Americans Abroad

This is a problem I find disturbing as I have encountered a few of these people myself, as well as many friends and family. The problem is american tourists in foreign countries who stitch canadian flags to their bags, wear t-shirts, pins and hats saying their canadian. You notice them on tourists cause they are being complete *ahem* (Mod edit: do not circumvent the sensors. see below)! i mean your giving my country a bad name by pretending to be like us to avoid being hassled by people upset with you is just stupid. if you dont feel safe being an american tourist, dont go there, dont pretend to be us, im sick of this (Mod edit: do not circumvent the sensors. see below). there are sites on the internet where you can buy a "canadian" kit complete with everything you need to "fool" the rest of the world. now i dont hate american people, dont get me wrong. i may disagree with alot of your governments decisions, but this business of dressing "canadian" really ticks me off to the point that i just want to hit these people. sorry, i really needed to vent that. does anybody else agree with me?


Mod Edit: Profanity/Circumvention Of Censors – Please Review This Link.

[edit on 2006/3/27 by Hellmutt]

This may be a bit off the topic but I would like to share something with you. Let me tell you the story of how I saved the lives of a group of Canadian tourists one night not long ago. I pulled into a gas station in Van Nuys, CA on my way home one night around 2:00 am to buy a pack of smokes. If anyone here knows anything about Los Angeles, then you know that Van Nuys is not the place to be standing around at 2 in the morning if you are a white, well dressed tourist or anyone for that matter. I get out of my car and I notice a mini van sitting in the parking lot. What suprised me the most was that there were four of the goofiest white guys I have ever seen, just sitting there looking lost. So I go into the store, make my purchase and come outside to get in my car. Thats when I noticed about five or six cholos (Mexican gang members) standing about ten feet away from the van next to a pay phone, pointing at the guys in the van and talking to themselves. I dont know a lot of Spanish, but what I could hear wasn't good. Then the guy sitting in the passenger side of the van gets out and starts walking towards me, probably because I was the only one around besides the gang bangers, I dunno. He is obviously lost and has no idea how much trouble they are about to get in. He explains to me that they are down visiting L.A. from Toronto, pulled off the freeway into the gas station and their battery went dead. He wanted to know if I had any "booster cables" as he put it, which I thought was funny. I pulled up next to them, got my jumper cables out and the van wouldn't start because the starter was shot. So I loaded all four into my Explorer and drove them all the way to Studio City where they were staying and dropped them off, no charge. Those guys would have been dead a$$ meat if I hadn't helped them out. I didn't have to do that, I could have left them where they were and they would have gotten jacked and probably beaten but I didn't. Maybe next time I will just look the other way since Im such an awful evil person, being American and all. I guess the point is that when you come to America you don't have to pretend to be from a country that you are not because everyone is welcomed equally.

I would never try to pass myself as a Canadian, and most likely couldn't even if I tried.

i wasnt saying all americans are evil, i quite like many americans, i just dont like when they try to pass themselves off as canadians. thanks for saving my canadian brethern and if i saw anybody in trouble i would help them regardless of their differences (except maybe bush and cheney).

Or maybe, just maybe, your country is full of A-holes...

BTW - well said Dark Ritual.

Your story actually reminds me of a situation I was presented with a few years ago.

I was on west broad street in Philly visiting a friend. As I'm walking back to my car, I noticed a group of girls going down a side street, speaking french!

Now, this is the same west broad that averages something like a murder a day. I don't know if they were Canadian or French, but I certainly didn't let them wonder down some back street to get mugged and raped. The bottom line is, Americans - for all the # we get from everyone - are about the most friendly and welcoming people you'll ever come across.

[edit on 26-3-2006 by American Mad Man]

There's nothing wrong with the Canadians. They're great people who get crapped on by the US all the time. You guys can visit us anytime you like.

I'll take a Canadian over a Mexican any day. At least we speak the same frickin' language.

Originally posted by Landis
There's nothing wrong with the Canadians. They're great people who get crapped on by the US all the time. You guys can visit us anytime you like.

I'll take a Canadian over a Mexican any day. At least we speak the same frickin' language.

When do we "crap" on them?

Frankly, if anything, they crap on us.

[edit on 26-3-2006 by American Mad Man]

if you guys are so great, why would you have to pretend to be canadians so you dont get mugged in europe and anywhere outside of north america? thats the problem i have with your people.

Pffft, the US and Canada crap on each other equally. The US just has the economic clout to do more than hurt feelings, which is all we can ever really do.

I thinks it's kind of flattering that people would want to pretend to be a Canadian.

Someone who is concerned enough to go that far is obviously not the stereotype of the Ugly American Abroad. The UAA is enormously proud of their country and would never stoop so low as to pretend to be a Canuck just to get cheaper taxi fares.

Originally posted by darkside_ofthe_moon
if you guys are so great, why would you have to pretend to be canadians so you dont get mugged in europe and anywhere outside of north america? thats the problem i have with your people.

So you have a problem with us because in your tiny little mind we have to dress up like Canadians to not get mugged?

Do you realize how retarded you sound?

