I have been asked the following in the USA.

1. By a chap on a plane who told me the USA is very grateful to Tony Blair for the support he gave Bush in GW2. "Please could you thank him personally when you get home" he asked me. "OK, no problem, I'm seeing him next week" said I solemnly :D

2. On many occasions on saying I'm from England I've been asked, "Oh I have a cousin / aunt / distant relative in (any city). Do you know them?

3. What is the difference between the UK / England / Great Britain

4. Why do all English actresses have bad teeth? :confused: . That one really confused me although someone has since mentioned it was something Jay Leno talks about?

5. Do you Brits have lots of car crashes seeing as you drive on the wrong side of the road?

6. (This one has nothing to do with the USA - both were Scandinavians IIRC). I did a season on a cruise ship years ago and my two favourites were:
a) Is there a pool table on board? :rolleyes: :D :D :D (20 years on this one is still the funniest)
b) What time does the midnight buffet start? :D :D

However, I confess to standing in The Mall in downtown DC last year and trying to orientate a map vs which direction I was facing. "Excuse me, but where is the White House" I asked a passing couple. "It's that huge white building you are staring at" came the response.

Out of all the "oh, you're from Scotland, do you know Hamish" questions, it was inevitable that eventually, I did actually know the person in question. This happened once, when I was in Australia.

I also seem to have a face that invites people asking for directions, wherever I am. I did have a rather confusing conversation with a man (of indeterminate nationality) in London who said he wanted to get to "Tower Bridge in half an hour". I directed him to the Underground station, but he insisted he wanted to walk. Fine, but it'll take more than half an hour. "No, but I want to walk there in half an hour". I chalked it up to 'lost in translation'.

After 9/11 I was asked many times by people in England "why are My :rolleyes: People" doing this!

The amount of times that I had to reply and say that I was Indian and we were infact at war at that time and have been for years against Muslims Rebels in Kashmir. (north India) They have been bombing and killing people in Kashmir for years upon years. And then to be accused of being one of them!!! :td:

The lowest point was when my Dr asked me this question. I just had to walk out, if an educated person like that just assumes that all people who look like they might be middle eastern are Terrorists then well ........ :mad:

In the middle of August a few years back, a man in Texas asked how much snow we had in Minnesota. When I said none, that it was 70-80 degrees, he was absolutely shocked! "I bet that's some heat wave you've got!"

not quite the same, but once I visited Australia in May and I was telling
about my trip to a friend in US. I had mentioned we had snow in Blue
mountains.. and
he goes.. "it snows there in summer?"
and i said.. "no! its almost winter there.. "
and he goes.."but its Summer time now"
I go quiet.....

I've been asked the same things a few times. "How could someone drive on the
left side?" and my response:

In US, we drive on the right
in australia we drive on the left
in UK we also drive on the left and
in India, we pick a side and we drive and change
the side if we feel like it.

This isn't a stupid question, it's just very dull.

I was given a book by a new friend I made in the Czech Republic. The choice of the specific book was very thoughtful and I could tell that he had taken some time to find just the right one. I naturally replied, "Thank you very much! That is so kind of you."

He said, "But I just gave it to you, and you haven't read it."

I was confused and replied, "I'm sorry. I don't understand."

His answer, "Why would you thank me for the book when you haven't read it? It might be sheet" (original word was edited out by forum software, but you can guess what it was)

I was so shocked that I had no idea what to say! I finally said, "I appreciate your gift and think it is generous of you to give it to me." (Not the greatest answer, but really, I was shocked)

He furrowed his eyebrows and I could tell he was biting his tongue and thought me terribly insincere.

I'm still confused! Never in my wildest dreams could I imagine being thought of as rude for simply thanking someone for a gift!!! I came away with the distinct impression that I should only thank him after I'd read the book and if I enjoyed the book!

Stut, perhaps he wanted to walk to the Tower -- and to start doing so in a half hour? :)

I've gotten my share of "oh, you live in Miami? Do you know Maria?" Yes, I know hundreds of Marias. Did you have a specific one in mind?

I love the reaction in the UK for driving distances, though. When I mentioned to new friends in the UK that I was driving 5 hours from Gainesville to Miami to visit friends for the weekend, they were aghast! Even more so when I explained to them I wasn't even leaving the state of Florida.

Evidently, the difference between Americans and Brits is this: to the Americans, 100 years is a long time. To the Brits, 100 miles is a long way :)

When I was preparing to move to New Mexico, numerous Americans young and old asked if I needed a passport to get there. :eek:

If you see the fuel prices in UK... you'll feel the same way :)

Its not just UK, 100 miles would be a very long distance (by road) for
the majority of this world.

Well, gas prices aside, (this was true even 10 years ago!), Americans evidently don't blink twice at driving such a distance. I know I used to drive 100 miles a day at one point (going to work, then school, then home in a different county), and while it was annoying, it was what it was.

For instance, in two months I'm flying from MIA to DUB. I live in Gainesville, which is almost 6 hours drive from Miami. The airfare is $300+, and has NO flights in the right time frame, so I'm driving instead, there and back, before and after. Again, annoying, but the trains suck and the busses suck, there are no other real choices.

The gas I'll spend still isn't near $300, and I can leave my car at my best friend's parent's house while I'm on the trip. No parking costs :)

If I had to fly, I would have a 12 hour (yes 12 hour) layover in Tampa on the way back. Gainesville is a podunk town :)

I suppose part of it is because the US is a very large, spread out country, like Australia or China, and because our public transportation system just never got up to par. We love our cars, and use them constantly. Unless you live in a major metro area known for public transport (NY, SF) then you have a car, period. I lived in Miami 20 years, and could NEVER have dealt with work, school, etc. using public transport.

I've never been on a cruise so I don't know why this is funny. Can you please explain? :o

Couldn't you have flown from Orlando International Airport (MCO)? :eek:

Great thread.

My favorite: in Tokyo: "Do you have McDonalds in America, too?"
In Chicago: "Oh, you're from Brooklyn, do you know <person>." Amazingly, I did.