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Demonaut

(8,909 posts)
Mon Aug 22, 2016, 12:10 PM Aug 2016

Have you ever been an "Ugly American" when traveling in another country?

I kicked an empty beer bottle that was upright on the sidewalk in Cancun Mexico during spring break, I was pretty wasted and thought it would be funny.
This was about three in the morning, the police saw me and took all our money (I was in a group of three)
It was young and stupid and extremely ignorant of my actions and I had traveled a great deal at that time so I had no excuse.
I was at the time convinced the cops had left the bottle for a dumb American to kick it, maybe, but it was a very poor decision on my part

32 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Have you ever been an "Ugly American" when traveling in another country? (Original Post) Demonaut Aug 2016 OP
Yep. Alcohol was always involved. Funny, that. Brickbat Aug 2016 #1
As you most likely know already... CaliforniaPeggy Aug 2016 #2
ROV 1971 and 1973 oneshooter Aug 2016 #3
Never melman Aug 2016 #4
I Don't Think So, And I Hope Not ProfessorGAC Aug 2016 #5
Nope GP6971 Aug 2016 #6
yup Skittles Aug 2016 #26
I don't think kicking that bottle really qualifies melman Aug 2016 #7
I spent a year in Korea. NaturalHigh Aug 2016 #8
Not me, but I saw my idiot sister-in-law cause problems in Germany. Buckeye_Democrat Aug 2016 #9
I don't think anyone in Cancun can complain about "Ugly Americans" anoNY42 Aug 2016 #10
No, but I've seen plenty of others Siwsan Aug 2016 #11
In the novel 'The Ugly American' was the good guy. Ptah Aug 2016 #12
When visiting London I noted that most Americans Codeine Aug 2016 #13
I lived in Spain for three years. lpbk2713 Aug 2016 #14
No Hayduke Bomgarte Aug 2016 #15
No whenever I travel I always take precautions mythology Aug 2016 #16
No. But ran into a few in Berlin. tenderfoot Aug 2016 #17
No. But I was on a tour with some who were. Avalux Aug 2016 #18
These discussions are always so high school. closeupready Aug 2016 #19
nice trof Aug 2016 #20
Is yours then criticism or simply joining in on the high school topics? LanternWaste Aug 2016 #22
This message was self-deleted by its author closeupready Aug 2016 #25
I've only been to Mexico and Canada and I never LuvNewcastle Aug 2016 #21
No, but I've certainly rescued them Recursion Aug 2016 #23
My wife and I have traveled fairly extensively True Dough Aug 2016 #24
no Skittles Aug 2016 #27
My family traveled a lot internationally when I was young. Laffy Kat Aug 2016 #28
The closest I ever came was while I was in Europe... 3catwoman3 Aug 2016 #29
I've seen a lot of ugly Americans travelling in WalMart, n/t Binkie The Clown Aug 2016 #30
I don't know if I was ugly, but I was pretty darned lucky. Was working on a show in San Diego underahedgerow Aug 2016 #31
It's a self-hating stereotype. Quantess Aug 2016 #32

CaliforniaPeggy

(149,297 posts)
2. As you most likely know already...
Mon Aug 22, 2016, 12:15 PM
Aug 2016

Alcohol is a depressant, and the first thing it depresses are our inhibitions.

I'm sorry this happened to you, my dear Demonaut.

I don't think I've ever acted the part of an Ugly American, but I've seen them in action. It shames us all.

 

melman

(7,681 posts)
4. Never
Mon Aug 22, 2016, 12:16 PM
Aug 2016

Always minded my business and did my best to be polite and get along with everyone I met. Turns out that approach works really well.

ProfessorGAC

(64,413 posts)
5. I Don't Think So, And I Hope Not
Mon Aug 22, 2016, 12:18 PM
Aug 2016

Been to a lot of different countries and always tried to remember that i was the foreigner.

Closest "uh-oh" moment happened on a train between Montreaux and Milano. Get to the Italian border and a soldier with automatic weapon comes on. Asks for passport, which is "passaporto" so without even putting my brain in slow translation mode, i just handed it to him.

Then he asks a question, but i didn't pick up the main two words. So, i ask him, in italian, to repeat. Same thing. Now i speak italian like a 3 year old and with a southern dialect to boot. He's now getting irritated (guy with a machine gun is getting angry) so i say "Si prega, ripetta lentamente. Sono americano."

Now i get that he wants to know how much money i have and from which countries. So, i show him. He says "Grazie" and moves on.

