My countryfolk do often embarrass me: they're loud, obnoxious and oblivious. Of course, by local standards so am I, on occasion. I do my best.

More embarrassing is the fact that my countryfolk have started, fomented, funded and equipped wars in almost every country I visit. Sometimes they were little brushfire wars with CIA or renegade State Department involvement (c.f., all of Latin America, most of Africa, and most of Asia); sometimes full-blown conflagrations which enveloped and destroyed whole countries, as in Southeast Asia and more recently Iraq and Afghanistan.

For balance, I'd have to add that British, Australian, South African and other Commonwealth travelers have usually been the worst behaved--far worse than Americans or any of the other oft-complained-about nationalities. My first experience of this was a drinking contest--more accurately, a puking contest--in Malawi, but local variants throughout Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia have supported my initial prejudices. I once shared a train through the Ukraine with some British football fans who strained even my jaded credulity while totally appalling the local people--no saints themselves.

I've never known what to make of this, but then neither have I known what to make of my own country's warmongering. I like to imagine that travel cures, or at least lessens, such tendencies, but that might be my own innocence speaking.

Mark

No country has a monopoly on bad tourists. Chinese government has published a rulebook for its traveling citizens:

New Chinese tourism rules promise politer visitors, but will they work? | South China Morning Post

Some of the rules are funny: "use shower curtains in hotels", others are useful: "don't touch people with your left hand in India".

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Gene - http://www.RideDOT.com

Super Markharf's implied question " what to make of my own country's warmongering" is common ground for many "travelers." Who cannot help but be in shock and awe themselves simply by witnessing firsthand or the aftermath of man's inhumanity to man- WAR.

Two books take on the why of war and, in my opinion, answer the question. Most notably the why of covert and and overt wars planned, financed and implemented by my country for resources needed by US corporations.

Please read John Perkin's "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" and the followup "Hoodwinked"

Or, just watch these short video presentations: at least watch Part 1, although Part 2 covers South America and is very interesting....... might as well watch Part 3 too.

John Perkins | Phil’s Stock World

Or, do your own research: One simple example.....Tantalum from coltan is used to manufacture tantalum capacitors, used in electronic products.
Cell phones and Computers.....
Coltan mining has been cited as helping to finance serious conflict, for example the Ituri conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Want to know why, a few years back, there was a shortage of PLAY STATIONS - answer lack of Tantalum.... Want to know who really finances the terror in the Congo? Answer: You and I - who buy cell phones, computers that require tantalum - found only in several countries -especially the Congo.

Don't buy the cover stories.... do you own research.

thanks for your time

xfiltrate

Yep the British, Australian, South African and other Commonwealth members may have been in your opinion the worst behaved.....But.....as you so rightly pointed out, the US have been the worst behaved, starting and sustaining wars throughout the world, i wonder what's worst, bad behaviour bought about by alcohol or attempted genocide for profit

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I once ruled the world, till mum told me it was only the garden!

A chinese friend of mine that lives in Singapore, has a very low opinion of his countermen whilst over seas, and his favourite quote when someone non-chinese has a dig at the SG chinese is,

"remember that you are someone else's dick-head"

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I once ruled the world, till mum told me it was only the garden!

I am not proud of how Spaniards just don't pay public transport. Whenever you don't have to show your ticket to the bus driver, nor to use it to enter subway, they just don't pay. So, they are always targeted by keepers when they hear them, sure they won't have paid, so you can see big groups of Spaniards fined in Berlin subway and places like that.

This is a more unusual behavoir, I'd say. The typical way is not respecting the rules in poorer countries, as Swiss drivers speeding in Spain or many travellers feeling proud about briving or being arrested for stupidities in developing countries, things they would never attempt in their own countries or neighbouring countries.

Regarding Brits' behaviour, years ago the British honorary consul in Ibiza resigned arguing he felt embarrassed about his countrymen behaviour. We Spaniards all thought that yes, it could be embarrassing, but he was obviously in the wrong place if looking for peace and tranquility. Arturo Pérez-Reverte, the most successful writer in Spain, wrote an article which did not actually criticize the British tourists -not praised them either-, but our general approach to these matters, saying that "there is nowhere like Spain to vomit in the streets". Not only British/French/German tourists used to do it, WE ALL have done it, we all have pissed in the streets while drunk. We Spaniards are just like that. Our own attitude fostered this behaviour from tourists, so we should not blame them for doing it massively.

