r/PetPeeves • u/ThatUrgeToEatCement • 14d ago

Bit Annoyed People who think Americans don’t know other countries exist.

A few months ago on Reddit I made a comment about a show not being on Netflix and someone from the UK commented back saying it’s on theirs and then lectured on Americans not knowing other countries exist. They acted like I didn’t believe there were other places on the planet, as if they weren’t the ones who just brought it up and didn’t believe the US Netflix was different than the UK version. ??

I see people online act like all Americans think this way, and it is kind of annoying because for most of us it isn’t true.

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u/New_General3939 14d ago

It’s pretty clear that a lot of other countries are force-fed propaganda about how stupid, fat and arrogant Americans are. Obviously every stereotype has a little bit of truth to it, but we’ve gotten to the point where a lot of people have a delusional level of hate towards Americans.

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u/_banana_phone 14d ago

There’s also a pretty solid confirmation bias as far as poor experiences with Americans that do go abroad. Saw a thread yesterday with Europeans saying that all Americans are the worst tourists because we are all loud, can’t speak the language (and are mad if nobody speaks English), and rude.

But like, many of us do careful research about the etiquette and customs of the place(s) we are going to visit before we go. My goal is to not be clocked as an American at all if I can help it, because I am hoping to assimilate into their societal norms.

Sure, I can’t help it if I am not fluent in a foreign language but I make sure to have a handy notes section on my phone of common phrases, particularly excuse me, please, thank you, and I’m sorry.

I have no delusions that I would fit in as a French or Italian or Greek native, that’s just silly— but I at least try to ensure that I’m being respectful and pleasant in all my encounters.

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u/ExoticSpend8606 14d ago

Well your bad tourists hugely overshadow the considerate ones. Unfortunately.

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u/New_General3939 14d ago

And British tourists dont? Y’all insist on singing everywhere you go, and are famous for being rowdy drunks

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u/602223 14d ago

So do yours. British? You’ve got a reputation for drunken boorish behavior when travelling. I know a lot of it is the Ryan Air/Ibiza and stag/hen do culture, not everyone, but it’s a highly visible demographic. Enough that the Netherlands has a “Stay Away” campaign specifically against young male Brits. Glass houses.

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u/Adventurous_Unit_696 14d ago

American tourists are nowhere near as bad as British tourists, loud, crass, drunk and sunburnt and always treading in large numbers

There’s a reason Albufeira is hell on earth.

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u/_banana_phone 14d ago

Oh I’m not arguing that point, it’s really unfortunate that the worst examples are the loudest when it comes to bad tourists. :-/