How to spot...?

This reads as rather cliched, all stuff that’s been discussed before here and elsewhere. I wonder if it is bot-generated? It’s got that flat, bland, generic feeling to it.

As long as its "how to spot" and not critisism, thats fine; although a lot of it is wrong and suffers from the same sort of "all Europe is all Europe" mentality that is too often common.

How to spot a European in the US: He has to use a calculator to figure out the speed limit. Works both ways. Or, he expects everyone to speak English (come to my home town and test that).

Or, he expects everyone to speak English (come to my home town and test that).

Mr. E--- Hard to test that out as you have not disclosed what that is.

I'm especially amused at the notion that good teeth is a sure tell for US travelers. Of the others, we consciously avoid many of them - asking for ice (never), wearing white sox (never), etc.

As to speed limits in K vs M, the calculation is so easy that a person should be able to do it in his head.

Joe32F: in South Texas

This reads like a compilation of comments from this forum. Always amusing and always new to someone.

Paul, good teeth really do mark us North Americans out.

We were in Poland, staying with a Polish couple that showed us around. Everywhere I went people asked if I was American (sigh, Canadian). I finally asked our Polish friends how everyone knew. Was it my weight? Nope they said. It's your big white teeth.

Hmmm … it appears that to be a “proper” American tourist, I’ve got a lot of changes to make, based on the article. I guess I’m doing a lot of things wrong, or maybe right, based on the article’s assessment.

Baseball hats - it seems that, based on observations on the streets in Rome, almost every female under maybe 25 years old now wears a cap with a New York Yankees logo. The hats are often in shades of red, maroon, pink, or a lighter blue than the actual team wears, but a ball cap has apparently become fashionable, and not an automatic stamp of American Tourist for the wearer. Or perhaps it’s just the stylish logo, and nothing else. Mets caps are non-existent in Rome, so it’s not the “NY.”

And the part about somebody being “American” being offensive to citizens on the continent that includes Columbians, Uruguayans, etc. - the author should’ve used a different title, as she’s as guilty as any U.S. citizen who commits the apparent offense.

Some criticisms are well-deserved. Americans can be loud and obnoxious. Also, we're frequently quite fat. (Just look at the pictures in the link.) The tacky t-shirt comes to mind, as do sandals, crocs, flip flops, and white socks. Few things are more amusing than sandals and white socks. We could do better in the areas of tact and respect for local customs, and learning just a few words of another language like please, thank you, etc.

Nothing wrong with being patriotic and optimistic, however. There is nothing wrong with calling yourself an American, as America is part of the name of the country. There is no country called South America. That criticism is silly. Some people don't like mineral or sparkling water. They just want plain tap water. I lived in Germany for 8 years and never had a problem with this. Knowing the song "Sweet Caroline"? They did at a beer hall in Munich, as well as "Country Roads." Impeccably groomed? 50-50 chance of that.

As far as being overly friendly to strangers, tell that to Liverpudlians and the Irish. This is why I love those people.

Few things are more amusing than sandals and white socks

BigMike, I’d argue that few things are more amusing than sandals and any socks. And 50 years go, sandals (Birkenstocks, anyone?) and dark socks was a combination worn by many Europeans.

"And the part about somebody being “American” being offensive to citizens on the continent that includes Columbians, Uruguayans, etc. - the author should’ve used a different title, as she’s as guilty as any U.S. citizen who commits the apparent offense."

Completely agree. Canadians are as American as are Brazilians. I use "US resident" instead. More cumbersome, true.

"BigMike, I’d argue that few things are more amusing than sandals and any socks. "

There is NOTHING more ridiculous than this statement. I wear sandals, of the German sort, frequently on trips. I ALWAYS wear socks.

1) Sandals do not get sweaty and gross
2) Pebbles do not get into the sandal as often
3) Socks cushion the feet.

This notion that socks should not be worn is some bizarre fashionista fetish that does not have ANY reflection on actual use of sandals. Usually my socks are not white.

I always thought the best way to spot an American abroad is that they are the ones carrying water bottles. They are concerned with "hydrating" rather than just getting a drink when they are thirsty.

This notion that socks should not be worn is some bizarre fashionista fetish that does not have ANY reflection on actual use of sandals

Well… some things just aren’t right. You know it when you see it, and explanation isn’t necessary. Someone’s free to wear what they want, but if it’s silly, it’s silly. Kind of like wearing tights under a bathing suit.

Free to wear it, no questions asked. And that’s another good American thing … free to disagree.

Paul, we were just in Paris and the young women were wearing socks with sandals. So i would say you are right in fashion.

The problem with all of this sort of thing is the assumption that Europe is a place and America is a place. They arent except as containers for a collection of vastly different places.

