flyrights

Three come to mind:

While doing the river raft trip in Bali, a group of young Australian drunks from a nearby boat, approached our raft, randomly grabbed from behind a lady on our raft, picked her up, and threw her in the river water, then "dunked" her, then had a big laugh about it. It was nothing short of an assault. Had they done that to me, I would have seen to it that those boys would still in jail.

At the very sacred and serious "Yad Vashim" holocaust cemetary outside Jerusalem, I saw a group of old American women, with southern accents, just yelling and giggling like they were at Disneyworld... their guide tried to quiet them down, but I heard one loudly scream "we're hungry"...

I saw a French guy on the boat shuttle in Honolulu to see the Pearl Harbor "Arizona Memorial" arrive at the memorial, where upon he heard the announcement that the return boat would be leaving in one minute, or the next one would be leaving in thirty minutes... the French guy said, "there's nothing to see here", and he got right back on the boat to take him back... he was at the memorial for less than 30 seconds.

THE TRAVELER

While sitting on a bench near the parking lot at the Melk Abbey in Melk Austria a bus with American teenagers and the adults with them debussed and were heading for the stairs. A couple of the teenagers began writing on the street and sidewalks with chalk.

After they descended the stairs for the Abbey, I went to look, that is when I seen that they were Americans, as the teens left their names and addresses scribbled on the street and walkways. I went down to the Abbey area, approached the adults that acoompanied them and told the adults what the teens did. Of course they questioned the teens right there and they all denied doing anything. I asked if so and so and so and so was with them?They acknowledged that they were with them and that is when I said, "how would I know their names if they had not written their names in the parking lot??????? I proceeded to tell them that they make Americans look very bad when visiting a foreign country and deface properties. I was embarassed to be sure for them and for myself....................

lecter

60ish year old British guy fondling and kissing a 10-12 year old child near the river Kwai here...also, some incredibly disgusting Israeli backpackers: with bulging bellies and thighs in tiny clothes, enough perfume on to feel them from a mile away and loudly proclaiming in (mostly) English how this and that were so messed-up in Thailand, how Thai people are so dull and stupid, etc. etc. The locals here of course treated it in their normal wonderfully carefree manner...wonder what kind of reaction I'd get if I did the same in Tel Aviv

flyrights

I know it's wrong to further ethnic stereotypes, but I'll do it anyway: I find Israelis and Chinese to be very rude and agressive tourists, and also rude and agressive in their home countries as well.

I too live in Thailand, and generally most tourists here seem to be pretty well behaved and respectful of Thai customs.

Many Thai youths appear younger than they are... If someone looked 10-12, they may have been over 18... they probably were underage... for whatever reason, child molestation here is not taken as seriously as it is in other countries... due to culture, desperation, ability to get away with it. I believe the legal age of consent here varies between 16 and 20 for various activities.

Regardless, Thailand is still a great place to live or visit.

Canada Flyer

I must respectfully agree (no means to get into rudness here, as it's a touchy subjet, so I'll keep it short).

Last year in Mexico there was an American couple at our all inclusive resort (Bahia Principe Akumal), and at a buffet they complained about the food tasting *awful, unediable, and filthy* (it was some of the best I've tasted before). They stormed into the area where you retreive the buffet food with plates and all, and were yelling at an employee about how THEY should cater to North Americans because we pay them, and we shouldn't be living in the *horrors* of nasty 3rd world countries. They then proceeded to *talk* about how Americans are the highest society and how they were going to call their lawyers to sue the resort against "human rights discriminations". The female guest then threw her plate on the ground, it clattered and broke with a ton of food on it, making a mess. They then ran out of the resturant before security arrived.
I told the employee after not to listen to them, and that I thought his country was a beautiful one, and I'd definately come back. This cheered her up a little more. ^

I've never seen something of this sorts before and found it embarassing to share a continent with that couple. When you visit a different country, never expect standards of your own country to be met.

Sorry about the rant

MSP2000

A lot of these "tourists" should stay home. I like the fact that I can go int a BK or Starbucks every once in a while, but I do like the "adventure" of being in a different place. Thai people some of the friendliest people I have encountered while traveling in Thailand. BTW, fat old German tourists love to be in Thailand, behaving outrageously.

I feel that once should not be a an "Ugly anything". Unfortunately that label stuck to Americans.

PhlyingRPh

PhlyingRPH interrupts this thread to remind you that rude and obnoxious tourists hail from every country on earth (probably).

civicmon

A lot of people shouldn't be leaving the house, let alone travel to a foreign country.

glob99

Outside the Stockholm Library, a German tourist getting this Swede guy to pose for a photo. At the time, the Swede was ... uh ... massaging himself.

alanh

I've always wondered about that -- you fly thousands of miles and spend thousands of dollars, and complain that it's not just like home.

Canada Flyer

I completely agree, just with my experience I find some tourists (respectfully, Americans) IN GENERAL to be the most disrespectful. I don't mean that Americans are (helk no), I just have found more Americans to be complaining. It doesn't mean that they all complain, it means that from my experience they do more than others I've experienced. When you combine different cultures, you can have different outcomes.

Multiple countries run on complaining (all of the western world, most of western Europe, parts of Eastern Europe). Lighten up, you're on vacation. Enjoy yourselves while respecting the locals and their rights.

I just have to say this...

~Never complain about bugs. They don't know the difference between a 1-star shack and a 5-star all inclusive.

~Don't complain about the temperature. If you think Canada is all arctic, don't visit us, because you'll likely complain about the *coldness*.

~Don't complain about the language barriers. Don't go to other countries and expect them to speak your native language perfectly.

~Relax, enjoy your trip. If you feel the need to get upset over things, get a different job.

Canada Flyer

BlissWorld

^^

I hate it when I go to foreign countries to witness our countrymen/women outbursting at locals for not speaking English

Why is France the only country who isn't afraid to chew American heads off?

Efrem

- and it is a total misinterpretation of what most people think is its origin. In William Lederer's 1965 book, which everyone has heard of but apparently few people have actually read, the title character is physically unattractive but nonetheless an example of how people ought to act. It might be swimming upstream at this point to try and correct the near-universal misconception, but this label shouldn't be used the way it usually is.

Antiqantas

My feelings are secondary compared to the outrage inflicted on that lady but incidents like this make one ashamed to share the nationality of such thugs. I'm afraid that some young Australians now rank with the worst of the worst when it comes to international tourism (hopefully some rank with the best, too). The Ugly American was loud and boorish but he didn't physically assault fellow tourists.

notsoFT

we often get so many cruise visitors in a single day, that they outnumber our town's population (10 000 - 15 000). i could go on and on and on on this subject.

i especially hate driving in the main road and getting flipped off by a tourist because, hell, where are they suppose to walk if i drive in the road????

sheesh, this place is pathetic, why can't i get a locally made totem pole for 1.99??
you're weather is horrible, i hate this rain! i wanna go back to the ship!!