!!!!! I was a young girl I was.... easily shocked! Naughty bad bad man. Thats York for you then huh?

Shambles? I missed the Shambles??????? They were in YORK?