Stereotypes, did I miss anything?

Don’t forget your bum bag!

Allan, there's usually some truth to stereotypes. America, we're looking at you (but not all of you). Remember to talk very loudly like you're the center of the universe.

We travel because of some truth behind stereotypes. What if everyone looked, acted, and dressed the same everywhere? What if the culture was the same? That would be boring.

vive la difference.

Hopefully they’ll figure out I’m trying to pay cash with my home
currency.

Don't worry: we'll understand - and short change you all the way - lol

Yell and remember to be a huge tipper!

Don't forget to demand ice in your beverages. Be outraged that your hotel room is small and lacks a/c. Shake your head with wonder that "these foreigners" don't all speak English.

And get angry if the hotel bathroom lacks wash cloths.

Traveler's checks are better. Everyone knows that.
A good tip to save money - make a lunch with food on the breakfast buffet.

"What the heck is that in the bathroom?"

It is a bidet.

They call this Italian food? Um, it doesn't look like any Italian food I've ever seen. Let's go to McDonald's.

Um, dare I say it … complain when we don't get refunds for our non-refundable payments?

Too soon?

From personal experience, when I have had difficulty understanding people (men mostly) with my limited German, or my nearly nonexistent French, they just spoke louder. Its a natural human reaction when the other person does not seem to understand you. Italians just wave the hands more emphatically.

Thanks for the laughs everybody. This was a much needed break from the stress of it all!

Good to see some humor these days.

I first traveled to Europe in 1981 on my way to my new job with the US Army Corps of Engineers in Saudi Arabia.
While in Saudi Arabia, we traveled to Europe once or twice a year. On a couple of trips we had older family member that met us and traveled with us.

The stereotypes of demanding ice with drinks, butter with bread other than breakfast and overtipping was more reflective of the over 60 family members that joined us.

Back in the early 80s, there were far fewer tourists in Europe than today. There were usually two types of US tourists, young military with short haircuts that were stationed in Europe, mainly Germany (we had 350000 there back then) and wealthy. The cost of air travel was more expensive relative to today.

Traveling these days, we find most American tourists in Europe to be well traveled and more knowledgeable of Europe's history and customs.
These days, you have to book visits to major museums in advance. Also, there are way more tourists from the Far East. Back in the 80s we had a few Japanese tourists. Now, there are many Chinese tourists, that have a far different civic culture as far as how to queue up in a line or block everyone else from taking a photo by dominating space in front of the subject. Still, having toured with some of these Chinese people, I find them very nice one on one.

Also, Europe has changed quite a bit. You see so much graffiti that it sickens me. Far more graffiti and you find in the USA. Even places like Venice find graffiti on historic buildings.

Europe is still a wonder to visit. Looking forward to our next trip.

Yes, you can shower without a curtain. That's what the drain in the floor is for.

You may also be asking where can I find the best McDonalds in Paris (to demand drinks with a lot of ice) or where can a get a good ol' steak around here? Lol!

Demand American Coffee! while in Italy. Loudly.

You forgot to wear an oversized T-Shirt with some bold American design/saying on it.

Allan, I hope you remembered to pack plaid shorts and Hawaiian print shirts and your favorite baseball team’s cap.

Let's not forget Crocs. Bright colored ones!

Thanks everyone, for the smiles and outright laughter this morning! This is a great thread, especially today. I just received my tour refund for Greece and also the wonderful new sandals I had bought to wear on it and I was feeling very, very sorry for myself and everyone else who was supposed to travel. I will definitely be rescheduling when everything settles down.

Now I understand why the two governments had agreed to shut the border to essential travel. Got to keep Allan in his place.

No man I know would ever, ever use a bidet. At least not in public.

Dress like you’re heading to a safari in the middle of Paris - extra points if all of the pockets are stuffed full.

Complain about being tired of eating croissants for breakfast ( actually heard that one outside Avignon!)

Complain about siesta time for stores in Spain.

Wonder why none of the restaurants open “at the proper time” in Europe!

Thanks for the humorous post! : )

Big Mike,

That was a fountain! ; )

No man I know would ever, ever use a bidet. At least not in public.

Big Mike, wasn't that your lawn chair with the sprinkler under it??

@Big Mike,
Regarding not using a bidet in public - please don't! Most of us don't. (Wink here)
Jean,
You nailed the fountain joke.
@Frank - about borders - Allan and Big Mike Both! (Joking, guys)

I remember back in the late 90's when my kids were young and we were in Orlando doing the Disney thing, there was a big controversy on the news with the Floridians complaining about fashion inept Canadians walking in public in shorts with pasty white legs and black socks with sandals. Maybe that was the beginning of the great wall debate...

