Originally Posted by janeway
I guess it really should come as no surprise that most of the people posting on flyertalk would be more sensitive to local culture and customs than the average American tourist.
It just amazes me that so many Americans apparently (according to Mr. Reinhard's research) do not.
More Americans of varying educational levels and interests were financially able to travel in foreign countries for many years than were citizens of many or most other nations. Mrs. Fredd and I have seen citizens of other nations behave while tourists in ways that don't reflect favorably on them. The more of them we see, the more we feel comfortable in making possibly unfair generalizations.
Since English is understood in many other places, it is easier for people to hear (and to be amused or offended by) loud comments made by English-speaking tourists than for us when hearing people talk in language x, y, or z.
And, for the umpteenth time, the "Ugly American" was the hero of the book of the same name.
FWIW...
Cheers,
Fredd