While there are many stereotypes for Americans who visit Europe, “loud and obnoxious” is one in particular that gets a lot of airtime. And though I generally disagree with the label (most American travelers that I’ve come across represent the country well), there are unfortunately a small group that live up to the stereotype and make the rest of us look bad.
An example…
The other day I was on the train and there happened to be a group of fellow Americans sitting in an adjacent section of seats. The train was basically full, so there were plenty of conversations going amongst the travelers, yet one group managed to drown out everyone else with their blabbing: the Americans. It was as if they were in their own private compartment and the rest of the train simply didn’t exist.
The best part was that they spoke as if English were some obscure language that no one else on the train could possibly have understood. Regardless of how offensive, vulgar, impolite, culturally-insensitive, etc., a topic was, they had no problem discussing it. Meanwhile, I’m sure that at least half of the other travelers on the train understood every word that they said.
1 comment:
Haha, I've been saying this for years! The loud in a bubble thing. Check. When I stinted in the resto 10 years ago to solidify my French, I had a table of Americans who upon leaving, poked me and said in the middle of the crowded restaurant, "Don't let these Frenchies get to you." Mortification ensued.
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