Growing up in Michigan, I never thought of Canada as a foreign country. I enjoy the Canadian snowbirds here in Florida. One day, I saw a group of Canadians in a parking lot all wearing red & white bold shirts with the word "Canada" and the red maple leaf. Now, that's showing pride in one's country. Yeah Canada!
I apologize for any Floridian critiquing another's fashion. Except for the West Palm Beach/Naple's types (high dollar fashionistas - not all of them, mind you), most of us can be slovenly. People come here to relax and party. Socks and sandals are not uncommon and can be quite comfortable.

BigMikeWestByGodVirginia, you two are great.

And now, let's see who takes all this seriously.

emma, even worse: Expecting everything to be just like it is at home, and complaining when it isn't.

Or complaining that the pizza isn't authentic because it isn't like Pizza Hut's.

Well doggone when I was in Germany and other parts of Europe in the 1980s we saw locals in traditional dress, at least at times. Now, everyone more or less dresses like Americans. Who wants that? The appeal of travelling is seeing people dress and act differently. Not so much anymore since everyone everywhere watched "Friends."

Everything is being gradually homogenized. I liked the differences.

Allan, it was hot. And my wife looks great in a wet t-shirt.

BigMikeWestByGodVirginia, you can still find a tiny bit of you want in parts of Eastern Europe.

BigMike -- we saw people in "traditional" garb in Bavaria on a holiday and Sunday. Not in a tourist area, just walking (to dinner ??)

And in Vienna there is a guy dressed like Mozart on every street corner hawking tickets.

Don't forget to demand ice in your beverages.

Our first European adventure was in 2014 and we spent a week in Rome after a cruise. My wife is never without a glass of ice water at home or when we're at a hotel. At this point we had no idea that a hotel wouldn't have ice machines. She went to the front desk of our hotel and asked if she could get some ice. The guy was very concerned that she was injured and needed the ice for a knee or an ankle. He was so amused that she just wanted it for her water and he came back with with a small glass with 3 ice cubes. For the rest of the trip and unasked, he had a glass with 3 or 4 ice cubes ready for her at the end of the day.

What I love about Americans is their generosity with advice. They are so willing to tell you how you should do things differently in your country.

Laura, James, good to hear there are some people who dress in traditional attire outside of a tourist-related situation.

Bob, well, the USA is clearly the #1 superpower in the world militarily, economically, and regrettably, modern culture.
We need to act the part.

When I saw my first McDonald's in Nancy I knew the end was near.

And when you're in the UK or Ireland, complain about people driving on the wrong side of the road.

(It's not the wrong side of the road, it's the opposite side of the road. And just because another country drives on the opposite side of the road doesn't mean that it's wrong, ti's just a different way of doing the same thing.)

What I love about Americans is their generosity with advice. They are so willing to tell you how you should do things differently in your country.

As someone who dealt with foreign groups in the USA, I can't tell you how often we were told we were doing things wrong in the US.

In West Virginia we know the rest of the country looks down on us and we have a sense of humor about it. We know the enlightened, politically correct are better morally, physically, intellectually, and spiritually. We tell the best hick and hillbilly jokes.

It's OK to laugh at ourselves and not be so easily offended and victimized.

As grandpa would say, "Lighten up, Nancy."

edit: Evan, no, it's the wrong side of the road. Call a spade a spade, my friend.

Allan, I hope you used your selfie stick for that photo.

Now now Emma; you must behave. Don’t forget that England is our most favorite colony.

Surely, there must be some positive stereotypes to add.

Stan, here you go from some old wag:

Heaven is where the police are British, the cooks are French, the mechanics German, the lovers Italian and it's all organised by the Swiss.

On a side note I've never heard someone say bum bag.

Back in the pre-politically-correct-terminology days, a bum bag was what a hobo tied to the end of a stick, which was thrown over his shoulder as he hopped a freight train.

A ski Bum bag is where he or she stashes their pot. Ski bum and marijuana - stereotype?

But that’s because you are doing things wrong in the US, Frank. I refer you to the size of the gaps around toilet cubicle doors.....:-)

It's called ventilation. It allows cool, clean air to remove any lingering odors and keep the cubicle from getting hot.

Thanks, Cyn.

Frank, I've never found anything "hot" about a toilet cubicle, other than they're disgusting.

BigMike,
There's a second half to your joke above. I've been trying to find it. It goes something like: (in contrast to first half mentioned): Hell is where the British are the cooks, Italians run the banks, etc..
Anyone out there remember this joke?

The chefs are British; the police are German; the lovers are Swiss; the mechanics are French, and the whole place is run by the Italians.