Sitting in the Budapest airport waiting on a flight to Bucharest. Man in Chichgo Bulls cap, plaid shirt that hadnt been washed in weeks, ripped cargo shorts (and it was cold outside), white socks and the bulkiest tire treaded sandals you have ever seen was trying to ask a Romanian couple who spoke almost no English how to get from the airport to the city and what hotel he should stay at......

I finally looked up from the RS Post on my phone and said, "take an Uber".

"Wait, you are American?!" He was all excited.
Without looking up, i mumbled "Texan" and I tapped on my boot. and the Romanian woman started laughting (apparently she understood more English than she was letting ont).

I tried to ignore the guys next 100 questions of what to do, but was interested in his prior night experience where some lovely young lady met him on the street and took him into a bar ..... didnt go well for the poor guy. Somehow he had survived over a month in Eruope and was having the time of his life.

"Schengen? Whats a Schengen?".

"Dont worry about it. Enjoy your travels"

I have traveled to enough countries, cultures, and continents now that I am way beyond all this angst about being spotted as a US tourist. Many times I am in a country where no way can I not look like a tourist. Asia. How am I going to overcome that?
This not look act like a tourist is almost an obsession on this forum. Yet at the same time there are numerous threads about hiking poles, shoes that gravitate to the loud run shoe type, for comfort, of course, and learning the language for your two weeks in Italy, that once you open your mouth you butcher and become the obvious tourist.
There are tourists from all over at all the places you will visit. Tourist from US, Germany, China, etc, etc, etc.
You may as well free yourself because most of your angst is from your self. No one else cares.

Canadians are as American as are Brazilians.

I've never met a Canadian that would refer to themselves as an American. Or if asked if they were American, wouldn't correct to say they were Canadian. American is strictly a term for a citizen of the US.

Regarding baseball caps......I see them everywhere in Europe. Especially NY Yankee caps. Red NY Yankee caps. Not Americans because red is not a Yankee color.

Allan, I think Paul was being facetious. Canadians identifying as Americans? Haha! Well done, Paul.

Mister E, I think it's entirely appropriate for a Texan to identify as such. It's practically its own country. I identify as a West Virginian and it usually elicits some response. Large numbers of Scot-Irish immigrated there.

White socks and sandals (with Bermuda shorts) reminds me of Paw-Paw, so nothing wrong with that. He earned a Silver Star as a combat-medic in Bastogne so he could wear whatever he wanted. He also wore those sock garters. Nobody looked sharper in a suit-and-tie than Grandpa on his way to work, and he smelled great thanks to Old Spice. As a wee lad I would steal some of the aftershave in an effort to impress the 5th-grade girls at Highlawn Elementary School.

Frank II, I wear my West Virginia University baseball cap, but heck I wear it all of the time anyway. It's kind of fun when someone in Europe recognizes the flying WV. A Liverpudlian figured it out and started singing "Country Roads."

I carry a water bottle because other than lunch I want to keep moving, plus I can refill it on the go.

treemoss2, I spent an entire year "learning" French and I was excited to try out my new found skill. Well, not long after I started butchering the language the French people I encountered would just start speaking English, although they did seem to appreciate the effort. I'm certain I was comically bad at it.

I am learning to watch faces when I respond with “the United States” when asked where I am from. That seems to satisfy some people, others already have identified that and want to drill down to Texas, and I now seem to be running into more nationalities that don’t understand “United States” and I have to follow with “America”. It’s all about communication, not what seems to be culturally appropriate. Sorry, Canadians……

Mister E, I think it's entirely appropriate for a Texan to identify as
such. It's practically its own country.

What do you mean "pratically"?

I was married to a dear sweet and lovely Honduran woman for 30 years and spent a lot of time there. I live in a city that is close to 50% Mexican and half of those recent immigrants (a tiny exageration). None ever had any animosity to US Citizens using the phrase "American". I would suspect it has historical context and was somewhat assigned to us 300 years ago by non-Americans. .

Mister E, I stand corrected.

Anyway, on my next trip I'll go full-out American, wearing pajamas and a pink Yankees ball cap. Oh, sandals and white socks, too. Maybe crocs. I'll ask for tap water.

I stayed at a "younger" hotel in Bucharest. At breakfast all the young adults showed up in their pajamas and slippers. None were American thank G-d. Mostly brits.

I found out, while traveling solo, that trying to fade into the crowd in Italy is a good way to stand out. Looking utterly bland made me a target.

ETA: @Cyn
My partner is a small-ish dark haired guy, Olive skin, brooding eyebrows. I'm a bleach blonde with very short hair. When we went into any restaurant or shop in Italy, people generally spoke to me in Italian and to him in English. We could not figure it out, but finally narrowed it down to his cap (although a flat cap, not a baseball one). Who knows if we were correct, but we couldn't think of what else it might be.