To all US-ers: European Faux Pas?

#47
finzup said:
The tipping thing really irks me. When you visit a country you are supposed to follow the norms/customs of the country. Whenever I travel anywhere I look up what rules of etiquette to follow, etc.
I think it's just plain cheap and rude when people "pretend" to not know that they need to tip!
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Here in Italy we NEVER give tip and really few people know they have to give tips in the USA. Unfortunately the travel agency often forget to say this! My uncle received a very bad treatment for this reason the first time he came to USA, when he came back home he discovered this! So now he always leaves tip, but really it's something that few people knows... also because I think it's the same as Italy in other european countries.
 
#48
I agree so much with Annanas about the white socks and trainers!! In Venice you can guess if someone is from US from the way they are dressed :yes: Same for people from Germany!
Anyway I never had experience of not polite people from abroad. When I am asked for informations they are always very kind.
The only time I saw rude persons they were english-speaking (probably from UK from the accent but I can't say if it's so or not, not sure 100%). I was inside a bar (italian coffee where you can have coffe, sanwiches etc we usually eat there if we have to make a very fast lunch) and they were drinking beer and chatting soooo laud!! :cursing:
I also admire so MUCH the respect of queue of British people :tup:
 
#53
DH & I had an experience with French tourists riding Harleys across the US. We were at the Acoma pueblo in New Mexico http://www.newmexico.org/place/loc/cities/page/DB-place/place/159.html
And this being a matriarchal society, the men were told, in no uncertain terms, that they were to walk either beside or slightly behind the female tour guide, by no means in front of her.
Those French men would not comply, under no circumstances. Also, use of cameras was prohibited in certain areas so they would try to sneak photos with their camera phones.
The tour guide warned them over & over- they did know English- but she finally had to call security to have them escorted off the pueblo.
Their French lady companions were very nice & kept trying to straighten those men out but they wouldn't behave. Ruined the tour for all of us & we paid a lot to take that guided tour.:sad:
Oh, & they reeked of sweat!:yucky:

I went thru the same "touching" thing with the Japanese tourists at Disneyland, I figured they must live in such crowded conditions, they must be used to standing on top of each other but I admit, I don't like being crowded like that.:s

I've not been to Europe but I'm wise to the shoe issue now, thanks to ya'll!:tup:
 
#54
^^ I'm only talking about London - I'm studying there now and I can always point out my "fellow Americans" this way, since they're the only people who look they just rolled out of bed when they're on the streets. Sorry, I should have clarified. Here is a link to what sweatpants are: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweatpants - so when put all together to form an outfit, it looks rather sloppy.
 
#56
Speedy said:
One of incidents I encountered as "non-American" was the older Asian women when they came to gamble at the local Indian Casinos. They push and crowd against everyone, and never say I'm sorry or excuse me. It annoyed my mother horribly, and she never had a bad word to say about anyone. I went to have dinner with DH at the casino my son worked at and almost had two ladies sitting in my lap while waiting in line for the hostess!!

I think though, I have to chalk that up to the war years, when they had to wait for everything and getting there first was life or death.
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Speedy, I think it because that is the way they live their everyday life in their native asian city. Have you ever been to Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore? Pushing and Shoving are away of life. Oh, and all the while having a cell phone attached to your head. LOL
 
#58
I really notice the personal space thing too, Canadians probably like even more space than Americans - I'll actually move back a step or two if someone gets too close.

And the not taking turns. We don't usually line up here, but we cluster around the counter and when the clerk says who's next - everyone politely indicates the next person. Not at all like in Europe. Once in Spain all the little old ladies were barging their way up to the front at a bakery counter and it was quite a while before the clerk finally noticed me.
 
#59
Maxter-- I've never seen that before :shrugs:

This one Caribbean resort I stayed at had lots of German tourists and they just wore normal flip flops or slide on sandals with bare feet. And a lot of the younger German boys wore them with cropped pants which I actually thought was soooo cute :girlsigh:
 
#60
fashionista7 said:
Although I certainly couldn't base my judgment of all Germany on one person, there is one image that will forever stick in my head: DH and I were in the Caribbean and kept seeing this round German man around the hotel/pool with a biiiig pot belly, extremely sunburt face, and a teeny weeny um.. revealing.. red Speedo! :yucky:
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OMG- everytime I've seen a European in a speedo it's always a seriously FAT old man :Push: While I realize this may be the norm in their home country I find it amazing that they're comfortable wearing such things in the US where they're bound to be stared at.
 
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