He probably disliked me as an american for a half minute, but i think it was ok after that.

GP6971

(31,014 posts)
6. Nope
Mon Aug 22, 2016, 12:24 PM
Aug 2016

I saw plenty of young soldiers in Korea act like idiots, but almost always too much Soju was the cause.

 

melman

(7,681 posts)
7. I don't think kicking that bottle really qualifies
Mon Aug 22, 2016, 12:25 PM
Aug 2016

If that's the worst you've done you're doing pretty well.

NaturalHigh

(12,778 posts)
8. I spent a year in Korea.
Mon Aug 22, 2016, 12:25 PM
Aug 2016

There was lots of drunken "Ugly American" stuff there due to the heavy drinking of so many military personnel.

Buckeye_Democrat

(14,846 posts)
9. Not me, but I saw my idiot sister-in-law cause problems in Germany.
Mon Aug 22, 2016, 12:36 PM
Aug 2016

My brother was stationed there. His wife did laundry and placed her laundry basket on a woman's shiny new Mercedes. The woman rushed over and screamed at her in German, and my 6' tall sister-in-law towered over her and yelled back, "Shut up, you damn Herm!" She called them "Herms" for whatever reason and often said how she despised them. I was a young teen and couldn't believe how my sister-in-law acted like a bully while in their country.

The Germans were pretty strange because they'd stare at me and my parents at restaurants despite us being quiet and respectful. I later read that it's pretty common behavior over there. They didn't look angry, but more like they wanted to "study" us. They barely talked to each other at restaurants too.

Despite some of their general "weirdness," treating them with disrespect in their country was out of the question for me and my parents.

EDIT: My sister-in-law is a die-hard Republican, by the way.

 

anoNY42

(670 posts)
10. I don't think anyone in Cancun can complain about "Ugly Americans"
Mon Aug 22, 2016, 12:47 PM
Aug 2016

Cancun brings it upon itself by being merely a party center. I'm a FL resident, and I always laugh when folks from Daytona on the local news complain about Spring Breakers and Bikers. Daytona goes out of its way to attract folks who just want to get drunk.

Siwsan

(26,177 posts)
11. No, but I've seen plenty of others
Mon Aug 22, 2016, 12:48 PM
Aug 2016

One, in particular, I remember at Westminster Abbey, on a Sunday. This guy was furious that the Brass Rubbing Centre, where you can do rubbings on replica brass effigies was closed because, well, just because it was SUNDAY. He kept yelling about how he had come ALL THE WAY FROM THE UNITED STATES, so what if it was Sunday and he expected them to open, to accommodate his schedule.

I always found it amusing that when I'd have conversations with locals, they would always ask me what part of Canada I was from. Depending on the situation, sometimes I'd just say, 'Close to Windsor Ontario'. Hey, it wasn't a complete fib - Windsor is right across the river from Detroit, and I'm not ALL that far from Detroit.

 

Codeine

(25,586 posts)
13. When visiting London I noted that most Americans
Mon Aug 22, 2016, 12:55 PM
Aug 2016

were fairly respectful and quiet, while younger French travelers seemed absolutely horrible. Loud, loutish, and pushy.

As for me, I'm a quiet and naturally introverted person and I don't drink, so I tend to go unnoticed.

lpbk2713

(42,696 posts)
14. I lived in Spain for three years.
Mon Aug 22, 2016, 12:59 PM
Aug 2016



Yanks don't have a corner on the rude and stupid market, they come from everywhere.

However, I do recall being embarrassed a few times by English speaking tourists.



Hayduke Bomgarte

(1,965 posts)
15. No
Mon Aug 22, 2016, 01:02 PM
Aug 2016

I've only been to 3 Mexican border towns and to the Bahamas. The last thing I wanted to do was be a jackass and risk any sort of trouble.

Avalux

(35,015 posts)
18. No. But I was on a tour with some who were.
Mon Aug 22, 2016, 03:43 PM
Aug 2016

After my daughter graduated high school we went on a school-sponsored 2 week trip to Europe. Art students; serious art students who were excited to visit museums etc. When we got there, our guide announced another group would be joining us. They were the opposite of our students - they were athletes and I'm sorry but they were horrid; loud-mouthed and just plain dumb; the parents were worse. I'm sure they're all voting for Drumpf.

We were shackled to them for the entire trip; it was not the wonderful experience I had hoped for and we was embarrassed to be seen with them. Any time we could, my daughter and I would break away and set out on our own (those experiences were the best).