If Spaniards don't mind puking in the streets then it's nothing to me. On the other hand Latvians seemed to mind greatly, as did Malawians. The issue in a lot of places is not that tourists learned from locals. IMHO.

Nooooo, we all get fined, Spaniards and foreigners if got pissing by the Police, I know many people who experienced that. BUT, through the (in)famous botellon (ice cubes bag, bottle of spirits, bottle of soft drink and plastic glasses) and our good weather, young people got used to drink a lot in the streets and piss anywhere available when drunk. It's been such a big movement that authorities tried to concentrate people in areas, when ban it was not effective. Not something to be proud of, but all younger generations have gone through that. More than cultural is an ethilic experience.

Obviously we did not teach tourists to vomit in the streets. Nor we do not care at all if they do. But if Brits/French/Germans come to Spain because we got that niche of tourism that others refused (party place) since we relied on cash from tourism, are they really to blame more than us? In addition, we all have done it at some point, so even if they do it massively, it’s harder/a contradicition for us to complain. Well, if we don’t like it, then we should ban it, but not complain and get their money.

If Latvians were heavy drinkers and you could see drunken Latvians in the streets, other drunken foreigners shouldn’t be perceived as more offensive than locals… as sometimes happens, otherwise it’d be pretty susceptible. I know the line is pretty thin and the issue tricky, but that was my/our point.

I agree, if you prevail from the fact of coming from a rich country, being a X passport holder so that you don’t respect the local rules, then I complain. Furthermore, IMO you should give example, if locals throw papers on the streets, you don’t do it. Same as feeling proud of having bribed someone or having been arrested for a stupidity; you wouldn’t do at home, don't do it elsewhere.

Quote:

I agree, if you prevail from the fact of coming from a rich country, being a X passport holder so that you don’t respect the local rules, then I complain. Furthermore, IMO you should give example, if locals throw papers on the streets, you don’t do it. Same as feeling proud of having bribed someone or having been arrested for a stupidity; you wouldn’t do at home, don't do it elsewhere.

or, as is pertinent to those of us on here, driving too fast and inconsiderately in other peoples countries. I get very annoyed by people thinking they are Colin McCrae (insert your own choice here) just because they are off road.

I was dismayed to read a report in Ride magazine where the journo went on an organised trip to Morocco. It was with a group of Italian bikers who seemed to get great enjoyment from pulling wheelies everywhere and crossing the terrain as fast as possible, like they were on some kind of endure rally. The (English) Journo seemed to think that was quite ok, and rather fun, although it is behaviour that would earn you a driving ban in this country. They also satisfied their own subconscious guilt by handing out sweets to the local kids. This is the kind of behaviour that gives travellers a bad name and will lead to increased restrictions on where and how we travel.

Although it doesn't make it any less embarrassing to me, as estebangc says above I do feel the Spanish resorts rather bought the problem on themselves by encouraging those types of people to come to them for their holidays, as did Prague with Stag parties. They are now trying to get away from that as they have decided they don't like it, but really, what did they expect by selling themselves as a stag destination with cheap booze and a cheap and available sex industry?

I think people maybe notice the embarrassing behaviour of their own countrymen more when abroad because they 'zone in' on the familiar language.

Perhaps it is just in France then?

I do recall the first time I went to use a toilet in a pub in Belgium wherein there was just the one facility for male and female; it was designed so that any female entering the facility would walk directly past the "pissoir stalls" for the males; vive la difference (cultural)!
There was no embarrassment on the part of anyone present at the time.

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Dave

The world seems to hate americans. I presume because of our insistance that ours is the proper lifestyle, and that we insist that EVERYONE be like us. If we'd just mind our own business....

I really wonder why the world doesn't love the Yanks,but not every body hates them.Military supremacy may be gone one day,is there a plan B

A bit more tolerance,knowledge and understanding may help.

Cheers

MR

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness. A universal charter.

I would like to see more Americans travelling.
.

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Right Way Round ...

Frequently embarrassed by fellow Yanks. Usually loud women demanding they be treated like princesses by hotel/restaurant staff.

But also frequently made proud.