Originally posted by American Mad Man

So you have a problem with us because in your tiny little mind we have to dress up like Canadians to not get mugged?

Do you realize how retarded you sound?

Kind of a jerk, aren't you.

Originally posted by Landis
Kind of a jerk, aren't you.

Let me get this right...

I'm a jerk for calling this cat out on his utterly absurd train of thought?

He disslikes me and my country men for something this idiotic, but I'm a jerk?

I swear, only in todays liberal hate on America world of PC bunk...

Originally posted by American Mad Man

Let me get this right...

I'm a jerk for calling this cat out on his utterly absurd train of thought?

He disslikes me and my country men for something this idiotic, but I'm a jerk?

I swear, only in todays liberal hate on America world of PC bunk...

You basically called him a retard. How swift is that?

Try being more tolerant. A little pragmatism wouldn't hurt either. The guy's as passionate about his country as you are about the US. Try looking at things from his perspective for a minute.

BTW, I'm no liberal, but I'm no brainwashed conservative either. I think for myself.

Originally posted by Landis
You basically called him a retard.

Yeah I did. Because that kind of thinking could not possibly be the product of rational thought.

He sounded like an idiot. I brought that to his attention.

Try being more tolerant.

I'm not going to be tolerant of blatantly stupid thought. I'm also not going to baby people. I'm blunt and to the point. I don't have time to pussy-foot around.

The guy's as passionate about his country as you are about the US. Try looking at things from his perspective for a minute.

What passion has he shown for his country? The only passion I see from him in this thread is in his stance against another country.

His perspective?

Duhhhhh, I'm an ignorant anti-American lemming, so I'm gunna spout off like a retard 'cause that's the cool thing to do!

I think for myself.

Sweet dude.

Maybe you should start thinking about replying to the blatant idiocy being presented by the topic starter.

[edit on 26-3-2006 by American Mad Man]

I'm confused, do americans get mugged in Europe for being American ? why ?
Also why would an American want to pretend to be Canadian. That's like an Australian pretending they're a New Zealander - why trade down

Originally posted by American Mad Man

Maybe you should start thinking about replying to the blatant idiocy being presented by the topic starter.

Maybe you should try being more civil to people who disagree with you.

Originally posted by rogue1
I'm confused, do americans get mugged in Europe for being American ? why ?
Also why would an American want to pretend to be Canadian. That's like an Australian pretending they're a New Zealander - why trade down

No, we don't get mugged in Europe for being American.

No, we don't pretend to be Canadian.

Originally posted by Landis
Maybe you should try being more civil to people who disagree with you.

What is there to agree on?

That Americans get mugged in Europe for being American, and because of that pretend to be Canadian?

You have to be kidding me...

Anyone who actually believes that is stupid, in the strictest sense of the word.

ok so im retarded now? (Mod edit: see below)

anyways that was a little off topic, but i have personaly seen americans sew there little canadian flags on their bags, and when i was in the carribean a short while ago there was a tour group at a marine wildlife place. they did not allow photos because then they could charge for the pictures that the company took for you. well this loud arrogant jerk pushes his way to the front and starts taking pictures with his own camera. when the tour guide told him he wasn't allowed, the american told the guide where to go and how to get there. he was rude and was pissing everybody off on the group tour. all the while he was wearing a "canada, eh?" shirt with a canada hat. turns out this jerk was an american. man, the people with the group were about to lynch him.

by the way, there are far more things than this that makes me dislike some americans, but most are pretty cool.

[edit on 27-3-2006 by darkside_ofthe_moon]

Mod Edit: Profanity/Circumvention Of Censors – Please Review This Link.

[edit on 2006/3/27 by Hellmutt]

Originally posted by darkside_ofthe_moon

anyways that was a little off topic, but i have personaly seen americans sew there little canadian flags on their bags, and when i was in the carribean a short while ago there was a tour group at a marine wildlife place. they did not allow photos because then they could charge for the pictures that the company took for you. well this loud arrogant jerk pushes his way to the front and starts taking pictures with his own camera. when the tour guide told him he wasn't allowed, the american told the guide where to go and how to get there. he was rude and was pissing everybody off on the group tour. all the while he was wearing a "canada, eh?" shirt with a canada hat. turns out this jerk was an american. man, the people with the group were about to lynch him.


[edit on 27-3-2006 by darkside_ofthe_moon]

Have you ever thought that these people might actually have been canadian, or do you just use American as a catch all term for jerk?

Well, americans can't fool me, I recognize their accent.

There are a lot of american turists here in Vienna, quite recognizable they are: the only white people around not dressed in the latest fashion style.

Another american thing I noticed quite often: they comment on how cool underground trains are "omg, these trains and stations are so clean!!! where are all the homeless people and junkies??!". I kid you not, I always laugh at that one and think "ok, just how dirty are american subways??!"

When they ask for directions they expect you to speak english. I have yet to meet an american who can speak german.

They all seem very fascinated and delighted by european culture, architecture, numerous theatres, opera houses, nice little coffee places, restaurants and such.

I didn't run into any americans pretending to be canadians so far.