Speaking of toilets ..... If you ever get to Ukraine, understand that a lot of the toilets are co-ed and the person washing their hands next to you may be of the opposite sex. I guess they are just years ahead of us (with all the new gender identifications I suspect we will just give up trying to figure it out and make one for all). Then the infamous "Turkish Toilet" is fairly common as well. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/Typical_toilet_in_urban_Syria-_flush_toilet_squatting_pan_%283232388550%29.jpg/360px-Typical_toilet_in_urban_Syria-_flush_toilet_squatting_pan_%283232388550%29.jpg Although, even these have gone high tech: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/58/52/f4/5852f459e6a1ec748d925aa12f198932.jpg

Which i suppose is no worse than a French Uritrottoir. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DkoQcJrWwAUOQze.jpg

At least we have found solutions for our gaps: https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/m46JgRobKqCAdIZ82Bp71RzVU-83MJDFXEuJ6V6ReXQwe3pfGrmj9lvk-VqxTbh1xrwZgDWukd8C36GOrkfrM_d9kp0h

Which I find unecessary having grown up with: https://image.shutterstock.com/image-photo/old-fashioned-ceramic-trough-urinal-260nw-1382349785.jpg (and worse).

Allan, and the plumbers are Polish

Posts in the category "where does one begin with the answer":

"First time in Europe. I have a week, I want to see Rome, Florence, Venice, Switzerland, Ludwig's Castle and Paris. I will rent a car, I am used to long road trips. Can you recommend hotels in Rome and Paris I can use as a base to drive to the sites in those cities, and an AirBnB near St Mark's Square in Venice with parking?"

So on both the London Tube and with certain toilet stalls, “Mind The Gap . . .”

Toilet paper also varies from country to country, both in texture and now, availability.

Chris F, there’s also the, We’re used to seeing 6 or 7 sights a day, sometimes more. They should also be asking how to get a reservation to exit a museum, so they don’t have any chance of having to wait in line to get out of the building, and onto their next sight.

But then this forum seems to have a stereotype of Americans not being able to drive a stick, especially in the British Isles. Some of us struggle with automatic transmissions, and are in danger of accidentally stomping on the brake pedal with our left foot, reflexively trying to engage the clutch that doesn’t exist with an automatic.

Chris F, you made me laugh out loud.

And Cyn, you are right. I've had to drive my dad's car several times recently, and not kicking the pedal to the floor with my left foot is a challenge. Several years ago I took a road trip with a friend in her minivan. Every time we approached a stop light when I was driving, she learned to call out "It's an automatic!"

And then hitting the "clutch" when upshifting on on-ramps is definitely exciting in an automatic. Luckily, we were exploring the state on back roads - no on-ramps.

Sure I know the difference. Others parts of the UK are part of our colony chain, just not the favorite part. England will always be that.

And don’t forget that Winston Churchill was a GREAT American Expat (sprung from an American egg, raised in an American womb, brought forth into the world through an American...ummm..birth canal. His mama was a Brooklyn born American! Deal with it.

And Boris of course. Born in New York. He had to renounce his citizenship after the US tried to tax him. Only two countries in the world tax non-resident citizens for the rest of their lives, even if they moved away when they were just babies.

So Churchill was an American after all? That explains everything

Chris- they can keep Boris. Heck we will even throw Donald in for free (but nonrefundable, no returns).

Carlos - Churchill was able to get Cuban cigars in the last few years of his life, while stogie-huffing Americans were prohibited. And his “V” for victory sign must’ve inspired Richard M. Nixon‘s double-handed gesture . . . and Tiny Tim’s “peace” sign.

onefastbob - egads! What a hair result a Boris/Trump combo would produce. No confidence vote?

Back to stereo types, there are some composed of individual components . . . tuner, turntable, CD player, etc., and some that are a combo with everything packaged into one complete but likely cheaper overall assembly. Either type should have at least 2 speakers, for true Stereo sound.
🔈🔈 🎶

Back to politicians . . . some cheat, while others are high-fidelity, just like sound systems.

For most Americans the islands are probably all England, or the UK, or Britain. Some may know Ireland is a separate country, maybe.

At least Boris is intellectually bright.

I don't want to get political but since everyone else is, well, the US has a choice between a stunningly immature blowhard, and another OLD white guy who will be about 82 in 2024 and often forgets where he is at and what he's saying. You just hope he can finish a sentence coherently without some bizarre rambling. Yes, my friends, those are the choices.

I'm old enough to remember Turkish or "hole toilets" in France, which surprised me because I thought they were bit more advanced than that. To this day that has to be the most disgusting toilet in the world. How are you supposed to hit it without splattering all over?

Remember American kids: when you go abroad, don't forget your ball cap proclaiming allegiance to your college sportsball program of choice.

Domestically, the bigger US National Parks are actually pretty great at showing stereotypes in the flesh, whether it's the screaming Americans, the German in their own version of funny hats who, despite stereotypes about German rule-following, will cheerfully volksmarch past the sings saying '3000 foot drop off- proceed no further!!!' the thin but oddly flabby French looking for a place to have a smoke, and the Japanese amateur photographers who are so into getting the perfect shot that they almost get pancaked wandering in front of a NPS shuttle bus.

Dang, I hope my trip to Yosemite is still a go for this August. Even if the cost per day is gonna make Bernese Oberland seem cheap in comparison.

selkie, you should write for a living. Nice mixture of snark, reality, and humor.