 

closeupready

(29,503 posts)
19. These discussions are always so high school.
Mon Aug 22, 2016, 03:58 PM
Aug 2016

People everywhere have bad moods and behave badly. You learn this in the first few years after you set out into the world to establish yourself. Unless you never did that.

 

LanternWaste

(37,748 posts)
22. Is yours then criticism or simply joining in on the high school topics?
Mon Aug 22, 2016, 06:13 PM
Aug 2016

Is yours then criticism lacking perspective, or simply joining in on the high school conversations with the rest of us?

I hope it's the first-- as we always had a good laugh at the fellow who pop his head in just long enough to let us know how vulgar we are before skulking off to his esteemed, righteous and substantive conversations elsewhere; and I'd be saddened to think those guys as well, fell out after high school.

Response to LanternWaste (Reply #22)

LuvNewcastle

(16,820 posts)
21. I've only been to Mexico and Canada and I never
Mon Aug 22, 2016, 06:00 PM
Aug 2016

spent the night in either place, so I never had much of a chance to be ugly. I plan to go to Peru in the near future, but I'll be on my best behavior. I tend to land in jail when I act up, and I sure as hell don't want to be in jail down there.

True Dough

(17,090 posts)
24. My wife and I have traveled fairly extensively
Mon Aug 22, 2016, 06:21 PM
Aug 2016

and have met plenty of Americans in our journeys. Most of them have been wonderful people. There have been a few jerks, but not egregiously so. We've also talked to other Canadian travelers who insist that Americans are just so awful, and we think those generalizing Canadians are sort of "ugly" as well.

Laffy Kat

(16,354 posts)
28. My family traveled a lot internationally when I was young.
Tue Aug 23, 2016, 12:07 AM
Aug 2016

Dad was in the cotton business and he'd take tours over, visit mills, etc. We were southerners. Our parents put the fear of God in both of us kids about minding manners and making a good impression for our country. We have hopefully passed that down to our kids as well.

3catwoman3

(23,812 posts)
29. The closest I ever came was while I was in Europe...
Tue Aug 23, 2016, 12:10 AM
Aug 2016

...for 6 weeks back in 1974. While in Zurich, based on American habits, my brother and I started to cross a street before the crosswalk light turned green, because there were no cars coming. An elderly lady gave us the most withering stare of disapproval that we froze in our tracks.

I'm not a big drinker, so typically have my wits about me, both at home and abroad.

While I was stationed in Japan, at Yokota Air Base, there was a story of a young sailor from the naval base at Yokosuka who was stopped by his commanding officer when he was about to go off base wearing a Tshirt with a mushroom cloud logo on it.

underahedgerow

(1,232 posts)
31. I don't know if I was ugly, but I was pretty darned lucky. Was working on a show in San Diego
Tue Aug 23, 2016, 02:19 AM
Aug 2016

and we had a couple days off, so 5 of us headed to Rosarita Beach, south of the border. We had an incredible afternoon, riding horses on the beach, drinking endless pitchers of margaritas, and decided to hit a local village for lobster and beers. It was really amazing! Driving back, or attempting to, heading down a dark, narrow road, I'm pulled over by a cop. Definitely an 'oh shit' moment. As he's walking up to the car, everyone is pulling out their wallets to see how much cash we had to bail me out of jail.

Cop shines a light in my eyes, everyone else's face, then back to me. Says something in Spanish, I say, I'm sorry, I don't understand. He asks if we've been drinking. I say, 'yes, a little, and we had a nice lobster dinner in Puerto Nuevo with a beer. They've been drinking, I haven't'.

He checks my driver's license. I'm driving a very old, beat up 70's Audi, nothing special.

Shines the light in my face again and says 'You weave down road'.

I pop out a contact lens into my hand and say 'my lenses are dirty, the road is dark and I can't see very well!

There's a beat... he shines the light into my hand, on the lens, into my eyes, back to my hand, back to my eyes.... Clicks the light off, shakes his head and walks away.

Quantess

(27,630 posts)
32. It's a self-hating stereotype.
Tue Aug 23, 2016, 02:59 AM
Aug 2016

I live in Europe. I see "ugly" behavior sometimes, sure, but it's rarely Americans.

If there were ever any truth to this stereotype, it's something from the past when Americans thought we were so much better than the rest of the world. Nowadays, the only people who have that attitude are non-travelers.

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